Truffled Deviled Eggs

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Truffled Deviled Eggs

Well, Easter is upon us again, as well as the ever present question that goes along with it – what do I do with all these eggs? My answers are always pretty simple – egg salad, sliced up and put on top of a salad, or of course everyone’s favorite remedy: deviled eggs.

My friend Jen makes the best deviled eggs, they’re smooth and creamy – with a good amount of tang from Dijon mustard. It’s usually my go-to version for cookouts. But, it’s Easter – so it’s nice to do something a little more special. And,what better to do that with than white truffle oil? It’s expensive, but the stuff is magical. I purchased a bottle a couple of years ago, and I’m still working through it. It’s insanely delicious just drizzled over roasted potatoes or some greens. Such a great ingredient, and worth every penny in my opinion!

Truffled Deviled Eggs

12 eggs; cooked, cooled, and peeled
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp white truffle oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
ground paprika, for garnish

Halve the peeled eggs length-wise. Remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl, set the egg whites aside. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or a potato masher – break apart the egg yolks. Add the mayo, Dijon, truffle oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Continue to mash until completely smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. A food processor works well for this application too!

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, or a resealable bag with the corner cut off – pipe the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Garnish with paprika or fresh dill, if desired.

Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit

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Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit

Gorgeous asparagus can be found in virtually every small town grocery store this time of year, for a great price. I get so excited when I see those thin, green stalks go on sale – because I know that Spring is finally here!

This recipe comes from the Lee brother’s new cookbook “Charleston Kitchen”. I purchased it in Charleston, and had an opportunity to talk to the brothers for a few minutes. They are just as warm and welcoming as you’d imagine! It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I was planning to make shrimp & grits as the first recipe I’d try out of the cookbook – but when I saw that asparagus was on sale this week, and grapefruits too – I couldn’t help but move this recipe to the forefront.

It was so delicious, and so different! The sweet earthiness of the asparagus, paired with the bite and tang from the grapefruit was out of this world. And the vinaigrette? Lord have mercy. I’ve had a batch in the fridge at all times since then. To-die-for on a watercress and arugula salad. And aren’t those grapefruit segments so pretty? I used a standard “red” grapefruit to cut up for the salad, but then sliced into one of the Texas Rio Star’s I’ve been hoarding to see the color difference (I used it in the background so you can see the difference for yourself). Wowza, totally see what all the fuss is about now. So much redder, sweeter, and larger – they were about 3x the size of a standard grapefruit. I’ll have to cut a deal with Shawnda to ship me some next year, because I had a hell of a time finding them up here!

So if you’re looking to put a few fun, fresh twists on your Easter table this year – I’d highly recommend this asparagus. It’s super-duper easy and quick, delicious, and special.  Thanks to the Lee Brothers for another new family favorite in our home!

Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit

1 grapefruit, preferably a ruby variety
Kosher salt
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp canola or veggie oil
1 pound medium asparagus, trimmed of any woody ends
Freshly ground black pepper

With a zester, scrape some grapefruit zest from the skin of the fruit for garnish, and reserve. Segment the grapefruit, removing any pith and membranes, catching juice in a bowl. Once you’ve extracted all the citrus segments, squeeze the membranes to release any remaining juice and then discard the membranes. Gently strain the segments, reserving segments and juice in separate bowls. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of water, and the mustard to the bowl with the grapefruit juice and whisk to combine. Pour in the olive oil, whisking to emulsify.

Pour the canola oil into a large skillet over high heat, and when it smokes, add half of the asparagus and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cover. Cook, partly covered, until the asparagus is blackened on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the asparagus in the pan, cover, and cook until the asparagus is thoroughly blackened, 3 minutes more; transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining asparagus, adding another teaspoon of oil to the pan (if it’s become too dry) and seasoning with salt.

When all the asparagus is on the platter, scatter the grapefruit segments evenly over the asparagus. If the dressing has broken, whisk to re-emulsify, pour it over the asparagus, and grind some black pepper over the top. Garnish the platter with the reserved zest, and serve.

Source: barely adapted from The Charleston Kitchen by Matt and Ted Lee

“Skinny” Chocolate Cupcakes

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Skinny Chocolate CupcakesThose folks at America’s Test Kitchen – I just don’t know how they do it, or what I’d do without them! They’re working tirelessly, churning out great recipes for us, day in and day out. They’ve taught me probably 75% of what I’ve learned in the kitchen, the other 25% being owed to Alton Brown. Anywho, they’ve got a new cookbook on the shelves that gives our favorite comfort foods a revamp, making them a little bit more figure friendly. A few of my favorite bloggers have been sharing recipes, and when I saw this lightened-up chocolate cupcake – well, I just couldn’t resist giving it a try!

Now, if I hadn’t just told you they were low-fat – you’d honestly never know! Everyone that tried them enjoyed them, and there was nary a peep about them being low-fat. You honestly couldn’t tell! They were incredibly moist and chocolatey, and the frosting was delicious and rich – without being too sweet, like many frostings can. The secret to the cupcakes is the boiling water, which does a great job of “blooming” and releasing the flavors of the cocoa, but also adds moisture. And for the frosting, instead of copious amounts of butter being used – milk is the main component to bring everything together. Along with delicious bittersweet chocolate, and a small amount of butter to give a gorgeous sheen and richness to the frosting.

I’m definitely looking forward to trying more recipes out of this cookbook. I love to cut calories where I can, but refuse to sacrifice taste! I know I can always count on the good people at ATK to do just that for me! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

“Skinny” Chocolate Cupcakes

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
7 tablespoons one-percent milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl add the chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder. Pour the boiling water over the top and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to give the chocolate time to melt. Whisk until smooth and then let the mixture cool, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled add the eggs, vinegar, and oil to the bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk everything together until well combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Measure out 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin tin. Bake the cupcakes for 17-19 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Pull the done cupcakes from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan, on the rack, for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan once the 10 minutes are up and allow them to cool completely on the wire rack, about 1 hour.

For the frosting, combine the powdered sugar and cocoa together in the food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the milk, butter, melted chocolate, and vanilla, and process until smooth.

Frost cupcakes as desired. I used Wilton 2D.

Source: Comfort Food Makeovers by America’s Test Kitchen via Bless This Mess

Twice-Baked Potatoes

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Twice-Baked PotatoesThe guys in my house are great eaters. They never complain when we have a meatless meal, or a fancy salad for dinner. But, they are males – and there is nothing that my boys love more than meat and potatoes. But to stuff said potato full of meat, sour cream, cheese, and scallions? Well, then they’re just in hog heaven.

We don’t eat steak that often in our home these days(as I’m a cheapskate who will only buy it when it’s on sale!) so when we do, I like to make it extra-special by serving these potatoes alongside. They’re easy, filling, and everyone always loves them! You know it’s good when your 4 year old happily gobbles up the potato skin. Sometimes I’ll double the recipe, and stick a few in the fridge or freezer to enjoy for an easy, quick lunch. When paried with a salad, it’s a wonderful meal on it’s own. No steak required!

Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
1/2 cup sour cream
6 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with the tines of a fork a few times and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven.

Hold the potato with an oven mitt or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Discard the tops (or make potato skins!). Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with the sour cream. Stir in the scallions, 1/3 cup cheese, and bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the potato filling.

Place potatoes on baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh scallions if desired.