The perfect beginning and ending to the day...

Does the first picture look a little familiar? Like you maybe saw it on the cover of Food Network Magazine last month? Ok, theirs was much more professional looking, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they invented this egg-cellent dish. Oh, no they sure didn't. I'm not claiming that I invented it, either...not even close. We call it the egg baskets (I don't remember what they called it), and Dick first introduced them to me while we were dating. It's definitely not the fanciest breakfast, but one of champions nevertheless. Ever seen the movie Moonstruck with Cher & Nicolas Cage (before his terrible hair/awful movie lifestyle choice - don't argue...you know you can't with Ghost Rider in your back pocket!)? Well, if you haven't you should Netflix it this weekend. You'll love it! Cher's mother in the movie makes egg baskets! So, I have yet to learn who the founder of the Egg Basket is, but let's all take a moment to give thanks anyway.

Egg Baskets

Ingredients

1 egg

1 piece of whole wheat toast

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Using a cookie cutter or small drinking cup, cut a hole out of the middle of your bread.

2. butter both sides of your bread.

3. place your bread in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

4. crack your egg into the hole in the bread, season w/ salt & pepper, & cook it to just under your liking.

5. use a spatula to turn the bread/egg over for 45-60 seconds.

6. sprinkle with cheese and place on a plate.

What is the perfect ending to the perfect day? Or even the worst day? My answer to that question will probably always include chocolate, and on most days it will specifically be a chocolate eclair. I've always loved them, but only if they're filled with custard. You can just forget it if it's filled with that whipped cream garbage. No thanks. Tell me, what is the point of that? It's just a tease, and totally unsatisfying. When we got home from NYC, I was craving pastries...which makes complete sense when I remember that we had some every single day we were there! I'd try to defend myself, but really there's not a lot I can say. So, of course I turned to FoodNetwork.com and found exactly what I was looking for. Shout out to Paula Deen - because of her you're all getting this sensational chocolate eclair recipe! And might I also add that this was so much easier than I'd imagined it would be?! I made my sister some for her birthday, and then I made more the very next day. We took some to friends, but we saved two big ones for ourselves. Like I would make and then not partake...come on, you know me better than that by now. There was icing that went with the pastry itself, but I didn't like it very much, so I ended up going with a can of chocolate frosting. If you have a great chocolate icing recipe use it, if not, just swing by the grocery store. Have fun indulging, my friends. I know I did!

Chocolate Eclairs

Paula Deen of the Food Network

Ingredients

Pastry:

1 c. water

1 stick margarine or butter

1 c. sifted all-purpose flour

4 eggs

Filling:

3 c. milk

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. heat water & margarine to boiling point. add flour & stir constantly until mixture is smooth & forms a ball when tested in cold water. remove from heat & let cool.

3. beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. for small eclairs, drop dough from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. for larger eclairs, spoon dough into a pastry bag and pipe onto the cookie sheet. bake for ~30 minutes or until light brown. set aside to cool.

4. prepare filling by combining milk, sugar, salt & flour; cook slowly until thickens.

5. add 3 beaten eggs & continue to cook until mixture is even thicker. remove from heat, cool & add vanilla.

6. with a serrated knife, slice pastry puffs lengthwise, but not all the way through.

7. pipe custard mixture into the center.

8. frost the eclairs & serve.

a little bite of the BIG APPLE

I know, I know, I've been a serious slacker on the blogging/cooking front! There are a few reasons: we went on vacation, I'm easily distracted, I hate doing dishes so I haven't been cooking all that much lately (we don't have a dishwasher!), and the list could go on and on. But rather than try to justify myself, I'm just going to put a smile back on your faces by showing you our trip to NYC. It was the first time either of us had ever been, and we loooooooved it! We went over Dick's Spring Break as a graduation trip for both of us - I graduated last spring, and Dick graduates in 11 days (but who's counting?!). And this trip definitely qualifies for the foodie blog because we did a heck of a lot of eating while we were there! Prepare yourselves for lots of pictures....

We took the red-eye thinking we'd sleep on the plane...yeah right.

Wide awake. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready for our first day in the big city...

It was raining cats & dogs the first two days we were there, but we still had a blast!

Did I mention the wind?

The Met = my very favorite museum of all.

We saw West Side Story on Broadway...Dick thinks he's a Jet.

HAD to go to Serendipity for some frozen hot chocolate. P.S. we sat at the table that John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale sat at in the movie!!!!

Dick wanted a pretzel so bad, but he took about 2 bites before chucking it in the garbage...he said it tasted like cardboard. I didn't have to taste it to believe him. Look at that thing!

Our view from Liberty Island.

Chinatown!

Our new fave restaurant: Sal's in Little Italy. Have the Manicotti - it's to die for!

Heaven. Have you ever seen such a beautiful sight?

I tried to get Dick to go up separate and meet me at the top, but he refused. I was still running through countless movies in my head. I was Meg Ryan & he was Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle. Don't judge me...

We had hot dogs from Gray's Papaya...they were ok.

Best breakfast of the trip: a HUGE apple fritter from Dean & Deluca.

Here I am with Lenny - he's at the Today Show every single morning!

Finally some sun! Dick's favorite part of the vacation was soaking it up in Central Park.

Bow Bridge.

The Imagine Mosaic in Strawberry Fields at Central Park.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Our view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge.

The first hamburger (made of beef) I've eaten in about 2 years from the Shake Shack. Delicious!!!

We went back for more! You would, too. Trust me.

Dick was a fool for the pizza in NYC! This is the last piece he had...for breakfast the day we left for home.

Coming Soon:

Egg Baskets

Chocolate Eclairs (I was inspired!)

Kickin' Chicken Dip

sPiNaCh-ArTiChOkE mAc & ChEeSe

I love pretty much all things that include in their title spinach-artichoke, be it a dip of some kind, a pasta, or any other edible creation. So it was no surprise that my mouth literally started to water when I saw Rachael Ray do this one on her show. I immediately put it at the top of my list of "recipes to try" and added the ingredients to my grocery list. I was able to use two kinds of cheese I've never cooked with before, and make yet another trip to my favorite Cheese Kingdom at Harmon's. It was a BIG hit with Dick, and it's a good thing we always have plenty of leftovers because I'm sure this one would have been fought over for lunch the next day if there was only enough for one. It was simple to make, and tasted fantastic! I hope you love it just as much as we did.

Spinach-Artichoke Mac & Cheese

From Rachael Ray

Ingredients
1 lb semolina or whole wheat penne
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 c. white wine, or chicken broth
2 c. milk
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (I used dried w/ good results)
1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a clean kitchen towel
1 10-oz box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted and wrung dry in a clean kitchen towel
black pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded Italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top


Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water & cook pasta to al dente.
2. While the pasta water comes to a boil, place a medium pot over med-low heat w/ 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, ~2 Tbsp, and the butter. Add the onion & garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, ~10 min. Then heat the broiler and position rack in the middle of the oven.
3. Turn the heat up to med-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for ~1 min. then whisk the wine/broth into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, salt & pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 min. more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses to the sauce & stir until melted.
4. Toss the prepared sauce w/ the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. sprinkle some more cheese over the top and back until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, ~25 minutes.

Semi-Homemade: Shepherd's Pie

This is the easiest Sunday dinner you will ever make, and it tastes fantastic, so there's no need to feel guilty that you didn't slave the day away in the kitchen! All of these ingredients are things that you'll actually have in your pantry - I hate when you get a recipe that makes you think it'll be a cinch, but then you have to spend an hour at the grocery store looking for weird ingredients you've only heard of in Kitchen Stadium. Shepherd's Pie is a true classic comfort food, and definitely something that you can play around with - add some more veggies, or select your fave condensed soup for a different flavor. And in the spirit of Sandra Lee, go for simplicity! Semi-homemade is the way to go, for sure!

Shepherd's Pie

From my Momma: Janet Porter

Ingredients

1 can green beans, drained

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 lb. lean ground turkey, cooked

2 c. mashed potatoes (I used instant)

3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Seasonings of choice

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine green beans, ground turkey & tomato soup. Mix well.

2. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.

3. Sprinkle cheese over bean-turkey mixture.

4. Spread mashed potatoes over top of the bean-turkey mixture.

5. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Soup will be bubbling up through the potatoes.

Serve & enjoy!

Blue-Cran Salad

It's true: I love cheese. In fact, I just informed Dick the other day that my new life goal is to be the Cheese Lady at Harmon's (a local chain of grocery stores here in UT). Might not sound very ambitious to some, but those who turn their nose up at this have probably never visited the Cheese Kingdom at Harmon's. It's not officially named the Cheese Kingdom, but that's what I like to call it. It's a huge circle counter with a hole in it, and a lady stands in the middle (the Cheese Lady). On this counter is every kind of cheese you can imagine. The likes of which you'll never find at your run of the mill grocer. This special lady will answer any of your cheese questions, and she'll even give you samples! Now tell me this all you cheese lovers out there, does that not sound like a great way to spend your days?! Ok, ok, so I probably won't be switching professions any time soon, but one can dream haha

Speaking of cheese....if you like blue cheese, you're going to love this salad! Blue cheese is great on its own, but throw in some dried cranberries and you are in Heaven, my friends. Spinach is my leafy green of choice (I like to know I'm getting some nutrients in my salads!), but you can use Romaine or another lettuce if you'd like. And, although the pictures don't show it, I did toss it with a little poppyseed dressing. Super easy. Super tasty! Hope you like it.

Blue-Cran Salad

From Yours Truly

(For 1 serving)

Ingredients

2 c. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

2 Tbsp poppyseed dressing

Directions

Place the spinach in a salad bowl. Sprinkle blue cheese, cranberries, and nuts over spinach. Drizzle with dressing and toss lightly.

"It tastes healthy"...Rice & Black Bean Pilaf

It's just natural for me to ask the same question every time I try a new recipe: "What do you think?" And usually Dick gives me something along the lines of "It's great," "I love it," or "Mmmmmmm," and a couple of times he's broken the news that he doesn't really like it by saying, "Ummm, it's ok, but not my favorite." Don't worry, you haven't seen any of those recipes haha! His reaction to this dish threw me off a little, though. I asked, and he said, "It's really good, but it tastes healthy." Is that a bad thing? He reassured me that NO it is not a bad thing. More than tasting healthy, he explained that its a dish that makes him feel healthy while eating it. I really liked it, and so did he, so I'm taking that comment as a good thing. The flavor was great, and yes, it is a healthy dish! I think you're going to love it. And maybe when you cook it for your guy, he'll get the same healthy satisfaction Dick did. Enjoy!

Rice & Black Bean Pilaf

From Ellie Krieger of the Food Network

Ingredients

1 c. brown rice, uncooked

2 1/4 c. low sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. fresh chopped oregano, or 1 tsp. dried oregano

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried chili flakes

1 (15.5 oz) can low-sodium black beans, drained & rinsed

2 tsp. finely chopped parsely leaves

Directions

Place the rice and broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook rice, covered, until tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 30-35 min. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff w/ a fork.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat. Add onions and cook until onions are soft and translucent, ~5 min. Add garlic, oregano, celery, carrot, cumin and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not mushy, ~6 min. Stir in black beans and cook until just warmed through, ~1-2 min.

Combine onion-black bean mixture and hot rice in a serving bowl and toss to combine. Garnish w/ parsely.

Golden Mushroom Soup

Not too long ago, Dick and I went to a phenomenal local restaurant called Roosters. It's a brewery on Historic 25th Street here in good old Ogden, and we love it! Not for the spirits they brew, but rather for the grub. On this particular visit, we both got their Golden Mushroom Soup for our appetizers. I chose this because I thought it sounded delicious, but also it sounded a little magical. It ended up being both! We couldn't stop talking about it for days, so I ended up searching online for a recipe I thought might be comparable....and I found one! It was light and just a little creamy, but not like it came out of a can. And just the right amount of spice - it really has a great KICK to it! It didn't take long to make, and we both loved it. Which is saying a lot since we had such high expectations built up in our minds from our first experience! Dick has pretty much said since I met him that he "doesn't like mushrooms," but I'm pretty sure he's converted now. You will be, too, once you give this a try!

Golden Mushroom Soup

from RecipeZaar.com

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter

1 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. white wine (I used chicken stock)

1 lb. mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 Tbsp. Paprika

1 1/2 tsp. dried dill

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 c. vegetable or chicken stock

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

2 c. milk (I used skim w/ great results!)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Directions

heat butter in a large pot, add the onions. cook over medium heat, until the onions are soft and just beginning to brown, ~7 min.

add white wine to pot. add mushrooms and spices. slightly lower the heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.

add the soy sauce and stock. cover and simmer about 10 minutes.

in a separate small pan, mix the 1 Tbsp. butter and flour to form a thick paste. cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min. then mix in the milk and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until steamy and slightly thickened.

add milk mixture and lemon juice to the soup. stir well, and serve.