Asparagus with Chopped Egg and Vinaigrette

I am not sure why we dyed so many eggs for Easter. My kids just get so excited about the colors and the eggs seem to go to fast. Of course we used the hard-boiled eggs for the usual things that we love- Egg Salad Sandwiches and Deviled Eggs, but I didn't take pictures because I have posted about both of those before (last year). I was looking for a different recipe that would use a couple of the eggs.
I remembered this recipe from the April issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray and asparagus has been very affordable lately, so I decided this was the next thing I was going to try.
This recipe is really easy. I had everything on hand and it was ready in a matter of minutes. You just press the eggs through a sieve and place them on top of the asparagus which is drizzled with the vinaigrette. It turned out great and made for a nice side dish.

Asparagus with Chopped Egg and Vinaigrette

Susan Jaslove

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

April 2009

SERVES 8

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 5 min

3 bunches asparagus (about 3 pounds), tough ends snapped off
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs, hard-boiled

1. In a large, deep skillet, add enough salted water to reach a depth of 2 inches; bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water and let stand until chilled. Drain and pat dry.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, shallot, mustard, tarragon and orange peel. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined; season with salt and pepper.

3. Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half, then press through a sieve into a small bowl. Toss the asparagus with some of the vinaigrette. To serve, drizzle with more dressing and top with the eggs.

Coming Tomorrow- Craving Ellie- Balsamic Chicken

Slider Caesar Salad and Veggie Manicotti

Sliders are just too popular around here. My kids love them and they make a great, little lunch-I often sneak the leftovers into the lunchbox, if there are any leftovers.
We had a Rachael Ray night, combining two of her 30-minute meals. The salad was delicious- I swapped out the ground beef for lean ground turkey and used fat free mayo in the dressing. The kids were loving their little sliders on a stick. The veggie manicotti was a quick dish to throw together and these 2 dishes went really great together. As she would say, Yum-O!


Slider Caesar Salad From Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine
2 kaiser rolls, cut into cubes
4 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup fat free mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
20 oz. lean ground turkey, 93% lean

One 12-ounce package romaine hearts, torn into small pieces

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toast for 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons parmesan, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

3. Crumble the ground turkey into a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper and combine. Divide into 12 equal portions and roll into balls. Thread 3 meatballs onto each of 4 wooden skewers, leaving a 1/2-inch space between each; pat each meatball into a 2-inch patty.

4. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush the patties with olive oil and grill, turning once, about 6 minutes total for medium.

5. Meanwhile, add the lettuce and croutons to the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Top with the skewers.

Veggie Manicotti from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine
Eight 6-inch-long lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 pint cottage cheese, drained in a strainer

One 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and 1/3 cup finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves, plus 8 leaves, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 tomato, chopped

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles, stirring often, until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

3. Using a food processor, puree the drained cheese until smooth; add to the zucchini along with the chopped roasted peppers and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse the food processor bowl.

4. Lay the noodles flat on a work surface. Place an equal amount of the zucchini mixture at the end of each noodle, then roll up. Divide the rolls among 4 dinner plates.

5. Using the food processor, puree the remaining roasted peppers with the tomato until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the rolls. Top with the sliced basil.

Individual Quiches

For Q day I wanted to make quiche. My friend Nicole posted this recipe on her blog after she tried it because it was versatile and really yummy. She saw it on the Rachael Ray Show. The recipe originally calls for puff pastry as the base, but I wanted to make it lighter and phyllo was less expensive, so I went for phyllo. I also doubled the recipe and made half of them crustless. The original recipe called for normal bacon, but I always substitute turkey bacon and also called for Gruyere cheese. I am convinced you could use whatever cheese you have on hand and also substitute another cooked meat or veggie. These were quick and easy and the kids loved them!

Individual Quiches adapted from Rachael Ray Show
4 slices of turkey bacon, cut into medium dice
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 large eggs
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cooking spray
7-8 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup hickory smoked gouda cheese, grated
1/2 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees F.
In a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until brown and crispy, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
In a large bowl, combine the half-and-half, egg, egg substitute, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a medium-size bowl.

Generously spray the muffin tins with cooking spray. Carefully get one sheet of phyllo dough and lay in on a cutting board. Spray it with cooking spray or brush with melted butter and layer another sheet on top. Continue layering until you have used all your phyllo sheets, making sure to spray the top layer as well. Cut layered phyllo into 6 equal squares with a pizza cutter. Carefully place each square into the each muffin round so that the dough extends slightly over the top of the muffin tin.

Divide the Gouda, spinach and bacon between each of the cups and fill them with the egg custard just to the top of the cup line.

Pop the quiches into the oven and bake about 20 minutes, until the filling is puffed and the crust is golden brown.
Serve with your favorite salad alongside.