Breakfast Out--Egg and I

While I'm in Colorado, my Dad and I are now able to get out. So, you know that I'm all about the breakfast place. We went to Egg and I. My Dad had this blueberry pancake bigger than his head. I was going to ask for a bite, but when I look over it was gone, so that should be enough of a review. I went with a the Eggs Benedict, but with a twist, chopped ham, roasted peppers, asparagus and bacon. I like the hollandaise sauce on the side, so I can add as much as I like. The food was good, but you gotta love a place that has their own VW Beattle. My Dad, a good sport, let me take his picture with the Egg Bug.

Dinner and A Nap....Orrzo Salad and Spinach Salad

On my last trip to NYC, I was on mission, to feed the family of this little guy. I had exactly one afternoon nap to run out, shop, run back (and up 5 flights of stairs), start prep...on your mark get set go. Since I was in the East Village in NYC, I went to the East Village Cheese Shop.
Here is what I made, orzo salad with grilled chicken.

1 box orzo (cook until a little al dente)
3 fresh tomatoes diced
1 cup kalamata pitted olives
1/4 fresh parsley chopped
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 toasted pine nut

2 boneless chicken cutlets.

Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
salt
pepper

Wisk olive oil and lemon juice together, toss orzo with dressing. Add tomatoes, olives, parsley, goat cheese and let sit for at least an hour. Add chicken, basil, and pine nuts just before serving.

I made a spinach salad with raspberries, avocados, pink grapefruit, and raspberry dressing.

I didn't finish all the work before the little guy woke up, so he was sous chef in the bouncy seat and I hope that it was the start cooking up great things with my nephew.

Cinco De Mayo

I am visiting my Dad in Colorado for a few weeks. One of the things I love about being out here is the wonderful Mexican Food. For Cinco de Mayo, we went to Pueblo Viejo . The meal started with fresh salsa (and this had quite the kick). My Dad had the Chicken Ranchera (this was perfectly grilled Chicken and had a wonderful lime undertone). I had the fish tacos, which were good but not the best I've ever had, the fish was deep fried. The pico de gallo was fresh and wonderful. We both decided that we prefer black beans to the traditional re-fried beans. The service was a little slow, but friendly.

Coeur de la Creme-oh my heart

So for Easter I made Coeur de la Creme, from the Barefoot Contessa. My little friend L. helped me garnish the plate.

Ingredients nocoupons

• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• Raspberry Sauce, recipe follows
• 2 half-pints fresh raspberries

Directions

Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce.

Raspberry Sauce: (I have much more to say about this sauce)......

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 tablespoons Raspberry Liquor (I would use 1 teaspoon if kids will be eating this with you)

Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Yield: 2 cups

Trip to the Kitchen Store

So for Easter, I went to the R. house. It was a last minute invitation as I was supposed to work, but someone wanted the evening off, so after a shift change, I got the invite. I offered to bring something that was already on the menu. And the best part, I had to go to the kitchen store to get a new dish to make the dish. So, I went to one of my favorite stores Sur La Table. In NYC, it would have been Broadway Panhandler, in Fort Collins, The Cupboard. More on the dish I made

Green Olive Pesto with Black Olives

This is one of my go-to-dishes. I made a double batch and freeze one.

• 1 pound spaghetti or bucatini
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) niçoise or other green olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup (6 ounces) kalamata or other black olives, pitted
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Cook the spaghetti al dente, according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the garlic, green olives, parsley, and basil. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until the oil is fully incorporated. Reserve 1/4 cup of the Green Olive Pesto for another use. Roughly chop the black olives. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the remaining pesto for 2 minutes. Add the spaghetti, reserved pasta water, remaining black olives, and salt and cook until the water is absorbed and the spaghetti is heated through.

Note: if you freeze this, do not freeze with black olives and be sure to bring to room temperature before you use it.

Whole Foods Makes Me Dinner

When I work a 12 hour shift, I must confess, cooking is the last thing on my mind when I get home (couch, book or tv, nice beverage). I am also interested in how to stretch every thing. So, the other night, I hit the Whole Foods on my way home. They have a dinner plate (vegetarian, meat, seafood--prices increase $1 per grade), main course and two sides. So I went with sirloin steak (cooked with a light sweet tangy sauce), Swiss Chard and Polenta with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese. The price $12, but wait there is more. This is 1/3 of what I got so I got three meals of it (the Polenta and Swiss Chard only made it two meals). So while it was not the bargain basement deal, it was worth a few dollars of hassle money per meal.