Chicks!

A few weeks ago I was looking back through some old posts and came across one about what I hoped to have one day (and stuffed artichokes which by the way are delicious and I should totally make this again soon). The very first line of that post is:

“My dream is to one day move out of suburbia and back into the country. I would like to have a few acres of land for the kids to run around on freely, I would like some chickens, maybe a goat, a clothes line to hang out laundry and a nice, big garden.”

As I read this post from 3 years ago I realized that I have everything I ever wanted right now. Everything…including chickens!

A few weeks ago, the kids and I went to the feed store in town for 6 baby chicks. We came home with 8 and everything we needed to keep them alive until a chicken coop could be erected to house our new little bundles of joy and poop.

Speaking of coops, my husband has taken it upon himself to build the chicks the most awesome chicken coop on this side of the Mississippi.

This may not seem like much to those of you out there who are married to a very skilled carpenter, but my hubby is a restaurant manager and building anything has not been included in his skill set. Until now! He has really gotten into it (and maybe over-engineered it just a little) and I couldn’t be prouder.

Once it is all said and done our new girls will be housed in high style. Hopefully it will be soon because these birds aren’t getting any smaller.

So, in preparation for the overwhelming mass of eggs that we won’t have until sometime in August I am working on egg dishes. This one is easy and perfect for Easter!

P.S. Thanks to April’s Attic for letting me borrow some super cute dishes!!

I’ve been a little obsessed with Caesar salads lately. Maybe it’s because it so hard to find a really good one. Or maybe it corresponds with my other new obsession, anchovy paste. It could also be the plethora of farm fresh eggs in the fridge or the fresh lettuce in the garden. It’s more than likely a combination of all of these things, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll say that I am obsessed with Caesar salads because they are just really friggin’ good. (Actually, any fresh, well-dressed salad is really friggin’ good but we’ll stick to the Caesar right now)

So, the beauty of the classic Caesar is in the simplicity. It doesn’t take many ingredients, and I would be willing to bet that you already have most of them in your house right now ( except maybe for the anchovy paste, but I’m getting to that). The secret to making this salad really divine is to make sure that the ingredients are as fresh as you can get them. Notice I didn’t say “expensive”…I said “fresh”. If the romaine lettuce is looking a little lackluster at the store, don’t make this salad. It’ll taste awful. ( By the way, you can usually find the freshest stuff in the very back on the bottom of the lettuce bin. Never grab the stuff on top) Will the $30 per pound Parmesan taste great on this salad? You betcha! But the good quality, less expensive stuff that moves faster in the cheese aisle will taste great too.

Now, lets talk about two things that seem to make people a little squeamish: Anchovies and raw eggs.

Let’s tackle the easy one first. Eggs. There is some debate on whether raw eggs are safe to eat. I , personally, am not scared of eating my eggs raw, but I get my eggs from my neighbor who gathers eggs everyday. I know more about the origin of my eggs than most people. And really, for any dish that calls for raw eggs ( i.e. Hollandaise sauce, ice cream, mayo) I would spring for the organic, free-range variety instead of the cheap kind. You want some taste in your raw egg. But if you are pregnant, very young, or have some kind of immune disease you should use pasteurized eggs.

The next tough mental hurdle seems to be anchovies. People seem to think that anchovies taste like old gym socks. I think people are getting anchovies confused with sardines, which can absolutely taste like old gym socks ( unless you douse them in hot sauce and eat them on a saltine cracker). Anchovies are a super savory, oily fish that really remind me more of Asian fish sauce. It may not look real appetizing, but the flavor is unbelievable. And don’t worry about a “fishy” taste, you really won’t pick any of that up. That being said, I like to buy the anchovy paste that comes in tubes so that I’m not left with a tin of anchovies to use up.

What?! I said they were delicious, I didn’t say I wanted to put them on my oatmeal.

The last thing before I get to the recipe is the importance of dry lettuce. As important as it is to wash your lettuce, it is equally important to dry it. Wet lettuce = horrible salad. So please us a salad spinner, or wrap whole wet leaves in a kitchen towel and blot furiously until the moisture is gone. Then continue with assembly.

Ok! On to the recipe!

Here it is, the end of July and I am happily swimming in fresh, ripe, homegrown tomatoes. It’s an event I look forward to all year. It’s hard to beat a just picked sweet tomato still warm from the sun and I have picked well over 30 tomatoes from my three healthy plants in my garden so far this summer. I have also successfully grown some basil (finally!) so I can now enjoy my favorite herb for a while. One thing I didn’t expect this summer was to be swimming in fresh farm eggs from our neighbors, we’ll call them “The crazy H’s”. The H’s are fantastic people and we look forward to egg day every week. They are leading a life I can only dream about right now. They not only have a huge family garden, but also chickens, goats, a horse, a couple of dogs, 5 kids and a milk cow. I could write a whole blog post on them and maybe I will one day.

Anyway,I get 3 dozen eggs a week ( one is for Mom) and it only takes a few days of not being home for us to get behind on our egg consumption. You are probably wondering why I get so many eggs a week, the answer is…because they are delicious and we eat a lot of eggs.

So a while ago I found myself with 4 dozen eggs with egg day right around the corner. So I needed to make a dish that would use a lot of eggs and tomatoes since I had so much. I thought…Souffle!! I had never made a souffle but I figured it couldn’t be as difficult as everyone made it out to be. So I got out my trusty Good Housekeeping Cookbook, decided what kind of tweaks of my own I was using and got started.

The result was phenomenal. If you have never had a souffle, it is very creamy and light. Almost like a pudding. The tomatoes and basil add in some great summertime flavor and the cheese…well, cheese is never a bad thing. I think the trick to this dish is not to be intimidated by it, don’t open the door, and use plenty of salt. Honestly, this is a delicious dinner or even brunch dish and I am looking forward to making another one again soon!

Cheesy Tomato Basil Souffle

Serves 6

Cooking spray

4 T butter

1/4 cup AP Flour

1 1/2 cups warm milk

2 cups shredded cheddar

2 T shredded Parmesan

Dash of cayenne pepper

1/2 t. salt

6 large eggs, separated

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

handful of basil chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a souffle dish or straight sided casserole ( about 2 qts) with cooking spray.

Make a bechamel sauce – melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan then add in flour. Stir for 30 seconds then whisk in the milk. Cook over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes and then stir in the cheddar and parmesan cheese, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir until cheese has melted then remove from heat.

In a bowl beat egg yolks lightly. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of cheese sauce. Gradually whisk egg yolk mix back into the saucepan. Mix in tomato and basil, transfer to bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold in a third of the egg whites into cheese mix. Fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Pour mixture into the prepared souffle dish. Run your thumb around the inside edge of the dish to create an indent. (This will give you the top-hat look) Bake until souffle is puffy and golden, about 55 minutes. Do not open the door until it is done!

Serve and enjoy!

Tee Ball and Chocolate Meringue Pie have absolutely nothing in common with each other except that my kids are huge fans of both and – truth be told – so am I. The kids’ first tee ball game was yesterday and my little Yellow Jackets did so awesome.

It was the game of the century. I laughed, I cried ( from laughing so hard), I cheered and screamed and I made an emergency trip to the potty with half of the team. My little munchkins did so well. Ella stole home! ( You could also say they ran her on through because they needed her helmet) And Jack hit a double! ( not terribly difficult when playing against 4 year olds). I couldn’t have been prouder.

The game was full of excitement. Several kids were confused on the concept of “bases” and exactly where they were and in what direction one should run them. Many kids enjoyed playing in the dirt. A couple kids ran to the fence to cry to Mom and Dad that they didn’t catch the ball ( my own child included). There were even a few really gung-ho kids. One on the other team was practicing sliding into home base, and a kid on our team was determined to beat Ella to the ball every time. I thought she was going to punch him in the face. I have never seen that little girl so mad.

Of course, every game must end with a Slush Puppie. They have sold Slush Puppies at the ball field for as long as I can remember and they are secretly a lot of the reason I signed my kids up for Tee Ball in the first place. It’s nostalgic for me and I love the cherry flavored ones.

I honestly can’t wait until the next game. There is nothing on TV that is more enjoyable than watching a dozen 4 year olds chase after a baseball in uniforms that are way too big for all of them.

Speaking of enjoyable, this Chocolate Meringue Pie is one of my favorite ways to blow a diet. It’s so rich and creamy and the ingredients to make one is almost always in my house. It’s pretty darn inexpensive, too. Sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and a pie crust and you’ve got yourself an impressive dessert that everyone will love. If you can get your hands on some farm fresh eggs for a reasonable price I highly recommend using them here. You are essentially making a custard for the pie filling and then a meringue for the topping so it’s all about the eggs. I would make this pie the day before you need it so that it all has plenty of time to chill completely before you dig in.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

serves 8

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. AP Flour

1/4 c. cocoa powder

2 egg yolks

2 c. whole milk

1 t. vanilla extract

2 T butter, unsalted

Pre-baked and cooled 9 inch pie crust

For Meringue

4 egg whites

1/2 c. sugar

In a saucepan over medium heat, sift together sugar, cocoa, and flour. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Continue to cook, stirring often until mixture is very thick ( like pudding) about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour the custard into the pie crust and cool completely.

To make the meringue; Preheat oven to 350. In a large, dry bowl whisk egg whites until they are really fluffy.

Sprinkle in the sugar a little at a time and whisk until the sugar is well incorporated and meringue stands in peaks and is shiny.

Pour the meringue on top of the chocolate filling ( make sure it is completely cool or it will melt!).  Gently spread the meringue over the pie making sure to spread all the way to the crust. Bake in hot oven until the top is lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Chill completely before slicing and serving.

Slicing tip: Slicing meringue pies can be tricky. The meringue will grab onto anything that is on your knife causing the meringue to get all messed up. In order to prevent that you will need 3 things when slicing: A long thin knife ( like a sandwich knife), a tall glass of warm water, and a towel. First dip the knife in the water, do not dry it! Starting in the center, make a slice all the way to the edge of the pie in one, long, smooth movement ( no sawing!). Then wipe your knife on the towel, dip the knife back in the water and slice again. Continue this method until you have 8 slices of delicious pie!

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I have a secret love affair with fried eggs. I just think they are sexy. Culinarily speaking of course. There is just nothing better than cutting in to an over easy egg and watching it ooze all over the plate. Just begging for a piece of crusty toast to mop up all of that creamy yellow goodness. It’s how I start most every morning.

I have been wanting to try the classic Italian dish of pasta carbonara recently, but found myself without a few key ingredients, like bacon. How I was out of bacon I don’t know, but I was. But I figured egg on pasta could still be done. And it can.

And it’s delicious.

It is also very simple, easy and very fast. A great go-to dinner.

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Fried Egg over Pasta

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and cooking liquid reserved

1 cup frozen peas

3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

4 T olive oil

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

4 eggs

5 T butter

salt and pepper

In a skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in breadcrumbs and cook until toasted and crisp.

Remove from pan. Wipe skillet clean and add remaining oil and crushed garlic. Cook garlic over medium heat until lightly golden.

Remove cloves and turn off heat. Add pasta to the skillet directly from cooking liquid. Stir in peas, red pepper, breadcrumbs and cheese. Add a ladle full of pasta cooking liquid to make a smooth thick sauce. Season well with salt and pepper.

Portion out the pasta on to plates.

In another small skillet, fry the eggs over easy, one at a time.

Top each portion of pasta with an egg, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Serve and enjoy!

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]]> http://eatinonthecheap.com/2010/10/29/fried-egg-over-pasta/feed/ 2 http://eatinonthecheap.com/2010/10/04/a-fancy-schmancy-brunch/ http://eatinonthecheap.com/2010/10/04/a-fancy-schmancy-brunch/#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:10:00 +0000 jodiemo http://eatinonthecheap.com/?p=222

Well, I guess you have all figured out by now that I didn’t make it to the third round of Project Food Blog. It’s okay. I’m not too devastated. I am learning to cope with my devastation.

Okay, it’s not quite that bad.

I did do round 3 just in case I did actually make it. Round 3 was for a fancy dinner party.

Let me just tell you that “fancy” and “dinner party” don’t really fit into my lifestyle or the theme of my blog. So, I thought outside the box and had a few moms over for a fancy brunch, kids included. I forced all the mom’s to put on make up and high heeled shoes and show up and eat some breakfast.

It went really well. The kids had a great time and since everything was new to everyone, we mothers didn’t have to do much except referee and keep the kids supplied with doughnuts.

That’s right. I made doughnuts. Sweet Potato doughnuts from a Country Living recipe. They were really good. Not overly sweet but had a lot of flavor and really easy to make. Not to mention the kids couldn’t get enough of them.

I also made an Apple and Pear Crisp that I found on Tasty Kitchen. It was very good. Very, very , very good. I highly recommend that you make it soon.

My recipe contribution was a Crab and Artichoke Frittata. Easy peasy. Nothing to it. It was actually Plan B for the brunch. The baked egg cups I had made…well…got a little overdone. So I whipped up the frittata “on the fly” and I think it turned out better than the Plan A would have.

The brunch was great and I had such a good time with some of my favorite people. I think we will have to do it again soon. But this time I’m serving on paper plates.

Crab and Artichoke Frittata
1 T olive oil
1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small onion chopped
1 cup premium crab meat
1 cup mozzerella
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

Whisk eggs, milk, and salt and pepper set aside. Saute up tomatoes, artichokes and crab in a skillet with olive oil until warmed through. Add in eggs, sprinkle with cheese and cook for 3-5 minutes without stirring. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until firm in the middle. Transfer to a plate, cut into wedges, and serve! Enjoy!

I have a date with my husband this coming Thursday. I am so excited. We will actually be leaving this house without children and we won’t come home until after their bedtime. Isn’t that awesome!

I’ll probably shower and shave my legs just to make it all seem extra special. Heck, I’ll even “fix” my hair and pull out the makeup! The hubby won’t know what hit him.

We are going out to dinner, then on to see one of the hubby’s favorite bands play in metro Atlanta. We’ve got a babysitter and a full tank of gas and we are rearing to go! It’s been several months since the hubby and I left the house without kids. If you don’t count BBQ competitions ( and I don’t. Because if your brother is there, it’s not a date) it’s been since May.

You know why? Babysitters. Do you know how much a babysitter costs these days?

This is going to cost a fortune. I’m taking donations.

So, here’s to date night!

Gorgonzola – Tomato Bake
2 -3 cups croutons ( recipe follows)
1 large or 2 medium ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 oz. Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 t. lemon zest
salt and pepper
1/2 t. ground mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together eggs, milk, mustard, zest, and salt and pepper in a bowl.

In a lightly greased pie plate, cover the bottom with croutons. top with tomato slices, then top with cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over and bake for 30-40 minutes or until eggs are fluffy and set.

Homemade Croutons:
2-3 cups of cubed stale bread
1/2 cup olive oil
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Mix oil and seasonings together well.

Toss bread with oil and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until bread is golden brown and toasted, about 10 minutes.

Maybe…just maybe….my kids have finally reached that age where if they make it, they will eat it. Like the majority of mothers out there, I sometimes have a hard time getting them to eat what I put in front of them. Getting them to eat anything that isn’t a potato chip or a cookie after nearly 2 weeks with grandparents and in-laws is nearly impossible. My kids are culinarily ruined.

Maybe I am too a little.

So, I am trying to steer them back onto the right path. A path that has grilled chicken and fruit and vegetables.

And, by God, if I have to sit them both on the counter in their underwear an hour and fifteen minutes before its time to eat dinner so that they can “help” me in the kitchen I will do it.

And I don’t want to hear any lip!

Awwwww, don’t do that. When you do that I want to give you anything you ask for. Go back to fighting with each other already!

So anyway, Jack helped with the Green Chicken Pie. I had about half a cup of Spinach Pesto leftover from yesterday and really wanted to use it up.  The result was FANTASTIC! Not only did I eat 2 helpings but so did Jack. And even little miss I-Don’t Like-It ate her dinner too.

Quick ( without kids and a camera), easy, and delicious. Can’t ask for much more!

By the way, don’t forget to enter the Garofalo Pasta Giveaway! 

Green Chicken Pie
1 pie crust
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Spinach Pesto
1/2 cup mozzarella
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.
Beat eggs and milk until blended.

 Season lightly with salt and pepper. Beat in pesto. Set aside.

 Slice chicken, season with salt and pepper,

 and saute in a skillet until almost done.

 Arrange chicken in the bottom of pie crust.

Pour egg mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until middle is firm and set. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.

12 slices of deli ham
1 box of thawed frozen spinach
1 dozen eggs
2 cups of shredded cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
Press a slice of ham into each muffin cup.

Place some spinach into each cup on top of ham.

Add in some cheese to each cup on top of spinach.

Crack an egg on top of each cup and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes or until done!

Serve with fresh fruit and toast!

The snow! Oh the snow! It’s everywhere! Blocking traffic! Taking out power lines! Closing schools! Wreaking Havoc! Just look at it!

 We pretend we are a ballerina…

1 box frozen spinach, thawed
1 pie crust
3 garlic loves, minced
6 oz. freshly grated mozzerella
4 oz. crumbled feta
1 t. dry oregano or 1T fresh
2 eggs
1/4 cup cream

Preheat oven to 415. ( I know, that’s weird). Squeeze all the water out of the spinach. Place the piecrust on a baking sheet and spread the spinach in the middle, leaving about an inch for a border.

Sprinkle the garlic over the spinach. Both cheeses are next. and then oregano, salt and pepper.

Fold edges of crust around the filling so you create an edge. Beat eggs and cream together then pour evenly over the filling.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and delicious.