Asparagus Mimosa

Tags

appetiser, asparagus, classic french, eggs, mimosa, vinagrette

This retro french dish is one of my favorite ways to serve asparagus. Perfect for brunch, a light lunch, or as a starter for dinner, this combo is a classic for good reason. You can use either white or green asparagus for the recipe. White must be peeled and cooked longer and green need only be cleaned, the ends cut or snapped off and cooked very briefly. Both are equally delicious, so simply use whichever type you can get your hands on. The name originates from the mimosa flower because the finished dish resembles the white-and-yellow flower.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

 

• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Parsley, fresh, chopped up finely
• About 5 large white asparagus or 8 small green ones per person
• Large pinch of sugar
• Knob of butter
• 2 hard boiled eggs

 

Preparation:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper
Slowly whisk in olive oil until the dressing is thick and smooth
Add in the chopped parsley and set aside
Peel and clean the asparagus
Bring water, sugar, and butter to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat
Place the asparagus in the boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes
Drain and place the spears on a folded towel to cool
Peel the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites
Mash the yolks with a spoon
Cut the whites up into tiny dice
Lay a few asparagus on each plate
Sprinkle on the egg whites
Add the yolks
Pour some vinaigrette on each plate and serve
Enjoy!

 

Spicy baked eggs – Shakshuka

Tags

Breakfast, brunch, eggs, fiesta friday, Israel, north Africa, shakshuka, spice, Yotam Ottolenghi

It’s one of my favourite dishes – a simple, go-to meal that works great as a breakfast, lunch or even dinner… In Israel, shakshuka is synonymous with breakfast where it is eaten with a few slices of challah bread to mop up the delicious, fiery sauce. It is a one skillet recipe of eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne. It can be finished either on the stove-top or in the oven. Shakshuka originated in North Africa and like many great dishes there are as many versions as there are cooks who have embraced it. I ate it the first time at Yotam Ottolenghi’s restaurant in London and fell in love with it. By now, those that follow me regularly know that I LOVE spicy food with a capital L so it is no surprise that it has become a favourite brunch dish of mine. Because everyone likes their eggs cooked differently, keep an eye on your shakshuka as it is cooking and use the times indicated merely as a guideline. It is best to serve the eggs still runny so that the yolks mingle with the spicy sauce.

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 to 1 chili pepper, deseeded and finely minced (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
two 14 oz / two 400 g cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 cup / 20 g loosely packed greens such as spinach, kale, watercress, coarsely chopped
6 to 8 eggs

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat
Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent but no color
Add the chili pepper, salt, pepper and all the spices
Cook for a minute, stirring
Reduce the heat to medium
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and vinegar
Cook for about 12 minutes (sauce should be thick but still slightly liquid)
Stir in the chopped greens
To finish on the stove-top:
Remove skillet from heat and make 6 to 8 indentations with the back of your spoon
Crack an egg into each indentation
Replace skillet on the heat at a low simmer
Cook for about 8 minutes then cover and cook another 3 minutes or until the eggs are to your liking
To finish in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F
Ensure you are using an oven proof skillet
Make the indentations as above and crack the eggs into each
Bake, uncovered, until the eggs are to your liking, about 10 to 15 minutes
Serve with lots of bread, challah, pita or a crusty loaf
Enjoy!

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Madras Deviled Eggs

Tags

1960s, canapes, chutney, Deviled eggs, Dordogne, eggs, hard boiled eggs, hors d'œuvres, indian, madras, mayonnaise, Mrs Ball's chutney, yolks

I was recently asked to cater hors d’œuvres for a 1960’s themed party for 80 people and it got me thinking about what to make that was typical of the time and still would be popular today. I came up with numerous ideas, mini sausage rolls (always a crowd pleaser), tuna and sun dried tomato mousse on little toasts, mini quiche, (who can resist), stuffed button mushrooms, spinach dip, butternut and rosemary dip, blue cheese dip, crudité platter, chips and mini crackers and of course, Deviled eggs. Was there ever a more classic 60’s hors d’oeuvre?  Do not worry, I did not forget about the shrimp cocktail but that was going to be the starter to the dinner so I could not add that to the canapé selection. Wow, I was going to have fun making all these and you bet I did.

I wanted to give the eggs a slight twist from the classic Deviled egg which is basically egg yolk with mayo and mustard and I tried several variations before settling on Madras Deviled eggs. These have an Indian twist with curry powder, cayenne pepper and chutney. You can vary the heat according to your taste and the strength of your curry powder. Mine is a mix made up with 3 types of hot curry powder so 1 teaspoon is sufficient unless you want to see smoke coming out of your guest’s nostrils – mind you it does clear the sinuses. I used my all time favourite chutney, Mrs Ball’s. It is a South African favorite and in my mind the best chutney ever, but if you do not have it handy, then feel free to use your favourite brand. A mango or peach based one works best. The addition of the cream cheese (I used Philadelphia light) makes the filling very creamy but also gives you much more filling than is actually needed to fill the egg whites, so you will have a nice quantity of madras egg mix to use on sandwiches. It is delicious and you can even use this recipe to make a sandwich filling instead of deviled eggs if you wish. Simply mash the entire egg, white and yolk with the rest of your ingredients and spread on your favorite bread, your family will love it and you might never go back to plain egg mayonnaise, ever again. An added bonus is that the mix will keep a few days in the refrigerator.

The best way to cook hard boiled eggs – tried and tested method:
Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover with enough cold water to about 1 inch above eggs. Heat on heat until water begins to boil, then cover, turn off the heat and allow to leave, covered for 12 minutes. Rinse under cold water or place in a dish of very cold water for a few minutes. Your eggs are now ready for use or you can place them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Do not leave for more than a few hours or it will be more difficult to peel them.

 

Makes 24

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
2/3 cup / 170 g cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons Worcester sauce
1 heaped teaspoon curry powder (depends on strength)
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 to 10 drops Tabasco sauce
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup chutney
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Spanish paprika, for garnish
Parsley, finely chopped

Preparation:

Carefully remove the yolks from your eggs and place in a medium bowl
Place the whites on a serving platter
Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork
Add the cream cheese and mash well
Add the Worcester sauce, curry powder, cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, mayonnaise, chutney, salt and black pepper
Blend thoroughly
Fill the whites with heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture
Sprinkle with paprika and parsley
Enjoy!