Birds Nests with Egg Salad

There are two things that I love: the coming of Spring and egg salad. So when I came across this recipe for Birds Nests with Egg Salad I just couldn't resist. It was so quick and easy. I used the egg salad recipe provided but I would also consider switching it with a curried egg salad with apple bits and walnuts. This morning it hit me that these would look fantastic with a fresh batch of guacamole in the center of each nest. I envision these fun little nests at a picnic or party. PLUS, I think this would be a great way for kids to get their eggs :)

NOTE TO SELF: Next time I make the nests, I'm going to try the thinner Rice Noodles also found in the section with the Chow Mein Noodles. I think the thinner noodles would be a little more fitting and easier to eat.

INGREDIENTS
1 egg
3 cups chow mein noodles
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

EGG SALAD:
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Lettuce Leaves

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, beat egg. Add chow mein noodles and garlic salt; stir to coat. Drop by 1/3 cupfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Using fingers, shape each into a nest; make an indentation in the center of each. Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-13 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a bowl, combine the first eight egg salad ingredients; mix well. Just before serving, spoon 1/4 cupful into each nest. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate if desired.

Split Pea Soup

I woke up this morning with the urge to make soup. Now that summer is over, my soup radar is on. I wanted to actually make 2 kinds: 16 bean with ham AND split pea. I went to the grocery store to find a ham hock. No such luck. In a moment of quick genius, I decided to substitute the ham hock with a few slices of hickory smoked bacon. I figured the bacon fat would infuse my soup with the flavor I was seeking. You know what? I was right! This is an incredibly easy soup to throw together. Earthy, hearty and satisfying.

Split Pea Soup with ham and bacon
• 6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ cup of diced ham ( I used a piece of Cook’s Ham Steak)
• fresh black pepper for seasoning
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 (10.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 cups green split peas
Directions:
1. Place bacon in a large pot, and cook over medium heat until crisp. Do not drain the bacon fat. Add the diced ham and a grind or two of fresh pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in onion, carrot, and garlic; cook until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Pour in chicken broth. Stir in split peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer until peas are cooked, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Quiche

Before you know it, winter will be here and it will be all about soups and stews and hearty dishes. Tonight, I wanted to make one last meal using fresh summer garden ingredients. I always have a pie shell in the freezer. Quiche is so quick and easy to throw together. I had some asparagus and red pepper which I tossed with garlic, olive oil and sesame seeds and threw on the grill as a side. This is a great meal for my son since he hardly realizes he’s eating eggs.

Smoked Turkey Bacon, corn and cheddar quiche

2 cups of fresh corn kernels
8 slices of crisp smoked turkey bacon
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 deep-dish frozen pie crust, thawed

3 large eggs
½ small onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
a pinch or two nutmeg
Fresh pepper

1 1/3 cups half and half
3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. Remove corn from ears and set aside. Cook the bacon until crisp. Line the bottom of the pie shell with the corn, chopped bacon and cheese.

In a food processor, blend eggs, onion, flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg and pepper until onion is finely chopped. Add half and half and melted butter. Process just until blended. Pour over the ingredients in the pie crust. Bake until the filling is slightly puffed and top is golden, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta

As you may know by now, I love basil. The stuff has grown like weeds since I planted it a few weeks ago. Pesto usually comes to my mind when I think of basil but it has so many other good uses. I have pretty much limited my consumption of pasta to once or twice a month. Last night, I had a craving for linguine and was happy to have all the ingredients on hand for the Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta. It's so simple to put together and your tummy will thank you too!

RECIPE:

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta


3 quarts water plus 1 can organic chicken broth
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons drained capers
3-4 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
juice on one whole lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese

Bring 3 quarts water and chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pot; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Serve on plates and dust with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4

Erin's Pie...the easy version

I affectionately call my blueberry pie "Erin's Pie". When my son was a baby, I hired a 15 year old high school student named Erin to come over several days a week to babysit while I worked from home. She ended up staying with us for years until she graduated college. The short of the story is that Erin loved to bake and she was the one who taught me how to make my first blueberry pie. She urged me to go out and buy The Joy of Cooking. She assured me that it was an updated version of the old classic. Ten years later, Joy of Cooking still proudly rests in my kitchen with its worn and tattered cover. I never like to let a summer slip by without making a fresh pie at least once. NOTE: I did the pie crust using the easy and quick method. I purchased two deep dish frozen pie crusts and used the filling part of the recipe from The Joy of Cooking. When I have more time, I'll make the butter pie crust from scratch on page 862 of The Joy of Cooking.




Recipe:

Filling:
5 cups blueberries, rinsed and picked over
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg

Pie Crust:
I was in a bit of a hurry, so I used 2 frozen deep dish pie crusts. You can (and should) make it from scratch though ;)

1. In a mixing bowl, combine and let stand 15 minutes the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. If you're using prepared pie crusts, let them thaw to room temperature. Carefully remove the pie crusts from the metal tins and gently place one of them in a glass pie plate. Pour the filling in to it.

3. With the second pie crust, roll it out on a floured surface with a rolling pin and cut it in to several long strips which will become the lattice top. Carefully lay the strips in a woven fashion across the pie, making sure to secure the ends to the bottom pie crust.

4. Place the pie on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake for about 45-50 minutes until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If the the crust begins to brown to quickly before the 45-50 minutes is up, place some foil around the edge of the pie crust while it bakes.

5. Let the pie cool down on a baking rack before serving.

Exceptionally Awesome Potatoes

I almost feel embarrassed to present such a simple dish but I've been a "meat and potatoes" girl my whole life and this is one of the best potato recipes ever. I actually found it in a recent Gourmet Magazine issue along with Smothered Steak. Somehow, I just knew I'd love it. Last night, I fixed this as a main dish for myself but you could never go wrong with serving it alongside grilled meat or a roasted chicken.

2 lb potatoes (I used baking)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup of organic chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
*I sprinkled truffle salt in addition for an incredible earthy-smokey-mushroom flavor

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Peel potatoes and slice thinly, then toss with melted butter, sea salt and fresh pepper
3. Spread evenly in a 2 qt shallow baking dish and add broth
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes
5. Remove the foil and continue to bake until most of the top is browned for another 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese

The Oatmeal Buffet

Yesterday I was visiting my parents and my Dad was telling me about his new love for steel-cut oats. We've always had two things in common: we both wake up at the crack of dawn 7 days a week and we both love hot cereal for breakfast. Honestly, dad had me at "steel-cut". How could I not rise to the challenge of cooking a big pot of the nutty, crunchy grain this morning? My dad scooped out a huge heaping amount of McCann's Irish Steel-Cut Oats and sent me on my way.

Steel-cut oats are denser, nuttier and more nutritious than rolled oats. For starters, rolled oats are processed much more. Steel oats retain so much more goodness because there's little to no processing. I stood looking at my pantry this morning in awe of the diverse selection of oats. In fact, I've got an entire shelf devoted to various oatmeals, Cream of Wheat and Grits. I normally eat quick cooking rolled oats and my daughter loves the instant packets. This morning, however, I finally took my love of oatmeal to a whole new dimension. Steel-cut takes much longer to cook but it's worth every extra minute.

Directions:

1. Combine 4 cups of water and one cup of steel-cut oats in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2. When it comes to a boil, that's when you want to add a handful of raisins (or in my case, dried cherries)and a few pinches of salt. This morning, I also drizzled a nice stream of organic clover honey in to the boiling water.

3. Turn the heat down and let the oats simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

4. When your oatmeal is ready to spoon in to the bowl, it's time to "paint your blank canvas". This morning I added some brown sugar, toasted coconut, toasted slivered almonds and a little whole milk.