Pizza Alla Bismark

I saw this breakfast idea idea a few times in the last couple of weeks and have wanted to try it it.  I'm always looking for fun breakfast ideas for the boys, especially for Sunday mornings.  I sense that when people have a meal they can look forward to, it sets the day off in a good direction.  I think it puts a bit of a leap- in- their -step that they might not otherwise have had.  My efforts paid off.  I made this breakfast pizza with ingredients that all members of MY family would enjoy.  
I didn't know there was an actual name for this until I looked around for a fitting title.  I did NOT want to call it "breakfast pizza".   "Bismark" identifies the raw egg that is placed on top in Italian cooking. This lovely breakfast would also do well with sliced avocado and cilantro or thin prosciutto, asparagus and a dash of Parmesan cheese.  Not too much cheese for this dish though...the eggs are so rich. What combinations sound good to you?  I have listed more at the bottom of the recipe.  Let me know what YOU come up  with!

• 1 Boboli brand  pizza crust or  other pizza crust of choice.  Gluten-free is also an option
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 4-5 eggs at room temperature
• 8 slices of cooked bacon
• 1/2 cup cooked Italian sausage, thinly sliced
• Freshly chopped parsley
• Herb de Provence (optional) 

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Move oven rack one level up from the middle.
2. Place crust on  a baking sheet
3. Brush the crust with melted butter.
4. Crack eggs on top of the crust,  being careful to make sure they are spread out, but not too close to the edge.
5. Place baking sheet in the oven and cook until eggs are JUST set,  about 12-15 minutes.  
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley  and Herbs de Provence 

I like my eggs over medium, right when the whites turn "WHITE".  Just enough white over the yoke so as not to see any clear white. 

Other combinations:
After cooking-

• Top with slice avocado, chopped tomatoes and fresh cilantro.
• Black beans with chopped red onion, cilantro and tomatoes.
• Spring mix with red onion and lemon vinaigrette

Before cooking/putting eggs on top-

• Ham and shredded Gruyere cheese
• Italian sausage and sauteed red peppers
• Shredded has browned potatoes and favorite cheese
• Steak with caramelized onions & blue cheese
• Caramelized onions and bacon

Any favorite ingredients you would put in a quiche.   



 

Layered Croque Monsieur

Oh wow. I just tasted one of the best things ever. In preparation for Leave a Happy Plate's party for letter "G",  I was going to post my Croque Monsieur recipe that showcases the flavor of  Gruyere cheese. Well to be quite honest,  I had posted that recipe a while ago when I was still using pictures from Google images. I've been trying to go back and re-create my recipes, updating them,  and using my own photos. This was one of those days. So I made Croque Monsieur for my lunch today.   I made it much differently then I would typically make it. I wanted to try ot out for a future brunch or ta event I would be catering in the spring.  It was amazing.   What a bright spot in my otherwise boring  cleaning day. 

I can see that  interacting with many bloggers via Facebook has been a great GOOD for me. I've been going back, updating my recipes and taking pictures of them and this has enabled me to have a bit more excitement and passion in the kitchen. So with all of that said… Here's my updated version of croque Monsieur,  the French version of grilled ham and cheese.

A croque-monsieur is a warm and bubbly grilled ham and cheese sandwich. It originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack. Typically, Emmental or Gruyère cheese is used. These are both SWISS cheeses. 

Interesting facts:
The name is based on the verb croquer ("to crunch") and the word monsieur ("mister"). The sandwich's first recorded appearance on a Parisian café menu was in 1910. Its earliest mention in literature appears to be in volume two of Proust's In Search of Lost Time in 1918.
Variations
A croque-monsieur served with a fried egg or poached egg on top is known as a croque-madame (or in parts of Normandy a croque-à-cheval). The noted French chef Jacques Pepin also makes a version using chicken instead of ham, which he demonstrated in the "Our Favorite Sandwiches"episode on the PBS series (and its coordinating cookbook of the same title) Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home in which he worked with Julia Child. Many dictionaries attribute the name to the egg resembling an old fashioned woman's hat. The name croque-mademoiselle is associated with many different sandwiches, from diet recipes to desserts.A ham and cheese sandwich snack, very similar to the croque-monsieur, is called a tosti in the Netherlands, and toast (pronounced "tost") in Italy. A version of this sandwich in Spain replaces the ham with sobrassada, a soft sausage from the Balearic Islands that can be easily spread.
Versions of the sandwich with substitutions or additional ingredients are given names modeled on the original croque-monsieur, for example:

• croque provençal (with tomato)
• croque auvergnat (with bleu d'Auvergne cheese)
• croque gagnet (with Gouda cheese and andouille sausage)
• croque norvégien (with smoked salmon instead of ham)
• croque tartiflette (with sliced potatoes and Reblochon cheese)
• croque bolognese / croque Boum-Boum (with Bolognese sauce)
• croque señor (with tomato salsa)
• croque Hawaiian (with a slice of pineapple)
• the "Croque McDo" sandwich at McDonald's locations in France

Here is the recipe for the traditional version, but with MY TWIST!

Ingredients for 6 Servings

•  8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1 1/2  tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cups milk

• salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 1/2cups Gruyere, grated and divided

• 12 slices white sandwich bread.

• Dijon mustard

• 4 ounces  ham, shaved or chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wisk for 2 minutes. This cooks out the floury taste.   
3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened.  
4. Off the heat, add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 cup grated Gruyere, and set aside. 
5. Get out your favorite 12 welled muffin pan.  I use a Demarle muffin FLEXIPAN.  If you don't have one,  then spray with a non-stick cooking pray.   
6. Melt remaining  6 tablespoons of butter and set aside.
7. Take each slice of bread, flatten it a bit and using a biscuit cutter or other round cutter, make 2 cuts to form to round slices of bread.  You will have 24 pieces all together.
8. Lightly brush half the  breads with melted butter, put butter side down into wells of muffin pan.  
9. Layer ham, then 1 cup of the cheese, dividing it up between the 12 wells.  
10. Spread mustard on top of remaing bread slices, and place ontop of cheese, mustard side down. 
11. Brush tops with remaining melted butter.
12. Heat in the oven about 5 minutes until the tops are toasted.
13. Remove from oven.  Cool five minutes.
14. Lift each "muffin" out onto a plate, STACKING 2 on top of each other.  
15. Ladle with WARM cheese sauce, divided among 6 plates. 
16.  Garnish with leftover Gruyere and grated nutmeg.   

Cuban Omelet

I have always used ALTON BROWN as my go-to chef for basic instructions in the classics. In preparing the perfect OMELET, Alton was once again my guy.  Yesterday afternoon I made an amazing omelet based on all the  Latin flavors I have been craving. I lived about half of my life in Florida, some time in Key west, a bit in Tampa, and much of it on the south west coast.  Cuban influences are every where.  Besides the Cuban sandwich, I love black beans and rice.  What I love most about them is a chop of  tomato, red onion and fresh cilantro on top.  So my Omelet yesterday was just that.  I browned some chorizo leftover from making Chorizo Croquets. I added the beans to the sausage and heated it through.  Then the best part...I topped it with the lovely fresh vegetable and herb mixture. Craving satisfied. 

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 cup cooked ground chorizo sausage

1/2 cup black beans

1 Tbsp. chopped red onion

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh grape tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt

Directions:

1. Brown the sausage in a small saute pan.
2. Add the beans and heat through.
3. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and cilantro and mix together, adding the salt to taste.
4. Remove sausage and beans from pan to a small bowl.
5. Wipe out the saute pan and prepare your omelet using the instructions below.
6. Just before plating, put beans and sausage mixture on half of the omelet before holding over.
7. Slide onto a plate and top with tomato mixture

Here is Alton Brows directions for the Perfect Omelet.

Directions

Beat the eggs: Soak 3 large eggs for 5 minutes in hot-not scalding-tap water. This will ensure that the omelet cooks faster, and the faster an omelet cooks, the more tender it's going to be. Crack the eggs into a small bowl or large bowl-shaped coffee mug. Season with a pinch of fine salt. Beat the eggs gently with a fork.

TIP: I prefer a fork to a whisk for omelets because I don't want to work air into the eggs: Air bubbles are insulators and can slow down cooking if you're not careful.

Heat the pan: Heat a 10-inch nonstick saute pan over medium to high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon room-temperature unsalted butter. Once melted, spread the butter around the pan with a basting brush to ensure coverage.

TIP: Heat your pan empty for a few minutes before adding the butter: Even a nonstick surface is pocked with microscopic pores that eggs can fill and grab hold of. Heat expands the metal, squeezing these openings shut.

Add the eggs: Pour the eggs into the center of the pan and stir vigorously with a silicone spatula for 5 seconds. (Actually, it's not so much a matter of stirring with the spatula as holding the spatula relatively still and moving the pan around to stir the eggs.)

Let them cook: As soon as curds begin to form (that's the stuff that looks like scrambled eggs), lift the pan and tilt it around until the excess liquid pours off the top of the curds and into the pan. Then use the spatula to shape the edge and make sure the omelet isn't sticking. Move the spatula around the edge of the egg mixture to help shape it into a round and loosen the edge. Then walk away. That's right-let that omelet sit unaccosted for 10 long seconds so it can develop a proper outer crust. Don't worry: Your patience will be rewarded.

Finish the omelet: Time for the "jiggle" step: Simply shake the pan gently to make sure the omelet is indeed free of the pan. Lift up the far edge of the pan and snap it back toward you. Then use the spatula to fold over the one-third facing you.

Change your grip on the pan handle from an overhand to an underhand and move to the plate, which you might want to lube with just a brief brushing of butter to make sure things don't bind up in transit. Slide the one-third farthest from you onto the plate and then ease the fold over. Imagine that you're making a tri-fold wallet out of eggs-because that's exactly what you're doing. And just ease the pan over. There, that wasn't so hard.

Eggs Benedict w/ Mushrooms

 

Eggs Benedict is my all time favorite breakfast food.  Almost every time I go out for breakfast, I look for it on the menu.  I began making it at home a few summers ago when I was invited to a family gathering at a cottage "UP NORTH" in Cadillac, Michigan.  My job for the weekend was to prepare breakfast for our family of 10.  Egg's Benedict was my first choice.  I had heard that hollandaise sauce was difficult because you have to "temper" the eggs as you whisk them with warm butter.  Tempering  causes the eggs to cook smoothy into a sauce without scrambling them.  It worked the very first time.  It was a huge hit and everyone loved the elegance of a nice breakfast on the lake.  I have since made this several times on special occasions.  

I prepared Egg's Benedict this past Christmas for brunch, and added sauteed mushrooms.  The lemony hollandaise sauce with the creamy egg was a perfect compliment for the mushrooms. 

It IS a bit labor intensive, but each step on its own is not difficult.  Once you master poaching eggs, and then you have the sauce down, it comes together pretty smoothy.  It might take a few times to feel like you're a pro,  but don't give up.  Its so worth it. 

I make the sauce first and keep it warm on a back burner, unlit.  It reheats nicely.  Then I begin poaching the eggs.  I also toast the English muffins on a baking sheet (350) so I can make them all at once instead of 2 by 2 in a toaster. 

• 1 lb. of sliced mushrooms;  mixture of choice
• Butter for sauteing
• 8 slices ham or Canadian bacon
• 4 English muffins, split and buttered
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 8 eggs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Hollandaise sauce, recipe here 
• Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet.
2. Saute the mushrooms in butter and set aside. 
3. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water.
4. Add vinegar.
5.  Bring to a slow boil. 
6. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. I actually break egg into a custard cup before slipping it into the pan..
7. Repeat with remaining eggs. 
8. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. 
9. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft.
10.  Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain on a towel.

To assemble:

1. Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. 
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs, top with mushrooms. 
4. Garnish with chopped parsley. 

A few words to say to yourself before you make the best breakfast dish in the history of breakfast....

1.  Hollandaise should NOT come out of a package.  

2.  Fresh hollandaise sauce is NOT difficult.   

3.  Fresh hollandaise sauce is WORTH IT!

Follow the simple directions carefully in preparation for EGGS BENEDICT.  I promise, you will not regret it.

 Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt

Directions

1. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.  This will take some time.  BE PATIENT.
2. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. 
3. Continue to whisk rapidly. 
4. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. 
5. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. This will take some time.  BE PATIENT.
6. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. 
7. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the EGGS BENEDICT (RECIPE).
8. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Hollandaise Sauce

A few words to say to yourself before you make the best breakfast dish in the history of breakfast....

1.  Hollandaise should NOT come out of a package.  

2.  Fresh hollandaise sauce is NOT difficult.   

3.  Fresh hollandaise sauce is WORTH IT!

Follow the simple directions carefully in preparation for EGGS BENEDICT.  I promise, you will not regret it.

 Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt

Directions

1. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.  This will take some time.  BE PATIENT.
2. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. 
3. Continue to whisk rapidly. 
4. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. 
5. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. This will take some time.  BE PATIENT.
6. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. 
7. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the EGGS BENEDICT (RECIPE).
8. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Mushroom and Cheese Brioche

I hope to  continue my series on recipes that picture "Pure Michigan"  however, I haven't had time to develop anything new this week.
In searching through my old recipes in preparation for the holidays, I was excited to come upon another favorite.
 I read the recipe through, and my heart started beating in anticipation.  Not many recipes do that! Well, not too many!  Don't be intimidated...Try it.  It's not  labor intensive, just a few extra steps in the process. 

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

For the Truffle Bread Pudding

• 1 pound loaf brioche
• 4 cups milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 truffle, sliced, optional 

 Saute

• 2 cups sliced morel mushrooms
• 2 cups chopped button mushrooms
• 2 cups sliced oyster mushrooms
• 1 shallot, minced 

• 4 cups grated Gruyere cheese
• Salt and freshly grated black pepper

Poached Eggs

• 6 eggs
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

 For the Salad Garnish

• 1 cup microgreens ( you can use baby greens, spring mix, Arugula, frisee)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tsp. agave nectar
• splash of vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the mushroom and cheese brioche:

1. Cut the brioche into 1-inch cubes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the cubed brioche, truffle peelings, and chopped thyme to the bowl.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute the morels, button, and oyster mushrooms with the shallots for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add 1/2 the Gruyere cheese to the brioche mixture, then add the mushroom- shallot mixture to brioche and cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Pour the bread pudding mixture in an oven-proof baking dish.
2. Add the remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

For the poached eggs:
Fill a saucepan with 3-inches cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.

1. As the water reaches the boiling point, reduce the heat and allow the water to simmer.
2. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to the water.
3. Swirl the water around.
4. Break the eggs into a small plate or bowl and gently slide it into the water with care,
5. holding the plate as near to the water as possible before allowing the
6. egg to slowly slip into the water.
7. Once the eggs are in the water, you can help shape it using a spoon or spatula. Let the eggs cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, allowing for the size of the egg and the preferred doneness of the egg yolks.
8. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and drain for a few seconds on kitchen paper.
9. Trim any stringy or dangling bits with a knife or scissors, if you wish.

Serve the poached egg on top of the truffle bread and garnish with a little bit of the microgreens dressed with olive oil and salt and pepper.



 Chefs note:
For your first attempt at preparing poached eggs, you may want to carefully break each egg onto a small cup, ramekin, plate or bowl before adding it to the water.

A perfectly poached egg has a lovely rounded shape, a soft yet firm white and a deliciously runny yolk. Time is of the essence when it comes to poaching eggs.

Problems will most definitely arise if the eggs are cooked at a temperature that is too high, if the eggs are not very fresh or if there is not enough water in the saucepan.

Use a saucepan or a deep frying pan, which allows you to fill it with about 3-inches of water. The eggs should be covered with water during cooking and the 3-inch depth of water ensures that the eggs will not stick to the pan.

Poached eggs must be cooked in water that is very gently bubbling or simmering. The water is first brought to the boil and then by turning the heat down on the cooker, is allowed to gently simmer. The eggs are carefully added to the pan at this point. If the water is boiling too fiercely, the eggs will be forced to move around too much, causing them to break up and lose their shape. A gentle simmer allows the egg to sit in one place throughout cooking and cook nicely.
By using the freshest eggs possible, eggs that are less than 4 days old, you are more likely to achieve a perfectly poached egg that keeps its shape. With a fresh egg, the white will stay close to the yolk and should not spread out thinly.

Vinegar should be added to the water as it begins to boil, as this will help the egg white to coagulate more quickly and form a neat and compact shape. Without the vinegar, disaster may occur. Use about 1 tablespoon vinegar for each pint of water. Bear in mind that the vinegar may slightly flavor the eggs, so do not use too much or a vinegar that is too strong, if you are not so keen on a vinegary tasting eggs.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins- Gluten Free

I developed this for my friends that are wheat or gluten intolerant.  My kids LOVED them.

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups BROWN RICE flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar ( I used raw sugar)
• 2 TBSP. cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups safflower or canola oil
• 3 cups mashed banana

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups or spray and flour 2  loaf pans

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add eggs and oil. Using a  mixer, blend until combined.
Add banana and combine until smooth. 

Pour into pans. Bake loaves for approximately 40 minutes. Mini- muffins for about 15 minutes and larger muffins for about 25.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

NOTE:  you can substitute carrots for the banana, but take out the cocoa and add 1 tsp. cinnamon.
May also be used to make blueberry or cherry muffins.

Herb-Baked Eggs

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted French bread

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
2. Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside.
3. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)
4. Place 2 individual *gratin dishes on a baking sheet.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
6. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each *gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
7. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.)
8. The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven.
9. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

* pie plates can be used in place of gratin dishes

Chef's notes:

• Thinly sliced ham can be added on top of the whites before cooking.
• Bread crumbs can be added to the herb mixture.
• Herb mixture can be altered to echo what is already in your garden or on your spice shelf. I have used dried rosemary, garlic and parsley flakes with bread crumbs and shredded Asiago cheese and it was delicious.
• NUTMEG adds great flavor to egg and cheese dishes.