Sunday, November 14, 2010

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).

Monday, November 1, 2010

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!