Sizzlin Sisters – April 2012

ASPARAGUS CUSTARD TART

  • 1 refrigerated pie crust (could use puff pastry, crescent roll or make your own pie crust)
  • Flour
  • 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed

CUSTARD

  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup half & half
  • 1/2 cup good cheese, grated (something flavorful such as Gruyère or Parmesan)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F. Bring crust to room temperature. Open onto a floured work surface, turn to lightly coat with flour, then turn again. With a rolling pin, working from the center out, gently and evenly thin the crust. Transfer to a lightly greased quiche pan. Double over the edge to form the sides, then pinch the top edge to form an attractive crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

Reduce oven to 350F.

Steam asparagus til cooked. Drain on paper towels to absorb moisture. Trim the spears to fit, spoke fashion with tips pointing out, atop the pastry.

Whisk custard ingredients and gently pour over asparagus. Bake for 20 minutes or until center jiggles slightly but is fully cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature. Also good cold!

Serves 8

CRACKED PEPPER AND SUGAR OVEN-ROASTED BACON

1 lb. lean bacon, sliced

1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

2 tsp. brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil.

Arrange bacon slices on parchment paper/foil. Sprinkle with pepper and brown sugar.

Bake about 10 minutes. Lots of fat will collect during this time-- drain that now.

Return bacon to oven and bake a few minutes more, until it has reached your desired level of crispness.

Remove from oven and immediate transfer bacon slices onto paper towels.

Serves 6-8

PINEAPPLE CITRIS SALAD WITH TOASTED COCONUT

  • 1 grapefruit, reserve juices
  • 2 oranges, reserve juices
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks (we used a fresh pineapple, not canned)
  • ¼ c mint leaves
  • 1 TBL agave
  • 1 tsp grated peeled ginger
  • 1 c cottage cheese
  • Toasted coconut

Segment grapefruit and oranges, reserve the juices. Toss the segments with pineapple chunks, mint leaves, agave and grated ginger.

In another bowl, beat cottage cheese with reserved citrus juice until creamy. Serve the cottage cheese with the fruit salad around it. Top with toasted coconut and garnish with mint leaves (optional).

Serves 4

NUTELLA AND CARAMELIZED BANANA CREPES

Crepes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. white sugar

Pinch of salt

3 eggs

2/3 cups milk

1 tsp. olive oil

1 jar of Nutella

For the caramelized bananas

2 bananas

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

4 Tbsp. butter

Directions:

Slice banana into rounds.
In a pan, melt butter, then add light brown sugar and stir, then add the banana rounds and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
Combine all dry ingredients and set aside.
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk eggs. Little by little, incorporate the dry ingredients, and mix until smooth (if batter seems tough add a small amount of milk to loosen it). Stir in the olive oil.
Set an 8-inch frying pan over medium heat and add a touch of olive oil. Using a ladle, pour 2 ounces of the crêpe batter into the frying pan, and in a circular turning motion, let the batter move evenly around the pan. Cook until the outside edge of the crêpe is light brown; then flip the crêpe and cook the other side. It should take no more than 2 minutes to cook.
Slide the cooked crêpe onto a plate. With a spoon, spread Nutella on half of the crêpe. Place the bananas (which should still be warm) on top. Either fold the other half of the crêpe over the bananas and Nutella to form a half-moon, or line up the bananas and roll the crêpe.
Serves 4