Main Course

Shakshuka

- Elspeth Leave a comment

Never heard of it? Neither had I. But that is one of the many beauties of the internet— visual aids that provide us with the pretty pretty pictures we need in order to become interested. “This book has no pictures. Ergo, this book is a waste of space.”

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Shakshuka is a popular Israeli dish that has North African-roots. Eggs are poached in a spicy tomato sauce and served with pita. I saw some variations during my research that got creative with the vegetables and various cheeses, but overall: this is very, very easy and delightful. Most people have the basics on hand– canned tomatoes, eggs, onion, garlic, etc, so if you’re interested in a simple, healthy breakfast option, then I advise you to keep reading.

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I’ve been dabbling in homemade ricotta recently and found it to work beautifully in shakshuka. Some of it sort of melted into the sauce, but big chunks remained intact and were perfect for scooping up on the bread. My intention was to share this batch of cheese with my neighbors, but…that isn’t going to happen. Piggie has taken over my body and won’t let the concept of generosity interfere with my cheesy feeding frenzy.

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Shakshuka

3 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced fine
2 anaheim peppers, diced fine
2 carrots, diced fine
2 t paprika
1 t cumin
2 T tomato paste
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 t sugar
2 t salt
pepper
7 eggs
1 c ricotta cheese (feta would also be quite nice)
flat leaf parsley
pita (or naan) for serving

In a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high. When hot, add the oil. Toss in the onion, garlic, pepper, and carrot, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add spices and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced– about 10 minutes. One at a time, crack the eggs into a ladle. Push the ladle into the sauce to create a hole for the egg, turning it out into the sauce. Do this for all 7 eggs. With sauce on a low simmer, cover and cook 10-15 minutes. Add cheese a few minutes before eggs are set (sprinkle over the top– don’t mix in). Eggs may be a bit soft, but they will continue to cook in the sauce. Turn off heat and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with warm pita (I wanted garlic naan instead, which was great) and enjoy!

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12 Holiday Food Comas: Cheesy Onion Tartlets

- Elspeth Leave a comment

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Merry Christmas! This is my last holiday food coma post and I am looking forward to taking a nap. Not only because finding the perfect, most fabulous recipes for this fine piece of internet literature is exhausting, but also because my dear sister decided to text all of us at 5am to inform the masses that she was unable to sleep for most of the night and if we opened presents without her she would be emotionally wounded beyond all repair. So it goes.

I hope everyone who tuned in has enjoyed the holiday-themed goodies! This one was my attempt to come up with a tasty party snack that I envisioned being shuffled around elegantly on shining silver platters by waiters in bow ties and white gloves who would whisper seductively: “Tartlet, madame?”. In reality, they were slapped down on the kitchen table by yours truly with a gruff “Eat and tell me what you think.”

The response was much more promising than my introduction, luckily, so here it is!

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Cheesy Onion Tartlets
makes 12

1 roll crescent dough
5 shallots, diced fine
2 T butter
4 T cream cheese
2 T grated parmigiano
dash red pepper flakes
S&P to taste
1/4 c chopped arugula

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a mini muffin pan. Roll out the crescent dough into a 12″ x 8″ rectangle and cut into 12 uniform squares. Place the squares into the muffin pan, pushing down into the creases so that it forms a small cup. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and cook until soft and brown, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, parmigiano, S&P, and red pepper flakes in a medium-sized bowl. When the shallots are done caramelizing, remove from heat and let cool a few minutes. Mix into the cheeses until thoroughly combined. Spoon about a tablespoon into each muffin cup and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 20 minutes, remove from pan, top with arugula, and serve warm.

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12 Holiday Food Comas: Spinach Dip

- Elspeth 1 Comment

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While the rest of the country has been suffering through a truly heinous winter with -50 degree winds, never-ending snow, and icy roads covered in car-degrading salt, Californians across the state have been horrified to hear their own fate: a low of 35 degrees. Heavens! When will our afflictions be over? Is there no god above to protect us from this hell?

Thankfully, we powered through and are back to just “chilly” (that’s what 60 degrees feels like to our delicate bodies). It’s a Christmas miracle that we came out alive and can appreciate the little things in life once more. Like food.

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I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate thing going on with spinach dip. Oh sure, it’s a wonderland of creamy, spinachy goodness, but you’ll always encounter a mega mayo fan who puts the ratio at 10:1 and ruins it. There’s nothing like a palate full of mayonnaise to remind you of how life was so good without it.

Obviously, it’s all based on personal preference, so my attempt is to go for more spinach, a touch of brie, and a kick with some spice. This isn’t a gooey recipe, so if you want more creaminess I would increase the sour cream by another half cup and maybe add some cream cheese chunks for a festivus flair.

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Spinach Dip

1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped
2 lbs frozen, chopped spinach, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c sour cream
2 green onions, sliced finely
2 triangles of brie
1/4 c shredded parmigiano cheese
1 t dry mustard
1 t paprika
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 t salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″x 13″ baking pan. Press the spinach in a dish towel to get out as much moisture as possible. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, artichokes, parmigiano, sour cream, green onions, mustard, paprika, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cut the brie triangles into 1/2″ — 1″ chunks and layer half onto the bottom of the baking pan. Spread the spinach on top and layer the rest of the brie on top of that. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until brown on top. Serve hot with sliced baguette, crackers, etc.

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