4.18.2014

deviled tiramisu egg


I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. Remember yesterday's post about jalapeno popper deviled eggs when I said I was going to make you a little uncomfortable?! Let's talk about sweet deviled eggs. If you think about it, a lot of desserts start with eggs. Custards are made with egg yolks and well, the whites don't really taste like anything. I loved the juxtaposition of doing sweet and savory deviled eggs for an easter menu. It's playful, fun and something that will at least get everyone at the table talking. Be brave, they actually do taste delicious! Even my husband thought I was crazy… until he tried it. 


Tiramisu is one of my all time favorite desserts when it's done right. There are lots of bad ones out there. But a good one, a good one will comfort the soul with creamy, subtly espresso & chocolatey goodness. I worked on my recipe for 6 months after I got back from living in Rome before I got my recipe just riiiiiighhhhttttt. I applied similar thoughts to this deviled egg recipe.


Be bold, try something outside of your comfort zone. Besides, I made the recipe to yield 4 servings so anyone feeling slightly adventurous could try it without too much commitment.

tiramisu deviled eggs
yields 4 servings

ingredients:
2 hardboiled eggs
2 TBSP mascarpone cheese, room temperature
½ tsp espresso powder
2 tsp honey
3 TBSP heavy whipping cream (then whip it into whipped cream)
1 tsp heavy whipping cream (this one stays liquid)
2 tsp dark rum
1 tsp cocoa powder, garnish
1 lady finger, crumbled (optional garnish)

Cut your eggs in half and scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Mash them up good with a fork until they're fluffy and in tiny crumbs. Add in the mascarpone, espresso powder, honey, rum, and heavy whipping cream (the liquid one). In a medium shaped bowl whip up the 3 TBSP heavy whipping cream until it's light and fluffy. Gently fold half of the whipped cream mixture into your small bowl. Once incorporated, fold the remaining whipping cream. This helps give it a nice texture and consistency. 

Give your egg whites a light dusting with the cocoa powder and pipe or spoon your filling into the whites. Top with lady finger crumbs for a nice little crunch and texture variation. I didn't do this but after taste testing realized that would have been the perfect addition. Leave this step off until right before serving.

improv style:
there are so many ways to switch this up! serving to kiddos and want to leave out the rum? No problem, substitute with heavy whipping cream. 

don't want to buy a pack of lady fingers just to garnish? use any type of vanilla cookie (think vanilla wafer) or even gram cracker crumbs for the same affect. Amaretti cookies would be great too if you have them!

you can substitute the rum for light rum, kahula, or amaretto instead. 

no espresso powder? you could play with using super fine coffee grounds or even liquid espresso. just be careful if you're using liquid. it could make the mixture runny. 

i like a thicker filling for deviled eggs. they make prettier presentation but i also really like the consistency. if you're on team runny, add more liquid to the mix! 

don't let a distaste for tiramisu stop you from making sweet deviled eggs. think of the possibilities! you could do my raspberry lemon tiramisu with limoncello and raspberry chunks instead of coffee & chocolate. or, ooh, oooh! strawberry cheesecake anyone?!



4.17.2014

deviled jalapeno popper egg


Easter is one of my favorite holidays for one reason, ham. I could eat my weight in that porky goodness. The sides are good, and it's always fun to spend time with my family but let's be honest, it's really about HAM.


Except now we're going to talk about non ham things. I love deviled eggs. Not quite as much as ham but they're up there. Last year I shared with you my family's classic deviled egg recipe. Deviled eggs are really the perfect canvas to shake things up and improvise. This year I got a little weird with it - in the best possible way. For those of you looking to shake things up a bit I created 2 deviled egg variations. One might scare you. I'll get to that post tomorrow. 

Let's temper the water a bit first with jalapeño popper deviled eggs. Who doesn't love a cream cheesy roasted jalapeño that's breaded and deep fried?! These deviled eggs were inspired by that. And no need to bust out the deep frier. Unless you want to do some sort of scottish egg version of a deviled jalapeño popper egg… that's an idea for another day. 

These are really simple and I created the recipe in a small enough batch for those willing to try something new but might want to do a few different versions for your guests. Oh and if you struggle peeling hardboiled eggs like I do, check out this tip I stumbled upon from Food & Wine today. I'm going to try it next time.

deviled jalapeño popper egg
yields 6 servings

ingredients:
3 hardboiled eggs 
3 TBSP cream cheese, room temperature (about 1" from an 8 oz brick)
½ tse pickled jalapeños, diced
salt to taste
fresh jalapeño slices, optional garnish

peel and half your eggs. scoop the yolks into a bowl and mash them really well with a fork. you want them to be like little crumbs. add in the ingredients and give it a good mix until everything is incorporated and smooth.


i like to pipe the filling into bags because it makes a nice presentation but you can scoop them into the egg whites with a spoon too. i cut paper thin slices of fresh jalapeño for a bit of crunch and it looks really nice. i'm not a big fan of super spicy and the paper thin slices were perfect. 

improv style:
big spicy fan? add in some hot sauce, garnish with cayenne pepper or one of my fav's, tapatio sauce.

no meat?! bacon, duh! there's always room for bacon. wether you chop it up into little bits OR you take a 1" piece and use it as a garnish, you can't go wrong.

no cream cheese? you could do a mix of sour cream and shredded cheddar. pickled jalapeños come in spicy or mild. i used spicy but either works perfect depending on your preferences. no pickled jalapeños? use fresh! you could even roast fresh ones which would add a nice depth of flavor. 


4.02.2014

green smoothies round 2


Where did the last 3 months go? I swear it was just the holidays and the next thing I know, BAM, it’s Spring. How has it been so long since I’ve posted?! You probably thought I’ve abandoned you, right? I promise I haven’t. This Winter in Chicago has just been so… COLD. And I’ve been so busy and tired and and I’ve had great intentions of sharing what I’ve been up to in the kitchen with you guys. I just never got around to testing, shooting and writing all of the thoughts in this crazy head of mine. Plus, polar vortex. No human should ever have to experience -40º F let alone 3 different times!!

Just because the sun is out longer during the day doesn’t mean that 36º is Spring, Chicago. Lets close our eyes and pretend that Spring has sprung, for reals. Or maybe you’re already in Spring mode because you don’t live in one of these crazy states with freak cold weather. Did I really just rant about the weather for 2 paragraphs?! I promise I’m not usually that person… 

Lets talk about feel good things. Like cats, new shoes, lipstick and green smoothies. Green smoothies?! Ever since I discovered them over 2 years ago, I’ve been making one for breakfast almost every morning. It’s a natural boost of energy and such a great way to start the day. I’m always looking for new combinations of ingredients to keep from getting bored. My latest favorite is a bit more “advanced”. I say that because when I first started making green smoothies I used unsweetened almond milk and was heavy on the fruit. Eventually you get more and more used to the bright and fresh flavors of the greens and begin to crave it. There’s lots of ways to tweak this recipe to cater to whatever level green smoothie drinker you are - novice to advanced. 


green smoothie
yields 1 serving

ingredients:
1 stalk dinosaur kale
1 c. leafy greens (spinach, red leaf lettuce, romaine, etc…)
2 limes, juice + pulp
1” ginger, peeled & roughly chopped
3” cucumber (skin on)
3 mint leaves
1 green apple
1 c. brewed green tea, chilled

Place all your ingredients in a blender (starting with the kale and ending with the iced tea) and blend on the highest setting for 1 - 2 minutes. Add more tea or water as needed to reach your desired consistency. 

improv style:
i like the balance that the green apple gives but if you don’t have green apples, you could use any apple you have on hand. no kale? you can add a little bit more leafy greens or just leave it out. no brewed tea? just use water!

more of a beginner? leave out the kale and stick to spinach. you can do 1 - 2 apples to amplify the sweetness too. if you’re going to use almond milk i would consider leaving out the cucumber as it might be a weird flavor combo.


finally, you can add in your favorite bonus heath food too! think chia seeds, flax, hemp, etc… 

*note, i'm not usually a mint fan but in this recipe, it's subtle and very balanced. if you're like me, give this mint recipe a try.

**curious about what blender to use and my first discovery of green smoothies? check out the post here. yes, my kitchenaid blender is still going strong 2+ years!