Baked Cheesy Bread Cups filled with Eggs and Pancetta

Make your Sunday brunch a hit with these cheesy bread cups filled with scrumptious pancetta and perfectly baked eggs.

What's not to love about this dish?! It has bacon. It has perfectly baked, soft eggs. It's served over a toasted slice of cheesy bread. It's quick and super easy to make in a few simple steps.
With this recipe, you can make your Sunday brunch extra special, served next to a healthy green salad. Or also you can wow your guests at your next party. These cups make an elegant and satisfying finger food. Why not prepare it this Sunday for your Superbowl party?!? You will no be disappointed.
Here are a few suggestions for you. Make sure you have large enough slices of bread, so that the bread can hold the filling inside. And it's better if the slices are cut thin, so there is more space inside. Also I suggest super thin pancetta or bacon, which cooks faster and it's easier to bite into. And you should use small or medium eggs. A large egg might over-spill, when you use a regular sized muffin cup.
Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups, serving 2 or 3

• 6 slices of bread
• 3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• 6 cage-free, organic small or medium eggs
• 3 slices of pancetta, or thin cut bacon
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the crust from the bread and place one slice in each muffin cup, pressing it down with your fingers. Don't worry if the bread breaks on the bottom, just press it down and it will be fine. I used a silicone mold, so no greasing is required. If you are not, make sure to grease with a little bit of butter the bottom and sides of the cup.

2. Sprinkle each bread slice with about half tablespoon of shredded mozzarella, pushing down with your fingers or spoon. We need to keep as much space as possible in the cup for the egg. Wrap half slice of pancetta around the edge. Add the egg, trying not to break the yolk. It might overflow if the egg is too big... don't worry! I will just lose some of the white, but it will look perfect at the end. Medium or small eggs work better in this recipe.

3. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Remember the pancetta or bacon tends to be salty. Bake for about 20 minutes for a soft egg, 25 minutes for a fully cooked egg.

 Enjoy!

Bread Pudding with Apple and Raisins

Indulge yourself in a just-baked, homemade slice of bread pudding
 with the fresh addition of crispy apples and sweet raisins.
And don't forget to serve it warm with a scoop (or two!) of vanilla ice-cream!

It's not hard to bake a bread pudding. But it takes some time and care to make a perfectly moist and rich pudding with golden edges and soft inside. My recipe for this apple and raisins bread pudding will show you, with a few steps, exactly what you will need to do to make it delicious. After you cut the bread in small cubes, and the apples in thin slices, you will need to let them soak for at least 15 minutes in warm milk, flavored with cinnamon, lemon zest and vanilla. Long enough so that the bread softens and absorbs all the flavors and aromas of the other ingredients. Also, it is best to bake the pudding in a water bath.  This will ensure a slow and even cooking, and it will add moisture in the oven, so that the pudding will not be dry and rubbery. Perfection sometimes takes time and care.
This comforting, butter-free bread pudding made with simple and wholesome ingredients,  is always welcomed at my table. It's great for a hearty breakfast, but also perfect for dessert served warm with some ice-cream. Why not? Nothing is as  irresistible as a scoop of vanilla ice-cream melting over a warm slice of freshly baked bread pudding. All you have to do is gather around the fireplace, bundle under a cozy blanket with your dessert and enjoy!

Ingredients: serving 6

• 2 cups (475 ml) of milk
• 1/2 cup (85 gr) of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 4 cups (about 8 oz, 225 gr) of cubed Italian or French bread
• 2 granny smith apples
• 1 lemon, zest
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 3 eggs

Preparation time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (15 minutes to prepare, plus 15 minutes inactive and 45 minutes baking)

Directions:
Step 1:Warm up the milk until hot. Mix in the sugar, the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon if you are using it.

Step 2: Cut the bread in small cubes. Peel and cut the apples in quarters, removing the core and cut in thin slices. In a large bowl, combine the bread, with the apple slices and the grated zest of one lemon.

Step 3: Pour the milk mixture over the bread and apples. Let soak for at least 15 minutes. In  a separate cup, soak the raisins in warm water, to plump and make them moist.

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain the raisins and beat the eggs. Add both to the mixture and stir gently with a spoon.

Step 5: Grease 6 individual size ramekins and pour in the mixture. For the best results and a moist pudding, place the pans into a large oven pan. Pour boiling water in the pan, up to about halfway the sides of the ramekins. Careful not to pour water in the pudding!. Bake for about 40 minutes until the sides are set, and the middle can be still slightly softer.

Cool before serving, so the pudding will set. Serve warm and, if you dare, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! Amazing!
Leftovers should be store in the refrigerator. Warm up before serving - two minutes in the microwave will do it.

Pasta Salad with Artichokes Hearts, Fresh Mozzarella and Speck

Super quick, easy and wholesome pasta salad with artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella and savory speck

Happy Friday! The weekend is right around the corner. And I'm ready!! How about you??
The weather forecast for coastal Los Angeles shows a beautiful and sunny Sunday, with a high of 79 degrees. Not bad for winter, right?
So, if you live in Southern California, or any other warm place by the beach, get ready with your biking, sun screen and beach towel. And, as I will, buy all the ingredients to prepare this fresh and healthy pasta salad for a fun family picnic on the sand.
This pasta combines sweet artichoke hearts, delicate fresh mozzarella and savory speck. You should be familiar with speck by now. I posted several recipe using this smoked Italian type of prosciutto, like lasagne with radicchio and speck,and the pappardelle pasta with mushrooms and speck. If you can't find speck at the Italian deli near you, or local grocery store, it's fine to substitute it with prosciutto. Cut it in thin strips and sprinkle on top. Simply delicious.
Enjoy your weekend!

Ingredients: serving 4

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• half onion, chopped
• 8.5 oz (240 gr) of (frozen) artichoke hearts (I used Trader Joe's)
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 oz (115 gr) of fresh mozzarella
• 2 oz (55 gr) of thinly sliced speck (or prosciutto)
• 10.5 oz (300 gr) of medium shell pasta, or other short pasta
• salt

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring to a boil a large pot of salted water. Add the pasta when the water boils. If using frozen artichoke hearts, rinse them under running water for about one minute.
2. Saute' the chopped onion in a large skillet with the olive oil, over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts cut in thin slices, with the chopped parsley. Salt to taste, cook until tender, for about 10 minutes or so. Add a couple of tablespoons of water (from the pot where the pasta is cooking) if necessary.

3. Drain the pasta when ready. If you are not eating the pasta right away, but making a pasta salad ahead of time, run the pasta under cold water to stop it from over cooking. Toss the pasta in a large bowl, with the artichokes, the mozzarella cut in small cubes, and the speck cut in small slices. Add one or two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil if necessary.

Buon appetito!

Guilt-free Yogurt Cheesecake Cups with Raspberry Sauce

Indulge yourself in this rich, creamy and lush cheesecake cup made with Greek yogurt and raspberry sauce. 

Less calories and no guilt!

Who doesn't love cheesecake? So heavenly rich and deliciously creamy. And  I know: full of fat and loaded with calories...That's what you are thinking, right?
I would not want you to already give up on your New Year's resolution of losing some extra pounds, to fit your skinny jeans and look amazing in your bikini by this summer. But you don't have to break your diet to enjoy an amazing dessert.
To keep your diet on track, all you need is to find the right recipes and a better way to prepare your favorite dishes by using natural and healthy ingredients. And remember, a little more exercise never hurts!
I made these cheesecake cups using "Simply 100" Chobani Greek yogurt. I love this yogurt. It's velvety and rich, made with natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, zero fat and only 100 calories in one cup. Amazing, right?

And here is some simple math for you: I used 3 cups (16 oz) of Chobani vanilla yogurt to make 12 cheesecake cups. As you can see in the first picture down here, this is a total of 300 calories (0 fat calories), or 25 calories per serving (only from the yogurt). Regular cream cheese (second picture) has 80 calories (70 fat calories) in two tablespoons. So, if I had used 16 oz of cream cheese in my recipe, I would have ended up with a total 1200 calories (1050 fat calories), which is 100 calories per cup. Wow!! Four times as much.

I'm sure now I've convinced you to try this recipe for a great cheesecake that can fit your healthy lifestyle.

Ingredients: 12 cups

• 5.3 oz (150 gr) of graham crackers, one package with 9 crackers
• 2 oz (57 gr) of unsalted butter (half stick)
• 3 cups of Chobani Greek yogurt vanilla or plain, 5.3 oz (150 gr) each
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (2 if you use plain yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons of corn starch

For the raspberry sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups of (frozen) raspberries, crushed
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• fresh raspberries for decoration (12 or 36 if you use one or three per cup)

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to bake, 4 hour to refrigerate
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350� F (175� C). Crumble the graham crackers and melt the butter. Mix the two ingredients together.

2. Press the mixture onto the bottom of 12 silicone muffin cups, or paper lined regular cups. Place in the refrigerator until the filling is ready.

3. Blend together the yogurt with the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and corn starch until smooth.

4. Fill the cups evenly with the yogurt mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool down for about one hour. Refrigerate several hours (or overnight) before serving. 

Note: if you used a silicone pan, be careful when you remove the cups from the mold, or the bottom crust might come apart. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edges if necessary. I suggest to refrigerate first, and then remove from the mold.

5. For the sauce: puree the raspberries in a blender. Combine the pureed raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and a couple of tablespoons of water in a pan. Cook over medium heat until it's slightly thickened. It should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator about 30 to 60 minutes before eating, top the cups with the sauce and fresh raspberries right before serving.

Enjoy!

 

Seafood Paella

Classic seafood paella: a tasty and impressive saffron flavored rice mixed with your favorite, fresh seafood

I know what you are thinking... this is not an Italian dish. True! But once in a while it's nice to change and try something new.
I often make this recipe. It's a great one-dish, healthy dinner, perfect for my family.
I don't have the original Spanish "paella" (large, oven-safe frying pan), but I simply use my big, heavy skillet. And I cook the rice only on the stove, not in the oven.
The main difference between a paella and a seafood risotto is in the way you cook the rice. In the paella you add all the stock/water all at once at the beginning, and mostly let the rice simmer until ready. With the risotto, the liquid is added some at the time, and the rice needs constant stirring.
Paella can be very creative. Make it fun by choosing  a variety of seafood that you like best. Each adding a different flavor and texture. My favorite ingredients are calamari, shrimps and scallops. And let's not forget mussels. It really adds a special touch to the dish! If I were in Italy (or Spain) I would definitely use scampi. But here in California they are not easy to find. So no scampi in my paella :-(
So here is the recipe for my seafood paella. There are lots of ways to prepare it. This is how I make it and I hope you will enjoy it. Any suggestions or expert advise is always welcome!

Ingredients: serving 4

• half onion, minced
• 0.5 lb calamari or calamari steak
• 0.5 lb shrimps
• 0.5 lb of scallops
• 0.5 lb of mussels
• 3/4 cup of peas (I used frozen)
• 0.5 cup of crushed tomatoes 
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of saffron (I like powder better, but only had the Spanish type)
• 0.5 cup of white wine
• 1.5 cups of rice 
• 3 cups of fish or vegetable stock 
• salt to taste

Preparation time: 50 minutes
Directions:
Step 1: In a large skillet, saut� the garlic and the chopped onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Over medium-high heat, saut� the shrimps for 3 minutes or so. Remove them from the skillet and save them for later.

Step 2: Saut� the scallops and the calamari cut into small pieces. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Add the rice, the crushed tomatoes, the saffron dissolved in the white wine, the white wine and the stock. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Salt to taste. No stirring the rice.

Step 4: While the rice cooks, wash the mussels under running water, scrub the shells and remove the beard if necessary. Place the mussels in a sauce pan, cover and place over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Throw away any mussel that did not open, and set aside for later.
Step 5: Mix in the peas and the shrimps. I cut about half of the shrimps in pieces, the rest I left whole. Cook for another 8 minutes or until the rice is mostly cooked. Increase or decrease the heat based on how much liquid you still have. It will need to be all absorbed by the end. Salt to taste.

Step 6: Add the mussels with the shell. Serve immediately!