Bacon and Leek Risotto with White-Wine Poached Duck Eggs

I made this dish as a part of a meal for an online cooking competition (fingers crossed that I place!), so there are more pictures than usual of the actual process... something I'm sure you won't mind when you lay eyes on this dish :)


In my opinion, there is nothing more appetizing than an oozing egg yolk. How can you make this better? Use a bigger egg! Bigger egg= bigger yolk. In this case, I used duck eggs on top of a sumptuous risotto.
I have to be honest, I LOVE this dish... far more than most other dishes. What can I say? I'm a sucker for comfort food, and this dish takes all of my favorite comfort foods and combines them: runny yolks, risotto, and bacon. What's not to love?
There are so many glorious textures and flavors that play off of one another here: rich, velvety egg yolk, crisp, peppery bacon, soft, sweet leeks, chewy, creamy rice... basically one of the best things you will ever lock your jaws around.


(By the way, I have a redesign for my blog being worked on and I CANNOT wait for it to be done because I am so sick of Blogger! It never works right for me. For instance, I have ZERO clue why my font is much smaller than normal here.)

Bacon and Leek Risotto with White-Wine Poached Duck Eggs

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 2-3 duck eggs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove
• splash of vinegar (not pictured)
• 3-ish cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 slices thick bacon, somewhat diced (I used a peppered bacon)
• 1 leek, thinly sliced (white and pale green only, please)
• ¾ cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine + more for poaching eggs (I used a Pinot Grigio)
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½-1 tbsp. butter
• 1-ish tbsp. grated parmigiana reggiano + more for garnish

First we need to poach the eggs:

1. Get a sauce pan and fill it with a couple inches of white wine. Bring it to simmer with the bay leaf, garlic clove, salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar.
2. Crack an egg into a ramekin and carefully drop it into the liquid. Repeat with remaining eggs. Cook the eggs for about a minutes, spooning hot wine over the tops. 
3. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place in a cold water bath. Turn the wine off but leave it on the stove (we're going to reheat the eggs in the wine when the risotto is done).

Now for the risotto:

1. Make sure that your broth is simmering in a pot on the stove. Get a nice big dutch oven or saute pan and heat the olive oil over medium or medium-high heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place onto some paper towels, but leave the drippings in the pan. 
2. Add the leeks to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Take two tablespoons full of the leeks and set aside in a small bowl to garnish the dish later.
3. Add the rice to the pan and toast the grains up for a couple of minutes. Add in the wine and stir until it is absorbed. 
4. Now start adding in the broth, one or two ladle-fulls at a time, and stirring after each addition until the broth is absorbed. Do this until the rice is done (the grains should have a slight bite to them), about 25 minutes. 
5. Stir in the bacon (be sure to leave some out if you want it for garnish), butter, and parmigiana reggiano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
6. Reheat the poached eggs in the wine for a minute or so until heated through.
7. Top each bowl of risotto with a poached egg (remember to season with salt and pepper), your reserved leeks and bacon, and extra parmigiana reggiano.

Asparagus with Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Chopped Egg

*Phew*! I got my first of three papers finished this morning! The next is due on Monday, and my final paper (the longest at 10-12 pages) is due on Tuesday. I. CAN'T. WAIT. for this quarter to be over! It's totally been throwing a wrench in my cooking/baking time.

Anyways, on to the food! Last weekend, Mikey and I went to Pike's Place Market to shop for Memorial Day ingredients. Produce stands were completely stocked with gorgeous Spring veggies and the very first produce of Summer. I wanted to take everything home with me but I settled on a few select items--including a bunch a beautiful, local asparagus.

This dish turned out better than great! The asparagus keeps a nice, crisp bite thanks to only being cooked for a couple of minutes, and the creamy, thick, tart vinaigrette and chopped egg are nice counterpoints.

Asparagus with Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Chopped Egg

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 2 lbs asparagus, washed and trimmed
• 1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 1 large shallot
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

1. In a food processor, combine the shallot, vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Process until the shallot is minced and everything is combined. Slowly, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl and stir in the hazelnuts.
2. Bring a large saute pan filled with 2 1/2 inches of salted water to a boil. Add in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving dish.
3. Top the asparagus with the hazelnut vinaigrette, chopped egg, and more salt and pepper. Serve!

Itty Bitty Mushroom Quiches

After the Winter Olympics, Mikey (my boyfriend) took up an interest in curling (lol), so we found a local curling club that was having an open house where you could go and pay $10 to try it out for the day. Well, needless to say it wasn't my favorite, but Mikey loved it! He signed up for both lessons, and a spring league.
This week, he signed up to bring the snacks for the league. I was so happy to hear that I would actually have people to cook for! I hate to say that a lot of what I make ends up going to waste because Mikey and I just can't handle eating it all ourselves.
I got to work in the kitchen baking up an enormous storm. I made (more) brownies (which will be up later this week), tiny cheesecakes (these will also be up later this week), and these adorable mini quiches!
A while back I had purchased these great Sable & Rosenfeld Party Cups but didn't have a use for them (yes I buy things just because I think they are cool/cute). But after the news that I would be making food for a ton of hungry curlers, I knew they would be great for appetizers.
The quiches turned out great- tons of flavor for such little bites! Plus, they were super easy to make and a real crowd pleaser- they were gone in about 10 minutes!

Itty Bitty Mushroom Quiches

recipe adapted from here

makes 20-30 mini quiches

ingredients:

• 20-30 party cups
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 5-10 crimini mushrooms, diced (you want 1/4 cup of sauteed diced mushrooms)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 heaping tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
• 1-2 tsp diced chives
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set out the party cups on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Heat a smal saute pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add in the mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes until nice and brown. Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add in the mushrooms and chives and combine.
4. Spoon about a teaspoon of the egg mixture into each party cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops begin to turn ever-so-slightly golden.

Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Garlic Spinach

On Thursdays I don't have class until 1:30 so I get to sleep in and have brunch :)! Today, though, I didn't do much sleeping in as I got up at 8am. I laid around on the couch for a few hours and studied for my English exam this afternoon (which I totally aced if you were wondering) and by 11 I was in the mood for eggs! I haven't had eggs in quite a while and the last eggs I did have were scrambled. I knew I wanted some delicious, runny, yolk-y goodness to satiate my craving.
Poaching eggs is one of my very favorite ways to enjoy them and these turned out spectacular. Seriously, this simple dish is one of the best breakfasts/brunches I have had in quite a while. I enjoyed my eggs with some juicy white and pink grapefruit.
Oh, and don't judge my use of sandwich thins! They're only 100 calories!

It's a happy face! Hah.

Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Garlic Spinach

serves 1

ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 tbsp butter, divided in half
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 slices of toast, and english muffin, or *ahem* a whole wheat sandwich thin

1. Bring a pot of water to a low boil.
2. While you wait for the water to boil, heat half of the butter in a skillet. Add in the garlic and saute for a minute or so until really fragrant. Add in the spinach and some salt and pepper and saute for a few minutes until wilted.
3. Crack the eggs into little bowls or ramekins and slowly slide them, one at a time, into the water. You can use a spoon to try and push the egg whites around the yolks. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and let the eggs cook in the water for about 4 minutes.
4. Grab your toast/sandwich thin/whatever and butter it with the remaining butter. Top with the sauteed spinach. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and gently place on top of the spinach. Add more salt and pepper to your heart's content... I like a lot as you can see. Enjoy!

1 serving @ 352 calories

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Arugula and Prosciutto

Ever since I realized the glory that is slow scrambled eggs, I have been all over those babies like white on rice. While I was home, I really wanted to share their tastiness with my family so they could appreciate their wonderfulness as much as I do! Yesterday morning I woke up early and made my mom some for breakfast.
I wasn't sure about the flavor combination that I wanted to include in them so I just decided to see what I had on-hand. I saw some arugula and prosciutto di parma leftover from the tartines I made a couple of days ago and it was settled!
These eggs turned out amazing and it's safe to say that my mother was rather impressed. I served them up with some nice fresh strawberries topped with mascarpone cheese that I mixed with a bit of cream and brown sugar- utterly delightful!

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Arugula and Prosciutto

ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup cream
• pat of butter
• salt and pepper
• handful of arugula
• shaved parmesan cheese
• a couple of slices of prosciutto di parma

1. Whisk together the eggs and cream until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Wait until the butter foams up and then the foam subsides. Pour in the eggs/cream and reduce the heat to low.
3. Continually stir the eggs with a wooden spoon over very low heat until the desired consistency is reached (this should take quite a bit of time, up to around 30 minutes). Add in the arugula and stir until it wilts.
4. Scoop the eggs onto four pieces of toasted, fresh bread. Top with a sprinkling of shaved parmesan and finish with a slice of prosciutto. Serves 2-4 depending on appetites.

Creamy Slow-Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary and Capers

Scrambled eggs are one of my very favorite dishes and I find that the make a wonderful meal for more than just breakfast and I can tell you that they have made their way onto my dinner menu more than a handful of times. Only within the past year have I discovered the gloriousness that is slow-scrambled eggs. They are rich, and velvety, and simple; all you need is patience!
These herby eggs were such a delight. The briny flavor of the capers, coupled with the woody, fragrant rosemary is an amazing pairing with the creamy eggs. Of course in order to complete the dish you must serve them over some nice crusty french bread.
This recipe is for one but it is easy to double, triple, quadruple, or whatever to your heart's content.

Creamy Slow-Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary and Capers

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• pat of butter
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp capers
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

1. Beat the eggs with the cream, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the rosemary and capers and saute for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
3. Lower the heat all the way and pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook the egg mixture 'til desired consistency, stirring fairly constantly (this can take up to 25 minutes- don't worry it's incredibly worth it!).
4. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve over toast.