Leek + goat cheese frittata

Supper is served and lunch is in the fridge!! When I'm pinched for time, I often defer to the incredible egg. I always have some in the fridge for moments like these and, because the urge to bake might hit me at any moment and (the idea of) a trip down and back up to my 5th floor walk-up to buy bland eggs from the corner bodega will surely blot out my desire. So, pick up some huevos.... They're an inexpensive (even when you buy them at a farmers market) source of protein and a blank canvas ready for anything that looks good at the market or whatever's past its prime in the fridge.

I like eggs (point taken) and I like to use them to make frittatas. Again, it's that pressed-for-time thing. This omelet, of sorts, comes together in less than 10 minutes. And the leftovers are perfectly flat for a sandwich. For this particular frittata, I used leeks and goat cheese.

Leek + goat cheese frittata
serves 2 with leftovers

2 large leeks, dark green parts discarded; washed and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
6 eggs
splash milk
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. goat cheese

• In a medium saute pan, heat enough oil to coat bottom of pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until soft, 10 minutes.
  
• Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Whisk well.
• Preheat broiler
  
• Add leeks to egg mixture and pour into a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, without stirring, for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom has set. Scatter teaspoonfuls the cheese around the top of eggs (it should sit on top of the liquid eggs) and continue to cook for another minute.
  
• Put the saute pan with eggs under the broiler until the eggs have set and the cheese is warm, 3 minutes. Remove from broiler and top with freshly cracked pepper.
• Serve with a green salad and potatoes.

Potato "salad"

1 onion
olive oil
jalapeno, minced
salt
2 large potatoes
vinegar
pepper

• Caramelize onion (look for purple ink), adding jalapeno at end of cooking time. Season to taste.
• Cook potatoes (purple ink), cool slightly under cold water and cut into cubes. Add 1 T vinegar and onions. Season with salt and pepper and add more vinegar, if necessary.
• Enjoy!
  

CSA salad w Sauteed Mackerel

This composed salad requires a bit of time, but it's totally worth it. Boil the eggs and potatoes and roast the pepper the day before and it won't seem like such an arduous meal. While you're at it, make a couple extra eggs for a grab-n-go breakfast, boil a few more potatoes for that potato salad you're taking to the pot luck BBQ this weekend and that second pepper, it'll be perfect for gazpacho. You just took care of like four meals!!

A basic vinaigrette to dress the greens and potatoes and a simple 'salsa' to top the fish (which, by the way, cooks in all of six minutes) quickly bring the salad together. This is a healthy and extremely satisfying meal. Seriously... I had a warm peach tart sittin' pretty on the kitchen counter for dessert and skipped it because I felt just right after the salad. Hello! Peach tart for breakfast...can't beat that!

A note on the fish...Mackerel is a great choice because it's chock full of omega-3 fatty acids which are SO good for us and it's not overfished and, therefore, environmentally friendly (which is rare when it comes to fish these days). That said, if you can't find mackerel, go ahead and use whatever's fresh. Likewise, the rest of the elements of the salad can be substituted.

CSA salad w sauteed mackerel
serves 4

2 hard-boiled eggs
2 large new potatoes, cooked
1 roasted pepper
tomato caper salsa
vinaigrette
1 bunch arugula, washed and torn into bite size pieces
4 5oz fillets mackerel

eggs

• Place eggs in small saucepan and cover with cold water by an inch.
  
• Over high heat, bring water JUST to a boil, cover pot and turn off heat. Let stand 15 minutes.
  
• Pour off cooking water and cool eggs in ice water.

new potatoes

• Place potatoes in small saucepan and cover with cold water by an inch.
  
• Over high heat, bring water to a boil, turn heat down to medium so the water is gently bubbling and cook potatoes until easily pierced with a pairing knife, about 25 minutes.

roasted peppers














salsa

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 T capers, rinsed and chopped

• Combine tomatoes and capers in a small bowl. Make sure to taste before seasoning as capers tend to be salty.

vinaigrette

1 half white onion, diced
1 t Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 T Champagne or white wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil

• In a cleaned jam jar, combine the onion, mustard and vinegar. Season to taste.
  
• Add the olive oil, tightly put lid on jar and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste again and adjust any of the ingredients until you like the flavors.

compose salad

• Cut eggs in half lengthwise and the cut each half lengthwise again. You should have 8 pieces total.
• Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Place potatoes on a plate in one layer and pour half of the vinaigrette over them.
• Cook the fish: heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, add 3 T olive oil, turn heat up to high and, when the oil is shimmering, add fillets skin side down. Cook for 6 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Dress arugula with remaining vinaigrette, divide among four plates and top greens with one fish fillet, skin side up. Top each piece of fish with 1/4 of the salsa and then divide the eggs, potatoes and peppers evenly among the plates.
• Enjoy!

Eggs and bacon take two

I had a bunch of that slab bacon leftover from the weekend and wanted to put it to good use before heading upstate for a camping trip in the Adirondacks. So, with bacon in mind, I raided the cabinets. Not so surprisingly (because I always gravitate towards pasta), I came up with spaghetti, a couple of onions and eggs. I caramelized the onions for depth of flavor and sweetness, cubed and cooked the bacon until it was nice and chewy (dare I say that?) and, yes, I used some of the rendered fat to coat the spaghetti. Finally, if that wasn't enough, I fried the eggs slowly making sure to leave the yolks super soft so when pierced with a fork they'd spill over the pasta adding richness and, frankly, decadence. This is straight up unabashed comfort food. Do try at home!!

Spaghetti with caramelized onions and bacon topped with an incredible egg

1 T olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
salt and pepper
3/4 lb spaghetti
8 oz slab bacon or 6 slices, cubed
2 eggs

• Caramelize onions following the directions in "Farmers Market Lunch" (in purple).
  
• Cook pasta in liberally salted water following instructions on package. Test the pasta during the last few minutes of cooking time so as not to over cook. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta. This will create a "sauce".
  
• Meanwhile, cook bacon until chewy but not crisp, 5-7 minutes, in a small saute pan over medium low heat. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 1 T fat and set aside.
• Heat 1 T fat over low heat and add eggs. Cook until white has set, but yolk is still runny, 4-5 minutes.
  
• Drain the pasta and return to pot. Add onions, bacon and some of the reserved water and bacon fat. Toss pasta using tongs, adding more water and fat until you reach desired consistency. I used a full cup of the reserved water and about a 1/4 cup fat. Add salt and pepper to taste and top with fried egg.
• Enjoy!
  

Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey...

Yesterday, when I picked up some delicious Tremblay Apiaries honey at the Greenmarket, I couldn't resist a nice slab of bacon from Flying Pigs Farm. I knew eggs and bacon would be exactly what I'd want to eat on my leisurely Saturday. Coffee, oj, eggs and bacon; it's weekend on a plate! As you may know, I'm on a major honey kick these days. In fact, this morning my boyfriend asked me if everything we eat is going to have honey in it...I don't think that will be the case, but not far from it. Anyhow, he asked for honey glaze on only one of two slices of bacon, but while he was polishing off his last bite he mentioned that he would go ALL glazed next time! It's very subtle with just the right sweetness so as not to over power the saltiness that makes bacon so enticing. And the spice from the cayenne adds a nice little zing. Good morning!

Scrambled eggs with HONEY glazed bacon
serves 2

4 thick cut slices slab bacon
1 T honey
1/8 t ground coriander
pinch cayenne pepper

5 eggs
1/4 t salt
pepper
splash milk

• Preheat oven to 375, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon on parchment.
  
• In a small saute pan combine honey, coriander and cayenne over medium low heat. Stir until mixture has tiny white bubbles, 2 minutes.
  
• Using a spoon, spread honey mixture over each slice bacon and bake 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness of bacon. Rotate pan about 10 minutes into cooking time. Drain on paper towel.
• After you rotate bacon, whisk eggs together with salt and pepper and add to a small saute pan coated with small tab butter, over LOW heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add a splash of milk and continue to cook 2 minutes. The eggs will be cooked, but rather loose at this point; just the way I like them. Cook until your desired done-ness.
• Enjoy!

Farmers Market Lunch

Pleasure on a plate!

Frittata with Asiago cheese and caramelized onions +
Roasted Adirondack Blue potatoes and asparagus






























Roasted Adirondack Blue potatoes and asparagus
serves 2 with enough leftovers for a satisfying snack

4 medium potatoes (any will work)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus

• Preheat oven to 350
  
• Slice washed potatoes lengthwise a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Slice each cross section into 1/2 inch "sticks". Finally, cut into cubes.
  
• Place cubed potatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper liberally.
• Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Get caramelized onions started for the frittata NOW!!
  
• While potatoes (and onions) are cooking, place asparagus on a baking sheet (tin foil if you don't have another) toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  
• Turn heat up to 400 and continue to cook potatoes for 15 minutes. With 1o minutes cooking time left, put asparagus into oven. Test for done-ness; potatoes should be soft and asparagus should have some bite.

Frittata with Asiago cheese and caramelized onions
serves 2

1 medium onion, diced
1 T (plus more if necessary) olive oil
4 eggs
splash milk
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup grated asiago cheese

• In a small nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onions. Cook until almost soft, 20ish minutes. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook for another 10 minutes or until dark golden brown. Throughout cooking time, stir occasionally and add the occasional tablespoon water, if necessary, to continue softening onions and to prevent sticking or burning. Drain on paper towel and salt to taste.
  
• While onions are cooking, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Whisk well.
• Preheat broiler
  
• Add egg mixture to same nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, without stirring, for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom has set. Sprinkle the cheese onto the eggs (will sink into the liquid eggs) and continue to cook for another minute.
  
• Place saute pan with eggs under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 minutes. Remove from broiler and top with freshly cracked pepper and caramelized onions.
• Enjoy!
  
  
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Corn Souffle

Here's that corn souffle I mentioned yesterday. Light and fluffy to taste, but surprisingly rebounding in it's rise...it still had height when I went back for seconds. I will definitely make it again; maybe for guests because it looks pretty fancy and it's soo delicious!

Corn Souffle

3 T unsalted butter, additional for greasing

3 T all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%, but I think any would be fine)

1 lb package frozen corn, pureed

1 cup coarsely grated colby-jack cheese (again, any would work)

1 t. sugar

3/4 t salt or to taste

1/4 t cayenne

3 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites

• Preheat oven to 425. Using the additional butter, generously butter a 2 quart shallow ceramic or glass baking dish and set aside.
• Melt 3 T butter over moderate heat in a heavy saucepan until foam subsides, add flour and cook roux for 2 minutes, whisking constantly making sure to get into edges of saucepan. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in corn, cheese, sugar, salt and cayenne until fully incorporate (will be lumpy). Transfer to large bowl and whisk in egg yolks.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold peaks. Fold one forth of the whites into the corn mixture to lighten and then gently fold in remaining whites. Spoon into prepared baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes. Rotate baking dish and cover top loosely with foil and continue to bake until puffed, golden brown and just set, 20-25 minutes longer. Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper.
• Enjoy!

I cooked my souffle for about 5 minutes too long. As you can see, it's a little bit dark. I was worried that it would be a bit dry and grainy, but it wasn't at all. This is one resilient souffle! A great start for beginners.