Baked Eggs with Roasted Acorn Squash & Kale

You're likely prepping the ingredients for your Christmas dinner today and not thinking beyond those turkey leftovers. That's good. Turkey leftovers go a long way after Christmas. If you do however, need a meal to bridge some of the gaps in your holiday menu, I'd suggest this baked egg recipe. It's a nice light, vegetarian meal that is cozy and filling, but that also offers a refreshing change from one's usually heavy holiday menu.

I wasn't the chef for this meal. It was prepared for me by another, sometimes reluctant chef. He knocked this out of the park so I'm keen to attempt it myself in the new year. If you need a little filler to go with this recipe, I'd suggest roasted potatoes to serve with the eggs along with some additional Pecorino on the potatoes to tie the two items together.

Adapted from: http://www.travelynneats.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 large Acorn squash, sliced and de-seeded/hollowed
• 1 tsp each Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 T olive oil and some to drizzle over the squash
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of kale, cut into thin ribbons with bulky parts of the stems removed
• 1 t Herbes de Provence
• 1/4 t chile powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 cup of shaved Pecorino

Method

Preheat the oven to 410F. While the oven is heating, slice your squash horizontally, scooping the seeds out of the centre of each slice. Brush the slices with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Lay the squash on a tin foil-lined baking sheet, baking for 12 minutes each side.

Heat a skillet on medium heat with two tablespoons of olive oil added. Add the onions, sautéing for 10 minutes, or until softened. Toss in the garlic for another 2 minutes, until it is fragrant. Add the kale in 2-3 batches and combine well with the onions. Once the first batch softens, add the next and combine with the existing onion mixture. Add the spices and broth and let simmer for 4 minutes or until the kale softens. Add the pecans and set aside.

With the squash baked and out of the oven, turn the oven to broil (high).  Move the rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven. Add the squash to the skillet and crack an egg into each of the squash slices. Sprinkle half of the Pecorino over the entire skillet and broil for about 5 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are set. Remove from oven and serve, sprinkling the remaining cheese overtop of each serving.

Romesco Chicken with Kale Mashed Potatoes

Having a little comfort food doesn't have to mean foregoing nutrition and quality ingredients. In fact, I'm a firm believer that it enhances the recipe. I spent the afternoon catching up on new British murder mysteries. No better time to wolf down some nachos with fresh salsa, guacamole and chopped jalapeño, olives and sharp cheddar. And brownies. And beer. And some leftover Doritos. And more brownies. Even junk food can dig a fresh twist.

To continue today's theme we have Romesco chicken with kale mashed potatoes. Crispy skinned chicken thighs in a tangy pepper and tomato sauce with ground almonds (pumpkin seeds if you have nut allergies) and plenty of garlic. Comfort at it's finest, as long as you're willing to put the Doritos down long enough to make it.

From: http://avocadoadaynutrition.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 1 1/2lb yukon potatoes, quartered
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• salt and pepper

Chicken

• 1lb chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
• 1 jar roast red peppers, drained
• 1 15oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Fill a large pot with water, a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 7-10 minutes, until softened. Throw in the kale and boil another minute. Drain the potatoes of water, add the chicken stock, yoghurt and mash with a fork or standing mixer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the chicken, heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat. Place half the chicken in the pan, skin side down and let cook for 5 minutes or until skin is browned. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and cook the other half of the chicken. Once complete, set the chicken aside and wipe down the pan. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and the garlic and heat for 30 seconds. Add the crumbs and almonds, combining well with the garlic. Pour into a food processor or blender and add the peppers and tomatoes. Blend until well combined.

Return the sauce to the frying pan and place the chicken thighs on top. Add a little chicken stock to thin the sauce to your desired consistency and stir to coat the chicken. Serve on top of the potatoes with a little flat leaf parsley sprinkled over top.

Warm Lentil & Mushroom Salad

This salad is easy, tasty and good looking, particularly if you need a side dish for a party or just generally want to be gassy. It was only a few years ago that I was introduced to French lentils, a type of lentil that retains its shape and chewy texture, making it a good addition to casseroles and salads. Historically, the lentils I knew were added to soups or dahl and had a mushy texture. I appreciate the French version for their heartier dimension.

If you've got feta or another bold cheese on hand, crumbling a little overtop of this recipe would be a great addition.  Otherwise, just serve as is and enjoy!

Adapted from: http://www.deliciouseveryday.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup French lentils
• 1 lb mixed mushrooms (I used Portobello and button)
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t chili flakes
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 3 cups mixed greens
• olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

Prepare the lentils by rinsing them thoroughly and putting them in a pot with 2 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. The lentils should be chewy and still intact. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes if you prefer a more tender lentil. Remove from heat and drain if any water remains.

In a pan, sauce the mushrooms in two batches, with a tablespoon of olive oil each, stirring until they've softened; about 4 minutes for each batch. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic and onions. Add the chili flakes and stir until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Return the mushrooms back to the pan and combine well with the onion mix. Add salt, pepper and the lemon juice to taste. Transfer to a bowl, add the greens and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Harissa & Chick Peas

I'm just climbing out of the Thanksgiving menu haze and not surprisingly, am inspired to post a recipe somewhat unrelated.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good turkey with all the trimmings. Unfortunately, making 8 dishes doesn't leave me much time to photograph and write about them. Frankly at this point in the season, anyone reading this is likely moving on to other recipes too.

We don't eat much chicken in this house. It's not my meat of preference and when I do have a hankering for it, I crave the bits that are the least healthy. This recipe however looked like the right balance of taste and nutrition. The key here is to sear your chicken thighs well, so the skin crisps up nicely. Pan searing the chicken takes longer than most of the recipes indicate, but it's worth the extra time to enjoy that golden, crispness. In my instructions below, I doubled my time to 10 minutes each side.

In addition to the great combination of flavours, you've got a one-pan dish if you want to keep it simple. I served this with some quinoa, but the chickpeas can make it a meal of its own.

Serves 3-4
From: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 T olive oil
• kosher salt
• ground pepper
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/4 cup harissa
• 1 540 ml can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving

Method

Preheat oven to 425F. Season the thighs on both sides with plenty of salt and pepper. Place a cast iron pan (or other oven safe pan) on your stove top on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan. Place the chicken thighs, skin side down on the base of the pan. The chicken fat will splatter, so if you have a cover for the pan, use it. Sear the chicken for about 5-10 minutes on each side, or until the skin is brown and crispy. I cooked my chicken in two batches. Set aside the thighs on a plate and pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the garlic and onions to the pan on medium heat and stir well, allowing the onions to soften, 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and combine it well with the onion mixture. Finally, add the harissa, the chickpeas and stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Place the chicken back in the pan, skin side up and move the pan to the oven for 25 minutes.

Serve 1-2 of the chicken thighs in a shallow bowl with some of the parsley sprinkled on top and a lemon wedge on the side. I served mine with a little quinoa as a base.

Enfrijoladas!

I pulled this together in 30 minutes and will definitely be making it again. The smoky, chocolate taste behind the adobo really stands out among its' flavours, but I suspect I have an addiction to sour cream and this just winds up being another excuse to pour it on.   I continue to have mixed experiences with vegetarian dishes and when I find one that doesn't make me say "this would be better with meat in it",  I add it to my repertoire.

The recipe has the chef applying a little of the bean paste on the inside of the tortilla and much of it overtop, by the looks of the finished product. My version has more spread on the inside of the tortilla and very little overtop. Either way, you'll get your beans. Also note that as far as the onion and cheese contents go, I have provided approximate measurements. The inside of the tortilla is meant to have a dusting of each, but I was a little more liberal with my portions.

Adapted from: http://www.mexicanplease.com/

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 1, 540ml can of black beans, rinsed
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 chipotle peppers mixed in adobo
• 1 cup water
• 6-8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 onion, minced
• handful of cilantro chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• sour cream and or avocado for serving

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9X13" baking dish with cooking oil.

In a blender, add the beans, garlic and chipotle peppers. Blend until emulsified. Add the water and blend again until the paste becomes a thick soup.
Place a large dollop of the black bean mixture onto a tortilla and spread over its top surface. Sprinkle a handful of the onions and cheese over half of the surface. Roll the tortilla tightly and place in the baking dish. Repeat this with the remaining tortillas, placing them side by side in the dish. Top with the remaining paste. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven to top with a little more of the cheese. Return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Top the dish with the chopped tomatoes and cilantro and serve.

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

Periodically I revive the mid-afternoon coffee and cake habit that Ruedi and I picked up while on vacation. We call it cafe en kuchen, because it started in Germany, but carried on into other trips and at home. As much as I like to take credit for these notions, this isn't anything new. Nothing caps off an afternoon of wandering with a latte and sweet treat. I know this because cafes are full of wanderers like us waiting to dive into a tart or other delicacy along with their mid-afternoon coffee. When at home, I occasionally bake something we can dive into at 3pm (International cafe and kuchen time; 3:30 in Newfoundland). It feels decadent and my senses dip back into vacation mode as a result.
This weekend I experimented with a gingerbread and galette recipe and while both were successful, I only managed to get pictures of one of the results.

Thanks to one of my coworkers, I've been given access to an unending amount of rhubarb this summer. I made two galettes; he gets one of them. I'd suggest making two at all times. The galettes wind up being smaller than one anticipates and only serves four. If you want a second piece and have guests, you are out of luck!

Adapted From: http://the-salty-tomato.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup rhubarb, chopped in 1/4" pieces
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 t corn starch
• 1, 9" frozen pie dough, thawed
• 1 T milk
• handful of brown sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the corn starch and lemon juice in a bowl until all the starch is dissolved. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, lemon zest and granulated sugar, stirring well.

Roll the pie dough out and place in a 9" baking dish. Pour all of the fruit mixture into the centre of the dough and fold the edges of the the dough over onto the fruit, leaving the centre exposed. Brush the edges of the dough with milk and sprinkle the brown sugar over top. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden.  Serve with enormous dollops of whipped cream.

The Picnic Lives

Yes, summer's still alive and well and I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than with vegetables. I found this Green Goddess sandwich recipe on the Bonjon Gourmet about a month ago and was enchanted by its layers of green vegetables wrapped in fresh bread.

Aside from an abundance of fresh ingredients, the magic of this sandwich is in the spread. Fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and some kick courtesy of a few anchovies make it a great fit with the vegetables. It also makes the spread appealing as a salad dressing when thinned a little with water. I've made these a couple of times and have swapped out the herbs in the spread for whatever combination I could find that was fresh.  As for the vegetables, I couldn't find any green tomatoes, so my green theme had to take a backseat. It still makes for a pretty little meal!

Adapted from: http://bojongourmet.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Spread

• 1/3 cup basil
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1/3 cup chives
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 anchovies

Pickled Onions

• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 t sugar
• 1 t salt

Sandwich Fixings

• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 cup pea sprouts
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
• 100g asiago
• 100g brie

Method
For the spread, combine all of the ingredients in a blender (Vitamix!) and puree. To pickle the onions, combine the onions and other ingredients and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Assemble the sandwich with the suggested ingredients on the bread of your choice. Enjoy!