"Eggers Style" Burgers

The grilling season is here!  I never order a burger at a restaurant, for a few reasons, but I love a home made burger on the grill.

You're probably wondering... what's Eggers Style?  Well, meet the Eggers...

Mr.

Or perhaps here's a better one of him and My Mr.

Mrs. (the red-haired one) and Child #1

I'm so sorry, I don't have a picture of Child #2.


These are our "holiday friends".  We don't see each other a lot throughout the year, but we've sort of fell in to this pattern where we see each other every Christmas Eve, July 4th, and this year we added Easter.  :-)  While searching for photos to introduce you to them I realized, I don't have very many photos of this family that we love.

Anyway, this year on Easter, the Eggers invited us over for a "non-traditional" Easter dinner.  Their words, not mine.  Actually they wanted to get together not on a holiday, but Easter was right around the corner, so we sort of invited ourselves for that day.  It seemed appropriate.

For dinner, we had the option of a plain hamburger or an Eggers Style hamburger.  And because they were so good, I decided the next time I made burgers it would be this way.

Ingredients:
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 cup of parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4-6 cloves crushed garlic

You can add or subtract any of the flavorings.  I didn't really get a measured recipe from the Mrs.,  so I just sort of eyeballed it, and this is what I think my measurements were.  We like garlic, and I could taste it.

Mix all the ingredients together and form hamburger patties.  I made 8 burgers from 2 lbs of beef.

Grill them up to perfection and serve with your favorite toppings!

What's YOUR favorite way to eat a burger?  I'd love to hear from you!

Blessings,
Chellie

Dinner Date

For Christmas this year, we gave the kids pre-planned dates for the whole year.  They each get to go on a date once a month.  One month with Mom, the next with Dad, and so on.  This is by far their favorite gift.  And it's the gift that keeps on giving, right?  All year!  So, one of the dates with Mom is to choose a recipe, go to the store and purchase the ingredients, and then make it together.   This is what my son and I did this weekend.  He chose "Pasta with Arugula, White Beans and Walnuts" for dinner and "Raspberry Napoleons" for dessert.  If you're thinking, wow, her kids like healthy food, just know I was just as surprised that he chose this as you!  I mean, really, what 9 yr. old wants pasta with greens and beans???  I have a bunch of "Everyday Food" magazines, and he went through some of them and that is what he chose.  I will say I do have great eaters for kids.  They used to be more picky, but overall they like a lot of things.  My son especially, he's like my husband, he will try just about anything.  I am so grateful to have easy to please kids...well, at least in the food department.  :-)

So here's a look at our date:

 Toast the walnuts... oh the flavor!

 Learning to slice garlic

 Cooking the pasta

I love how he put so much effort into a pretty table.

All the kids liked this dish.  One of my girls wasn't so crazy about her wilted greens, but she still ate most of them.  

Pasta with Arugula, White Beans, and Walnuts

12 oz farfelle (bowtie pasta)
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 TBS butter
1 pound baby arugula
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Toast walnut pieces in a 350 degree oven for about 7-9 minutes. Watch them so they don't burn. You don't have to toast them, but it brings out so much more flavor!

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and set aside.

Place pasta pot over medium heat. Add garlic and 1 tbs butter, cook, stirring until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes/

Add arugula to pot. Toss just until wilted. Add beans, pasta and remaining 3 tbs butter. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, adding enough reserved water to mixture to coat pasta. Garnish with toasted walnuts.

Needless to say, this dessert was a hit!  

Raspberry Napoleons:

All purpose flour for rolling pastry
1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
1/2 recipe cooled vanilla pudding (recipe follows) please don't use store bought, I promise you won't regret it!
1 container fresh raspberries
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400. On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pasty to a 10 by 15 inch rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Prick pastry all over with a fork. Cover completely with another sheet of parchment paper. Weight with another baking sheet to prevent pastry from puffing up unevenly. Bake, occasionally pressing top sheet down until pastry is golden. In my oven it only took 20 minutes, but it can take up to 40, so keep an eye on it. Remove the top sheet and parchment, and let cool

With a serrated knife, carefully trim and discard edges; cut into 12 equal pieces ( this is for 4 servings, I was able to stretch it to 6 servings by cutting into 18 pieces).

To assemble, put a large dollop of pudding on the pastry piece, top with a few raspberries and another dollop of pudding, layer a 2nd piece of pastry, repeat the pudding and raspberries, and top it with a 3rd piece of pastry. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Vanilla Pudding:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time) whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low, still whisking (wow, there's a lot of whisking in this recipe), cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.

Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding (this prevents skin from forming), chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Before serving, whisk (again) pudding until smooth.

Ummm... Hello?  Where did everyone go?  Just keepin' it real here.  {sigh}

Pasta with Arugula, White Beans and Walnuts

This is a lovely healthy spring-y recipe.  And we all need a little (or alot) of spring in MI right now!
This comes from Everyday Food Magazine:

Pasta with Arugula, White Beans and Walnuts

12 oz farfelle (bowtie pasta)
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 TBS butter
1 pound baby arugula
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Toast walnut pieces in a 350 degree oven for about 7-9 minutes.  Watch them so they don't burn.  You don't have to toast them, but it brings out so much more flavor!

Cook pasta i a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and set aside.

Place pasta pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and 1 tbs butter, cook, stirring until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes/

Add arugula to pot.  Toss just until wilted.  Add beans, pasta and remaining 3 tbs butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss, adding enough reserved water to mixture to coat pasta.  Garnish with toasted walnuts.

White Bean Soup

White Bean Soup

(adapted from Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist)

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 pund carrots, sliced on the diagonal

1 bulb fennel, sliced

4 celery ribs, sliced on the diagonal

8 cups prepared Great Northern Beans or other white bean*

1 tbs rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

Vinaigrette (Dijon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil)

prosciutto, sliced in ribbons

Parmesan, thickly grated, or use a vegetable peeler to get pretty strips

In a dutch oven, soften shallots in olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, fennel, and celery and allow them to soften, about 15 minutes.  (If you don't have fennel, you can add some fennel seed for flavor or just leave it out)

Add beans and chopped rosemary.

*Note, I use dried beans and prepare them.  If you use canned, I recommend rinsing and draining them.  But you will need to add some water or broth to compensate.  

Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, or longer if you have time.  

Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you are using the prosciutto, remember it is salty, so go easy on the salt.  Bacon is really nice with this soup too.  

Mash with a potato masher for a chunky texture.  For a smoother texture run part of it through a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot.  I love my immersion blender so that is my tool of choice here.  

Ladle into bowls and top the soup with Prosciutto, cheese, and vinaigrette.  

This is a wonderful comforting soup.  

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

(adapted from Betty Crocker)

One of my favorites ever!  I've made this soup a few times this year, trying to find exactly the right recipe.  And I finally hit it.  Most recipes have you peel and chop the squash, but I roast mine, it's much easier, and gives it a great flavor.

2 tbs butter

2 medium butternut squash

2 large apples, peeled, chopped

1 large onion chopped

2 tbs brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

squash seeds (optional garnish)

nutmeg (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut the ends off of the squash, scoop out the seeds.  I save the seeds and bake them and use them as a garnish.  Place them skin side down on a baking sheet.  Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.  

Once the squash has cooled enough scoop out the flesh.

Saute' onions in a couple tablespoons of butter, until softened.  Add the apples, broth, salt, cinnamon, pepper and squash.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered until apples are soft.  

In batches, pour the soup into a blender, or food processor (I use my vitamix), and process until smooth.  Once it has all been pureed, return to a clean pot and heat until warmed.  Ladle into bowls and top with baked squash seeds and a dash of nutmeg.

Soup, Salad, Friendship

I love my girlfriends.
I love how we all bring something different to the group, we all have unique personalities.  They are a blessing to my life.
Every couple of months we have a girl's night out, or in.  In this case it was in.  I think usually, our time together revolves around food.  There's something sacred about sharing a meal together.

I made soup.  Kelli made salad, Tina made bread and Amy "made" dessert.  This is one of the things that is so special.  Amy, just didn't have time to make dessert.  Or buy it.  But I love that she grabbed some random things from home and came on over, I love that she felt no pressure to perform or bring something.  And guess what?  Nobody cared.  These are good friends.

Our lovely table.

Dessert!!  

Our night was filled with love and laughter.  These women bring refreshment to my soul.

I didn't break out my camera this night... I know, shocking... so I don't have actual pictures of the soups.  But, I will share the recipes with you.  Thanks to Tina for sending me her phone pics to share.  :-)

Butternut Squash Soup

(adapted from Betty Crocker)

One of my favorites ever!  I've made this soup a few times this year, trying to find exactly the right recipe.  And I finally hit it.  Most recipes have you peel and chop the squash, but I roast mine, it's much easier, and gives it a great flavor.

2 tbs butter

2 medium butternut squash

2 large apples, peeled, chopped

1 large onion chopped

2 tbs brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

squash seeds (optional garnish)

nutmeg (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut the ends off of the squash, scoop out the seeds.  I save the seeds and bake them and use them as a garnish.  Place them skin side down on a baking sheet.  Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.  

Once the squash has cooled enough scoop out the flesh.

Saute' onions in a couple tablespoons of butter, until softened.  Add the apples, broth, salt, cinnamon, pepper and squash.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered until apples are soft.  

In batches, pour the soup into a blender, or food processor (I use my vitamix), and process until smooth.  Once it has all been pureed, return to a clean pot and heat until warmed.  Ladle into bowls and top with baked squash seeds and a dash of nutmeg.  

White Bean Soup

(adapted from Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist)

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 pund carrots, sliced on the diagonal

1 bulb fennel, sliced

4 celery ribs, sliced on the diagonal

8 cups prepared Great Northern Beans or other white bean*

1 tbs rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

Vinaigrette (Dijon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil)

prosciutto, sliced in ribbons

Parmesan, thickly grated, or use a vegetable peeler to get pretty strips

In a dutch oven, soften shallots in olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, fennel, and celery and allow them to soften, about 15 minutes.  (If you don't have fennel, you can add some fennel seed for flavor or just leave it out)

Add beans and chopped rosemary.

*Note, I use dried beans and prepare them.  If you use canned, I recommend rinsing and draining them.  But you will need to add some water or broth to compensate.  

Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, or longer if you have time.  

Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you are using the prosciutto, remember it is salty, so go easy on the salt.  Bacon is really nice with this soup too.  

Mash with a potato masher for a chunky texture.  For a smoother texture run part of it through a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot.  I love my immersion blender so that is my tool of choice here.  

Ladle into bowls and top the soup with Prosciutto, cheese, and vinaigrette.  

This is a wonderful comforting soup.  

SRC: Artichoke Tomato Chicken

Hi!  It's time for another Secret Recipe Club post!  This month I had the honor of making something from Lynne's blog 365 days of baking.  I felt an instant connection to Lynne when I read that her dream job was to me a mother.  She and her family reside in the warmer area of the States, AZ.  Lynne, can I come for a visit to get away from cold Michigan this winter?  :-)  Lynne has many talents and I am incredibly impressed that she would take on the challenge of baking something for 365 days in a row!  That is amazing!  I love to bake, but I think I would feel stressed!  Kudo's to you Lynne!  There is not a lack of choices on her blog.  Some of the incredible things I considered were Home made cheese crackers (I've always wanted to try that for my kids), Banana Bread French Toast, Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts, and look at these babies, Fluffernutter Nutella Crescents!  YUM!  But after looking at all her beautiful recipes, I landed on this one.  Artichoke Tomato Chicken.  I loved the simplicity of this one, but it's so flavorful!  It's healthy, which is good, I could serve it for dinner.  The Fluffernutter Nutella Cresents, well, I'm afraid I would eat them all myself.  But I will try those sometime when I have a crowd, or, maybe I will make them just for me.  :-)


Artichoke Tomato Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
4 medium size artichoke hearts (from a can/jar) sliced into thirds
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (I used dried)
6 slices provolone cheese
1 cup chicken broth

*I dipped the chicken in egg first, which is different from the original recipe*

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Prepare a 9 X 13" baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

Place 1 egg, slightly beaten into 1 dish and the bread crumbs into another shallow dish.

I added a little milk to my egg just to stretch it a little bit.

Using one breast at a time, dip the chicken in the beaten egg, and then the bread crumbs and place in prepared baking dish.

Place tomatoes and then artichokes on each piece of chicken.

Sprinkle with oregano.

Slice provolone cheese and half and place  over each chicken breast.  Depending on the size of your chicken breast, you may need 2 or 3 slices on each breast.

Gently pour chicken broth into dish.

Bake for 20 minutes.

So, the verdict?  Really, really good!  Everyone loved it.  Thanks Lynn for such a simple, easy and super flavorful recipe!

Make sure you stop by 365 days of baking and The Secret Recipe Club for more awesome recipes!

Thanks for stopping by!

Vegetarian Chili

I was looking for a vegetarian chili since my husband has decided to stop eating meat.  I wondered if I should just do my regular chili recipe, which I love, and leave out the meat, or just explore.  So, I decided to google.  What did we do before google?  Anyway, I adapted this lovely recipe from The Picky Eater.  I loved the name of that blog.  It describes me!  Well, I've branched out a lot over the years, but I do still have things I'm particular about.  :-)  For the beans in this recipe, I usually use dried, and prepare them in my pressure cooker, for more info on that, look here.  You can certainly use canned beans as well.  If you go that route, rinse and drain them. And, feel free to use whatever your favorite beans are, I just happen to like a variety.  :-)


1 cup dried Kidney beans
1 cup dried Black beans
1 cup dried Cranberry beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalepeno finely chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
5 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
1 heaping tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp Ghirardelli cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
Black pepper to taste

If using dried beans, prepare them according to directions so they are ready before you begin.

Chop the garlic, onion, and bell peppers and jalapeno. Saute lightly over medium high heat in 1-2 tsp olive oil.

Once the veggies have sauteed for about 5 minutes, add everything else into the pot (tomatoes, beans, spices, etc.). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or longer as needed.

You can also do this in the slow cooker.  If you do, I would recommend still sauteing the onions and peppers.  But you don't have to, I just like the flavor better.  My whole family LOVED this recipe!  Let me know what you think!

Notice the corn muffins in the background?  Those were yummy too!  There's nothing like a hot corn muffin to go with your chili!

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole With Sweet Potato & Apple

This is another divine dinner from Cuisine At Home.  It's a wonderful, warm, comfort food, full of fall flavor.  It's not your traditional Chicken Pot Pie, I like to think of it as a little more 'grown-up', but my kids really liked it too.

1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets)
3 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cups peeled, diced sweet potato
1 1/2 cups peeled, diced russet potato
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 tbs minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tbs fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste


For the crust, cut pastry sheets into 1 inch wide strips.  On a parchment lined baking sheet, weave strips into a lattice pattern; freeze while preparing filling.  (Roll out one of the sheets of pastry just a little so it is the length of your 9x13 pan)

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray

For the filling, heat 2 1/2 cups broth, sweet and russet potatoes, onion, celery, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high.  cook until vegetables are slightly soft, about 8 minutes.

Whisk together remaining 3/4 cup broth, cream, flour, curry powder, and cinnamon.  Pour mixture into vegetable mixture.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Add chicken, apple, peas, cilantro, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour filling into prepared baking dish.

Bake the crust and casserole separately, yet at the same time, so the pastry is crisp when you lay it on the pie.  In about 25-30 minutes your filling should be bubbling, and your pastry should be golden.  Transfer on top of the casserole.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by, let me know if you try something, and your thoughts.  :-)

Tex-Mex Lasagna

This is my new favorite mexican type casserole.  The whole family loved this!  It's adapted from Cuisine At Home.

14 corn tortillas, cut into thirds
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 can of chopped mild green chili's
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 Tbs minced garlic (about 6-8 cloves)
2 Tbs Olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups black beans (I typically start with dried, then prepare.  If you use canned, rinse and drain)
16 oz shredded cheese.  I used 8 oz triple cheddar and 8 oz mexican blend.  You could use pepper jack if you want it a little more spicy.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray

Arrange tortillas in a single layer on baking sheets.  Bake until slightly crisp, about 15 minutes.

Saute' onion, bell pepper, chilis, corn and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until softened, 3-5 minutes.

Stir flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into vegetable misture, then stir in broth.  Bring to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Line bottom of baking dish with 1/3 of the tortilla strips.  Layer with 1/3 of the black beans, begetable mixture, and cheeses.  Repeat twice, using 1/3 of the ingredients in each layer, ending with cheese.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and melted, 30-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with Avocado Lettuce Salad.  YUM!

You could also substitute chicken for the beans, or just add both.

SRC: Avocado Cup Salad

It's my favorite time of the month again... The Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day!  I just love browsing through my assigned blog each month, I'm always so inspired.  There are so many talented people and amazing recipes to try.  This month I had The Ginger Snap Girl.  I was already in love when I saw the name of the blog, don't you just want to know about her by the name alone?  Besides, I love ginger, and my beloved cat's name is Ginger as well.  Gloria is the Ginger Snap Girl and she and her husband and their 3 cats live in Southern California.  I really enjoyed reading her "About Me" page.  She's a great writer, amazing in the kitchen, and takes some most beautiful pictures.  She notes that in her family it's all about the food and whose bringing what.  That's how I feel about our celebrations and gatherings too, we just might be soul sisters.  :D

Okay, on to the recipe...
I chose Avocado cup salad.

Don't they look amazing?!  Well, Avocado's are one of my favorite things.

Here's what you'll need:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn (I cut mine right off the cob)
1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper, diced
2 roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion finely diced
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon cilantro
1/2 anaheim green chile or jalapeno (if you like spicy), finely diced
2 limes
1 small jicama*, peeled and cut into matchstick size strips (about 2 cups)
2 small to medium sized ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced in half lengthwise
2 green onions, thinly sliced at an angle
Tortilla chips, broken in pieces for garnish

Start by making the corn salsa. Heat a small non stick skillet on medium high heat and add the olive oil  corn, red, yellow or orange pepper, and the chile. (I also added the red onion here since I prefer mine cooked a bit.)  Saute stirring occasionally until the corn, pepper and chile begin to take on roasted appearance, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once mixture is cool, add tomato, 1 teaspoon of cilantro, the roasted corn mixture to a medium bowl and stir together. Squeeze the juice of one lime on the salsa and season with salt and pepper if desired and stir.

Next make the jicama slaw by combining the jicama, juice of one lime and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cilantro in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

Next assemble your ingredients.  You could do individual plates for a main dish, or you could put it together on a serving platter like I did as we had it as a side.  Put the jicama on the bottom, then top with your avocado halves.  Then load them up with your corn salsa.  Finish with a sprinkle of sliced green onion and crushed tortilla chips.  

Enjoy!  

*Jicama was a new ingredient for us.  It's pronounced hik-uh-muh.  I've had it before at a restaurant but I've never bought or prepared it.  I'm always encouraging my kids to try something new, so this was a great opportunity.  I do confess, if you are one of my local friends, I had to go to 3 stores to find it!  But, I'm so glad I persevered.  It just added a nice texture and flavor to the salad.  It's kind of the texture of a crisp apple, but not as sweet as an apple.  

SRC: Cheese Souffles

It's that time again... The Secret Recipe Club reveal!  I just love the secret recipe club.  I'm always inspired by the amazing community that they are.  I've found some fabulous blogs that I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.  Be sure to visit the secret recipe club for lots of fantastic recipe's.  In case you're new here and don't know how it works, I'm assigned a different blog each month to cook/bake and blog about.  Someone else is assigned to my blog, and then all on the same day is the big reveal.

This month I got Cairns Manor.  Jo is the writer of this blog and she is just a joy to read about.  What I see through her blog is a natural gift of nurturing in many ways.  So, it makes perfect sense that she is a nurse.  :-)  I enjoyed looking through her recipes.  The one I chose is a fabulous cheese souffle'.  It reminded me of the souffle's you get at Panera.  I love those so I was thrilled to learn how to make them!

Here's what you need:

2 tsp unsalted butter, softened
8 tsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 1/2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp ground chipotle pepper (I used smoked paprika instead for the chipotle flavor, but no heat)
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 Tbs dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded, about 1/2 cup (I used goat cheese)
2 large egg yolks, beaten
4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare soufflés, coat each of 4 (1-cup) soufflé dishes evenly with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle each soufflé dish with 2 teaspoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, tilting to coat sides and bottom.

Combine flour, chipotle, nutmeg and black pepper in a saucepan. On the stove top over medium heat, gradually add milk and white wine to the flour mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook for 4 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat and add in the salt and Gruyère cheese; stiring until cheese melts. Let stand for 5 minutes then stir in the egg yolks.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form being careful not to overbeat them. Gently stir one quarter of egg whites into yolk mixture then fold in the remaining egg whites. Gently spoon mixture into your prepared dishes. Place dishes on a baking sheet, and place in 400° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 375°. Bake soufflés at 375° for 17 minutes or until puffy and golden. Serve immediately.

Everyone LOVED these!  My ramekins were a bit smaller than 1 cup, so I was able to make 5.  I will definitely be making these again!  I'm looking forward to experimenting with some things to add, like spinach, or sun dried tomatoes, the possibilities are endless!

Thank you Jo for sharing your awesome recipes!  Your blog is great!

Remember to check out Jo's blog:  Cairns Manor

SRC: Cheesy & Gooey Eggplant Bake

It's time for another Secret Recipe Club post!  This month, I was assigned Josie's Kitchen.  What I love about Josie's blog is it's Dominican Republic/Latin influence.  I love trying recipe's that I know are authentic cuisine, not americanized.  :-)  She has lots of great food, but I landed on Cheesy & Gooey Eggplant Bake.  We are big fans of eggplant, but I don't have too many ways I serve it.  So I was excited to find a new recipe. It was really delicious!!  I did make a couple of changes due to what I had on hand and I note those in the ingredient list.
Make sure you stop by her blog and show some love.  Thanks Josie for a fantastic recipe and another way to serve eggplant!  :-)

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
1 garlic clove, crushed and diced
1 medium white onion, diced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1 tbs oregano
1 tsp nutmeg
3 tbs butter, seperated
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese (I also used a hunk of goat cheese)

Preheat the oven to 300.

Peel and cut the eggplant into chunks.  Season with salt and pepper.  Melt 1 tbs of butter and cook the eggplant on medium heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add some water if the eggplant is sticking (I did do this).

Meanwhile, melt another tablespoon of butter and cook the onion until soft and transparent.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Then add the heavy cream and cook uncovered on low heat.

Grease a baking dish with the remaining butter, and add the eggplant.  Add the oregano and the nutmeg to the cream.  (this is where I added some goat cheese as well and let it melt.)

Sprinkle the eggplant with some cheese and then poor the cream over top.  Add more cheese if you like. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Once it's finished baking, let it rest before serving.

I used the left overs over pasta the next day.  2 Great dishes out of 1!!

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Blessings,
Chellie