Ricotta Eggs, Ham, and Guacamole

Happy Easter!

Easter is such a quick Holiday.  I don't know about you, but I didn't get Friday or Monday off from work.  Quite a bummer if you want to spend quality time on Easter with your family.  I left for my home town on Friday after work and got back to SF today following brunch this morning with my family.

Deciding what to eat tonight for dinner on Easter night is a challenge without the rest of your family to share it with.  So I decided to make my own version of a spring like dinner with ham of course. 

I soft scrambled a couple eggs with ricotta, cut some extra ham into tiny bites and sauteed them until crispy, made a quick guacamole and topped a couple slices of bread with my concoction.

The eggs were creamy, ham savory, and guacamole spicy; a delicious and simple meal for leftover ham!

Fork + Spoon

I recently purchased this Fork + Spoon artwork for my kitchen.  I love my new purchase!  Thought you might love it too.

Have a great weekend :)

Cucumber and Dill Egg Salad

I have had egg salad on my mind for the past couple of weeks.  I grew up eating egg salad sandwiches with a lot of mayo on the weekends.  Tastes great, but I can't keep that up now that I am in my mid twenties and my metabolism can't keep up with my "fat kid at heart" mentality.


So I decided to make egg salad last night for dinner with non fat plain yogurt instead of mayo and the outcome was amazing.  I was surprised how good the egg salad tasted without the additional fat.  This recipe is definitely a keeper for future dinners/lunches.


Also, check out the recipe after the break below for how I hard boil my eggs.  My eggs are perfect every time.


I hope you try my healthy rendition of egg salad and have a great rest of your week!

Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

 My new roommate, Ashlee, recently discovered she is allergic to gluten.  Yes, gluten.  I thought about this for awhile because I have never deliberately cooked a gluten free dish nor have I ever thought about living on a gluten free diet.  A gluten free diet is not easy to follow, especially since there are so many foods and drinks that contain gluten.

I wanted to try to make a dish without using gluten and decided to alter a scone recipe that I have been wanting to make:  Lemon and Poppy Seed Scones. 

I used Xanthan Gum in combination with Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.  Xanthan gum is used to give the dough a similar stickiness that regular wheat dough would have.  

The gluten free flour altered the taste a bit; however not for better or worse.  Just different.  These scones were moist in the middle and crunchy on the outside.  Exactly how I like my scones.  Perfect for a quick dip in a cup of coffee.  Plus, the lemon was refreshing and perfect for a sunny sunday.

I hope you had a great weekend :)

Over at La Mia Vita Today...

I am over at Niky's blog, La Mia Vita, today posting about this delightful spring dish:  Mini Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Wild Mushroom Frittatas.

She has the most amazing blog and I am excited to be featured for the day!

Cauliflower Puree

Cauliflower really is an amazing vegetable.  Sadly, it is often overshadowed by broccoli.

However, this dish utilizes cauliflower in a way you could never use broccoli.  The texture and taste of pureed cauliflower is unique and is a great substitute for unhealthy mashed potatoes.

I actually make a variation of this dish quite often.  I don't have a recipe; only a few guidelines and then you can alter this dish to your preferences.  

Cauliflower Puree:

Steam cauliflower until tender.  Puree in a food processor until smooth, adding good chicken stock until you reach your desired texture.  You can also add cream instead of chicken stock (a little unhealthier).  Add a couple tablespoons of unsalted butter.  Place mixture in a large saucepan over low/medium heat until ready to serve.  Season with salt and pepper.  Note:  You may need to remove some of the additional liquid (if you added too much chicken stock) so just watch carefully over medium heat until the additional liquid evaporates.

Good Pairings with Cauliflower Puree:

This time I paired my puree with sauteed spinach, garlic and onion and topped both with a Pork Loin Chop.  Tasty of course.  The spinach is a great puree topper.

I have also paired this puree with:

Chicken and a quick Ratatouille

Chicken Pesto

Lamb

Scallops

Have a great week!

Onion and garlic for the spinach saute.