The Food We Eat

Lemon Thumbprints with Jam filling

 
 
These are addictive little cookies which make a great luncbox treat or after-school snack. And a great little sweet bite anytime for adults and kids too. And, as cookies go, they aren't all that bad for you either. So, go ahead, bake up a batch and see what you think.

As goes jam, you can use whichever you like, but I am partial to blackberry and the kids voted for apricot. Also, the original recipe calls for only whole wheat pastry flour, but I used a combination of oat flour and whole wheat pastry flour. That lends for a slighly sandy texture, so go with your preference. I guess you could easily substitute other flours too - barley, spelt, kamut, amaranth - many possibilities. If you are on a vegan diet, I think you could try using all coconut oil instead of butter. I have not tried that, but if you do, please let me know how that worked out.

 

Lemon Thumbprints with Jam filling

Adapted from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Makes approx. 35  1 1/2 inch cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup oat flour

1 cup almond meal (or finely ground almonds)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp lemon zest

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup (I prefer grade B)

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Jam or preserves of your choice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flours, almond meal, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and extracts.

3. Add the wet ingredients to dry and combine till it forms a cohesive dough (if the dough is too wet, feel free to add a fe w more tablespoons of flour).

4. Form dough into balls and flatten slightly onto a parchment paper lined or non-stick cookie sheet. Use your thumb or the back of a teaspooon measure to make an indent. Put  1/2 teaspoon of jam into the indent. Bake 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden. Cool on a wire rack before devouring.

 

Black Bean Burgers

 
Are you one of those people who hate vegetarian burgers? Well, I can empathize, especially if your only exposure to meatless burgers has been those tasteless grain pucks burgers that are sold in the freezer section of your local grocery. Let me be fair. There are some very good pre-made veggie burgers available these days, and I admit to consuming many of them. However, if you do have a bit of time or inclinication, do give these a try. You will be hooked!

The recipe below is adapted from the Candle Cafe cookbook. I have never been to Candle Cafe, but I have heard it is awesome and all vegan. I have tweaked the recipe a bit, so here goes.

Serve on a hearty bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and avocado. I'd skip the mustard and ketchup, but thats up to you.

Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from the Candle Cafe Cookbook

Makes 8 burgers

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked black beans

1 cup peeled, finely diced carrots

1 cup shredded or finely chopped onions (preferably sweet variety)

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup diced scallions (green parts only)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced fine (optional)

1 cup chickpea flour

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup cornmeal (to coat)

Method:

1. If using canned beans, simmer the beans in 5 cups water for 1/2 hour to soften. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of liquid. If using beans cooked from dry beans, there is no need to cook further. Drain and save 1 cup of cooking liquid. Puree 1/2 cup of the beans and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all  the vegetables, spices, salt, cornmeal, chickpea flour, lemon juice, chipotle chili, and cilantro. Add the pureed and whole beans and stir in, mashing gently. Add some of the served cooking liquid if mixture is too dry. Form into 8 patties.

3. This step is my addition and you can skip it if you prefer, but I like the crust you get with this step. Add the cornmeal to a shallow dish. Add the beaten eggs into a shallow bowl. Dip the patties in the egg mixture and coat in cornmeal. If you are strictly vegetarian, you can skip this step or brush the patties with some cream.

4. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Add 4 burgers and cook on medium heat till you get a nice crust on both sides. Keep burgers warm on a wire rack in a 200F oven. Repeat the step with remaining oil and burgers.

 

Whole Wheat Pear Spice Cake

 

 

 

Have I told you that my kiddos are my biggest fans? Smart ones those guys - they know how to to get more treats :-) They squeal in delight when they walk by the computer and see me posting a recipe/picture. The squeal is especially high-pitched when it is something they really like. Well, this one got a almost-dropped-my-coffee, split my eardrum, gawd! decibel squeal.

I am a huge fan of fruit in baked goods. I like berry muffins, berry scones, apple cake, apple muffins, plum cake, peach coffecake, you get the point. I have made this cake with apples, and love it. But we had a glut of pears from the CSA and I decided to give it a go. And I really really like it. You could use a combination of apples and pears, but I'd go with one or the other. If you use pears, just be sure to use firm ones.

This is not a fancy wow-your-dinnerguests cake. This is a homey, comforting cake. Something that you make on a cold day to warm you up. The pears cook into a melt-in-your-mouth pudding like texture. I would happily  eat this cake as a sweet finish to a weekend brunch, an afternoon snack, or the last course of a light dinner. Just set me up with a slice of the cake and a cup of coffee, and I am good to go.

As goes hardware, I would highly recommend a bundt or tube pan. The cake is very moist, and will certainly benefit from heat in the middle. Other tips -- make sure you let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Yes, I know that seems like eternity, but trust me, you want to wait. Unless you are ok with picking on a hunks of a broken cake.

If you'd like, you could dress-up the cake with a simple glaze. I like mine unadorned. Ok - maybe a dusting of sugar if you must!

 

Whole Wheat (60%) Pear Spice Cake

3 firm, but ripe pears, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

Juice from 2 oranges (approx 4 fl oz)

1 tbsp fresh orange zest

1 1/2 cups sugar (increase by 1/2 cup if you like your cake sweeter)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (you can use all-purpose if you want)

1 cup canola or grapeseed oil

4 large eggs

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan. Set aside.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients - flours, salt, baking powder, and spices -in medium bowl.

3. Beat sugar and oil together in bowl of stand mixer till well incorporated. Beat eggs lightly, and add one at a time, mixing well in between. Mix till fluffy and light in color. Add orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, and almond extract.

4. Set mixer to lowest setting and add dry ingredients. Mix just until batter is smooth.

5. Add 1/3rd of batter to the bundt pan. Add half the pears. Add another 1/3rd batter on top of the pears. Add remaining pears. Finish with last third of the batter.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. This will take approximately 1 1/2 hours. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Muffins

 

 

It's Back to School and that means stocking up the house with make-ahead lunchbox candidates that will win the kids vote every time. These muffins are one of many lunchbox frequent fliers in our house. And they never come back home - mommy likes that!

The oil, pumpkin puree and buttermilk makes these muffins really moist and the whole wheat flour adds in some extra nutrition and nuttyness. I also like that these muffins call for oil instead of butter. You can use any oil you want but I tend to use grapeseed oil or walnut oil. And in case you are wondering, these muffins freeze beautifully. Take them out of the freezer the night before and you are set. I hope you like these as much as we do!

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/3 cup buttermilk (you can use milk or water instead too)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  
Beat sugar, oil, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer until mixture is creamy. Add pumpkin puree and buttermilk and mix another 30 seconds.

2. Add all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to mix well.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just till incorporated. Add nuts. Use a rubber spatula to mix nuts into the mixture.

4. Portion batter into 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Yellow Cupcakes with faux buttercream frosting

 
Happy Valentine's Day to all of you out there. I say this to be polite. I have trid and tried, but I think I'm so over the whole Valentine's day thing. However, the little-uns remind me to get in the spirit. For me, that translates into making cutesy cupcakes and sugar cookies. This I like.

Here is a very simple, yet absolutely delicious cupcake and frosting recipe. This is my go-to recipe for a basic Vanilla cupcake. If you feel like it, add in some orange zest or lemon zest. I baked some up tonight for my son's school party. I am not expecting any leftovers after the party.

Oh! And here are the adorable valentine cards my 2nd grader made for his classmates and friends. I love this kid - no super heroes or sports cards for this one. Aren't they precious? Thank you to the nice parent who posted these homemade Valentine card ideas on the web.

Yellow Cupcakes

Makes 12 - 14 (can be doubled, and I usually do)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup milk (lowfat is fine)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Mix till light and creamy. Add the milk and the vanilla, and mix for another 30 seconds.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed till the mixture is smooth and shiny, approx. 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix by hand gently to incporporate well. You do not want to overmix, otherwise the texture will suffer.

5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Do not overfill the cups, or the cupcakes will overflow and make a huge crown. Still tasty, but not so pretty especially if you want to frost them. I like to use a 2oz ice-cream scoop to make this job easy.

6. Bake until the cupcakes are pale golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approx. 18 - 24 minutes depending on your oven.

7. Cool the cupcakes in the muffin tin for a few minutes. Use a paring knife to lift the cupcakes out of the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.

8. Eat as is, frost using the recipe below, or use your favorite frosting recipe.

Faux (easy) Vanilla buttercream recipe

Makes enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes

I borrowed (and adapted) this recipe from the internet where it is published in many places as the Magnolia Bakery (NYC) buttercream recipe. I do not know if this is accurate. I have not been to Magnolia Bakery and don't know if this is indeed their recipe. But I sure do like it -- well, after a few tweaks. I think I now have it down the way I like it. It is super easy and foolproof. Also, it is a cross between a cookie icing and a buttercream - intensely sweet, but not too rich. Seems to be a huge hit everytime.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened (but still cold)

4 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar (plus 1 extra cup on hand)

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add the butter and 4 cups confectioner's sugar to the bowl of a mixer. Add the milk and the vanilla.

2. Mix on low speed to incorporate. Then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy. The frosting should be light in texture. If it is too wet, add a little more sugar, beating well after each addition until the frosting is a good spreading consistency.

Note: If your kitchen is too warm, the icing will look like it is curdling and separating. If so, just chill for a bit and then beat it again. You can store this in the refrigerator for a few days, but bring to room temperature an hour before using.

Mangalore Mutton Curry

 

 

It is very likely that many of you have never had the fortune of tasting food from Mangalore, India. Not the most widely known cuisine, even within India, but what a shame. It is addictive! How do I describe it? Lets just say that If you like peppery curries and tamarind, you are sure going to love this style of curry. It is a welcome change from the more well-known curries. Serve with steamed plain rice or with chapati. I would love to know what you think of it.

 

Mutton is traditional to India, as beef is rarely consumed. If you decide to use beef, I would strongly recommend using 'chuck' meat. As with beef stew, this cut of meat lends well to curries. If you can't find mutton, lamb is a fantastic substitute.

 

Also, yes, I do use a pressure cooker here. Those of you who are pressure-cooker phobic, it is time to come out of your shell and get over it. Hey, it is really 'cool' to own one now. I swear, if you are into Indian cooking, or just good healthy whole grain cooking, you have to go out and get one of these. What if you don't like it? Oh well. I am sure you've made other kitchen purchases below that you have regretted. There is a very very small chance you'll regret it. I promise. But if you still don't want to get one, you can use a heavy dutch oven. Just be prepared to cook this for a few ours to achieve the right doneness and consistency.  

 

Mangalore Mutton Curry

Serves 6

 

Ingredients:

 2 lbs boneless Mutton, cut into small pieces

1/2 lb potatoes, cut into fourths

3 large onions, chopped into rough chunks

6 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

2 large tomatoes, pureed

1 teaspoon turmeric (haldi) powder

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup water

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

 

For coconut masala paste:

1 tablespoon poppy (khus khus) seeds

1 stick cinnamon

4 cloves

15 black peppercorns

1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 dry red chilis

1 teaspoon oil

1//2 cup grated coconut (fresh preferred, dry will do)

 

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, grind the onions, garlic, and ginger together into a coarse paste. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, or a heavy dutch oven. Add the onion paste and fry over medium heat until golden brown. This shouls take 15 - 20 minutes.

While onion paste is cooking, get the coconut masala paste ready. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small frying pan and roast all the dry spices. Grind to a paste along with the coconut. Set aside for later.

Once the onion paste is golden brown, add the pureed tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently till tomatoes are cooked and change to a dark red color. Now add the turmeric powder and some salt. Add the mutton and saute the mutton in the masala till the mutton gives out some juices, about 10 minutes. Now add the potatoes, ground coconut masala paste, tamarind paste, sugar, and 1 cup water.

Bring to a boil, close the pressure cooker lid and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 more minutes. Once pressure has released, open cooker.

 

Note: If you are cooking without a pressure cooker, you will need to cook the meat for a few hours. You can do this covered, on low heat on the stove top, or better, cook in a 325 F oven. You will need more water to avoid the curry from burning, so plan on at least one more cup of water.

 

Once the curry is cooked (meat should be fork tender), check salt and seasonings. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve hot. Note: leftovers are excellent!

Carroty Carrot Bread

 

Happy New Year to all of you! Let me start by apologizing for my ridiculously long blogging absence. What's my excuse you ask? Well...embarasingly enough, I don't have a good excuse. No earth-shattering revelations, discoveries, or lessons to report. All I can say is glad to be back and hope to be here more often. Is that my New Year resolution? No way -- that's one sure way to make it not happen. I also felt this pressure to make my first blog post something really special and mind-blowingly complicated. But why? So here is a simple, healthy, yet delicious recipe. Your kids will sure sing your praises at lunch time.

I have baked, sampled, and devoured many a carrot cake in my not-so-long lifetime. I also admit that I have yet not pledged my loyalty to any one recipe. They are all good. I mean, what's not to like. Yet, I have always been in search of that one carrot bread recipe. One that is healthy and actually uses a decent amount of carrots. I hate recipes for carrot bread that can barely manage to sneak in a measly cup of grated carrots. What's up with that? That is barely a micro serving of carrots per slice. No good.

But wait! Here is the good news. I have finally found the carrot bread recipe I have been searching for. It calls for a whopping 3 1/2 cups of grated carrots, and yes for a 9 inch X 5 inch loaf! If you are not a carrot lover, this loaf of bread is certainly not for you. It is the carrotiest ( sorry, I know made up words suck) carrot bread I have eaten.

Thank you, my baking goddess (Rose Levy Beranbaum). As she recommends, this bread is best the next day when all the moistness has settled in. Make a sandwich with some cream cheese, and I guarantee the kids lunchboxes will be licked clean!

 

Carrot Bread
(adapted from the Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum)

Makes one 9 inch x 5 inch loaf of real goodness

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (I recommend King Arthur)

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups finely grated carrots

1 cup raisins

Method:

1. Move the oven rack to lower middle level. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients - flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk well to incorporate evenly.

3. In a stand-mixer bowl, cream together the eggs, oil, and sugar, until well blended. Add the flour mixture gradually and stir on low until just incorporated. Add the carrots and mix on low speed to mix. Add the raisins and mix just to distribute evenly through the batter.

4. Grease and flour a 9 inch x 5 inch loaf pan. Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake till a toothpick  inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 1 hour. If it looks like the bread is browning too quickly in the oven, you might want tent the bread loosely with foil during the last 15 - 20 minutes of baking.

5. Cool the bread on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edges to release the bread. Turn teh bread out onto the wire rack and allow it to cool completely.

6. You can eat the bread right away, but patience will pay off here. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight to help distribute the moisture evenly.

Serve as is, or with butter or cream cheese.

Bok Choy and Tofu in Oyster Sauce

 

  

I opened my CSA box (actually a bag) this week and was delighted to see bok choy in there. I am lucky because I love greens. I haven't met one I don't like yet.

But I know there are many (hopefully not that many) of you out there who don't like greens, especially the dark leafy ones with some serious character. If you are in that camp, fear not. Bok Choy is your friend. It is fresh and crunchy, and almost sweet. If you can handle iceberg lettuce and green cabbage, you will love this green. If you can't handle *anything* green and leafy, I hear there are shrinks out there for that kind of stuff :-)

Bok Choy goes by many other names - Pak Choi, Bak Choi, Chinese Cabbage, etc. If you are not familiar with this vegetable, you can learn more about it here. As I mentioned already, it is very mild in flavor so plays along well with other ingredients. As part of a chinese-themed menu, I think it pairs very well with oyster sauce. And it is quite delicate, so stir-frying is the way to go. You can braise it too, but we're talking a pretty short braise here (15 minute-ish). So if I can tempt you to an uber-quick, healthy, protein and vitamin packed dinner, folks here is your answer. Did I mention quick? And oh-so homey and comforting. My boys always gobble this one up. From our family to yours..

 

 

Bok Choy and Tofu in Oyster Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 - 6 bok choy

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced

 1/2 tsp red chili flakes, optional

1 cup sugar snap peas, tough strings removed

 1 package (14 oz) extra firm (or firm) tofu, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2 tbsp peanut oil

Sauce

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/8 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water (or chicken or vegetable broth)

1 tsp cornstarch

Method:

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients till well incorporated. Set aside.

2.Seperate the leaves from the stalks on the bok choy. Coarsely chop the leaves, wash well, drain completely, and set aside. A salad spinner works well to get rid of excess water. Slice the stalks crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Rinse well, drain completely, and set aside.

3. Heat peanut oil in a large wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes, if using. Add the bok choy stalks and peas. Stir fry approx. 5 minutes. Now add the leaves, stir fry 1 minute.

4. Add the tofu. Pour the sauce on top, mix gently but thoroughly to incorporate and cook another minute or two till the sauce thickens. 

5. Serve along with steamed rice.

Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip cookies

 

Ok, I know this post will cause some issues - controversy, hurt chocolate-feelings, feelings of betrayal, all those negative emotions. But, can't well all just get along? I can see what you're saying. Chocolate chip cookies are meant to be thick and chewy and wholesome and big! Sure, and I love those buttery, chewy, wholesome cookies too, but just trust me. These are a whole different animal, and oh-so-good. They have just the right balance of crunch, richness, and that praline-like look. They come out of the oven really thin, so don't be alarmed. Intended effect.

So, break out of your comfort zone and give these a try. If these don't disappear off the plate (or cooling rack in our house), then you call yell at me all you want! If you like them, you have to say so in a comment.

These will keep in an airtight container for up to a week, but are you kidding me? Unless you have an incredible, almost impossible amount of self-control, you won't have to worry about stale-age (I can't think of a correct word here).

Thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies

(From Cooks Illustrated)

Makes 4 dozen 2-inch cookies, I made larger ones, so got less

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp table salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tbsp light corn syrup

1 large egg yolk

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup ( 4 1/2 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (I used the mini ones and they were perfect)

Method:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Using the bowl of your stand mixer, beat melted butter, sugars, and corn syrup at low speed using the paddle attachment, until blended (about 1 minute). Add yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until fully  incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Using rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and mix on low speed, about 5 seconds.

4. Scoop approx. 1 tbsp of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each ball (I tend to have a generous 1 tbsp hand, and that is fine. You'll just get less cookies). Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are deep golden brown and flat, about 10 - 12 minutes.

5. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer to wire rack and let sit until crisped and cooled. Be sure to appoint a trustworthy member of your family to guard the cooling cookies :-)

Baked Eggs (oeufs en cocotte)

 

 

This is a perfect breakfast/brunch dish for one or many.  It presents well, is extremely nutritious, filling, and can be made on demand quickly. It is very simple to make, yet is a nice change from scrambled eggs or omelets. But then, it is a French dish after all. I am always amazed by how perfectly prepared French dishes are. Some are fussy, some are bistro-style, some are pretentious, but the one thing they all seem to have in common is 'flawless execution'. They are so well-thought out. I might sound like a francophile, but really I am not.  I've never even been to France yet (that really needs to change). Seriously, I am not that much in awe of France, but I really like the technique behind the food. Ah! I just hit the nail on the head! That is what I admire most about french food. They have impeccable technique. No wonder most of the classically trained chefs learned French cuisine. Thanks dear friends for letting me think write aloud on your time and clarify my thoughts. What! you thought I blog for your benefit? :-)

Well, here below is my interpretation of baked eggs. You can adapt this recipe in many ways. You could add some ham, sausage, fresh herbs, minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, use different cheeses, etc. I chose this particular combination because

(a) less is more

(b) I was in a 'vegetarian' mood

(c) I like herbes de provence

(d) I *heart* basil

(e) I *heart* parmesan (the real reggiano stuff)

If you guessed all of the above I *heart* you and you are welcome for brunch anytime. If you guessed wrong, we just need to spend more time together.

Ok, back to the eggs. You can use whatever ramekins you have on hand, but I like the shallow ones here. They show off the dish better, have more surface area for cheese, and the wide surface allows the whites to set-up while the yolks stay runny. That said, broilers and eggs can be fickle, and sometimes, the eggs can set up too quick. But fear not. Just pretend that was the way you intended it to be and your guests will lick their bowls clean anyway :-)

Now, here is the most important thing. This dish will only be as good as the eggs you choose, so please find yourself the freshest, organic, free-range eggs you can lay your hands on. It is well worth it! And once you find these eggs, just go ahead and use these eggs exclusively. I swear, there is no going back. You don't need to be a nutritionist. C'mon, all you need to do is look at the lovely deep orange of the yolk and you know what you're eating must be good for you. Not like that pasty pale yellow yolk supermarket eggs sport.

The recipe below is for one serving (2 eggs). If you are making this for many, just multiply the ingredients. Nothing is precise here, so feel free to play around.

Baked Eggs

Single serving

2 eggs

A small knob of butter (~1 tsp)

1 tbsp cream or half-n-half

1/2 tsp herbes de provence

1 tbsp freshly grated parmagiano-reggiano

sea salt

pepper

1 - 2 leaves fresh basil, chopped (chiffonade is great)

Method:

1. Set your oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element. Preheat broiler for 5 minutes.

2. Add cream and butter to ramekin. Set under broiler approx. 3 minutes till cream is hot and bubbly.

3. Take ramekin out of oven (careful). Set on counter. Gently crack the eggs into the ramekin. Sprinkle herbs and parmersan cheese on top. Give a generous turn of salt and pepper. Transfer ramekin back into oven. Cook 5-6 minutes or just until the egg whites are almost set. Oven temperatures vary greatly, so you will need to keep a close eye and calibrate to your oven. The eggs will continue to cook a bit when they come out of the oven, so plan accordingly.

4. Take eggs out of oven. Top with basil and let cool for a minute or two. Serve with buttered toast. Tip: If you cut into the eggs and find that they are too runny, zap them in the microwave for 20 seconds so they firm up a bit. Enjoy!