Benedict Inspired Eggs

I love making brunch for my roommates, and since I had half a wheel of brie sitting around waiting to be used, I thought I'd do my own spin on eggs benedict. I found that the creaminess of the brie made hollandaise sauce unnecessary.

Benedict Inspired Eggs

4 slices bacon
4 eggs
4 slices brie cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 whole wheat English muffins
2 ounces fresh spinach
1 roma tomato, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon as desired (I did mine in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes- prevents snipers from snacking away all the bacon!) Bring a medium sized saucepan filled with 3 inches water to a boil and sprinkle in some salt. Poach eggs, about 3 minutes, and delicately remove with a slotted spoon. Layer on top of a lightly toasted English muffin half, then place a slice of brie on top. Add bacon, spinach and tomato, then season with salt and pepper. I served this with a side of rosemary roasted potatoes.

Fresh Fig and Brie Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I made my trip to the farmer's market this weekend in search of fresh figs, and I was not disappointed. I love fresh figs, but somehow had never cooked with them myself. These plump delights were the perfect inspiration and appear twice in this meal.

Fresh Fig and Brie Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

12 figs
2 cups red wine
1/4 cup fig jam
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 ounces brie cheese (1/2 of a small wheel of brie)
2 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste

Place about 12 figs in a medium sized bowl and cover with red wine. Marinade about one hour. Half figs lengthwise and set aside,. Use marinade and stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/4 cup fig jam and microwave for 30 seconds.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice about 4 ounces of brie cheese into strips. Butterfly pork and place brie and fig slices down the length. Next tie pork together with kitchen twine to secure and place in a greased baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon marinade over the pork. Cook about one hour, until the pork measures 150 degrees with a meat thermometer. Let cool 5 minutes then slice and serve.

Fig and Caramelized Onion Salad

1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
4 ounces fresh spinach
5 figs, halved and marinaded in red wine
Red wine fig marinade (reserved from pork tenderloin recipe above)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Toss onion in sugar, and then cook in 1 tablespoon oil, about 6 minutes. Add to a medium bowl with spinach and fig halves. Then toss in 1/4 cup marinade and remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Brie Cheese Chicken

I rarely take the time to bake chicken breasts and often either sauting or grilling them. I had a wheel of brie cheese on hand, however, and thought it woudl be lovely to stuff chicken breasts with brie and bake it, what a subtle, yet creamy flavor! I also used some of the great produce that I got for free from Whole Foods outside of the Hill Country Food & Wine festival last weekend which I was so excited about.

Brie Cheese Chicken

4 chicken breasts, sliced horizontally almost all the way through
1 wheel of brie cheese, cut into slices
1/2 cup fig jam
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread a couple tablespoons of fig jam on the brie slices and then place in the slits in the chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish and cook, uncovered about 50 minutes to an hour. Enjoy!

Parmesan and Basil Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds potatoes (I used a combination of peeled russets and red potatoes with skins on)
1/3 cup milk, warmed
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice potatoes and place in salted boiling water, cooking until tender (about 20 minutes depending on size of the slices); drain. Place potatoes back in warm pot and smash, then add milk and butter and stir. Add in cheese, basil and salt and pepper and combine.

I served this with a side salad of fresh romaine lettuce, sliced carrots (also from whole foods!), crumbled bacon from that morning's breakfast and a light caesar dressing.

The purple potatoes I got from Whole Foods were fun to play with, so we experimented making purple potato chips by just frying them in oil and seasoning with sea salt. So fun!

Italian Dinner Party

I know lots of people like to save big meals and dinner parties for special occasions, but I'll find any excuse to cook for friends. Last night was the new episode of Project Runway, so I had to invite the girls over to enjoy a hearty Italian meal while we bashed the designers, and so they could see my new house!

Since we wouldn't be eating dinner until somewhat late, I decided to prepare my go-to appetizer, Baguettes with fig jam and brie cheese. This is inspired by my favorite panini at Whole Foods which features fig jam, brie cheese, turkey deli meat and a spring mix. My appetizer is so easy to prepare- just cut the bread, slather on about a tablespoon of fig jam, and then add a slice of brie cheese. Toast in the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and serve hot!

The main course, Herbed Chicken Parmesan, comes from the Cooking Light Italian cookbook, which I tried once this spring and absolutely loved. The two different cheeses add dimension, and I love the idea of adding balsalmic vinegar to pasta sauce to jass it up. I also sauteed 4 or 5 garlic cloves to add to the sauce.


Ingredients

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (I used Central Market brand Basil and herb)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
*Note, I doubled this recipe as I was serving 8 people, not 4

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

I know it's cliche, but I served this with a big pot of spaghetti with plenty of the extra balsalmic pasta sauce to go around. To add some greenery, I created a fun new Italian salad to go with it:


Balsalmic Italian Salad
8 oz. romaine lettuce
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into disks on the diagonal
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup grapes, cut in half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, zested then juiced
3 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine in a large bowl and toss to combine dressing. Note that the amount of vinegar and olive oil can vary depending on your tastes. I love using the citrus to brighten the flavors and add some zest!










The final product, served of course with champagne in honor of Project Runway. What a great first dinner party!

What's your go-to appetizer for simple, but impressive, entertainment?