Salami and Onion Matzoh Brei Frittata

Here is one more Passover recipe to get you through the rest of the week.

Salami and Onion Matzoh Brei Frittata
Serves 4

• 6 pieces of unsalted matzoh 
• 6 large eggs
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups Kosher beef salami, cut into small cubes
• 2 Tbsp.vegetable oil
• kosher salt and pepper

1.  Preheat your ovens broiler.
2. Into a colander, break the matzoh into small pieces, about 1-inch in size. Rinse the matzoh under hot tap water until the pieces are softened, about 1-2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the matzoh pieces until coated well with the egg.
4. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and saute the onions until softened and slightly golden, add the salami and continue to cook until the salami starts to crisp. Turn the heat to high and add in the matzoh and egg mixture. Stir to combine, then using the spatula, flatten the mixture.
5. Place the pan into the oven and bake under the broiler until the top is golden and the eggs have cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with some salt pepper, and some fresh chopped parsley and serve.
7. ENJOY!

 

Warm Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Shallot Dip

Jord and I attended a pot luck Thanksgiving yesterday. For our contribution I made a delicious Cauliflower and Cheddar Casserole (my Mom's secret recipe...okay its not so secret you can find it on the back of a Campbell's soup can). I also whipped up a delicious warm dip. Unfortunately I did not grab a pic of the dip before it was devoured but I thought it was worth sharing the recipe anyway. This dip is perfect served with crackers, chips or cut up veggies.

Warm Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Shallot Dip
Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

• 2 heads garlic
• 2 medium shallots, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 package (250g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup mayonnaisse
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• a sprinkling of goat cheese
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Using the two heads of garlic, follow my instructions for roasting garlic found here.
2. While the garlic is roasting, prepare the shallots. Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. add 2 tsp. of the olive oil and the shallots. Cook stirring occasionally until starting to brown then lower the heat to low and continue to cook until the shallots are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the shallots to s mixing bowl.
3. Remove the garlic from the oven and let cool. Turn the temperature of the oven down to 400 degrees F.
4. Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, remove the soft cloves and mash with a fork. Add the garlic puree to the shallots.
5. Combine the shallot and garlic mixture with the cream cheese, mayonnaise and Dijon. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. 
6. Top the dip with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and hot, about 20 minutes.
7. ENJOY!

Image Courtesy of www.thegraphicsfairy.com

Strawberry Macarons

This past weekend my friend asked me to make some macarons for a bridal shower she was throwing. Macarons can be very temperamental but I was very happy with the way they turned out. 

Last night, after flipping through the channels only to find nothing interesting on TV, I headed into the kitchen and decided to make a batch for myself with the leftover ingredients. Inspired by the bright pink peonies I picked from my garden a few days ago, I went with a pink cookie with a strawberry frosting for the center.

For the cookies I used Bakerella's recipe found here.

For the filling I made a delicious, yet rich strawberry frosting. Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Frosting (For cookies, cakes, cupcakes and eating off a spoon)

Makes about 2 cups

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. good quality strawberry preserves
• 1- 1.5 cups icing sugar 

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until fluffy.
2. Stop the machine and add the preserves. Mix until combined.
3. Turn the machine to low, and while running, slowly add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved. The more sugar you add the more dense the frosting. 
4. Turn the machine to high and mix for another minute until fluffy. 

Tales from our Garden: Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad

The time has come to finally pick some of the vegetables that we planted and I could not be more excited!

We planted three types of lettuce - Green Romaine, Red Romaine and Boston. All three are growing at a rapid pace so after researching on the internet I found out that I can pick some of the outer leaves of lettuce while the plants are still young and the plant will continue to grow. Yesterday, I headed out to the garden and plucked a bunch of leaves off of each of my Green Romaine plants.

The lettuce right before I picked it

When I think of Romaine lettuce I automatically think of Caesar salad so that is exactly what I made with my garden pickings.
 
Here is my recipe for Caesar salad. I like to roast the garlic for the dressing instead of using it raw. I love the sweetness of roasted garlic, and the fact that I don't have to chew a pack of gum after eating it.

Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad
Serves 4

• 1 head of garlic
• 1 egg (traditionally a coddled egg is used)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. anchovy paste (can be replaced with 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce)
  
• 1/3 cup good quality olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, ripped or cut into small pieces 
• homemade or store bought croutons
• 4 slices of bacon or pancetta, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Follow my instructions on How-To: Roast Garlic.
3. In the bowl of a food processor  place the egg, lemon juice, Dijon and anchovy paste. Turn the machine on and slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until the mixture is thick and emulsified.
4. Turn the machine off and add in the parmesan cheese and the roasted garlic paste, pulse the machine until just combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a large salad bowl toss the lettuce, croutons and bacon with your desired amount of dressing.Top with some more Parmesan and serve.

*Tip: If you are worried about using a raw egg, or you just want to make the process quicker  you can replace the egg and olive oil with 3/4 cup of store bought mayonnaise (I love Hellman's Half the Fat). Simply stir the mayo together with the lemon juice, Dijon, anchovy paste/Worcestershire, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Cheesy Chorizo Strata

One of my favorite brunch dishes to make is a strata, which is kind of a savoury french toast casserole. It is the perfect dish to prepare when hosting a brunch because it can be completely made the night before, and then you just pop it in the oven before guests arrive and you are good to go. You can completely customize this recipe by replacing the sausage, cheese and veggies with pretty much anything you wish!

Cheesy Chorizo Strata
Serves 8

• 1lb. loaf of French bread, sliced
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 lb. smoked chorizo, cut into small cubes (make sure to use the Spanish smoked chorizo, and not the Mexican chorizo, which is raw)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used a cheese with hot peppers in it)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Grease a large casserole dish.
2. Slice the bread into about 32 slices and arrange into the casserole dish.You will probably have about 2 layers of bread.
3. Top the bread with the chopped chorizo, peppers, onions and shredded cheese.
4. In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, paparika, salt and pepper.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, pressing down to make sure all the bread is covered. Wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. (If you don't want to wait that long, you can let it rest for 20 minutes).
6. When ready, place the strata in a 375 degree oven and bake until set, about 1 hour. 
7. ENJOY!

Best of the Brunch: French Toast Casserole

A couple years ago I was at a pot luck brunch. After filling my plate at the buffet table, I sat down to eat. Looking over the random mix of stuff on my plate, I decided to dig in to what I was told was French toast casserole and I instantly entered heaven. Turns out it was made by one of my best friends, Ainsley, who had the recipe passed on to her by a friend. I left brunch that day with a full stomach and the recipe that would become my brunch staple. Every time I make it I get nothing but compliments and an empty casserole dish. I recently made it for another pot luck brunch, and received the same response as always, as well as a list of emails to send the recipe too. This is the recipe that will never die, make it for your next brunch and I can guarantee that you will be passing it along at the end of the day.

French Toast Casserole

• 7 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 loaf of Challah bread, unsliced
  
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1. Cut the Challah into 1 inch cubes. (the recipe originally called to cut the crust off the bread first, I prefer to keep them on, either way will be delicious)
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in the bread cubes. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Pour the bread mixture into a greased casserole dish.
4. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and maple syrup and pour over the bread mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes.