Pickled Red Onion & Custard EggsEnglish Muffin Egg Sandwiches
Joanne Chang & Food52 is the inspiration for this recipe. Theirs was a Breakfast Sandwich made with brioche buns and hot sauce and lettuce. I also like these custard eggs with Pickled Red Onions and a salad or some sautéed veggies like zucchini.
Here’s the recipe for their eggs
Ingredients
9 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup half & half
Butter for the pan
6 slices cheddar cheese optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 F
Butter an 8-9 inch square baking pan
In a medium bowl whisk eggs and salt
Add half & half and whisk again
Pour eggs into buttered pan
Place pan of eggs into a larger size pan and then pour hot water into the outer pan to reach halfway up the sides of egg pan
Place foil over eggs or cover with a baking sheet
Bake 20-35 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean
Cool 10 minutes and slice into 6 squares with a sharp knife
If adding cheese, lift squares out of pan and place in another baking pan. Cover with cheese slices. Return to oven until melted.
Serve on buttered brioche buns with lettuce and hot sauce or serve with Pickled Red Onions and sautéed zucchini
Foolproofliving.com is the source of this recipe. I changed the seasonings a bit, but the lime juice marinade is hers. She grew up in Turkey and lives in the US now. I love the reminders of my travels to beautiful Turkey!
Ingredients
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 small jalapeño, sliced
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4-1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon while allspice
Directions
Place onions in a medium bowl
Cover onions with boiling water and let sit 1 minute
Drain well in a colander
Fill a quart jar glass jar with the onions
Pour over the lime juice and cider vinegar
Add the jalapeño and seasonings
Stir gently with a long knife or thin spatula
Cover jar and refrigerate over night
Serve as a colorful spicy addition to salads, eggs, sandwiches, soups etc
Also known as Gratin Dauphinois, this is the very popular style of potato served all over France! The recipe is from Julia Child’s The French Chef Cookbook. The recipes in this cookbook are all from her PBS cooking show.
Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 cup milk
1 small clove garlic, peeled & smashed
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3-4 tablespoons butter
6 cup oven proof and flame proof baking dish, 2 inches deep
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and place in a bowl of cold water. I like to use a mandoline to slice the potatoes
Bring milk to boil on the stovetop with salt, pepper and garlic
Drain potatoes and add to milk
Cut up butter into tiny pieces and distribute over potatoes
Bake for 25 minutes or until milk is absorbed and potatoes are tender and browned.
Use the broiler to brown if needed.
Bon Appetit!!!
Bring milk, salt, pepper and garlic to a boilSlice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and place in cold waterPlace potatoes in milk and distribute butter over potatoes Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin
As Julia always said at the end of each episode Bon Appetit!
You may think this soup is not popular in the real France, I did. But I was wrong! It is a classic hearty meal served all over France with pride and love! It will always be popular and on the menu!
I have made many versions of French Onion Soup including recipes from Julià Child, Everyday Parisian, This French Life, La Cuisine Paris, and The Original Dish. This recipe is a combination of techniques with Julia Child’s being the main classic source.
Here are some differences between the recipes I’ve tried.
Some recipes don’t add flour as Julia does. I think the browned flour adds depth to the flavor and a tiny bit of thickening to the broth.
Others use more onion or a variety of onions. I prefer using only yellow onions in this soup. Sweet onions end up being condensed in a not good sweet flavor.
Bay leaf and sage are often omitted and sometimes thyme is added. I like the sage and bay flavors. They’re richer.
Red or white wine? I’ve seen both in recipes. I prefer the earthy flavor and fragrance of sherry.
Chicken or beef broth? Homemade or store bought? Many new chefs like the lighter flavor of chicken broth. Classic French onion soup is made with homemade beef broth. I don’t have time for that. The Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base is what I use. It’s a great beef concentrate paste you mix with hot water. The professional kitchens use it and it can be found in most grocery stores in the soup section. Their Organic Chicken Base is also very good
After spending several weeks in France I’ve learned that torn croutons are easier to eat than a large slice of toasted bread floating on top of the soup. The croutons don’t need to be brushed with oil before roasting either. Just tear the baguette into 1-2 inch pieces and bake at 425F 5 minutes or less, until lightly toasted on 1 side. They crisp up further when cooling.
The grated cheese can be any hard strong flavor cheese like Swiss, Emmental, or Parmesan. Emmental is Swiss Alpine cheese and is the classic. Mozzarella is too stringy when melted.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds yellow onions, not sweet onions, peeled, halved and sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons flour
8 cups hot beef broth, Better Than Bouillon Beef Base mixed with water
1 cup dry sherry
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
Salt and Pepper
1 French baguette
Grated Swiss cheese, Emmental, Comté or Parmesan. Not a real stringy cheese
Directions
In a heavy 4 quart saucepan or casserole melt butter. Add onion and mix well.
Cover saucepan and cook over medium low 15-20 minutes, stirring at times, until soft and translucent.
Raise heat to medium high and remove cover. Add salt and sugar. Stir on and off. You will caramelize the onions to a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Lower heat to medium, stir in flour and cook about 2 minutes until flour is lightly browned. Remove from heat.
Whisk in 1 cup broth and blend well. Add remaining broth, sherry, bay and sage. Heat to simmering for 40 minutes. Season to taste.
This makes 8 big servings. It freezes well!
To make individual gratinéed style, tear some bread pieces from a baguette. Enough to cover the surface of each bowl. Place bread on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven and bake 2-5 minutes. Watch closely. Crisp and very slightly brown the top side. They will crisp up further as they cool.
Place oven proof bowls on a baking sheet. Fill each with the soup. Cover the soup surface with croutons. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Place under broiler 2 minutes or just until melted or slightly browned.
Serve each soup bowl on a dinner plate.
Voila! There you have it!
Browned Sautéed OnionBrowned Flour and OnionFrench Onion SoupToasted CroutonsOnion Soup Gratinéed with Cheese, Broiler ReadyVoila! Bon Appetit!
A spicy cole slaw with lots of jalapeño and cilantro A very light marinade with only 1 tablespoon of oil is tossed with the veggies Angel Hair Style Cole Slaw with Lime Marinade
This quick and easy cole slaw is light and fresh! Put it together just before serving or make it a few hours ahead. The mini peppers don’t have to be included. This recipe serves about 4-6.
Angel hair style cole slaw is a very fine cut. Traditional Cole slaw works well too!
Ingredients
1-10 oz package angel hair style cole slaw
1/2-1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4-6 mini sweet peppers, thin julienned, optional
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon smooth white balsamic or rice wine vinegar
4-6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Directions
In a medium bowl combine vegetables
In a small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper
I’ve made many different recipes of strawberry jam over the years. This classic recipe fits the bill for thick and spreadable and not runny or sour.
Jam flavor is always dependent on the flavor and quality of your strawberries. Also if it’s rained a lot the berries will be more watery. Choose small berries that are perfectly ripe. Taste them before you buy them too!
This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen. No powdered pectin is added to thicken the jam. Since apples contain lots of natural pectin, grated Granny Smitb apple is the thickener.
Bottled lemon juice is added because it has a more consistent acidity than fresh lemons. I have used fresh lemon which adds a real sour flavor.
To also insure the jam is the right thickness, the jam simmers until it reaches 217 degrees F. I love my Thermapen MK4 to get quick accurate reads!
All these techniques work to make a sweet flavorful thick jam
Preserving the jam is worthwhile. I boil my jars in a huge pot of water. After the jam is added I cover the jars with boiled lids. Then I place the covered jars of jam in the same large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. It’s not hard. But it takes planning and helps preserve your jam so you can give it as gifts for Christmas!
Over the 4th I topped Crust brand Oatmeal Blueberry Walnut Bread with Strawberry JamMash strawberries with a potato masherMashed strawberries, sugar, grated apple and lemon juice
Ingredients
3 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces (10 cups)
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple) Use the large holes of a box grater to grate
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
Directions
Fill an 8 quart or larger pot 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil. Place six 8 ounce jars in the water and let simmer until ready to fill with jam.
In a medium saucepan place 6 rings and lids. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer
In a 5-6 quart pot add strawberries. Mash them with a potato masher
Add apple, sugar, lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer
After about 20 minutes of low simmering and stirring, check the jam temperature. Cook until it reaches 217 degrees F
Remove jam from heat. Remove jars from water and place on a towel Fill jars using a soup ladle and a wide funnel
Wipe off the jar rims. Place a jam jar flat top and ring that has been simmering in water on each jar
To process the jam jars place a kitchen towel in the bottom of the large pot of water.
Add the 6 jars. Make sure water covers jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool on a towel or a rack.
Voila! You’re done!
I don’t double the recipe. But I do make 2 batches of jam. First I make one batch and then I make another Fresh strawberries and jam over heavy cream!
Roasted Rhubarb CobblerRoasted Rhubarb Cobbler Drizzled with Cream
Easy to make cobbler by Melissa Clark published in the New York Times is as good as they say!! Definitely making this again!!
Ingredients
Rhubarb Filling
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, about 7 cups
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
Pinch of kosher salt
Biscuit Topping
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon plus more for serving
Demerara sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Into a 1 1/2 – 2 quart gratin or baking dish add the rhubarb, sugar, salt and zest. Then scrape in the vanilla paste or add extract. Stir well. Let macerate while making biscuit dough.
To make the biscuit dough, in a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Toss in and coat butter cubes. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, 2 knives or pinch and mix with your fingers until pea size morsels develop. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and mix just until blended with a rubber spatula or spoon.
Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat gently into a ball. Divide into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a round disc. Place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 6 hours
Place rhubarb in oven. Roast about 25-30 minutes or until tender and a syrup develops. Stir halfway through.
Place the dough rounds over cobbler evenly spaced. Brush rounds with remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Lower temperature to 375 and bake 20-30 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle each serving with heavy cream just before eating.
I love this quick and bright flavored method of cooking fish. It’s a recipe from “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat, a most informative cooking instruction and creative foolproof cookbook! This is a slow-roasted process that insures even perfect cooking. Just don’t bake it too long
I used clementines I had on hand. Samin recommends blood oranges or Meyer lemons. I did use the lemon zest for the oil rub as she directed. Her recipe was for salmon while I used halibut or whitefish. In her cookbook it’s called Slow-Roasted Salmon
Halibut Ready for Baking
Ingredients
2 – 4 oz halibut fillets
Salt for seasoning
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 thinly sliced orange, any variety
Directions
Preheat oven to 225 Degrees F
Line baking sheet with parchment
Arrange orange slices in 2 areas about the size of each fillet
Lightly salt the fish on both sides
Nestle the fish on the orange slices
In a tiny bowl combine oil and lemon zest
Rub the oil mixture over the fillets
Place in oven. Slow roast at 225 F about 15 minutes or just until fish begins to flake when you poke it with a knife
Use any quantity of fish you want. Samin Nosrat used a 2 pound fillet of salmon with 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons olive oil in her recipe. She also used blood oranges or Meyer lemons as her bed of citrus.
Samin Nosrat also recommends pulling any salmon fish bones out with a tweezers before preparing it. Great idea, right?!
If you’re roasting a 2 pound salmon fillet, plan to slow-roast for about 40 minutes or just until thick part begins to flake when poked with a knife.
I hope you give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think!
nina in the kitchen 