Category: Eggs

Learning to Love Onions

December 13, 2009

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I have introduced my husband Randy to many different foods over the nine years we have known each other.  In some ways, I feel like I have introduced him to food period.  Randy has always been athletic and so he has always viewed food as fuel.  Before he met me, he had some crazy calculation for the protein to carb to vegetable ratio so that he could just keep moving without bonking.  It had very little to do with taste.  There was a lot of tuna, chicken, rice, and salsa in his life.  Occasionally a vegetable or two.

Then along comes me.  Vegetarian.  Loves to eat.  Loves to dine out.  Loves to talk about food.  Loves to research restaurants in far away cities.  Loves to obsess about each and every upcoming meal.  I’ve got to hand it to the guy – he has made a huge effort to embrace the obsession.  He tries new restaurants with me.  He enthusiastically eats everything that I cook, even the most aggressively vegetarian food (he is a carnivore).  He has opened his mind up to food that he thought he hated.  And I have converted him.  Peas, lentils, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and tofu used to be on the black list.  He eats all of them now.  (Brussels sprouts are still dicey and cauliflower only if it is roasted.  But still, progress.)  The only dislike he holds on to is beets.  And I can live with that for now.

But before I pat myself on the back too heartily, there are foods he has brought into my life for which I am eternally grateful.  It is hard for me to believe, but I had never tasted Pho (the Vietnamese rice noodle soup) before a trip we took to Vancover together.  Now Pho is a large part of our family’s life.  He also reawakened my love for Mexican food, spicy food in general, and he made me embrace onions.

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I still don’t like raw onions, but I do love them in all other ways.  Especially caramelized onions.  I have been cooking up lots of them lately.  I love them in these tarts, and in a quick and easy appetizer that I will share here shortly.  When my brother and sister-in-law came for brunch yesterday, I knew I wanted to make this frittata.  I’m not sure why so much time has gone by since my last go-around with this lovely dish but I guess that’s what happens in a busy kitchen.

Now, you might be wondering – are those eggs brown?  Did she overcook the frittata?  We all know that overcooked eggs are one of the worst things about brunches in restaurants, right?  Let me reassure you.  That brown top is actually balsamic vinegar that has been cooked down so that it is syrupy and sweet, and then brushed over the top of the frittata.  Not an A+  in the looks department but definitely in the taste department.

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Want another Frittata?  Check out this one.

Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese, and Sage
Adapted from Fields of Greens
Serves 6

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 eggs
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/3 cup
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
3 ounces mild creamy goat cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp. Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (method follows)

Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet; add the onions, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Sauté the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes to release their juices.  Add the garlic; continue to cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes, gently scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to keep the onions from sticking as they caramelize.  Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside to cool.  (DT: These can be made days in advance.  Put in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Stir in the onions along with the Parmesan and sage.  In a 9-inch sauté pan with an ovenproof handle, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil to just below the smoking point.  Swirl the oil around the sides of the pan to coat it.  Turn the heat down to low, then immediately pour the frittata mixture into the pan.  The eggs will sizzle from the heat.  Crumble in the goat cheese and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until the sides begin to set; transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the frittata is golden and firm.

Loosen the frittata gently with a rubber spatula; the bottom will tend to stick to the pan.  Place a plate over the pan, flip it over, and turn the frittata out.  Brush the bottom and sides with the vinegar and cut into wedges.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the balsamic vinegar, heat 6 tablespoons of vinegar in a small saucepan and cook down gently until it is reduced by half.  If you want to have some of these amazing taste treat on hand, just make extra and store it in the refrigerator.  This process goes quickly, so watch your pot carefully.


Category: Brunch, Eggs
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Smoky Flavors

October 1, 2009

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There is the old saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”  What do you do when life gives you chard?  And carrots?

For the last three weeks straight, I have received chard and carrots in my CSA box.  Actually, the carrots I’m not that worried about.  Farm fresh and stored in the crisper drawer, they will last a month or more.  Plus there is always vegetable stock to make, this soup, and this dressing.  But the chard?  I loved this recipe but didn’t want to make it again and again.  In order to use up the two huge bunches I had taking up lots of space in my refrigerator, I decided to cook it down and serve it over grilled bread.

The good thing about chard is that, if you want to use a lot of it, it melts into almost nothing.  The two of us were able to eat it the two giant bunches without too much trouble.  I sautéed a bit of garlic, added as many leaves as I could put into my large skillet, and then added more as they wilted.  I also added about a teaspoon of smoked paprika and some sliced sun-dried tomatoes.  I let the chard cook for a good long while, until it was really soft.  I was going to poach the eggs directly in nests of chard, but my pan was too large and I opted to make them in my egg poacher instead.  Fried eggs would also be delicious here.

Verdict?  A great way to use a lot of chard.  And a very quick dinner.  Randy called it “bitter” but would not come right out and say that he didn’t like it, although I told him he was allowed to.  I loved the egg and the bread (and the roasted potatoes I served along with it), but I would find another green for next time.  Broccoli rabe perhaps or kale.  Or maybe the mustard greens I was just informed are coming in this week’s box.  Along with some carrots.  I’m not kidding.

One Year Ago:  Dimply Plum Cake

Smoky Chard Over Grilled Bread
Dana Treat Original
Serves 2

If you find yourself with only one bunch of chard, do not despair.  You can still make a dinner out of this, you will just have slightly less chard to go over the bread and I would cut the smoked paprika down to 1/2 teaspoon.

Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large bunches chard (any type)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
6 sun-dried tomato halves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium slices country bread, drizzled with olive oil and grilled or toasted
4 eggs, poached, fried, or hard-boiled and sliced

Cut the chard leaves off of each stem (you can also just tear it off).  Cut the leaves into approximately 2-inch strips.  Reserve the stems for another use.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.  When hot, add just enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom.  Add the garlic and stir constantly until just starting to brown.  Do not allow to burn.  Add as many chard leaves as will fit into the pan and sauté until starting to wilt.  Add more leaves and continue to cook down until wilted.  Continue this process until all the chard is in the pan.  Add the paprika, the sun-dried tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and lower the heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the chard is very soft, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill the bread and cook the eggs to your liking.  An alternative here is to cook the chard in a smaller sauté pan that has a lid.  Make 4 wells in the cooked chard and crack an egg into each.  Cover and cook over low heat until the eggs are cooked to your liking.


Category: Brunch, Dana Treat Original, Eggs, Main Course, Quick and Easy
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How to Make Eggs for a Crowd

September 20, 2009

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Recently I was reading about how to give credit to a cookbook or magazine when you are writing a post about it.  It seems that if you have made a few changes, you say “Adapted from…”.  If you have made more than 3 changes and they are substantial, you say “Inspired by…”.  Any more than that and you can call the recipe your own.

I think those “rules” are fair and I adhere to them.  What do you do when you take a recipe that you have made before and completely change it, but you still have to credit the original recipe for giving you an idea in the first place?  I think I’ll call it “With many thanks to…”

We had some family and some friends over for brunch today.  For me, brunch = potatoes.  If I am going out for brunch I will order an egg dish so I can have potatoes and if I am making brunch at home, I stick with egg dishes so I have an excuse to make a huge pan of roasted potatoes.  My original intention was to make a scrambled egg dish with poblanos and cilantro and served with a warm tomato salsa of sorts.  As our invite list grew longer, I realized I didn’t want to be chained to the stove turning out dishes of scrambled eggs for people.  Enter the grits frittata.

I know, grits frittata?  That is what I mean when I say I have to give credit to the original recipe for the idea because I would certainly never think of putting the two together.  But long ago, I made this grits frittata and it was insanely good.  It also fed a lot of people (I made a special note in my book saying so).  A dish like this is so company friendly because you assemble it and then it bakes in the oven with no more effort needed from you.  You can also roast those beloved potatoes in the oven while the frittata cooks.

Because I already had poblano chiles, cilantro, and cotija on hand from my previous recipe idea, I decided to change the recipe up quite a bit.  I put it in a larger pan, added more eggs, used breadcrumbs instead of Parmesan cheese to line the springform pan.  In short, I made it my own.  I paired it with a warm sauce which just put the whole thing over the edge.  Grits purists may scoff and frittata purists may scoff, but that’s fine.  More for me.

One Year Ago:  What do you know?  Another frittata!  Frittata with Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil

Grits Frittata
With many thanks to Food and Wine
Serves 8-10

This frittata bakes for a long time in the oven so be sure to plan accordingly.

3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 large poblano chiles, stems, seeds and membranes removed, diced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 large bunch spinach, washed well and spun dry, leaves torn into 2 inch pieces
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups instant grits
6 cups water
Salt
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 8 oz package Cotija cheese, crumbled (or substitute equal amount of Monterey Jack, grated)
Freshly ground black pepper

Butter a 10 inch springform pan and dust with breadcrumbs so the whole surface has a light coating.  Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the topmost position.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of the butter then add the scallions and poblano chiles.  Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the ground cumin, stir well, then add the spinach in batches, mixing it in and allowing it to wilt before adding the next bunch.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cilantro for the tomato sauce, then add the rest to the spinach mixture.  Cook until wilted.  If the mixture is very wet, allow to cook for a few minutes longer to remove most of the moisture.  Set aside.  (This part can be made one day ahead.  Allow to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate.)

Fill a large pot with the 6 cups of water and a large pinch of salt then bring to a boil.  In a slow steady stream, add the grits.  Stir well, turn the heat to medium-low, and cover the pot.  Allow to cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes.  Pour the grits out into a large bowl and allow them to cool to warm.  Stir in the spinach mixture, all but a small handful of the cheese, the eggs and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Stir to mix well.

Pour the grits mixture into the prepared springform pan.  Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush over the surface.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and place in the oven.  Bake for an hour and 15 minutes.  If the frittata is still very jiggly in the middle, allow to bake for another 15 minutes.  Add more time as necessary so that it is just slightly jiggly.  Remove the frittata from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Carefully remove springform ring.  Cut into slices and serve with the warmed tomato salsa.

Warm Tomato Salsa
Makes enough for Grits Frittata

2 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 14-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chile powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the chile powder and then the tomatoes with their juices.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes with the heat turned to low.  Add the cilantro and stir well to combine.  (Can be made one day ahead.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.)


Category: Brunch, Eggs
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Poached Eggs in London

May 18, 2009

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The first time I ever had a poached egg was in London.  We lived there from July of ‘03 to July of ‘04 and before we moved over, his company sent us on a househunting trip.  (And in typical Randy fashion, he finagled a side trip to Dusseldorf.)  We went around London with three different real estate agents trying to figure out if there was a decent place to live in a decent neighborhood, that was even marginally in our budget.

Over the course of the frantic three days that we were being driven all over town, here is what we saw in a nutshell.

1)  Horrible places in good neighborhoods.
2)  Basement flats with almost no daylight whatsoever.
3)  Decent places with awful furniture.
4)  Kind of nice places that were way beyond our budget.

It was, to say the least, a little discouraging.  We had just bought a new-to-us house in Seattle which I loved.  Living somewhere awful, even if it was in London, seemed very depressing to me.

As we inched our budget upward, we started to see places that were slightly less awful.  A few I could even imagine myself living in.  And then we found our flat.  It was in Kensington on a dead end street (dead end street = less street traffic = quieter).  The lovely street housed the Estonian and Fijian embassies.  Up and across the street was the glorious Hyde Park.  We could walk in one direction to Notting Hill and in the other to the Victoria and Albert Museum.  The building was Virginia Woolf’s childhood home – our flat was the floor which had been her bedroom.  The flat was nicely furnished with charming toile wallpaper and it was filled with light.  It was expensive.  It was perfect.

After seeing it, Randy and I had lunch at a little place on the Kensington High Street.  We talked about whether we could afford it – whether it was worth it to spend so much on rent.  I had my heart totally set on it and he knew it.  We ordered our lunch and when my salad came, I was dismayed to see what I thought was a giant hunk of cheese among the arugula (or rocket as they say there) leaves.  But as I cut into it, I realized that it must be a poached egg – the likes of which I had never seen much less tasted.

When I was a kid, my mom used to make us fried eggs over easy.  I never liked them but, being the well-behaved child that I was, I ate them.  One day she made scrambled eggs instead and I liked those so much better that I never made or ordered eggs any other way.  I knew you could poach an egg – but why?  I never thought of eggs as anything other than breakfast food.  My poached egg revelation was not so very long ago and I was, at that time, a very good cook.  I just had narrow views about some things.  London helped with that.

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For breakfast, I still love my eggs scrambled (the exception would be a toasted English muffin, a few leaves of spinach, a thin slice of tomato, and a poached egg).  But you will often find me topping things with poached eggs for dinner.  So much so that a year and a half ago, I bought an egg poacher.  I find the put-them-in-simmering-water-with-a-bit-of-vinegar-and-swirl method a  bit stressful.  The egg poacher takes the stress out and gives you practically perfect looking eggs every time.

I made this dish for dinner last week with a bowl of tomato soup and a cheese panini.  I roasted the asparagus at high heat, drizzled it with tarragon and lemon juice right after taking it out of the oven, and topped it with the egg, followed by a bit of Parmesan cheese.  I’ve been craving it ever since.  Last night we had a friend of ours over for dinner.  Randy picked up some salmon for the two of them and I made that amazing flatbread.  I wanted a green salad but I also wanted this asparagus dish.  So I made both.

Of course, we took the flat in London.  Randy got his company to help us out a bit with the rent.  And then he got them to help out again when the dollar started to really tank against the pound.  We spent twice as much on rent on an 800 square foot flat as we did on our mortgage for our 2,000 square foot house.  But I loved living there.  It felt like home in a giant city where we knew virtually no one.  It was worth it.

One year ago:  Brown Rice Revisited

Roasted Asparagus with a Poached Egg
Dana Treat Original
Serves 2

When roasting asparagus, I always get the thicker spears.  If yours are thinner, they will not need as much time in the oven.  Below I link to egg poaching instructions from Gourmet which are the ones I used before the egg poacher entered my life.  If you want to make this dish more of a main course, serve two eggs per person and include some grilled crusty bread.

1 large bunch of asparagus
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 poached eggs, see here for instructions, or check this out for an easy way to do it in plastic bag
Chive blossoms, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Meanwhile, snap the ends off the asparagus and give them a good wash.  Lay them out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix to coat the asparagus evenly.  Roast in the oven until a fork comes out easily of the thickest spear and they are starting to brown, 15-20 minutes.  Shake once or twice during roasting process.  Remove from the oven and immediately toss with the lemon juice and the tarragon.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Divide the asparagus between two plates.  Top with a poached egg and a shower of Parmesan cheese.  Garnish with chive blossoms, if desired.


Category: Appetizer, Dana Treat Original, Eggs, Quick and Easy, Travel
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Nicoise Salad

April 30, 2009

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This past Saturday, we had people over for both brunch and for dinner.  Because the week before included me catering a dinner party, cooking for my regular clients, and teaching a cooking class, I thought take-out would be a good option for our dinner guests.  Until I realized that really, I have a reputation to uphold and I can’t serve friends take-out – no matter how good our local Thai food is.  I decided to spend time on the dessert and to make something more simple for dinner.  Sometimes simple doesn’t necessarily mean quick, but in the case of this salad, you can get a wonderful and satisfying meal on the table pretty fast.

I make this Niçoise Salad a lot in the summer when we want something good but light.  Randy will throw a can of tuna on his portion and I will take extra egg, or will add some chickpeas or other white beans to mine.  For our guests, Randy grilled some fresh tuna and I just ate extra salad.  I also made some tartines which are like giant crostini.  I slathered them with olive tapenade and topped them with peppers and onions cooked down with lots of smoked paprika.

This salad lends itself to lots of different interpretations.  What I included Saturday are the things I always include – olives, green beans, hard boiled egg, potatoes, and olives.  Sometimes I add white beans, sometimes I roast the potatoes instead of boiling them, sometimes I use Kalamata olives and sometimes I just use whatever is in the refrigerator.  Feel free to experiment.  I used a (gasp!) bottled dressing on Saturday, but I would advise tossing everything with something lemony with a mustard kick – homemade preferably.

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Niçoise Salad
Serves 6

This is the veg version.  If you want to top it with fresh tuna, figure on a 3-4 ounce piece per person.

2 big handfuls green beans, ends trimmed
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
6 large eggs
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large handful Kalamata olives
10 oz. pretty bagged lettuce
Dressing of your choice

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Add the green beans to the pot and cook until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop the beans out and immediately place them in the ice water.  Wait until they feel cool to the touch and then scoop the beans out to drain in a colander.  Meanwhile, add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until the tip of a knife slides in and out easily, 15-20 minutes.  Drain.

Rinse the pot in cold water to cool it down, then fill with cold water.  Add the eggs and bring to a boil.  Cover and turn off the heat.  Add more ice to the ice water.  Allow eggs to sit for 12 minutes, then scoop them out and into the cold water.  Allow to cool then drain.

Toss the lettuce with some of the dressing in a large bowl then place on a serving platter.  Cut the potatoes into halves, quarters if large.  Peel the eggs and quarter or slice them.  Arrange the potatoes, eggs, beans, olives, and tomatoes decoratively around the platter.  Drizzle a little dressing over each component.


Category: Eggs, Main Course, Salad
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