Baked Eggs with Grits and Sausage

    Happy Monday, friends! Do you have a brunch planned but you're having a hard time deciding what to make? Just want something new to try for breakfast? These are the perfect solution.
   Hubby had made spaghetti for dinner the other night and there was sausage in the fridge that was left and needed to be used. I haven't made grits in awhile and was hungry for them, so these little guys fit the bill perfectly. 

 Baked Eggs with Grits and Sausage

yield: 4 6(oz) ramekins

1/2 lb sausage, fried and drained

2 cups milk

1/2 cup quick cooking grits

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp butter

 1/2 tsp sriracha

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup Edam cheese, grated

4 cold eggs

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 4 (6oz) ramekins with nonstick spray. (or you could just use one regular sized baking dish)

In a saucepan bring milk, salt and pepper to a boil. Slowly whisk in grits and continue stirring until thick, about 5 min. Remove from heat and add butter, sriracha and 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir until butter and cheese is melted.

To assemble place 1/4 cup sausage in the bottom of the cup. Sprinkle about 3 tbsp of cheese on top. divide grits over the cheese. Crack an egg on top, season with pepper and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and fresh herbs. Bake until the whites are set,  15-17 min for a runny yolk or 18-20 minutes for a firm yolk. 

Serve hot.

Adapted from: this recipe 

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This is the confidence we have

in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to His will,

He hears us.

~1 John 5:14 

  

 

Roasted Asparagus, Parmesan and Rosemary Tart

   Even though the weather doesn't feel so much like it right now, I know Spring is here. If for no other reason than this....Asparagus! I love having my own asparagus patch and always look forward to the first harvest of the season. It seems to be doing really well so far this year and I had a bunch in the fridge to use. 
   I almost always take Hubs lunch to the shop if he is working there and today I thought I'd make something for him using the asparagus. A tart was what I had in mind and after combining a few recipes this was the end result.

 

Roasted Asparagus, Parmesan and Rosemary Tart

yield: 1 -9.5 inch tart pan 

Crust:

1 1/2 cups pie & pastry flour

1/4 tsp salt

9 tbsp cold unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp ice water

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine flour and salt. Cut butter into small cubes and add to flour. Beat until mixture resembles course crumbs. Mix together egg yolk and water. Add and mix until combined.

Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Turn dough out onto paper and roll until it fits the tart pan. Carefully pick up and place dough into the tart pan. Press it down and then slowly remove parchment paper. Prick with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or over night.

To prepare, remove from fridge, remove plastic wrap and bake @ 350° for 10 minutes.

Filling:

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp chopped green onion

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

8 stalks of fresh asparagus

Arrange asparagus stalks on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile in a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper & paprika. Whisk well; add onion, rosemary and cheese. Stir to combine. Pour into the baked tart shell. Top with asparagus stalks and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set. 

    As it turned out hubs had to go on a service call over lunch, so I didn't take it to him until later on. G-bug and I shared a slice right away though and it was delicious. 

   I stuck it in the warming drawer then to keep it hot until we took it to the shop. The little monkey found it while I was in another room. Fortunately I caught him before he was able to help himself. =)

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The grass withers and the

flowers fall, but the word of our

God stands forever.  

~Isaiah 40:8

  

Little Lasagna Cups

   I love lasagna, but don't make it very often and I'm not sure why?? I've been seeing these fun little lasagnas on Pinterest and since there were wonton wrappers in the fridge that needed to be used I thought I'd attempt to make some for Saturday night dinner. Although I just sort of 'wung it' they actually turned out really well. 
   Hubby was at their business booth at a farm show and since it was the last day, they had to take their display down and bring it all home. He wasn't sure how long it would take or when he'd get back, so I assembled the lasagnas and then waited to bake them until I knew he was on the way home. It all worked out well and I had dinner ready for the table when he got here. {it actually felt like quite an accomplishment because G-bug was having a grumpy evening}  

Little Lasagna Cups 

yield: 14 muffin-sized cups

28 wonton wrappers

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 pint spaghetti sauce

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese

3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

fresh basil, chopped

In a skillet brown the ground beef seasoned with a bit of salt. Drain, return to skillet and add spaghetti sauce, dried basil, oregano and garlic powder. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile mix together cottage or ricotta and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Grease muffin tins and press 1 wonton wrapper into each cup. Spoon in about 1/2 tbsp of cottage cheese mixture and then 1 good tbsp of meat mixture. Top with another wonton wrapper, and then another layer of the cheese mixture and meat mixture. Top with grated Mozzarella. Bake @ 350* for 8-10 minutes or until wontons are golden brown and cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

              

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Whatever you do, work at it

with all your heart, as working for

the Lord, not for men, since you know

that you will receive an inheritance

from the Lord as a reward.

~Colossians 3:23+24

 ♥ Sheila 

   

Mint Jelly

   If you have been blessed with an over abundance of fresh mint this summer, here is a great way to use some of it. My Mom would make this jelly and I have always loved it. I've been wanting to make it for several years now and finally got it done this week.

Mint Jelly
{yield: about 6 cups}
  2 cups firmly packed mint leaves

4 1/2 cups water

drop or two of green food coloring (optional)

5 cups sugar

1 box Sure Jell

Wash the mint leaves and finely chop. Place into a saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Pour through 3 layers of damp cheesecloth into a bowl. Let drip until dripping has stopped. Squeeze gently. 

Measure exact amount of juice into a saucepan. (if needed add up to 1/2 cup water to get exact amount) Add food coloring if desired. Stir in Sure Jell. 

Bring to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.

 Stir in sugar quickly. Return to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. 

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8" of tops. Wipe off jar rims and seal. Hot water bath for 5 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel and let cool completely.

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Every good and perfect gift

is from above,

coming down from the Father of

the heavenly lights.

~James 1:17 

♥ Sheila 

Grilled Red Potato Skewers

   I remembered this recipe, that I've been wanting to try, when I was thinking about what to fix as a side dish for the pork chops. Since we have lots of red potatoes from the garden it was a good time to make these. They are also super easy which is an added bonus!
   Thanks to hubby for grilling for me, even though it was a bit drippy outside. It really wasn't the best evening for grilling, but I had already begun preparations when it started raining so I just went with it. Thankfully it had about quit by the time he needed to be outside cooking. Plus the end results were totally worth it! {I'm pretty sure he thought that anyway ;)}

Grilled Red Potato Skewers
6 medium red potatoes, quartered

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 tsp minced fresh oregano

2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion salt

fresh ground pepper

Place potatoes and water in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until almost tender, stirring once; drain. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients, add potatoes. Toss to coat, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Thread potatoes onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. Reserve mayo mixture.

Grill flipping once and brushing occasionally with mayo mixture until tender and golden brown. 

    

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Satisfy us in the morning

with Your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad

all our days.

~Psalm 90:14

♥ Sheila   

Buttery Rosemary Crescent Rolls

  A belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Daren's family was together at his parent's house yesterday afternoon for lunch and everyone brought a dish to help out with the meal. I love to bake bread so I had offered to make that. 
  I wanted to make an herb-y type of bread for something different. I searched for awhile to find a recipe for what I had in mind and never did find exactly what I was looking for, but found a few that gave me some ideas to go by. I ended up making the Crescent Rolls that we served at our wedding and then just tweaked them to get the end results I was hoping for. 

Buttery Rosemary Crescent Rolls

 Yield: 24-32 rolls

 1 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp salt

2 cups warm milk

6 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, softened

Dissolve yeast  in warm water. Add milk, sugar, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Mix well {I mixed them in my Kitchen-aid and it was great! } Add butter and rest of flour. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Divide dough in half. On a floured surface roll each piece into a 12" circle. Cut into 12 or 16 pie shaped wedges. Stretch the wedges a bit wider wider and longer. Roll up from the wide end. Lay on greased cookie sheet point side down. Let raise 1 hour. 

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a little course salt and fresh or dried rosemary. Bake @ 350* for 15-20 minutes. Brush with more melted butter and let cool.

mmmm...fresh-from-the-oven bread

   Since this made 32 rolls and I was to fix for 30 or so people I thought I would probably need a little more.....so I baked a loaf of French Bread on Saturday night and then Sunday before we went to his parents I beat an egg and brushed it on top of the baked loaf of bread. I then layed some sprigs of fresh dill  across the top and brushed a little more egg wash over it to make sure they stuck. Bake @ 350* for about 5 minutes or until the egg wash is no longer runny. I was in a hurry and forgot to take pictures of the finished product :/ so the description will have to do this time.....It did look really pretty =)

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Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His

name.

For the Lord is good and His love

endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through

all generations.

~ Psalm 100:4&5   

Blessings, =)

♥ Sheila  

Craving Pasta

  As I'm sure a lot of you know Daren and I are expecting our first child around April 21! So far I am getting along great; was really tired at first but no sickness as of yet. Hoping and praying that it continues this way! =) The craving has definitely begun though....so far being pizza {which makes Daren extremely happy because he loves it and I'm normally not just that crazy about it} and pasta, not exactly the best things to be eating a lot of. :/ I have had to give in and just go for it a time or so though.
  We have wanted to try our hand at making pasta for awhile now, so when I saw a guy on the food network making homemade ravioli I told Daren "We need to make that." I couldn't stop thinking about it then....I really wanted ravioli!!! Well, we didn't get it done right away and then I saw this easy peasy pasta recipe and knew that was what I was making for dinner the next night. =) I had an idea of what flavors I wanted in the ravioli so I did some research and came up with a few different recipes, combined them and added some things I thought would be good and was very excited with how they turned out. Daren said it was some of the best ravioli that he had ever eaten.
  I had about half of the filling left so I want to make more and then put them in the freezer before cooking. They would be great to pull out for a quick meal or if you want to serve them to guests since it wouldn't take as long to prepare. The only thing you would have to make is the sauce, and that is a quick fix. 

Homemade Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Sauce

 Pasta:  

• 2 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Mound the flour on a clean work surface. Using a fork make a well with high sides in the middle of the flour. Crack the eggs into the well. Add in salt and oil. Using a fork beat the eggs and slowly incorporate the flour by pulling it in from the sides of the well. As you continue to add more flour and mix, the dough will start coming together. Using your hands the fork or a scraper work the dough until it comes together. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for about 20 minutes. {or while you make the filling}

 

Spinach Ricotta Filling:

• 1 lb fresh or frozen spinach
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 lb ricotta
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp heavy cream {I used half & half}
• 4 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch black pepper

Cook the spinach with half the salt until tender. Remove spinach from water and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze out the water and chop it up roughly if it's not already chopped. Mix together spinach, ricotta, egg, cream and cheese. Season with nutmeg, remaining salt and pepper.

 

Sprinkle flour on a baking sheet; set aside. Take the pasta dough and divide into four parts. Flour your work surface liberally. Roll the dough out very thin with a floured rolling pin; making the longest thinnest piece you can. Once the dough is rolled place a rounded tsp of filling on the dough {along the edge so it can be folded over} about 1-1 1/2" apart. Fold the dough over top and seal well. Using a sharp knife cut a square around each little pile of filling. Take a fork and press around all the edges of each square to seal them off. Place onto the floured baking sheet.  {At this point you can place the raviolis in the freezer for 24 hrs then transfer to a freezer bag for when you need a quick meal}

 

To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the raviolis and stir gently. When they float to the top they are finished cooking. Drain and then either pour the sauce over all and gently stir to coat or arrange on a plate and pour the sauce over top.

 

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil Sauce:

• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream {I used half & half}
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4-6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• fresh ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a kettle. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Pour over cooked raviolis and toss gently to coat or arrange on a plate and pour over top. Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.   

 

 Sooo delicious!!

 

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For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will praise You because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; 
Your works are wonderful,
 I know that full well.
~Psalm 139:13 & 14 

Have a relaxing, rainy evening! =)
♥ Sheila