Muffin Tin Croque Madame

108 degrees! Ugh! I dunno about you all but I was sweating like a pig all weekend. We had a Catholic school graduation to attend Friday night and it was balls hot in the church. They said the AC was on, but I have my doubts. On the bright side, maybe I sweated off a pound or two. Saturday night, I ended up at the Endurocross racing at The Sleeptrain Arena (is that what the name is this week?) with Mr.S. and the kidlets. I know, I know...you all can't picture me at an event like this but I ended up having a good time. Endurocross is a super fast, intense, high endurance sport. It's similar to motocross racing but instead of just speeding around, they race over large rocks, logs, tires and even through a water pit. I especially liked watching Wally Palmer race (unfortunately, he didn't win).

Sunday cooled down considerably, thank god! Mr. S. took me to Green Acres Nursery to buy some veggie plants for the raised garden bed he made for me. How awesome is he? What was really impressive was that he made the whole thing from scratch. I absolutely love it. We planted peppers, cherry tomatoes, Japanese eggplant, cucumbers, basil and squash. Kidlet #1 wanted a watermelon plant so we planted that too. Now if they'd just grow overnight, I'd be a happy camper. (I'm soooo impatient!) Grow! Grow! Grow!

Lately I've been watching Rachel Khoo's show, "Little Paris Kitchen" online. I had checked out her new cookbook from the library recently and found that I liked the simplicity of her French recipes and how she gives each one a neat twist. (Plus she's a hapa like me and cooks in a teeny-tiny kitchen, gotta love that!) This morning I made one of her recipes for breakfast for Mr.S. and the kidlets, the Muffin Tin Croque Madame. The snack-sized savory treat got an enthusiastic thumbs up all around from my favorite little taste testers. I made some small modifications to the recipe to suit my taste but followed the recipe as is for the most part. You can see the original recipe here:  Croque Madame Muffins. By the way, the leftover Mornay sauce is absolutely delicious on a side of grits or as a dipping sauce for biscuits.

"Muffin Tin" Croque Madame

Ingredients

For the Mornay (cheese) sauce:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp milk, lukewarm (whole or 2%. Skip using nonfat, soy, almond, etc. for this recipe)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 3 tbps grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

• 6 large slices of bread, no crusts (I used sliced wheat bread, but you can use whatever suits your fancy)
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 1/2 oz ham, cut into cubes or thin strips or 3-4 strips of bacon chopped into small pieces
• 6 small eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add your flour, and beat together until smooth.

3. Gradually add your milk, whisking the entire time. Add your Dijon mustard and nutmeg. Let it all simmer together for about 10 minutes. Give it a whisk every few minutes so it doesn't burn.

4. Add about 90% of your Gruyere and all of your Parmesan. Continue whisking the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Remove the crust from the bread slices and flatten each slice. You can brush both sides of the bread with melted butter, but I found just doing one side was fine.

6. Spray your 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Press each slice of bread in the muffin hole. You can used the bottom of a drinking glass but I found it just as easy to smoosh it down with my fingers.

9. Place a few pieces of ham or bacon in the bread "cup". Followed by one egg on top (you may have to pour out a little of the egg white before adding the egg, so that it fits). Top with 2 tablespoons of the Mornay sauce. Sprinkle with your leftover Gruyère. Season with some black pepper, if you wish.

10. Place the muffin tin in the oven. And cook for 20 minutes (a few minutes less, if you like your eggs on the runnier side).

11. Remove tin from oven. Use a fork or knife to pop the croque madame out. Serve while hot.

Artichoke & Goat Cheese Tart with Parmesan-Polenta Crust

I've been dying to make this recipe ever since I read about it in Maria Speck's book, "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals." Her book had some fantastic gluten-free recipes and has a way of making you want to incorporate grains more in your life without any heavy-duty food preaching. The tart sounded wonderful and I'm a huge fan of savory tarts, especially ones that use goat cheese. Did you know that fresh goat cheese has a third of the fat and calories of cream cheese made from cow's milk? It also has half the cholesterol and twice the protein. Plus for those of us who are lactarded, goat cheese is much easier to digest...not to mention, that it tastes delicious.

I pretty much followed Maria Speck's recipe as written but I did opt to throw in some shallots and garlic. (Is there anything I won't throw garlic into?) I also was out of Greek yogurt so I used organic, plain, lowfat yogurt in it's place...it worked fine. I thought the tart came out great, but next time I might go slightly lighter on the rosemary (but that's just my personal preference). If you're looking for something a bit different from your average quiche or frittata to take to a brunch, this would be a good choice.  This recipe would also work well with asparagus.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Tart with Parmesan-Polenta Crust
(slightly adapted, from Maria Speck's book, "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals")

Crust:
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups polenta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the broth and water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the salt. Slowly add the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly, and continue whisking for 30 seconds. Decrease the heat to low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every few minutes to keep the polenta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Stir in the cheese, egg and pepper.

2. Grease a 10-inch tart pan or cake pan with olive oil. Have a glass of cold water ready. Spoon the polenta into the pan and press it out, pushing it up the sides. Dip a wooden spoon or your hands in the cold water to help the polenta along. Set aside for 15 minutes and then form an even rim about 3/4 of an inch thick with moist fingers, pressing firmly. Don't worry if the crust looks rustic.

3. Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.

Artichoke filling:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or organic, plain, lowfat yogurt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2-3 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 cloves, garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces artichoke hearts, canned or frozen
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté the shallots and garlic in a small pan.

2. Whisk the yogurt, eggs, scallions, parsley, rosemary, shallots, garlic salt and pepper together until well-combined. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters and distribute them evenly over the polenta crust. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the artichokes and pour the yogurt filling evenly over the artichokes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake the tart until the top turns golden brown and the filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, though 40 is better. The tart can be prepared up to one day ahead.

The Buena Vista Cafe

2765 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. (415) 474-5044
http://www.thebuenavista.com

It's said that you can't go home again, but I call BS. This past weekend during our escape to San Francisco, Mr.S. took me to one of his childhood haunts- the historic Buena Vista Cafe near the Fisherman's Wharf. Had we planned a little more carefully, we probably could have hopped on a cable car right outside of our hotel and rode it straight to the porch of the cafe. Instead we drove over there and luckily parking didn't turn out to be an issue. We got there minutes before it opened and as we stood outside in line, we inhaled the crisp bay air and Mr.S. excitedly told me how he and his family would always stop by the Buena Vista when he was a child. At 9am promptly, a matronly waitress unlocked the doors and the masses moved in, tables become occupied in a flash and seats at the well worn wooden counter quickly filled. Somehow we were one of the lucky ones who were able to slide into a table next to the window. Those who were unable to find a table stood in the walkway and any open nook or cranny available anxiously looking for a seat to open. Everyone's elbow to elbow, that's how it rolls at the Buena Vista...a bit like musical chairs.

Now if you haven't heard, the Buena Vista is supposedly the birthplace of the Irish Coffee in America. The Buena Vista has been using the same tried and true recipe since 1952, can you believe it?!  Every table around us seemed to be sporting a goblet of the hot, frothy liquid. (I bet they go through TONS of Irish Whiskey!) For breakfast, we both went a bit traditional. Mr.S. ordered a plate of corn beef hash (he loooves hash) and I went with some eggs, sausage and toast. Both orders were tasty- nothing fancy. Service was a bit slow but it was a full house. As soon as we paid our tab and stood to leave, hungry patrons quickly swooped into our still warm seats.

The food at the Buena Vista is solid, the atmosphere is fun and nostalgia is abound in the small restaurant. Regulars and visitors equally were lining up to come in and smiles were plentiful. While I was digging into my breakfast , I looked up and I swear I could picture a school-aged Mr.S. bellying up to the counter and demanding a plate of hash. That made ME smile. So even if the joint is a wee bit touristy, I'm glad we stopped by.

Egg-cellent Strata

Most mornings I like to start off my day with just a cup (or two) of black coffee. Sometimes on the rare weekend I'll make an exception and eat in the a.m., if Mr. S. cooks his wonderful omelets, pancakes or a plate of crispy bacon. I love breakfast, truly I do...I'm just not an early morning eater. There's something about ingesting food at 8, 9 or 10 am that just makes me feel a bit queasy and off kilter for hours afterwards. So to compensate, I usually end up making my favorite breakfast dishes for lunch or sometimes even dinner. I love that most breakfast recipes are versatile and you can pretty much use whatever's lurking in the corners of your fridge or vegetable bin. Last night's leftover sausage? Throw it in there! Sunday night, you had extra cheese after making some enchiladas? Throw that cheese in there! Garden overgrown with tomatoes and zucchini? Chop 'em up and throw them in there! I'm sure you get my point. Great breakfasts can be created from eggs and whatever scrappings you have lying about. Omelets are probably the simplest of the breakfast dishes to make, but you can always step it up with a frittata or a strata. Never heard of a strata? It's like a frittata but it has bread mixed in. I usually gravitate toward making this dish when I have some leftover rustic french bread that's gone a bit stale. I've listed below what I put into my most recent strata but just use that as a loose guide, there are endless variations. When making your own strata, customize it with whatever meats, veggies or cheese YOU like or have in your fridge. You really can't go wrong as long as you remember the eggs, bread and milk.

Strata

Ingredients

4 eggs
3/4 cup milk (I usually use soymilk)
1 1/2 cups (day old) cubed, rustic french bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup spinach leaves
2 slices prosciutto, torn into small pieces
6 grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup cheddar, grated or shredded
1/4 cup mozzarella, grated or shredded
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper


Instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

- In a pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat until it shimmers. Then add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add in the spinach leaves, prosciutto pieces, tomato halves and onion. Continue to cook until spinach wilts and tomatoes slightly soften. Remove from heat and set aside.

- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

- Place two oven-safe ramekins on a baking sheet. Place the bread cubes inside the ramekins. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Add in the sauteed vegetables, prosciutto and a tablespoon of goat cheese to each. Sprinkle the tops with the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

- Place the baking sheet with the filled ramekins into the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

- Eat while still warm.

Savory Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Cottage Cheese Muffins

It's been a hectic week, I've been staying the last few nights at Mr.S.'s so I was looking forward to a nice, quiet night in at my cottage. I decided to stream a movie tonight (Romantics Anonymous, a cute French flick- perfect for Valentine's week) and bake a batch of these savory sun-dried tomato and basil cottage cheese muffins. These muffins are vegetarian and use cottage cheese and ground almonds as their base (yummy!). As they cooked they filled the cottage with such delicious aromas that when my neighbor stopped by to deliver some mail that was mistakenly put in her mailbox, she just had to ask what was baking. Her eyes lit up like a Lite-Brite when I offered to send her home with a few fresh out of the oven. ;)  I'll definitely have to make these again (they'd be perfect for a brunch) only next time I'll have to remember to use silicone non-stick baking cups...the muffins were a bit difficult to get out of the paper cups- but delicious nontheless!

Savory Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Cottage Cheese Muffins (adapted from Vegetarian Supercook by Rose Elliot)

Ingredients

1 cup plain cottage cheese

3/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup AP flour (soy flour or white whole wheat flour can be substituted)

1 cup almonds, very finely ground (flour-like consistency)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), finely chopped

1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

1/4 cup water

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt


Instructions

-Preheat oven to 400F degrees. *Line a muffin pan with silcone non-stick baking cups.

-Put the cottage cheese into a bowl with all but 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, water, and eggs, and season with salt, then mix all together.

-Spoon the mixture into the muffing cups 3/4 full, scatter with the remaining Parmesan, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until set, risen, and golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tiny Dogs & Mini Frittatas

So last Thursday night, I was invited to a tiny dog party. Yes, you heard me right...a tiny dog party and once you quit laughing I'm sure you'll be jealous because the guest of honor was absolutely adorable. Here's a picture of Lily (formerly known as Franny).

(photo courtesy of C. Schmiedt)

Cute, huh? I told you so. Lily here, used to be a foster puppy about two years ago. When my friend C. took her in she was pretty pathetic looking. She suffered from mange, had an odd odor and didn't do much beside heave the occasional sigh. Despite this, C. took her into her home and gave her lots of love. Lily thrived under C.'s care. Since then, she's been adopted to a loving home. So when Lily's owner asked C. if she'd like to dogsit while she was gone, C. asked if we'd all like to come by for a "tiny dog party" and see how great Lily was doing (and no, there were no party hats!). So if you're thinking of adopting a pet this holiday season, please think about adopting from a shelter or rescue. Pets like Lily need a home to flourish in...look how your love and attention can totally turn their world around.

Note: Through December 30th, the Sacramento SPCA, City of Sacramento Animal Care Services, Sacramento County Animal Care & Regulation, and Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary will be working together on a special pet adoption program called, "Home For The Holidays," where adoption fees for all animals will be reduced by 75%.

Sooooo....after we all got to see Lily, the human people needed to eat, drink and talk (of course!). Some of us brought wine, some brought beer, our hostess made some tasty treats including some fancy homemade cheese (which was delish). I was in a hurry that day so I made some mini frittatas; after all, who doesn't like miniature breakfast food as an appetizer? No one, I know....

Mini Frittatas
Makes 12

Ingredients

8 large eggs

2.5 cups chopped veggies and/or meat of your choice (I like to use leeks, sun-dried tomatoes & ham)

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper, to taste


Instructions

- Spray a non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray.

- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

- Fill about 1/3 of each cup with your veggie/meat mix.

- Place about 1.5-2 tablespoons of cheese in each cup.

- In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

- Divide the eggs amongst the 12 cups evenly.

- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the frittatas puff up and turn golden. Serve warm.

- Can be served with a side of guacamole, salsa or sriracha for added flavor.

Sunday Brunches at Selland's Cafe

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." ~John Gunther

5340 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95819. (916) 736-3333. http://www.sellands.com
Brunches- Sundays only

Knowing that I love to dine out and do it often, I'm frequently asked the question of, "Do you know of any good brunch places in Sacramento?" and for a long time I dreaded that question because quite frankly--there weren't. But lately, there's been some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes around here. This Sunday after making our W Street farmers' market haul, my friend LB and I decided to check out the Sunday brunch being held at Selland's Market. Now I've been to Selland's Market numerous times at lunchtime and am a big fan of their warm meatloaf sandwich and friendly service but I had never been to their Sunday brunch. First of all I liked that their brunch hours ran late giving late risers (or people who liked to hit the farmers' market) time to toddle in there at a leisurely pace but more important was that the food was REALLY GOOD. This wasn't just your Grandma Edna's flapjacks and a side of overcooked bacon, there were fresh quiches, eggs benedict, casseroles and all kinds of fancy breakfast pizzas to choose from. In addition, they were rockin' some yummy looking mimosas and bloody marys. I decided to go with the crab cakes benedict which came with fried potatoes. I also ordered a side of brussels sprouts with bacon...I couldn't pass them up, I'm pretty much a whore when it comes to brussels sprouts. There's not one bit of advice I could offer Selland's in regards to this dish, except maybe to offer home delivery. The crab cakes were cooked perfectly and not overly fishy tasting. I loved the toasted levain that became the perfect softness as it soaked up the hollandaise...and the hollandaise had a hint of lemon zest flavor that really set it off. My friend also gave me a bit of her prosciutto breakfast casserole...delish!  Nice and airy...I might have to get that next time.  She did comment that the bloody mary could have used a tad more vodka...it was on the weak side. (I didn't taste it as I abhor tomato juice, but as a bartender she knows her mixology.) Anyhow, in additional to the extensive brunch menu they offer, Selland's also runs a $20 Brunch for 2 Special that changes weekly. The day we were there it was 2 plates of Huevos Rancheros paired with 2 Bloody Marys. (You can check their Facebook page if you want to see what it is before popping in, they're usually pretty good about posting their specials.) So, if you're looking for a good brunch spot skip the stuffy buffet lines and give Selland's a whirl, I think you'll find it worth leaving your warm toasty bed to brave the cold for.

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Frittata

Oh readers, I wish I could say I lived the glamorous life and every night was full of parties and chef's tasting menus; but in actuality there's often nights where I'm hot, tired and just want to wear my fat pants and veg out in front of some mindless TV with the AC blasting. Last night was one of those nights. Mr. S. and I had plans to hang out but nothing in particular scheduled; so we decided to stay in, throw a meal together and catch up on some True Blood. He had a few episodes from last season to watch before tuning into this season's opening episode. Usually we'd order some thai or sushi takeout on nights like these but I really needed to clean out my fridge so I offered to cook. I had all kinds of odds and ends (leftover from other recipes) accumulating in my icebox so I decided to throw together a frittata. If you've never made a frittata before you'll be amazed at how easy it is. I listed what I used in my frittata last night but frankly you can throw in whatever meat, herbs, vegetables and cheeses you have laying around in your fridge. There's no right or wrong ingredient list. Although I have to say, last night's frittata was one one damn fine frittata.

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Frittata

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

1.5 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup maitake mushrooms, chopped

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

3/4 cup leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 T fresh dill, chopped

1.5 T fresh lemon basil, chopped

1.5 T fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1 handful cheddar, grated, for garnish

2 T feta, crumbled, for garnish

1-2 T olive oil


Instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

- In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and saute each of your ingredients (except the cheeses).

- In a bowl, beat your eggs until smooth. Add crumbled. goat cheese. Then add sauteed ingredients. Mix well.

- Pour your egg mixture into your cast iron skillet.

- Place in oven, cook for 15-25 minutes. Frittata will be done when eggs appear set and golden.

* A few minutes before the frittata has completed cooking, sprinkle the cheddar and feta cheeses along the top and then pop it back in the oven.

There you go-easy, nutritious and gets all that crap hiding in the nether regions of your fridge cleared out. Tasty and economical, gotta love that! :)

Café Lumiere

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." ~ John Gunther

5701 Broadway, Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95820. (916) 456-2679.

Warm, flaky and with a buttery outer layer that just melts in your mouth? Sounds good, right? Well, you if love a well-made croissant as much as I do, I suggest that you mosey yourself down to the family-owned Café Lumiere. Just down the street from the DMV and DOJ in an inconspicuous but well-kept strip mall you'll be able to satiate that croissant jones.

Café Lumiere, owned by Geoffrey Matsuyama and Peter Kuo, opened up quietly in Tahoe Park just over a year ago but has steadily gained popularity with the local neighborhood residents and area workers. The cafe's design is simple and the service friendly. I found the mango and banana colored walls to be warm and welcoming and enjoyed reading past-issues of Dwell and Atomic Ranch while waiting for my order.

The breakfasts at Café Lumiere are what draws the crowds. I decided to pop in last week and try one of their much-talked about breakfast sandwiches. I love that they aim to please the customer and allow you to choose your bread, meat, cheese and how you want your eggs cooked. I went with some sliced ham, scrambled eggs and provolone cheese served on one of their handmade croissants. It was served open faced, freshly made and was quite delicious. Simple but perfectly-executed.

Café Lumiere also does lunch (a juicy Angus burger, fresh salads and sandwiches) and offers various tasty pastries (I was drooling while checking out their display case). My only disappointment with the joint is that they serve Java City coffee (ugh!), which I'm not a fan of. I'd love to see them carry one of the other local roasters like Temple, Old Soul or perhaps Chocolate Fish. With a good cup of joe, I'd definitely be there more often. By the way, I know everyone's pinching pennies these days because of the economy but Café Lumiere's prices are reasonable, they do take plastic and even better-- they offer a 10% discount to state, federal and UCD employees.