Herbed Spiced Nuts

Have I ever told you lately how much I love the fall? Like really, really love everything about the fall. So much so that if I created the universe we would live in a perpetual state of fall with a couple of months of summer thrown in. Just so we could still enjoy homegrown tomatoes, all the berries, and an abundance of fresh herbs. I am certain there are many of you, especially the sun worshippers and snow bunnies, who shudder the thought of a fall weather dominated world. However, if you happen to be someone who loves to bake or make temperature sensitive seasonal candies; loves sleeping under a pile of blankets in a room where some of the windows are open; loves sitting by the fire reading a book or enjoying a glass or two of wine; and/or loves running in crisp, cooler temperatures, we just might be kindred spirits. 

Before we get a hard freeze, I need to find as many ways as possible to cook and bake with all the fresh herbs currently thriving in my urns. Particularly my two favorites: thyme and rosemary. And it just so happens these Herbed Spiced Nuts use both of them.

  

You might be wondering if these Herbed Spiced Nuts are the Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts with a different name or if they are a completely different roasted nuts recipe. While they both share some common ingredients and have addictiveness qualities, they are two completely roasted nut recipes and have two different flavor profiles. At the moment, these Herbed Spiced Nuts are my new favorites. More than likely they will be the only roasted nuts I serve over the next couple of months. That's what usually happens around here when something becomes a new favorite.

My idea of a perfect roasted nut combination is cashews, almonds, and walnuts, with a little heavier on the cashews. However, you could easily turn this three nut recipe into a four nut version by adding in some pecans (just make certain the overall quantity of nuts remains the same). I am going to go out on a short limb and say only fresh herbs and only a good quality maple syrup work in this recipe. Dried herbs work in many recipes, just not this one. And if you keep your maple syrup in the refrigerator it will last in the refrigerator for a really long time. The maple syrup brings a little sweetness, the freshly chopped thyme and rosemary brings the savoriness, and the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and kosher salt brings a little heat and spiciness to these hard to stop eating Herbed Spiced Nuts.

The baking pan I use is well seasoned so I generally don't line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper when roasting nuts. If your pan is new or you don't want to take the risk of having them stick to the pan, you might want to line it with foil or baking paper. Regardless of which way you roast them, you will want to stir them using a metal spatula to loosen them both during the roasting process as soon as immediately after they come out of the oven. 

The aroma from these nuts roasting in the oven is intoxicating. After sprinkling the fresh out of the oven nuts with some flaky sea salt, put them in a bowl and serve while still warm. Or if you make them earlier in the day, they are equally delicious served at room temperature. 

You absolutely must serve these sweet, spicy, perfect amount of heat Herbed Spiced Nuts with beer, wine, or cocktails. Or, if you decide to package some up to bring as a hostess gift or send with a significant other going on weekend trip with friends, include a note saying alcoholic beverages must be served with them. Don't waste these mouthwatering, habit-forming roasted nuts on friends who don't drink.

These Herbed Spiced Nuts are good enough and hearty enough to be the stand alone cocktail hour or pre-dinner appetizer. However, if you are like me and feel compelled to have more than one nibbling option, they are a great compliment on a simple cheese or charcuterie board. Don't be surprised if your friends and family go nuts over them. 

Recipe

Herbed Spiced Nuts

This one is my favorite!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (210 g) whole cashews

1 cup (190 g) whole almonds

1 cup (108 g) walnut halves

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 - 2 Tablespoons finely chopped rosemary and 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (I used 1 1/2 T)

1 - 2 Tablespoons chopped thyme and 3-4 springs of fresh thyme (1 used 1 1/2 T)

1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, for finishing (I like using Maldon Sea Salt.) OR use 1 teaspoon of a fine sea salt.

Not optional: Alcoholic beverages

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F). Optional: Line pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, olive oil, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and kosher salt.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the cashews, almonds and walnuts.

4. Pour the spiced herbed mixture over the nuts. Stir to coat. Transfer the nuts to a large, rimmed sheet pan. Spread into a single layer. Top with some additional sprigs of thyme and rosemary.

5. Place baking pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Midway through the baking process stir the nuts using a metal spatula.

6. Remove the roasted nuts from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the sea salt and again stir using a metal spatula to ensure they don't stick to the pan (or foil or parchment paper).

7. Let nuts sit on tray for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a serving bowl. Enjoy while warm or at room temperature.

8. Nuts will remain crunchy if stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 3-4 days.

Notes: (1) If you like a four nut combination (cashews, walnuts, almonds and pecans), just make certain you don't exceed a total 3 1/2 cups of nuts. I love cashews so this recipe goes a little heavier on them. Feel free to alter your nut ratios based on your personal preferences.

Pecan Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping

Apparently I decided to be a canned pumpkin hoarder last year. I probably read an article predicting there would be a shortage of pumpkins and canned pumpkin. Whether it was true or fake news, my gullibleness caused me to stock up on pumpkin puree. I couldn't imagine a life, let alone a year, without homemade pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, or pumpkin bread. Taking an inventory of the ingredients needed for this Pecan Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping I discovered I had squirreled away six cans of canned pumpkin in the pantry. Learning canned pumpkin has a pretty long shelf life wasn't the only thing I discovered when making this pumpkin bread. But rather than make the pumpkin bread again, not because there wasn't enough canned pumpkin in the house or because it wasn't ridiculously delicious or because it might qualify for contention in the BEST pumpkin bread category, I thought I would share the mixed blessing lesson with you. Some of you might already be asking 'where the heck is the streusel?' as you look at these photos. It's there, you just can't see it.

I say mixed blessing because the intentional but 'with reservations' change to the streusel recipe turned out to have a good unintentional consequence. Instead of the crunchy, nutty, buttery, spicy streusel gracing the top of the pumpkin bread, it seeped it's way into the bread. The result was a river of nutty, buttery, spicy deliciousness. Some of you may have already guessed what caused the disappearing streusel. If you said, there wasn't any flour mixed in with the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and kosher salt, you would be right! Some of you might also be wondering why would anyone do that? Doesn't she know any better? The simple answer is I wanted to try something new. 

So depending on whether your want your Pecan Pumpkin Bread to have a lovely streusel top versus a almost praline like streusel middle, you now have a choice. The recipe below gives you two pecan streusel options. Alternately you can forget about the streusel and generously top the bread with some sanding sugar before baking it or just dust it with confectionary sugar after it has baked and cooled. Personally, I like the added flavor and texture a streusel brings to the pecan pumpkin bread. Although now I am not so sure if I like the streusel made with or without flour.

This recipe makes two 9" x 5" Pecan Pumpkin Breads. Yes, two! One for you, two for you, one to give away, or one to wrap well in cellphone and freeze for later. If you decide to freeze one of the loaves, the pumpkin bread needs to completely cool to room temperature before you wrap with plastic wrap. If your bread is warm the condensation will form some ice crystals on the bread. The well wrapped frozen bread will be good for up to two months. Before serving, bring it to room temperature. For that just out of the oven taste experience, heat the slices in the microwave.

Like most quick breads this is a no mixer needed one bowl recipe. Wet ingredients are mixed together using a whisk before the dry ingredients are folded in. Just remember to toast your pecans before adding them to the batter and streusel for the most flavorful pumpkin bread. There is a world of taste difference in baked goods with nuts toasted or nuts not toasted.

For the best baking results (at least from my perspective), bake the pecan pumpkin bread in light (versus dark) colored aluminum baking pans. Aluminum not only heats evenly, it cools down relatively quickly. Which means your bread will cook more evenly while baking and will not dry out while coming to room temperature. Recently I have switched from lining my baking pans with parchment paper to liberally buttering them as I like the sides and bottom of quick breads to slightly caramelize. If you are at all worried about whether your bread will easily release from the baking pan, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and then liberally butter the sides of the pan and top of the parchment paper.

If you like your pumpkin bread to be moist but still have great texture and to be highly spiced, this is the pumpkin bread you want or rather need in your life. It is one of those pumpkin breads almost encouraging you to run out to the grocery store to buy up at least a half dozen cans of pumpkin puree. Yes, I am encouraging you to cause a run a canned pumpkin! When the fall pumpkin spice craze and all the fall holidays come to an end, you are going to want to bake up some loaves of this crave-worthy Pecan Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping on a cold winter or chilly spring day. Nothing warms the body and soul like the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Especially when they come in a slice of this Pecan Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping or if I may be so bold as to say 'this real contender for BEST' pumpkin bread.

Recipe
Pecan Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping
Makes two 9"x 5" loaves

Ingredients
Pecan Streusel Topping (see recipe for two options)
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or a combination of light and brown sugar)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (or very room temperature butter)
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt

Pumpkin Bread
1 cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped
1 cup canola oil
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup water
3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Optional: Sanding sugar, if not using the streusel

Directions
Pecan Streusel Topping
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Add in the flour and pecans. Stir until combined. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly while you assemble the pumpkin bread.
3. Alternately, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pecans in a medium sized bowl. Stir until combined. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly while you assemble the pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Bread
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously butter two 9" x 5" metal baking pans. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the canola oil and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. It will look like wet sugar.
3. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, and water until combined.
4. Using a spatula, fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
5. Gently fold in the pecan pieces.
6. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
7. Evenly sprinkle clumps of the Pecan Streusel Topping over the pumpkin loaves.
8. Place baking pans on a large baking sheet. Place in oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
9. Let the Pecan Pumpkin Bread rest in the pan until cool.
10. Remove from pan. Cut into thick one inch slices and serve.
11. Store any leftover bread tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days (if it lasts that long). Heat slices up in the microwave before serving for that just out of the oven taste experience or heat up just enough to take the chill off the bread.

Notes: (1) To toast the pecans, preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lay pecan halves flat on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and aromatic. Let cool before chopping. (2) Instead of topping with the Pecan Streusel Topping, liberally top with sanding sugar. (3) Instead of making loaves of the Pecan Pumpkin Bread, you can make muffins. Baking time will be 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (4) For an even more intensely spiced bread, increase both the cloves and nutmeg from 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce

Sometimes when I sit down to write up a blog post, I am at a complete loss for words. There are no creative, inspiring, thought-provoking, interesting, or semi-funny thoughts running through my head. At least not ones I should be sharing publicly. Then there are times when it feels like I am on that merry-go-round of writing my dissertation all over again. I write, rewrite, delate, rewrite, edit, delete again, rewrite, and edit until it feels as painful as crawling on glass (yes, that six chapter 192 page dissertation ultimately got finished and all the scars have healed), And then I have moments when I think 'why can't the blog post be just like a picture book?'. Let the photos tell the story in the spirit of 'a picture tells a thousand words'. Today is one of those of days when the picture book option seems like a really good idea. 

But these Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce, aka perfect like bites of deliciousness, are well deserving of some accolades! 

Earlier in the week I was swooning over like-the-plate delicious Jammy Egg Toast I had made. I became jammy egg obsessed. Pretty sure this is the only way I want to eat my eggs from now on.

So what exactly is a jammy egg? It has been described as an egg having a yolk center neither runny nor completely set. Food guru Alison Roman described the texture of a jammy eggs as one "literally like when you open a jar of jam or marmalade, kind of sticky, definitely a spoonable texture". I am simply going with describing them as out of this world egg yumminess. 

While savoring my Jammy Egg Toast, I had one of those 'ah-ha' creative moments. I became giddy at the idea of making Jammy Egg Crostini drizzled with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Little bites of deliciousness made or presented in an almost endless number of ways.  

As delirious as I was over the taste of a jammy egg, I was flipping out over the taste of the Lemon Mustard Sauce. Made with mayonnaise, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, two kinds of dijon mustard, kosher salt and black pepper, this sauce is creamy and insanely flavorful. I used both a regular dijon mustard and a grainy dijon mustard, but could have easily used one or the other. Leaning toward using the grainy dijon mustard. With the sauce having a drizzling, pourable texture, you can put on as little or as much as you want on your jammy egg crostini.

If you have never intentionally made a jammy egg before, you might be wondering how to get that perfect jammy texture. Some will tell you to cook them for 6 1/2 minutes in boiling water, others will tell you 7 minutes in boiling water. Some will tell you to put room temperature eggs into the boiling water, others will tell you to use eggs straight from the refrigerator. After making them several times this week, I will tell you to boil your straight out of the refrigerator eggs for 7 minutes exactly. Submerge your eggs into a pot of boiling water and cover with a tight sealing lid. After seven minutes remove your pot from the stove, drain the water, and put the eggs in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. After several minutes the eggs should be cool enough to peel.

Give yourself a moment to stare at the jammy egg yolk before you start making the crostini. Who knew a jammy egg yolk could be so beautiful?

You could easily make a platter with jammy egg quarters, a bowl of the Lemon Mustard Sauce, a myriad of toppings (or underings), and some grilled crostini. Or you can make a platter of finished crostinis. 

There are an almost endless number of jammy egg crostini options. I made the following versions: Smoked Salmon Jammy Egg Crostini, Sliced Avocado Jammy Egg Crostini, Basil Pesto Jammy Egg Crostini, Egg Salad Jammy Egg Crostini, and Sliced Shallot (or red onion) Jammy Egg Crostini. The Egg Salad version was the only one where I tossed the jammy egg quarters in the Lemon Mustard Sauce rather than drizzling it over the crostini. Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, and basil) added both color and flavor to the crostini. Serve your crostini with somewhat warm (my personal preference), room temperature, or chilled jammy eggs. 

Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce is a great breakfast or brunch, lunch, dinner or snack option. These are so good I could probably eat them at least twice during the day. Your friends and family will devour them. So make enough for everyone to have at least two or three crostini! So now here you go, finally, the recipe for the Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce. And I am thinking a picture only blog post might not be such be a bad idea!

Recipe
Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
8-10 large eggs
3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (See Notes)
1 1/2 teaspoons grainy or old style mustard (See Notes)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Zest from half of a lemon
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from one large lemon)
1 small baguette, sliced, and grilled
Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, basil, and/or sage)

Avocado, sliced thinly
Smoked salmon or lox, thinly sliced
Basil Pesto
Red Onion or shallot, sliced very thinly

Additional kosher salt and black pepper for finishing

Directions
1. Bring a medium sized pot filled with water to a boil. Note: When adding the eggs to the pot, they should be covered with an inch of water.
2. Add eggs and tightly cover pan. Cook for 7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and drain water. Place eggs in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process as well as to make them easier to peel. Let eggs rest for 5 minutes.
3. While eggs are resting, make the Lemon Mustard Sauce. In a medium sized bowl combine the mayonnaise, two kinds of mustards, kosher salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust season if needed. Note: The sauce should have a pourable consistency.
4. Peel eggs and cut into quarters.
5. Depending on the size of the crostini, you will need 2 to 3 quarters for each one.
6. For the Smoked Salmon Crostini, place a cover of thin slices of smoked salmon on top of the crostini. Top with 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh thyme leaves.
7. For the Basil Pesto Crostini, spread some basil pesto on the crostini. Top with 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh basil leaves or basil chiffonade.
8. For the Avocado Crostini. place a cover of thin slices of the avocado on top of the crostini. Top with 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh parsley. Note: Instead of avocado slices, could mash an avocado half with some freshly squeezed lemon juice.
8. For the Shallot (or Red Onion) Crostini, place 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters on the crostini. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Top with thinly cut slices of shallots or finely chopped red onion. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh parsley or thyme leaves.
9. For Jammy Egg Salad Crostini, mix 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters with 1 - 2 Tablespoons of the Lemon Mustard Sauce. Top the crostini with the mixture. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh parsley or thyme leaves.

Notes: (1) I used a combination of two different Maille dijon mustards. You can use one or other or both as I did. (2) If you have any leftover Lemon Mustard Sauce, cover and store in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to a week. Whisk again before using. (3) Instead of making crostini, you can make Jammy Egg Toast. (See below)

Baked Veggie and Bacon Omelettes

After almost every Saturday morning long run, we go out for breakfast. It's as much a time to catch up with one another as it is to put an end to those feelings of starvation. A few of us are creatures of habit, ordering the same menu item week after week. While others are a little more adventurous, usually ordering something different or never having an endless same meal streak. Lately I have become a creature of habit. As much as I love omelettes I generally don't order them in restaurants. Mostly because they are usually ginormous and paired with even more food. And I don't always trust my will power to show restraint or adhere to the 'less is more' way of thinking. But if these Baked Veggie and Bacon Omelettes I would have an almost guilt-free breakfast eating experience.

As popular as omelettes are, they are also the one breakfast food posing as a challenge for the home cook especially if you have a table of hungry family or friends. No one wants to spend all their time standing at the stove making two, three, four, or more omelettes. And no one wants to be last person to get theirs. 

Fortunately there is a way to serve perfectly sized omelettes to everyone at the table at the same time. These incredibly delicious Baked Veggie and Bacon Omelettes will not only satisfy everyone's craving for an omelette, they will give you or validate your 'hostess with mostess' status.

Once the vegetables are chopped and sautéed, the omelettes come together easily. If you don't have time to do all of chopping in the morning, you can do some of it the night before. Dice up the onions and red bell pepper, store in two separate bowls, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Or you can get your family and/or friends involved. When choosing a tomato, I recommend a Roma or Plum Tomato as they have the least amount of seeds and are the easiest to cut into a dice. When choosing your bacon, choose a good quality thick cut, smoked one. And when choosing your cheese, pick one that melts when baked. Cheddar, Fontina, and Mozzarella would be some good options. I used a medium cheddar for these omelettes.

The egg mixture is made with six large eggs, a half cup of heavy whipping cream, a few drops of your favorite hot sauce, kosher salt and pepper. I like using white pepper, but black pepper will work too. 

Generously greasing your ramekins with butter and preheating your oven to 350 degrees (F) will help ensure your omelettes bake up and come out perfectly. 

With the egg/vegetable mixture divided equally between four ramekins (these were 4" sized ones), the omelettes bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Or until they have puffed up and are slightly firm to the touch. If the omelettes are still a wiggly in the center, give the pan a little shake and bake for a little longer. Recommend you begin checking for doneness at 20 minutes. Note: If you use smaller ramekins your baking time will need to be adjusted downward slightly.

You can easily double this recipe or increase by half if you are having 6 or 8 guests for breakfast. 

Serve the Baked Veggie and Bacon Omelettes with some fresh fruit, juice, coffee, and/or something alcoholic, and maybe even a sweet breakfast or quick bread. Honestly, everyone should walk away from your table happily satisfied. Even those feeling ravenous! And more importantly, you will walk away not feeling like you spent the morning working as a part-time short order cook at a busy breakfast restaurant. Life is too short to start the day feeling stuffed or exhausted!

After eating one of these Baked Veggie and Bacon Omelettes I am not sure I will ever make a stove top omelette again. Well I don't actually mean never ever. What I mean is I would have to think long an hard before deciding whether to make a stove top omelette or these baked omelettes. 

Who knows, but these incredibly flavorful baked omelettes could end up being one your signature, on regular repeat weekend and/or entertaining breakfasts! They also happen to be the closest thing to a perfect omelette bite ever! 

Recipe
Baked Veggie and Bacon Omelettes
Serves 4 or 6

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for preparing the ramekins
1 medium red potato, unpeeled, cut into 1/2" dice
1 small or 1/2 medium Spanish or yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (or 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided)
4 slices of thick cut, smoked bacon, cooked semi-crispy, drained on paper towels, and cut into 1/2" strips
1 medium sized plum or Roma tomato, cut into 1/2 inch dice (if seedy, remove seeds)
6 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream 
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or can use black pepper)
Several dashes of hot sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated cheese (recommend Cheddar, Fontina, Mozzarella)
Green onions and parsley for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously butter four 4" ramekins. Alternately use an oversized 6 muffin tin (at least 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 2" deep) and generously butter. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the diced potatoes to a slow boil. Cook for at least 6-7 minutes or until slightly tender. Drain and reserve potatoes.
3. Melt the two Tablespoons of butter in a medium sized skilled. Add the onion and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring often. Onions will have begun to soften.
4. Add in the red pepper and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Add in the diced potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. All of the vegetables should be tender. Remove from heat and stir in the bacon and diced tomato. Set aside.
6. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, white pepper and hot sauce. Note: I added an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the egg mixture.
7. Stir the vegetables and bacon mixture into the egg mixture.
8. Divide evenly into the prepared ramekins.
9. Top with freshly grated cheese.
10. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the omelettes are puffed and slightly firm to the touch.
11. Remove from the oven. 
12. Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley.
13. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: (1) Baking time for the ramekins or the oversized muffin tin will range from 20-30 minutes. (2) Instead of cooked bacon, can use cooked breakfast sausage or diced ham. (3) You can cut the onions and peppers as well as par cook the potatoes the night before assembly. Store covered in a bowl in the refrigerator. (4) Your omelettes should easily come out of the ramekins, especially if you generously buttered them. Either serve everyone their own omelette in the ramekin, or remove from the ramekins and transfer to a large serving platter. (5) Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave before eating.

Jalapeño Cornbread

For many, it's not always chili, stew, or soup making weather. But no matter what part of the country you live in, it's always fried chicken weather. Which means no matter what the temperature is outside, you can enjoy and eat cornbread year round. What you pair cornbread with partly depends on what you are craving. There are those time when the lust for cornbread can be so strong, you really don't care what the temperature outdoors might be. Mother Nature should never get between you and a great, soul-satisfying cornbread. If you happen to be someone who loves a sweet, savory cornbread you need this uber-delicious Jalapeño Cornbread in your life. It happens to be one that doesn't just have a golden crust and crisp edge. It also has the perfect crumb, the right amount of moistness, and is perfectly flavored. The taste and texture of this cornbread hits all the right buttons. But hey, don't let any of that stop you from slathering on some room temperature butter and/or drizzling honey on top of a slice, if you are so inclined.

For those of you who consider yourself to be a cornbread connoisseur or cornbread fussytarian, this Jalapeño Cornbread should meet or exceed your deliciousness bar. I am going to take a leap and promise you will not be disappointed with this one.

Before I made this amazing recipe, I made slightly different one over the weekend. The cornbread had pickled jalapeños and corn in it and it was tasty, but it was a bit on the underwhelming side. In other words, I won't be making that recipe ever again. I learned or rather relearned I am definitely a 'there must be sugar in the cornbread' cornbread loving girl. Which means depending on where you grew up, this 'with sugar in it' cornbread recipe might be one you will either swoon over or one you will swear off. Hopefully you are team sugar in your cornbread.

Had I served this droolworthy Jalapeño Cornbread with the Beef and Bean Chili for lunch, I don't think there would have been any leftovers. From this point forward, this will be the cornbread recipe on regular repeat around here. It will also be the only one I will be bringing as a hostess gift or to a gathering.

Cornbread is generally pretty easy to make. This one is super easy. Two bowls, a couple of whisks, a wooden spoon, some measuring cups/spoons, and cast iron pan are the only tools you will need. But simplicity doesn't always guarantee great flavor. The ingredients in this Jalapeño Cornbread do.  Melted butter, honey, sugar, buttermilk, fine ground cornmeal, and pickled jalapeños are what separates this cornbread from all of the other cornbreads out there. While it's the fine cornmeal responsible for deepening the corn flavor, I added some corn kernels. Mostly because I like the taste and texture of corn in my cornbread. You can leave it out completely or use only a half-cup. But don't leave out anything else. Especially the pickled jalapeños.

Like most other 'quick bread' type recipes, this Jalapeño Cornbread follows the mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined rule. And the key to mixing the cornbread is to not over mix. 

The thick batter is poured in a buttered cast iron pan and baked in a preheated 375 degree (F) oven for somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. When the top and edges are a deep golden brown and the top is firm to touch when lightly pressed, the cornbread is done. But not yet ready to eat.

Once out of the oven, allow the cornbread to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it into wedges. Serve the Jalapeño Cornbread warm for most optimal flavor experience. Although it's still really, really good eaten at room temperature. Note: You can always reheat the wedges in the microwave.

This a crave-worthy, sweet-savory Jalapeño Cornbread. If you love cornbread and jalapeños, you will be smitten with this cornbread. Butter and/or honey will take it a little over the top. But honestly, it's so flavorful you might actually consider forgoing slathering or drizzling either of them over a warm wedge of the Jalapeño Cornbread. But don't let me discourage you from doing anything that makes you happy.

Recipe
Jalapeño Cornbread
Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk (shaken before measured)
3 Tablespoons clover honey
2 large eggs
1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, coarsely chopped, plus a handful of jalapeño slices
1/2 to 1 cup canned yellow and/or a mixture of yellow and white corn (drained) - optional

Honey and butter, for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Generously butter a 10" cast iron pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and honey until blended.
4. Make a well in the bowl with the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients. Add in the corn and jalapeños. Stir using a wooden spoon (or spatula). Mix just until the mixture is combined, being careful to not over mix.
5. Pour the cornbread mixture into the prepared cast iron pan. Smooth top with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. Sprinkled the handful of jalapeño slices over the top.
6. Bake the cornbread on the center rack in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or until the top is slightly firm to the touch.
7. Let the cornbread cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into wedges.
8. Serve warm cornbread with softened butter and/or honey.
9. Cover any leftover cornbread with aluminum foil. Serve leftovers at room temperature or reheated in the microwave.

Notes: (1) Instead of buying a package of fine ground cornmeal, I bought what I needed in the bulk section at Whole Foods. Most grocery stores with a bulk section will carry fine ground cornmeal. (2) If using a full cup of the corn, you won't use all of an 11 ounce can. I used the full cup in this cornbread, but may adjust that downward to 1/2 to 2/3 cup the next time.(3) Pickled Jalapeños come in a jar and are available in the ethnic sections of many large grocery stores.  (4) If you don't have a cast iron pan, use a similarly sized metal pan but do not bake the cornbread in a glass pan. (5) If you want to make this for Thanksgiving and feel the jalapeños will clash with your menu, leave them out.