Smoked Garlic Fettucine Alfredo

Fettucine is a simple dish perfectly suited to being a quick and easy dinner. Don't have smoked garlic on hand? Use roasted garlic instead. Smoked or roasted, the garlic flavor in this easy dish is mellowed out and lush. Don't like garlic? Leave it out. No biggie.

Whether you smoke or roast your garlic, the prep is the same. Taking a whole head of garlic, cut the very top off the head, just exposing the meat of the garlic cloves. Wrap the bottom of the head with foil, leaving the cut surface exposed. Drizzle olive oil over the surface and either pop into the smoker along with whatever else you're smoking that day or into the oven with whatever you're roasting that day. Simple!

Now about that fettucine. I didn't use the traditional fettucine noodle because I didn't have the gluten-free version on hand. Just about any good noodle or pasta shape works well. Come on, it's the rich and creamy, cheesy and buttery sauce that's the star of this show. Along with smoked garlic, of course!

Smoked Garlic Fettucine Alfredo

• 1 pound fettucini noodles or other pasta - I used penne (gluten-free, of course) - cooked al dente and drained
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 head smoked (or roasted) garlic (see method below)
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 C freshly grated parmesan - use the GOOD stuff!

Squeeze the soft smoked (or roasted) garlic from the head of garlic into a small bowl. Add the salt and pepper and use a fork to mash it all into a paste. Set aside.

In a saucepan, warm butter and cream together over low heat until the butter is melted. Add the garlic paste and whisk until combined. Let simmer gently while you cook the pasta.

When the pasta is done, drain well and pour it into a large bowl. Add half the parmesan, the sauce, and gently toss. Add the rest of the cheese and toss gently again.

Serve by itself with a green salad or topped with grilled chicken and portobello mushrooms.

Smoked or roasted garlic: Slice the top of a head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Wrap the bottom with foil, drizzle with olive oil. 

Smoke at 225 degrees (in your smoker) along with whatever else you're smoking at the time. I regularly smoke several meats, onions, tomatoes, garlic and other veggies for later use. I make the most of firing up the smoker! And I do several heads of garlic at a time. Wrap the heads in foil completely when done. Stores in the fridge for a week or so. Or you can separate the cloves and freeze in a small freezer bag.

or

In the oven, roast at 400 degrees about 20-30 minutes or until the center is soft. Wrap completely in foil until ready to use. Stores in the fridge for a week or so. Or you can separate the cloves and freeze in a small freezer bag.

3 Potato Gratin With Rosemary, Parm and Gouda

You know how the experts say we first eat with our eyes? Here's a dish that's as delicious to those baby blues (or browns or hazels....) as it is to the palate. Three varieties of potatoes - Japanese sweet potatoes, Garnet sweet potatoes, and Yukon golds, fresh rosemary and garlic infused cream, melty gouda and sharp and tangy real parmigiano reggiano all meld together in the oven to become one satisfying and comforting side dish to delight both company and family.


If you have the time, arrange the potatoes into stripes like I did for a recent dinner. If there isn't time for that nonsense, just jumble up the potatoes and get on with it! Without further adieu, here's the recipe.

3 Potato Gratin With Rosemary, Parm and Gouda

• 2 Japanese sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I used the slicing blade of my food processor for ALL the potatoes to cut prep time)
• 2 garnet sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 C heavy cream
• 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 C)
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the flat side of a knife blade
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 C gouda cheese, shredded
• 1/2 C Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a large gratin dish or a large, shallow baking dish. 

In a medium, heavy bottomed pot, combine cream, garlic and rosemary and bring the mixture to a simmer; simmer for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and set aside while you assemble the dish.

To make it the pretty, striped way, arrange the potatoes in alternate stripes in the dish; to make it the easy way, just toss the potatoes together as you peel and slice them and it will still be pretty...win/win!

Potatoes arranged the pretty way...the whitest potatoes are the Japanese sweet potatoes!

Make a layer of potatoes, sprinkle with gouda, salt & pepper. Make another layer of potatoes, sprinkle with parm and pepper (parm is salty, so I don't use salt on the parm layers), make a third layer, sprinkle with pepper and parm and then pour the cream mixture through a strainer over the top of the potatoes. The strainer keeps the big chunks of garlic and rosemary pieces from going into the casserole.

Bake at 400 for half an hour. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees, cover the dish with foil and bake until browned and tender all the way through and the cream has been absorbed by the potatoes - maybe another half an hour. Remove foil and serve. Don't be surprised if you're asked to make this ALL the time!

Spinach & Parm Meatballs And Sausage With Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Staring at the takeout menu, the decision is always the same when a hot hoagie is the night's craving. Meatball or hot sausage?  Okay, maybe a steak n' cheese might figure into the equation, too, on occasion. But generally, it's meatball or hot sausage for me.

And then there's the gluten issue getting in the way of simply ordering from a takeout menu. Except for Mandy's Pizza in West View (thank you Steve for doing amazing GF pizzas, hoagies, calzones and pastas ALL in a GF version!), usually if I want a hoagie, it's going to be homemade. As long as I'm doing my own meatballs or hot sausage, why not make it the way I really want it? Why NOT do both meatballs AND sausage in the same sandwich so there are no potential life altering decisions to be made? Why not indeed. So I did.

Every good meatball or sausage hoagie (did you know I still say "sub" sometimes from my years in Maryland?) starts with a doggone good tomato sauce. Since I still have hot banana peppers from the CSA, that's where I started. And really, Italian hot banana peppers are just made for a good sauce on an Italian hoagie! After starting with the peppers, I added lots of garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and good red wine. Good start.

My meatballs are a nice light version with chopped fresh spinach and a hefty amount of Parmesan, as well as fresh bread and heavy cream to be sure the meatballs stay light and tender. Because the sauce itself packs a nice wallop of heat, instead of my usual hot sausage, I used sweet Italian sausage and let the sauce carry the heat for the dish. 

Once the sauce, meatballs and sausage had simmered on the stovetop for a while, all that was needed were good, crusty hoagie rolls (or Udi's GF baguettes for me) and a nice smoky provolone to tuck into the sandwich to get all gooey and melty. Just like takeout!

And the leftovers? Turn the sauce, meatballs and sausage into an easy casserole for a dinner the whole family will love! Who doesn't like double duty dinners?! 

Spinach & Parm Meatballs And Sausage 

With Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Sauce:

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 large sliced banana peppers - HOT ones!, tops removed, seeds removed, sliced across into thin wheels
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
• 1 T Kosher salt
• lots of freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 - 1 lb 12 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes in puree w/ basil leaf
• 1/3  (or more?) C good red wine

Meatballs:

• 1 1/3 lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 2 T Italian flatleaf parsley, chopped
• a generous 1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped - measured after chopping
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 t granulated garlic
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 slice firm bread, crumbled finely - I use gluten-free bread to make this GF, but if gluten isn't an issue use something like Pepperidge Farm

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, cut in half and browned in a skillet

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Start with the sauce. In a large pot, add the olive oil and add the banana peppers and garlic. Saute gently until the veggies are softened, but not browned. Add the basil and stir in well, then add the salt & pepper, tomatoes (crushing each tomato with your hand and fingers as you put it in) and wine. Stir well, bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer gently while making the meatballs & sausage.

In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients well, but lightly. Make meatballs about the size of golf balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until beautifully browned. 

Add meatballs and browned sausage into the sauce and simmer an hour or so. Don't let the sauce reduce too much, but just to a nice spoonable consistency. Stir occasionally, making sure the bottom isn't burning. 

Serve on good crisp hoagie buns with slices of provolone, if you wish. To make these GF, I use Udi's baguettes. Fabulous!

NOTE: What to do with leftovers besides more hoagies? Cut each meatball in half, and the sausages, too. Cook rigatoni or medium shells, drain and add meatballs and sausage with enough sauce to coat the pasta well. Add cubes of mozzarella and some parm, mix well, pour into a large shallow casserole dish, cover with more shredded mozz and bake at 400 degrees just until the casserole bubbles nicely. Serve with a good salad and garlic bread. Easy dinner! 

Oh what the hell, here's a bonus recipe for the casserole:

Meatballs, Sausage & Shells 

Quick and Easy Casserole

• 8 oz. large shell pasta - I use gluten-free to make this GF - cooked just under al dente to allow for time in the oven
• 4 C leftover meatballs and sausage, each cut in half
• 1 C leftover banana pepper sauce
• 4 oz. sharp provolone, cut in 1/2" dice
• 4 oz. firm mozzarella, cut in 1/2" dice
• 4 oz. fontina, cut in 1/4" dice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the shells and return to the pot. Add the sauce and stir gently to coat, trying to separate the shells. Add the halved meatballs and sausage and the cheeses, again trying to separate the shells so they're evenly distributed with the meats. 

Spray a shallow casserole dish with Pam and pour the mixture into the dish. Bake for about 50 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the casserole is bubbly.

Easy, family pleasing dinner! 

Mushroom Broccoli Alfredo Mac n Cheese

Hello! It's that time of year again when some of us are scrambling to come up with meatless meals that won't bore the family. Fish sandwiches, mac n cheese, tuna  casserole...they've been done to death by now. And there's still almost a month of Fridays left to meatless meal planning! Uh oh.

One of the best things about the Lenten season is that fish and seafood are more plentiful, and therefore more reasonably priced, than other times of year. If you're a fish and seafood lover (and I am!), now is the time to take advantage of the bargains out there, folks. There are always great sales on things that swim during Lent...even at Whole Foods!

How about a little change up that turns the same old mac & cheese into an alfredo-style mushroom and broccoli meatless meal? One that will be a brand new Friday family fave? 

Instead of cheddar, a sauce of smooth, creamy fontina, subtle smoked gouda and a little parmigiana regianno set off with a sweet touch of garlic, LOTS of earthy mushrooms and just a little bright green broccoli. Baked in a gratin dish until the top is golden, just a simple salad and some good bread makes a Meatless Friday (OR Monday!) into a dinner sure to be repeated even when it isn't Lent.

Ready? Go!

Mushroom Broccoli Alfredo Mac n Cheese

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded - approx. 1/2 lb.
• 2 cups smoked gouda cheese, shredded - approx. 1/2 lb.
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• 1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente, drained - Gluten-free penne to make this GF, my fave is BiAglut!

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced - I like the package of baby bellas, oyster and shitakes!
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Mix the cheeses together in a large bowl until well combined. Reserve a cup of the mixed cheeses. In a saucepan, melt 3 T. butter, add the cornstarch and cook for a minute. Gradually whisk the milk into the cornstarch mixture. When the sauce has thickened, gradually add the bowl of grated cheeses, constantly whisking until the sauce is smooth. Set aside.
 
In a skillet, melt 2 T. butter and add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Stir until the garlic is translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Set aside.
 
Have the cooked pasta waiting in a large bowl. Pour the cheese sauce over the top, add the mushroom mixture and the broccoli florets. Mix well and pour into a large, buttered gratin dish. Top with the reserved cheeses.
 
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden.

Minestrone with Adzuki Beans and Kale

I always thought it was Jack and his beanstalk that had the corner on magic beans. Not anymore! Apparently Dr. Oz and like-minded health conscious folk have challenged ol' Jack with these new-kids-on-the-block-beans, the Adzukis.  Well...new to me anyway. 

What are they?  Besides the darling of the macro-biotic world? Adzuki beans are are a variety of beans found in Japan, China and such. Small, dark red and packed with protein and fiber - much like any other bean - they are also said to contain the power to help you lose weight. If nothing else, they fill you up so you stay full longer. 

Do I buy it? Probably not. But after the excess of the holidays followed by Restaurant Week, I'm looking to adzuki beans to be the antidote to my over indulgence. What the heck, it's worth a shot.  (I'm only half kidding....I'm secretly hoping all this "magic" stuff is real! Note to self: get a grip!)

Traditionally in Asia, adzukis are used in sweet preparations and desserts. My friend Leah Lizarondo of the wonderful Brazen Kitchen blog told me of an adzuki bean rice pudding she makes. Leah! Recipe?! If adzuki beans are good for you, then adzuki beans for dinner AND dessert must be even better! Magic? Here's hoping!  

Minestrone with Adzuki Beans & Kale

• 1 cup dried adzuki beans, rinsed
• 1 ham bone
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, broken into pieces - WITH leaves
• 1 large carrot, big pieces
• 2 tablespoons seasoned salt, You know I use Jane's Crazy Salt!

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 large potato, scrubbed & diced, leave peel on
• 1 package Italian green beans, frozen
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, sliced across
• 1 large carrot, peeled, sliced thinly
• 1 large celery stalk, sliced thinly
• 4 cups kale, sliced into 2" ribbons
• 8 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• seasoned salt, to taste - maybe 1-2 T more
• 1 parmesan cheese, rind - SAVE YOUR PARM RINDS FOR SOUP! - plus more for serving 
• 1 cup ditalini or other small pasta - or just crush larger pasta (gluten free, of course, to make this GF)

In a large heat-proof bowl, soak adzuki beans in boiling water several inches above beans for 2-3 hours. Drain.
 
In a large soup pot, add the ham bone, onion, 2 celery stalks and the carrot. Cover with water until the ham bone is submerged.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to simmer and cook 2-3 hours until the meat begins to fall off the bone.  Remove bone and meat and strain out the stock veggies.  Return the broth to the soup pot.
 
Add adzuki beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, potato, Italian green beans, garlic, zucchini, slices carrot and celery, kale, 8 basil leaves, oregano, additional Crazy salt and the rind of a parmesan wedge.  The rind makes all the difference in the world...gives the soup depth and flavor.
 
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and cook an hour or so until the veggies are soft.

Add the pasta at this point.  Bring to a boil again, reduce the heat again and simmer until the pasta is tender.
 
Serve in bowls topped with shaved parmesan and a little fresh basil.
 
NOTE: You can use purchased beef broth in place of the homemade ham broth - I had a hambone and you know I don't waste it!  Use 2 boxes of broth in place of the homemade stock.  Veggie stock is fine if you want to keep this vegetarian. If you're making this gluten-free, be sure to check the label of the bought broth to be sure it's GF.

Pastitsio...A Kind of Greek Lasagna!

 



I'm still in the midst of cozying into the comfort food time of year.  Yep, that period where long remembered family favorites still gratify our souls and warm us from the inside out.  Like long lost friends, we're happy they've come to call again.

A craving has been building for a good old fashioned casserole for quite a while now.  My first thought was the same macaroni, ground beef, cheese and tomato casserole that my family's been enjoying since my mom made it so many years ago.  Everybody has a recipe for that one...I transformed our version over the years to incorporate more veggies (especially fresh spinach) into the mix - fool the kids, you know?  You don't have a recipe for that?  I'll post it another time.  

The family favorite casserole this time is a beloved Patitsio.  You've never heard of it?  The components of this dish are similar to the macaroni casserole described above...but oh so different.  Pasta?  Check.  Cheese?  Check.  Beef?  Check. Tomatoes, onions? Check and check.  

Only this is more like a Greek lasagna with layers of cheese-enveloped pasta, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg-scented ground beef, onion and tomato and topped with a layer of a rich, cheesy cream sauce that browns to perfection. Once cooled, it cuts into beautiful squares lasagna-style. Oh yeah.

Those unexpected warm fall spices add such a subtle flavor that you can't quite put your finger on...yet gives the recipe it's uniqueness...its essential Greek-ness.  What it makes me think of is Cincinnati Chili or a great hot dog chili...cinnamon is the secret special ingredient in both of those faves.  Those Greeks sure know how to spice their beef dishes!

When we first moved back to Pittsburgh...back in 1986, this became one of our favorites.  I don't make it often, all the cheese, eggs, beef, pasta and half & half make it a special occasion dish only.  So we had a special occasion.  It was Monday.  Everyone deserves to make Monday special!  You too!

Pastitsio

Serves 8

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour (or cornstarch to make this gluten free)
• 3 cups half and half
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds ground chuck
• 8 ounce can tomato paste (little one)
• 2 cups white wine

• 1 pound small penne pasta (gluten-free to make this GF)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese plus extra for top
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Cream sauce:  In a small saucepan, melt butter then stir in flour (or cornstarch).  Cook over medium heat until sandy.  Lower heat.  Gradually stir in half and half and broth.  Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.  Whisk in parmesan, salt and pepper until cheese is thoroughly melted. 
 
Meat:  In a skillet, melt butter and olive oil.  Saute onion until translucent.  Add beef and brown, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, tomato paste and wine.  Cook until slightly thickened.
 
Pasta:  Cook pasta according to directions, undercooking slightly. Drain.  Beat eggs, 1/2 cup of parmesan and butter in small bowl.  Mix thoroughly with pasta.
 
Assembly:  Pour half of the penne into a deep, buttered 9 x 13 baking dish and press down firmly all over.  

Spread 1 cup of the cream sauce evenly over the pasta.

Spoon all the meat on top evenly, spreading to edges.  

Add another cup of cream sauce and top with remaining pasta.  Press down firmly again evenly over the top.  Pour the remaining cream sauce over all and top with the remaining parmesan cheese.  

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until browned and bubbly.  Cool 15-20 minutes and cut into squares. 

NOTE:  Feel free to cut this in half and bake in an 8 X 10 baking dish or something similar.      

3 Cheese Hot Sausage & Peppers Twice Baked Potatoes

Hot sausage hoagies in Pittsburgh are a staple of life!  Check out the local sandwich shops (world-renowned Primanti's!), pizza joints, any picnic or wedding in the 'Burgh...yep, hot sausage is there.  Long red links of fennel-flecked, hot pepper-kissed grilled pork adorned with grilled red and green peppers and sweet onions nestled into crusty buns are being greedily consumed all over the city on every night of the week.  Sometimes those hoagies are even covered with oozy, melty provolone...yummmmm.  On Tuesday we tossed a few hot sausages on our own grill…a few too many, if there is such a thing as too many.  But there were plans for the extras.

A while ago I posted a recipe for another favorite sandwich – the Reuben – that was made into a stuffed baked potato.  Yep, last night the traditional hot sausage hoagie turned into a stuffed potato, too!  All the flavors of sweet peppers, garlic, onion, spicy pork, smoky provolone, that make this sandwich the glory that it is, made an amazing stuffed baked potato….and coincidentally stretched those leftovers into a whole new meal that didn't feel or look like reruns.  I added smooth, creamy ricotta and good parm to really take it over the top!  Nice.

Of course, grilled hot sausages with peppers & onions is our local warm weather go-to....hot sausages simmered in red sauce is the cool weather staple.  Wonder what I can do with THAT and a baked potato?  Hmmmmm....

 3 Cheese Hot Sausage & Peppers Twice Baked Potatoes

• 4 large baked potatoes, slice the tops off & scoop out the potato into a bowl leaving a sturdy shell for stuffing

• 1 Italian sausage link, cooked leftover - diced small
• 1/4 cup peppers and onions, leftover - diced small
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• red pepper flakes, to taste - optional
• 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 6 slices provolone cheese, smoked if you can find it, regular otherwise -  4 slices diced small and 2 slices cut in half and reserved

Use a fork to scoop out the potatoes, scraping to fluff as you go, into a bowl.
 

Break up the potato well and fluff again.  Add all the ingredients (except the 2 slices of provolone that have been cut in half) and mix well.
 

Pile the mixture into the potato shells and mound high.  Top each with half a slice of provolone and put into a shallow casserole dish.
 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. 

NOTE:  For a gluten-free version, be sure to use GF rolls or bread to make your sandwich!

Marti's Shaved Fennel with Parm

Oopphhhh...I've been down for the count the last few days.  Writing, blogging and the accompanying stuff that precedes and follows up were simply beyond my capabilities this week.  Oh, what I would have given for a great big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup!  

Alas, even soup making was too much...just think, it would have humidified the whole house with that beautiful chicken-y perfume!  Such a practical comfort food!  When you're under the weather, do you imagine Mom's chicken soup?  My mom's chicken noodle soup came out of the Campbell's can!  I wouldn't have minded opening a can, but this darn gluten issue prevented that.

Comfort food might have been just what my heart was craving, but the body simply couldn't manage it. And so my brain started working down it's mental list of alternate comfort foods that weren't a pain to make. 

As I thought, I kept returning to the recent Food with Friends weekend in Annapolis, remembering good times and all the good food...and I kept going back to Marti's Shaved Fennel with Parm.  That would be so good again.  It would comfort me, take my tastebuds, at least, back to a little reality of the sweet memory.  Not only that, I had fennel AND parm and it was a snap to make.  Hence, a brand new dish was added to my lexicon of personal comfort foods. Chicken soup begone!  There's a new comfort food in town!

Marti's Shaved Fennel with Parm

• 2 fennel bulbs, fronds removed & reserved, root end sliced off, sliced VERY thinly
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, the good stuff, the REAL Parmigiano-Reggiano

Scatter the fennel evenly over the bottom of a shallow baking dish.  Squeeze the lemon half over the top, distribute the minced garlic evenly over the top.
 

Using a veggie peeler or microplane, generously shave the parm over the top in curls. The amount in the recipe above is a suggestion, not a rule...splurge!
 

Place into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake 30 to 45 minutes or until tender and beautifully browned.  Garnish with a few reserved fennel fronds.

NOTE: Save those fronds to make a simple syrup for cocktails or to add into a salad.  Both are wonderful.

NOTE 2:  This is my interpretation of Marti's dish...hope I've done it justice, Marti!

Marti's Parm-crusted fennel "before" (in the foreground), my version "after" above.

Baked Spinach and Parmesan Brunch Eggs

Mmmmm...eggs and spinach.  What a perfect pairing!  While this little brunch dish is spending a little time in the oven, it gives YOU time to whip up some tasty Bloody Marys!  That makes a perfect pairing even perfect-er.  Yes, I know there is no superlative to perfect...in this case there is.  A Bloody Mary makes everything better!

Baked Spinach and Parmesan Brunch Eggs

Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 pound of fresh spinach - washed, dried, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 T. butter
• 1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced finely
• 1/4 c. half and half
•  a few grinds of fresh nutmeg, or scant 1/8 t. bottled
• 1/4 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano - yep, the good stuff!
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic..  When they start to turn translucent, add all of the spinach to the pan.  Yes, it looks like one hell of a lot of spinach...it won't be when you're done.  Add the half and half, nutmeg and the pepper, stir until the spinach starts to wilt.  Remove from heat.

Divide the spinach mixture between two ramekins or oven-proof dishes.  Make a large well in the spinach, divide the parm evenly between the two ramekins; break 2 eggs into each of the ramekins - yes, right in the center.

Drizzle a little more half and half over the yolks, sprinkle a little more parm over that and bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending if you like your eggs softer or harder.  Serve.  Don't forget the Bloody Marys!  

Springtime Asparagus lasagna

For those of you who were wondering what the pasta dish in the foreground of yesterday's Sweet Tea Applewood Smoked Chicken Thighs was, here's both the answer AND the recipe...Springtime Asparagus Lasagna! 

Unfortunately, I don't recall when I first made this or where the original recipe came from to credit its creator.  Suffice it to say, it was long and many permutations ago.  Whoever, wherever you are, please know I will be forever grateful for my favorite non-traditional lasagna recipe.  It is the epitome of spring and makes a nice side dish to an Easter ham!

Springtime Asparagus Lasagna

• 2 pounds asparagus, ends snapped off
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 lasagna noodles, no boil variety, or equivalent (gluten-free to make this GF)
• 2 T. butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (gluten-free to make this GF)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 lemon, zest only
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated, and extra for the top
• 1 cup heavy cream

Cut tips from asparagus spears; set aside separately.  Cut the remaining bottoms diagonally into 1/2" pieces; cook until tender-crisp and plunge into ice water. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the lasagna sheets according to package directions and drain.  Set aside.
 
Melt butter in a saucepan, add cornstarch and cook stirring over low heat until it begins to thicken.  Add broth and continue whisking until smooth.  Stir in feta, zest and salt; stir until sauce is smooth.  It's okay if the feta doesn't incorporate completely...nobody will ever know in the finished dish.

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9" X 9" pan.  

Drain pasta well.  Make 1 layer of noodles - cut to size, if you need to.  Spread with 1/4 of the sauce.  Top with 1/4th the reserved asparagus bottoms and sprinkle with 1/3 cup parm.  Continue layering, ending with a layer of noodles.

In a bowl, beat cream with just a pinch of salt to soft peaks.  Arrange the asparagus tips on top of the lasagna and gently put the whipped cream over the top.  Evenly scatter the remaining parm over the top.

Bake at 400  for 30-40 minutes or until golden and bubbling.  Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting.