New twist on eggs and potatoes

When I saw this photo on pinterest I knew we had to try it

Officially called Idaho Sunrise, this couldn't be easier. 

First you bake the potatoes. You'll need one per person. For larger potatoes, 2 eggs fit, but if you have smaller potatoes (or smaller appetites), you'll just need one egg per person. A little chopped bacon (1 strip per person, depending on taste, we use less), some shredded cheese (1-2 T each), a little herbs (parsley, oregano, chives, whatever you like), salt and pepper and you're in business. Remember the eggs will expand a little as they cook, so leave a little room at the top. Put the filled potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil (in case of leaks) and bake 15-25 minutes at 350.

The original recipe calls for putting a teaspoon of butter in the bottom of each potato after hollowing it out. I've tried it both ways and can't tell the difference. The key is to bake the eggs just until the eggs are the way you like them - we like our whites cooked and our yolks a little runny - remember it will keep cooking after it comes out of the oven. I tend to leave them in too long and the yolks end up fully set... which is still yummy.

Enjoy!

New Holiday Decorations!

Our yard AND the Jeep are both in the holiday spirit! See our other inflatable yard decorations in last year's post "Happy Holidays... from our yard to yours!" Here are some of the new additions this year:

Cute little penguin from our friends Britain & Chris

Santa towing away the broken-down sleigh. He waves and the package on the back spins.

Front view of Santa in his tow truck

Happy Holidays!!!

Over the Top Pretzels

Adapted from this recipe, we might need to tone these down again when we make them again. They are delicious - but do you really need 3 1/2 cups of cheese in a recipe with just 4 cups of flour? :)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water, 110 degrees F
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for work surface
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 egg
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar

Toppings

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a measuring cup, add the warm water and the yeast. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the dry ingredients and the Parmesan and mix together until well combined. Add in 1 egg and the warm water and yeast mixture. Mix until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface or cutting board. Knead 10 to 12 times, adding a little flour, if sticky. Cut the dough in half and set aside.

Roll out 1 piece of dough to a 12 by 17-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the Cheddar in the middle (short way). Fold 1/3 of the dough over, and sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the Cheddar. Fold the last third over and pinch the edges closed. Roll with a rolling pin to form an 11 by 15-inch rectangle. Cut into 1 1/2-inch lengthwise strips.

Pinch the cut edges together and then roll into cigar shape. Form into a pretzel shape and put on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Repeat with second ball of dough.

Beat the remaining egg and the milk in a small bowl. Mix well. Brush the formed pretzels with the egg mixture and then sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt.

Bake until nicely browned, about 14 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve warm or room temperature.

Quote of the Week

from etsy; pretty cute, eh?

Soup with Squash and Greens

I adapted this recipe from one for Tuscan-Kale-and-Squash Minestra from Food & Wine December 2011. My theory is you can use whatever hardy greens you have (kale, chard, collards, spinach even) and the hard squash of your choice (Hubbard, butternut, acorn, etc.)

wilting the greens

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3-4 pounds of your favorite hard squash for 5 cups peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes. - we used butternut, neck only, as the original recipe indicated.
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried)
12 ounces of greens of your choice (by weight) - we used Collards. Original recipe called for kale. If you use that or spinach you might double or even triple as it will shrink more than some other greens.
9 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 cup ditalini or tubettini pasta
1 15-ounce can navy beans, drained

In a large pot, heat 2-4 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened. If it's dry, either cover or add a little more oil. Add the squash, stirring until lightly browned in spots but not tender. Stir in garlic and rosemary for a minute then add the greens and stir them in until wilted. Add the broth, cover and simmer just until the vegetables are all tender. Season with salt and pepper.

While the vegetables are cooking, boil the pasta until it's al dente. Drain.

Add the pasta and beans to the soup and simmer until it's slightly thickened. As the greens and pasta absorb liquid, at this point you may need to add a little extra stock.

The original recipe calls for adding 1/4 cup of olive oil to the soup before serving but I left it out as the soup already tasted amazing.

Serve with shaved Parmesan and garlic toasts.

finished product - yum!

Taking the Train Across Canada

This one is for Jenn, who told me it's one of her dreams to take the train across Canada.

This Week's Veggies

We got our first bag of goodies from the farm Wednesday so I thought I would share what was in it!

radishes (red (baby French Breakfast) and daikon), 3 kinds of lettuce (mesclun, baby arugula and spinach), sweet potatoes and Collards.

The radishes were amazing. I ate half of them like candy. The daikon radishes were super tangy, much spicier than the red ones, and a little woodier too (not to mention much smaller than I expected!). We had salads for supper (T ate a whole bowl of spinach before dinner even started) so that was a success as well. We are excited to try the sweet potatoes and chard too.