Cottage Pancakes

To those of you who aren't cauliflower fans, yes, you can absolutely leave out the cauliflower. Or swap in an comparable amount of any the following: blanched nettles, broccoli, or spinach. With the spinach or nettles - blanch quickly in salted boiling water, drain well, and chop (nearly) into a paste.

1 cup / 7 oz / 200g cottage cheese
3/4 cup / 180 ml milk
4 room temperature eggs, separated
1 cup / 4 oz / 115g raw (or quickly blanched) cauliflower, chopped into rice-sized bits

1/2 cup / 75 g whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup / 75 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

butter, for cooking

In a large bowl mix the cottage cheese, milk, and egg yolks until smooth. Stir in the cauliflower.

In a separate (clean) bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.

Sift the flours, baking powder, and salt into another bowl. Add the flours to the cottage cheese mixture, and stir until just barely(!) combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a spatula.

To cook, warm a griddle or pan over medium heat, melt a bit of butter in it, then spoon a little scoop (say, ~3 tablespoons) of batter into the pan for each pancake, working in batches. You want to cook these relatively slowly, until each pancake is deeply golden on one side. Flip each pancake, and wait until the other side is golden, and the pancake is cooked through. Continue until you've worked through all the batter. You can keep cooked pancakes in a 225F oven until you finish, to keep them warm. They're great simply with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of salt. Or, if you want to get a bit fancy, whip up a bit of harissa, saffron or pesto-swirled salted yogurt.

Makes ~1 1/2 dozen medium pancakes.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 15 min

Dutch Baby: sweet or savory

I made the savory one today and it was delish. halved it for dv and me; none left over.

Savory:
1 c whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 t salt
1 c flour
2 T butter
1 med leek, diced (approx 1/2 c)
1/2 t dried tarragon
generous 1/2 c diced ham (3 oz)
1 c grated extra sharp cheddar

adj rack to middle position and heat oven to 425. whisk milk, eggs and salt in med bowl. vigorously whisk in flour till mostly smooth with a few lumps; let stand a few min and whisk again.

soak leeks in 2 changes of water to clean if necessary.

heat butter in cast iron skillet, add leeks and ham and cook till soft, 3-4 minutes. add tarragon, cook 1 min and add batter. bake till puffed and golden, 15-17 minutes. sprinkle with cheese in oven and broil till very puffy, couple of minutes. serve immediately.

Sweet:
instead of ham, leeks and cheese:
1/2 c orange marmalade, 1/4 c dried cranberries, 1 T sugar

Make batter, above, and bring marmalade, cranberries and 1/4 c water to simmer, till light syrup consistency. heat butter in skillet on stove, add batter and sprinkle with sugar instead of cheese. serve with sauce.

Crespelle with Ricotta and Marinara

Ingredients
Crespelle

1. 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 2 large eggs
4. 3/4 cup milk
5. 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
6. Olive oil

Filling

1. 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3. 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Directions

1. MAKE THE CRESPELLE In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter until just blended. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. With a paper towel, rub the skillet with olive oil. Pour in 1/4 cup of the crespelle batter and tilt the skillet to distribute the batter. Cook the crespella until golden brown on the bottom, 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned in spots, 1 minute longer. Invert the crespella onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter, rubbing the pan with oil as needed. You should have 8 crespelle.
3. MAKE THE FILLING Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, blend the ricotta with the chopped parsley and 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Season the filling with salt and pepper.
4. Lay the 8 crespelle on a work surface. Spread 2 rounded tablespoons of the ricotta filling over half of each crespella. Fold the crespelle over the filling, then fold them in half again to form quarters.
5. Spread half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the filled crespelle in the dish in a single layer, overlapping them slightly. Top with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling; serve.

SWISS CHARD + EGGS

David just said, as he kissed me and before he finished dishes, "Thanks for breakfast. A perfect breakfast.

1 bunch of swiss chard, cleaned + stems removed

1 large shallot, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup apple juice

salt + pepper, to taste

4 eggs, [2 eggs per serving]

good bread + butter


HEAT olive oil over medium high heat and add shallots and garlic. Cook until soft.


ADD chard into pan and cook until wilted and salt and pepper to taste. Pour in apple juice and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.

BREAK eggs into a frying pan and cooked as desired [we had ours over easy and over hard].


PLATE a mound of swiss chard and add the egg on top. Serve with crusty bread + butter...enjoy!

Eggs in Purgatory

bon appetit jan 2010

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
* Coarse kosher salt
* 1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
* 8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 2 tablespoons drained capers
* 8 large eggs
* 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Preparation

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped thyme, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Tomato-artichoke sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. Crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). Bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. Carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over and serve.

R

broiled merigue peaches

* 2 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
* 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
* 1 large egg white
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped sesame candy or crushed amaretti

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Put peaches, cut side up, on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar (total). Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until tops begin to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Beat egg white with a pinch of salt in a deep bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoon sugar, beating until white holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in sesame candy.

Place a dollop of meringue on each peach half and broil 30 seconds. Turn off broiler and leave peaches in oven just until tips of meringue are browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute (watch carefully).

Peaches Sabayon (zabilione)

If you don't have peach brandy on hand, use additional white wine instead.
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Ingredients

* 3 medium peaches (1 lb total), halved, pitted, and each half cut into 8 wedges
* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 3 tablespoons peach brandy (or more wine)


* Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Preparation

Gently toss peaches with vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar, then let macerate 30 minutes.

When peaches have macerated 15 minutes, combine yolks, wine, brandy, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at medium-high speed until sabayon registers 140°F on thermometer, about 7 minutes. Continue beating over simmering water until sabayon has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes more. Remove bowl from saucepan.

Divide peaches and their juice among 4 bowls and top with sabayon.

zucchini egg tomato basil casserole, oh my

Zucchini Breakfast Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients

* 6-8 eggs
* 1 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 cups grated zucchini (from 2-3 fresh zucchinis)
* 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (from 4-5 fresh tomatoes),
* 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil (from about 20 leaves)*
* 4 cups cubed day-old bread (from about 4 slices)
* Olive oil

*Chiffonade basil by stacking a few leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, slice thin, starting at one end of the cigar and working your way down.
Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese, Tabasco, salt and pepper.

2 Prepare the vegetables and bread. Once you chop the tomatoes, squeeze excess moisture out of them by pressing them in a sieve, or wrapping in paper towels and squeezing. Add the tomatoes, basil, and zucchini to the egg mixture. Moisten the bread cubes with a little water then squeeze out any excess moisture using paper towels. Mix the bread cubes into the egg mixture.

3 Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish generously with olive oil. Pour the egg vegetable mixture into the baking pan and even it out in the pan. Place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. The casserole should puff up and brown lightly. If it hasn't after 30 minutes at 350, increase the heat to 425° and cook for 5-10 minutes further. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Makes 6-8 portions.

sausage, fontina and pepper strata

* 6 large eggs
* 21/2 cups whole milk
* 2 cups sliced green onions
* 1/2 cup whipping cream
* 1/2 cup finely grated Romano cheese
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed
* 1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch wide-strips
* 1 1-pound loaf rustic French bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 2 cups (loosely packed) coarsely grated Fontina cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl; sprinkle generously with pepper. Set aside.

Place sausage in large nonstick skillet; push to 1 side. Add bell pepper to other side of skillet. Sauteacute; over high heat, breaking up sausage with fork, until sausage is cooked through and bell peppers are brown in spots, about 7 minutes.

Arrange half of bread slices in prepared dish. Pour half of egg mixture over. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then half of sausagepepper mixture. Repeat layering. Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge. Bake strata until puffed and brown, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Four-Minute Egg Gribiche

Zuni Café’s
Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook

This version is essentially a mayonnaise, and it’s particularly important to use a very mild-tasting olive oil. If your oil is at all bitter, or if you’re unsure, use a mixture of it and a more neutral-tasting oil, like canola.

2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt
1 ¼ cups mild-tasting olive oil
2 tsp. thinly sliced chives
2 tsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped chervil
½ tsp. finely chopped dill
2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and dried, coarsely chopped

Combine the shallots and the vinegar in a small bowl, and set aside to macerate while you prepare the rest of the sauce.

Put the egg in a small saucepan of barely simmering water, and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 4 minutes. Drain, and put the egg in a bowl of ice water to cool completely.

When the egg is cool, crack and scrape it into a medium bowl. Add the mustard and a pinch or two of salt. Mash it all together, and then begin whisking in the oil, just a few drops at first, then gradually increasing the flow to a thin stream. Stop adding oil when the mixture is satiny and has lots of body, like – and I love that Judy Rodgers describes it this way – a hot fudge sauce. Stir in the herbs and capers. Add the vinegar and shallots, and adjust with salt to taste.

Serve with grilled fish or poultry, fried seafood, roasted potatoes, boiled shrimp, or asparagus, or - my personal preference - as the dressing for a fantastic potato salad.

**

lemon snow pudding with basil custard sauce

For snow pudding:

* 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1/4 cup cold water
* 1 cup boiling-hot water
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3 large egg whites at room temperature 30 minutes


For custard sauce:

* 2 cups whole milk
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 cup packed basil leaves
* 3 large egg yolks


* Garnish: basil leaves

Preparation

Make snow pudding:
Stir gelatin into cold water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in hot water, sugar, and lemon zest and juice until sugar has dissolved. Set bowl in an ice bath and stir often until mixture is cold and thickened (consistency will be similar to that of raw egg whites), about 45 minutes.

Beat gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until very frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat whites until they hold soft peaks.

Add whites to gelatin mixture and beat at high speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a wide flat ribbon that holds its shape on top of mixture when beater is lifted, about 5 minutes (longer if using a hand-held mixer). Transfer to a large serving bowl and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Make custard while snow pudding sets:
Bring milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.

Put yolks in a small bowl. Strain milk mixture through a sieve into another bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding basil, and return to saucepan. Whisk about 1/2 cup warm milk mixture into yolks, then whisk into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer custard sauce to a bowl and chill, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 2 hours.

Assemble dessert:
Spoon snow pudding into glasses or bowls and top with custard sauce.

Cooks' notes: •The egg whites will not be fully cooked.
•Snow pudding and custard sauce can be chilled separately, tightly covered, up to 1 day.

Almond Olive Oil Tuiles

Almond Olive-Oil Tuiles

Gourmet | April 2009

by Melissa Roberts



100% would make it again
user rating

main ingredients Egg, Almond

type Cookie

dietary considerations Kosher, Kosher for Passover


yield: Makes about 18 cookies

active time: 15 min

total time: 45 min
These wafer-thin cookies may have been created with Passover in mind, but their shattering crispness and perfume of almonds and lemon make them... more ›
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Ingredients

* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 large egg white
* 6 tablespoons potato starch
* 1/4 cup mild olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
* 1/3 cup sliced almonds


* Equipment: a 17-by 11-inch nonstick bakeware liner such as a Silpat

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Line a large baking sheet with liner.

Whisk together all ingredients except sliced almonds until smooth.

Spoon 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, 2 inches apart, on baking sheet (about 6 cookies). Using an offset spatula or the back of a small spoon, spread each into a 3-inch round. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon sliced almonds on each cookie.

Bake until pale golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Using a spatula, drape hot cookies over a rolling pin or empty wine bottle, pressing them gently to curl.

Make more cookies in same manner on cooled baking sheet.

Cooks' notes: •If cookies become to crisp to curl, return to oven to soften 1 minutes.
•Cookies can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Peaches Sabayon (zabilione)

i made this yesterday with peaches that were in the freezer. it was good and would have been even better, i suspect, if i'd used four egg yolks instead of one whole egg. really good healthy way to have peaches. oh, and i diddn't have peach brandy or white wine (! can you believe THAT?) so i used vermouth and peach schnapps. drained the liquid from the thawed peaches, reduced it a little, added the other ingredients except the egg, incorporated a little of the warm liquid into the egg and then added the egg into the liquid, stirring. didn't use a double boiler and it thickened in 10 minutes after stirring continuously. the whites tried to curdle so i probably didn't temper it enough, but it was a good midday snack or dessert. Oh, and i sprinkled toasted almond slices on top.

* 3 medium peaches (1 lb total), halved, pitted, and each half cut into 6 wedges
* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 3 tablespoons peach brandy


Gently toss peaches with vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar, then let macerate 30 minutes.

When peaches have macerated 15 minutes, combine yolks, wine, brandy, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at medium-high speed until sabayon registers 140°F on thermometer, about 7 minutes. Continue beating over simmering water until sabayon has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes more. Remove bowl from saucepan.

Divide peaches and their juice among 4 bowls and top with sabayon.

Greek Egg-Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

GE Recipes



Serves 8
Ingredients

* 6 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation

1. Heat chicken broth to a boil and add rice.

2. Cover, reduce heat and cook rice about 20 – 30 minutes or according to package instructions.

3. Beat eggs until frothy.

4. Slowly add lemon juice to eggs while beating constantly.

5. Allow soup to stop cooking and cool for a few minutes.

6. Pour a ladle of the hot broth into the egg mixture while beating constantly.

7. Continue doing this a ladle at a time, until egg mixture is hot and then add the rest of the soup.

Serve immediately.

Grapefruit yogurt cake

Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
Adapated from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or 1 c flour and 1/2 c. ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest (approximately one large grapefruit)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and grapefruit juice and pour over the cake.

Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Greens

For only 130 calories, this great way of serving eggs in the morning provides an excellent, very good or good source of over 15 nutrients including 719% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin K, 147% DV for vitamin C and 126% DV for vitamin A. Enjoy!
Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Greens Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs, preferably organic
* 1 tsp light vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine)
* about 4 cups water
* 1 cup thinly sliced leeks, about 1 large leek, white part only
* 6 medium cloves garlic, sliced
* 4 cups chopped kale
* 3 +1 TBS chicken broth
* 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
* salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice leeks and garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promotiing properties.
2. Bring water and vinegar to a fast simmer in a skillet large enough to fit eggs. Make sure there is enough water to cover eggs.
3. While water is coming to a simmer, heat 1 TBS broth in a separate stainless steel 10-12 inch skillet. Healthy Saute sliced leeks in broth over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add garlic slices and continue to saute stirring constantly for another minute.
4. Add kale, broth, and lemon juice, and simmer covered on medium low heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. When done season with salt and pepper.
6. Poach eggs until desired doneness. This will take about 5 minutes, or just until the white is set and the yolk has filmed over. Remove from vinegar water with a slotted spoon and place on top of greens.

Serves 4

Healthy Cooking Tips:

Make sure you do not add any salt to the poaching water for the eggs. The salt has a tendency to dissolve the egg whites. By making sure there is enough water in the poaching pan to cover eggs, you avoid the eggs sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want the eggs to float while they cook. This also avoids breaking the eggs when you remove them with the slotted spoon. You may want to lay the spoon with the egg on a towel briefly after removing egg from water. This allows the towel to absorb some of the poaching water, and it won't dilute the flavor of your greens.

Nutritional Profile

i love kale: from orangette, the blog i have just found

I am making the kale right now. I will turn it off, go to Wild Wing to watch the Georgia/Auburn game, and I'm guessing we'll have this either for dinner or tomorrow for lunch. Yum! DV said, "Garlic! Smells good!"

Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast
Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook

I like to use cavolo nero - also sold as Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, or dinosaur kale - for this, but you could also use curly kale. And while you could use just water for this, I prefer to make it with chicken stock, preferably homemade.

Here’s a good, quick chicken stock: take 2 pounds of chicken parts (I like legs, or a mix of legs and wings) and dump them into a large saucepan with the following: 3 sprigs of fresh thyme; 1 small carrot, cut into a few pieces; 1 celery stalk, cut into a few pieces; and half of a yellow onion. Add 2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer, and cook gently for 45 minutes, skimming away any foam that rises to the surface. Salt to taste. Strain through a colander to remove large solids; then strain again through cheesecloth. It’s ready to go.

About 8 ounces kale
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cups mild chicken stock, or water, or a combination of the two

To serve:
Thick slices of country bread
Eggs
Olive oil
Prosciutto, torn into bite-sized bits (optional)
Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano


First, prepare the kale: trim away any discolored spots, and then remove and discard the ribs and stems, if they are thick or woody. Stack a few leaves at a time; then slice them into ¼-inch-thick ribbons. Dump the sliced kale into a salad spinner, and add plenty of cold water. Swish the kale around to free any trapped dirt. Let stand for a minute or two – this lets the dirt fall to the bottom – and then lift the basket from the spinner. Pour out the dirty water. Replace the basket, add fresh water, and repeat. Spin dry.

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent but still firm. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and the kale, and stir until the kale is fully wilted. Add stock to cover by about ½ inch. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and continue to simmer until the kale is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Taste, and salt as needed. This dish needs quite a bit of salt, so don’t be shy.

To serve, toast one slice of bread per person. While still hot, lightly rub both sides of the toast with raw garlic. Place the toast in the bottom of a wide soup bowl. Now, fry some eggs – one per person, probably – in olive oil. Pile some kale onto the toast in each bowl, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and top with a fried egg. Strew with prosciutto, if you want. Grate some cheese over the whole thing, and serve.

Yield: about 4 servings

elizabeth's spinach quiche from smitten kitchen

with or without crust even:
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup half and half (or milk)
3 eggs
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup grated cheddar (gruyere works well, too)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 to 6 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup finely diced red or white onion or shallots work as well)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in half and half and eggs. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

soft scrambled eggs with fresh ricotta

i just had this for breakfast. ricottaless, i used chevre with herbs, and half a whole wheat flat bread ("wrap"), with two eggs. parfait. i made it for diana a few days later, on fresh pita leftover from her exit show, and she swooned.

Bon Appetit 2008

4 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese*
4 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices whole grain bread or 8 whole grain baguette slices, lightly toasted and buttered
Whole chives (optional)
Preparation

Whisk eggs, chopped chives, and 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel in medium bowl until well blended. Melt butter in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, add eggs and stir with heatproof silicone spatula until eggs are almost cooked but still runny in parts, tilting skillet and stirring with spatula to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add ricotta and stir just until incorporated but clumps of cheese are still visible.

Arrange 2 toasts or 4 baguette slices on each of 2 plates. Spoon scrambled eggs atop toasts. Sprinkle with more fleur de sel and pepper. Garnish with whole chives, if desired.
*make some by cooking whole milk and buttermilk til it curdles and drain - what's left is the ricotta. or use half as much sour cream.

an omelet sandwich for the pea

three green onions sauteed in olive oil
add four eggs combined with half and half
let cook till partially set over low heat, letting uncooked egg run under cooked part
add arugula, sliced roma tomatoes and parmesean with salt and pepper

flip and cook
flip and cook some more

divide omelet into three pieces

between two slices of five grain toast, sandwich a third

serve to diana

she is happy

eat the other two yourself

xxoo