Eggs in Purgatory

Oh, if only I had known the savior that is Eggs in Purgatory as a young collegiate party animal. I suppose it is named as such because of the spicy nature of the sauce, but I like to think of its nurturing qualities when one feels like he or she is ready to enter the depths of hell due to one too many. And, you know. We've all been here. 

 I mean this is seriously the most perfect food to nurse a hangover. Or, more importantly to feed your drunken-stupor soul when you stumble home in the wee hours of the night/morning and must stave off ravenous hunger that follows a night of hitting that bottle a little too hard. This dish is so necessary before making it to bed with two liters of water, a chaser of Gatorade and a bottle of Tylenol PM on your nightstand. 

Of course, you can also make this when the husband is traveling and there's nothing much to eat. Or, because you just really freaking want a pan of the tomato/egg gloriousness because it is THAT AMAZING. This works for all courses: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack time. It's the perfect meal.

You can make Eggs in Purgatory with a can of chopped tomatoes or pureed tomatoes or leftover marinara sauce. Hot pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil, basil and parmigiano cheese and you are good to go. Just make sure you have some major slices of Italian bread toast as a go-along because I don't care what any of these diety people preach: Drunks and really hungry peeps need carbs.

Eggs in Purgatory

Serves 1

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp. (or more) crushed red hot pepper flakes

114 ounce can of diced tomatoes or tomato puree

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

Grated parmigiano cheese 

1 Tbsp. shredded basil

Serve with Italian bread, toasted

In a small pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or two. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook for five minutes. Stir.

Meanwhile, gently crack open two eggs in a bowl. Set aside.

While the sauce is still simmering over medium high heat, gently add the eggs directly to the tomatoes. Season with a little salt, pepper and about a Tbsp. of parmigiano cheese. Cover with lid, partially. Cook for about five minutes or until the whites are opaque and set. I like to rotate the pan halfway through the cooking process. The yolk should be runny.

Garnish with basil and a drizzle of olive oil and more cheese if desired. Serve with toast. 

Crowd-Pleasing Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Here's an oldie but goodie: Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip straight from the pages of the red-and-white-checkered Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Every year I do a cookbook purge. But the BHG always makes the cut. Sometimes those classic recipes from yesteryear are just what we need.

This is a great dip for holiday parties, birthday parties, family get togethers and sports gathering. My crowd always loves it!

Be sure to drain your artichoke in the colander pressing into them gently with a spoon. This makes the dip less watery.

You can totally make this the day before and bake the day of your event. Just be sure to go with the longer baking time of 25 minutes.

Serve this dip with pita chips, crackers, crusty bread or tortilla chips.

Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip
Makes about 3 cups dip
From "The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook"

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 to 2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
Dash white pepper (The Jersey Girl uses regular black pepper)
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup loosely packed, coarsely chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (1 medium)

1. In a large bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, mustard and pepper. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach and onion. Spread mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

2. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges, French bread, and/or crackers.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through step 1. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes or until heated through.

Thankful for the Memories

Thanksgiving is all about tradition. Especially with the food.

That's why my Mommom Sacco's amazing string beans are always on my Thanksgiving table. This dish requires very few ingredients. Beans, a small potato, garlic and oil and voila - magic happens.

That's really how it was with everything my Mommom cooked and baked. And that's one of the reasons I love her recipes so much.

Hope you love this one, too. It's wayyyyy better than the whole string bean casserole nonsense.

I'm so thankful for all the amazing recipes my grandmother taught me. They bring her back to life each time I make them. We love you, Mommom!

Mommom Sacco and me at her last Thanksgiving in 2015. 

Mommom Sacco's String Beans
Makes 10-14 servings

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. string beans, washed, trimmed and cut in half
1 small baking potato, peeled and quartered
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper.

In a large pot filled with cold water, add prepared string beans and quartered potato. Place on stove top. Bring to a boil. Partially cover pot with lid, and boil for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender and falling apart.

Carefully drain the beans and potato in a colander over the sink.

Return pot to stovetop. Add oil and garlic. Cook garlic over low heat. Do not burn!

Add drained string beans and potato to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the beans and potato in the garlic oil. Using a fork carefully mash up the potato. Toss again. Taste for seasonings.

Dish may be made the day before and reheated before serving.

Refresh Your Palate

Thanksgiving din is decadent.  And heavy.

So, it's nice to have bright and refreshing cranberry relish to lighten things up.

Back in the day, my mom rocked out a cranberry Jell-O mold totally reminiscent of the days of Betty Draper. It remained largely untouched. Sorry, Mom.

I recently read that cranberry sauce is the least fav side of Thanksgiving. To which I say, "Obviously!" Who want to eat a congealed jiggly concoction from a can?

No one, that's who.

So grab a bag of fresh cranberries and a clementine and get to business. The color and fragrance is total fall. And your guests will love this little kick of cranberry, trust.

Refreshing Cranberry Relish
Makes 2 cups

1 12-ounce bag of cranberries, rinsed and picked through
1 clementine, unpeeled, cut in quarters.
1/2 cup granulated sugar.

In a food processor, add cranberries and clementine segments. Pulse about 10 times to finely chop the fruit. You may need to scrape the sides once during this process. Be sure to not over-pulse. You want the mixture to have texture.

Spoon cranberry clementine mixture into bowl.  Gently stir in sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least a day.

Trisha Yearwood Pork Tenderloin

Who doesn't need a good crockpot recipe up her sleeve?

This Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin comes from Trisha Yearwood. While I don't avidly watch her show on the Food Network, I've heard of her cooking skills and thought this dish looked interesting. 

This is a crockpot recipe, but it starts on the stove with searing the meat and ends on the stove with making the gravy.

I served it with mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe.

I followed her recipe closely, but I do use low sodium soy sauce and low sodium chicken broth. I also skipped the very first step of seasoning the pork tenderloin with salt. I try to cook with minimal salt always, and I thought the soy sauce provided ample salt. I seared the meat in olive oil rather than vegetable oil. The seasonings seem sparse in the recipe list, but it all worked well together. 

My pork tenderloin was just under 3 pounds and it came in two pieces. You may use a pork loin or a pork tenderloin for this recipe. 

Slow Cooker Pork Loin

By Trisha Yearwood

Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 1/2 to 3 lb. pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (The Jersey Girl used olive oil)

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

salt and pepper, to taste

Season the pork loin lightly with salt. In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, ginger, dried thyme, and black pepper. Rub the seasoning over the surface of the pork loin.

In a skillet heat the oil and brown the pork loin on all sides. Transfer the pork to the crock pot. Combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, and soy sauce; pour over the pork loin.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5.

After cooking, transfer the roast to a platter and keep warm.

To make the gravy, pour the liquid from the crock pot into a measuring cup. Skim off the fat. Measure two cups of the liquid, adding water if needed. Transfer to a sauce pan reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid.

Stir the cornstarch into the reserved liquid, then stir into the liquid in the sauce pan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the roast with the gravy.