Simple Things

There's too much controversy right now. This election has brought out the best, and the worst, in so many people. The best, because voter turnout is expected to be the highest it's been in years. The worst, because of the mud-slinging, the confrontations... even in my friendly little town, political yard signs are being ripped out and tossed around in the night. I am not a confrontational person. I like it when the course is smooth, when everyone can come to a compromise. These turbulent times tire me. Do I have a candidate? Yes. Do I plan on voting this afternoon? Yes. Do I feel the need to share my political views and reasonings with you and argue if yours aren't the same? No. 

I can't wait for this election to be over. Why? Is it because I want to know if my candidate will win? No. Well, yes, but that's not the real reason. I want this election to be over because I am tired of all the repetition! I'm tired of seeing the same election commercials over and over.  (Thank goodness for DVR's!) I'm tired of seeing the predictions on my homepage when all I want is my email. I'm tired of the fliers (waste of paper and postage), the radio ads and opinions, the analysis, the t-shirts, the celebrity endorsements...I'm tired of hearing and seeing the same things every day, all day. Repetition is bad for me. I don't like repeating myself more than twice, I don't like being told something more than once, and I don't like seeing the same two faces/slogans plastered on every media outlet, lawn sign, and chest that I pass. I'm so done. 

In this mildly grumpy spirit, I made myself a breakfast that I AM willing to repeat, even though it is nothing fancy. Warm, tasty, blanketed with cheese and crunchy with broccoli, it's my old homey standby, eggs, again. 

Pretty? No. But today, when I'm preparing myself to wait in line for two hours to vote, when the sky is grey and cheerless outside, I wanted something good in my tummy. 

Crisp but tender sauteed broccoli, sweet cherry tomatoes, and pungent green onions, scrambled with two eggs and gently draped in Muenster cheese, topped with fresh black pepper and crunchy crystals of grey salt. I love the different textures, the fresh flavors of the vegetables with the mild cheese (a childhood deli favorite). 

Do you need a recipe? No. You probably already make something similar, but I wanted to share my comfort with you on a turbulent day. 

A Taste of Home

As much as I love to travel, to explore new places and find the best of their cuisine (or at least attempt it), I love coming home again even more. I could never be one of those people that sell everything and go around the world for a year; I need the safety and the calm of a home base, somewhere to retreat and recharge my batteries. Traveling makes me a bit anxious no matter how much I plan, and too much traveling in a short time really wears me out. 

In that spirit, let's take a break from these posts documenting all of our recent travel, and talk about something homey and comforting. How about eggs? 

I made these eggs a few weeks ago, between two of our trips, and I think it's time to make them again. They are technically called shirred eggs; "an egg baked or broiled in a buttered cocotte, or small dish, until the white is set and the yolk is liquid". In this case, they are baked atop a bed of creamy spinach, scented with a little nutmeg and parmesan, and after baking are topped with some garlicky breadcrumbs for crunch. They were warm and soft, homey and comforting, and just the thing to recharge the batteries. 

Shirred Eggs with Spinach

adapted from Williams-Sonoma Breakfast

The spinach could be prepared in advance and refrigerated, but baking it while still well-chilled would increase baking time. This could be gotten around by just blanching, squeezing, and chopping the spinach in advance, so the next step would warm the chopped spinach back up before baking. I used individual cocottes simply because I had them. Baking in an 8 1/2" round gratin dish or similar shallow container should take about 18-20 minutes. Adding lardons of bacon to the spinach mixture would be nice as well.

1 1/2 lbs spinach, well rinsed and stemmed

1 small onion or 2 medium shallots, finely diced 

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1/2 C heavy cream 

1/2 C freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 extra-large eggs

Garlicky Bread Crumbs

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lightly salt the boiling water and then add the spinach, cooking until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible, then chop coarsely. Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter your chosen baking dish. Place the empty saucepan back on medium heat and add the butter, then the diced onions. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped, drained spinach to the onions and cook until any excess moisture has evaporated. Stir in the cream, cheese, a pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the spinach in the prepared baking dish or portion evenly among 4 cocottes. Smooth the top of the spinach mixture, use the back of a large spoon to create 4 depressions in the spinach, then crack an egg into each. Carefully transfer the dish or dishes to the oven and bake until whites are almost set and yolk is runny, 8-20 minutes depending on baking dish size. Remove while the whites are still a little jiggly, as they will continue cooking outside the oven. Top with a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs. 

Garlicky Breadcrumbs

This is a recipe to play with. I used whole-wheat dry breadcrumbs, but you could just as easily use white or sourdough, and fresh breadcrumbs would work perfectly too.

1 Tbs unsalted butter

2 medium cloves garlic

3/4 C breadcumbs

Mince garlic very finely. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and when melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add breadcrumbs and stir to combine.  Stir often to prevent garlic from over-browning, and cook until breadcrumbs are crisp and golden brown. Use immediately or cool and store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 24 hours. 

Bursting with Potential

I guess there must just something about the color green. When I was young, I asked my mom to paint my room that color. I've always liked green shirts. I have a big green blanket that I snuggle under on the couch. Most people would say my eyes are green (although Mom likes to needle me by saying that the few yellow-brown specks around my pupils make them hazel). One of my favorite things about Florida is the year-round green landscape. My kitchen is painted green. And this is my second post featuring a steak with a green sauce. 

The first post featured a brilliantly bright green, spicy, garlicky sauce to be used in small, potent quantities. This green sauce, however, is a whole different animal. It's a beautiful deep green, herbal, with a smooth flavor that can complement so many things. It's a Chimichurri. 

Chimichurri is a popular condiment, most often associated with Argentina. There are as many recipes as there are people, but it is always heavy on the herbs and mixed with garlic, salt, pepper, and oil. Typically it is used on grilled meats, which is how I paired it the night I made it, but since then, I have been using the leftovers on scrambled eggs. (Yes, I had green eggs and ham for breakfast yesterday.) I think it would be great not just on steaks, but on chicken, pork, pizza, as a dipping sauce for great bread, or drizzled on fresh tomatoes. The herbal freshness is just perfect for a hot Florida summer. 

Chimichurri

1 cup parsley leaves (pack into the cup to measure)

1/4 c shallot, very finely minced

4 medium garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 C olive oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tb water

Place parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced, stopping as needed to scrape down the bowl. (You can also do this by hand. Just mince them together as finely as possible.) Remove from the food processor and whisk in the oil, vinegar, shallots, salt, and pepper. Thin with up to 2 Tb water as you see fit. Taste, adjust seasoning to your liking, and serve. 

Note: All of the pictures in this blog blow up to a larger size if you click on them. If you happen to do this with the photo in this post, you may notice a book in the corner of the photo. Lest you get the wrong idea about this household from the title, let me explain that is called "Porn for Women", and is a book of postcards featuring shirtless men doing things like vacuuming, ironing, and buying chocolate. Next time, I will check the photo more closely for unwanted props before diving in for dinner.