Tag: Western

Curried Egg Tartines

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It may seem like endless winter in California this year, but technically, spring is finally here. Here’s the perfect dish, adapted from Bon Appetit — toasted sourdough, creamy curried eggs, and crisp radishes — to celebrate our hypothetical spring. Enjoy your twentieth atmospheric river of the season! 

Ingredients:

8 eggs
3 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped tender herbs (such as parsley and/or chives)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
3 green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 thick slices sourdough bread
1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Maldon sea salt
Aleppo-style pepper

1. Using a slotted spoon, lower eggs into a large saucepan of gently boiling water. Cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil, 9 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place radishes, herbs, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to combine; set herb salad aside.

3. Separate dark green tops from green onions and thinly slice; set aside. Thinly slice remaining white and pale green parts; set aside separately.

4. Gently peel eggs and coarsely chop (keep pieces large). Toast slices of bread until golden.

5. Heat oil in a small skillet and cook curry powder and reserved green onion white and pale green parts, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer green onions to a large bowl, add mayonnaise, mustard, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mix to combine. Add eggs and reserved green onion tops and gently fold to envelop eggs in dressing. (This egg salad can be made a day ahead of time.)

6. To serve, top toasted bread with egg salad and herb salad. Sprinkle with sea salt and Aleppo-style pepper.

Smoked Mozzarella, Wild Mushroom, and Pesto Breakfast Pizza

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Adapted from Food and Wine, this breakfast pizza is super decadent thanks to a generous serving of smoked mozzarella and basil oil. Topped with wild mushrooms and a runny egg, it’ll hold you over all day. 

Ingredients:

1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing pans
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
Flour, for dusting
6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced mixed wild mushrooms
Crushed red pepper, to taste
4 eggs

1. Process basil, oil, and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; season with salt and black pepper to taste.

2. Preheat oven to 450F degrees with racks in upper third and lower third positions. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Dust 1 dough piece with flour, and place on a lightly floured work surface; stretch into a 7-inch circle. Transfer to prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

3. Sprinkle dough circles evenly with mozzarella, Parmesan, and mushrooms, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust. Sprinkle pizzas with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Bake in preheated oven until crusts are puffed and starting to brown, about 9 minutes.

4. Remove pizzas from oven. Using the back of a spoon, make a small well in center of each pizza. Crack 1 egg into each well. Return pizzas to oven, rotating pans between top and bottom racks from previous bake. Bake until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 6 or 7 minutes. Drizzle with basil oil.

Kale and Artichoke-Stuffed Shells

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Remember stuffed pasta shells? To me, they’re the ultimate 90’s food: comforting, delicious, and a little kitschy. I used to make a richer version back then as a wee Yogurtsoda, but these days, I’ve updated my go-to stuffed shells to this lighter, healthier recipe adapted from Food & Wine. Trust me, you won’t even notice that these are meatless.

Ingredients:

16 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces), plus more, if needed
1 1/2 cups jarred marinara sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped jarred Calabrian chiles
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Cooking spray
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium bunches lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
1 12-ounce jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 5 ounce container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin)
4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
Salt

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add pasta shells; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; set shells aside.

2. Stir together marinara, Calabrian chiles, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste. Spray a large glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; spread sauce in an even layer in dish, and set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale, and toss to coat. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over kale. Cover and cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Add artichoke hearts; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until warmed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Combine beans, spreadable cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor; process until smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add bean mixture to kale mixture, and stir until combined. Season with salt to taste.

5. Spoon bean mixture evenly into cooked pasta shells (about 3 tablespoons per shell). Arrange shells on marinara mixture, and sprinkle evenly with provolone. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until provolone melts and sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to high broil, and broil until cheese begins to brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Red Pepper and Gouda Deviled Eggs

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Who doesn’t love deviled eggs? Not I. Here’s a super easy appetizer that’s perfect for the holiday season (or anytime, really). Roasted red peppers and smoky gouda give these a unique and savory twist.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes preserved in oil, drained
1 tablespoon aged gouda, plus 1 teaspoon, for garnish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon good-quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped anchovies
1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt
24 capers, for garnish

1. Boil eggs, cool in an ice bath, and peel.

2. Neatly slice cooked eggs in half. Remove yolks and place in a food processor. Add mayonnaise, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon gouda, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, anchovies, paprika, and salt to the food processor. Pulse yolk mix until creamy.

3. Fill a clean ziploc bag with the yolk mix and snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag for piping. Pipe filling into plated and reserved egg whites. Garnish with capers, remaining 1 teaspoon gouda, and a dusting of paprika.

Tiny Baked Potatoes with Chickpeas

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Full of sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy textures and flavors, this these potatoes with spiced chickpeas are kind of like loaded potatoes in appetizer form — if loaded potatoes were vaguely South Asian or Middle Eastern.

Ingredients:

3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, halved (or quartered) to about 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Zest plus one teaspoon juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon honey
3 green onions
2/3 cup sour cream
2 to 3 tablespoons mango chutney

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Toss potatoes with half the oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Season with salt and bake for 45 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through baking time.

2. Meanwhile, transfer the chickpeas into a bowl and pat dry. Toss chickpeas with remaining oil, cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon teaspoon of the nigella seeds, and the paprika. Season and spread on another baking sheet or roasting pan.

3. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Stir through the lemon zest and honey and return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until well-browned and crisp.

4. Chop half of the green onions and stir into sour cream with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Finely slice the remaining green onions and set aside.

5. Arrange potatoes on a large platter, and dollop 1 teaspoon of the green onion sour cream to each potato, with a little mango chutney. Scatter the chickpeas on top. Scatter the reserved green onions and remaining nigella seeds, plus a little more black pepper. Serve warm.