I know this is straying from my typical ingredient list. But it is a great cold day,
I-want-to-cook easy and delicious recipe! I use it as a dinner food as we eat bread & avocado for breakfast.
Best is to use free range, organic (bio/AB) eggs. Yes, they do make a difference. You can even use only EGG WHITES to drastically cut down on fat and cholestral. Actually, I think it's better this way! If you do, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 whole egg. I plan 2 eggs per person, including kids.
You can also substitute a jar or 2 of pre-made salsa for the tomatoes and green chilis for a truly simple, 10 minute prep meal.
MEXICAN BAKED EGGS
1 large red onion, diced small (yellow or any other kind of onion works too)
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced or grated (optional)
2 Tbl olive oil for cooking
1/4 cup chili peppers sliced thin (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes or 6 fresh tomatoes, diced small
1 TBl cumin powder
6-8 whole eggs or 12-16 egg whites
salt & pepper to taste
1- 1.5 cups Monetrey Jack or Emmental grated cheese (to your liking)
Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Grease a 10inch/30cm baking pan. I like to use a glass Pyrex pan.
Heat pan on medium heat. Add olive oil. Saute onions and garlic until soft. About 5 min. Add cumin, chilis if using and tomatoes.
Pour into prepared baking pan.
Crack eggs on top, keeping yolks whole.
Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Top with grated cheese.
Bake for 15-25 minutes. Keep watch after 15 min as egg yolks can quickly go from soft adn gooey to hard and over cooked.
Serve immediately with a large green salad.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Moroccon Veg Stew
Serve with couscous.
Freezable.
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MOROCCON VEGETABLE STEW
2 Tbl olive oil
2 med-lg red onions
4 lg carrots cut in 1 inch/5cm pieces
2 large potatoes cut in 1nch/5cm pieces
1 small butternut or "potimarron" pumpkin squash cut in pieces
1 small eggplant/aubergine, cut in pieces
1 med courgette/zucchini, cut in pieces
4 Tbl ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp ground coriander or cardamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground anise (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Salt & Pepper
3 cups veg or chicken broth (low/no salt)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chick peas, rinsed well
In a large Dutch oven (Cocotte) or heavy-bottom pot, heat oil over med-high heat. Saute onions until soft. Stirring occasionally. 5 minutes or so.
Add spices and cook until you can smell them, about 1 min.
Add carrots, potatoes and pumpkin/squash, salt & pepper. Stirring until the begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add broth and tomatoes until veg are just covered. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
Bring to a gentle simmer & cook, uncovered for 20 min.
Add eggplant/aubergine and courgette/zucchini. Stir to combine. Cook about 20 min until tender.
Stir in chickpeas, taste & seasona gain with salt & pepper if needed. Cook until chickpeas are warmed through, about 5 min.
Serve with couscous or rice. Top with freshily chopped coriander if desired.
Freezable.
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MOROCCON VEGETABLE STEW
2 Tbl olive oil
2 med-lg red onions
4 lg carrots cut in 1 inch/5cm pieces
2 large potatoes cut in 1nch/5cm pieces
1 small butternut or "potimarron" pumpkin squash cut in pieces
1 small eggplant/aubergine, cut in pieces
1 med courgette/zucchini, cut in pieces
4 Tbl ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp ground coriander or cardamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground anise (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Salt & Pepper
3 cups veg or chicken broth (low/no salt)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chick peas, rinsed well
In a large Dutch oven (Cocotte) or heavy-bottom pot, heat oil over med-high heat. Saute onions until soft. Stirring occasionally. 5 minutes or so.
Add spices and cook until you can smell them, about 1 min.
Add carrots, potatoes and pumpkin/squash, salt & pepper. Stirring until the begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add broth and tomatoes until veg are just covered. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
Bring to a gentle simmer & cook, uncovered for 20 min.
Add eggplant/aubergine and courgette/zucchini. Stir to combine. Cook about 20 min until tender.
Stir in chickpeas, taste & seasona gain with salt & pepper if needed. Cook until chickpeas are warmed through, about 5 min.
Serve with couscous or rice. Top with freshily chopped coriander if desired.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Spice Balls (Dutch Pepernoten)
This cookie ball is eaten all over the Netherlands from November through December. Santa's elves throw them to kids in their parade, they are stocked in every grocery store aisle, bowls appear in every office. You just can't get enough. They are a small, dry cookie that crunches in your mouth. This is by far the best and simplest recipe I know for a great winter treat.
Kids of all ages love to roll them into balls. I try not to coach the rolling too much, and just adjust later so that there are tiny ones and huge ones on the same tray. Feel free to add as much of the spices as your palate prefers. Watch out for too much clove or cardamon as too much will taste soapy.
PEPERNOTEN
Dry-
500grams flour ( As always, I use spelt. A mix of whole and white)
1 tsp (coffee spoon) cloves (girofle)
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
Optional-pinch of anise powder, 1/2 tsp cardamon, 1-2 tsp cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp seasalt
Wet-
200 ml maple syrup
150 ml vegetable or corn oil
Mix all dry ingredients into a big bowl.
Place wet ingredients into a tall cup or bowl and mix with a staf mixer (Braun) until emulsified.
Add wet to dry. Mix.
It can be a very dry batter. It is often easiest, and more fun, the mix it with your hands. If you wet your hands first it won't stick to them so easily.
Push the batter into a ball like shape in the middle of the bowl. Cover well with
plastic wrap. Refridgerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Take out and make into hazelnut size balls. This is the size that can get nice and crunchy. But when kids (or I!) are making them, they end up more the size of walnuts. Its OK, just try and arrange similar size balls on the same cooking tray.
EAT and distribute liberally among your friends!
Kids of all ages love to roll them into balls. I try not to coach the rolling too much, and just adjust later so that there are tiny ones and huge ones on the same tray. Feel free to add as much of the spices as your palate prefers. Watch out for too much clove or cardamon as too much will taste soapy.
PEPERNOTEN
Dry-
500grams flour ( As always, I use spelt. A mix of whole and white)
1 tsp (coffee spoon) cloves (girofle)
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
Optional-pinch of anise powder, 1/2 tsp cardamon, 1-2 tsp cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp seasalt
Wet-
200 ml maple syrup
150 ml vegetable or corn oil
Mix all dry ingredients into a big bowl.
Place wet ingredients into a tall cup or bowl and mix with a staf mixer (Braun) until emulsified.
Add wet to dry. Mix.
It can be a very dry batter. It is often easiest, and more fun, the mix it with your hands. If you wet your hands first it won't stick to them so easily.
Push the batter into a ball like shape in the middle of the bowl. Cover well with
plastic wrap. Refridgerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Take out and make into hazelnut size balls. This is the size that can get nice and crunchy. But when kids (or I!) are making them, they end up more the size of walnuts. Its OK, just try and arrange similar size balls on the same cooking tray.
EAT and distribute liberally among your friends!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Cracker Jack! Or Sweet Caramel Popcorn
Cracker Jack still reminds me of being little, being at the circus and licking sticky fingers. My Granddad would also bring it as a treat on Sundays, when he remembered.
This is a non-nut recipe, but you can add roasted almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. I personally don't like to use sesame seeds as they make it to earth, but its all in your taste!
4 TBLs corn kernels
1 TBL cooking or frying oil
5 TBL mix of any of these syrups- barley malt, rice syrup, organic corn syrup
pinch of seasalt
Pre heat oven to 350F/175C
Oil a small pyrex or glass baking dish.
Heat syrup and pinch of seasalt on lowest heat on stove, until more liquid. DO NOT boil or overheat.
Take it off when it is liquidy.
Meanwhile, air pop your corn.
Or pop in a large pot with just a 1 TBL (soup spoon) of vegetable or sesame cooking or frying oil.
Start with 4 kernels and when they pop you know the pot is hot enough to pop the rest. Keep the pot moving on the burner so they don't burn. It's done when you don't hear the popping sound anymore.
Drizzle liquified syrup(s) over popcorn.
With a metal spoon, stir, stir and keep stirring an tossing like a salad until the syrups have covered the popcorn. Add nuts & seeds at this point if using.
Press into the baking dish. Place in oven for +/1 15 minutes. This dries it out abit and gets it crispy again. Remove and let cool a few minutes so you can touch it.
Serve by "cutting" with a kitchen knife.
Store in an airtight container. Place back in oven spread out on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes to re-crisp the next day.
This is a non-nut recipe, but you can add roasted almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. I personally don't like to use sesame seeds as they make it to earth, but its all in your taste!
4 TBLs corn kernels
1 TBL cooking or frying oil
5 TBL mix of any of these syrups- barley malt, rice syrup, organic corn syrup
pinch of seasalt
Pre heat oven to 350F/175C
Oil a small pyrex or glass baking dish.
Heat syrup and pinch of seasalt on lowest heat on stove, until more liquid. DO NOT boil or overheat.
Take it off when it is liquidy.
Meanwhile, air pop your corn.
Or pop in a large pot with just a 1 TBL (soup spoon) of vegetable or sesame cooking or frying oil.
Start with 4 kernels and when they pop you know the pot is hot enough to pop the rest. Keep the pot moving on the burner so they don't burn. It's done when you don't hear the popping sound anymore.
Drizzle liquified syrup(s) over popcorn.
With a metal spoon, stir, stir and keep stirring an tossing like a salad until the syrups have covered the popcorn. Add nuts & seeds at this point if using.
Press into the baking dish. Place in oven for +/1 15 minutes. This dries it out abit and gets it crispy again. Remove and let cool a few minutes so you can touch it.
Serve by "cutting" with a kitchen knife.
Store in an airtight container. Place back in oven spread out on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes to re-crisp the next day.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
This Year's Summer Drink
A hot day, and tall cool glass of MINT water. That's the ticket. Mint Water you ask!?
Try it. Incredible fast. Incredibly easy. Incredibly delicious.
You'll need to find liquid STEVIA. A sweetener from the leaf of the Stevia plant. The only sweetener that doesn't negatively effect the body. You can find it at the health food store, and lately at many grocery stores in the health food section.
Summery Minty Water
Half gallon/1 liter of filtered water
3-4 long sprigs of fresh mint
10+ drops of Stevia liquid, to taste.
Place mint sprigs in bottle, fill with water and a few ice cubes. Add Stevia drops.
Drink. Sit back in your chair and smile.
Try it. Incredible fast. Incredibly easy. Incredibly delicious.
You'll need to find liquid STEVIA. A sweetener from the leaf of the Stevia plant. The only sweetener that doesn't negatively effect the body. You can find it at the health food store, and lately at many grocery stores in the health food section.
Summery Minty Water
Half gallon/1 liter of filtered water
3-4 long sprigs of fresh mint
10+ drops of Stevia liquid, to taste.
Place mint sprigs in bottle, fill with water and a few ice cubes. Add Stevia drops.
Drink. Sit back in your chair and smile.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Summer Tomato Pie
Don't you just wait for the taste of a sun-filled, grown-in-the-dirt, summer tomato. We eat so many raw, I am always looking for another way to use them.
Here is an English (as in the country) adapted classic French recipe I adapted again!
Great as a starter or a meal with a huge summer salad tossed with freshly made, mustardy vinaigrette...
Summer Tomato Pie
One pre made pastry shell, or you can make your favorite recipe.
3Tbl (soupspoons) sour cream or creme fraiche
2Tbl (soupspoons) Dion mustard (yes, it is different)
10-12 large tomatoes, cored, peeled and sliced
sea salt
ground black pepper
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil to drizzle on top
Pre-heat oven to 375F/190C.
Line with baking paper a 12inch/30 cm push-up-bottom tart pan. Or use a quiche pan. Place rolled out pastry in pan.
Mix together creme fraiche/sourcream with Dijon mustard. Spread over pastry base.
Arrange in a fold-out-card fashion the tomato slices around the pan to fill. I usually start at the outside edge and work my way INTO the center in a circular fashion.
Season with seasalt and pepper.
Strip thyme leaves off stalks. Scatter leaves on top.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Serve warm or cold. But don't leave overnight or the pastry will get soggy!
Here is an English (as in the country) adapted classic French recipe I adapted again!
Great as a starter or a meal with a huge summer salad tossed with freshly made, mustardy vinaigrette...
Summer Tomato Pie
One pre made pastry shell, or you can make your favorite recipe.
3Tbl (soupspoons) sour cream or creme fraiche
2Tbl (soupspoons) Dion mustard (yes, it is different)
10-12 large tomatoes, cored, peeled and sliced
sea salt
ground black pepper
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil to drizzle on top
Pre-heat oven to 375F/190C.
Line with baking paper a 12inch/30 cm push-up-bottom tart pan. Or use a quiche pan. Place rolled out pastry in pan.
Mix together creme fraiche/sourcream with Dijon mustard. Spread over pastry base.
Arrange in a fold-out-card fashion the tomato slices around the pan to fill. I usually start at the outside edge and work my way INTO the center in a circular fashion.
Season with seasalt and pepper.
Strip thyme leaves off stalks. Scatter leaves on top.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Serve warm or cold. But don't leave overnight or the pastry will get soggy!
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