Posts Tagged food blog

Beet & Quinoa Pancakes

Forgive me if I sound like a world-class drama queen for a moment…but if I see one more heart-shaped Valentine’s recipe I might claw my eyes out. Just saying.

Its not that I hate Valentine’s day or romance…I don’t. I have a Valentine (husband) whom I love very much, and I’m excited for our quiet night in together. I’m just not a fan of the hearts and the cupids, the pink and the red, the chocolates and the teddy bears. Its just not my thing.

So it is a complete coincidence that this recipe happens to be something that is in the Valentine’s color palette. Yes, the beet quinoa pancakes are a vibrant shade of pink/red. Yes, I am posting them on Valentines day. Did I make them for my Valentine? No. I made them for my friend Mari and then a week later, I made them for my family. So take that for what it is, and lets all put this heart-shaped madness behind us.

Now that I have that out of my system, I can tell you without any hesitation that these pancakes are my new favorite breakfast. I’d seen the recipe a while back and placed them on my list of “things to make” in 2011. I was immediately intrigued by their vibrant color, and when I saw that the recipe originate from Kim Boyce, I knew I had to make them. Kim just recently migrated to the Northwest and is the author of “Good to the Grain“, which is a cookbook I’ve been meaning to check out as I am trying incorporate more whole grains into my diet (and Kim is the queen of whole grains!)

There is only one potential problem with these pancakes: you have to get your hands on some quinoa flour. If you are lucky enough to live in Portland, Oregon, you can get quinoa flour from Bob’s Red Mill (You can visit their store & buy their products in bulk or you can get many Bob’s Red Mill products at Portland area grocery stores). However you come by quinoa flour, I highly encourage that you do so. The quinoa adds a distinct (and wonderful) nutty flavor to the pancakes. In addition, quinoa contains no gluten and is a source of complete protein.

Since the pancakes are made up primarily of quinoa flour (and beets!), they are actually good for you. On top of that, they are really quite pretty. And they taste good! In case you need a little more convincing, I’ll mention that these pancakes contain no gluten and very little sugar. The texture is light and fluffy and the flavors are complex and nutty. The beets add a slight sweetness (and the gorgeous color) that pairs nicely with a touch of maple syrup. My family was slightly skeptical when I announced that I planned to make beet quinoa pancakes for a family brunch (they protested that the pancakes sounded too healthy), but I am happy to say that I made believers out of all of them (even my dad had seconds, which is saying a lot). The beet quinoa pancakes were a hit.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day (or Single Awareness Day or Hallmark Cheesy Holiday or whatever you want to call it…).Lets be done with all this heart-shaped madness, and eat some hot pink pancakes! :)

BEET QUINOA PANCAKES
(Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen)

3 small to medium sized red beets

Dry Mix:

1 and 1/2 cups quinoa flour (available from Bob’s Red Mill)

1 cup rice flour (*can use all-purpose flour, but I used rice flour in order to make the pancakes gluten-free)

3 tablespoons dark brown or muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Mix:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup plain (non fat) yogurt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 egg

Method:

1. Roast the beets, Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim tops off the beets & wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Roast until very tender (prick with a fork or knife), about an hour. Cool, peel, and purée the beets in a food processor or blender until smooth. You will need 1/2 cup of beet purée for the pancakes (any remaining purée can be frozen for later use).

2. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, melted butter, egg, and 1/2 cup of beet purée until smooth. Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine. The batter should be the consistency of lightly whipped cream and crimson in color.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Rub the pan generously with butter. Working quickly, scoop/pour small, flat mounds of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancakes, flip it over and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown (about 5 minutes total). Keep cooking in batches (buttering the pan between each batch) and cook until the batter is gone. (If the pan is too hot or not hot enough, adjust the temp for consistent results).

Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter (if you so desire).

Recipe Swap: Grapefruit Cupcakes

They say time flies when you’re having fun, and I think its rather true. Somehow, I blinked and magically it was February. The holidays have long since come and gone, the NBA playoffs are looming in the distance (come on, Blazers. you got this!), and I am beginning to let my myself dream of all that I will be planting this year in my little garden.

Last but certainly not least, the third installment of The Recipe Swap is upon us! Just a few months ago, CM at Burwell General Store approached me with the idea of doing a recipe swap. She picked up an old cookbook at a swap meet, and asked if I wanted to join her in re-interpreting recipes from the book. We started by reinterpreting Autumn Spiced Persimmon Pudding and had such a good time that we decided to keep up with the swap. Soon after, the lovely Boulder Locavore joined our ranks and the 3 of us did our interpretations of Fern’s Apple Fritters.

And now for our 3rd swap, our little group as exploded. We now consist of seven bloggers! How incredible is that? For this swap, CM picked a recipe that we all agreed would be in line with the upcoming Valentine’s holiday: Company Time Lemon Cake. For starters, I absolutely love the name of the cake. Its so self-explanatory: This is the cake you make when you’re having company over. Its as simple as that!

So, here’s the thing. It took me all of two minutes to decide on my concept for this swap. We were asked to re-interpret a lemon cake for Valentines day, which seemed altogether too fitting. You see, I served lemon cupcakes at my wedding (with coconut cream cheese frosting!). And while cupcakes may be the hip new thing for contemporary weddings, my reasons for choosing to serve cupcakes were simple. For one, I love cupcakes with my whole heart. Back in the days when Nich an I were dating, he would surprise me with a cupcake (from my favorite little bakery, Saint Cupcake) whenever I was having a bad day. And secondly, Nich proposed to me with a cupcake. He got down on one knee, held out a cupcake, and there was a ring on top (in the frosting!). I said yes, of course, and the rest is history! (Engagement cupcake photo below:)

Since cupcakes are such an integral part of Nich and I’s story, I thought it would only be fitting to make cupcakes for this Valentine-themed Lemon cake recipe swap. I didn’t want to exactly replicate the recipe – or my wedding cupcakes, for that matter – so I came up with something that I felt paid homage to both recipes. After some brainstorming and scouring of the internet, I decided upon Grapefruit cupcakes. Grapefruit is my absolute favorite of all the citrus fruits and I was excited about the possibility of turning this zingy citrus into a sweet little cupcake. I’d never had a grapefruit cupcake before, so I knew I was taking somewhat of a risk with this recipe: but I was so thrilled with how they turned out. They were sour, without being too sour (and sweet, without being too sweet!). So balanced, so light, and so lovely.

I’ll admit, if you make all four of the elements for this cupcake (cupcake, candied peel, curd, frosting): it is a lot of work. I made the cupcakes over the course of two days. First, I made the cupcakes and candied the grapefruit peel. The next day, I made the grapefruit curd and then the whipped cream and curd frosting. It was a lot of work…but it was so worth it!

And so, without further adieu, my grapefruit cupcake recipe:

Grapefruit Cupcakes with Whipped Grapefruit Curd Frosting and Candied Grapefruit Peel

Grapefruit Cupcakes
(Adapted from Whisk Kid)

1 1/2 cups white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup white sugar
3 tsp grated grapefruit zest (approximately one large grapefruit)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used nonfat)
4 eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. In another bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and zest, rubbing between your fingers until moistened and fragrant. Whisk in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Grapefruit Curd
(Adapted from Honey and Jam)

8 large eggs yolks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
finely grated zest of 1 ruby red grapefruit
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
*For frosting: 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method:
Combine egg yolks, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, half of the zest, and sugar in a saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes.

Turn heat down to low. Add salt. Begin adding the butter, piece by piece, stirring constantly. Once you have added in all the butter (and the mixture is thick and beautiful), remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in the remaining zest. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set.

To make the frosting, start by whipping the cream, vanilla and confectioners sugar until you have stiff whipping cream (be careful not to overwhip!). Combine equal parts whipping cream with grapefruit curd, and gently fold together with a spatula. Spread atop cupcakes!

Candied Grapefruit Peels
(Adapted from White on Rice Couple)

Ingredients:
1 Large Ruby Red Grapefruit
Water
Sugar

With a vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips of the grapefruit rind. Use a small pairing knife to cut strips into thin strips. Meanwhile, bring 1 part water to 1 part sugar to boil in a small saucepan (I used 1 cup of each).

Add grapefruit peels and boil over med heat for 30-45 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid (which is now a grapefruit infused simple syrup, which you can use for all sorts of delicious things.)

Pour about 1 cup white sugar in a bowl. Toss candied peels in sugar, then spread peels out on foil or wax paper to cool and air dry. These are best after a few hours of drying time. I made them the night before I used them for my cupcakes!

To assemble the cupcakes…simply frost cupcakes with the whipped grapefruit frosting. Top with a dollop of grapefruit curd and a couple pieces of candied grapefruit curd. And, of course – enjoy!

(Photos by Kari Ray)

***See below for all the other amazing creations my fellow bloggers made for this swap!

Chef Dennis @ More Than a Mountfull: Italian Lemon Pear Cake

Mari @ The Unexpected Harvest: GF Lemon Poppyseed Angel Food Cake with an Oregon Pinot Gris glaze.

Toni @ Boulder Locavore: Gluten Free Orange-Cardamom Three Layer Cake

Nay @ Spicy Living: Lemon Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Blog address: http://spicyliving.wordpress.com/

Sabrina Modelle @ The Tomato Tart: Brown Sugar Lemon Rosemary Cake with Rosemary Caramel

Christianna @ Burwell General Store: Meyer Lemon Curd Shortcakes with Orange Flower Water Icing

Black Truffle and Chanterelle Risotto (and the Great Valentine’s Dining Dilemma)

To dine out or to dine in? This is the dilemma I am faced with every year for Valentine’s day.

The case for Dining Out is simple: Going out to eat for Valentine’s Day means I get to eat a fancy, exquisite, delicious meal that is prepared for me. Read: I don’t have to do any work. There is a certain romance and ambiance that comes with eating out. There are new places to try (and cross of our list!). There are no dishes to wash at the end of the evening.

On the other hand, however, the Dining In option also presents a worthy argument: Dining at home is quiet, romantic, and intimate. It is much cheaper than going out. You don’t have to deal with the hassle of reservations or crowds. There isn’t a crappy pre fixe Valentine’s menu. You are in control of your destiny! A night in can be as simple or fancy as you want it to be, in the comfort of your own home.

All that to say: I’m conflicted! Last year, Nich and I stayed at the Ace Hotel downtown and had dinner at Clyde Common. It was fabulous! We got all dressed up and had a night on the town and it was all so magical. This year, however, we are scaling it back a bit. Nich just started a new job and doesn’t have any vacation time yet, so we can’t get away for the evening. We’ve been debating about whether or not we are going to make reservations anywhere for dinner, but truth be told: I just don’t feel like it. I think I’d rather stay in.

The only issue I’m having with staying in for V-day this year is that Nich and I already had the perfect “date night in”. It was last Friday and we didn’t have any plans for the evening and Nich had a grand idea. Fresh Oregon Black Truffles were on sale at Pastaworks, and he (wisely) suggested we needed to take advantage of these beauties while they lasted. We picked up one sizeable truffle and at $160.00/lb it only came out to $6.50 (That is a steal for black truffles!). Since the truffle was surprisingly affordable, we decide to splurge and get some local chanterelle mushrooms as well. Inspired by CM’s truffled risotto (and squash blossoms!), I knew exactly what we were going to do with our beautiful truffle and chanterelles. We were going to make risotto!

A couple of hours later, and Nich and I were in culinary heaven. We feasted on Black Truffle and Chanterelle Risotto, Blood Orange and Hazelnut Salad, and paired it with a bottle of 2007 Erath Estate Pinot Noir. It was utter decadence (and it was all local!). I think we really, truly outdid ourselves this time. Which, then, leaves me to wonder: What the heck am I going to do for Valentine’s Day? How can we top this? But, maybe – just maybe – that is precisely the point. Maybe we can’t top that meal, and maybe we don’t need to. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m of the opinion that romance doesn’t need to be confined to one particular Hallmark holiday. Sometimes, the best dates just happen on a random weeknight. Its not that I have anything against Valentine’s Day – I want an excuse to drink champagne and eat chocolates as much as the next – but I’m a firm believer that Valentines should be one date night among many.

That being said, I really have no idea what we’re doing for Valentine’s day this year. All I know is that we are staying in! I can figure out the menu later, right? As for you, dear reader, you’re set. I just figured out your Valentines plans for you: Make this risotto, open a bottle of wine, and spend the evening with the one(s) you love. Or don’t make it on Valentine’s day (to heck with romance!)! Just promise me you’ll make it at some point. This is simply too delicious, you must try it for yourself sometime.

P.S. If fresh truffles aren’t available in your neck of the woods, don’t sweat it. You can subsitute with a couple dashes of truffle oil (which is available in most specialty markets, Whole Foods, New Seasons, etc). Or you can skip the truffle altogether and just use chanterelles or other mushrooms!

BLACK TRUFFLE AND CHANTERELLE RISOTTO
(Adapted from Burwell General Store and this recipe on Open Source Food)

3/4 cup arborio rice
6 cups (or so) of Organic chicken, vegetable, or mushroom stock (We used chicken)
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup (or more) of chanterelle mushrooms, washed and cut into quarters
1/2 black truffle, minced
1 large shallot (or 2 small shallots), minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh sage, minced
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat stock in a small pan, preferably next to the burner you’ll be cooking your risotto on. Keep stock heated over low heat while you make the risotto.

2. Heat butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add in the minced shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Next, add in the chanterelle mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes. Once the mushrooms just barely begin to brown, add in the arborio rice. Stir well, to ensure that the rice is evenly coated in butter (add more butter if need be.) Add in a dash of the minced truffle, and stir to coat. After the rice is coated and sizzling (about 5 minutes), deglaze the pan with white wine (i.e. pour in the wine!).

3. Stir the rice constantly, and allow the wine to absorb. Once the wine has absorbed, start adding the stock in 1/2 cup at a time. With each 1/2 cup of stock, keep stirring and allow the stock to absorb completely before adding the next half cup of stock.

4. After about 30-40 minutes, the risotto should be thick and creamy. Test the rice, and when it is just barely al dente (tender with a tiny bit of crunch) stir in the parmesan, sage, salt, pepper, and the rest of the minced black truffle. Allow to cook for just a minute or two more, then remove from heat.

5. Garnish with fresh shaved parmesan, sage leaves, and shaved black truffle. Serve immediately! (Note: if using truffle oil instead of fresh truffles, stir in the oil with the parmesan and sage).

blood orange, escarole & hazelnut salad

Oftentimes I find that the best dishes aren’t the ones that are carefully planned out. Rather, the perfect dishes are haphazardly thrown together at the last minute. This is one of those dishes.

A few nights ago, Nich and I decided we were going to stay in, make a fabulous dinner, and watch a movie. We knew that we wanted to make risotto for dinner (more on that in my next post), but I wasn’t sure what to make alongside it. Risotto is so rich and delicious, so I wanted to pair it with something fresh and vibrant.

So, as we meandered about Pastaworks gathering supplies for our dinner, I decided to let the produce do the talking. I was thrilled to see that they had a good selection blood oranges onhand. I happen to looooooove blood oranges. So much so, that I might go out on a limb and say that they are the sexiest of all fruits (and they are in season!). In addition to the blood oranges, I picked up a head of escarole (a bitter green in the endive/frisee family) and knew that I had the beginnings of a killer salad.

With such fabulous base ingredients, I didn’t need to add much to make this salad sing. I decided to toss the escarole and blood orange segments with toasted hazelnuts and fresh grated parmesean, along with a blood orange vinaigrette. It was perfect (if I do say so myself). Each ingredient stood out on its own, while complimenting the salad as a whole. And, if you’ll excuse me while I pat myself on the back a bit more – I was also really pleased with the blood orange vinaigrette that I “invented”. Since I got all fancy and segmented the blood oranges, I was left with the peel and ‘innards’. I was struck by the gorgeous blood red color, and decided to do something about it. I soaked the orange peel and innards in olive oil for awhile, then macerated the orange bits and strained out the oil. What I was left with was essentially a blood orange infused olive oil – and it was every bit as tasty as it was pretty! I then made a relatively standard vinaigrette (with garlic, vinegar, s&p…) using the infused olive oil. It was magical.

I will now sign off and simply urge you to make this simple and seasonal salad. Come on now, try the magic out for yourself. ;)

BLOOD ORANGE, ESCAROLE & HAZELNUT SALAD

Salad:
1 head of escarole, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces. (Frisee or any other bitter salad greens would work just as well)
2 small blood oranges, peeled & segmented (*if you want to be fancy like me and make proper “suprêmes”, The Kitchn has a handy little tutorial.)
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Blood orange vinaigrette:
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
Rinds & trimmings from the segmented blood oranges
1 small shallot, finely minced
1-2 tsps pomegranate or red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Soak the blood orange rind and peel in 1/2 cup (or more) of good quality olive oil. Let stand for 30+ minutes. After the mixture has had time to sit, macerate the orange (with the end of a wooden spoon, a mojito muddler, a potato masher – whatever you can find to beat up the orange bits and get them to release flavor!). Strain out the oil, using cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve.

Combine oil with minced shallot, vinegar, and salt and pepper (to taste). (Hint: The longer you let the vinaigrette sit before you use it, the better it will taste!)

Toss escarole, hazelnuts, and blood orange segments together with the vinaigrette. Grate fresh parmesan over the salad and gently toss. Serve immediately (and of course, enjoy!).

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I love winter squash, I really do. But at this point in the year, I start to grow a little tired of squash. All you locavores out there know exactly what I mean. The bountiful harvests of summer are long gone, and we are left with squash, squash, and more squash. I may be exaggerating ever-so-slightly, but you get the idea.

So, it is precisely at this time of year – when I feel myself despairing at the thought of eating one more squash – that I come back to my favorite squash recipe: a simple curried butternut squash soup. All it takes is one bite of this soup and I forget my wintertime woes. It doesn’t matter how many other ways I attempt to prepare winter squash, I always come back to this recipe. There is just something so special about it. The curry powder and cayenne add a subtle (and delightful) spice, while the maple syrup brings the perfect amount of sweetness and balance to the soup. The secret to this particular soup is roasting the squash first, as the roasting really coaxes the most flavor out of the squash.

So, I’ll keep this short and leave you with this little tidbit: There is a brightness to this soup that I can’t quite explain. It makes me happy. And even though my heart is set on summer, this soup makes the winter seem not quite so dark.

CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup fennel bulb, diced (about 1/2 a bulb)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled & cubed
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup cream (*can easily be omitted to make recipe vegan or dairy-free)
2 tsps (or more) of your favorite curry powder
2 Tablespoons Maple syrup
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Roast the squash: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cubed squash with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread into an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast until tender (about 20 minutes).

2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add in onions & fennel and cook until tender, 5 or 6 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cayenne and cook for one minute more. Add in roasted squash cubes and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add in stock, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.

3. Bring mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. After this time, remove the bay leaf & thyme springs and blend thoroughly (with an immersion blender, food processor, etc).

4. Once blended, gently stir in cream and maple syrup. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Add a dash more curry powder, if you so desire. Let simmer on the stove on Low for a couple of minutes. Garnish with fresh ground black pepper, or a dollop of creme fraiche.

Eggs in a Nest.

So, call me a little bit crazy but I’ve added one more commitment to my slightly over-committed life: I joined a book club.

I’ve joined book clubs in the past and it seems that they always disband before anyone ever finishes the first book. We always have the best of intentions, but life gets in the way. But this particular book club is shaping up to be the real deal. This club consists of 3 ladies (myself included), and we meet twice a month(ish), depending on schedules. We drink wine, eat food, and we actually discuss the contents of the ‘assigned’ book! We’ve only been a club for a few months now, and we are just finishing our second book: Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Animal Vegetable Miracle’.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I’ve read a lot of food books in my day, so the ideas presented in the book weren’t necessarily new to me. I’ve already committed to eating seasonally and locally – to the best of my ability and with the resources that I have available. With that being said, my one critique of the book would be that most of us aren’t in a position to do what Barbara Kingsolver and her family did. We aren’t famous writers who inherit a large family farm; nor do we have the freedom to drop our lives, move to a farm, and live off the land for a year.

So while I applaud Kingsolver for her locavore ways (and the awareness she brings to national food issues), my committment to the local food movement will look quite a bit different. I may not have a farm, but I have a little duplex with a side yard…and I will grow as much food as I can in that little yard! I will shop at my local farmer’s market. I won’t buy fresh tomatoes in December (partially for environmental reasons…mostly because they taste awful!).

Really, at the end of the day, I think responsible eating is about doing the best that you can with the resources you’ve been given. I know that I’ve been blessed with a lot of resources, and I am grateful for that. I am so fortunate to live in Portland – the mecca of all things local, sustainable, organic, etc. I know that not everyone has these resources at their fingertips and so I would encourage you to just do the best you can. Start small and just see where it goes.

Two years ago, my husband and I made the decision to stop eating fast food. I can honestly say that one decision changed everything. We didn’t eat much fast food to begin with, but this one decision forced us to be much more thoughtful about our meals. We had revelations about why a taco at Por Que No? (a local taqueria, known for their sustainable practices) costs so much more than a taco at Taco Bell. It was suddenly so evident: This is how much real food costs. Since that time, our eating and shopping habits have changed a lot. It all started with that one decision. And I know we still have a long way to go, but this is a process. You just do the best you can.

So, while most of us may not have the resources of Barbara Kingsolver, many of her suggestions are still applicable to the average American. I absolutely love that she includes recipes in the book (written by her 19 year old daughter!) and I’ve made quite a few of them. My favorite recipe from the book is one called Eggs in a Nest. The name of the recipe is quite literal: the eggs are poached in a ‘nest’ of wilted greens and are served over a bed of brown rice. This is a wonderful way to showcase hearty winter greens, and it makes for a quick, satisfying, and cheap (!) midweek meal.

**Oh, and before I forget, I’ve been meaning to post a link to this lovely seasonal produce calendar from Cottage Industrialist. I printed one off and hung it on my fridge, and it serves as a wonderful reminder as to what is in season!

EGGS IN A NEST
Adapted from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

1 large bunch of greens, roughly chopped (Chard, kale, mustard greens, etc.)
4-6 large eggs (1 per person)
1 small can fire roasted tomatoes (*Note: in the winter, when fresh tomatoes are terrible, I live by Muir Glen Organic canned tomatoes. They are amazing. For this recipe, I used their Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
Salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of red chili flakes
1.5 cups brown or wild rice

Method:
Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pot or skillet over medium heat, sautee the onions until translucent. Add in garlic, cook for a couple minutes more. Add in canned tomatoes and juices, mix to combine and bring to a simmer. Add in salt, pepper, and chili flakes (to taste).

Add in all of the greens and cover the pot with a lid. Keep heat at medium or medium-low and stir occasionally, to make sure all the greens are cooking down & wilting.

Once the greens are tender (5-10 minutes), turn the heat down to low/med-low. Using a spoon or spatula, create small round indents (aka “nests”) in the greens. Gently crack an egg into each “nest”, being careful not to break the yolk (I usually crack an egg into a small bowl or cup and then gently lower the egg onto its ‘nest’). Cover the pot/skillet and let the eggs poach in the greens & juices until the whites have turned clear (about 5-6 minutes).

Gently scoop out a healthy serving of greens & one egg per person. Serve over rice.

French Onion Soup

What can I possibly say about French Onion Soup that hasn’t been said before?

Such is the dilemma with making such a classic recipe. This soup has been made thousands of times by thousands of cooks in thousands of different kitchens across the world. And to think, I’m supposed to write about such a classic?! It just seems so daunting.

So, then, I won’t even attempt to write anything new or profound about French Onion Soup. It is what it is: a delightful bowl of rich broth and caramelized onions, topped with crusty bread and melted cheese. In my opinion, this soup is perfection in a bowl.

With this recipe, I am not improving upon anyone else’s recipe, nor am I trying to re-invent the classic. I just make french onion soup the way I make it. I’ve tried a number of different of recipes and variations over the years, and have finally figured out the way I like to make this classic soup. And while there may not be one singular thing that separates my recipe from the rest, I do have a couple tips and tricks to ensure that the soup is rich and full of flavor. Because, let’s face it: there is nothing worse than a bland, watery bowl of soggy onions.

Here are my tips to ensuring that your french onion soup tastes awesome:

1. Take your time. The slower the onions cook down and caramelize, the better your soup will taste. Just set your burner over Low (no higher than Medium) and walk away! Stir occasionally and ensure that the onions aren’t getting brown, but that’s all you need to do. Just wait for them to do their thing. 2. Don’t cook all of the onions at once. Cook half of the onions down first, and add the rest after the first batch has caramelized. This will add texture to your soup (as some onions will be softer than others). 3. Use good stock. Since the soup is broth-based, the better the stock/broth you use, the better your soup will be. If you have homemade beef stock, use it! If you don’t have homemade stock, spend a few extra pennies and buy a good quality organic beef stock/broth. Its worth it! 4. Toast your baguette slices. No french onion soup is complete without some crusty bread and melted cheese on top. If you toast the bread/baguette before placing them on top of the soup, this will ensure that your bread doesn’t turn to soggy mush. The bottom of the bread will soak up the soup (and get slightly soggy) but the top should remain crusty and delicious!

French Onion Soup
(Serves 4-6)
*Supplies needed: oven-safe ramekins or bowls

6 cups beef stock (organic or home-made, preferable)
3/4 cup good quality red wine (Cabernet)
4 small white onions, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1-2 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons butter
Salt & pepper to taste
Baguette, sliced thinly & toasted
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Melt butter over Med-Low heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add 1/2 of the sliced onions and cook slowly, over low heat until caramelized – at least 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more butter if needed. If the onions start to brown, turn the heat down. After the first batch of onions are mostly caramelized (after 30 minutes or more), add in a bit more butter and the rest of the onions.

After all of the onions have been added, raise the heat slightly. Every 5 minutes or so, scrape the sides of the pot and add a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook over med-low heat, occasionally stirring, for 30 more minutes.

Once the onions have all cooked down, add in the stock, the rest of the red wine, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste broth, season with salt & pepper. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the soup has reduced down and a rich broth has formed (after 30+ minutes of simmering), remove the soup from the stove. Ladle soup into ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Top with 1-2 baguette slices. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated gruyere over the top of the baguette slices.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. (*Note: even after 5 or 10 minutes the ramekins will still be really hot! I would set the ramekins on top of a plate, napkin, trivet, hot pad, etc). Garnish with fresh grated black pepper and a bit of fresh thyme.