Baked Eggs - No Ham!

Another food scare which once again confirms that we just do not know what is in our food unless we prepare it all ourselves.  Hugh, the other half, has taken this one to heart. Even though we never eat ready prepared meals he has decided to not only give up nasty supermarket ham (as I have been telling him to do forever) but to go from one extreme to the other (as always) and give up meat all together (apart from free-range chicken!) 

This is an admirable principle but since it is me that does all the cooking, one that I am obviously going to have to endeavor to cook on my own. Not that it is really such an undertaking.  We don't eat that much meat anyway, preferring to let the vegetables be most prominent and predominant. 

Plus, my current series of cookery lessons  with Riverford, are all vegetarian, so I am always looking for new and exciting ways with vegetables. The challenge will do me good. Hugh expressed an interest in some baked eggs but there are so many variations, it was hard to know where to start. So many countries have there own take. In France alone, they not only have Oeufs en Cocotte but I distinctly remember having to learn endless page after page of variations in Escoffier for my catering exams, from Meurette to Florentine to a la Truffe

Then there is the Basque Piperade - Tomato, Red and Green Pepper Stew with Eggs, or the spicy North African variation of Shakshuka.  Mexico has Huevos Ranchos which is a similar concoction but with the addition of a Tortilla, more of a tomato salsa than a sauce and re-fried beans. But there is no need to stick to a particular recipe - you can add all sorts of herbs or vegetables - Tarragon, broad beans, courgettes, potatoes or kales work particularly well.

If you don't fancy a tomato based sauce then they are equally delicious with Spinach and Parmesan or even some smoked fish.  And of course you could add meat - crispy Parma ham, bacon or Chorizo all work super well with eggs but obviously not if you are a vegetarian who only eats free-range chicken!

Shakshuka
Seves 2
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
3 cloves garlic (very finely chopped)
1 (28 ounce) can good quality plum tomatoes
1  red pepper (cut into thin slices)
1 fresh red chilli (very finely chopped)
2 teaspoons cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 handful fresh coriander (chopped)
4 eggs

Heat the oil in a all metal frying-pan. Add the onions and saute gently until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add the red pepper, some salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic, red chilli and the cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. You will need to add  a cup or so of water to stop the sauce over-reducing. Stir in the coriander. Check the seasoning and adjust. Preheat your oven at 180 C. Make a little well in the sauce, where you want to eggs to go and add them carefully. Put in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.

Huevos Ranchos
I like to make a huge batch of beans because I love them.  I use them up in Tortillas or Soup but you can half the recipe if you like.
For the Spicy Black Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 Spanish onion, chopped 
3 sticks of celery, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons) 
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt 
1 tablespoon Chipotle Chilli Paste ( try Trees can Dance)
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or handful of fresh oregano
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
500g dried black beans, soaked overnight
Small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
Tomato, Chilli and Coriander Salsa (Pico de Gallo)
Flour Tortillas
Nice ripe avocados

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and celery. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and the Chipotle paste, the salt, the herbs and spices. Stir and cook 1 minute. Give everything a good mix and add the drained black beans. Cover with cold water and simmer, uncovered for about 30 - 45 minutes until the beans are cooked. You even want to slightly over-cook the beans for this dish. Remember, they are meant to be re-fried, which is not necessary but they do need to be creamy in texture to bring the whole dish together. Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add more chilli, salt, pepper or cumin if necessary. Finally add the coriander.

Place your tortilla in an all metal frying-pan. Pile some beans on top.  Make a well in a couple of places and crack in your eggs.  Bake in a medium oven until the eggs are just set (or how you like them.)  Serve with plenty of salsa and slices of avocado.

Down Mexico Way

Unfortunately, as much as I love food writing, so far I haven't managed to make a living out of it.  In fact, I haven't managed to make a single penny. So I have to work to pay the mortgage.  One of my main jobs is working for Riverford Organics who have a huge farm based in Devon.  They operate an Organic Vegetable Box delivery all over England.  My job is to entice new customers, as well as to encourage and keep up motivation for their regular clientele.  What this really comes down to, is that I spend a lot of time cooking vegetables.  Thinking up new ways with carrots, kale and kohlrabi. 

Strangely, one of the most taxing vegetables for me recently, that is always popping up in one veg box or another, is the sweet potato. The reason for this immense challenge, is that it is so very sweet and although I have tried balancing its sugaryness in a manor of ways, I still hadn't managed to conquered the vegetable. 

I made a really nice Indian curry with chickpeas, loads of cardamon and spinach and lots of fresh green chillies.  But I felt that the sweet potato still had a sickliness to it.  I added quite a large amount of Tamarind.  It was really good, but at the end of the day, I couldn't help wishing that it just didn't have the sweet potato in it. This was rather missing the point of the whole exercise. So, I was pretty excited to find a Mexican recipe for Chipotle Spiced Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli. I have made Black Bean Chilli many times before but without the addition of peppers and sweet potato. I loved the idea of the dramatic combination of black and orange. It made me think of Halloween and sounded like something I like to eat.  It was!  Finally I had conquered the sweet potato.  As you may know I have been on a bit of a wrap mission recently and I have to admit that I have been making quite a lot of Chicken or Steak Fahitas. I am not going to burden you with the recipe when I know that you can get a perfectly good one from "Mad about Mexican", Thomasina Miers.  But this hot and smoky, Chipoltle Spiced Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli and was even better. Piled into a warm tortilla with lashings of guacamole, a delicious Pico de Gallo (tomato, chilli and coriander salsa) and big dollop of sour cream on top, it was truly delicious. The harder it is to eat, the better it is.  Add lots of grated cheese and this Chilli also makes a great filling for quesadillas. And, if you still have any left, whiz it up and it makes a delicious soup.

I have always found it almost impossible to acquire any Mexican ingredients in London, so I cannot tell you how excited I was to discover Casa Mexico in Bethnal Green.  Unfortunately, I still haven't managed to get down there personally, as it is right across the other side of London for me, and what with the day job, I don't get much time.  But I can't wait to go.  Not only do they have the most fantastic selection of chillis, beans, moles and salsas but they also sell kitchen ware, furniture and art.  Fortunately, they also have an online shop, so I have stocked up on Mexican staples and even finely managed to get hold of some elusive Chipotle Adobado which I kept on finding, listed as an ingredient in recipes and had almost given up any chance of ever finding. 

Right, now what shall I do with that box of Kohlrabi?



Chipotle Spiced Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, chopped
4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed Chipotle Chillis
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or handful of fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Small bunch of coriander, finely chopped

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and celery. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes or so. Stir often to avoid burning. Stir in garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Add chilli, the salt, the herbs and spices.  Stir and cook 1 minute. Next add the sweet potato.  Give everything a good mix and add tomatoes and enough water to cover the sweet potato. Simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes until the sweet potato is cooked. Stir in beans, and continue to cook 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lime juice. Finally add the coriander and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Guacamole

The most important factor to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past ripe and not good.

2 ripe avocados

2 spring onions (finely sliced)

1 fresh red or green Serrano chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped

½ bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

Juice of 1 fresh lime

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly grated black pepper

Drizzle of Olive Oil

 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out and put in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, coriander, lime, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chilli peppers vary individually in their hotness.  Start with a little, add more to taste. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

Tomato, Chilli and Coriander Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

One clove of garlic (very finely chopped)

One Fresh Red Serrano Chilli (very finely chopped)
¼ red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
200g cherry tomatoes (quartered)
Juice of one or two limes
Bunch of Coriander (very finely chopped)
Glug of Olive Oil
Good pinch or two of salt
Freshly ground pepper

Mix garlic, chilli, lime juice and olive oil together.  Season well.  Stir in rest of ingredients. 

Some Salads for a Summer's Day

When I was a kid in the 70's, America was a really big influence.  We wore baseball jackets and Converse shoes, my favourite TV show was Starsky and Hutch and American Pizza and Burger restaurants were opening all over London.  The thing I loved the most about these restaurants was the choice.  How your food was cooked, what it came served with and side orders galore.  The options seemed limitless. Salads had not one but five different dressings - Italian, French, Blue Cheese, Ranch or Thousand Island.  I thought this was just the most amazing thing, even though I always chose Thousand Island, which I adored.  The salad was different too.  We were used to a limp lettuce leaf, a piece of cucumber and an unripe tomato but this was something else.  Shredded red and white cabbage, grated carrot and sweetcorn.  I loved it so much that it was one of the first restaurant dishes that I tried to create for myself at home.  The beginning of a long road.

Now I like to think my pallet more sophisticated and I tend to avoid mayonnaise based dressing in search of more subtle combinations. So when choosing a salad to accompany my Ribs last week a chose a Slaw but felt it needed a really clean dressing.  Barbecued Ribs are delicious but can be a bit sickly so I wanted something to cut the richness.  I think this one works really well.



For the Fish Marinated with Chermoula I made a monkfish kebab but you could use tuna or salmon instead.  Just make sure it is a firm fish which will stay on the Skewer.  With it I served a Giant Couscous Salad.  The Couscous being giant, not the salad.  I am quite a fan of Giant Couscous mainly due to the fact that when the children eat it, they seem to manage to get slightly more of it in their mouths than on the floor, which certainly cannot be said about the other variety.  This salad is simplicity itself, as you use the Chermoula again as a dressing and with just a few other ingredients thrown in you have yourself a really tasty salad.

Finally with the Steak and Chimicurri I made one of my favourite, quick salads of Avocado, Tomatoes, Coriander and Lime.  It is such a great combination.  Really fresh and vibrant.  Great on a sunny day.  Not that it was !  Avocados are really fantastic right now.  I don't know if they have a season but they just seem so creamy and tasty at the moment and they are super-good for you too.

I have to admit that they are one of my favourite snacks.  I remove the stone and in the cavity and I squeeze a mixture of half mayonnaise, half tomato ketchup and a squeeze of lemon.  I then mix the dressing up in the pear and eat the whole thing standing up by the fridge.  So much for my sophisticated pallet !  I haven't changed a bit.



Slaw for Ribs

1/2 White Cabbage (shredded)
1/2 Red Cabbage (shredded)
4 large carrots (pealed and grated)
1/2 head of Celery (wash and slice fairly thinly through the whole head)
2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
Juice of 2 Lemons

Mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl.. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and add. The dressing should not drown the salad however you do not want it to be dry. If necessary just make up a little more.



Giant Cous Cous with Chermoula

Giant Couscous
Chermoula
Bunch of Spring Onions (finely sliced)
Some Red, Yellow or Orange Peppers (seeds removed, finely chopped)
A Cucumber (seeds removed, finely chopped)
1 Fresh red Chilli (seeds removed, finely chopped)
A bunch of Coriander (finely chopped)

Cook the Couscous in plenty of salted water until soft and pleasant to eat.  If it is not, then it is not ready.  Drain and refresh with a little cold water.  Drain really well.  Add a generous amount of Chermoula until the Couscous is quite green and tastes pretty punchy.  Now add the vegetables and mix well.

Avocado, Tomato, Coriander, Lime and Chilli

One clove of garlic (very finely chopped)

One Fresh Red Chilli (very finely chopped)
2 spring onions (finely sliced)
200g cherry tomatoes (quartered)
2 ripe avocados (pealed and chopped into large bite size pieces)
Juice of one or two limes
Bunch of Coriander (very finely chopped)
Glug of Olive Oil
Good pinch salt
Freshly ground pepper

Mix garlic, chilli, lime juice and olive oil together.  Season well.  Stir in rest of ingredients.  make sure avocado is well coated in lime juice to avoid discolouration.