Tag Archives: brunch

Deconstructed Fried Rice seasoned with homemade Ponzu

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Who would think that a beaten egg could be cooked in a metal ladle? Not me.

I picked up Issue 53 of Donna Hay magazine the other day. There, on page 161 was a stack of small shallow egg nests looking as light and thin as French crepes. A mixture of sauteed mushrooms, bean sprouts and green onions were nestled beautifully in a shallow bowl of cooked egg the shape of the scoop of a ladle.

I had to try it. With some cooked brown rice in the refrigerator, I decided to make a deconstructed version of fried rice. Rather than whipping some eggs, frying them and slicing them up to stir into the rice as normal, the rice would rest inside of egg nests.

I may have had Asian food on my mind, as I had just listened to Linda Carucci via teleforum talk about what’s new in the culinary field. Carucci  is Chef Director at The Art Institute of California-San Francisco, a cookbook author, and International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cooking Teacher of the Year in 2002.

One of the food items she mentioned is Ponzu, a Japanese seasoning, which is now available in bottles on grocery store shelves. Ponzu is basically soy sauce with citrus added to give bright flavor. I found Kikkoman brand ponzu in a local grocery store. A few years ago I taught a fondue cooking class. We made our own Ponzu sauce to use for dipping chicken and shrimp.

I made a small amount of ponzu to season the fried rice. Toasted sesame oil gets whisked into my ponzu along with some fresh ginger and garlic.

I just can’t tell you how delicious this deconstructed fried rice is. It’s deconstructed in the sense that rather than mixing all the ingredients together, some are held out of the rice and layered. I can only guarantee the rich, satisfying flavor when it is seasoned with the made-with-my-recipe ponzu sauce.

First, an egg nest rests on the plate. One egg will yield three or four shallow cooked egg nests. Fill with frozen organic peas and sauteed celery slices that have been stirred into cooked brown rice seasoned with ponzu. Sprinkle with bits of crispy bacon and slices of green onion. Deconstructed fried rice. Quick, easy, healthful.

I ate this for supper, but I would easily serve it for breakfast or lunch or brunch. A sweet, juicy clementine is just the right dessert for this meal.

I have a gas range, so it was easy to hold the  oiled ladle over the flame to heat it up before adding a tablespoon of beaten egg. I gave the cooked egg a little nudge around the edge with a table knife and it slid right out of the ladle. If you don’t have an open flame, you can cook the egg in a lightly greased, small, non-stick frying pan over low heat. The result will be flat, rather than bowl-shaped.

Such a fun way to serve fried rice or sauteed mushrooms. What would you serve in these egg nests?

Ponzu Sauce

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced gingerroot
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Combine all ingredients..  Whisk together.  Store in sealed jar in refrigerator.

Deconstructed Fried Rice with Ponzu

  • 1 egg
  • sea salt flakes
  • cooked brown rice, about 2 cups
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 rib of celery, sliced thin
  • 1 cup organic frozen peas
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons Ponzu sauce (see recipe above)
  • 4 green onions, sliced

Slice bacon into thin pieces. Cook over medium heat in saute pan until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon to plate. Set aside. Pour all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pan. Add celery and saute until crisp tender. Stir in peas and continue to saute until peas are heated through. Season with ponzu.

Beat egg in a small bowl. Add sea salt. Brush inside of metal ladle with canola oil. Hold over open flame on gas range until bowl of ladle is hot. Add 1 tablespoon of beaten egg and swirl to coat the bowl of the ladle. Once the egg is cooked (it won’t take long), slide a table knife around the edge of the cooked egg and slide out onto a plate.

Spoon rice mixture into each egg nest. Sprinkle with bacon bits and green onion slices. Makes 4 egg nests filled with fried rice.

Asparagus for breakfast? Why not?

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"I never thought I’d be eating asparagus, much less for breakfast."

That was my husband on Saturday morning as he dangled a small chunk of roasted asparagus from his fork. He was just finishing up his breakfast of poached egg atop roasted asparagus spears with an Italian-seasoned ground almond crumble.

Just after he headed to the golf course, I started cleaning up the kitchen and discovered one asparagus spear still on his otherwise empty plate. I guess expecting him to eat up six asparagus spears was pushing my luck a bit too far.

I love asparagus. Steamed, roasted or grilled, just hand it over. Althought I strongly support the Buy Local movement, I just can’t stop myself from buying some of the first asparagus that appears in the grocery stores in the spring. Green and bright, my first asparagus each April truly is a rite of spring. Around here, asparagus is often harvested for the first time in June. That would seem a rite of summer.

I bought some asparagus last week when I was making Medley of Rice with Roasted Red Pepper and Asparagus. That recipe is in my column this week. I bought another bunch to make something I saw on a restaurant menu. It was listed as a brunch item — asparagus with poached egg and ground almonds. It wasn’t brunch time when I was reading the menu, but I made note of it in the small moleskine notebook that I carry in my purse.

This is my take on that dish that I was not able to try at the restaurant. Once again, I’ve roasted the asparagus. I can’t say that I’ve ever had a knack for making a perfectly poached egg. I cheat with silicone poachpods or my Nordic Ware egg poacher insert. But it seemed only proper that when I was making a restaurant-style poached egg dish, I had to go with the real thing.

I pulled out my 9-inch copper-bottomed pan with its lid. I filled it almost to the top with water, then poured in at least a tablespoon of vinegar. Once the water was boiling, I turned it down to a simmer, cracked each egg into a custard cup and slid the egg into the simmering water. I did two eggs. With a spoon, I moved the whites up close to the yolks. The covered eggs simmered gently for 4 minutes. They were done just the way I like them. If you prefer a runny yolk, simmer for just 2 or 3 minutes. Gently scoop the eggs out of the water and place on paper towels to drain. This will prevent a puddle of water on your plate. Perfect poached eggs.

If you’re not counting fat grams and calories, there’s a way to make this poached egg dish even more delectable. Serve it like eggs benedict on a buttered toasted English muffin topped with a slice of smoky ham or Canadian bacon, then the asparagus, poached egg and some homemade Hollandaise sauce. Top it all with a sprinkle of Toasted Almond Crumble. Eggs Benedict is my favorite out-for-breakfast pick. But, I’m trying to be more mindful of fat grams these days. And, I must say, this egg and asparagus are delcious served on their own.

When my husband and I finished our breakfast, I thought how nice it would have been to scatter some freshly grated Parmesan over the egg along with the Toasted Almond Crumble.

Asparagus for breakfast? Why not? Add a perfectly poached egg with toasted almond crumble and you will have a perfectly wonderful breakfast on a sunny morning in spring.

Roasted Asparagus with a Perfectly Poached Egg and Ground Almond Crumble

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, washed, tough ends removed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
  • Splash of fresh lemon juice, about a teaspoon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss prepared asparagus spears with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until spears are fork tender. Remove from oven and set pan aside.

While asparagus is in the oven, make Toasted Almond Crumble by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet. Add garlic, almonds, 1/4 teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Stir over medium heat until almonds are toasted. This will take just 2 or 3 minutes. Immediately transfer almond mixture to a small bowl. Add lemon juice and blend. Set aside.

Pull out a 9- or 10-inch pan with a lid. Add water to about 1/2-inch from top of pan. Add vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Break each egg into a custard cup, and slide into the water. When all the eggs are in the pan, use a spoon to scoop the whites close to the yolks, cover and set timer for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how you want the yolk to be cooked.

Warm 4 plates in the oven while eggs are cooking. The oven should still be warm from the roasting asparagus.

Carefully transfer poached eggs to a paper towel to drain. Arrange 6 asparagus spears on each of 4 plates. Top with an egg. Sprinkle with Toasted Almond Crumble. Serve immediately (with whole grain toast that’s been cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter to really make your diners smile). Makes 4 servings.

Tip from the cook

When you’re shopping for Italian seasoning, look for a blend that does not include salt. This allows you to control the amount of salt used in your dish. I buy a blend that my Italian friend, Carmela, mixes and sells. Carmela’s Condimento is fragrant with dried basil, garlic, parsley, oregano and crushed red pepper. I’ll bet she’d send you a bag. Go to her blog and you can contact her: Carmels’s Cucina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve got lemon curd. Let’s make dessert!

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There’s something about the first warm days of spring that rev up my cravings for anything lemon. Freshly squeezed,tart lemon juice and the grated yellow zest that tingles the tastebuds.

The first thing lemon in my kitchen each spring is my favorite lemon curd. What I love best about this homemade lemon curd– well, one of the things I love best — is the instant gratification. It takes just minutes to make and it can be licked from a spoon while it is still warm. Once chilled, it is the consistency of creamy, smooth-as-silk pudding.

I most often make miniature shortbread cookie cups, then fill them up with lemon curd. A dot of whipped cream and one fresh berry crowning the top make for a bite-sized piece of heaven.

This year, though, I decided on something a little different. The Coconut Meringues with a chocolate middle were just a memory (And you may remember I posted the recipe last Sunday. Click here to go right to the recipe.), but they were a reminder of the Raspberry Almond Dacquoise that I made when I was at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco. Dacquoise is meringue with ground nuts folded into the egg whites and sugar mixture. It is often baked in large round sizes in order to layer them to form a cake. In Tante Marie’s kitchen, we made 4-inch rounds of crunchy almond meringues, then layered two together to form sandwiches with a filling of whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Thoughts of coconut meringue disks, lemon curd, sweet whipped cream and juicy red raspberries grew and grew in my mind, until POP — Coconut Meringues with Lemon Curd Filling were born. Such pretty little things. Oh, how simply elegant they would look arranged on a platter to present to guests at brunch.

Be generous with the lemon curd filling as you make each meringue sandwich. You’ll need a fork to eat this sandwich, though. The lemon curd will ooze out the sides and, after you’ve licked it from your fingers, you will be quite sticky. So, just use a fork if you want to look proper. Or, when you’re alone or with a group of your best friends, you can do what I did this morning. Break a meringue disk into a few pieces. Swipe it through the lemon curd, use a spoon to dot a mound of whipped cream onto the  little cookie and as you send it into your mouth, pop a raspberry in at the same time.

Coconut meringues on the counter, my favorite lemon curd in the refrigerator, plenty of sweet whipped cream and a bowl full of fresh raspberries — it’s springtime in my kitchen. Life is good.

Lemon-Filled Coconut Meringues with Chantilly Cream and Fresh Raspberries

  • 10 to 12 (4-inch) Coconut Meringue disks
  • 1 batch Sue’s Favorite Lemon Curd
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Fresh raspberries
  • Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Use the recipe for coconut meringues I posted earlier (click here to go right to my recipe). Do not use the chocolate. Make disks on parchment-lined baking sheets, forming them to about 3/4-inch thickness. Bake them in a preheated 275-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until they are dry. Cool completely.

Whip 1 cup of whipping cream with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to soft, billowy peaks.

On dessert plates, glue down half the meringue rounds with a little whipped cream. Spread a big dollop of lemon curd over each round. Top with another meringue round. Spoon whipped cream on the top of each. Arrange fresh raspberries over the cream. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Makes 5 or 6 desserts.

Sue’s Favorite Lemon Curd

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs

Cut butter into pieces and place in a heavy saucepan. Add zest, lemon juice and sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture just comes to simmer. In a bowl whisk together eggs and gradually whisk in lemon mixture until combined well. Transfer lemon-egg mixture to saucepan and heat over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until it just begins to simmer. Pour lemon curd through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool slightly. Chill lemon curd, its surface covered with plastic wrap, at least 2 hours, or until cold. Store in covered jar in refrigerator.

Potato Nests

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I made salmon patties last week. I’ve been eating the fish patties ever since I was a child. They were a Lenten special in our house and always a favorite of my dad’s. He loved salmon patties best when they were served with mashed potatoes and creamed peas. I still serve them that way. If you like salmon patties, you might like to try my recipe. Click here to go right to the recipe. If you’ve checked out the recipes in my newspaper column in the past, you’ll be happy to see they’ve added a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

I like to create shallow nests with the mashed potatoes, forming a perfect shallow well for a generous spoonful of creamy peas. A swipe of melted butter over their tops keeps them moist on the inside and, after a short trip into the oven for a quick broil, the butter develops speckles of golden brown.

I prepare six potato nests at a time. That always provides me with some leftovers to put in the refrigerator for another day. On Saturday morning, I heated a couple of the cold potato nests at 50% power in the microwave oven while my husband poached some eggs.

Poached eggs nestled into Potato Nests, sprinkled with sliced green onions was a satisfying weekend breakfast. If you’re having guests for the Easter weekend (it will be here before we know it) keep these Potato Nests in mind. Make them ahead and they can make Easter brunch much easier. You’ll be a hop ahead.

 Potato Nests

  • 5 medium red potatoes
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup hot milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 large egg

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into large chunks. Place in pot with enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and mash potatoes. Beat in salt, pepper, hot milk, 2 tablespoons butter and egg, continuing until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more hot milk if mixture is too thick and stiff.

Spoon mixture into 6 equal-sized mounds on a buttered baking sheet. Use back of spoon to form shallow nests. at this point, potato nests can be covered and stored in refrigerator.

Preheat broiler. If potatoes have been refrigerated, take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before broiling, giving them time to come close to room temperature. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of each potato nest with butter. Slide the pan of potatoes under the broiler. Oven rack should be about 8 inches away from broiler element. Remove Potato Nests from oven when tops are brown.

Leftover potato nests can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days. Heat in the microwave at 50% or 60% power.

It’s coffee cake.

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A couple of weeks ago I stopped into a cozy coffee shop tucked into a rural community in West Central Minnesota. On the exterior, it was just an old brick building, but one step through the door and my nostrils were greeted with the aroma of rich brewed coffee. Cookies, sweet rolls and scones tempted me from the case of sweets. I decided this was a place I could nestle into for a while.

As I ordered my first cup of coffee of the day — large dark roast, no cream — I spied a cake in a 9-x13-inch pan situated on the counter. A couple of pieces had already been served from the cake, so I could see its insides. I thought for sure it looked like a rhubarb cake. If I could be that lucky, I would definitely splurge on a big chunk to eat with my coffee.

It was a very brief back and forth conversation with the server in the shop that dashed away any dreams of satisfying my taste buds that had begun to salivate for rhubarb cake.

Me: Excuse me. What kind of cake is that?

She: It’s coffee cake.

Me: Oh, there’s no rhubarb in it?

She: No, it’s coffee cake.

Me: So, there’s coffee in the cake? (I thought this a legitimate question, since this was a coffee shop, after all.)

She: It’s coffee cake.

Me: Okay. I’ll take a piece, please.

The cake was good, despite the fact it had no rhubarb. It was moist on the inside. The top carried a blanket of crunchy sugary topping. It went well with my coffee. I guess that’s why it’s called coffee cake.

After finishing my morning pick-me-up, I walked to an antique shop that was close-by. I found a rack of old church cookbooks. As I was paging through a cookbook from a church in the community, a recipe for COFFEE CAKE jumped right out at me. I decided to buy the book and make coffee cake when I returned home. By the time I was done shopping, my arms were loaded with at least half a dozen old cookbooks with their stained pages, torn covers and occasional notes jotted in by previous owners as they baked and cooked their favorite recipes.

When I set the stack of cookbooks on the counter to pay for them, I was shocked when the store owner told me they were $9.99 each. What? I’ll bet they didn’t cost that much brand new. Apparently, church cookbooks are harder to come by these days, thus their value has increased. Just when I thought I would clean out all the old church cookbooks from my shelves — guess not. I walked out of the store with just two cookbooks and 4 of the prettiest little Italian espresso cups and saucers.

Finally, I’ve made a coffee cake. I used the recipe from the old church cookbook I brought home, but added my own topping and some sweet almond glaze. It’s so old-fashioned looking — it seems like something out of grandma’s kitchen. And it tastes like it, too. Delicious!

When I took the pretty little cake out of the oven, it suddenly occured to me that I had forgotten to add the sugar to the cake batter.

Sugar is added to baked goods for a good reason. Irregular sugar crystals create thousands of tiny air pockets that produce a delicate and satisfying crumb structure and expanded volume. Sugar also slows down the baking time, giving the baking powder time to work. So, with sugar, this coffee cake would have a delicate crumb texture rather than here-and-there holes. And, it may even have more volume if the baking powder had a little more time to do its job.

My coffee cake — no sugar — gets plenty of sweetness from the almond and brown sugar topping. I mixed some almond paste into the butter and brown sugar. It adds marvelous flavor.

 Well, now you know. It’s coffee cake. No sugar. No cream. Coffee cake.

Coffee Cake with Sweet Almond Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch round baking pan or glass baking dish.

Make Sweet Almond Topping:

In a bowl, mix:

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup almond paste
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Set topping aside.

Make cake:

Sift together into a mixing bowl:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk in:

  • 1 cup sugar (I forgot to add the sugar. You can go with or without.)

In a 2-cup glass measure, beat:

  • 1 large egg

Add:

  • enough milk (I used buttermilk) to measure 1 cup.

Add:

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Pour liquid into bowl with dry ingredients. Mix just until none of the dry ingredients are visible. Spread batter in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow cake to cool in pan on wire rack. Make glaze and drizzle over the cake.

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
  • 4 tablespoons cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Leftover glaze can be stored in the refrigerator.

Cake adapted from recipe in First Lutheran Church Cookbook, Morris, MN. 1986.

 

 

 

Pecans and Pumpkin with Waffles. Perfect.

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It was a very special Saturday morning at my house. You see, when golf season has ended and the weather becomes a little too cool for a Saturday morning bike ride, it means my husband and I are both at home on weekend mornings. Finally, we can enjoy leisurely weekend breakfasts together. Today was the first Saturday moring of no golf for him, no biking for me, both home for breakfast.

Waffles are a favorite of mine. This morning we celebrated fall and our first Saturday breakfast together in a long time with waffles. Not just plain old, everyday waffles. These beauties were studded with chopped pecans, and topped with a big chunk of butter and warm Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce.

A small amount of cornstarch is added to the waffle batter. This helps the waffles stay crisp on the outside, yet perfectly light and airy on the inside. One beaten egg white folded into the batter also contributes to the light texture of the waffles. When the cooked waffles are ready to come out of the waffle iron, I carefully transfer them to a warm oven, placing the waffles directly on the oven rack. Piling hot waffles on a platter causes them to get soft and leathery. I prefer crispy.

I’m using up the last couple of bags of big, beautiful pecan halves that I bought last year at this time from the Soroptimists in Fargo. I was a member when I lived in Fargo and still support their largest fundraiser of the year by ordering several bags of the fresh pecans. I’m so spoiled by these huge, flavorful pecans that I have to be sure to order enough bags each November to get me through to pecan-sale time the following year. The small, dark-colored pecans that are typically found in the grocery store just don’t measure up for me anymore.

Since I’m making room in the freezer for my next big order of fresh pecans, I needed to use up the last couple of bags stashed in the upright. I added a generous amount of pecans to the waffle batter after toasting them in a 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes, just until fragrant. I love the rich flavor and crunchy goodness toasted pecans add to waffles and pancakes.

Fall is all about pumpkins and squash, so a sweet Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce was just the perfect topping for Pecan Waffles. I still use butter, letting it melt into the waffle before I spread Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce over the top. The sauce fills in each little square indentation on the waffle.

Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce isn’t just for waffles. Try it on pancakes and French toast, too. Stir it into vanilla ice cream. Wow!

Pecan Waffles with Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce — can’t think of a better way to use up the last pecans in my freezer. And can’t imagine a better breakfast to celebrate fall and the start of Saturday morning breakfasts with my favorite guy.

Oh, if you love the combination of pumpkin and pecans, you might want to try the Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Maple-Pecan Topping that I’ll be making for Thanksgiving dessert this year. You can go to the recipe by clicking here.

Pecan Waffles with Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 6 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Preheat waffle iron.

Combine flour, pecans, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, milk and egg yolk. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the egg white in a medium bowl until it forms soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, then beat in the vanilla. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk together just until incorporated. Gently fold in the egg white.

Pour a generous 1/2 cup of batter (more or less depending on the size of your waffle iron) onto the preheated waffle iron. Close the waffle iron and cook until waffle is well browned and cooked through. As each waffle is cooked, set it directly on the oven rack to keep warm while cooking the rest of the waffles. Do not stack the waffles or they will be soft rather than crispy. Once all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately with Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce. Makes about 5 waffles.

Pecan-Pumpkin Sauce

  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add pecans and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until toasted. Stir in syrup and remaining ingredients. Simmer mixture for 4 minutes, stir occasionally. Serve warm over waffles. Store sauce in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes 4 cups.

 

 

 

 

Morels are secret ingredient in Wild Rice Baked Eggs

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I just got home from spending a couple of days away with a group of friends. Imagine a dozen women in one house for a sleepover. Lots of chatter, laughter and food.

Breakfast this morning was an egg bake. It wasn’t the typical egg bake made with lots of bread, eggs, cream of something soup and cheese. This breakfast dish was something special.

The woman who prepared Minnesota Wild Rice Egg Bake for our large group has a lake home on an island in Lake of the Woods. The wild rice she used was gathered there. The mushrooms that she stirred into the eggs and rice were not mushrooms she purchased from the grocery store. She used morels that she had gathered herself somewhere in North Dakota. Of course, like every other morel hunter, she would not tell us exactly where she found the prized mushrooms. It’s always a secret.

The recipe, though, is not a secret. My friend had clipped the recipe a few years ago from a Minnesota Monthly magazine. It had been shared by the owners of a Bed and Breakfast Inn in Chaska, Minnesota.

Ann mixed all the ingredients together earlier in the week in her own kitchen. She baked them in individual ramekins and stored them in the refrigerator. This morning, she put all the chilled ramekins in a couple of baking pans with a little water on the bottom of each pan. She covered them and warmed them in an oven heated to a low temperature. At serving time, the warm egg mixture slid easily out of each ramekin. With some fresh fruit and bite-sized muffins (all washed down with yummy mimosas) made by another person in our group, we had a delicious breakfast.

If you are a lucky person who has successfully foraged for morels, you could use some of them to flavor this egg bake. If you don’t have morels, of course you can use your favorite fresh mushrooms from the grocery store.

Minnesota Wild Rice Baked Eggs are the answer when you need to feed a large group for breakfast or brunch. This recipe was doubled to feed a dozen hungry women.

P.S. I’ve foraged for morels just once. It was a couple of years ago. I took these pictures of the unusual-looking morels. I can’t tell you where they are, though. I was sworn to secrecy.

Minnesota Wild Rice Baked Eggs

  • 1/2 pound bacon
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • 5 to 6 green onions, chopped
  • 3/4 cup cooked wild rice
  • 3 ounces (3/4 cup)shredded Swiss cheese
  • 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 9 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1-1/2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 5 to 8 individual remekins or one 9-inch square baking dish. Cut bacon into small pieces; fry until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Reserve a small amount of bacon fat in pan. Add butter to pan. Over medium heat saute mushrooms and green onions until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine wild rice, cheese, stuffing mix, parsley, nutmeg, eggs and cream. Add mushrooms, green onions and fried bacon. Place mixture into prepared ramekins or baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes for individual ramekins or 40 to 45 minutes for 9-inch square baking dish. Makes 6 to 8 servings.