Category Archives: Easy Eating

It doesn’t have to take forever to be good…

May 19 2009

Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich

Posted in Easy Eating

Goat Cheese, aged black garlic, kalamata olives and tomatoes come together to make an easy dinner in under 25 minutes.  Served along side a simple radish salad.

grilled-goat-cheese-sandwich-0509

One of my all time favorite and easy dinners is grilled goat cheese served on a baguette with fresh tomatoes.   Tonight we hit spin class, yes, we are back on that training program, so we had very little time to make dinner.  We try to eat within an hour after the class ends … which is tough.  Tonight I decided to kick up the tradition way I make these warm and toasty goat cheese sandwiches, by adding some aged black garlic, kalamata olives and rosemary.  It was slightly tart, thanks to the goat cheese, savory, thanks to the kalamata olives and rosemary and caramelized, thanks to the aged black garlic – like a party in your mouth!

Recipe:  Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich with Aged Black Garlic

ciabatta bread, sliced in half

goat cheese

2 cloves aged black garlic

1/4 cup kalamata olives

handful of rosemary

1 tomato, sliced thinly

Heat the broiler section of your oven.  Smear the goat cheese over the bread.  Mince the garlic, olives, and rosemary together, until almost a paste.  Layer tomato slices over the goat cheese.  Put under the broiler until slightly warmed.  Remove from heat and sprinkle the olive mixture over the top, return to the broiler and broil until the cheese is just starting to bubble and the sides of the bread are golden.  Serve.  Eat.

Posted in Easy Eating
Apr 07 2009

Back to Basics | How to Perfectly Scramble an Egg

Posted in Appetizer and Snacks|Back to the Basics|Breakfast and Brunch|Easy Eating|Eggs

perfect-scrambled-eggs-0409

Scrambled eggs are something that we eat often on weekends.  Either plain or with an assortment of fillings:  mushrooms, spinach, cheeses, tomatoes.  The choices are really limitless.  As well it could be a scramble or an omelet. When we opt for the dinner scrambled egg, it is usually in the form of a frittata or a torta, again, you really can add anything from the basic potatoes to chorizo, to really spice it up.

I think the key to the perfect scrambled egg is the right seasoning and being cooked to the point of not brown or golden but also not runny.  We have been trying out some different techniques and finally came up with our favorite scrambled eggs or as Maggie, likes to call them “butter eggs”.  Below we have included the instructions for the perfect scrambled egg and a simple torta, which will make a nice light dinner when served with a simple salad.

Recipe: Scrambled Egg

*serves 1

1 egg

1 tablespoon butter, divided in half

2 teaspoons milk or cream

kosher salt, a pinch

fresh ground pepper, a pinch

Put half of the butter in a frying pan over low heat.  Melt the butter.  The remainder of the butter cut into small pieces.  While the butter is melting, whisk the egg with the milk, and the remainder of the butter.  Whisk until the egg and milk is incorporated.  The butter will be chunks.  Pour into the frying pan and stir with a fork until cooked through, not browned, still moist and not runny.  Season with salt and pepper.

torta-0409

Recipe: Torta

*serves 2

3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoon butter, diced into small pieces

2 tablespoon olive oil

5 eggs

kosher salt, a pinch

fresh ground pepper, a pinch

Heat oven to 350.  Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.   While potatoes are cooking, cook the onions with the olive oil, in an oven proof skillet, until they are soft and slightly browned.  Whisk the eggs with the salt, pepper until blended.  Gently stir in the butter and potatoes.   Add the egg potato mixture to the skillet, turn the heat to low, and gently cook for about 2 minutes, stirring to blend.  Place the skillet into the oven and cook for 20 – 30 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Remove from the heat and let set for a couple minutes before slicing.  Serve.  Eat

Posted in Appetizer and Snacks|Back to the Basics|Breakfast and Brunch|Easy Eating|Eggs
Sep 29 2008

Mushrooms with Poached Eggs

Posted in Easy Eating|Eggs|Vegetables

mushrooms, salad, egg, gourmet magazine, vegetarian, cooking, culinary, eating, dinner, easy meals, food and wine, food and drink

I really enjoy making a nice dinner on Sundays, whether it is for a group of friends or just the two of us;  it is a nice way to end a week and start a new one.  We decided that it would be nice to have French food for dinner.  We love French food, not your foo foo French food;  but, rustic pheasant French food, what you would find at your grandmother’s house in the deep of the Loire Valley sort of French food.  Don’t get me wrong, it is nice to occasionally have the foo foo sort as well;  but, nothing some comfort on a crispy fall night then comfortable rustic French food.

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Posted in Easy Eating|Eggs|Vegetables
Sep 09 2008

Food Magazine Whore

Posted in Appetizer and Snacks|Easy Eating|Vegetables

I admit it, I am a foodie whore! I love the covers on all food magazines. I am not sure which I love the best or for that matter if I even love them because of the food or just the photos. I use to be strictly a Food & Wine gal, then I added Bon Apetite when there was nothing else available on a layover and I discovered they had re-done their magazine and I loved it. Then after another layover in New York, I discovered the redone Gourmet and fell in love again, then along came Donna Hay and the list keeps growing and the stacks get bigger! But, I have to admit, I am really digging Gourmet and their pretty glossy covers! Every month when I am walking to our mail box and I see the package sticking out, I can hardly wait to see which one it it and I am always ripping off the plastic on the Gourmet before hitting the from door! Unfortunately, I have been so busy that I have not really had a chance to look through the August edition and now we are well into September, so last weekend I sat down and read through it! Not only are there some great articles this go around ; but, I am very excited to be trying out some new recipes!  Such as ……..

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Posted in Appetizer and Snacks|Easy Eating|Vegetables
Aug 18 2008

Summer Ratatouille

Posted in Easy Eating|French|Vegetables

Summer Ratatouille, Ratatouille, Donna Hay, Cooking, Culinary, Recipes, Food and Wine, easy dinners, food blog, food photography, food and drink, summer squash, dry farmed tomatoes

WE are both sooo tired from our days, that we could barely even think about eating, let alone standing in the kitchen and cooking.  I have been having insatiable cravings for spring rolls, too, and that was the original plan tonight.  As I stood there looking at these baby eggplant, I said hell with it, it was going to be a Donna Hay sort of night!  So I looked up her summer Ratatouille recipe and started chopping away – yellow squash, green squash, red onions eggplant, the first of summer dry farmed tomatoes (if you are a regular reader, you know HOW we love these) and then I drizzled everything with fresh rosemary from the garden and a healthy dose of olive oil.  In 40 minutes we had a nice big bowl of Ratatouille – yum!

Posted in Easy Eating|French|Vegetables
Aug 17 2008

Carrot Rapees

Posted in Easy Eating|French|Vegetables

Vegetarian Carrot Salad, Carottes Rapees, Salad, Dinner, Cooking, Culinary, Recipes, Food and Wine, Food and Drink, Easy meals, Dinner in 15 minutes

I have been dying to make this recipe for the past couple weeks.  I am not sure why as it is a big bowl of carrots basically;  but, the photos visually grabbed me and I have been thinking about it often.  We had a big bowl of it around all weekend.  I even bought a big bag of beets to try making it again this week.

So good!  So easy!

Posted in Easy Eating|French|Vegetables
Aug 13 2008

Wednesday’s Dinner

Posted in Easy Eating|Soups and Stews

White Corn, Cooking, Soup, Recipes, dinner, easy meals, homemade soup, culinary, food photography, food blog

A day late … a dollar short!  We are down to the very bare essentials in our home due to working, traveling & the big bad tooth (which turned out to be a Big Bad Sinus)!  All we have is a fridge with enough milk to enjoy coffee the next couple days, a couple ears of white corn, an onion, some Meyer Lemons (thank you Deb) and a big bag of carrots;  as well as the usual suspects, wine, seasonings, candied kumquats, blah blah.

Tonight we had a nice little pot of White Corn Soup – simply, flavorful and very fresh!  Recipe.  (sorry for no finished photo, the lighting sucks & the photo was as equally sucky)

Posted in Easy Eating|Soups and Stews
Aug 10 2008

Friday Night Dinner

Posted in Appetizer and Snacks|Easy Eating|Vegetables

I meant to post this a couple nights ago and time slipped by us. We had a pretty busy weekend, painting (still), wedding reception, Chinese Wedding Banquet and an insane toothache! I am dying over here while I wait for Monday to come!

Cooking, Recipes, Culinary, Figs, Blue Cheese, Puff Pastry, Baking, Easy Dinner, Food and Wine, Food and Drink, Food Blog, Food Blog Event, Vlog, Eating Local, Organic Food

I wanted to share what we had for dinner Friday night as it was really fantastic……. I caramelized some onions, added some Balsamic Vinegar, rolled out a puff pastry, covered it with onions, figs and blue cheese!

Cooking, Recipes, Culinary, Figs, Blue Cheese, Puff Pastry, Baking, Easy Dinner, Food and Wine, Food and Drink, Food Blog, Food Blog Event, Vlog, Eating Local, Organic Food

Serve with a simple green salad and a nice glass of wine – easy dinner! Recipe.

Posted in Appetizer and Snacks|Easy Eating|Vegetables

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