"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!

The Best Homemade Brown Butter Rainbow Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce

This recipe might be a little boring for some of y'all... it might be exciting for the rest. It's a classic. Something that every gal needs up her sleeve for a multitude of dishes. This is a step-by-step to the best tomato sauce. This girl right here, loves brown butter. I would bathe in brown butter if I could. Hell, I'd make an eau de perfume if I could. It masterfully makes any dish better with its' nuttiness and lusciousness. But back to the sauce, the famous sauce. A great tomato sauce is important because all men love spaghetti + meatballs, lasagna, pizza... you pretty much name it. So, trust me with this one, and make this sauce for all of it. It starts with a shit ton of butter, three sticks, it's worth it, so hush. Along with the shit ton of butter comes a shit ton of heirloom rainbow baby tomatoes. And that's what I love about this recipe because most tomato sauces start with a can of plum tomatoes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some San Marzano Tomatoes, they are great! But, there is something about the freshness of this sauce because of the use of the heirlooms. The flavor is amped up with some fresh garlic, roasted garlic, bell peppers, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and a'whole'lotta fresh basil. Basil basil BASIL!! Each and every ingredient boosts the sauce in a very unique way. The red wine gives it body, the bell peppers give it some bite, the tomato paste gives a concentrated flavor, the roasted garlic gives it an aromatic smoothness, and the seasonings give it that little extra oomph! And y'all, it only takes about 45 minutes to make, but tastes like you've been cookin' it all day. Don't you worry either, you can say you've been slaving away on this masterpiece, I won't tell anyone!! Enjoy :)

Sauteeing the garlic, onion, and bell peppers...

Rainbow baby heirloom tomatoes being added in...

And the baby tomatoes bursting in the brown butter...

And that torn fresh basil....

Oh, it's starting to look real good...

Here's where you add in the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and red wine...

Simmer, simmer, simmer...

And add all that good herbs and seasonings...

Girl, that shit's done.

For the Sauce:

3 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

4lbs of Rainbow Heirloom Baby Tomatoes

4T EVOO

2C Diced Vidalia Onions

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

½C Mixed Bell Peppers, Diced

1 Tube of Tomato Paste

1 Head of Garlic, Roasted

2T Balsamic Vinegar

½C Red Wine

1t Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, & Coriander

1T Red Pepper Flakes   

1 Large Bunch of Fresh Basil, Half Chiffonade + Half Torn

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste (and a little sugar if needed)

Directions:

1. In a pot, melt the three sticks of butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it come to a bubble and start to brown the slightest bit. Add in the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes until they begin to soften and burst, while the butter browns, about 15 minutes.

2. In a medium pan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add in the onion and diced bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes until translucent. Toss in the minced garlic and barely cook, just about 3-5 minutes.

3. Add the sautéed vegetables into the brown butter-tomato mixture, along with the tube of tomato paste, head of roasted garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the torn and chiffonade basil. Season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little bit of sugar (if needed and all to taste).

5. It’s ready to serve!

"Easy Peasy" Pizzadilla with Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Double Flour Tortilla, Homemade Brown Butter Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan, Pepperoni, Italian Herbs, + Balsamic Reduction

"Easy Peasy" Pizzadilla with Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Double Flour Tortilla, Homemade Brown
Butter Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan, Pepperoni, Italian Herbs, + Balsamic Reduction 

Raise your hand if you hate me or are mad at me. Seriously, do it. You can't see me now, but my hand is high up to the sky because I'm ashamed I left you high and dry over the last year. I think I posted less recipes in an entire year than I used to in an entire month, and I promise I'm going to change that. It has been a difficult year to say the least, one day my world was completely normal, and then I woke up and my world came crashing down. I struggled, I struggled a lot. I don't quite think struggle actually depicts on how depressed and sad I have been. Thank god for my amazing husband and the unbreakable friendships with my best friends because I was surely losing my sanity every hour that passed by. So, 2015 was a learning experience to say the least, but I think that it has made me a stronger person in the long run. I never thought in a million years that my mid-life crisis would occur at age 25, but hey, maybe that means I just got mine out of the way before everyone else goes through it. However, I do not want to make this blog post sad or kind of a drag, so the second the clock his midnight on New Years Eve, my year of hell was over. I was ready to begin the next chapter of my life and put my energy into what I love doing, starting a family, and experiencing as much as I can. So here is a list of my resolutions for 2016...

1. Be a better blogger
2. Learn how to make cute embroidery hoops
3. Bake more; Cook more
4. Try to let go of the bitterness and move onto the next chapter of my life
5. Learn how to control my stress and anxiety
6. Show how much I love my husband every single day
7. Begin a healthy lifestyle and feature some healthy recipes on the blog
8. Never EVER take my best friends for granted. They keep me sane and have been there for me during the worst year of my life. They are my family.
9. Do whatever I can to help my father through this difficult time 
10. Become a “half glass full” kind of girl AND stay positive no matter what!

The University of Alabama won the National Championship... ROLL TIDE!

With his hand in mine, I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

Meet Hercules: our brand spankin' new Blue Merle Great Dane puppy who sports an
Alabama themed bow tie on game days! How handsome is he??

fratty daddy + flower child

At the Farmer's Market with our doggie version of Biggie-Smalls

At our one year anniversary dinner party with our closest friends
celebrating where we got married, JCT Kitchen + Bar

We love our Dirty Birds!

Our wedding anniversary Celebration... fit with an amazing floral crown!

My Whole Damn Fam... Hercules, Cleetus, Eloise, + I

Okay, so now that we've caught up a little, it's finally time to move onto the first recipe post of the year, yippee!! There's a funny story behind this and it has to involve my diva of a niece, Miss Mollywood, as I like to call her because it's her world and we're all just living in it. When my husband and I babysit her, she always requests a pizza on a flour tortilla with tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. I had never heard of the concoction, but I figured if she loves them that much, then heck I should make a grown-up version. And I trust her advice because she's 4 going on 30. I started off by making my famous brown butter-fresh tomato sauce (which I will post the recipe for that tomorrow, just in case you want to make it... if not grab a your favorite jar of sauce from the store). You can buy any kind of tortilla... I use super soft flour tortillas, but surely you can make it healthy by getting whole wheat, low-carb, or gluten free! Now, moving onto the cheese, I use three different types. The first is a homemade herbed ricotta cheese that I spread on top of the bottom tortilla "crust", and then I press the second tortilla onto the ricotta, so that they stay together. Warm up a big enough skillet to low-to-medium heat and place a few tablespoons of butter in the pan until they have melted. Continue assembling the "Pizzadilla" by spreading on a few generous spoonfuls of the brown butter tomato sauce, making sure to leave an edge for a crispy crust. Generously sprinkle about 1-2 handfuls of shredded mozzarella and as much freshly grated Parmesan, as you want. But hey, the more cheese, the better... right? Spice up the pizzadilla with Italian herbs, such as dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flake, kosher salt, + fresh cracked pepper. Just a little dab of each will do ya, so it's up to you how much you use! As for the toppings, this is way you can go crazy... add ANYTHING you want :) I had pepperoni on hand and it was just a great pizza alternative with a classic pizza topping. Place the assembled pizzadilla into the skillet of the melted butter and slowly let the bottom tortilla to turn perfectly golden brown and crispy. Don't keep it on there to long because you don't want a burnt pizzadilla, y'all. You just don't. I think I kept it on there for about 5 minutes, but just keep checking occasionally until the desired crust color has been reached (and don't worry about getting the whole p'dilla done in the skillet). After your crust in perfect, slide the p'dilla onto a baking sheet, lined with a Silpat, and place it in the oven. Turn your broiler on and watch it carefully, like really, don't leave its side. You will want your cheese melted, your pepperoni slightly crisping up, and an outside crunchy ring of tortilla "crust". Remove it from the oven and slide it onto a cutting board. I recommend letting it sit for a few minutes, so that when you cut it into slices, none of the cheese oozes out and the pepperoni doesn't slide off. Finish it all off by slicing it into triangle pizza wedges and add a healthy drizzle of yummy balsamic reduction for a little bit of sweetness! I hope y'all enjoy this easy peasy recipe, y'all! I know my niece and I sure do! Enjoy :)

For the Herbed Ricotta Cheesy Yum:

8oz Whole Milk Ricotta, Strained for Excess Water

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan

¼-½C Fresh Mixed Herbs, Minced (do this to taste; we used basil, oregano, parsley, & chives)

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Pizzadillas:

2T Unsalted Butter

2 10-inch Super Soft Tortillas

Prepared Herbed Ricotta Cheesy Yum (to your liking)

¼C Homemade Brown Butter Tomato Sauce

½-1C Shredded Mozzarella (to your liking)

Freshly Grated Parmesan (to your liking)

10-15 Slices of Pepperoni

A Sprinkling of Dried Oregano, Dried Basil, & Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper

Homemade or Store-bought Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. Assembling the Pizzadilla: Place one super soft flour tortilla on a cutting board and spread on some of the herbed ricotta cheesy yum on top, following this step, press a second tortilla onto the ricotta until they have completely adhered to one another. Next, spoon on some of the brown butter tomato sauce on top of the second tortilla, making sure to leave an edge in order to achieve a crispy outer crust. Mound a big ‘ole pile of mozzarella cheese all over the tomato sauce until it is covered, and then freshly grate some parmesan to finish it off. Don’t forget those slices of pepperoni, so make sure squeeze as many of those as you can onto the pizzadilla. Lastly, sprinkle the top of the assembled pizzadilla with the dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.

2. Crisping the Tortilla: Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the unsalted butter and let it melt completely. Place the pizzadilla into the pan and cook it until the bottom tortilla is golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Watch this carefully by checking the bottom of the tortilla “crust” with a spatula… trust me, you do not want a ruined, burnt pizzadilla.

3. Preheat your oven to broil and slide the pizzadilla out of the skillet and onto a Silpat lined baking sheet. Once the oven is up to the correct temperature, it’s time to put the pizzadilla in to finish cooking.

4. Finishing the Pizzadilla: Broil the pizzadilla until the cheese has completely melted, the pepperoni has started to slightly crisp up, and the outside tortilla “crust” has reached a delightful golden brown color and is crunchy in texture. Do not leave the oven while this is broiling because it can burn quite quickly, so stay there and watch until it is perfectly done. Remove the pizzadilla from the oven and put it on a cutting board. Let the pizzadilla cool for a few minutes, just to ensure that the cheese doesn’t ooze out and the toppings don’t slide off. After cooling, cut the pizzadilla into triangle-like slices. Drizzle the top with some balsamic reduction for a touch of sweetness and devour immediately.