cheese – Oven Love

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping (GAPS, Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Option)

Natalie — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 05:07:53 +0000

Good morning, hello, how are you?

I made you some pie.

But first, let’s talk about blogging for a minute.

Food blogging is a funny little part of my life. Most people I come in contact with in “real life” don’t even know I do it; whereas you guys only know about what gets posted here, only this little shared piece of me. Sometimes I feel like my head is bursting with ideas and all I want to do is camp out in the kitchen, test things out and share them with you. Other times, blogging is just off my radar completely. We just go about our business as a family for a while and suddenly (usually during a bang-up meal) I realize that I haven’t been blogging.

Blogging has changed a lot in the past five years. Heck, my life has changed a lot in the past five years. When I first started blogging, I did it because I really enjoyed baking and cooking and documenting what was going on in my kitchen. I had no kids, I had plenty of time. Then the blog grew a little bit and I started to put more importance on posting however-many-times a week, making sure I was hitting up social media and doing all the “right stuff” as a blogger. And I went through a period where I felt really guilty if I wasn’t keeping all of those things going. Spoiler Alert: I can not keep all that stuff going. haha

Now, I’m a mom of two, working on putting together a new house and making it a home. You better believe I have been churning out some great meals for my family that I’d love to share, but I just got out of the groove of setting up photos. Lots of good meals have gone undocumented. Sometimes I still feel guilty for not sharing all of that good stuff with you guys, but realistically, I know that you understand that I have a real life to live outside this slice of the web. So, just thanks for being awesome and going with the flow.

I’ll start talking about the pie now.

This Shepherd’s Pie wasn’t some long-thought-out plan to reduce potato consumption or GAPS-ify a classic recipe. I just had a head of cauliflower and some ground beef that needed using and this is what happened. I saw it coming out of the oven all bubbly and brown and my brain said, “Take a picture, fast, and then let’s eat this thing!”

Cauliflower is like the classic nerd-that-turns-popular story, am I right? People never really gave it much thought before, but now it is everywhere! Cauliflower pizza crusts and faux-tatoes and cauli-rice galore. Good for you, cauliflower. Enjoy your 15 minutes of vegetable fame. You and your versatility deserve it.

This is similar to a classic Shepherd’s Pie, just with the potatoes swapped for cauliflower. I did add cheese on the top, but you can leave it off if you must. If you’re on the fence, though, definitely leave it on- it’s awesome. I used extra sharp cheddar. Treat Yo’ Self.

Perfect meal for fall, you guys! Dinner on the table in about an hour. What’s not to love?

4.9 from 18 reviews

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping (GAPS, Paleo, Grain-Free)

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, coconut oil, etc)
1 small onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef or lamb
¼-1/2 cup homemade beef broth
1 tablespoon homemade ketchup or tomato paste (omit if you don’t have a GAPS-legal or Paleo option)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, etc)
½ cup shredded GAPS-legal cheese (omit for Paleo)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish and set aside.
In a large pot, steam or boil cauliflower until tender.
Heat 2 tablespoons of fat in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, around 5 minutes.
Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until browned. Add beef broth as necessary to keep the mixture wet. Add the ketchup or tomato paste (if using), parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the cauliflower topping.
To make the topping, drain the cooked cauliflower. Mash or puree with a stick blender until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of fat and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top with the cauliflower mixture and smooth with a spoon. Cover with shredded cheese, if using.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Serve warm.

Mini Mexican Zucchini Boats (Grain-Free, GAPS/Paleo/Dairy-Free Option)

Natalie — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 04:54:49 +0000

I made a real dinner, you guys.

I actually semi-meal-planned it and put thought into it and everything (say what??). Mom/wife of the year!

It’s tough for me to get my head on straight and focus on my every day responsibilities at the moment. The new house is just crazy and it’s consuming my thoughts. I sat down to write my market/grocery list and I reeeeally had to focus, but I got it done. And I actually bought the things on my list at the market without buying any extra stuff (except a strawberry popsicle for my little helper, couldn’t resist). Although.. we did go to Trader Joe’s afterwards and we have about 0.0% self control in that place.. so mission only semi-accomplished. Oops.

We will have to do a whole run down of our Trader Joe’s favorites soon.. I could talk about it all day. Love/hate relationship.

Okay, so these are mini taco-stuffed zucchini boats. Cute, right? I made them smaller so they’d work nicely for kid portions. I actually thought about making them even smaller, but I thought the filling might fall out. After cooking them, I can say that they’d be perfect bite-sized appetizers if you cut them into 1-inch portions. I’d love to serve teeny tiny ones with some margs- GIANT margs.

If you are paleo or dairy-free, I still think these would be tasty without the cheese. We had some extra filling and we fried it up like a little taco burger, and it tasted great. Cheese not necessary.

These little boats are a nice way to switch things up if you like tacos, but you’re getting tired of your typical tortilla or lettuce wrap. The zucchini is basically just another vehicle for getting that taco goodness in your mouth. It’s really all about the filling, isn’t it? It takes a little extra time, but it’s not as messy as a taco if you’re feeding them to your child. This is important at my house, since my daughter has crazy-dinner-mess-face every time she eats. Girl is serious about her food.

Hopefully, I can keep up this meal-planning streak for another few days. I think you probably know how that’s going to end..

Mini Mexican Zucchini Boats

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

*To make things even quicker, you can substitute about 3-4T taco seasoning for the spices.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Course

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

4 medium zucchinis, ends trimmed
1 pound ground beef (I prefer grass-fed)
½ onion, minced
½ green bell pepper, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced/pressed/grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional, not Paleo-approved)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons salt
cracked pepper to taste (probably around 1 teaspoon)
1 cup shredded cheese (optional, I used a mixture of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease the bottom of a large baking dish.
To prepare the zucchinis, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh to make a channel. Set aside.
To prepare the filling, mix the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, tomato paste (if using) and spices in a medium bowl.
To assemble, fill the zucchinis with the ground beef mixture. Then cut each zucchini in half (or smaller sections if you life). Place the mini zucchini boats in the greased dish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Pull out of the oven, top with the shredded cheese and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the zucchini is soft and the cheese is melted. If you’re not using cheese, bake about 30 minutes until the zucchini is soft and the filling is set.
Serve warm and enjoy.

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Bacon

Natalie — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:28:41 +0000

We like eggs.

You might already know that. (The backyard chickens are a dead giveaway, no?)

Since we’re moving, we said our goodbyes to the chickies a few weeks ago and they moved in with our friends across town. We no longer have eggs 24/7, which feels really weird. And it means I have to BUY eggs, just like everyone else. Not only do I have to buy them, but I have to buy them in flats (2 1/2 doz) instead of dozens because we can seriously tear. up. some. eggs.

Sometimes I get two flats at a time. And they disappear. Because we really like eggs.

My personal preference is a runny yolk, but not too runny. I like it where it just oozes slowly down your plate and you can dip stuff into it. YUM. Baked eggs are a perfect way to get my fix in this department (although I cooked them just a bit harder than I like in the ones pictured).

You can’t see it too well in the photos, but there’s spinach and bacon hiding underneath those eggs. An awesome surprise to find at the bottom of your breakfast dish. Or lunch or dinner.. or brunch, or midnight snack.

Eggs for President!

One of these dishes was filling enough for one person, but if you’re serving it alongside something else, I’d suggest splitting it up into 4 smaller ramekins. Add some toast/fruit/yogurt/salad and you can spread that meal a little further.

And let’s not forget to mention the cheese. I used raw cheddar, but I think fontina, havarti (GAPS-friendly), parmesan or gruyere would all be excellent choices. You can also skip the cheese entirely, if that’s your thing. The eggs can hold their own.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Bacon

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup of shredded cheese (I chose raw cheddar)
4 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream or coconut milk (optional)
chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter 2-4 small oven-safe dishes.
In a hot skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Set aside. In the same skillet, wilt the fresh spinach.
Fill the dishes with the spinach, then top with the bacon (I suggest crumbling the bacon a bit- I left mine in small strips and I would have rather had it crumbled or chopped). Add a bit of the cheese (reserving some to top the eggs), then add the eggs on top of that. Pour a bit of cream on top of the eggs, then add the remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how set you like your egg yolks. I would check them around 10 minutes (especially if you like your eggs runny).
Top with the parsley and serve immediately.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

Natalie — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:18:00 +0000

[This post has been updated from the Oven Love archives.]

This soup is exceptional.

Exceptional!

It’s so good that every fall for the last four years, we’ve remembered it and had to have it again. You know how rare it is for me to make a recipe twice.. so I think this is going to be a Herr family favorite.

There is nothing more satisfying than a creamy soup on a cool night, am I right? The roasted garlic in this thing is no joke- so, so good- do not skip that step! If it weren’t for the garlic breath, I would eat a head of roasted garlic every. single. day. (TMI?)

The soup is filling as a meal all it’s own, but makes a great starter for a holiday spread as well. And I just love the roasted cauliflower florets on top with their cheesy, herbaceous flavor. Great presentation for company, but also a perfect supper to share with your family.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

via Martha Stewart Recipes serves 10-12 This recipe is for a crowd (think holidays)- but can be easily halved and it’s freezable, too.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 12

Ingredients

3 heads garlic
salt and pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 heads cauliflower, 3 cored and thinly sliced and 1 broken into florets
8 sprigs thyme, tied with twine, plus one tablespoon chopped (you can sub. 1T dried thyme)
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock, plus more to thin, if desired
2 cups heavy cream, plus more to thin, if desired
2½ cups plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut off the tops of garlic heads. Place each on a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly in foil, and bake until garlic is very soft, about an hour. Let cool. Squeeze garlic from peel; set aside. Increase oven to 350 degrees.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft but not browned. Stir in sliced cauliflower, thyme and wine. Simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add stock, bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
Remove thyme bundle and stir in cream and 2½ cups Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic. Puree with a stick blender or in batches until smooth. Thin with more stock or cream, if desired. Return to pot; keep warm on low heat.
Heat remaining ¼ cup olive oil over high heat in a saute pan until almost smoking. Add cauliflower florets, stirring until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pan to oven and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, parsley and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. To serve; ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cauliflower florets.

Grilled Corn with Garlic Herb Butter

Natalie — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:10:00 +0000

It’s still summer, right?

It seems like everyone in the food blogging world (maybe the real world, too?) is already making fall comfort foods and pumpkin desserts and back-to-school lunch ideas.. but in my world, it’s still, like, 90 degrees every day.. so I’ma keep grilling. Cool? Cool.

I like my corn just lightly grilled.. not charred like crazy. Just a personal thing. I also like slathering it in butter. Garlic herb butter. And covering it with cheese. Are you with me?

Garlic herb butter sounds and feels fancy, but all I did while the corn was grilling was grab a handful of herbs from outside, chop them up, mix them into some softened butter and added some fresh garlic. Good to go. All that’s left to do is spread on the butter and sprinkle with your favorite cheese. We chose Romano because we had it in the fridge, but you can go with Parmesan, Feta, goat cheese.. anything you like.

We had plenty of the herb butter left over, so I’m looking forward to using it to saute other fresh veggies this week or make some impromptu garlic bread. You could use it for anything, really. Cook your eggs in it. Spread it on your sandwich. Just don’t waste that precious stuff!

And let’s face it- if you’ve already packed up the grill for the year, you can make the corn on the stove top with perfectly lovely results. We’ll only have fresh corn for a little while longer, so let’s take advantage before fall actually appears.

Grilled Corn with Garlic Herb Butter

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Oven Love

Ingredients

6-12 fresh ears of corn, shucked
olive oil, for grilling
1 stick butter, softened at room temperature
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
¼-1/2 cup fresh herbs, minced (I would just eyeball it- I used a handful of fresh basil and parsley)
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
grated or crumbled cheese of your choice (Parmesan, Romano, Feta, Goat Cheese, etc..)

Instructions

Heat up that grill!
Rub the ears of corn with some olive oil. Grill until they are browned/charred to your liking.
While the corn is grilling, mix butter, garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Take the corn off the grill and slather with herb butter while still hot. Cover with cheese and eat ASAP!

Baked Potato Casserole

Natalie — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:53:00 +0000

We planted potatoes in our garden again this year.

A LOT of potatoes.

Anyone want some potatoes??

I feel like I’m saying “this-is-what-we-are-doing-with-our-garden-surplus” over and over again on this blog, but it’s usually when we have giant piles of produce on our counter that I have to be creative and come up with new recipes.

With a big pile of spuds staring me down, I got a craving for some baked potatoes. We planted Yukon golds in our garden, which are lovely in taste and texture but not excellent for baking, so I had to come up with another plan.

Here’s the procedure: steam the potatoes and broccoli, fry the bacon, cook the onion and garlic, combine it all with some spices and cheese and bake until nice and bubbly. Pretty straight forward. Don’t forget the smoked paprika- it takes the dish to another level, trust me.

This would be a great side dish, but we actually ate it as our main meal. We should have added a salad to make it a more balanced dinner, but let’s face it: we just wanted to stuff our face with gooey, cheesy, bacon-covered potatoes. And hey! The broccoli’s in there- that’s good for you. You can leave it out if you want, but then you should definitely eat a salad. I mean, really.

This isn’t exactly health food, but it’s way better for you than say, a baked potato from Wendy’s. So I think you can still feel good about it. I mean, I do. I’m all about some good fat. I better end this post before I go on a grass-fed, pastured meat tangent or talk about how you need lots of good fat to make better breast milk. You guys are just here for good food.

And this stuff is good.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets (about 2-3 cups chopped)
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups (150 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

Place a steaming basket in a large pot and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Place pot on to boil. When water is boiling, add the potatoes and steam (covered) for 5-6 minutes. Add broccoli to the potatoes and steam for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking dish. (You can butter/spray it now, but I like to use the paper towel with the bacon fat later.)
Meanwhile, fry the bacon until just crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on a paper towel and chop into small pieces, setting 2 tablespoons aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in your frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the mixture begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and broccoli, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Mix in half of the cheeses and the bacon (except for the 2 tablespoons you set aside). Pour the mixture into your baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and serve hot.

Eggs Barbacoa

Natalie — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:02:00 +0000

What did you do the morning after Cinco de Mayo? (Seis de Mayo just doesn’t have the same ring to it). Maybe it was just another Sunday morning, maybe you were nursing a hangover, maybe you don’t have kids and you don’t wake up until the afternoon, I don’t know.

We were up at a reasonable hour (as usual) with lots of yummy Mexican leftovers from our party the night before. When I make shredded pork or shredded beef tacos, we never leftover meat. This time, I made a giant batch for the party, so we lucked out had plenty left for future meals. I have always wanted to make Eggs Barbacoa, but not enough to make a batch of shredded beef specifically for that. Thank you, Cinco de Mayo, for making my breakfast dreams come true.

Oh, I LOVED this breakfast. Love, love, loved it. Crispy tortilla, creamy guac, spicy beef, runny egg, savory salsa.. just try and talk me out of eating this every day for the next week.

Do you have any ideas for Mexican leftovers or breakfasts?

(I’d love to read your comments while I stuff my face with more of these.)

Eggs Barbacoa

inspired by Cooking Light- http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/eggs-barbacoa-10000001988568/

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main, Breakfast

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 tortillas (gluten-free, if necessary)
4 eggs
½ cup guacamole (Cooking Light used re-fried beans, but I had guac on hand, so I used that instead. Both will work and both will be tasty.)
1 cup warm shredded beef (I use my recipe for shredded pork, just substitute a beef roast)
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
½ cup salsa
¼ cup chopped scallions
salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and a large, flat-bottomed skillet filled ½ full with water over high heat. Bring the water to a boil.
While water is boiling, crack each egg into a ramekin. Reduce heat in the large skillet until water is just simmering and place the ramekins in the water. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs (check at 5 minutes).
While the eggs are cooking, heat the tortillas in the small skillet until browned and slightly crispy. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons guacamole, ¼ cup shredded beef and 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack cheese.
Remove the eggs from the ramekins and drain over a paper towel. Top each tortilla with an egg, 2 tablespoons of salsa, 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Mini Strawberry Ricotta Galettes

Natalie — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:42:00 +0000

Have you ever tried to type something with one hand (like a blog post, for instance) while nursing a baby, hoping that you can clear your mind and get some thoughts down before your toddler wakes up? This is probably my fifth attempt in three days to do so and I’m almost positive I’ll be interrupted by something in the next few minutes. How do you mamas of 3, 4, 5+ babies do it all?

But I will soldier on- you guys deserve some attention, too!

Say hello to my second round of mini galettes this week. To follow up my savory breakfast galettes, I present something a little sweeter- but not too sweet. These galettes are made with a layer of ricotta, a drizzle of honey and topped with beautiful fresh strawberries. I know I’ve lived in the South for a few years, but I still can’t believe strawberries are in season this early down here. I’m a lucky lady.

If you are a person who doesn’t like overly sweet treats, this one’s for you. You can eat it for breakfast or dessert, depending on your mood. I like it served hot with an extra drizzle of honey on top- I’m sure I would have added some ice cream or whipped cream, though, if we had any on hand. This is another great choice for brunch as well- perhaps Easter brunch?

If you don’t like the idea of the ricotta cheese, you can substitute mascarpone cheese or cream cheese as well- just make sure the cream cheese is very soft and spreadable so you don’t tear the pie dough.

I hope this recipe gets you excited for spring. Spring is my second favorite season, ya’ll (after Fall, which is the best of the best)! Spring means strawberry picking, birds chirping, playground equipment that isn’t burning hot, slightly fewer annoying bugs, sidewalk chalk, fruit in my water when I feel fancy, toenail polish, asparagus and green, green grass. Spring for the win!

Eat one of these before spring is over.

Mini Strawberry Ricotta Galettes

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 batch pie dough (You need enough for a single crust. See this post for my pie crust comparison- http://ovenlove.blogspot.com/2011/05/pie-crust-comparison.html – Note: a store-bought crust may not make as many galettes.)
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 tsp honey
12-16 strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
1 egg, beaten
coarse sugar and fresh cracked pepper for seasoning
honey, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream or ice cream for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Separate your pie dough into 4 sections. Roll each section into a small circle, about ¼ inch thick. Place your dough circles onto the prepared baking sheet.
Spread each circle with ¼ cup ricotta cheese, leaving about an inch of dough around the edge. Drizzle the ricotta with 1 teaspoon honey per galette and layer with strawberry slices. Fold up the edges of the dough, sealing the dough up around the filling. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar and black pepper.
Bake the galettes for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden. Serve hot with a drizzle of honey, a dollop of mascarpone cheese or whipped cream, or a scoop of ice cream.

Mini Asparagus Breakfast Galettes

Natalie — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:41:00 +0000

Oh, good morning, HEAVEN. How did you end up on my breakfast plate?

Ya’ll know I love me some breakfast and brunch. They’re the meals best known for being awesome. I have whipped up some tasty breakfasts and brunches in the past, but I think I hit the jackpot on this one, people. Picture it with me:

Flaky, buttery pie crust. Creamy Fontina and Ricotta cheese. Salty prosciutto. Drippy egg yolk. Roasted asparagus. And you can have them all in one bite. Droolfest 2012, my friends.

After reading this post a few months ago, I could not get the idea of a breakfast galette out of my head. I decided to make it my own by creating a single serving version- that way each person is guaranteed a good amount of crust and a whole egg yolk to themselves. I cannot get enough of drippy egg yolks, especially when they come from my own happy chickens. (Yes, all of the beautiful eggs pictured are from our fine, feathered gals in the backyard.)

I’m somewhat obsessed with the egg yolks in this recipe; but I love the asparagus, as well (it reminds me of one of my favorite spring dishes, this Asparagus and Gruyere Tart). I can think of nothing better on a spring morning than eating one of these galettes, fresh out of the oven. I downed one just minutes after I took these photos. It’s a good thing I only made two of them. It is a bit decadent, but worth every bite.

You could go vegetarian with these, but I beg you- don’t leave the prosciutto out! It adds the perfect, salty undertone to the egg yolk. It’s like bacon and eggs, only 1,000 times better. How’s that for an endorsement?

I also experimented with some sweet galettes which I’ll be showing you soon. I love galettes- they are impossible to mess up and always find a way to look fancy. Try serving them up at your next breakfast or brunch gathering- you can make them ahead, then reheat in the oven and add the egg yolks before serving. Or how sweet would it be to make these for breakfast-in-bed? You will definitely get extra points when your hubby takes a bite.

And just so you know..

This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you check out Suzanne Goin’s springtime recipes at www.maketimeforchange.com, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win the new Frigidaire Range with Symmetry^TM Double Ovens – featuring two large ovens (that can each fit up to a 28 pound turkey!), providing the flexibility to cook multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures, so you can get more on the table at the same time.

Mini Asparagus Breakfast Galettes

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 batch pie dough (You need enough for a single crust. See this post for my pie crust comparison- http://ovenlove.blogspot.com/2011/05/pie-crust-comparison.html – Note: a store-bought crust may not make as many galettes.)
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 slices prosciutto (about ¼ pound)
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 bunch asparagus, cut off 2-3 inches below the tip (you can use the rest of the spears in another recipe)
1 egg, beaten
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
4 egg yolks

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Separate your pie dough into 4 sections. Roll each section into a small circle, about ¼ inch thick. Place your dough circles onto the prepared baking sheet.
Spread each circle with ¼ cup ricotta cheese, leaving about an inch of dough around the edge. Layer with a slice of prosciutto, ¼ cup Fontina cheese and a few asparagus tips (I used about 6 for each galette). Fold up the edges of the dough, sealing the dough up around the filling. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and season with salt and pepper.
Bake the galettes for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden. Remove them from the oven, gently add one egg yolk to each galette and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until the yolk is set. Serve hot.

Chicken, Kale and Broccoli Casserole

Natalie — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Let’s start this with a .. YUM.

Reasons to try this recipe: It’s full of healthy greens.
Dark, beautiful, curly kale and a little family-friendly broccoli. I like greens on their own, but when you add pasta and cheese? That’s a win.

It’s freezable.
I made the full recipe; baking up half of it for our meal and freezing half of it for a future dinner. I love that I only had to cook once, but I get to eat it twice (and not as leftovers).

It’s tasty.

Big bites of pasta, creamy ricotta cheese, perfectly moist chicken and dark, flavorful greens. Pair it with a salad and you can feel great about what you’re feeding your family.This is a solid weeknight meal- try it soon.
(And do not fear the kale! It’s your body’s best friend, I swear.)

Chicken, Kale and Broccoli Casserole

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

adapted from Martha Stewart- http://www.marthastewart.com/862208/chicken-and-kale-casserole

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main

Serves: 4

Ingredients

¾ lb. large or jumbo pasta shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 large container ricotta cheese
zest of 1 lemon
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale and broccoli, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.
Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and ½ cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; top with ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.
To freeze: Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water; return to the pot. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale and broccoli, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta. Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and ½ cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch disposable baking dish (or two 8-by-8-inch baking dishes); top with ¼ cup Parmesan. Let cool to room temperature, cover with aluminum foil and freeze.
To reheat from frozen: Bake casserole (straight from the freezer) at 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes or until completely warmed through, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. You can also thaw in the fridge the day before and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.