Eggs with Mustard Creamed Spinach and Crispy Breadcrumbs

I don't think my love affair with eggs for dinner will ever, ever end, for as long as we both shall live.  And while I am all for the usual suspects (I mean, who doesn't adore pancakes at 7pm?),  when I run across a salty, savory version of eggs, I am even happier...and that's exactly what this little number is.

You start with the bread crumbs.  Whirl a slice of bread in your food processor until it is a pile of crumbs, toss it with some olive oil and a little mustard, and then bake them in the oven for 5-10 minutes until they are golden and crispy.  Next you saute some baby spinach until it is all nice and wilted, and then stir it up with a little more mustard and a teeny bit of half and half.  Last but not least, fry up a few sunny-side-up eggs.

All you have left now is the assembly: bed of spinach, topped with eggs, sprinkled with mustard crumbs.  I tossed some fresh oregano on top because it is going bananas in my Aerogarden and I am using any excuse to snip it back and use it as a garnish.  

Now it is all over but the eating, and the singular happy feeling of having breakfast for supper!

Eggs with Mustard Creamed Spinach and Crispy Breadcrumbs, from Bon Appetit

• 1/2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless country-style bread
• 5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (if you have them.  If not don't worry.)
• 1 9-ounce package fresh spinach leaves
• 3 tablespoons half and half
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 large eggs
• Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss crumbs with 2 teaspoons mustard, 2 teaspoons oil, and mustard seeds in medium bowl to coat. Scatter on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add enough water to deep large nonstick skillet to cover bottom. Add spinach; toss over high heat to wilt, about 2 minutes. Scrape into sieve set over bowl; press out liquid. Wipe out skillet; reserve.
• Transfer spinach to medium saucepan. Add 3 teaspoons mustard, half and half, and chopped thyme. Stir over medium heat until thick, about 3 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into skillet, spacing apart. Fry until whites are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide spinach between 2 plates, spreading out as base for eggs. Top with eggs, crumbs, and thyme sprigs.

Print this!

Ravioli with Baby Spinach and Bacon

Okay, so here's my philosophy: anything that involves spinach, which I actually LOVE,  counts as health food.  It completely cancels out any non-healthy contributions that the bacon may make to this dish.  And the ravioli, well that is just neutral.  Scrumptious, but the its the food equivalent of Switzerland.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

In the meantime, this is another super easy dish that is a wonderful combo of three things that you might not occur to you to put in the same pan, but that actually work PERFECTLY together.  The spinach is sauteed quickly with a little garlic while the ravioli cooks.  In the meantime,  put the bacon in the oven for about ten minutes until it is crisp and get someone reliable to chop it into bite-sized pieces while you are sauteing the spinach.

Sorry, but not you.

Stir the chopped bacon into the spinach, squeeze in a little fresh lemon juice and when you have all that done, toss the ravioli with the tiniest bit of olive oil, and then spoon the spinach and bacon mixture over the top.  A little fresh-ground pepper, and dinner is on the table.

Isn't it great when dinner is both fabulous AND ready in 15 minutes?

Ravioli with Baby Spinach and Bacon, from Real Simple

• 1 pound ravioli (fresh or frozen)
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 8 cups baby spinach
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain and divide among bowls.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Crumble.
3. Wipe out the skillet and heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Stir the bacon and lemon juice into the spinach. Spoon the mixture over the ravioli.

Click here for printable recipe

Egg Sandwich with Spinach, Brie and Maple Bacon

Things I love in life:

1. Bacon

2. The Southern husband

3. Brie

4. English muffins

5. Baby Spinach

6. Noisy, disobedient but lovable dogs

7. Eggs, over easy

8. Noisy, disobedient but lovable teenagers.

Five of these things are part of the sandwich we had for dinner tonight.  (And by the way, don't you love sandwiches-for-dinner night? I do.  Add that to the above list.)

I won't lie to you, this is a messy one to eat, but man, is it worth every single drip and spatter.  You toast up the muffins and while they are still warm, spread on some nice soft Brie.  Yes, on both sides.  Let them sit there while you slather some maple syrup on the bacon and cook it in the oven.  While the bacon is cooking, saute some baby spinach until it is nice and soft, and then cook up some eggs, over easy - as hard or soft as you like.  I like soft, myself.  

Now slide the egg onto the bottom half of the muffin, lay some spinach over the egg, and a couple of maple bacon pieces over the spinach.  Pop the other muffin half on top.  At this point, the heat of everything is going to start turning that cheese into a melty sauce of molten Brie, and you may start to weep a little in anticipation.  This is normal.   Now sit down and get ready to eat the best egg sandwich in the world.

The best!

Egg Sandwich with Spinach, Brie and Maple Bacon

• Two strips bacon, each cut in half
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups baby spinach
• One English muffin, split
• 2 large slices of Brie cheese, softened
• One egg
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Cover baking sheet (use one with sides) with foil and lay bacon on top. Brush with maple syrup.  Bake for 10 minutes or until bacon is done to your liking.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet and saute spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Cover with skillet cover and set aside.

3. Toast English muffin and as soon as it is toasted, spread both sides with cheese.

3. Heat butter in second small skillet over medium heat until melted.  Fry egg until yolk is soft set. Flip and cook another minute longer.

4. Lay egg on bottom of English muffin.  Top with spinach.  Cover spinach with bacon.  Cover with top of English muffin.

Click here for printable recipe

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Soup

I know, I know, this is a weird one, but work with me here and imagine this.  You know how sometimes you have a bagel, and you spread it with vegetable cream cheese?  Cream cheese that has been mixed up with chopped veggies like spinach, maybe a little tomato, maybe some chopped onion, maybe some herbs like chives and dill?  And then you top it with a little bit of lox or smoked salmon?  (Digression: can someone tell me if lox and smoked salmon are the same thing?  I should know, but I don't.)

Anyway, imagine that...still with me?  Now, take that scrumptious bagel topping and (work with me here), imagine it as a warm and creamy soup.  The cheese is all melted and smooth and creamy, the veggies are cooked and mixed throughout the cheese, the herbs are sprinkled throughout, and in the midst of all of this are pieces of salty, delicious smoked salmon.  And if you still aren't convinced (and the Southern husband wasn't when I first mentioned I would be making this for dinner), see if this helps: this recipe is from the always fabulous SILVER PALATE GOOD TIMES COOKBOOK.

Now, the Silver Palate and I can't BOTH be wrong, can we?  We can't.  Just ask the Southern husband, who after having it for dinner is now hoarding the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow.  That's the true test if you ask me...leftover hoarding.

Give it a try and see what you think!

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Soup, adapted from SILVER PALATE GOOD TIMES COOKBOOK

• 3/4 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 8 cups water
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• 2  eight ounce packages cream cheese, sliced into 8 pieces each
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Melt butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in dill, tomatoes and salmon and cook 3 minutes.  Add flour and cook 1 minute more.  Gradually stir in water and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  

3. Season with pepper, stir in spinach and simmer 5 more minutes.  Now stir in cream cheese, one piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt into the soup.  When all the cheese is added and the soup is smooth, stir in the vodka and lemon juice.  Taste for seasonings, and ladle into bowls.  Garnish with chives and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Soup Bowl Lasagna

I have to say, I have a love-hate relationship with lasagna. I love it...but I kinda hate the production of making the traditional 13x9 inch pan of the stuff. The boiling, the grating, the layering, the baking, the cooling, the slicing...it's just exhausting. Especially for something that will be devoured in no time.

Which is why I love this recipe for soup bowl lasagna so very much. It's all the joy of lasagna in a fraction of the time. You cook up the lasagna noodles the way you always do, but instead of assembling all the ingredients in a baking dish, you skip right to the plate. Some warm marinara sauce, some spinach, a delicious mixture of warmed ricotta and mozzarella, the cooked noodles, some parmesan cheese...instant, super-easy lasagna! No muss, no fuss, no baking. This is a lasagna you can actually make on a school night. And even better, you can make exactly the amount you need, portion by portion, because you are assembling it right into individual soup bowls. Which you probably figured out. From the name of the recipe. :)

So for all of you who are looking for lasagna shortcuts, break out your soup bowls and give this one a whirl.

Soup Bowl Lasagna, adapted from Bon Appetit

• 12 ounces baby spinach
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken in half
• 1 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• Grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a tablespoon of salt. Blanch the spinach in the water for one minute, scoop out with a slotted spoon into a colander and drain.

2. Add noodles to the boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat ricotta in heavy small saucepan until smooth. Stir over low heat for 2 minutes, add mozzarella and stir until melted, about one minute more. Remove from heat and grind in some pepper.

4. Warm marinara sauce in separate saucepan.

5. Time to assemble! Line up 4 soup bowls and ladle a quarter cup of sauce into each bowl. Top with two noodles. Divide spinach on top of noodles, and then divide cheese mixture on top of spinach. Top with second later of noodles, remaining sauce and grated parmesan. Serve at once.

Click here for printable recipe

Pasta with Garlic, Blue Cheese and Tomatoes

A few days ago I posted a recipe that included some reminiscing about our recent Vermont vacation, and while you may have thought you were done looking at my vacation pictures...guess what. I held back a few, because I wanted to have enough time to go over a couple of little treasures that I found while we were up there. I promise that this will be at least marginally related to that plate of pasta up there.

One of things we love to do is go exploring around the rambling unpaved roads, because you never know what you are going to find around the next turn. We found a couple of fabulous spots in Castleton, Vermont.The first was Wright Choice Alpacas. Have you ever met an alpaca before? I never had, and how adorable is this?

They are like life-size, walking, talking (they were very talkative) versions of your favorite stuffed animal, and we spent some fun time with Deb who introduced us to the alpacas and then showed us her gorgeous array of things created from their wool. (I'm not sure that is the technical term, so bear with me here. ) I picked out a soft, beautiful green gaiter, which Deb had knitted herself. I love the whole concept of a gaiter. My lovely assistant will demonstrate...

It's open at the top, but it has a little drawstring. So you can leave it open and wear it around your neck, which is probably what I will do most days. My neck gets chilly.

OR, you can pull that drawstring closed, tie it in a bow, and wear it as a hat. Isn't that the best??

When I was able to tear myelf away from the alpacas (I really, really wanted to take one with me), we drove into town to visit the spectacular Farrow Gallery and Studios, which features the glorious sculpture artwork of the late Patrick Farrow and Susan Farrow. Susan was there and gave us a lovely tour of the place, which included everything from giant sculptures to her own framed piece of art made from found Vermont iron, to an amazing display of sculpted jewelry. I knew exactly what I wanted as soon as I saw it.

It is a small pendant shaped into, yes, a clove of garlic. As the card says, among other things, I will now be safe forever from vampires. And of course it got me to thinking...garlic, garlic...which (finally!) brings me to that plate of pasta up there. This is a dish from the Pioneer Woman's website that features three cloves of minced garlic, along with a load of other things near and dear to my heart, such as blue cheese, spinach, tomatoes and a whole lot of pasta. It's a quick and easy recipe that cooks all in one pot (well two, if you count boiling the pasta), and the combo of the blue cheese, the tomato and the spinach is just heaven. Not to mention all that GARLIC.

See, I told you I would string this whole thing together! Here's the recipe.

Pasta with Garlic Blue Cheese and Tomatoes, from The Pioneer Woman

• 1-½ pound Pasta (angel Hair Or Thin Spaghetti), cooked
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole 28-ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
• Dash Of Sugar
• Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste
• ¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• 4 cups Baby Spinach
• Half-and-Half, for thinning
• Extra Blue Cheese Crumbles, For Garnish

Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Pour in drained tomatoes. Add sugar, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. Coor for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in crumbled blue cheese. Add cream and stir, then a little splash of half-and-half if sauce is too thick. Cook for a minute or two, tasting and adding more seasonings as needed.

Add spinach to pan. Immediately toss in the cooked and drained pasta. Serve immediately!

Click here for printable recipe

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

I am always a little skeptical about whether lasagna is really, truly worth it. I mean, we've all had it one million times, and it's always kinda the same. But every once in a while I run across a recipe that restores my faith in lasagna, and this was one of them. Roasted vegetable lasagna that involves a sauce made of roasted tomatoes and a filling that includes roasted butternut squash and sauteed spinach.

It all comes together for a beautiful layered look that melts the heart of even a lasagna-doubter like myself...

I used lovely fresh mozzarella and ricotta and that helped (and in case you have not heard me go on and on about my adventures in ricotta-making, please click here. Or you can do what normal people do and get your fresh ricotta at Whole Foods.)

So if you are looking for a delicious and different lasagna, this ones for you. It also uses those no-boil noodles that I never think are going to work but they always magically DO! It's one of the great mysteries in life.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne, adapted from Everyday Foods

14 plum tomatoes (about 3 pounds total), halved lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced inch thick
3 bunches (about 2 1/2 pounds total) spinach, trimmed and washed
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
9 to 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from a 9-ounce package)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, oregano, and two-thirds the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush another rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange squash in one layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast squash until tender, about 20 minutes, and tomatoes until slightly shriveled, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomato halves. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add remaining garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add 2 pounds spinach and toss until wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer spinach to a strainer and press to release liquid. When cool, chop spinach and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, cup Parmesan, egg, and nutmeg until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread one-quarter the tomato sauce in dish, top with 3 to 4 noodles, breaking to fit as needed. Top with half the ricotta mixture, the squash, one-quarter the tomato sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining ricotta mixture, cooked spinach, one-quarter the sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining sauce, 1/2 pound mozzarella, and cup Parmesan.

4. Set rack in middle of oven. Bake lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let lasagna cool 15 minutes before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Italian Wedding Soup

Oh, I love and adore this soup. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part, I love this soup, and true love lasts forever. For me, this soup is all about the adorable little meatballs, which cook right in the soup. You make them nice and tiny so they fit right on your spoon. Use a really nice prepared chicken broth for the soup base -- these days I am liking Imagine free range chicken broth, which comes in a box and has a smooth and rich chicken broth flavor (some of the canned chicken broths taste a little tinny and watery to me). The broth is enhanced with some chopped sauteed veggies, some pasta, some fresh baby spinach...and of course those wonderful teeny meatballs.

I like to make a nice big batch of this soup on a Sunday afternoon -- it makes a perfect Sunday supper, especially served with some crusty French bread and butter, or even grilled cheese sandwiches if you have an especially hungry crew on your hands. The leftovers save just beautifully and will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling when you look into your fridge wondering what's for lunch and see the container of wedding soup.

Ah, Italian Wedding Soup. Make it for your true love today.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound ground pork/veal/beef combined
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cup dried pasta (I use tiny shells, but your choice)
• 1 pound fresh baby spinach

1. Heat oil in a deep large saucepan over medium heat and add carrots, celery, onion and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cover pot and cook veggies for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.

2. While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, cheese, crumbs and nutmeg.

3. Uncover pot and add broth and water and bring to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start rolling the meat mixture into very small meatballs, dropping them in the soup as you go.

4. When you are done with the meatballs, add the pasta, stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. When pasta is tender, stir in spinach. When spinach is wilted, the soup is ready. Taste, adjust seasonings, light some romantic candles and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Crepes!

As those of you who read yesterday's post on Creme Brulee already know, I recently got to attend and photograph my third "Meet the Chef" event at our local library. Not only did the wonderful Chef Rosemary Smith teach us how to make creme brulee, she also made us not one but TWO kinds of crepes...the spinach one you see above, and this delectable looking chocolate banana number.

Just as a quick reminder, Rosemary is from the new and lovely La Vie En Rose Bakery and Cafe. Doesn't that name just make you want to go there and order some tea and scones?

Anyway. After she finished up the creme brulee, we were on to the crepes. Crepes are one of those intimidating sounding things that seem like they should be handled by licensed professionals, but Rosemary promised us it would be fun, and after the creme brulee we were true believers.

We started with flour. So far, so good..

Add some eggs to it....

And mix that baby up good. Hey...crepes are easy!

Then add some milk, whisk whisk whisk...

I love how this looks. Creamy and comforting, and sitting on top of Rosemary's recipe, which is usually where my OWN recipes are when I need them. Under something.

Now comes the scary part. The cooking of the paper-thin, delicate, needs to be flipped over without tearing into pieces crepe.

Rose explained that one of the tricks was to actually do the lifting and flipping with your fingers. Really? Yes, really...she did it before our very eyes. Lift and flip.

After that, the rest is easy. The spinach crepes were spread with a mixture of spinach and mushroom filling...

And folded over into adorable crepe bundles.

The banana crepes were spread with chocolate (Nutella would be ideal for this) and sprinkled with bananas. Getting HUNGRY???

And that was it -- beautiful, perfect crepes, right before our very eyes!

All that was left was to spoon on a little sauce (cream sauce for the spinach crepes, whipped cream for the banana crepes)....and to EAT them!

So there you go. Now that Rosemary has shown us the secrets of crepe-making, we can let our imaginations run wild on the filling...the sky is the limit. I'm thinking vanilla pudding on the inside and strawberry sauce on the outside. What about you? In the meantime, here's the basic crepe recipe...and thanks, Rosemary! See you at La Vie En Rose!

CREPES

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• Fillings and toppings of your choice

1. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, whisk to combine.

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs

3. Start whisking in the center of the bowl, combining a little more of the flour and the eggs in each pass.

4. When a thick paste has formed, start thinning it out with the milk, adding little by little so you don't get lumps.

5. When all the milk is added, let the batter rest for about an hour.

6. When ready to use, add the melted butter.

7. Heat a small skillet over medium high heat and add enough butter to coat it. Ladle in enough crepe batter to coat the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the bottom is set and slightly golden. Flip with spatula or your fingers, cook the other side until set.

8. Place on wax paper until ready to fill.

9. Fill with any of your choice of sweet or savory fillings. Rosemary's spinach filling is prepared as follows:

"Sautee one large shallot and one cup of mushrooms, roughly chopped, in 3 tablespoons of butter. When lightly cooked, not brown, add a package of raw spinach,. Looks like a lot, but it shrinks to almost nothing. Add salt, pepper, and fresh grated nutmeg to taste (I like a lot of nutmeg). Grate some Gruyere or Parmesan cheese into the mixture....about 1/4 cup. As the spinach cooks down remove it from heat so as not to overcook it. Remember to go light on the salt when adding cheese, which can bring too much salt to your dish. You can always add some later to taste.This mixture will be fine in your refridge for 2-3 days until you are ready. Happy Crepe-ing."

Click here for printable recipe

Pasta with Baked Camembert

One of the nifty things about this blog is that I get all kinds of SUGGESTIONS. Some are actual recipes (like the chocolate chip cheese ball! whoo-hoo!!), some are for cookbooks or websites or restaurants I should try. Some are requests for dishes calling for specific ingredients (bacon), or requests that I not use specific ingredients (bacon). Note to this last group of requesters: you have no shot. Zero. Sorry. I love you but I have my standards to uphold.

Anyway, one of my good friends (let's call him the Narnian) has been telling me for a while that I really should try some of Jamie Oliver's recipes. I didn't know much about Jamie other than the fact that he goes by the name "The Naked Chef," which was slightly alarming until I realized that meant he is a big proponent of using non-processed ingredients. He is also on a mission to get the United Kingdom to cook and eat healthier, which I dearly hope does not knock out scones with clotted cream and jam, which is my absolute favorite part of going to the UK.

Anyway, I finally checked out Mr. Oliver, and ran across this recipe, which has instantly become one of my favorites. It's a nice easy one that is basically a super-charged version of macaroni and cheese, only this time the cheese is Camembert that has been baked with fresh rosemary, garlic and olive oil until it is soft and creamy and you want to weep with happiness. The picture above shows the Camembert right before it goes in the oven, in case you are wondering how it actually works. It gets tossed with pasta and baby spinach, and looks like this when it is done:

Need I say more? So with thanks to the Narnian, I am now a Jamie Oliver convert. Except, I wonder how he feels about bacon?

BAKED CAMEMBERT PASTA, adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe

1 round of camembert (the kind that comes in the thin wooden box)

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, with the leaves stripped off

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

8 ounces penne

1 pound baby spinach

1. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it. Put it back in the wooden box, or in a small baking dish if it didn't come in wooden box.

2. Cut a circle in the top of the rind, then peel off and discard (see picture above)

3. Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese and cover with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

4. Scatter the rosemary leaves over the top. Grind pepper over all.

5. Bake the cheese at 350 for about 25 minutes until soft.

6. When the cheese has 10 minutes left to cook, cook pasta until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach to the pasta for about 30 seconds, then drain all.

9. Add remaining olive oil and grated Parmesan to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

10. Remove the cheese from the oven and scoop the melted cheese into the pasta. Toss thoroughly and serve.

Click here for printable recipe.

Eggs Florentine with Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese

I know, I know, I am egg-obsessed. I can't help myself - the egg is just a perfect thing to behold. Easy, quick, good and good for you. Eggs are my go-to dinner when I have had a long day and want a very quick but creative supper, and so I collect egg ideas wherever I go. I made this one at the end of a long week and it was just the thing...comfort food with just a little bit of elegance in the creamy goat cheese mixed up with the baby spinach.

Here's the deal on this one: you need some pretty nice bread -- sourdough, ciabiatta or something similar. You brush it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and toast it up until it is golden and crunchy. The baby spinach is sauteed quickly, and you toss the goat cheese in with it until it makes a creamy little goat cheesy sauce. Last but not least, gently fry that egg -- sunnyside up or over easy, whatever floats your boat. Bread, topped with spinach, topped with egg, topped with fresh ground pepper. Priceless.

This has been a public service annoucement from the incredible edible egg.

EGGS FLORENTINE WITH BABY SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE, adapted from Everyday Food

• 4 slices (1 inch thick) sourdough bread
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 pound baby spinach
• 1/3 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
• 4 large eggs

1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place bread on a baking sheet, and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium. Add spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain off excess liquid; mix in goat cheese. Transfer to a bowl; cover to keep warm. Set aside.
3. Wipe out skillet; heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, and remove from heat; let stand until whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 3 minutes. Or flip over to be over easy, whatever you like best.
4. Top each piece of toast with spinach mixture and 1 egg; serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Soba Noodles with Edamame, Carrots and Spinach

Lately it feels like this blog has been a rollercoaster of bacon, and chocolate, and bacon, and pasta, and bacon. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I will defend my right to eat bacon and pasta and chocolate with every fiber of my being. But from time to time I do like to throw some healthy stuff into the mix, just to keep everyone on their toes, including me. And when I saw this recipe on Mark Bittman's fabulous Bitten blog a little while ago, I thought -- this thing is so incredibly nutritious that one plate of it will probably balance out the entire last month's worth of bacon.

Plus it sounded so delicious. I am a big fan of edamame, although I usually eat it in those liberally salted servings you get at sushi restaurants. So I was delighted to see it start appearing in the frozen food section of the supermarket in all its green and healthy glory. Soba noodles were a little trickier to find, but I tracked them down in the Asian section of the supermarket. They cook up in no time -- 4-5 minutes tops. Fast-cooking pasta, right up my alley! Miso is the hardest part; it is in the refrigerated section of the store.

Anyway, once you assemble the ingredients it is about 10 minutes from start to finish. I modified the recipe slightly to drop the baby spinach in the water for the last 30 seconds or so -- for those of you who want to try it Mark's way, he mixed it up with the pasta once it was drained. It depends how "cooked" you like your spinach. I like mine cooked, baby.

So the next time you feel the urge for something supremely healthy and super-delicious, give this a try. We now return you to your regularly scheduled bacon-imbued programming.

SOBA NOODLES WITH EDAMAME, CARROTS AND SPINACH, from Mark Bittman's BITTEN blog

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 to 4 ounces soba noodles

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 cups edamame (frozen are fine)

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of one lime

2 tablespoons white or light miso

1 tablespoon mirin or 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

1 10-ounce package fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Drop in the noodles and carrot and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes; add the edamame and spinach for about 15 to 30 seconds just to warm, then drain everything in a colander. Set aside.

2. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, miso and mirin or sugar. Add spinach, noodles, carrot, edamame, scallion, and toss; then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with grated ginger at the table.

Yield: 4 servings

Click here for printable recipe

Red Pesto Ravioli

You'd think that with the basil outside my door almost as high as an elephant's eye I would be making green pesto, but I came across this recipe on one of my favorite sites, 101 Cookbooks, and I couldn't resist. The pesto in this case is made out of sundried tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, fresh thyme (which is also growing like crazy so THAT is good), olive oil and walnuts.

You of course need some really really good ravioli. I got some fresh round ones at Fairway, the large ones that come 12 to a box. Mine were regular cheese ravioli, but almost any cheese variety would work (the recipe suggested goat cheese ravioli and next time I will definitely try that). 101 Cookbooks put theirs on a bed of fresh baby spinach tossed with salt and olive oil, but in my only departure from this great recipe, I cooked my baby spinach instead. The whole thing can be put together in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the ravioli -- in other words, this is an under 15 minutes recipe that looks and tastes just stunning.

If you don't know 101 Cookbooks you must check it out, and to get you started here is a link to the red pesto ravioli. Soon we will return to our regularly scheduled program of using up the basil. All suggestions for how to do that gratefully accepted.

Red Pesto Ravioli

Spinach Dip In The Rain

Okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. Those of us here in the NYC metropolitan area are seriously thinking about building an ark. If it hasn't quite been forty days and forty nights, it certainly FEELS like it has been. So, because all it does around here is rain, it rained on the barbeque my brother Rob and my lovely sister-in-law Claudia had yesterday. However, it was a rain or shine affair (I'm starting to think we need to say that the other way around), and so despite the damp, the party went on.

There were all sorts of good things to eat and drink. We all started with the drink.

There was little something for everyone.

Regardless of how old you were.

Whoops. Thank goodness for child-proof caps.

There was even barbequing in the rain, which is even more fun when you have twelve feet tall rambunctious teenagers cavorting right next to your red-hot grill.

And when the deluge started -- and yes ma'am, it deluged -- there were many strong-bodied men around to put up the tent, which went up in two shakes. I was very impressed.

And in the midst of all of it, there was my mom's classic spinach dip, which started out as being the point of this post, but actually the point of it is that despite the pouring rain - or maybe as part of being outside in the pouring rain under our cozy tents - we all had a blast. So all of you looking at the forecast for next week (guess what it says? you guessed it!), don't surrender to a few million raindrops. Because the company was all the sunshine we needed.

MOM'S SPINACH DIP

• 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can chopped water chestnuts
• 1 cup mayonaisse
• 1 packahe Knorr's vegetable soup mix
• 1 cup fine curd cottage cheese.

Combine all ingredients and serve in hollowed-out round bread loaf with sliced bread on the side. This recipe can be doubled. Or tripled, if you are my mother. (Love you, Mom!!)

Chilled Sesame Spinach

This is my favorite recipe so far in Summer 2009. (yes all you purists, I know it is not officially summer yet. But I consider it summer as soon as you can start eating dinner outside, so there. ) Anyway, this perfect little summer recipe starts at one of my favorite places in the world:

There it is, a-gleaming in the sun.

The apples!

The lemons! The limes! The tomatoes! Okay, snap out of it. We are here for spinach. This recipe calls for 2 pounds of spinach washed and trimmed. It may be a little more expensive but I promise you that it is worth every last penny to buy baby spinach. It doesn't have all the sand in it, and there are very few stems to trim. My Fairway (yes, it is MINE!) has baby spinach in a big bin so you can scoop out as much as you need. I like a lot of spinach. Don likes a lot of spinach. Emma likes exactly no spinach. Dixie would probably eat the plastic bin they store the spinach in.

This recipe takes exactly five minutes once you have all the ingredients out, and then I pop it in the fridge while we are making whatever goes with it. This time we grilled some chicken and sliced it thin, and by time that was all done the spinach was perfectly chilled.

CHILLED SESAME SPINACH

• Coarse salt
• 2 pounds spinach, washed and stems trimmed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
• 1/1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine (rice wine? I used white wine. tasted just fine)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water, set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil, season with salt. Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain immediately in colander and plunge into ice water.

3. Let spinach cool completely, about 30 seconds, drain again. Using your hands, squeeze excess water out of spinach. When you think you are done squeezing, do it one more time. Spinach is absorbent stuff. Transfer to cutting board.

4. Coarsely chop spinach and place in medium bowl, set aside.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and wine. (I do this while the water is boiling). Add dressing and sesame seeds to the spinach, mix to combine.

6. Spinach may be refrigerated for up to 2 days. I, however, have trouble not eating it between mixing in the sesame seeds and putting it on the plate, that's how good it is. If you love spinach, that is.