Bacon, Proscuitto and Swiss Puff-Pastry

How have I not shared this with y'all yet? This is my most requested recipe. It's been shared on my friend's blog. It's even become a "must have" Christmas morning tradition for another friend's family. It's beautiful, delicious, and best of all a simple assemble and bake recipe. What could be better? I'll give you the original, but it's one of those versatile recipes that you can adapt to suit your personal taste or whatever you have on hand. That's actually why I made it today. I had a small Christmas brunch for some dear friends, and in keeping with my motto this Advent of "simplify and remember", I decided to serve something I could make from ingredients I had available without making a trip to the store. The only must have ingredients are puff pastry (always in my freezer), eggs, cheese, meat, sour cream or yogurt, and fresh herbs. Aren't these things usually in your refrigerator? The best part is, no one will ever guess that you didn't spend hours preparing this impressive dish. Here's what you'll need:

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), thawed
  • 6 slices thick cut peppered bacon, cooked & chopped
  • 6 slices proscuitto, chopped
  • 2 cups coarsely grated Swiss cheese
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Sauté mushrooms until just barely done then drain any liquid.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on each of 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. With a fork, go around the pastry about 1/2" from the edge making a border of holes. This is called docking. Then dock the surface of the dough within the border. This keeps the pastry from puffing up when you cook it. 

Top with bacon, proscuitto, cheese, mushrooms, and rosemary leaving 1/2-inch plain border.

Whisk eggs, pepper, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Whisk in sour cream or greek yogurt.

 Spoon egg mixture evenly over toppings on each pastry. Bake until pastries are puffed and golden and toppings are set, about 25 minutes.

Bacon, Proscuitto and Swiss Puff-Pastry

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), thawed
  • 6 slices thick cut peppered bacon, cooked & chopped
  • 6 slices proscuitto, chopped
  • 2 cups coarsely grated Swiss cheese
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Saute mushrooms until just barely done then drain any liquid. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on each of 2 baking sheets. Top with bacon, proscuitto, cheese, and mushrooms, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Whisk eggs, rosemary, pepper, salt, and nutmeg in bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Spoon egg mixture over toppings on each pastry. Bake until pastries are puffed and golden and toppings are set, about 25 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

Lynn

Bacon, Proscuitto and Swiss Puff-Pastry

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), thawed
  • 6 slices thick cut peppered bacon, cooked & chopped
  • 6 slices proscuitto, chopped
  • 2 cups coarsely grated Swiss cheese
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Saute mushrooms until just barely done then drain any liquid. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on each of 2 baking sheets. Top with bacon, proscuitto, cheese, and mushrooms, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Whisk eggs, rosemary, pepper, salt, and nutmeg in bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Spoon egg mixture over toppings on each pastry. Bake until pastries are puffed and golden and toppings are set, about 25 minutes.

 

 

Tortilla Soup

Soup time!! Now that it's finally getting a little cooler around here I'm ready to start making soup. But there are so many soups and so little time...What to make first? Since Hubby doesn't think soup is really dinner, I need to make this first soup of the season delicious and memorable. Because "spicy" is his favorite flavor, I decide that tortilla soup is the way to go. The flavorful base is super simple and it can easily be made as spicy or mild as you like. The fun part is planning all the toppings. They are what take this simple broth over the top. The tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and lime are the ingredients that make this soup filling enough to call dinner. Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 fresh jalapeño, de-seeded and chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 TBL oil

  • 2 14 oz cans fire-roasted, diced tomatoes

  • 1 10 oz can Rotel chunky tomatoes and green chilies

  • 2 C chicken broth

  • 1 can beef broth

  • 2 C water

  • 3 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2 tsp Worcestershire

  • 2 dashes chipotle tabasco

  • 4 corn tortillas plus oil for frying (I use peanut oil)

  • 1 C grated queso fresco 

  • 1 avocado

  • chopped fresh cilantro

  • lime wedges

In a large sauce pan, sauté the onion and jalapeño in 2 TBL oil for about 5 minutes, until onions are cooked and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. 

 

Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and the Rotel tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, Worcestershire, and tobacco and stir. Add in the chicken broth, water, and beef broth and simmer for  hour.

While the soup is simmering, cut the tortillas into strips. In about 1/2" oil, fry the strips until they are crisp and lightly brown. Drain on paper towel and set aside until you re ready to serve the soup.

Just before you are ready to serve the soup, chop the cilantro, cube the avocado, shred the cheese, and cut the lime into wedges.

When your ready to serve the soup, start by placing some to the fried tortillas in the bottom of your bowl.

Add some of the avocado cubes.

Add some of the shredded cheese.

Sprinkle on the chopped cilantro.

Pour some of the soup on then squeeze a little lime juice on top and it's ready to eat.

And that, my friends, is a bowl of soup!

For me, it's all I need for dinner, but for hobby I also made a chicken salad stuffed poblano to go along with his soup.

Enjoy!

Lynn

 

                Tortilla Soup

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 TBL oil
  • 2 14 oz can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
  • 1 10 oz can Rotel chunky tomatoes and green chilies
  • 2 C chicken broth
  • 1 can beef broth
  • 2 C water
  • 3 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire
  • 2 dashes chipotle tabasco
  • 4 corn tortillas plus oil for frying (I use peanut oil)
  • 1 C grated queso fresco
  • 1 avocado
  • chopped fresh cilantro

In a large sauce pan, sauté the onion and jalapeño in 2 TBL oil for about 5 minutes, until onions are cooked and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and the Rotel tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, Worcestershire, and tobacco and stir. Add in the chicken broth, water, and beef broth and simmer for  hour.

Cut the tortillas into strips and fry until crisp and slightly brown. I use about 1/2 C peanut oil. Drain the chips on a paper towel and set aside until ready to serve the soup.

Peel and chop the avocado and chop the cilantro.

Shred the queso fresco.

When serving, top the soup with the shredded cheese, chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, and shredded queso fresco.

Serves 8-10

 

Limoncello

I think I've said this before, but in case you've forgotten, lemon is one of my favorite flavors. I love anything lemon. I've wanted to try to make my own limoncello for a while now, and today is the day. At least for step one. Making limoncello is not a quick process. In fact, it takes several months. Don't let that deter you though. I'm making a double batch so that I can give it for Christmas gifts. How cool is that? Homemade limoncello for my friends and neighbors. Here's what you'll need:

  • 6 oz lemon zest ( about 14-16 lemons depending on size)
  • 1.5 liters of grain alcohol (I used Everclear) 
  • 1050 grams of sugar (about 2 1/3 lbs)
  • a one gallon jar with a tight fitting lid

 

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons until you have 6 oz. by weight. Make sure you remove just the yellow peel and not any of the white pith.

Put the zest in a gallon jar with a tight fitting lid. 

Now add the grain alcohol.

Put the lid on the jar and store in a dark, cool, dry place for 42 days. That's right. 42 DAYS! Just forget about it. Don't be tempted to open it or shake it up, just make yourself a reminder on your calendar and leave it alone until the time is up.

STEP 2--42 days later... 

Strain the liquid from the jar, discarding the lemon peels. I thought it was cool how the once soft, pliable, bright yellow peels were now more like crunchy brown potato chips. All that delicious lemon flavor has been transferred to the grain alcohol and it smells delicious, but don't be tempted to drink it yet.

Notice how the once bright yellow rind has darkened.

Now pour the alcohol back into the containers. You can see that it's gone from clear liquid to a beautiful yellow.

Now it's time to sweeten it up a bit. Here is where you can adjust it to suit your taste, but these measurements are good for a drier, less sweet version, which is what we prefer. Weigh 1050 grams of sugar and add it to a saucepan with 6 1/3 cups water. Heat the mixture, stirring until all the sugar has been dissolved. Let the syrup cool to room temperature. 

For these 2 batches, I tried 2 different kinds of sugar. One is regular pure cane sugar and the other is an organic, less refined sugar. I just did it because I was curious. Okay, I really did it because I ran out of refined sugar and I didn't want to go to the store. The organic sugar is what I keep in the house. Anyway, the color difference is dramatic. I'll see if the taste is any different when the process is complete. 

Once the syrup is cool, pour it into the jar of alcohol and put the lid on. Now it's back to the cool dry place for a month. Yes I'm serious, 1 more month. You can check on it every week or so and gently shake it if you see sugar settling in the bottom, but don't open it or drink any until it's had a month to rest. 

 

I'm a little disappointed by how brown and muddy the organic syrup made the batch on the right. I'll see how it looks in a month, but my guess is that it won't change much. That means I will probably keep that batch for us and use it for cooking and drinking and give the pretty batch away. 

I made a reminder on my calendar and checked on the limoncello once a week, shaking it gently to make sure all the sugar was dissolved. FYI: I stored my limoncello under my house the whole 10 weeks. It's dark and cool and no one but me ever goes down there. If you don't have a space like that, a closet works just fine.

1 month later... 

 

As you can see, it looks just like it did a month ago.  That's partially because I forgot to take a picture so I'm using the same one again... You'll just have to trust me here, it will look the same. Before you put it into containers, you need to strain it. I poured it into a pitcher to make it easier to transfer without spilling. Then I lined a sieve with a coffee filter and set it over another pitcher. Slowly pour the liquid from the first pitcher into the strainer. This took a lot longer than I thought it would...

After you've strained it, pour it into your choice of containers and store in the freezer. Yes, I really mean keep it in the freezer. Don't worry about it freezing. Remember that is mostly 190 proof grain alcohol with some lemon flavoring and a little sugar. But it is sooooo good! 

A word about my jars. They are too big. And too small. I need to get some that are in between these 2 sizes, but for now, this is what I have. I think a good size for gifts is about 1 liter. That gives your recipient enough to enjoy some for a while while leaving them anxious for more later.

Now, how about that batch made with the organic sugar? That will be my personal stash to cook with and drink. It tastes great, it's just not pretty like limoncello is supposed to be. You drink with your eyes too you know. (I know it's supposed to be eat, but in this case it's drink.)

So what to do with it now? Limoncello is for drinking and cooking. I will be posting recipes as I use it, but you can also find hundreds of them online. It's great in savory dishes as well as sweet desserts. Of course it makes delicious drinks too! Sip it SLOWLY, over ice for a refreshing summer drink, or make a lemon drop martini. Just remember it's strong stuff so be careful.

Enjoy! 

Lynn