Smoked Salmon and Egg Salad Tartines

 

 

These little open faced sandwiches are one of my absolute favorite things.  I have been making them alot, serving them as appetizers when I have a dinner or get together.  Everyone just loves them.  If I ever have any leftovers (which doesn’t happen often) I enjoy them anytime of day – either as a breakfast or a light dinner.  It’s a fantastic spin on the classic egg salad.  I got this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa – I love just about everything she does.  I didn’t make any changes to this recipe basically because it’s perfect as it is.  I do, however, cook my eggs slightly different.  I’ve included my version below, but you can feel free to cook them as you wish.  Just be careful not to over cook them – you don’t want that greenish ring around the yokes!

The combination of flavors as well as textures is amazing.  I love the crunchy bread contrasting with the soft salmon and the almost creaminess of the egg salad.  Amazing!  The addition of the dill takes these over the top.

Here’s what you will need to serve 8 people…

 

12 extra large eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp whole-grain mustard

1 tbsp minced fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

8 slices of good bread (whole wheat or 7 grain works well)

8 slices of smoked salmon (buy the best you can afford)

Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to accommodate them in a single layer. Fill pan with cold water, covering eggs by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off heat, cover and allow to sit for 11 minutes.  Once cooked, transfer to a bowl of ice water and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.  Crack and peel eggs.

Place eggs in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse about 10 times to break them up, do not puree.  Transfer chopped eggs to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, dill, salt & pepper.  Combine lightly with a fork.

Toast the bread.  Lay one slice of salmon on each piece of bread, spoon egg salad onto salmon, garnish with a sprig of dill.  Serve at room temperature.

Original recipe from The Barefoot Contessa can be found here…  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/smoked-salmon-and-egg-salad-tartines-recipe/index.html

Potato Fennel and Leek Soup

 

 

Baby, it’s cold outside!  It was bound to happen sooner or later, I mean, it is winter.  I’m not exactly one of those ‘lovers of the cold weather’ types, I’m more of a lover of the spring and fall.  Seasons without extreme temperatures.  I am not an extremist, apparently! 

On these frigid days it is glorious to come in out of the cold to a warm pot of soup bubbling away on the stove.  It soothes the soul. 

This soup is quite easy to make and doesn’t take alot of time.  For something quick and easy the result is super delicious.  That’s a bonus in my book!  You will need to puree this soup in batches once it is cooked, which is the only part of the recipe that actually requires some work.  I usually don’t worry myself too much about pureeing this mixture like mad – I actually like it to have a slight texture to it, perhaps getting a spoonful every now and then with a tiny piece of potato still in tact.  I like things a touch on the rustic side.

Here’s what you will need to serve approximately 6…

 

3 tbsp butter

2 medium fennel, chopped (reserve some fronds)

1 large leek (white and pale green parts only) sliced thin

1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes – 2 inch chop

5-6 cups chicken stock (low sodium)

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

In a large stock pot melt the butter.  Once melted, add the fennel, fronds, leeks, salt & pepper.  Saute until soft, roughly 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat slightly and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, partially covered.

Now, here comes the only slightly high-maintenance part of this recipe…you need to puree the liquid in batches in a food processor (or blender).  So, pour out a few ladles at a time and puree, being careful with the hot liquid.  Pour the pureed soup into a new pot.  Ladle into individual bowls and serve.  If you are having company over and you want to be all showy and stuff, you can put a piece of fennel frond in each bowl.

Peach and Blueberry Crisp

 

Is it a crisp?  Or is it a crumble?  Never quite understood the exact difference between the two, probably because they are so similar!  Apparently, a crumble has a ‘struesel’ topping whereas the crisp has a butter, sugar and oat topping.  So the inclusion of oats is what makes a crisp a crisp. 

I know that it’s winter and not exactly peach and blueberry season, but I just love this combination for a crisp.  A more season appropriate crisp would be apple and pear, which I do make alot and is quite delicious.  Here’s what I love about crisps…you can use any combination of fruit you like.  It’s quite versatile.  And, you can make them ahead and keep them in the fridge, baking off when needed.  Lastly, this dessert is mostly fruit, so you can feel good about eating a second helping!

This recipe is adapted from Anne Burrell.  I like it because it’s not overly sweet and it doesn’t call for a ton of butter.  Also, I particularly like the addition of chopped almonds in the topping.  Anne has her own show now on the Food Network.  She’s a little spunky – and I like it.  I have also been to Centro Vinoteca, where she is the chef, and the food is very yummy.  It’s an open kitchen, so I was able to see her in there, cooking away, which is kinda cool. 

This is what you will need to make this crisp, serving 6…

Filling

4-5 peaches, peeled and sliced

1 container blueberries

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lemon, juiced

Pinch kosher salt

 

Topping

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pea sized pieces

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Pinch kosher salt

1 to 2 tablespoons cold water

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the filling – toss the peaches and blueberries in a large bowl with the lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the filling into a baking dish.

For the topping – combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except the water. Pulse until combined, this will take about 30 seconds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture starts to pull together.  You will know it’s ready when you can pinch a small amount of the mixture and it sticks  together.

Loosely sprinkle the topping over the fruit.  Bake for roughly 25-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. 

Savor every spoonful because before you know it….