Kale Strata

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch kale, large stems removed
• 2 1/2 cups day-old bread, crust intact, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated gouda cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease or line an 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Rinse kale and add to a pot over medium heat with 1/4 cup of water. Cover, and cook until kale is tender but can still hold its shape, about 6 minutes. Drain the excess water from the greens and transfer to a cutting board. Coarsely chop, add to a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, mustard, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Whisk in the milk and eggs.
4. Place the bread in the prepared baking dish and top with the braised kale and cheese. Give the mixture a gentle toss and make sure bread pieces are level in the dish. Pour in the egg mixture over the bread. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes until the egg is set in the middle and top pieces and edges are brown.
5. Serve warm, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

Spaghetti Frittata

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large eggs
• Salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups leftover spaghetti, cooked and sauced
• 2 heaping tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Add the spaghetti, loosening it gently with your fingers or tongs, and toss to combine with the eggs. The pasta should be lightly coated with egg.
2. Sprinkle half of the Pecorino Romano evenly over the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet. Heat over moderate heat until the cheese begins to melt. Gently tip in the pasta mixture and spread it evenly in the pan. Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is set, about 5 minutes.
3. Invert the frittata onto a large plate. Sprinkle the remaining Pecorino Romano evenly over the bottom of the skillet, then carefully return the frittata to the skillet, uncooked side down. Cook until the bottom is set, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. Let the frittata cool slightly before cutting it into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes  
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon
• 12 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 8 eight-inch corn or flour tortillas
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups) 
• Minced green onions
• sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Cook the onion over moderate heat until soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return it to heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until brown and crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board and chop into 1-inch pieces. Reserve the fat.
3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat (or olive oil, if desired) over moderate heat. Pour the eggs into the frying pan and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula until small curds form, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and season with salt and pepper.
4. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm them in a microwave oven until soft and pliable, about 1 minute.
5. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the tortillas on a work surface. Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of the egg mixture, 2 tablespoons of the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the chopped bacon onto each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas and arrange them in the baking dish. Top evenly with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with the remaining cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve warm with sour cream and minced green onions.

Christmas-Morning Casserole

                                                         

                                                              

 INGREDIENTS

• 
  
• Butter, for greasing
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced pepperoni (2 ounces)
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 pound day-old challah, sliced 1 inch thick and cut into 1-inch dice (10 cups)
• 6 ounces Black Forest ham, finely diced (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1/4 pound )
• 1 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese (1/4 pound )
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions, plus thinly sliced scallions for garnish
• Hot sauce, for serving

                                                         

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 
   
2. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the pepperoni and cook over moderate heat until the fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add the shiitake and cook until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 7 minutes; let cool completely.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, mustard, soy sauce, pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the cooled vegetable mixture, challah, ham, both cheeses and the chopped scallions and mix well. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Uncover the casserole and bake for about 50 minutes, until it’s just set and the top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes, then top with thinly sliced scallions and serve with hot sauce. 


Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs

                                                           

 

INGREDIENTS

• 
  
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 baking potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked corned beef, fat trimmed and meat cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
• 6 large eggs
• Snipped chives, for serving

                                                           

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a very large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the potatoes and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the corned beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes.
3. In another large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Crack the eggs into the skillet and fry sunny-side up or over-easy. Spoon the hash onto plates and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with chives and serve right away.

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Fried Zucchini.

Ingredients

• 1 pound elbow pasta
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 3/4 cups warm milk (I used 2%)
• 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded (add an extra 1/4 cup...if you want!)
• 1 1/4 cups havarti cheese, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Zucchini
• 1 1/3 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds*
• toothpicks
• 
  

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al-dente. Drain.

In the same pot you boiled the pasta in, melt the 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook/bubble for 1 minute, stirring once or twice to avoid burning. Gradually whisk in the milk and raise the heat up to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in all of the cheese, mustard powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is fully melted. Stir in the pasta and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover the mac and cheese and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight.

In a shallow pie plate or bowl, toss together the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. In another separate bowl whisk together the eggs.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your zucchini rounds in stacks of two. Grab one zucchini round, now scoop out about 1 tablespoon of mac and cheese, place the mac and cheese on top of the bottom round. Now add the top round like you would a sandwich. You want the mac and cheese to just fit inside the rounds. Push down slightly on the top slice of zucchini to secure the mac and cheese in between the slices. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining slices of zucchini. You will not use all of the mac and cheese.

Using your hands grab one zucchini sandwich at a time and dip it into the eggs. Make sure to coat the sandwich fully in eggs. It''s gonna slip all over the place, but just do your best. Once the zucchini is coated in egg, stick a toothpick through the middle to secure everything in place. Dip the zucchini through the bread crumb mixture until completely coated all around. Make sure the mac and cheese that is not covered by zucchini gets coated as well. Place back on the baking sheet and repeat the process until all the zucchini sandwiches have been breaded. Place the tray in the fridge while you heat the oil. If it is hot in your kitchen and the mac and cheese seems warm, keep the zucchini in the fridge until the mac and cheese is firm again, about 30 minutes.

Heat a few inches of oil (enough to submerge the zucchini's) in a heavy bottom high sided skillet or pot to 350 degrees F.

Once hot, remove the zucchini's from the fridge and place only a few at time in the oil. Fry for for 1-2 minutes, flipping throughout cooking if need. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining zucchini sandwich. Eat while hot!

Black Bean Salad Recip

Ingredient

We've sample many brands of canned black beans (see our Black Bean Burrito Bowl for details). Our favorites for flavor are S&W Premium Black Beans, Bush's Best Black Beans, and Goya.

This black bean salad uses cilantro. For those of you who don't like cilantro, feel free to substitute with fresh basil.

                                                                       
 Method

• 
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups of freshly cooked black beans)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled, or grilled and cooled)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (including onion greens) or shallots
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, or 1/2 pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
• 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped and/or 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1 In a large bowl, gently combine the black beans, corn, chopped green onions, minced jalapeños, chopped tomatoes (or red bell pepper), lime juice, and olive oil. Gently fold in the chopped avocados.

2 Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with sugar to taste, enough to balance the acidity from the lime juice.  Chill.

3 Right before serving, add the chopped fresh cilantro.