Potato and Kale Hash with Poached Egg

Ahh, Spring.  The flowers are starting to bloom, the days are getting longer, the produce selection is greener, and the sun splashes through the windows, painting our rooms with vibrant color.  I love this time of year.

And there's more newness to celebrate - see the changes I've made to the blog?  New header, new background, and I have added print functionality!  You are now able to print off your favorite recipes from my blog.  I tried out a new effect on my photos, too - just for fun and because I felt like doing something different.  It won't be permanent.  Slowly but surely I'm making the changes I've been wanting to for soooo long.  Baby steps {literally}.

We're still awaiting the arrival of our little spring surprise.  The countdown is on.....and it won't be long.  I'm still amazed at the transformation my body has made over the past 9 months.  It's just plain cool that it has known what to do - and a little crazy to think that I've grown a human in my stomach.  But it's such a miracle!  I'm anxious to meet this little guy.

In between writing up birth plans, installing car seats, folding onesies, and cleaning and organizing every corner of this house like a mad woman, I've been nourishing this belly with flavors and combinations I never thought I ever would {curry, especially}.  But this recipe I'm sharing today is pretty classic - and easy.  It's another one of those that you can eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  I had a couple large baked potatoes left over from the weekend and decided that I would cube them and fry up with some onion and organic baby kale.  And because that sounded so boring, I poached a couple eggs and topped the whole deal with them.  Perfectly satisfying, perfectly easy.

Here's to all things Spring!  Happy Eating.

Potato and Kale Hash with Poached Egg
Recipe by A Toast to Taste
Photos by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 large par-baked russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups baby kale {regular is fine, too}
4 poached eggs {or fried}
kosher salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper {optional}

In a large pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic, followed by potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until potatoes are crisp and brown.  Add kale, season with salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes. 

Serve in individual bowls, each topped with 1-2 poached eggs.  Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if desired.

Enjoy!

Spring Entertaining: Brunch Recipes and Themes

I hosted a brunch this weekend with a group of my college girlfriends.  We celebrated a recent marriage and an upcoming baby.  The theme:  French Garden, complete with vintage accessories, decorative hens and birds, sunflowers, freesia, and the ubiquitous bird cage.  I love to entertain - and also know that many people don't share those same sentiments about it.....but what they don't know is that it doesn't have to be overwhelming and expensive.  It's all in the preparation and planning.  The more you do ahead of time, the easier it is for you to be an involved host. 

On the Menu:
Prosecco Mimosas with Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Mini Herbed Frittatas (recipe below)
Maple Roasted Bacon
Ricotta, Cinnamon, and Honey Casserole
Mixed Greens Salad with Grapes, Candied Pecans, and Goat Cheese (recipe below)
Huge fruit platter 
Lemon Cake with Powdered Sugar Glaze and Mixed Berry Sauce (recipe to come)




Mixed Greens with Red Grapes, Candied Pecans, and Goat Cheese

Mini Herbed Frittatas

Freesia

What a fun afternoon!  Good food, good conversation, good company.  It's amazing how we've changed over the years....convos now revolve around kids and the things our mothers never told us.  We talk about house projects, the days of past that we used to sleep in AND take a nap all in the same day, those fun nights we spent on Santorini - oh how we miss them so, and our trials and tribulations of dealing with our newly inherited families (aka the in-laws) that we love.  We cherish these times together - after all, they happen far too infrequently.  And isn't this why we entertain anyways?  To bring our nearest and dearest together and create memories?  I think so.

On to the recipes.  These are simple dishes that can serve double duty as brunch items or just plain 'ol breakfast on Saturday morning.  They are full of flavor and take very little time to prep. 

Happy Brunching!

Mini Herbed Frittatas
Recipe by A Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:
10 large eggs
3/4 cup milk (I used skim, whole is best)
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
3 Tbsp finely grated parmessan
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, herbs, parmessan, salt and pepper together until well combined.  Fill prepared muffin cups with egg mixture almost to the top.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until center is set and tops are lightly golden.  Using a fork, loosen the frittatas from the cups and place on serving platter.  Serve and enjoy!

Mixed Greens with Red Grapes, Candied Pecans, and Goat Cheese
Original Recipe from Bitchincamero
Adapted by A Toast to Taste

For the Pecans
8 oz pecan halves
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the Salad
4 large handfuls mixed greens
15 red grapes, sliced in half
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

For the Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place pecans on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with sugar, honey, and cinnamon.  Mix together using a spoon and make sure everything is well coated.  Roast for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.

While pecans are roasting, prep other salad ingredients and make vinegarette by whisking all ingredients together until emulsified.

Dress greens and top with grapes, pecans, goat cheese.

Enjoy!

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!

Saturday Eggs

Saturday is egg day in our home. Fried, scrambled, sunnyside up, you name it, we've made it. In fact, I could probably count on one hand the number of Saturdays we haven't had eggs for breakfast. They're a bfd here.

My husband loves his eggs scrambled with everything but the kitchen sink in them. I usually end up putting whatever I've got leftover in the fridge - this week it was onion, tomato, spinach, chives, sriracha sauce, and goat cheese. I'm a fried egg kind of gal, but this scrambled concoction looked delicious. I was tempted. But, Saturday wouldn't be the same without my two eggs, brown around the edges and flavored with a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. I don't do well when it comes to change with my eggs....



I'm seriously considering adding the egg share to our CSA this spring. Eggs from the store are great and all, but I'd rather know where mine are coming from. After all, we eat enough of them that it's something we should be concerned about. What could possibly be better than eggs straight from the farm? Not only that but there's something incredibly nostalgic about cracking open an egg into a hot skillet on a weekend morning. The sounds, the smells, the flavors.

Whaddya say you add a little egg to your life?!

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Goat Cheese
Recipe by A Toast to Taste
Photos by a Toast to Taste

Ingredients Needed:
1 Tbsp butter
3 large eggs
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup tomato, diced
handful of raw spinach
2-3 squirts of sriracha sauce
1 Tbsp chive
goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Crack eggs into a small mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, tomato, and spinach. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until spinach has started to wilt down. Add eggs. Season with a couple squirts of sriracha sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes or until the edges start to form. Stir and let cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occassionally, until the eggs are fully cooked. Remove from heat, spoon eggs onto serving dish and top with goat cheese and chives.

Let's make a toast to the incredible, edible egg!