Bacon & Eggs Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette

8 eggs
1/2 lb. thick-sliced bacon
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
Salt & Pepper to taste
8 cups Spring or Fancy Greens

Cook bacon to desired crispness, reserving renderings in a large mixing bowl.  Fill a large saucepan half-full with water and add a generous amount of salt.  Bring to a boil and add the eggs, cook for six minutes (soft boil).  Remove from stove and run cold water into pan to cool eggs.  When they are cool enough to handle, gently peel - set aside.

Place red wine vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil into large mixing bowl with bacon renderings, whisking to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add greens and toss to combine.  Divide between four plates.  Break bacon into pieces and sprinkle over greens.  Cut eggs in half and place four halves on each plate.  Serve.

Gruyere Grits with Poached Eggs, Tomatoes and Garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pt. cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 eggs
1 cup cooking grits
8 oz. Gruyere Cheese - grated
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook grits according to instructions, adding Gruyere cheese afterward and covering.  Set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Add garlic and tomatoes, sauteeing until tomatoes begin to burst and garlic is fragrant.  Remove from heat.

In a separate pan filled with simmering water, gently place four eggs at a time to poach.  I drop the egg into a ladle and slowly lower into the water, letting the water surround the egg and begin to set it before I release it.  Poaching should take roughly 2-3 minutes and sometimes you will need to flip the egg in the water.  Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place on a piece of bread or bun to soak up excess water.  Repeat with remaining four eggs.

In a bowl, spoon 1/4 of the grits.  Top with two poached eggs, tomatoes and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper - serve.

Eggs with Spicy-Herb Spaghetti & Parmesan

8 oz. Spaghetti

1/3 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 tbsp. thyme

2 tbsp. basil

1 cup Parmesan - grated

8 eggs

Cook Spaghetti to manufacturers directions, drain and set aside (covered).  In a large saute pan over medium-low heat and add garlic, red pepper flakes and herbs, slowly cooking the garlic and infusing the oil with the herbs.  While oil is infusing, heat 2 tbsp. oil in another skillet over medium heat cook eggs sunny-side up until done, covering the pan and add water if necessary to finish setting the whites - yolks are to be not set.  

Add Spaghetti to infused oil and toss with tongs to coat.  Divide between four bowls, place two eggs on top of noodles and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Serve.

Effortless Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients :
8 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

4 ounce fresh goat cheese

4 roasted red pepper from a jar, chopped

1 cup fresh herbs such as parsley and chives, roughly chopped

Beat eggs and season well. Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook onion and zucchini 2–3 minutes to soften. Add eggs and cook 1–2 minutes until almost set. Dot with goat cheese and roasted red pepper, then sprinkle with herbs. Place under broiler 2–3 minutes until golden.

Shirred Eggs with Bacon & Pesto

Are you stuck in the mindset that eggs need to be made on the stovetop? Think again. Something magical happens when you bake eggs with cream: They turn into a dense, silky custard, becoming much more than the sum of their parts. Shirred eggs, or baked eggs are a great alternative and in my world where I prefer effortless ways to present amazing food to my family and friends. Eggs are not just for breakfast either, this makes a nice lunch or dinner idea as well.

The concept of this recipe is, as usual meant to be played with or adapted to suit your tastes. Here I added pesto and bacon from the day before that I chopped up. You can do this up in a large dish family-style, or you can make them in individual gratin or souffle dishes.

1 teaspoon butter, at room temperature
8 large eggs
4 teaspoons heavy cream
4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
2 teaspoons pesto
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Divide butter among four 6-ounce ramekins and rub to coat the bottom and sides. Crack an egg into each, and top with equal amounts of cream, crumbled bacon, and pesto. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place ramekins in a small roasting pan and fill 1/3 way up the sides with boiling water. Cover the roasting pan with foil and set in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until eggs look set. Serve immediately

Sausage Frittata

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound sausage, sliced - breakfast, chorizo, italian, - you choose

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/2 pound waxy potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup diced peppers

7 large eggs

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in an ovenproof 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté until lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the onions and potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the roasted red peppers and the chouriço.
2. Preheat the broiler. Beat the eggs until fluffy. Season with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Pour over the sausage mixture and toss to coat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat, then pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, quickly stir to briefly cook the eggs, then shake the pan to settle the filling. Run the spatula around the sides of the pan to release the frittata. Adjust the heat to medium-high and cook until the edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the top is nicely browned and no puddles remain, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Brown Sugar Pavlova

This dessert only looks intimidating - it really is not that difficult at all to make. A Pavlova is simply a meringue that has been baked at a low oven temperature for about an hour, then cooled. When done, it becomes this light, crunchy meringue that can be topped with a myriad of delicious things. Here, I opted to use brown sugar - then I topped it with whipped cream and berries for a nice pre-fall dessert.

For meringue:

1 cup superfine granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoonsvanilla bean paste or extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar OR distilled white vinegar

6 large egg whites

For berries:

1 1/2 pounds strawberries, trimmed and quartered

1 pound blackberries, raspberries or blueberries

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

2 tbsp bourbon or brandy (if desired)

Make meringue:Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Place parchment paper onto a half-sheet, baking sheet and using a saucer, trace 5 rounds on underside of parchment to use as guide. Repeat this a second time. Pulse superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a food processor until well combined. Stir together vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar mixture slowly. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add vinegar mixture, then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Evenly spoon meringue into prepared circles and smooth to edges (this does not have to be perfectly flat, they can be whispy on top). Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about 1 hour. Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour. (Meringues may sink slightly and crack while cooling.) Carefully peel off parchment (meringues will be fragile and the crust may crack further).

Toss berries with sugar and let stand at room temperature until ready to use (up to 1 hour).

Beat heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean paste and bourbon using an electric mixer until it just holds medium peaks. Put meringue on a serving plate and spread with whipped cream over it. Spoon fruit (with juice) over top. Repeat with remaining meringues, cream, and fruit.

Omelets and Quiche

Omelets are made with beaten eggs that are cooked into a flat round and then rolled or folded. They can hold virtually any savory or sweet food, from artichokes and zucchini to peanut butter and jam. The filling and topping possibilities are endless, limited only by the cook's imagination and refrigerator contents.

Simply put, a quiche is an unsweetened custard pie. Despite its fancy French name, a quiche is a wonderful foil for leftovers, a fact well known to smart restaurateurs who often call it the 'quiche of the day' and fill it with whatever undersold the previous day. It can be flavored with any chopped, well-drained food ranging from the most pedestrian to the most chic.

Strata Versus Frittata

What is the difference you may ask? A frittata is the simplest of all the egg dishes to make. It's merely an unfolded Italian omelet with all the filling ingredients cooked on top. You can make it on top of the stove until almost set and then finish it in a number of ways: under the broiler, in the oven, turned over in the pan, or simply covered and allowed to stand off the heat until the top is completely cooked.

A strata involves layers of milk, egg, cheese and bread baked into a puffy casserole. The strata is not only a good way to make dry bread and cheese tasty, it's also an economical way to put to good use the dribs and drabs of other foods in your fridge. Stratas are a great versatile dish for families and cooks on the run -- you can even prepare it the day before and bake it the next day.