Eggs in a Nest

Here's a great way to use up all those greens Allie mentioned having in her fridge. You can use collards, kale, swiss chard or spinach for this recipe. The only adjustment is how long to cook the greens themselves as spinach can overcook quickly, and collards can be tough if undercooked. My family prefers this served over high-fiber pasta, but works over brown rice just as well. Deciding on how many eggs to poach depends on your appetites. We've found that adults generally eat 2 eggs. Keep in mind though, that this isn't a great leftovers meal, so extra eggs are unnecessary.

Eggs in a Nest

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped and steeped in about 1/2 cup hot water

1 big bunch of greens of your choice, washed and chopped

Up to 6 eggs

Start rice or water for pasta. Saute the onion and carrots in olive oil until tender, season with salt. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, add tomatoes and steeping liquid, then the greens. Stir and cover until the greens wilt, and are nearly completely cooked. Check seasoning. Use the back of a ladle to create little indentations in the greens mixture. Crack an egg into each indentation, season each egg with salt and pepper, then cover the pot to poach the eggs. They are best when the whites are set and yolks are still runny. Serve immediately over the noodles or rice, and top with parmesan cheese (if desired).

Soup and Bread

After trying Squash Pear Ginger Soup at my friend Christine's recently, I had to give it a try. It's not too sweet, thick and remarkably filling. Of course, if you know my husband, this dinner almost required a good loaf of homemade bread. This is my favorite bread to make. It's crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

Squash Pear Ginger Soup

1 really big butternut squash (or several smaller winter squashes)

3 pears, quartered with seeds removed

salt

olive oil

2 inches of ginger, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 onion, diced

a pinch of cinnamon

a pinch of ground cardamom

a pinch of ground coriander

Cut the squash into 6 or 8 pieces and oil lightly, remove the seeds and put them in a small pot for the stock later. Roast the squash, the pears and about half of the ginger for an hour at 425. When it comes out, the squash and pears will be soft and caramelized. Deglaze the roasting pan with some water, and reserve those juices too. Remove the flesh of the squash from the skins and add the skins to the seeds for stock. Simmer the seeds, skins, remaining ginger and a pinch of salt in about 6 cups of water for about 30 minutes. You'll strain out the solids later.

In the pot you want to make the soup in, saute the onion in butter or oil with a pinch of salt until very soft, adding in the remaining spices to bring out their flavors. Add deglazing liquid, squash, pears, ginger. Strain stock into soup. Cook for about half an hour. I ran the pear quarters through a food mill, then pureed the whole soup with an immersion blender. Alternately you can let it cool some, then do it in batches in the blender.

Bread

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

scant 1 1/2 cups water

Combine flours in bowl of stand mixer with yeast and salt with beater attachment. Add water until dough comes together. It will be tacky, but not wet. Knead with dough hook for a few minutes, then by hand to form a ball. Return to bowl and cover for 3 hours. After 3 hours, knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface, then reform into a ball. Place the towel in a colander and flour well, put the seam of the dough up (smooth side down) and cover with the corners of the towel. Let it rise for 3 more hours. Preheat the oven to 450 for at least 30 minutes with a stone on the bottom rack. Invert dough onto a floured peel or back of a cookie sheet. Slash the top of the dough several times with a sharp knife. Slide the dough onto the stone, and splash/spray the oven with water 3 or 4 times in the first 10 minutes. Bake 20 minutes at 450, then 25 minutes at 350. Let it cool on a wire rack before cutting into it.... if you can wait!

Hope you enjoy!

Another Chicken?!?

Some of the criteria for my sister's culinary endeavors are.... inexpensive, as healthy as you can imagine (little to no dairy fat, whole grains, lean meats, lots of veggies, etc), and enough to feed them dinner and hopefully have leftovers for lunch. Of course, there will be exceptions from time to time, so look out for the indulgences too. I thought of another recipe that would fit these criteria completely. It's actually one that we grew up eating. Our mom got it from a friend of hers who is Jewish and observed the Sabbath. It's a one pot meal that you can assemble the evening before. I assume traditionally it was cooked over night and served as a mid-day meal. Whole chickens are way cheaper than parts, this has whole grains, loads of veggies, and tastes amazing.

Here you go:

Wash 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup barley, then use them as the bottom layer in a roasting pan that has a lid. Scatter a big handful of green beans (fresh or frozen) over. Wash a roasting chicken, pat dry, then season with salt on the inside. Put it on top of the grains and beans, then add 3 or 4 peeled carrots, 3 or 4 potatoes (wash them), 4 whole eggs (in their shells) and another big handful of green beans. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly add 1 cup of water (try not to displace the grains). Pour a jar of spaghetti sauce over everything. Bake in a covered roaster at 325 for about 4 hours (or a little longer).

Remember the reddish roasted eggs? I think our older sister wasn't a huge fan of eggs, otherwise mom would have had to throw in a 5th so each of us could have one. This one may just make my family's menu next week. It would be so nice on a cool fall day.

Sticky Chicken

I have no idea why this is called Sticky Chicken. We originally got this from a friend who made it for us when our second daughter was born, and she got it from another friend. I've made some changes and a few variations, but the best thing is that it always makes delicious chicken without having to check the temperature and worry about undercooking poultry. It's also a wonderful way to get dinner started before everyone's hungry and have a free afternoon.

Sticky Chicken

4 tsp salt

2 tsp paprika (if you use smoked it's a whole new recipe!)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried minced onion or onion powder

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 large roasting chicken (washed thoroughly, patted dry)

1 onion, quartered

1 orange, quartered (optional)

Mix dry ingredients, rub over and inside of chicken cavity. It's best if this can sit over night on the bird, and amazingly, it can be rubbed and frozen with the spices already on it.

To roast:

Preheat oven to 250. Place onion (and orange, if using) inside chicken cavity. Roast for 5 hours, basting every 30 minutes starting about halfway though. Don't add any liquid, it will be plenty moist.

What to do with the leftovers?!? Pick the meat off the bones, and use it to make curried chicken salad. This is another recipe that can be made with any number of ingredients, depending on what you have on hand.

Curried Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken

mayo

strained non fat plain yogurt

curry powder

grapes, halved or raisins

celery, chopped

toasted nuts (slivered almonds work really nicely)

Just mix it all together to taste, refrigerate and enjoy. The yogurt adds a nice bite and is much lighter than mayo.

Chicken doesn't have to be boring!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I don't know how much this differs from the one we grew up eating, but it's a good stand by (that your beau may appreciate).

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

2 cans tuna, packed in water, drained

Egg noodles

Frozen mixed veggies (the kind with corn, limas, peas, green beans)

I can cream of mushroom soup

cheddar cheese

crackers

Preheat oven to 350. Boil the egg noodles in very salty water, according to package directions. Saute up the onion until soft, add garlic for about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in frozen mixed veg, mushroom soup, then tuna. Fold together until combined. Then, gently combine with noodles. Put in a greased casserole dish, top with cheese and crumbled crackers (I like Ritz). Bake 30 or so minutes until golden brown and delicious.

Split Pea Soup and Pita Bread

In an attempt to be money and health conscious, here are some very simple recipes that cost almost nothing and are healthy to boot!

Split Pea Soup

1 Onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 or 2 carrots, chopped

1 Tbsp (or so) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups dried split peas

6 cups chicken stock or water

salt and pepper

Saute the onions, celery and carrots in the olive oil until they're starting to get soft, and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, saute for another minute. Add the split peas and stock. Bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 2 hours. Blend or mash before serving. I love a little squirt of ketchup in mine (the acid is a nice touch, and it cools it off faster).

Pita Bread

1 lb (about 3 1/2 cups) flour, I like about half whole wheat, half all purpose or bread flour

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup water

Combine the flour(s), salt, and yeast in a food processor or bowl of a stand mixer. Add oil and water. It should come together as a big ball. If it's too dry, add another tablespoon or 2 of water. Knead by hand for another minute, form a ball. Oil a bowl, and let it rise about 2 hours covered. It should about double in size.

Preheat the oven to 500 with a pizza stone inside. Divide the dough into 10 to 12 balls. Keep the ones you're not working with covered. Roll them on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Again, keep them covered, but don't stack them. I can fit 3 or 4 of them on my stone at a time, and they bake (and puff!) in just 3 minutes. If the pitas aren't puffing and making a pocket, they'll still taste great. When rolling them, be sure not to have any creases that might prevent the pocket from forming.

Amazing that you can start at 3:00 and have this delicious and nutritious dinner on the table by 6:00 for just pennies!

Basic Tomato Sauce

Allie should know how to make various tomato sauces (marinara, meat sauce, and our recent favorite... eggplant). We use the marinara as pizza sauce on homemade pizza, as a great addition to meat sauce, or just on noodles.

Marinara

On medium low heat, warm 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium pot. Add 2 or 3 cloves of smashed garlic, a pinch of red pepper flake and a few fresh basil leaves. Cook for a while (20 minutes or so) to infuse the oil with the flavors of the additions. Then pull out the garlic and basil. Add a can of tomato (diced or whole) and a pinch of salt, turn heat up to medium high for another 20 minutes or so. The tomato will get saucy, stir occasionally. Let cool, then blend until smooth. It's almost pinkish from the oil.

Meat Sauce

Brown a pound of lean ground beef (season it with salt and pepper), add a diced onion (small pinch of salt)and saute until soft. You can also add diced carrot if you want. You may need a little bit of olive oil if the pan gets really dry. Throw in a few cloves of minced garlic. Then add a small can of tomato paste (and another pinch of salt) and brown it. Throw in a can of diced tomato and/or a batch of marinara (see above). Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. I love to add in a little fresh chopped basil and oregano at the end.

Eggplant

I simply peel and dice an eggplant (one large or several little ones). I throw several pinches of salt on them, put them in the colander in the sink and let the moisture come out for a few hours. I rinse them and throw them in with the onions and carrots in the recipe above.

Allie, this is the sauce we had in the lasagna the other night!

Before she leaves

My sweet "baby" sister is getting ready to move away, so her cooking lessons are going virtual. She has a long list of foods she wants to learn to cook herself. One dish at a time I'll give her a "taste of home" and inspire her (and you!) to flex those culinary muscles.

Tonight she was here with us for dinner, and wanted the recipe (originally from my friend Christine L).

Sweet Potato Soup with Curried Cream

1 Tbsp. veggie oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. ginger, grated

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1.5 lbs. sweet potato, peeled and diced

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 quart stock (veggie or chicken)

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Curried Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. curry powder

For the soup:

Heat the oil in a 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and curry powder until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook 3 more minutes. Add stock and coconut milk, simmer 20-25 minutes until the sweet potato is very tender. Turn off heat and let cool some before blending until smooth (I used an immersion blender, but a regular blender works too). This part can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Reheat it over medium heat, and once warm, stir in honey and lime juice.

For the curried cream:

Whip cream to soft peaks, then fold in curry powder.

Today we also had creme fraiche, so I curried it too.

Then I served it with wild rice in the middle of the bowl, ladled the soup around it, and put a dollop of the cream on top.