SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND HAM GRILLED BAGEL

This sandwich was a result of another of my “What’s in the fridge?” episodes. The jumping off point was a jar of sun-dried tomatoes and a bunch of baby spinach. And it only got better from there. This recipe serves one, but is easily doubled, quadrupled or whatever-ed is required to feed your bunch.

1 plain bagel, separated

2 tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese

1/2 cup baby spinach

2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained)

2 slices deli ham

1 slice medium cheddar cheese

1-1/2 tsp butter

1) Heat grill pan over medium heat

2) Assemble sandwich as follows: 1/2 bagel spread with cream cheese and topped with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, ham, cheddar cheese, 1/2 bagel

3) Melt half the butter in grill pan; add sandwich to pan and cook 3-4 minutes; spread remaining butter on top of uncooked bagel and flip sandwich; cook 3-4 minutes until cheese melts nicely; that’s it–eatin’ time!

Serves: Only 1

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LEMON-COCONUT POUND CAKE

When I came across the Ritz Carlton Cooking School’s recipe for Lemon Pound Cake on Pinterest, I had to repin. After all, lemon and I go back a long ways (coconut too, as you’ll see). When it came time to fire up my KitchenAid mixer, I did so in “edit mode,” tweaking the recipe, though not to the extent I “red-ink” my novels before submitting them to my editor. Though I can’t speak for the original recipe (I’m sure it’s fabulous), the cake that resulted from my “editing” is one I intend to make again. And, no, I will not ruin the lip-smacking experience by calculating calorie and fat content. Try this!

1/8 cup powdered sugar

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

5 eggs

5 tbsp lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1-1/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Using butter stick wrappers, butter inside of large Bundt pan or 2 loaf pans; sprinkle powdered sugar over surface, turning and tapping pan(s) to lightly cover surface

3) With electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy; on low speed, mix in baking powder and sea salt; adding one egg at a time, beat in eggs until combined; mix in lemon, lemon zest, and coconut

4) On low speed, beat in flour, one cup at a time, alternating with milk (don’t over mix)

5) Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; let cool in pan 30 minutes; turn out cake onto plate and let cool; serve warm or refrigerate for a deliciously chilled slice

Servings: 12

WEDGE SALAD NICOISE

There’s just something about a wedge salad. The only difficulty is that, due to the shape, it can be difficult to achieve a pretty presentation. So, as pictured, I make an additional cut three-quarters of the way down the center of each wedge to form a cradle for the toppings. Pretty! And then there’s the taste…

1 large head iceberg lettuce, cored and quartered into wedges

1/2 large red onion, sliced thin

1 large tomato, chopped

1 15 oz can green lima beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2-5 oz cans albacore tuna in water, drained

4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and chopped

1 tsp parsley, minced

1) Place wedge on plate and over the top scatter: red onion, tomato, butter beans, sun-dried tomatoes, tuna, eggs, and parsley

2) Serve with dressing of your choice (highly recommend blue cheese)

Servings: 4 dinner-sized portions

MEXICAN EGGS BENEDICT FLORENTINE

Eggs Benedict: quite good. Eggs Benedict Florentine: unbelievably good. Then there’s this twist, substituting corn tortillas for english muffins. My guys scarfed this down. I didn’t scarf, but only because I exercised restraint. If Hollandaise sauce isn’t your thing, consider salsa. As for the hassle of poached eggs, I made my eggs in a muffin tin. Sometimes cheaters do prosper 🙂

1 pkg Knorr Hollandaise sauce mix (or make your own sauce if you have the time–I didn’t)

olive oil spray

8 eggs

2 tsp olive oil

8 corn tortillas

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 large tomato, sliced into 8 rounds

2 cups fresh baby spinach

Paprika

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Meanwhile, prepare Knorr Hollandaise sauce as directed and keep warm

3) Lightly spray 8 cups in muffin tin with olive oil spray; crack eggs into cups and bake 10-12 minutes (or longer if you don’t like yolks on the runny side)

4) While eggs are baking, in large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high; cook corn tortillas, 1 minute each side until tortillas soften and begin to brown; transfer 2 tortillas to each of 4 plates, overlapping slightly as pictured; reduce skillet heat to low

5) Scatter Monterey Jack cheese over tortillas, dividing equally between servings; top each serving with 2 slices of tomato placed side by side; set aside

6) Add spinach to skillet and cook 1-2 minutes until spinach starts to wilt; remove from heat and divide between tomato slices

7) Finish assembling each serving: top tomato and spinach with cooked eggs and Hollandaise sauce; lightly sprinkle with paprika; serve immediately and let ’em scarf away!

Servings: 4