Lazy Saturday

On one of the rare sunny weekends we've had, I made these open faced sandwiches with things we needed to use up from the fridge.

Scrambled Egg, Cilantro, Asparagus & Pancetta on Flax Seed Ciabatta

5 Eggs
1-1.5 Tblsp butter
2-4 Tblsp creme fraiche (sub. cream cheese or grated cheese)
2 Tblsp cilantro (sub. chives or basil)
Salt/Pepper

Asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

8-10 thin slices of Pancetta, cooked to level desired

4 slices Ciabatta (I used flax seed type), toasted

Add things precisely in the order I list and you'll get the creamiest eggs EVER.
Cook on med high in a saucepan as if it were risotto, constantly stirring. Don't overcook. When they start to set up, add creme fraiche. Keep stirring! Continue cooking until they're right where you want them. Add cilantro and mix well. The more you stir the better. NOW add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss asparagus in olive oil and lay in an even layer on a hot grill pan. Add salt/pepper to taste and cover to cook, approx. 5 mins. You want to keep the asparagus as bright green as possible; make sure you don't over cook.

Arrange the Pancetta evenly on the bread, then top that with a layer of asparagus. Spread eggs evenly between 4 slices. I garnished with halves of a cherry tomato.

Serves 2 people for a filling brunch or more, if you want it to be lighter.

Red Velvet Black and White Cookies

EVEN THOUGH this recipe is from Rachel Ray, who I am not a fan of, I encountered it in one of my favorite blogs, Joy the Baker, and at her insistence I went for it. I kept reading about how fabulous black and white cookies are and the colors on this one made me go for it. I love red + black + white. Plus I had some buttermilk I needed to use. BONUS!

Review-- an interesting recipe to try but not a keeper. I was not comfortable with the amount of dye that I was ingesting in one cookie. I like the idea of it, and definitely want to make the traditional Black and Whites.

Here it is...

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder ( I used Dagoba, and added an extra tablespoon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5 Tablespoons butter, softened (I used unsalted)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 Tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease and flour the pan well so the cookies don’t stick. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Using a mixer, beat 5 tablespoons butter with the granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.

I had some issues with the amount of red food coloring I had to use. I had a brand new little jar of the Wilton's Christmas Red food coloring gel, and used most of it! Maybe I was naïeve going into it. I almost never use any artificial ingredients, and when I started out I was adding tiny bits at a time, but ended up using a teaspoon. You will use more that you think.

Place 1/4-cup scoops of batter 2 inches apart of the prepared baking sheet, spread the batter out with a butter knife. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

For Vanilla Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I substituted for the innards of 1 plump vanilla bean)

For Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

3 Tablespoons butter (unsalted again)

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

To make the glazes-

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (again, I used a bean), 1 tablespoon of corn syrup and 2 tablespoons hot water, until smooth. That’s your vanilla glaze.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter and the chocolate in a microwave for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. That’s your chocolate glaze!

Once the cookies are cooled, face them all bottom side up of a clean surface. Spread half of the cookie with vanilla glaze and the other half with chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.