Crustless Quiche with Roast Tomatoes, Leeks and Gruyere

Crustless, so it is healthier. Roast vegetables, so that it is vegetarian. Gruyere so that it is goooooood.

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small leeks, trimmed and sliced into rounds up to dark green part
5 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
sea salt
1 cup thinly sliced collard leaves, spinach, Swiss chard or kale
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs, or crushed garlic croutons
4 large eggs + 1 egg white
1 cup lite sour cream
1/2 cup milk (whatever you drink, skim, 2%, whole)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded Gruyere, or any sharp cheese you like

1) Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the halved tomatoes into a large bowl. Separate the leek rounds into individual pieces with your hands and add them in with the tomatoes, add in the garlic, too. Drizzle bout 1-2 tablespoons evoo over the mess and toss with your hands. Sprinkl with sea salt and place into the oven. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and edges of the leeks are beginning to caramelize, between 20-40 minutes depending on your oven. When they are done, remove from the oven to cool slightly, then place all of it into a strainer above a bowl-- catching the juices that run out (save 1 tablespoon of the tomato jus-- drink the rest as a delicious soup!) This will also dry out the vegetables a bit, which is good. Allow the veggies to sit in the strainer until completely cool. While that's going on, sauté the greens over high heat in a bit of evoo until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

2) Turn down, or preheat the oven to 325F. Butter a 9", deep-dish pie pan with 1 softened butter, then pour the breadcrumbs in and roll the pie dish around in your hands until all the butter os coated with the crumbs.







4) Whisk the sour cream, eggs, egg white, milk, 1 tablespoon tomato jus and Dijon mustard together. Lay the greens on the bottom of the pan, then scatter 1/2 of the cheese and pour the egg/sour-cream/milk mixture over top. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and place the roast tomatoes and leeks on top (it will still be soft) and scatter the rest of the cheese over the tomatoes. Place back in the oven and continue to bake for 20 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Serve warm, room temp or chilled. Makes 8 slices.

Italian Baked Eggs with Mozzarella and Prosciutto

I rediscovered The Talisman Italian Cookbook on my kitchen bookshelf a few days ago. It is a classic Italian cookbook; full of simple, gorgeous recipes. Many of the recipes are not obviously Italian (read: tomatoes, oregano, olive oil, etc), but all sound like something an Italian Nonna would prepare for her grandchildren. 
I have yet to get past the section on 'eggs', which inspired this recipe. This takes 'baked eggs' to new gastronomic heights and made a tasty, simple supper.

Extra virgin olive oil or butter
1 Pound cooked potatoes-- cube shape work best, but slices are fine (good for using up left-overs)
1 Ball fresh mozzarella, buffalo or cow's milk
4 Thin slices prosciutto (optional)
4 Large, fresh eggs
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Grease a small, shallow baking dish with olive oil or butter and layer in the potatoes- season with salt and pepper. Shred the mozzarella by hand and scatter over the potatoes. Wrap each prosciutto piece into a small nest shape and place equal distance apart in the baking dish (if not using prosciutto, make slight indents in the potatoes.) Now crack the eggs into each 'nest', season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Bake, uncovered for 15-20 minutes (15 will have runny yolks, 20 minutes will be hard cooked). Serve with Oven Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce.

Serves 2-4

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Check out the colour of the yolk...

Flaked Abroath Smokies and soft-poached egg (from the neighbour's chickens) on toasted whole wheat with a squirt of lemon and freshly cracked black pepper....

Abroath Smokie

Chicken Empanadas

First in Spain a million years ago (okay, so not a MILLION, but a really long time ago), empanadas were then carried to other Latin countries, including those as far away as in Latin American and the UK (where do you think Cornish Pasties came from?). Every country, even many regions within countries, have their own version of an empanada, but suffice it to say the universal empanada consists of seasoned meat or vegetables stuffed into a pastry of some sort, folded into a pocket and fried or baked. They can be eaten hot, warm or cold and are delicious!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 and ½ pounds boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), diced small

1 and ½ teaspoons American chili powder (the type that is not hot)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ beef bouillon cube, crumbled

¼ teaspoon smoked, sweet paprika (or spicy for heat)

200 grams (6 ounces) tin of tomato puree (if you can get Chair de Tomate, use it)

6 thin spring onions, sliced

12-18 pimento stuffed green olives (I love Tabasco’s spicy green olives), sliced

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Small handful chopped cilantro (coriander)

Packaged, pre-rolled short crust, pie or pizza dough—enough to make about 40 small empanadas.

1) Heat the oil in a large sauté pan then add in the chicken and sauté until just done. Alternatively, use cooked chicken, chopped up, and just cook the sauce then add the chicken to it. Pour the tomato puree and everything else except the boiled eggs, cilantro and olives (and dough…duh). Stir and allow to simmer—it should be the consistency of chili. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, cilantro and olives. Allow to cool at room temperature, then stash in the refrigerator to get cold.

2) Lay the pre-rolled pastry or dough out and cut into 4” by 4” squares or use a large coffee mug to trace circles onto the dough. Fill one side of the dough square or circle with 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken filling, then fold the other side over top and seal—crimp edges, use egg wash, whatever gets the job done.

Brush with egg wash and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C (400F) until golden.

Makes about 40 empanadas. Heat up any left-over filling and spoon over salad greens for a killer salad!

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon and Egg Soup)

I first had this soup when I was 20, at Steve's Greek restaurant in Boston's Back Bay area. Ordering it because it was cheap, and I was a poor student, I wasn't expecting much more than sustenance. What I got was a culinary epiphany-- soup that tasted like summer. The slight sourness of lemons, the richness of egg yolks and the savoury belly-warming flavour of chicken stock. It was the best soup I had ever tasted.
If you've never had this soup, and you like sauce Hollandaise, try this-- you will love it.

8 cups (about 2 litres) chicken stock
1/2 cup (1/2 teacup) long grain rice
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice os 2 lemons)
Zest of 1 lemon, finely minced
1 tablespoon (1 soup spoon) corn starch/corn flour
4 egg yolks
Handful of chopped, fresh parsley (optional)

1) Bring the chicken stock to a strong simmer and add in the rice. Cook according to package directions. Pssst- you will not be draining the rice.

2) While the rice is cooking, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, corn starch and egg yolks in a small bowl. Two minutes before the rice is done, snag a ladle of stock out of the pot and slowly whisk it into the bowl of lemon/egg yolk. Whisk continuously. Add in one more ladle, doing the same. Now remove the pot of stock/rice from heat and whisk the bowl of lemon/egg/stock into the chicken stock. Place back onto a low heat, just to heat up and thicken a bit but do not simmer from this point on, or the egg yolks in the soup could brake and end up looking sorta' like scrambled eggs. Stir in the parsley and serve at once.

Makes 8 cups yummy soup.

Easy Pasta Carbonara

The idea to include cream cheese in this recipe came to me only because I bought two tubs on special and needed to find a way to use it up. Surprisingly, it turned out better than any carbonara I have made to date. The cream cheese is killer in the sauce-- making it creamier. Don't worry about using raw eggs in this- they cook in the hot pasta.
This makes an easy dinner during busy weeknights.

8 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/4 cup milk (skim to full fat- whatever you've got)
1 whole egg
1 egg  yolk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 green (spring) onions, trimmed and sliced thin
12 oz. spaghetti

1) Place a huge pot of hot, salted water on to boil (covered).
2) Cook the bacon until limp then add in the chopped onion and continue to saute until onion is cooked and bacon is crisp-ish. Remove from the heat and plop the cream cheese into the saute pan. Cover and set aside.
3) In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, Parmesan and sliced green onions. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain SAVING ASIDE 1/3 to 1/2 cup (4 oz) of the cooking water. Immediately toss the pasta into the bowl with the eggs, etc. and toss in the cooking water. Chuck in the cooked bacon and cream cheese, too. Toss well, add in the milk, stir until creamy. Serve with more Parmesan.

Serves 4-6

BOT, Bacon Onion Tomato Omelet

I love all eggs dishes. I think eggs are sort of perfect; they're a versatile, healthy, sustainable food. Americans don't take eggs seriously enough. Maybe it's because meat is so expensive here, but Europeans eat eggs, in one way or an other, for lunch or dinner regularly. 
Sunday noon I was hankering for a more satisfying lunch than a cold sandwich. I opened the fridge to find not much more than a few eggs, and a couple cooked pieces of bacon left over from the kids' breakfast. I found one small tomato sitting on the windowsill and some green onions shriveling in the fruit bowl (don't ask). I had the makings of a fabulous, healthy lunch and it would take me just minutes to prepare.


Check out the video to see me make it, or read the recipe below.

Click here to watch JennyB demonstrate how to make this recipe!

1 whole eggs, free range, if possible

3 egg whites, ditto

3 small green onions, sliced very thin just to the tender green part

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 small tomato, sliced very thin

2 pieces bacon, cooked

salt and pepper

1) Whisk the whole egg up with the egg whites. Add in the green onion and whisk again briefly. Get everything else ready to cook. Place a non-stock saute pan over medium heat and get it hot. Get ready, because this all happens fast- you are seconds away from eating your omelet.

2) Place the butter into the pan and allow to melt, but not brown. Now, pour the egg/onion into the hot, buttered pan and swirl it around so that the eggs creates a nice, even circle. The egg should begin to cook and set immediately.

3) With a soft spatula, pull the eggs from the sides of the pan into the middle and tilt the pan so that the uncooked eggs in the middle can dribble out to the sides. Make sure to keep the bottom of the pan covered with eggs, so that your omelet doesn't have any holes. When the omelet is still just a wee but liquidy, flip the whole thing over (if you are unsure about any of this-- watch the video). Immediately, on just one half of the omelet, layer in the tomato, a sprinkling of salt, and then the bacon. Using a spatula, fold the omelet over onto itself so it is the shape of a half moon. Eat at once and smile.

Serves 1

Easter Egg Sauté

In America and Switzerland, we always hard boiled eggs, then dyed and decorated them, and hid them out in the garden (weather permitting) for a great Easter egg hunt! Oddly, I have found that this is not done in England, but we carried on with tradition anyhow. Of course, the resulting glut of hard boiled eggs is something to contend with.
I think I have cracked it, though. If your children are willing to part with their eggs, simply peel them and chop them, then sauté in butter with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of finely sliced green onion. Serve hot with toast.

Poached Egg-in-Tomato

Quite a showy dish for a brunch or light lunch, but its beauty belies its ease.

2 medium size, ripe tomatoes
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon butter
2 eggs

1) Cut the tops off of tomatoes, 2 centimeters down and set aside to use later.
1) Carefully scoop out the seeds and flesh from tomatoes and discard.
2) Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt in each tomato, and invert them on a paper towel. Allow to drain this way for 10-15 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 425F or 220C. Make sure that it is hot when tomatoes are put in.
4) After the tomatoes have drained, place them into a baking dish right side up, and put ¼ teaspoon butter into the bottom of each tomato. Crack an egg into each, sprinkle with a bit of salt and a few cracks of the pepper mill. Replace the tomato top and bake for about 18 minutes.
Serve with slices of crisp sautéed bacon, Proscuitto or Serrano ham and toast. Serves 2.