"Bae" Toast with Crispy Bacon Lardons, Marinated Avocado, + Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs on Garlic-Rubbed, Bacon Fat Fried Multigrain Sourdough Toast

If you could do one thing for me when it comes to cooking, it would be to make this avocado toast... before anything else. Have you ever wondered what "bae" stood for? Some people believe it to be what I already previously stated. But in my crazy foodie world, it obviously stands for bacon, avocado, + egg. Yep, the craze of 2016 had to be avocado toast. I wasn't really on board with it in the beginning because I'm not much of an avid avocado person. Don't get me wrong though, I love me some guacamole. But just toast and avocado? I wasn't quite buying it just yet. However, I started seeing recipes pop over all over the blog-o-sphere and pinterest and they included much more than just a piece of bread + avocado. That inspired to make one of our favorite dishes yet, Smoked Avocado Toast with Herbed Crab Salad, Bacon Fat Fried Sourdough, + Citrus Caviar. It's so good that we make it a few times a month. So, I knew I would've eventually come up with another twist on this new-found classic. What I absolutely love about this recipe is that you can literally eat it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a snack, or dinner-- it is so versatile! Now, let's break down each component. First let's talk about the "toast"... if you could even call sliced thick cut, multigrain sourdough pan fried in smokey bacon fat toast. It's crunchy on the exterior, but perfectly melts into your mouth like a perfectly cooked piece of bacon. That golden brown piece of bread is then rubbed with garlic, which gives the toast a little bit of bite, especially in such a rich dish. Speaking of rich, let's get to the marinated avocado. I personally think avocado is a little too bland to me. So any time I use it, I like to "marinate" it. I do this by buying an almost ripe avocado, cutting it into slices, and then smashing it ever-so-slightly with some salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and lime zest. This adds just a wee bit of flavor and intensifies it just enough to bring everything together. Now far and away, the best component of this toast are the luscious cheesy scrambled eggs. A chef can make or break a recipe by the way they cook their eggs. And this is the only way I will scramble an egg. Eggs are beaten together with heavy cream (YES), kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. They are then slow-slow-slow-and-low-low-low cooked in a skillet with butter and oil. This is very, very important. The key to getting fluffy, luscious, and creamy eggs is to continuously stir and fold the egg mixture with a rubber spatula. If I could describe it best, I would say to graze the pan, gently moving the cooked eggs from the outside of the pan towards the center. I will say that this method will take some time, anywhere from 15-30 minutes, but it is so unbelievably worth it. At the very end of cooking, I like to grate some parmesan on top of the curds and gently fold it in. I also love to garnish with fresh chives, but that's completely optional! Really, all that is left are topping the toasts with crispy bacon bits and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes... and that is it! It is such a simple dish, but oh-so-amazing! I mean, anyone can make this. I hope y'all love it as much as we did. Enjoy :)

For the Marinated Avocado:

2-3 Ripe Avocados, Sliced

1 Lime, Zested + Juiced

1T EVOO

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, To Taste

For the Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs:

2T Unsalted Butter + 1T EVOO

6 Extra Large Eggs

¼C Heavy Cream

Pinch of Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan

1-2T Fresh Snipped Chives

For the "Bae" Toast:

Prepared Marinated Avocado

Prepared Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

6 Slices of Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons + Cooked until Crispy

Reserved Bacon Fat, For Frying

4-6 Slices of Multigrain Sourdough Toast, Fried in Bacon Fat

1 Large Clove of Garlic

Dried Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon lardons in a large skillet over medium heat until they are perfectly crispy (but not burnt). Remove the bacon lardons from the hot pan and place them on a paper towel to drain and cool them. Reserve the rendered bacon fat for frying the toast.

2. For the Bacon Fat Dried Multigrain Sourdough Toast: In the same large skillet, over medium heat, add in about 1-2 inches of the rendered bacon fat. Fry the toast for a couple minutes on each side until they are golden brown and slightly crunchy. Repeat this process until all of the bread has been fried/toasted. Set them aside and let the toast cool for a few minutes, and then rub the clove of garlic all over the warm surface of the bread. Set them aside before assembling.

3. For the Marinated Avocado: In a mixing bowl, add in the sliced avocado, followed by the lime zest, lime juice, EVOO, kosher salt, and fresh cracker pepper. Toss all of the ingredients together, so that the avocados are covered in the lime. Right before assembling, mash the sliced avocado slightly, so that there are still some large chunks amongst the smoother smashed avocado. Set the marinated avocado aside until you are ready to assemble the toast.

4. For the Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over low heat. Add the butter and EVOO and allow it to melt and start to froth a bit. Pour the egg mixture into the warm pan. Using a heat-resistant rubber spatula, continually stir and fold the eggs until super soft curds form. It is important that you neatly and gently scrape (or graze) the sides of the pan, making sure to never stopping the motion. Push the eggs from the outside of the pan towards the center and repeat it until they are creamy, but cooked through. This process should take 15-30 minutes depending on your stovetop. Once the curds form and the eggs are cooked, sprinkle the top with the freshly grated parmesan and snipped chives. Stir to combine and be prepared to serve them while they are still warm.

5. Assembling the "Bae" Toast: Grab your perfectly browned bacon fat fried toast and rub the surface with the clove of garlic. Top each of the slices with some of your marinated mashed avocado and season with a pinch of salt. Spoon a mound of the luscious cheesy scrambled eggs on top of the creamy avocado. Scatter the crumbled, crispy bacon lardons evenly over the avocado. Garnish with some red pepper flakes for some spice and enjoy!

#instagrub: Springtime Carbonara with Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Brown Buttered Leeks, + Goat Cheese

As far as I can remember, I have never been a "pasta person". I truly realize that anything of that sort is blasphemy, but it's just not my jam. However, I do tend to make a few exceptions and our tried + true favorite pasta dish is by far, Carbonara. I love it's luxurious parmesan-egg creamy sauce that perfectly coats every little individual pasta piece. Every time I eat this for dinner, it's almost like the pasta is giving me a big ole bear hug that warms me deep into my soul. We don't just make one version of Carbonara, but many... breakfast inspired, autumn flavored with sage, sausage, and roasted butternut squash, and this new edition using springtime ingredients. Not only is it packed with bacon, bacon fat, and heavy cream, but it also has gorgeous asparagus, delightful sweet peas, leeks sauteed in brown butter, and fresh herbs. All of these components truly liven up the somewhat-heavyhearted Carbonara, especially with the addition of lemon zest, lemon juice, and a glug of white wine. To make the pasta, I get out two large stockpots... one to begin boiling to pasta and one to start sauteing the leeks in brown butter. We buy the best frozen sweet peas we can find and toss them in at the last few minutes to partially cook them (along with the pasta), so that they can finish completely while we're assembling the dish. After the leeks have caramelized slightly and become translucent, add in the asparagus, some garlic, and that glug of white wine. After you have drained the pasta and peas into a colander to cool, it's now time to start cooking the bacon lardons. Once you have achieved crispy bacon lardon goodness, strain out the lardons onto a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered bacon fat behind. With the heat on medium, return the pasta and peas, brown buttered leeks, asparagus, and minced garlic to the large pot with the bacon fat. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients to make the creamy egg-parmesan-heavy cream sauce until a cohesive mixture has formed. Turn off the heat (but the pasta ingredients are still hot) and slowly drizzle in the seasoned heavy cream-parmesan-egg mixture, stirring continuously, so that the eggs do not cook and curdle. You want to achieve a smooth, creamy sauce, that perfectly coats the pasta, and in order to reach those results… you have to keep stirring. If the sauce is too thick you can add in a small ladle of that starchy pasta-cooking water until your have reached your desired consistency. Finally add in a little freshly grated nutmeg, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Take a taste test, and if needed, season it with some more salt, pepper, and/or any other spices. Return the pasta to low-medium heat for just about a minute or two to thicken the sauce and bring it all together. At the very last minute, toss in the crispy bacon lardons, so they maintain their texture, even when coated in such a thick sauce! Now all you have to do is spoon the pasta into serving bowls and garnish them with fresh basil, fresh parsley, and crumbled goat cheese, and you're done!! Enjoy :)

For the Springtime Carbonara:

1lb Orecchiette Pasta (or any short pasta you like)

1 Bag of Frozen Sweet Peas

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter

4 Leeks, Halved Lengthwise + Thinly sliced (white & green parts only and thoroughly washed)

1lb Asparagus, Trimmed & Cut into 2inch Pieces

6 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Minced (split into two equal groups)

¼C White Wine

1lb Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons

Generous Sprinkling of Cinnamon

4 Large Eggs

8oz Grated Parmesan (we used one container of finely grated cheese)

½C Heavy Cream

1-2T Lemon Zest, Finely Grated with a Microplane

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, To Taste

¼-½t Dried Red Pepper Flakes 

Freshly Grated Nutmeg (just a pinch or to your liking)

¼C Fresh Parsley + ¼C Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped 

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Prepping the Pasta: Fill a large stockpot with water, and then heavily salt it (almost to the point that it is like ocean water) and add a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. With about 2-3 minutes of boiling left to go, add in the frozen peas, so that they can partially cook (they will finish completely throughout the Carbonara pasta process). When the pasta is done, reserve 2-3 ladles of the starchy water to help create a better sauce. Strain the pasta and peas and keep them in the strainer until you are ready to make the Carbonara. Return the large stockpot to the stove to be used again

2. Brown Buttering the Leeks: Start a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the stick of butter and allow it to melt completely until it is just beginning to brown. Throw in the prepared leeks, as well as some fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, making sure to stir often. Boost the heat up to high and add in the cut asparagus and half of the minced garlic, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes, until they are tender, but not overcooked. Pour in the wine and allow it to reduce down, about 1-2 minutes. After this mixture has cooked, let it sit in the pan while you start cooking the bacon lardons.

3. Preparing the Creamy “Sauce”: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, finely grated Parmesan, heavy cream, fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes until a smooth custard has formed. Set it aside.

4. For the Carbonara: In the same large stockpot used above, crisp up the bacon lardons over medium-high heat with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Once the bacon is completely cooked+ crispy, using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reduce the heat to low and leave the remaining bacon fat in the pot and throw in the cooked pasta and peas, brown buttered leeks, sautéed asparagus, and remaining minced garlic. Toss all of these components in the bacon fat until a cohesive pasta mixture has formed. Turn off the heat (but the pasta ingredients are still hot) and slowly drizzle in the seasoned heavy cream-parmesan-egg mixture, stirring continuously, so that the eggs do not cook and curdle. You want to achieve a smooth, creamy sauce, that perfectly coats the pasta, and in order to reach those results… you have to keep stirring. If the sauce is too thick you can add in a small ladle of that starchy pasta-cooking water until your have reached your desired consistency. Finally add in a little freshly grated nutmeg, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Take a taste test, and if needed, season it with some more salt, pepper, and/or any other spices. Return the pasta to low-medium heat for just about a minute or two to thicken the sauce and bring it all together. At the very last minute, toss in the crispy bacon lardons, so they maintain their texture, even when coated in such a thick sauce.

5. Serving the Carbonara: Spoon the Springtime Carbonara into serving bowls and garnish with some fresh parsley, fresh basil, and a handful of crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy it while it’s still hot and oh-so-creamy!