grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Toad in the Hole – Redefined!

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(this post is sponsored by Great Day Farms…)When my daughter was young, Saturday morning often meant a Toad in the Hole for breakfast. It was one of her favorites. You know the basic drill—cut a hole in a piece of (plain, white) bread with a cookie cutter, fry an egg inside the hole and voila(!) toast and egg all in one tidy, whimsical package.

Smoked Gruyere and Arugula - Toad in a Hole - Redefined!
Last weekend for a quick lunch, I elevated the Toad in a Hole to a sandwich with pumpernickel, smoked gruyere and arugula. Even with this fancied-up twist, it was still a five minute meal and perfect for a rainy fall day.
Toad in a Hole Redefined!

Ingredients
(1 sandwich)

2 slices pumpernickel
1-2 slices smoked Gruyere (the slices in the picture are small…)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg
arugula
sea salt
pepper

Method

With a cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of one slice of bread. (I used this vintage cookie cutter I bought at Curiosities in East Dallas. If you’re looking for vintage anything—I recommend Curiosities.)

Toad in a Hole Redefined.

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet on medium heat.

When butter has melted, begin browning both pieces of bread.

Crack open the egg into the slice with the hole. Let cook for a couple of minutes.

Toad in a Hole Redefined
This makes me smile:)
When the bottom of the egg begins to set, carefully break the yolk then flip the bread to cook the other side. Flip the other slice of bread and top the browned side with cheese. When the cheese begins to melt, top with arugula.
Toad in a Hole Redefined
flipped egg…

Sprinkle cheese with sea salt and pepper (optional) and top with the egg slice of bread, hole facing up.

Sophisticated Toad in a Hole
Toad in the Hole – Redefined!

That’s it.

You could easily substitute any type of bread or cheese. Very yummy.

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

 

Crustless Broccoli and Feta Quiche

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crustless broccoli feta quicheQuiche is a great dish for any meal, yet in my constant attempt to limit gluten, I don’t often make it. Recently, as I wracked my brain for a new way to use leftover broccoli, I came up with this crustless broccoli feta quiche recipe. The recipe is versatile and would work well with other vegetables like spinach and/or herbs and seasonings. If you’re a meat eater, add bacon or ham.
I plan to serve this during the holidays for brunch with a tossed green salad.

For a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions, head over to Great Day Farms (click HERE) where this recipe is featured today.Thanks!

crustless broccoli feta quiche
talya
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
 
 

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Almonds and Feta

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This recipe was recently published in the November/December issue of Front Porch Magazine… 
Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Feta and Almonds
Arkansas Women Bloggers held its annual blogger conference in September at Ferncliff Camp just outside Little Rock. Day One on the agenda—a food challenge demanding quick and creative kitchen skills not unlike today’s reality cooking shows made popular by Iron Chef.
Seven teams were provided boxes of identical ingredients along with a pantry stocked with additional basics. With only forty-five minutes to create twenty appetizers, competition was fierce. To make things more interesting, each team was allowed one secret ingredient.
I was part of the winning team led by Kellee Mayfield (Delta Moxie) of Lake Village. Kellee came with a box of tricks including our secret ingredient, Miso Soy, plus decorative napkins and serving platters. Every southern girl knows presentation is an important part of the food equation.
The appetizer our team created was inspired by one of my favorite Southern Living party recipes, Bacon-Wrapped Almond-Stuffed Apricots. Our first stumbling block—the pantry had no apricots. Instead, we substituted dates then put our heads together to create the winning dish using Arkansas Petit Jean Bacon and other locally grown ingredients.
(I can’t go into specifics, but there was even a bit of bartering to secure the feta cheese from another team…)
Hard at work! (photo courtesy of Julie Kohl of www.eggsandherbs.com)
According to the slate of foodie judges from Memphis and Little Rock, our dipping sauce made with orange marmalade and Miso Soy would make plywood taste great! 
It was that good.
The saltiness of Petit Jean bacon and crumbly feta paired with sweet dates and orange marmalade proved to be a delicious combination and possibly even better than the original inspiration. This recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next holiday gathering.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Almonds and Feta
(makes 24 pieces)
 
12 slices bacon, cut into halves
24 dates
24 whole almonds
feta
green onions (4-5)
3/4 cup orange marmalade
Miso Soy paste (or 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce)
Method
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice a pocket into each date and stuff with one almond and a small sliver of feta cheese.
Close date and wrap with bacon slice. Secure with wooden toothpick.
Place on wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once to brown each side.
Mix miso soy paste with water (according to package instructions) to make two tablespoons. Add to marmalade and heat in a small, microwave safe bowl at medium 1 minute or until blended.
Arrange appetizers on a serving platter. Drizzle with dipping sauce and top with a sprinkle of chopped green onions. Serve warm with extra sauce for dipping.
Enjoy!
talya
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center - Arkansas Women Bloggers
Ferncliff


Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!