Creamed Leeks with Scrambled Eggs

I picked up a copy of SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine at the library. It makes me miss Italy so much. It makes me want to drink wine ALL THE TIME. It makes me wish I had access to things like rabbit liver and a pasta machine. I love really pretty cookbooks so much. They serve my coffee table proud. It helped inspire another lovely evening of Pinot Noir Reserve, prosciutto, a garlic romano baguette, pecorino romano cheese, robiola di langa due latte cheese, some sweet peppers and castelvetrano olives. Hea-ven. Eating like that never gets old. 

Spring is here which means one thing: I’ll start talking about going to the farmers market and go maybe twice. You know it’s going to happen. I’d like to hope I’ll go more than that, but I’m going to be realistic and not set the bar too high. Then I’ll impress myself. My Saturdays are sacred, y’know? They’ll start a Wednesday market by my office here soon, but that’ll cut into my gym-time. Priorities.

I did already go once a over Easter weekend to pick up the lamb, some eggs, some small potatoes, the most beautiful radishes I’ve ever eaten, and some leeks. I had been waiting for this moment ever since I’ve had my hands on The Sprouted Kitchen. This has to be one of the first recipes I fell in love with. I think it was its simplicity, yet taking a meal I love [breakfast] and elevating it to a classy new standard by implementing some slow cooked, creamed leeks. I was also intrigued by the method of cooking scrambled eggs that I most definitely didn’t master. I am impatient in the kitchen. Believe that.

I really, really wish I would have had real milk and not coconut milk for this one. It made everything far too sweet, despite using unsweetened coconut milk. It wasn’t bad, but just not what I was feeling for breakfast. I’m hardly ever a sweet person [unless it's the savory french toast at Radar smothered in real maple syrup]. They’re absolutely worth making though. I love leeks. I’ve only been loving on them in the last few years. I never cook with them enough. I can’t get enough. Pile these leeks and eggs onto a piece of bread. Seriously.

Inspiration: The Sprouted Kitchen

Ingredients [for two]

  • 5 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons milk
  • 3 large leeks, white and light green parts cleaned, cut in half lengthwise, and sliced into half moons
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons coarsly chopped tarragon leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation

Whisk together the eggs and one tablespoon of the milk until smooth and light. You really won’t feel any tension as you whisk.

Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and a little bit of salt, stirring occasionally until the leeks are starting to brown. It should take nearly 15 minutes. Add the remaining four tablespoons of milk and tarragon, cooking it until the leeks soak up all of the milk. Turn off the heat and set them aside.

In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil on medium low. Whisk the eggs one more time before tilting the pan and letting the oil pool at the bottom. Pour the eggs directly into the oil before leveling out the pan. Leave the eggs alone and let them cook. When the bottom starts to set, push the cooked parts toward the center of the pan; the uncooked parts will run out and fill in the empty space. Keep doing this until the eggs are almost completely cooked. Turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper, and flip them one or two more times to finish cooking any remaining parts. Transfer the eggs to a plate with the creamed leeks and some toast.

Beet, White Bean, and Tuna Salad

This is one of those close your eyes, and hope for the best kind of things. I get lazy sometimes, real lazy. Allie and I were talking recently about how it’s totally normal to stand in front of the fridge, door open, and just eat things out of it. I do it with the pantry, too. If someone other than you does something, that totally constitutes normal.

I’ve become re-invograted with the stock pile of canned vegetables my grandma gave me a few years ago. The green beans that were served with the Easter lamb? Canned by grandma. The blackberries in the blackberry rhubarb crisp? Canned by grandma. These beets? You got it. I keep them in a fridge in the garage that I don’t even have plugged in anymore. It was sitting empty. Might as well sell it and buy a bigger wine fridge turn it into a shelving system.

So the jar of beets was drained and rinsed, the can of white beans was drained and rinsed, and the can of tuna was also drained and flaked into a bowl. Add the beans next, followed by the beets. Mix everything with a spoon so you don’t stain your fingers like I did. Drizzle with olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar, and serve room temperature or chilled, perhaps with a sliver or two of the pecorino romano that I can’t get enough of.

Take the time to serve it in a bowl, but make sure you stand at the sink while you eat it. Keep it classy.

Sweet Potato Fries

Things of note:

  • You can, in fact, vacuum the coffee table [dog hair is the worst]
  • Dipping steamed broccoli in a poached egg that’s oozing all it’s delicious yolk is quite heavenly
  • I love the scent of pine [currently burning this candle]

I finally made sweet potato fries [any fries really] that didn’t suck! Usually they turn into mush, and I’m kind of okay with that, but it’s not exactly something you want to serve to people. I hadn’t tried in forever because I just bake the potato and call it a day, attacking it gracefully with a knife and fork. Actually cutting them, soaking them, drying them, seasoning them, and spreading them out on a baking pan into multiple batches is hard longer than I want to spend most of the time.

It’s worth the effort sometimes. This happened to be one of those times. Amy convinced me. I even went to the trouble to mix three ingredients together [four if you count water] to make the tahini honey dipping sauce. Hot damn. That was getting spooned into my mouth. You best believe it.

I coated the fries in cornstarch, which was…weird. I have no idea if I added the right amount [it looks like a lot doesn't it?], but it added to puff them up a little bit. They were more airy. You don’t taste it. So make some, prepare to have your fingers get all gooey because you’re going to dive head first into that sauce. The fries become the vehicle. A beautiful sweet potato vehicle.

Inspiration: The Moveable Feasts

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and sliced into similarly sized 1/2″ sticks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • water

Preparation

Fill a bowl big enough for all of your fries with room temperature water. Add the fries, submerging them all for about a minute. Remove them and dry them really, really, really well. Use a towel, then let them air out while you preheat the oven to 400°. Mix your tahini sauce while you’re waiting.

Mix the tahini, honey, and lemon juice together. Add enough water to thin it out to a desired consistency. Mine was thick. I like it that way.

Toss the fries in the two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the corn starch and salt, mixing again so every piece is nice and evenly coated. Your hands are going to get messy for the best application.

Line two baking sheets with parchment, aluminum foil, or a Silpat. Arrange the fries on the sheet so they have plenty of room. The closer they are, you run the risk of them staying mushy as they bake from all of the moisture. Bake for 25-35 minutes until all of the fries are baked through, and some should start to take on dark crispy edges.

Coconut-Curry Noodle Soup

The trip to SE Asia is getting more concrete! We’ve finally nailed down a time frame (about 20 days), and we’ve nailed down the countries [Thailand, Cambodia, Laos(?), Vietnam], but haven’t quite figured out the exact route yet. It’s too easy to cram way too much into a trip so that you’re spending more time traveling than actually soaking in the cities and towns.

Has anyone been? Anyone have any suggestions? It’s our first time going to that part of the world. All my travel has been within Europe and North America.

I bring you more things in bowls because I wouldn’t be me otherwise. It makes even more sense that it’s curry. Again. I like curry a lot, obviously. I actually set out with the intention to make it into a soup. I really don’t know what justifies a curry soup vs a normal curry that I just happen to eat like a soup without rice. I’m going to guess it’s the inclusion of chicken stock. I don’t usually go that route because I want it to be as thick as possible. Since I’m too cheap to buy coconut cream, I’ve been adding a cornstarch slurry to the coconut milk in an effort to thicken. It’s worked out alright.

The simplicity of vegetables in curry really seems to make the most sense. Keep it to two or three with your protein. Otherwise it seems like too much is going on, and no dominant flavor takes over. I definitely am guilty of this on more than one occasion — vegetables everywhere! — but I do like it best when I’ve limited what I’ve got.

Spinach and snow peas are fresh and crisp. It’s a good texture for the broth-y coconut milk. Ground chicken took the place of shredded due to laziness, and I always use twice the spice. You can adjust as necessary.

Inspiration: Food & Wine

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 pound (8oz) snow peas, halved
  • 1/2 box (7oz) dried rice noodles
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste [use less if you like less spice]
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 pound (8oz) ground chicken
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions [green onion], thinly sliced
  • lime, for serving

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spinach and snow peas, allowing them to sit in the water for only 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to a strainer. Keep the water boiling and cook the rice noodles according to their package’s instructions. Add them to the strained spinach and peas. Toss together in a medium sized bowl.

In a pan, brown the ground chicken and set aside. Drain if there seems to be a lot of fat, but there shouldn’t be.

In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of coconut oil on medium heat. Add the shallot, stirring to coat in the oil. They’ll lightly brown in about two minutes. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil, the garlic, curry paste, coriander, and turmeric. Allow it to cook and smell awesome for about 30-seconds. Add the stock, and bring it to a boil. Add the coconut milk after three minutes along with the fish sauce and sugar. Let it come back to a boil for about five minutes.

Stir in the chicken, cilantro, and scallions tasting the stock for salt. Pour the mixture over the bowl full of noodles and vegetables. Stir to break up the noodles. Serve in large bowls with lime wedges. Squeeze it over the top before eating slurping.

Roasted Lamb with Garlic & Rosemary

This. Was. Awesome.

I picked the leg up at our local farmers market from SuDan Farm. It was ridiculously reasonable, super juicy, and some of the best lamb I’ve eaten. It was just as good the next day cold, cut into bite sized pieces, and served with Pecorino and Muenster cheeses, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Make the sauce. You have to make the sauce.

Inspiration: Food Network

Ingredients

  • 4lb bone-in leg of lamb
  • 8 cloves of garlic cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh chives and rosemary, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup port
  • 1 cup onion, diced

Preparation

Try to do this as early as possible [I did it in the late morning] — wash the lamb and towel it off. Place it on a roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil all over the lamb, using your hands to rub it over every nook and cranny. Take a knife and cut slits into the lamb all over. Stuff these slits with cloves of garlic. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper all over. Sprinkle all sides with the 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary. Let it sit in the fridge until it’s time to roast.

Bring it out of the fridge as you preheat the oven to 400°. Place the roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° and let it roast for another 45-60 minutes until the internal temperature reads 140-145° for a nice medium rare. Let it go longer if you want it more done.

Remove it from the oven and place the meat on a cutting board or a baking pan, and tent it with foil for 10-15 minutes. Place the roasting pan onto the stove on medium high heat. add the onion and remaining herbs, stirring to soak up the juices from the lamb. Add the chicken stock and port, stirring occasionally while it cooks down. Drizzle this sauce on the lamb, any mashed potatoes you make, or spoon it directly into your mouth.

 

Coconut Bread

My fingers smell like garlic from stuffing whole cloves into a leg of lamb. I have hard boiled eggs cooling and a box of egg dye on the table. There is a solid milk chocolate bunny in the fridge. I’m wearing a white frilly skirt.

It must be Easter.

To be fair, I’m really only wearing the skirt because it’s supposed to be 70°+ again today. Glorious.

I hope you’re having an enjoyable Sunday whether you’re partaking in Easter festivities, sipping on some wine outside, or curled up on the couch.

I had another “food in a bowl” post on tap, but I figured we could roll with a coconut bread instead. It’s very spring-y, and is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I love coconut. Seriously adore it. I could eat it by the spoonful. This bread doesn’t just toy with it, it full on makes sweet love to it. I used coconut milk because that’s all I have on hand anymore [save for the occasional quart for Andrew], and regular shredded coconut instead of sweetened. I didn’t want it to be too cloyingly sweet. Then I can justify it at any time of the day.

I mixed this all up by hand instead of with the mixer. I’ve found that I tend to overmix when it’s involved. This was probably the most I’ve ever had a quickbread rise. I’m convinced it’s the manual labor.

Seriously, enjoy your Sunday.

Inspiration: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup (140g) shredded coconut
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° and spray/butter a 9x5x3 loaf pan.

In a small bowl, or a large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla until it’s smooth and creamy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add the sugar and coconut, thoroughly mixing it.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg mixture. Stir until well combined. Fold in the melted butter. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. The batter should be level.

Bake in the oven for 60-85 minutes. Mine took closer to 85 minutes in order to rise fully and start becoming golden brown on the top. A toothpick should come clean when you jab it in the center. Cool for five minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.

Bourbon Spice Cookies

On my way to meet some friends for drinks the other night, I wondered if it would be weird to order a hot toddy. It’s almost April after all. Are there rules like there are for white and Labor Day? Shouldn’t we be gearing up for gin and tonics? I was pleasantly surprised to see one of the above referenced friends had ordered a toddy before I had arrived. Mind reader. I ended up drinking a Campari and soda, but that’s totally beside the point.

I do love bourbon; don’t get me wrong. I finished up the night with a Night Owl — bourbon, Ramazzotti, and toasted pecan bitters from Radar. I’m all about simple and spicy. I threw a little bit of bourbon into cookies to the same effect. Who knew I’d finally have a reason to kill off the small bottle of molasses I’ve had in my pantry since at least 2011. This stuff never goes bad, clearly.

Having all that glorious butter makes for some super soft cookies. I swapped out the whole wheat for make-my-own oat flour. That made them extra chewy. Pulling them out in nine minutes helped, too. They’re very snickerdoodle meets gingersnap meets bourbon. I used Bull Run Distilling Temperance Trader Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which I highly suggest getting if you’re actually in Portland. It’s totally worthy of being sipped on the rocks, made into a cocktail, or baked in cookies. Seriously.

I made one hell of a mess during the process. Rolling things in sugar will do that. The ants were thrilled by my choice to throw brown sugar around the kitchen floor. Just when you think you’ve picked it all up, they gladly come remind you of the microscopic pieces that you can’t see. Thanks, ants.

Inspiration: Full Measure of Happiness

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup oat flour [rolled oats in your blender/food processor works just fine]
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 1/2 sticks of softened butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • sugar for rolling the cookies

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with a Silpat or parchment.

In a bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside. In a stand mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugars together for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. Add the bourbon and molasses.

Stir in the dry ingredients until just mixed. It will be sticky. And delicious.

Set up some sugar on a plate and another plate to set the rolled cookies. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the sugar, coating it well. Place it on the empty plate. Repeat until they’re all finished. Place the balls of dough into the freezer for a few minutes.

Once they’ve set up, place them on a cookie sheet a few inches apart. They will spread a little bit. I went through several cookie sheets worth of cookies to get them all baked. Bake them for 8-10 minutes, pulling at nine if possible. Allow them to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy the next best thing to a hot toddy.

They can be stored in an airtight container for several days.

 

Soba Noodles with Ground Chicken and Greens

Who decided that brussels sprouts are cool now? I feel like it’s starting to surpsass kale. Remember when everyone hated brussels [except me and my dad]? They were hated, generally steamed/boiled, and never, ever talked about. Now, they’re on absolutely every single trendy restaurant’s menu in at least one dish if not roasted on their own [with bacon]. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing one of my favorite veggies hoisted into the spotlight, but I can’t help but feel like the awesome that is brussels is cheapened by the fact that it’s now the cool thing to eat.

In more important news, I’ve been eating a lot of things in bowls lately [and bagels, but that's a whole other subject entirely]. They’re super comforting, rather forgiving, and you can put just about anything you want in them. Actually just putting anything in a bowl makes it feel more meal-like. My dad and I polished off 4 1/2 pounds of mussels this weekend. Meal. I threw chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds in a bowl of hot cereal. Meal. Putting popcorn in a bowl. Meal. Licking leftover batter out of a bowl. Meal.

Okay, so having a carb, a protein, and a vegetable helps make it a little more balanced and complex. An Asian dressing doesn’t hurt.

Inspiration: Sprouted Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch tuscan kale
  • 5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1o brussels sprouts
  • 1/2lb ground chicken, cooked and drained of fat
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon tamari [or soy sauce]
  • 2-4 pinches red pepper flakes
  • 8oz soba noodles
  • 4 green onions, slivered

Preparation

Tear the leaves of the kale off the stems and clean and dry the leaves thoroughly. Bunch them up and slice with a knife into thin ribbons. Put the kale in a bowl and pour one teaspoon of toasted sesame oil over the top and sprinkle with salt. Massage the leaves so that ever piece is covered in oil. Slice the brussels into small shreds, and toss both greens together.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, rice vinegar, remaining sesame oil, and tamari. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss well to combine. Store in the fridge while you finish the noodles.

Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions, drain them well, and toss them with the greens. Add the chicken. Top with sliced onion and red pepper flakes to taste.

Spiced Oat Pancakes

This morning was a breakfast fail, but I don’t care at all. It was too perfect of a morning to let it be ruined by it. The weather was cold but sunny. I was up by 8am. Roma and I laid in bed for nearly an hour, just relaxing, followed by a cup of blueberry tea while she searched for chased the sun. I was attempting to make some waffles, but I really have yet to make ANY good waffles with my waffle maker [user or machine? I can't tell]. It’s why I stick to pancakes. I don’t know why I thought this time would be any different, but I had to try. I still ate them in their mushy, mangled glory. The batter was good at least?

Laziness continued [and is continuing] on for the rest of the day. A walk to the dog park. A walk to the grocery store. Dog hair removal. Lots of music. Coconut bread in the oven. Reading. I like it.

So these pancakes I made a few weeks ago that were far superior to the waffles of this morning. These are the pancakes that finally inspired me to buy some maple syrup. The texture is pretty dense and cake, not your light, fluffy stuff. I liked them, though. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are a flavor combination I can hardly say no to, even as we begin spring. That must explain why I had pumpkin green smoothies last week.

Inspiration: Food.com

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Run the rolled oats in your blender or a food processor to turn it into flour. No need to buy anything special. Pour the flour into a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the remaining dry ingredients.

Measure the milk in a large measuring cup. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until combined.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray with oil or 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Pour about a 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Let it sit and sizzle until bubbles form across the body of the pancake and the edges dry out. Flip. Continue until the sizzling has mostly stopped.

Keep warm in an oven or eat as they come off the pan. Drizzle with syrup and a sprinkle of coarse sugar.

Carolina Pulled Pork (Crockpot)

Did I mention that I’m going on a BBQ tour soon? Well, soon as in a little over a month? It’s going to be a meatapolooza, and I’m getting excited. I generally get my BBQ fix from Podnah’s Pit or my dad. He’s a a grill/smoke master. There’s always BBQ going on at my parents’ house.

I’m not that good. I occasionally throw things on the grill, but it’s just the basics. I don’t get fancy or technical. That’s why throwing a pork shoulder in a crock pot is my kind of BBQ. Toss it in the crock in the morning, turn it on low, come home to a ridiculously delicious smelling house. That is the best. I also have the added fun of thanking Roma for not pulling the crock off the counter. I know she could be capable of it if she ever thought it through [like the time I left steaks on the counter...].

I have no idea how authentic this is to true Carolina style. Regardless, I like it. It’s not really spicy, and while the sauce was tangy up front, it really cooks down over time and is more robust. I’d add more spice next time. Shocking, I know. We made sandwiches with a 3lb roast. I’d say I got at least seven or eight sandwiches out of the deal, piled high with slaw. Lunch just got awesome.

Inspiration: Food.com

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 3lb pork shoulder
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1 large red onion, quartered
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered

Preparation

Mix together the first four ingredients — brown sugar through cracked pepper — and rub it on all sides of the pork. Wrap it in plastic wrap and set it in the fridge overnight.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne. Set it in the fridge over night if you don’t want to make it up in the morning.

Remove the pork from the fridge. Cut the onions into quarters and layer them on the bottom of the crock pot. Nestle the pork on top of them, and pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Cover with the lid and turn it on low for 8-10 hours. If you want smaller onion chunks, take everything out and shred/chop it on a cutting board before returning to the crock to soak up the sauce. Otherwise, just shred it in the crock.