recipephile

Rustic Italian Toast Topped with Egg, Mushrooms and Parmesan Romano Cream Sauce

Breakfast in the house that I share with friends on Fire Island is always a treat and each weekend someone is bound to take the reigns and prepare a fabulous meal for all to devour. But being the chef can also be somewhat of a challenge, because all meals are judged using two important metrics.  The first is flavor profile and the cook's ability to cohesively balance the flavors in each and every bite.  The other can be a little daunting and was labeled by my friend Paul as "the creative use of leftovers from the night before".

Inevitably there are always lots of leftovers and a few weeks ago after an evening before meal of steak and grilled veggies I was given the challenge of turning the flank steak, peppers and onions into something tasty for breakfast.  So I modified the potatoes that made a few weeks ago, eliminated the bacon and added the veggies.  It was delicious.  I had about two cups of chopped flank steak (I chopped it into bite size pieces) and a cup of grilled veggies.  All of which I added right before the potatoes were done cooking.

What to pair with my steak and potatoes, I pondered while walking the aisles of the Pines Pantry.  Then I saw this loaf of crusty, rustic Italian bread and envisioned toasted slices topped with egg, mushrooms and cream sauce.  The result, when combined on the plate with the potatoes and some sweet Italian sausage, was a treat and won praise from the hungry housemates.

Here is what you need:

- 1 loaf of of crusty Italian bread
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6 cups of sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups of dry white wine
- 1/2 pint of heavy cream
- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup of romano cheese
- 6 eggs cooked sunny side up

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees to prepare it for making the toasts.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sautee pan and add the mushroms.  Coat with the butter and sautee for a few minutes.  Add the wine and let cook down until the all the liquid is gone.  Set aside.

While the mushrooms are cooking begin preparing the toasts.  Slice the bread into 1/2 inch slices and place onto a cookie sheet and into the oven for about 15 minutes, until nice and crispy.  Then turn the broiler on hi and brown the tops of the bread -- watch carefully so they do not burn.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Place the heavy cream into a sauce pan and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the parmesan cheese and continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  Add the ramano cheese, lower the temperature and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  The sauce should be thick.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

While the sauce is cooking begin preparing the eggs.  Cook each in a saute pan.  It is easiest to do them in egg cookers, but not a priority.  As each is complete I place it onto a large plate and into the oven, which should still be warm from making the toasts.

Now assemble.  Place a piece of toast onto a serving plate.  Top with the egg, about two spoonfuls of the mushrooms and then ladle some sauce over the top.

NOTE: You may add salt to the cream sauce if needed, but taste it first.  There is a lot of salt in the cheese and I find that this amount is fine.

Serve.

Eggs in a Muffin Tin

A few weeks ago my good friend Willa came over with her husband, two children and a few friends.  It had been a while since the two of us saw one another so I suggested that we do a brunch to catch up and enjoy some delicious food. 

Willa's husband Maury made a wonderful fruit salad and dressed it with lemon and basil.  The basil added such an interesting contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. 

I prepared what I call "Eggs in a Muffin Tin".  They are so so so easy to make.  You will need the following:

- 6 cup jumbo muffin tin
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups of sharp white cheddar cheese
- 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If your muffin tin is not non-stick then spray it with some Pam.  Into each muffin indentation crack two eggs.  Drop in two shrimp per indentation, about 2-3 tbsp of cheese, a dash of salt and a few turns with the pepper grinder.

Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, place a knife in the center of the eggs and if it comes out relatively clean then your eggs are done.  A few minutes before the eggs are done you can sprinkle some more cheese on the top.

Note that you can use just about any kind of cheese that melts well.  Try Gorganzola or Reggiano for a different kind of flavor.

Courtney's Poached Eggs Atop Fontina Tomato Bruschetta

My very very close friend Courtney just bought a beautiful new home. Her boyfriend Chris has been literally slaving away every weekend building closet organizers, installing cabinetry in the laundry room, perfecting the backyard, adding lighting both inside and out and making sure the house is more than livable, but also functional and beautiful.

There are a few more things that needed to be done so Chris invited us over to be his helper monkeys for a day. Courtney, Jeffrey and I painted the garage, while Jim and Chris installed a water drainage system and a shelving unit in the garage.

Before all of this work started Courtney prepared us a wonderfully hearty and energizing breakfast. The main feature on the plate were her Poached Eggs Atop Fontina Tomato Bruschetta.

Here is how you make this delicious dish:

You will need an egg poacher, which can be purchased at any kitchen supply store:

For five people:

- 1/4 lb Fontina cheese, grated
- 10 pieces of thickly sliced Sourdough bread, brushed with Olive Oil and salt, toppped with about 1 tbsp of grated fontina. Place these in the oven and let toast until golden brown and all of the cheese has melted.
- 3 Roma tomatoes chopped and tossed with about 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and chopped basil (about 4 or 5 leaves).
- 10 eggs poached

Once the bread is ready place about 1-2 tbsps of the tomato mixture onto the top of the bread. Top with the poached eggs, place on a plate and serve.