Spring Asparagus with Poached Egg

Asparagus. Growing up (read ages 5-18) I really didn't appreciate it all that much. It was often the vegetable of choice on our dinner table growing up. I choked it down, knowing there was no way I'd be leaving the  table if it wasn't gone from my plate.

Fast forward 10 years and asparagus is now one of my absolute favorites. Pair it with egg and my knees get weak just thinking about it. Heaven.

I was on my own for dinner last night and wanted something healthy but quick. I sauteed up a bunch of asparagus in some olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, poached a couple eggs, and savored each little bite I took.

Now, poaching eggs. It's not hard. It seems incredibly intimidating, but it's actually very simple. Follow my instructions below and you shouldn't have any issues.

Another perfect dish suited for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And you can add more vegetables for variety - tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, whatever you have on hand. Add some shaved parmessan or truffle oil. The options are endless. I love meals like this.

Here's to asparagus!

Spring Asparagus with Poached Egg
Recipe by A Toast to Taste
Photos by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus
salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs
splash of vinegar
paper towel

Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water. Heat over medium low heat. Add a splash of vinegar - this helps the egg stay together once it hits the water. Heat until just very hot. You do NOT want the water to boil. Crack egg into small bowl. With a spoon or spatula, make a whirpool in the water. Slide egg into spinning water. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, making sure the water does not boil. The egg may stick to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process. You may gently slide your spatula underneath the egg to free it. Remove egg from water with slotted spoon and let drain on paper towel.

In a medium skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, tossing occassionally. Remove from heat, arrange on serving plate, top with egg, and enjoy!

Caramelized Shallot, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Frittata

I barely cooked all weekend. We had plans both Friday and Saturday evening for dinner, and Sundays are traditionally spent with our families (in which our mothers cook dinner for us). That left breakfast and lunch both days, so yesterday I decided to clean out the fridge. I found shallots, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and goat cheese. All perfect for a baked frittata!

Frittatas really couldn't be easier to make. Not only that but they are perfect for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's a swift way to get rid of those last ingredients you've got hanging around before you hit the grocery store again.

We gobbled this one up! I caramelized the shallots in a little oil and butter, added the eggs, and topped with sliced avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and crumbled goat cheese. Baked in the oven for 12 minutes and voila! Such a nice start to our Sunday.

Caramelized Shallot, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Frittata
Recipe by A Toast to Taste
Photos by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 small shallots, sliced into very thin rings
2 Tbsp thinly sliced jalapeno (remove the seeds if you don't prefer heat)
1/2 avocado, core and skin removed, thinly sliced
cilantro, chopped
1 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

7 eggs
2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Crack eggs into medium size bowl, add milk. Whisk together until well combined. Set aside.

In a cast iron pan, or oven safe skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallots and stir to coat with the oil-butter mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure they don't burn. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper. Top with jalapeno, avocado, cilantro, and goat cheese. Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the sides are browned and starting to pull away from pan. Handle will be hot, make sure to use oven mitt!

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

Spring is upon us, and I'm starting to see signs of life in the marsh behind our house. Deer prance through daily, multiple times some days, stopping casually in their tracks to poke their noses through the reeds in search of food. The ducks and geese are back. They use the tip of our roof as their landing point. At times, it sounds like a war zone up there.

The birds are chirping in the morning, and our birdfeeder has been one busy restaurant lately. I love spring. And so does this one:

Nature is her TV. She sits in her "spot" all day, intently gazing out to make sure all her friends in the marsh are alive and well, doing their thing. She'll even sneak in a nap here and there.

Minnesota hasn't decided if it's spring yet. We're supposed to get more snow tomorrow. And we haven't seen temps above 30 in a week. Argh. I choose not to pay attention. It's spring, darn it! And that means it's time to start cooking like it's spring.

This lasagna is a take on the original, but it's a "white" version. Like last night's dish, the ingredients and sauces are a little lighter than the traditional. It's the perfect way to start spring. Not only that, but lasagna is my husband's absolute favorite food.

Our cast of characters here are spinach, marinated artichokes, onions, bechamel sauce, and mozzarella. Tasty, tasty. And such a nice change from the traditional (which I do love, by the way).

I split this recipe into four parts. Don't be afraid by that - it's just easier to execute and plan this way.

This was so enjoyable! Bring on the spring!

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna
Recipe by A Toast to Taste
Photos by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:

For the Bechamel
3 cups milk (I used skim)
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt to taste

For the Spinach Artichoke Mix
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
12 oz marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 lb raw spinach (I always use organic)
2 cloved garlic, finely chopped

12 lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

First, make the bechamel. In a small sauce pan, heat milk over medium heat just until steam rises. Do not boil. Remove from heat. While warming the milk, melt the butter in a separate sauce pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly, pour in the milk, whisking constantly until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Second, cook the noodles according to directions on box. Set aside.

Third, make spinach mixture. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and artichokes. Cook about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add in spinach. Cook until wilted. Remove from heat.

Fourth, assemble the dish. Start by spreading about 1/4 cup of the bechamel on the bottom of the pan. Cover with lasagna noodles, followed by the spinach mixture, then the bechamel, then the mozzarella. Repeat two more times. Cover dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Chicken & Green Chile Enchiladas

Holy Buckets. These pretty little enchiladas you're lookin' at above are out of this world amazing. So amazing that I could have probably eaten that whole pan.

I've never made a white enchilada before. I usually make the traditional kind with the red sauce. And those are great. But who knew its cousin was so smashingly delicious? Light and flavorful. Best of all - they are simple, simple, simple.

I can't write enough greatness about these so I'm going to get right to the recipe.

You must go make them as soon as humanly possible.

Chicken & Green Chile Enchiladas
Original Recipe from Allrecipes.com
Adapted by A Toast to Taste
Photos by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:
8 whole grain flour tortillas (regular is fine, too)
3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded
2 cups monterey jack cheese
1 Tbsp garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1.5 cups chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
8 oz diced green chiles
chopped cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

To a large bowl add shredded chicken, 1 cup monterey jack cheese, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the mixture among the tortillas. Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together just until it starts to boil. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a whisk until thickened. Mix in the sour cream and chiles and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and pour over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with cilantro.

Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Taxes done. Check.
New car for my husband. Check.
House cleaned. Check.
Fabulous dinner to enjoy on a beautiful evening. Check.

Productive, eh? Ya, it feels so good. We haven't had a weekend like this in awhile. Every weekend lately has been packed with activities, leaving little time for house projects, sleep, and sanity.

We broke out the grill last weekend, remember? Well, we're back at it again, despite the chilly temps :( A few years ago I discovered flank steak and fell in love. This steak is typically full of tough connective tissue, so it's best to marinate it for a few hours before cooking. I usually use a combination of red wine, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and dijon mustard. Top it with a tangy chimichurri and it's pure heaven.

Flank steak is a lovely alternative to the real deal steak. It's simple and much more affordable. Plus, the leftovers are perfect for steak tacos or added to salads. Nothing beats that!

Get grilling!

Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Recipe by A Toast to Taste
Photos by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:

For the Marinade
1 1.5-2 lb flank steak
1 cup red wine (I used a dry Sonoma Zinfandel)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper to taste

For the Chimichurri
3 cloves garlic
1 handful flat leaf parsley (about 1 cup)
1 handful cilantro (about 1 cup)
couple shakes of crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together red wine, soy sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour into gallon size plastic bag. Add flank steak and refrigerate for 4-6 hours, turning every hour to ensure flavor soaks entire steak.

To a food processor add garlic, parsley, cilantro, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Remove the cover and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Replace cover. With processor on, slowly pour in olive oil until mixture is well combined. Set aside.

Heat grill to medium hot. Cook flank steak 7 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and place on platter. Cover with tinfoil and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into thin slices. Top with chimichurri and serve.

Summer Preview: Fried Chicken

Now, before you all go and get real excited, I have to preface this post. I'm not usually a fried chicken fan - you can imagine why, I won't bore you with the details. But, something must have gotten into me the past few weeks because I have been craving the stuff like crazy. Maybe it's because I want summer so badly I can't take it anymore, or maybe my arteries are in need of some grease. I don't know. I contemplated for weeks. Should I make it? Should I not?

Well, I did it. I put my thoughts aside and went for it. My husband was even a little concerned - he said, "Let me get this right, you're going to fry the chicken??" Yes, honey, fry. We don't eat many fried things around here so I could tell he got slightly excited.



This was such a treat! I ran across this recipe on Big2Beautiful's blog. The seasoning was perfect - packed with flavor. And surprisingly, this was pretty easy, almost too easy. There's something so nastily satisfying about biting into a hot crispy piece of chicken fresh from the vat. Seriously. Now, I do have to admit that I ended up removing some of the skin from the breasts and thighs. I know that's what makes fried chicken, but it had to be done. We ate this with some lemon parmessan broccoli and brown rice. Don't laugh - I had to make up for all that breading and oil.

Take a mental trip to summer - fry up some chicken today!

Happy Eating!

Here is the recipe.