We needed something for dinner tonight and I actually felt up for cooking for once, so I consulted my short list. I wasn't up for a lot of cooking, but I felt I could do something small and simple and this cream sauce recipe fit the bill.

Dumplings in Cream Sauce

Adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ~100g ham, chopped
• 2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. milk powder¹
• 1 Tbsp. chicken stock powder
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
• 450g frozen dumplings (mini dumplings work especially well)
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 2-3 green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add the mushrooms, cover, and cook until they begin to release their liquid.
5. Add the ham and cook until heated through.
6. Add the milk, milk powder, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
7. Stir in pepper and Parmesan and adjust seasoning to taste.
8. Add the dumplings and peas and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until dumplings are heated through and sauce has reached desired consistency.
10. Stir in green onions and serve topped with additional Parmesan.

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¹ The original recipe called for cream. We only had milk. So I decided to try to approximate cream by adding some whole milk powder to skim milk. I'm quite pleased with how this worked and would absolutely do it this way again in the future. ^Back

Baked Rigatoni with Fennel, Sausage, and Peperonata

This was delicious! But I think it could have used more sausage. (And maybe a bit of spinach.)

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Peperonata

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 450g rigatoni
• 1 bulb fennel
• 450g Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 bell peppers, julienned (preferably all different colours)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar¹
• 1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream²
• 150g baby spinach (optional)
• 250g fontina cheese, grated
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) and grease a 23x33cm lasagne pan.
2. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Remove and discard the core and stems from the fennel bulb. Dice the remaining bulb and set aside.
4. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the sausage.
5. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
6. Add the fennel and cook until softened and beginning to brown (~5 minutes).
7. Add the sausage and fennel to the bowl with the pasta.
8. Add the bell peppers to the now-empty pan. Add a little oil if necessary, but the sausages released sufficient fat that I didn't need any for mine.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. Add the sugar and vinegar and keep cooking until vegetables are glazed.
11. Add the tomato sauce and cream to the peppers and cook until slightly thickened (~5 minutes).
12. Pour the peppers and sauce over the pasta, add the spinach (if using) and the fontina, and toss to combine.
13. Dump the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
14. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10-15 minutes.

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¹ The recipe called for granulated sugar and red wine vinegar. I swapped out the white sugar for brown. But I used the red wine vinegar as specified. Having tasted it though, I'd be inclined to try balsamic next time. I think that'd be even better! ^Back
2 The recipe called for 1 c. of tomato sauce and 1 1/2 c. of cream. We had a bit of extra sauce though, so we just tossed it in. I'm not sure if it was a full extra half cup. It might've been more like 1/3 c. But... close enough. Meanwhile, after putting in just 1 c. of cream, the sauce looked both very rich and very pale already. So I opted to omit the extra half cup. If you wanted to make this dish a bit lighter, you could use half-and-half instead. (I normally would've done that. But the cream has been in the fridge for a while and needs to be used up.) ^Back

This was pretty tasty! Definitely not health food. But a nice treat. Especially on the first day. (I do think it loses something in the reheating. It's still good. Just not as good.)

Marry Me Shrimp Pasta

Slightly adapted from Delish.com

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato oil¹
• 450g shrimp, shelled and deveined
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 450g dry pasta (rigatoni, shells, or penne all work well)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream or half-and-half (10% MF)
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning²
• 300g spinach
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
• fresh basil, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until pink and opaque (3-5 minutes).
3. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ~1/2 c. of pasta water, and set aside.
5. Reduce pan temperature to medium.
6. Add garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook until paste darkens (1-2 minutes).
7. Add sun-dried tomatoes, broth, cream, and Italian seasoning, deglaze the pan, and bring to a simmer.
8. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly (~5 minutes).
9. Add spinach and cook until wilted (1-2 minutes).
10. Add pasta, shrimp, and reserved pasta water, stir vigorously for a few seconds, and cook until pasta is well-coated and sauce is glossy.
11. Stir in Parmesan.
12. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
13. Sprinkle with fresh basil (if using) and server.

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¹ My tomatoes were not oil-packed, so I didn't have any tomato oil for my sauce. Instead I used a bit of oil from some spicy, oil-packed anchovies. I feel like this was an acceptable substitute. ^Back
2 I didn't have any ready-made Italian seasoning, so I just mixed in a few herbs separately: mostly parsley, oregano, and basil with just a touch of rosemary and thyme. ^Back

Not much of a recipe here: Just tomatoes with a bit of salt, pepper, and Parmesan. They are tasty though. And they make a nice addition to many breakfast plates.¹

Broiled Tomato Slices

From The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato, thickly sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• grated Parmesan, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat a broiler and lightly grease a small rimmed baking sheet.
2. Place the tomato slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cheese.
3. Broil until tomatoes are cooked and cheese is melted (~4 minutes).

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¹ As long as you can safely eat them! (Sorry, Reiv...) ^Back

This was meant to be a kale gratin. But Reiver has a bunch of silverbeet (Swiss chard) planted out back, so we made it with that instead. Either one will work fine. I would normally default to kale because I like it better and am thus more likely to have it on hand, but I actually quite liked the silverbeet here!

Photo goes here.

Silverbeet Gratin

Slightly adapted from Vegetable of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 500g silverbeet (or kale), chopped
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 3/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs (preferably whole wheat)
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the kale, salt, and water.
4. Cover and cook until wilted.
5. Transfer to shallow gratin dish.
6. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of oil and toss to combine.
7. Top the kale with the breadcrumb mixture.
8. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15 minutes.

I picked up some lamb on sale the other day and wanted a nice vegetable side to go with it. I figured lamb and mint are often combined and zucchini has just come into season here, so this seemed like a natural pairing.

I wasn't able to find any yellow summer squash here, so I ended up using all zucchini, but that's not a huge deal. It mainly makes a difference to the aesthetics more than anything else.

Summer Squash Noodles with Mint Pesto

From Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p174)

Ingredients

• 1 c. (~45g) firmly packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 c. vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 yellow summer squash (~375g)
• 3 zucchini (~375g)
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine the mint, broth, Parmesan, garlic, and oil in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, cut the yellow squash and zucchini into long, narrow ribbons.
3. Pour enough oil into a large nonstick frying pan to film the bottom, and warm over medium heat.
4. Add the shallots and sauté until softened (~3 minutes).
5. Add the squash and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper.
6. Sauté until the squash is just tender (4-5 minutes).
7. Stir in the mint pesto and heat for 1 minute.
8. Remove from the heat, garnish with additional Parmesan, and serve.
9. Transfer to a warmed serving dish, sprinkle with additional cheese, and serve.

This was okay. It definitely delivered on the spinach! Personally, I felt like it could've used a little more Parmesan. And it was way under-done when cooked according to the recipe. I've adjusted both the bake time and temperature below. I've also specified a bit of extra Parmesan sprinkled on top of the frittata just before it goes into the oven to help the cheese come through a little more.

Garlicky Spinach-Parmesan Frittata

Slightly adapted from Vegetable of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. garlic oil, divided
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 450g frozen chopped spinach
• 6 large eggs
• 1-2 Tbsp. milk (optional)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• ~1/2 c. grated Parmesan, divided
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/8 tsp. hot paprika

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and cook until softened (~5 minutes).
4. Add the spinach, cover, and cook until wilted.
5. Cook, uncovered, for another minute or two to help cook off some of the moisture.
6. If it is still wet, drain it. Set aside.
7. Beat the eggs with a splash of milk (if desired).
8. Mix in the garlic, 1/4 c. of Parmesan, salt, pepper, and paprika.
9. Add the spinach to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
10. Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil.
11. Pour in the egg mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
12. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. of Parmesan and transfer to oven and bake for ~12 minutes.
13. Set broiler to "high" and broil until top is set and lightly browned (2-3 minutes).
14. Turn out onto plate, cut into wedges, and serve.

This was meant to be white beans with red chard, but TF and I don't acutally like chard (silverbeet), so we made it with kale instead. I think black kale would have been best for this, but we received a bunch of green kale in our most recent produce basket, so I justed used that. I don't like the texture quite as well, but it was fine.

This is not an amazing soup overall. But it's not bad. And it gave us some protein and extra fibre and veggies with our meal, which is what I was after. So, it got the job done, just not with a lot of flair.

White Bean Soup with Kale

Slightly adapted from Vegetable of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• ~400g kale
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large sweet onions, chopped
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 6 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 (470g) cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (or a mix of Parmesan and romano)

Directions

1. Cut the ribs and stems from the kale leaves. Chop both the leaves and the stems separately. Set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add onion, kale stems, salt, and pepper.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until softened (10-15 minutes).
5. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another minute or two.
6. Add stock and beans and bring to a boil.
7. Add kale leaves and cook until kale is tender (5-7 minutes).
8. Serve topped with cheese.

I had been planning a goat cheese and strawberry dessert a couple weeks back. I got the goat cheese for it, but then ended up doing something else with the strawberries. So then I had a bunch of goat cheese that needed used. I put a little bit into the roasted beet salad that I made the other day (and have yet to do a write-up for), but that still left me with most of the package. This pizza took care of most of it.

As pizzas go, this one is somewhat unusual. It doesn't have any sauce, just a bit of olive oil. And the cheese is a mix of fresh goat cheese and Parmesan. No mozzarella here! And the only other topping is roasted butternut squash and some salad greens that get added after it comes out of the oven. (That said, I went ahead and added a bunch of garlic as well.) It was very minimalist, but surprisingly tasty!

Butternut Squash Pizza

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash¹
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1 recipe sourdough pizza dough
• 150-200g fresh goat cheese
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 Tbsp. grated Parmesan (or a mix of Parmesan and romano)
• 1/2 c. baby arugula or spring mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds and guts.
3. Cut into 3cm thick slices.
4. Toss squash with 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme and spread out on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 180°C (350°F) until tender (30-45 minutes).
6. Remove from oven, allow to cool, trim off and discard skin, and cut flesh into bite-sized pieces.
7. Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and increase temperature to 250°C (475°F).
8. Divide dough into two portions and strech or roll each out into a large circle.
9. Generously dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and place one of the crusts on it.
10. Drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp. of the remaining oil and brush to coat the surface evenly.
11. Scatter ~1/2 the squash, half the goat cheese, half the garlic, and half the Parmesan over it (leaving a 2cm border without any toppings).
12. Quickly slide the pizza onto the stone and bake at 250°C (475°F) for 8-10 minutes.
13. Use the peel to remove the pizza from the oven.
14. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside.
15. Repeat shaping, topping, and baking process with remaining dough and toppings.
16. Top each pizza with ~1/2 of the arugula.
17. Drizzle with additional olive oil² if desired.
18. Cut into slices and serve.

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¹ The recipe calls for a 680g squash. Mine was nearly twice that at ~1200g (closer to 1100g once the seeds and guts had been removed). And, while I didn't end up using all of the squash, I did use most of it. At a guess, I'd say somewhere in the 800g range. And, to be honest, I probably could've squeezed even more on if I'd really wanted to. So, use your judgement and feel free to adjust the amount of squash based on how much you have or how squash-y you're feeling. ^Back
2 A citrus-infused oil would be excellent here. Particularly lemon. Although orange probably also be nice. ^Back

I love kabocha squash. So I was excited to try this savoury squash tart recipe. Sadly, I wasn't able to find any kabocha at the grocery store, so I had to settle for buttercup instead. Even with that substitution, it was very good. But I'd still love to try it with an actual kabocha sometime.

I think the only other change I'd make is to double the onion. The long-cooked caramelized onion layer on the bottom of the tart was delicious. There just wasn't enough of it! Otherwise though, I really have no complaints. This was great.

Kabocha Squash and Pecorino Tart

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 (~1kg) kabocha squash
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 recipe sourdough pastry
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c. half-and-half (10% MF)
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 c. grated pecorino romano
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and guts.
3. Brush squash, inside and out, with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and place cut-side-down on a baking sheet.
4. Roast at 220°C (425°F) until very tender (~40 minutes).
5. Meanwhile, make your pastry, wrap it, and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. While the pastry is chilling and the squash is roasting, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat.
7. Add the onions and cook until softened (4-5 minutes).
8. Reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle in thyme, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for ~30 minutes.
9. When squash is done, scoop out the flesh and discard the skins.
10. Mash the squash and blend with the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper.
11. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use it to line a 23cm (9") deep dish pie plate.
12. Crimp the edges and spoon the onion mixture into the bottom of the pie shell. Spread into an even layer.
13. Srpinkle the cheeses on top.
14. Pour the squash mixture over the cheese and smooth the top.
15. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10 minutes.
16. Reduce heat and bake for another 20 minutes.
17. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
18. Cut into slices and serve.

It was TF's birthday today. She chose spaghetti a la carbonara as her birthday meal. And, as usual, she made it herself. But I wanted to do up some sides to go with it. Since, while carbonara is delicious, it's also not exactly health food. And I felt the need to try to put some greens on the plate.

I picked up a head of broccoli and roasted it with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. But I figured that another vegetable side wouldn't go amiss, so I put together this salad as well.

The suggestion for topping it with toasted walnuts and orange segments came from a thread on Reddit. The same user also suggested adding either goat cheese or shaved Parmesan as well as a few olives. I chose to add the Parmesan, but omitted the olives.

For the dressing, I went with a slightly modified version of a lemon vinaigrette recipe found on Love & Lemons. I added a bit of red wine vinegar and half a shallot to mine, reduced the salt slightly, and omitted the thyme.

I'm really happy with how the salad worked out overall. And, as an added bonus, I drizzled a small amount of the dressing over the broccoli when it came out of the oven. I feel like the bright citrus flavours worked really well with the roasted broccoli. And the acidity helped balance the fat from the carbonara somewhat. All-in-all, a good combination!

Arugula Salad with Clementines and Walnuts

Adapted from Reddit and Love & Lemons

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. Roman mustard
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/4 c. olive oil

Salad

• ~100g arugula
• 2 clementines (or 1 orange), sectioned
• 3-4 Tbsp. walnuts, toasted and chopped
• shaved Parmesan

Directions

1. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, gerlic, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper and mix well.
2. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Set aside.
3. Place the arugula in a salad bowl and top with clementines and walnuts.
4. Spoon some of the vinaigrette over. (You will not need it all.)
5. Top with Parmesan shavings and serve.

Asparagus and prosciutto are a great combination. They're great on their own. And they also work very well together in other dishes like pasta or this easy frittata.

Asparagus & Prosciutto Frittata

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 250g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 100g prosciutto, chopped
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
• 10 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Steam the asparagus until just tender.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat.
4. Add onion and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook until softened (~6 minutes).
6. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.
7. Add asparagus and prosciutto and spread into an even layer.
8. Beat eggs with milk and cheese and season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour into pan and cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes.
10. Transfer to oven and bake until eggs are set (~12 minutes).
11. If top is not quite done, place under broiler for a minute or two.
12. Invert onto plate, cut into wedges, and serve.

This recipe has been languishing in my backlog for... a while. I think close to four months at this point. So, really, it should probably go into last year's posts. But I don't really feel like doing that today, so here we are!

This is a nice, simple sandwich. The kind of thing that feels like you don't really even need a recipe for. It's just another variation of eggs on toast. That said, without actually writing it down, I probably wouldn't remember to think of combining these ingredients in this specific way. So, this post is my reminder to myself that this combination exists.

Scrambled Egg Sandwich with Parmesan Curls and Tomato Slices

Slightly adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 2 slices bread, toasted
• 2 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1-2 large eggs
• 1-2 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 wide curls Parmesan
• 2 thin slices tomato
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Spread half the butter on the toast.
2. Melt the remaining 1 tsp. of butter over medium heat.
3. Whisk the egg(s) with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, until just set (~1 minute).
5. Top the scrambled egg with the cheese curls, then transfer to one of the buttered toast slices.
6. Top with tomato and basil, followed by the remaining slice of toast.

I had a bunch of extra basil to use up and this frittata has been on my short list for a while, so it seemed like a good fit. It's very simple, but it was tasty nonetheless. There are also several variations provided. The asparagus-ham version sounds particularly appealing...

Parmesan and Basil Frittata

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country August/September 2015

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs¹
• 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 c. whole milk²
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C (350°F).
2. Whisk the eggs with the Parmesan, basil, milk, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat.
4. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring with a spatula, until large curds form and the spatula leaves a wake in the pan. (Egss should be clumpy, but still very wet.)
5. Shake the pan to even out the eggs and cook, without stirring, for ~30 seconds.
6. Transfer to oven and bake until puffy (~5 minutes).
7. If you would like the top more browned, turn on the broiler and cook for 1 more minute.
8. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
9. Use the spatula to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Variants

Asparagus, Ham, and Gruyère Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 250g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5mm pieces
• 100g deli ham, cut into 1cm pieces
• 1 shallot, minced
• 12 large eggs¹
• 3/4 c. shredded Gruyère
• 1/4 c. whole milk²
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C (350°F).
2. Heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the asparagus and cook until lightly browned (~3 minutes).
4. Add the ham and shallot and cook until softened (2-3 minutes).
5. Meanwhile whisk the eggs with the gruyère, milk, salt, and pepper.
6. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring with a spatula, until large curds form and the spatula leaves a wake in the pan. (Egss should be clumpy, but still very wet.)
7. Shake the pan to even out the eggs and cook, without stirring, for ~30 seconds.
8. Transfer to oven and bake until puffy (~5 minutes).
9. If you would like the top more browned, turn on the broiler and cook for 1 more minute.
10. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Use the spatula to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Leek, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 leeks
• 85g thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1cm pieces
• 12 large eggs¹
• 1 c. crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 c. whole milk²
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C (350°F).
2. Trim and halve the leeks lengthwise, wash them very thoroughly, and slice thinly.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat.
4. Add the leeks and cook, covered, until softened (6-8 minutes).
5. Meanwhile whisk the eggs with the goat cheese, basil, milk, salt, and pepper.
6. Add the proscuitto and the egg mixture and cook, stirring with a spatula, until large curds form and the spatula leaves a wake in the pan. (Egss should be clumpy, but still very wet.)
7. Shake the pan to even out the eggs and cook, without stirring, for ~30 seconds.
8. Transfer to oven and bake until puffy (~5 minutes).
9. If you would like the top more browned, turn on the broiler and cook for 1 more minute.
10. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Use the spatula to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Mushroom and Chive Frittata

Leek, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 280g cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 170g shiitake mushooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 12 large eggs¹
• 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 c. whole milk²
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C (350°F).
2. Heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the both kinds of mushrooms and the onion and cook until dry and lightly browned (~15 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the Parmesan, chives, milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
5. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.
6. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring with a spatula, until large curds form and the spatula leaves a wake in the pan. (Egss should be clumpy, but still very wet.)
7. Shake the pan to even out the eggs and cook, without stirring, for ~30 seconds.
8. Transfer to oven and bake until puffy (~5 minutes).
9. If you would like the top more browned, turn on the broiler and cook for 1 more minute.
10. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Use the spatula to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

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¹ I had some excess egg whites to use up, so I actually made this frittata with 10 eggs + 3 egg whites. ^Back
2 The original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp. of half-and-half (10% MF). I happened to have some half-and-half in the fridge this time, so I did actually use that, but normally I would just put in a bit of milk instead, so that's the way I've written it up here. ^Back

This is a very simple recipe, but the use of Parmesan cubes rather than grated Parmesan makes a big difference.

Scrambled Eggs with Parmesan and Rosemary

From The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 c. cubed Parmesan (~5mm cubes)
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary¹
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• buttered toast, to serve

Directions

1. Melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Beat the eggs with the cheese and pour into hot pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring gently, until eggs are just set.
4. Mix in rosemary and pepper and serve with buttered toast.

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¹ I didn't have any fresh rosemary, so I used 1/4 tsp. of dried. But fresh would have been much better. ^Back

A win from Hello Fresh, this recipe takes a while to come together but isn't particularly difficult, and was a big hit with everyone. The chicken is optional but adds some welcome protein.

Mushroom Risotto with Chicken

Hello Fresh

Ingredients

• 400g mixed cremini, button, and oyster mushrooms
• two large sprigs of sage
• 4 tsp vegetable broth concentrate
• 6 C water
• 500g chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1+2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1½ C arborio rice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 125g baby spinach
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ C white wine
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• ½ C grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chili flakes

Directions

1. Trim stems from button and cremini mushrooms. Slice caps thinly and retain both caps and stems separately.
2. Hand-shred oyster mushrooms.
3. Strip sage leaves from stems; retain both separately.
4. Combine sage stems, mushroom stems, water, and broth concentrate in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, covered, then reduce heat to medium-low and leave covered.
5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through and nicely browned; remove and buffer.
7. Add the remaining olive oil and the sage leaves. Cook until the sage is crispy, ~1 minute. Remove and buffer with the chicken.
8. Add the sliced mushroom caps, oyster mushroom shreds, and onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened, ~6 minutes.
9. Stir in the garlic salt, chili flakes, black pepper to taste, rice, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and rice is coated, 1-2 minutes.
10. Add wine and cook until wine is absorbed, 1-2 minutes.
11. Reduce heat to medium.
12. Add 1 cup broth from the simmering pot (leave stems behind). Cook, stirring often, until broth is fully absorbed.
13. Repeat prior step until 5-6C of broth have been absorbed, rice is tender, and overall texture is creamy.
14. Stir in spinach and let wilt.
15. Stir in parmesan and butter until fully melted and incorporated.
16. Top with fried sage and chicken strips and serve with salad.

I was in a bit of a hurry and messed this recipe up a bit. I saw that it called for either a spinach-parmesan or a cheddar cheese soufflé, so I just went ahead and made the soufflé as directed. It wasn't until I was halfway through making the soufflé (and had already asked TF to prepare the baking dish) that I noticed that it wanted you to make a bunch of small soufflés rather than one large one. Whoops!

I continued with my large soufflé. I figured it'd work out to about the same thing anyway. Just not as cute and visually appealing.

Unfortunately, again because I was in a hurry, I cut the baking time a little short and my soufflé had a bit of a sturcutral integrity issue when I was unmolding it. It wasn't the end of the world. It needed to go back in the oven again once the sauce and cheese went on anyway. But it did mean that the final dish wasn't very aesthetic.

I've included a photo of my fail soufflé here, just to have something. But please be aware that this isn't what it's actually meant to look like.

Twice-Baked Soufflé in Tomato-Cream Sauce

Slightly adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 1 recipe soufflé batter for spinach-parmesan soufflé
• 1/2 c. table (18%) cream¹
• 1 (400mL) can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 c. grated Gruyère or fontina

Directions

1. DO NOT BAKE THE SOUFFLÉ AS DIRECTED IN THE RECIPE.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and generously grease six ramekins² and "flour" them with dry breadcrumbs. Put a kettle on to boil.
3. Divide the soufflé mixture among the ramekins.
4. Run a fingertip around the inside rim of each soufflé.
5. Place a roasting pan or similar large, deep dish in the oven and place the soufflés in it.
6. Carefully pour boiling water into the pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7. Bake until the soufflés are puffed and brown on top (35-40 minutes).
8. Remove from oven and let stand in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
9. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. The soufflés will shrink. This is normal.
10. Run a spatula around the sides of each soufflé and turn them out.
11. Place, browned-side-up, in a large baking dish (or individual gratin dishes).
12. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake again.
13. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
14. Meanwhile, combine the cream and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
15. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the basil.
16. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
17. Stir in the slat and pepper and remove from heat.
18. Spoon the sauce over the soufflés.
19. Sprinkle the tops with the grated cheese.
20. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes.
21. Serve immediately!

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¹ The original recipe calls for 1 c. heavy cream and 1 c. diced tomatoes. I ended up using ~3/4 c. heavy cream + ~1/4 c. 1% milk and ~400mL diced tomatoes. It was delicious like this, but I think it would've been fine with a bit less cream, so I've adjusted it down a bit here. ^Back
2 The recipe calls for six 5-oz. (~150mL) or four 8-oz. (~240mL) ramekins. This doesn't seem like it would provide enough volume though since the soufflé recipe produces enough batter to fill a 6-cup (~1.4L) baking dish. I would think you'd need six 8-oz. ramekins, not four! So... uh, proceed with caution, I guess. ^Back

Tomato and Basil Frittata with Asiago

The chickens are still full steam ahead on eggs, so I've been continuing to try to keep ahead of them with more recipes from the egg book. I really liked this frittata. Although I'd be tempted to try to cook the tomatoes down a bit next time. The results were delicious, but a bit... juicy. I think that the tomatoes might have benefitted from being cooked with the garlic for a little while before the eggs went in the pan. Possibly something to try for next time. I was still very happy with this iteration though, so I don't want to mess with it too much.

Tomato and Basil Firttata with Asiago

Slightly adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 1 c. grated Asiago cheese¹, divided
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
• 1/4 c. (or slightly more) torn fresh basil
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Beat the eggs with 1/2 c. of the cheese, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and a bit of black pepper.
2. Toss the tomatoes with the basil, remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt, a bit of pepper, and half of the oil.
3. Heat the remaining oil over medium-low heat.
4. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle.
5. Pour in the egg mixture and stir once or twice.
6. Cook for a minute or two, then add the tomato mixture in an even layer on top.
7. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then work a spatula under egg and lift up the edge to let some of the uncooked egg mixture flow under it. Repeat several more times around the edge of the pan.
8. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. of cheese, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until set (10-15 minutes).
9. If frittata is still not quite set on top (or if you prefer the top to be browned), remove the lid and stick it under the broiler for a minute or two.
10. Cut into wedges and serve.

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¹ Simmons suggests one experiment with different cheeses in place of the Asiago. She specifically mentions Parmesan, fontina, and ricotta salata as good ones to try. In light of this (and the fact that I didn't have any Asiago on hand) I opted for a 50:50 mix of Parmesan and Romano. I used the Romano in the egg mixture and then topped the frittata with the Parmesan and I can say that I would heartily recommend this combination in the future. ^Back

I don't normally bother trying to make toad in the hole because I find the appeal is mostly in the novelty and not the taste. I like fried eggs with nice crispy edges served on top of a good piece of buttered toast. But this fancy walnut-and-parmesan-garnished version seemed like it might be a) worth the effort and b) significantly more delicious than a plain fried egg on toast, so I figured I'd give it a go.

You can use any bread you like for this, but the author recommends seeking out something "unusual" and suggests something with olive, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, or cheese. And, as it just so happens, I recently made a batch of tomato-basil sourdough! Aside from the loaves being a bit on the small side, they were pretty much idea for this.

Posh Toad in the Hole

Slightly adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bread (cut 2-3cm thick)
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 6 large eggs, divided
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 c. walnuts, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
• 4 slices prosciutto

Directions

1. Cut an oval (maybe 5cm by 7cm) out of the centre of each slice of bread.
2. Whisk the milk with the salt, pepper, and two of the eggs.
3. Place the bread¹ in a shallow dish or pan and pour the custard mixture over it. Set aside and allow to soak, turning occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the walnuts over medium heat until they being to change colour (~5 minutes).
5. Melt the butter with the oil over medium heat.
6. Add the soaked bread slices and cook for ~5 minutes.
7. Flip and cook for another minute or two.
8. Carefully crack an egg into a bowl and pour it into the hole in the centre of one of the bread crusts. Repeat with remaining three eggs and crusts.
9. Reduce heat to low or medium-low and cook, covered, for 7-8 minutes.
10. Sprinkle with cheese, remove from heat, and set aside.
11. Place one slice of prosciutto each on a warmed plate.
12. Place one of the toads in a hole on top of each slice of prosciutto.
13. Garnish with walnuts and serve.

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¹ The original recipe calls for only using the outer/crust part of the bread for this recipe and saving the cut-out ovals "for another use", but I just soaked them in the custard along with the crusts and cooked them up at the same time to be served on the side. Use whichever approach you prefer. ^Back

This is a really nice way to enjoy zucchini. My zucchini were a little larger than the recipe recommended, but it still worked out okay. If you can though, try to get zucchini that weigh no more than 250g each. (Mine were both over 300g, so a little larger than is ideal.)

Marinated Zucchini

Adapted from Cook's Country August/September 2020

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot (or 1/2 onion), minced
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. za'atar
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 680g zucchini, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 21g Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Directions

1. Combine 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, shallot, lemon juice, salt, za'atar, garlic, and pepper flakes in a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat.
3. Add half the zucchini, cut-side-down, and cook until browned (~3 minutes).
4. Flip over and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Remove from pan and add the remaining zucchini, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side.
6. Slice the zucchini crosswise ~5mm thick.
7. Add the sliced zucchini to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat.
8. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour (or chill, covered, for up to 24 hours and then allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour before serving).
9. Top with Parmesan and serve.