Eggs and Veggies, The Perfect Pairing

egg with rapini

Eggs in combination with veggies have produced many a meal in my house for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the years and it’s still evolving. It’s still evolving because the variety of veggies are endless and because eggs can be prepared in so many different ways.

 

Take for example this crispy egg with leftover garlicky rapini, I’ve eaten this for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I always make extra rapini so I can make this combination. If you never had a crispy egg before just google “how to make a crispy egg” there’s a certain technique to it and the result will give you a souffled white with lacy, crispy edges and a nice runny yolk. I like to top mine with red pepper flakes, oregano, black pepper and salt.egg with asparagus

 

Here’s a winning combination fit for a fancy breakfast or brunch, a poached egg on a bed of roasted asparagus with crispy prosciutto and shaved parmesan, the creamy yolk when broken open oozes out and mingles with all the flavors, it’s heavenly!eggs with peppers

Peppers and eggs, I seriously grew up on this as a kid, the best sandwich ever with Italian bread, a great lunch or dinner with a salad on the side.eggs with artichokes

 

This is a favorite of mine, a recipe from Ina Garten, it’s her herb-baked eggs and it’s wonderful for a lazy Sunday morning. You can make this in individual gratin dishes like Ina, or as I did, all in one pan. My twist on it is to add in some artichoke hearts, a perfect addition I think to the creamy herbs and cheese, but make sure you have some toasted, crispy bread for dipping.

egg caprese

 

This caprese omelet can be a staple for you this summer made with fresh mozzarella, garden basil and summer tomatoes, nice for brunch and a light dinner..eggs with spring veggie

 

It’s spring here in Chicago and I love making my Spring Vegetable Frittata with Brie, with tender zucchini, asparagus and peas. I can go on and on about frittata’s they’re a staple. They’re not just for breakfast or lunch either, frittata’s make the best dinner with a side salad and crusty bread of course.

eggs with string beans

 

Pressed for time? You can always make this for dinner, Eggs in Purgatory, the way I make it has evolved over the years but here’s my basic recipe.

 

You can use chunky tomatoes or straight up marinara as I did above but I always add in some vegetables and herbs, here I added haricot verts with a few olives.eggs with broccolini

My clean out the fridge frittata with a little bit of this and a little bit of that like broccolini, mushrooms, red pepper and fresh mozzarella. It doesn’t’ take a lot of ingredients to put a meal on the table, a couple of mushrooms, a handful of broccolini and a red pepper sliced around some bruised spots creates a nice meal.

cauliflower steaks

 

The other day I sliced rainbow colored cauliflower into “steaks” and roasted them, basically I only get two or three nicely shaped slices from a head of cauliflower because I cut them an inch thick, the leftover florets can then be tossed into a frittata of course!eggs and cauliflower

 

Like this one, so delicious and colorful too..eggs with cauliflower

And lastly my version of “steak and eggs“. A crispy egg perched on top of a roasted cauliflower steak sitting in a pool of marinara, healthy, hearty and delicious and perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Endless meals can be made with veggies and eggs, these are just a few of my favorites. Go for what’s in season and just let your creative juices flow!

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Italian Sausage Roasted Together with Grapes

sausage with grapes

If you haven’t tried the combination of Italian sausage with roasted with grapes yet, I’m quite certain that the minute you do this combo it will win you over. The grapes break down in the roasting process, releasing their sweet juice and mingles together with the sausage flavors of spice, fennel, bit of olive oil and thyme.

When grapes are roasted they take on a whole different taste and texture, sweet goodness in every little bite.

sausage and grapes

I like to keep my sausage formed into a ring, it’s held in place by sticking one skewer in on one side until it pokes out on the other side, making sure to go all the way through each layer, this will keep it together as it cooks. I think a ring of sausage, or rope as it’s sometimes called adds to a pretty presentation, but you can certainly make this using links of sausage as well.

Which brings me to another point, make sure you only buy good quality Italian sausage, I get mine from an Italian market that I know and frequent often, it’s spiced perfectly with fennel seed being a very dominant flavor, my favorite. For this recipe you can use either spicy or mild sausage, which ever is your preference.

 

My grapes of choice are the red seedless kind ( you definitely want seedless) but you can also do a combination of both red and green, just carefully pick them off the stems, rinse and dry completely then you’re good to go!broccoli rabe

I love to serve this meal with sautéed broccoli rabe, the bitterness of the rabe with the sweetness of the grapes and the spice of the sausage is a win, win. For something a little more substantial, on a cold winters night a side of creamy polenta or mashed potatoes would be heavenly!

Incredibly easy to make, no chopping required, it’s a one pan wonder with a pretty presentation and the most important thing is, it tastes amazing.

Give it a try!

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5.0 from 2 reviews
Italian Sausage with Grapes
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage, sweet or hot, good quality with fennel spice kept in a ring or rope style
  • red seedless grapes, 2 to 3 cups, stems removed, rinsed, dried and left whole
  • sprigs of thyme
  • olive oil
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Skewer your rope of sausage together using 1 skewer through one end and out the other so it stays held together while cooking.
  3. Heat a 10 or 12 inch oven proof skillet, medium high, drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add sausage ring and don't move it until it forms a nice deep golden color, then flip it over carefully and continue cooking for 1 minute.
  5. Remove from heat and sprinkle grapes around, be careful not to crowd them in because as they cook they release their juice and if you have too many it becomes too liquidy and all will not caramelize like it should. I would say a good rule of thumb is to leave some space between the placing of your grapes.
  6. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter some fresh thyme leaves around.
  7. Place the whole pan into the oven, uncovered to finish cooking the sausage, ( keep checking for doneness, it depends on thickness) during the process your grapes will wrinkle and begin to release their juices.

 

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Craving Something Green!

I don’t know about you but after a couple of days of turkey leftovers I’m turkeyed out and craving something green, broccoli rabe/ rapini will always satisfy my craving!

Broccoli rabe is highly nutritious and contains many antioxidants in just a small portion, something I definitely need right about now!
If you’ve never tried broccoli rabe it’s taste is something similar to kale with a slightly bitter bite to it, wonderful as a side dish and so good with pasta!

Blanching in boiling water for 3 minutes and then placing in an ice bath will help reduce that bite a little, but after all it’s a hearty green and that slightly bitter taste is the distinctive quality of broccoli rabe.

Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in the bottom of a saute pan, add shaved garlic and cook until golden along with red pepper flakes to taste. Place your drained broccoli rabe in the pan and cook until tender around 10 to 15 minutes, you can add a tiny bit of water or even some broth to create steam to help it cook through to your desired tenderness, finish off with a squeeze of lemon on top and a drizzle more of olive oil.

I served my broccoli rabe on the side with spaghetti squash tossed with roasted red peppers and a boneless pork cutlet, I told you I was turkeyed out!

Buon Appetito!

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Broccoli Rabe Pasta, with Sausage, Roasted Tomatoes and Beans!

Rapini, or otherwise known as, Broccoli Rabe, is a relative of the turnip family, and loaded with many healthy benefits.

Who couldn’t use a little extra vitamin C, K, Potassium, Calcium, and Iron! Not to mention, it’s very high in phytochemicals, which have the potential for reducing the risk of cancer.

Wikipedia describes it as “nutty, bitter, pungent, an acquired taste”. It is a little bitter, but that’s what makes it so good! I find that blanching it in water for a couple minutes takes some of that bitterness away.

Pairing it with some spicy Italian sausage gives it the perfect balance!

Normally this dish is made with orrecciette pasta, but I like to try it with some of the other specialty pasta’s that are out there.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. of Spicy Italian Sausage, cut up into bite size pieces
1 lb. of Cooked Broccoli Rabe
1lb. Specialty Pasta
Roasted Tomatoes ( Recipe Here)
4 Cloves of Crushed Garlic
1/4 Cup of Garlic Flavored Olive Oil
1 Can of Cannelloni Beans
Grated Romano Cheese
Reserved Broccoli Rabe Water, or a touch of Stock

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute your sausage in the garlic oil along with the crushed garlic, till no longer pink.
2. Add in about a 1/2 cup of the broccoli rabe water or stock. ( you might need a little more)
3. Add beans, and cooked broccoli rabe.
4. Cook pasta al dente, and toss in.
5. Gently toss in some roasted tomatoes, (as many as you want).
6. Season with salt, pepper, and the grated romano, and maybe a little extra olive oil.

Something good to eat while we’re all watching the Presidential Inauguration ceremonies today!

Buon Appetito!!

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