Author: laurenrhill

Breakfast

Eggs Benedict

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Eggs Benedict

Weekends wouldn’t be complete without an Eggs Benedict breakfast. Perfectly poached fresh eggs with a runny yolk, crispy bacon, golden brown brioche buns all topped off with a rich a creamy hollandaise sauce. Could you ask for anything more?  

Click here for my hollandaise sauce recipe.

Eggs Benedict

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


6 Slices of bacon
2 Brioche buns, split in half
4 Eggs
1t White vinegar
Sea Salt to taste
Pinch of Paprika
Hollandaise sauce, recipe link above

Directions

Cook bacon in skillet over medium-low heat. When bacon has reached desired crispiness, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Butter the cut sides of brioche buns and place face down in skillet. Cook until lightly browned of medium-low heat.

Fill a skillet full of water and add white vinegar. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and break 1 egg at a time into the water. Cook 3-5 minutes until egg whites are set and yolk remains soft. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

To assemble, cut bacon slices in half and lay on top of brioche buns., followed by a poached egg. Season with salt. Pour hollandaise sauce over the eggs and sprinkle with paprika.

Sauces

Hollandaise Sauce

by laurenrhill1 Comment on Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce

  • Servings: 1 cup
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


4 egg yolks
½C Salted butter, melted
1T Fresh squeezed lemon
Pinch Paprika
Pinch Sea Salt


Directions


Place egg yolks, lemon, paprika and salt into a blender and blend until slightly thickened. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in melted butter and blend until sauce has thickened and doubled in volume.

Dessert

Coconut Gelato

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Coconut Gelato

This coconut gelato is silky, smooth and refreshing!  

Gelato in Italian literally means “frozen,” but it is used to indicate the Italian version of ice cream. The difference between ice cream and gelato is gelato has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs resulting in less calories and fat and more flavor. Another difference is that gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, which means less air is whipped into the mixture creating a dense, velvety texture. It is also typically stored at 15°F whereas ice cream is stored at 0°F. Because it’s not quite completely frozen, gelato tends to be softer and silkier.

Coconut Gelato

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


1 ½C Organic whole milk
8oz Coconut milk
¾C Heavy Cream
1t Vanilla extract
¼C Sugar
2T Cornstarch
1 Egg, yolk
½C Unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)


Directions

Put 1 cup of milk, coconut milk, cream and vanilla into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge of the saucepan and mixture is about to boil. Stir frequently and do not let it come to a boil.

Meanwhile, put remaining milk, sugar and cornstarch into a small bowl and stir until well combined. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in milk and sugar mixture. Return to heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put egg yolk into a small bowl and whisk until slightly thickened. Pour 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolk, whisking constantly then gradually add mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Stir until well combined. Set aside and let cool, stirring often. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Stir in shredded coconut and process in an ice cream maker.

Breakfast

Huevos Rancheros

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Huevos Rancheros

Start your morning the perfect way with these delicious Huevos Rancheros. You can whip these up in less than ten minutes, they’re the perfect amount of food, packed with flavor and they leave you feeling fresh and ready for the day.

Add black beans, chorizo, corn and ranchero sauce or keep them simple like my recipe below; this dish is completely customizable.  I think they are perfect without all the extras, just use fresh free-range eggs and quality tortillas (corn or flour – whichever you prefer).

Huevos Rancheros

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


3t Olive oil
2 Tortillas, corn or flour
2 Eggs
1/4c Salsa verde
1/4c Salsa roja
1 Avocado, sliced
¼ Onion, chopped
1T Cotija cheese
1t Cilantro
Salt to taste

Directions

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add tortillas and cook until golden on each side. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat and crack eggs into pan and season with salt. Cook until the whites are completely set but yolks are still soft. Remove eggs and place on top of the tortillas.

Place sliced avocado next to the egg and pour the salsa verde and salsa roja over the eggs. Sprinkle with onion, cotija cheese and cilantro.

Cocktail

Lychee Martini

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Lychee Martini

Who doesn’t like a good Martini? Better yet make it a Lychee Martini! This exotic cocktail is the perfect twist to the classic Martini.

Lychee Martini

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


Ice
3oz Premium vodka
2oz Lychee syrup, reserved from can
4 Peeled and pitted lychees
Dash of fresh lime juice


Directions

Run your martini glasses under cold water and place in freezer for 15 minutes. In a cocktail shaker add 2 lychees and lychee syrup. Muddle the lychee to release the juices. Fill shaker halfway with ice. Add vodka and a dash of fresh lime juice. Strain into 2 chilled martini glasses and garnish each with a lychee.

Pizza

Cherry Tomato Pizza

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Cherry Tomato Pizza

Who doesn’t love a homemade Neapolitan style pizza? Sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and an airy and crispy crust.

Fresh and good quality ingredients are very important. I prefer to make my own pizza dough, but store-bought works perfectly well. If you want to try your own dough, this recipe is very easy to make.  

Cherry Tomato Pizza

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


1lb Pizza dough, room temperature
4T Olive oil
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
7oz Wole peeled Italian tomatoes
¼t red pepper flakes
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2T Fresh grated pecorino romano
8oz Fresh mozzarella
1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Sprigs of fresh basil
2 Sprigs of fresh basil, chiffonade


Directions

Position oven rack so that it sits 6 inches under broiler and place pizza stone or pan in oven. Preheat oven broiler to 500°F for 30 minutes prior to cooking.

On a lightly floured surface use your fingers to press out the dough into a 12-inch circle.

Heat olive oil over low heat and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Remove pizza stone or pan from oven, sprinkle with flour and place dough on top. Working quickly, brush olive oil and garlic over the entire pizza dough. Crush the whole peeled tomatoes with your hands and sprinkle across the dough, you may have some tomatoes left over. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and pecorino romano. Spread fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes evenly over pizza.

Place pizza in oven directly under broiler. Be sure to watch it closely and rotate often for about 4 to 5 minutes. Place whole basil leaves onto pizza and enjoy!

Dough

Pizza Dough

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Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

1c “00” Flour

1c All-Purpose light baking flour

1t Sea salt

¾t Active dry yeast

1t olive oil

1c Water, warm

¼t Sugar


Directions

In a small bowl add water, yeast, sugar and olive oil and let stand for 1 minute.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour water mixture into the flour and kneed with your hands until well combined. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.

After dough has rested place on a well-floured surface and knead dough for 3 minutes. Cut dough in half and shape both pieces into a ball. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 3 to 4 hours.

Once ready, place dough onto a clean and floured work surface, marble works best. Use your fingers to press out the dough into a 12-inch circle.

Pasta, Sauces

Cherry Tomato Sauce

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Cherry Tomato Sauce

I LOVE this sauce. It is easy to make and taste light and fresh.  

This is the perfect sauce to pour over your favorite fresh pasta like linguini, gnocchi or orecchiette. It is very versatile, so get creative with it. You can even use it to top roasted eggplant, pizza, fish or steak. The options are endless.

Cherry Tomato Sauce

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


½c Olive oil
5 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Pints cherry tomatoes
¼t Red pepper flakes
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
8oz Fresh mozzarella ciliegine (optional)
2 Sprigs of fresh basil, chiffonade


Directions


Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant but not turning brown, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, salt, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with the back of a fork. Lower heat to low and cook an additional 20 minutes.

Turn off heat and add mozzarella and basil. Toss to combine with your favorite pasta.

Dinner, Lunch

Bacon Cheeseburger

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Bacon Cheeseburger

This is the ultimate bacon cheeseburger!

Bacon Cheeseburger

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


2 Brioche hamburger buns
4 Slices of Bacon
½lb Ground beef
3 Eggs
½t Worcestershire sauce
¼t Sea Salt
¼t Fresh cracked Pepper
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Onion, ¼ finely chopped ¾ sliced
4 Slices of American cheese
Olive Oil
Dijon
Special Sauce


Directions

Cook bacon in skillet over medium-low heat. When bacon has reached desired crispiness, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and leave bacon grease in skillet.

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, 1 egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Use your hands to mix and be careful not to overmix, or your patty will be tough. Divide into two portions and form patties.

Reheat the bacon skillet to medium-high and add burger patties. Flip the patties once they’ve formed a crust, about 2 minutes. 2 slices of cheese on each patty, cover and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove patties and add buns to the pan and toast for about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile sauté sliced onions in olive oil over medium-low heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until soft. Remove onions from pan and set aside. In the same pan fry 2 eggs over medium heat. Cook until whites are completely set but yolks are still soft.

Spread special sauce on one side of the bun and Dijon on the other side. Place patties on buns, top with bacon, sautéed onions and fried egg.

Special Sauce recipe here.

Sauces

Special Burger Sauce

by laurenrhill1 Comment on Special Burger Sauce

The perfect sauce to add to any burger or sandwich. It is so quick and easy to make and adds a lot of flavor.

Secret Burger Sauce

  • Servings: Quarter Cup
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients


2T Mayonnaise
1T Ketchup
1t Spicy relish
¼t Onion Powder
¼t Garlic powder

Directions


Combine all ingredients in a small bow.