Bacon- Asparagus Roasted Red Pepper Strata

 I had originally made this for Thursday nights dinner for the family after failing to read the entire directions that it has to sit in the fridge for 2 - 24 hours. I am kinda glad I saved it for Friday because we ended up at Brenda and Kenny's( supposed to be gardening but somehow that didn't work out, LOL)

I adore her chickens. 

My beautiful daughter. 

I can't get over the look on Ryan's face!!

                               Brenda's son, Tim, with his twins. He certainly has his hands full!

                       Gail was the first one to comment on the aroma of the strata. Bless her heart.

• 3 Quart baking dish. I used my 15 x 10 cast iron dish.
  10 slices bacon, cooked till crispy and crumbled 
  1 pound fresh asparagus, ends cut off and sliced into 2 inch pieces 
  2 roasted red peppers, sliced
  1 vidalia onion, sliced thin
  12 slices dry white bread, I cut up as loaf of Italian bread and toasted the cubes. 
  2 cups shredded Smoked Gruyere
  2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  10 eggs
  3 1/2 cups milk
  2 Teaspoons mustard , I used deli mustard
  1 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  Lightly grease pan with spray or oil. 
  Combine bacon, asparagus, peppers, and onion in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. 
  Place half of the bread cubes in bottom of baking dish. Top with half the veggie mixture and half the cheese. Repeat with the rest of the bread cubes, veggies and cheese. 
  Mix together the 10 eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and pour evenly as possible over the bread, cheese, veggie mixture. 
  Press down slightly. Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours. 
  Preheat oven to 325. Bake approximately 1 hour or until puffy, lightly browned and set. 
  
  
  *Recipe inspired by BHG.com*
  
  

Sausage Brunch Bake

I have to thank Jimmy Dean's website for this one, though I modified it quite a bit. The whole family loves this and anxiously awaits the "Coming out of the oven" I did have to torture them a bit this time and make them wait while I took photos. * Insert evil laugh*

2 packages crescent rolls
2 Tablespoons butter, divided. Melt one tablespoon.
2 rolls ( 1 lb each) breakfast sausage
1 vidalia onion, chopped fine
12 eggs, scrambled
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded cheese ( I like a mixture of Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar and Monterey jack)
Preheat oven to 425. Butter pan with 1 Tablespoon of the butter.
Brown sausage and onion in large skillet.
Grease a 15 x 10 pan with the tablespoon of butter. Break open crescent rolls and roll out. Press into bottom and up sides of pan, making sure there are no holes. Baste with melted butter.
Pour sausage mixture evenly onto crescent roll dough.
Mix milk, dill, salt, pepper together and pour over sausage mixture, sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for approx. 30 minutes till crust is golden brown and eggs are no longer jiggly.

Lobster Omelette

I have fun with lobster. I really do. Like last summer when I decided to play with a pair and some garlic scapes.

Seriously, I don't have a life. ;)
This was a treat, lobster, shrimp, bow tie pasta, and olive oil.

So after having a chat with my good friend, Dewey, I had the fever to make a lobster omelette, but didn't want any cheese to cover up the delicate flavors of the succulent meat inside. So what is one to do? How about a basic white sauce? Sounds good to me!
2 T butter
2T flour
1 cup whole milk.
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat, add flour and stir till bubbly. Then slowly pour in milk. Add seasonings to your taste. ( salt, pepper, small amount of garlic powder, chives, a dash of tarragon) Remove from heat and add chopped up lobster. Pour into eggs and add a few sauteed mushrooms if desired.

I served with roasted fingerling potatoes and avacado.
I hope I gave you some inspiration, and also wish all of you a wonderful weekend. 

Fried Green Tomatoes w/ Poached Egg, Pancetta, and Homemade Chive Mayonaise

>I put on my big girl pants this morning and decided to try my hand at one of the things that has always terrified me, poached eggs. Armed with my copy of LA TECHNIQUE~by JAQUES PEPIN, i set off to battle my demons. Paired up with some of our garden fresh tomatoes, some pancetta, and a homemade chive mayonaise, one couldn’t really ask for a better breakfast.
Veronica and Dewey , i cannot thank you two enough for introducing me to homemade mayo!! We have’t bought a jar since! Please check out her blog, Recipe Rhapsody, there is even a step by step video. All i did was add some garden chives to the mix.

~Poached Eggs~
Fill the pan with water to a depth of 2 inches or so, add 2 Tablespoons vinegar, and bring to a slow boil.
2. Rapidly crack and open each egg into the water, holding the shell as close to the surface as possible. The eggs will cool the water; adjust the heat to maintain a slow simmer. After a few moments, when the whites have just begun to set, drag the back of the slotted spoon gently across the top of the eggs, to move them off the pan bottom so they don’t stick. Cook the eggs for about 4 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary.
3. To test for doneness, lift 1 egg from the water with the slotted spoon and press both white and yolk. The whites should feel fully set but not too firm, and the yolks very soft. Poach longer for firmer eggs.
4. When set the way you like them, remove the eggs from the saucepan with the slotted spoon or strainer and immerse them in a bowl of warm tap water to wash off the vinegar. Set the spoon on a clean towel (or folded paper towels) for a moment to remove excess water, and serve eggs immediately
~Fried green Tomatoes~
4 large green tomatoes
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable oil
Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
Whisk egg and milk together. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Put tomatoes in 3 or 4 at a time, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.
I hope you enjoyed this post as much as i enjoyed sharing it with you!

Boggy Meadows Farm, Baked Eggs and Pancetta

Plus, this week we went for a visit to Boggy Meadows Farm, in Walpole, NH to try their handmade farmstead cheese, made twice a week, right there on the spot and to see the beautiful scenery they have to offer.
That is one thing i have a great appreciation for, is fresh and local. These farmers aren't out to make a mint with mass produced product, they just take pride in using what God gave them and making it into something beautiful.
I will stop by babbling now and leave you with some photos of the farm and the different varieties of their cheese. I hope you enjoy!

~The Farm~


My daughter, Cheyanne, the cat magnet!






On the way home.. what a beautiful view!


5 slices of white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
2 thyme sprigs
One 2-inch rosemary sprig
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream, half and half , or milk
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
salt and pepper
4 oz Boggy meadows Rosemary Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 cupo pancetta or bacon, cooked till crisp
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Preheat oven to 350.
Sautee pancetta till crisp, set aside.
Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Bake in the oven till golden brown, tossing occasionaly.
Beat eggs, cream, Old Bay, and salt and pepper. Pour into a greased casserole dish.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until edges start to cook, stir in 1/2 the cheese and pancetta. Top with croutons and then the rest of the cheese. Bake till done, approx. 10 min. Sprinkle with chives.
~ Boggy Meadow Farm provided the cheese for this blog, which i gladly accepted and endorse!~

Eggs in Potato Baskets

This recipe totally caught my eye when Sunny Anderson was whipping it up on her show a few weeks back. I omitted the prosciutto and cheese and changed the butter to olive oil, added some rosemary to the potatoes and voila. Perfect Easter weekend breakfast for the family!

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary
sea salt and pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
12 eggs
green onions (garnish if desired)
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, push chunks of the potato through the chute to grate. Once all the potatoes are grated, put them into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the moisture. Add the potatoes to a large bowl, stir in the olive oil and season well with the salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in rosemary.
Spray the muffin tin lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup
. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 10 minutes.
Egglands Best eggs provided a coupon for a free dozen eggs for this blog.