Tag: eggs

White Wine Mushroom Risotto; plus an idea for kids and leftovers

Breakfast and Brunch, Eggs, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Wine, mushrooms, and rice…oh, and I added bacon. You are welcome!

I haven’t made risotto in a really long time. I sometimes fall into that Atkins thinking and really want to just eat tons of protein. That lasts maybe one meal, at most, one day, then I fall off the “No Carb!” bandwagon. Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” I think she was referring to this mindset. Or maybe it was moderation of butter, or pies, or wine…well, whatever the reason, I find it to be a most excellent motto. One to live by, for sure.

So the other day, I was watching Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, and she was making a white wine risotto. She was using some crazy expensive ingredients; dried porcini mushrooms, locally sourced pancetta, saffron, what looked to be a very expensive bottle of wine she got from a friend who owns a specialty wine shop, and I think she might have even shaved some truffles on top (that may or not be an exaggeration; I can’t remember). Well, that got me to thinking, “I can make that without spending $50 dollars on my meal.” So here is my cheap version of her decked out classic.

Start by warming a quart of chicken stock. You could make your own, and I sometimes do, but you can also use stock from a box. I like to buy low sodium. Control your salt intake when you can.

Take a large Dutch Oven. This is my prized possession in the kitchen. I love my cast iron pans, but I covet my Le Creust. We got it on sale, I think, because it is a hideous pea green. I have grown found of it so much. Heat it up and add 1 stick of butter. Once it is melted add 1/2 of and onion (Vidalia for me) and 3 pieces of bacon chopped up. 003

Then add 1 pint of mushrooms. I added baby portabellas, but cute little button mushrooms would work just fine. Whatever is on sale, people! You can buy sliced, or you could save yourself fifty cents or more and just slice them yourselves. No judgment here! Cook down for about 5 minutes. Add about a teaspoon of salt and pepper.

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Add 2 cups of Arborio rice. Arborio has the perfect starchiness for Risotto. Stir rice until coated with butter. Add about 1/2 a bottle of dry white wine. My favorites are Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. When cooking, always choose a wine you want to drink. My bottle was Pinot Grigio, and it cost about $10.

Once it cooks a bit, add your warmed chicken stock a little bit of a time. Your risotto needs love. Keep by its side; stir it often; whisper sweet nothings in its ear. “Who is my sweet risotto? You are! You are so pretty! I just love you so much!” Kiss it and give it some nibbles…Taste it here and there to see if it is al dente and seasoned right (add salt and pepper when needed). When it is, add 2/3 grated parmesan cheese and a couple of splashes of heavy cream. Stir until coated and take off the heat. 007

My bowl of just risotto. 010

Wondering if the kids are going to like this…well, R loves mushrooms, and K loves rice. Both my kids love runny eggs. Add a side of sunny side up eggs, and we have a meal! The richness of the yolk adds amazing depth to the risotto. R even asked if we could have this for breakfast. Why, yes, yes we can!
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Easy Brunch

Breakfast and Brunch, Eggs, Pork

Who wants sausage and eggs? “Me! Me! Me!” Sunday brunch is set…sausage, eggs, and why not add some fried potatoes in the mix? Sounds like a plan!

Besides bacon, I can’t think of a better smell than sausage patties cooking in a pan. One of my next kitchen wishes, besides a blowtorch, is a meat grinder. Yep, this former vegan wants a meat grinder. I have a Kitchen Aid, so all I need is the attachment. I am an easy girl to buy presents for; you can just woo me with kitchen appliances.

Of course, you must have cast iron skillets. If you don’t, put them on your presents list. I would get at least 2; one large and one medium. Might as well make it an entire cast iron family.
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Heat a couple up for your meat and potatoes. I cut baby potatoes in fourths and fried them in vegetable oil with lots of salt and pepper. I am not a huge fan of the shredded potato hash you get out unless it is SUPER crisp. I love home fries and these small diced potatoes cut up, because they get a bit crispy on the outside, but are still soft, but never mushy.

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Then add your sausage patties to the pan. Since I don’t have a meat grinder YET, I just bought some Bob Evan ones from the store. Those are pretty tasty, plus they were on sale. The package says cook them for 10 minutes on the first side and flip and cook until 165 or no longer pink. I am never one for following the rules, so I cooked it for 8 minutes on the first side and 6 minutes on the other side. I cut one in half to make sure it was done. Cooked to perfection. No sausage hockey pucks here!

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On to the eggs. Heat up your pan (non-stick is best here. Scrambled eggs are notorious for sticking to the pan no matter what you put in it.) I cracked a dozen eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper and whisked very well. Then I added it to a well buttered pan. I also add a tablespoon of cut up butter and about 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. You could use milk, half and half, or leave them out entirely. I just think they add an extra layer of flavor; a nice creaminess to the eggs and it also helps them from drying out.

Now, the best way to cook eggs or any kind are low and slow. If you cook them too fast, they end up in a hard mess. I like my eggs on the runny/ super soft side, but my husband likes them a little less soft. I make them a bit in-between. One day, I will have to do a post on different variations of eggs. We love our eggs in this household!
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What is your favorite brunch meal?

Frittata Fun

Breakfast and Brunch, Eggs, One pot meal

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Tonight, I just wanted to make something quick and use up a few things in the fridge so they wouldn’t go bad. I love making frittatas, because you can add whatever you like in them. I cooked a pound of bacon in my cast iron skillet, added a container of mushrooms in the bacon fat, and let them cook down a bit. Next came spinach; I just added it to the mushrooms and cooked until wilted. I took my veggies out and placed them in a separate bowl.

I spotted some stale French bread in the cabinet, so I broke off a chunk, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and added it to a tablespoon of oil in my greasy bacon fat pan to toast it up. While the bread was toasting, I cracked 9 eggs, whisked them with a touch of heavy cream, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. I poured some veggie mixture and 4 pieces of cut up bacon to my eggs and stirred them together. Then cook until the bottom is set, add some cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella, colby, and jack).

Then I transfer it to the oven on high broil for about 5-6 minutes, or until the top is perfectly cooked. Then run your spatula under the frittata and place it on a cutting board or serving platter.

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Cut with a pizza cutter into desired sized slices!023

I let the rest of mine cool on the plate in the microwave so my dog won’t steal my masterpiece! You can eat it hot, room temperature, or cold. You can also eat this for any meal, anytime of the day! Since it doesn’t matter what temperature you can serve it at, it is perfect for brunch with friends or family. You could make a big one Sunday morning and have leftovers for lunch the next day, or you could throw literally whatever you have in the fridge or cabinets together with the eggs after you get home from a long day for a quick supper! The possibilities are endless!

What would your favorite combination be?

Pac-Man Frittata
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Sunny-side Up Leftovers

Asian, Eggs, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals

My girls LOVE runny eggs, sunny-side up is their favorite. So when I was trying to sell the leftover Chinese food we had in the fridge, I knew I had to top it with these beautiful eggs. B is an egg drop soup fanatic, so when I topped her beloved soup with an extra egg, she thought she had hit the jackpot. For my dinner, I defrosted some homemade chicken stock, added lo mien noodles, broccoli, and chicken. Of course, I love runny eggs as much, if not more than the girls, so I topped my faux pho with an egg as well. For K, my 4 year-old?  Well, she is going through a bit of a phase where she doesn’t want her food to be combined. So her chicken, rice, and egg were all on her plate, but not combined. It was still pretty, but before I could snap a pic, she had already almost finished her entire egg.

For a perfect sunny-side up egg…heat your pan to med. heat Melt a pat of butter and crack the egg. Once you see the egg start setting, take some melted butter and put on top of the whites. Delish. If you don’t want to add butter, use a non-stick cooking spray, and once the egg white is almost cooked, take it off the burner and cover with a lid for just a few seconds. This will cook the egg without cooking the yolk. Don’t leave the lid on too long!

Tip: Invest in farm fresh eggs;  they are so worth the extra money. In the summer months, the chickens eat the bugs in the soil, and this diet makes the eggs taste extra rich and earthy. Even if you just buy them when you are making the eggs the star in a dish, you will thank me!

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