Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

Drew and I save a lot of money by buying bulk items at Costco like cheeses, eggs and proteins. While saving money is great, it can be challenging to come up with new ways to cook the same ingredients every week. That's what makes this recipe so great. Most of these ingredients are always in our pantry or fridge yet it's a very unique and flavorful dish. Did I mention that we love eggs and breakfast dishes for dinner?

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce
Saveur

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeƱos, stemmed,
seeded, and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes,
undrained
Kosher salt, to taste
8 eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pita, for serving

1. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

2. Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

3. Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce's surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pita, for dipping.

SERVES 4 – 6
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Thursday, February 10, 2011

Classic Champagne Cocktail

Dear Reader, we are moving! After an exhaustive search spanning over a year, Drew and I found our dream home in Sausalito and are preparing for the arrival of our Bernese puppy in May. This calls for some serious celebration!

To toast the new digs, I'll be whipping up this easy cocktail; a spin on the classic celebration drink.

Classic Champagne Cocktail
Epi
  • 1 sugar cube
  • Angostura bitters
  • Champagne (or I like to sub with prosecco)
  • Lemon or orange twist, for garnish

Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters and drop into a champagne flute. Top with a luxury champagne or a sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist.


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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Meatball-and-Provolone Subs

Game day is just around the corner and, if you're like me, you'll be having guests over for the big game. Time to menu plan. Why not try these delicious meatball-and-provolone subs that were recently featured in F&W? You can use canned sauce to save time and you can make these ahead of time. Like any sandwich, bread is key so make sure to get fresh, soft rolls to make your fans happy.

Meatball-and-Provolone Subs
  1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  2. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  3. 6 large garlic cloves, minced
  4. 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  5. 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  6. 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  7. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  8. 1 cup plain dried bread crumbs
  9. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  10. 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  11. 1/3 cup milk
  12. 2 teaspoons salt
  13. 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  14. 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
  15. 1 pound ground beef
  16. 8 hero rolls, split
  17. 3/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
Preheat the oven to 400° and brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with olive oil. In a medium skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, fennel seeds, sage and crushed red pepper and cook over low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes; scrape into a bowl and let cool.

Add the bread crumbs to the bowl with the cheese, eggs, milk, salt and parsley. Add the pork and beef and knead gently until combined. Roll the mixture into 32 meatballs, about 2 1/2 inches each, and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until nearly cooked through, shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.

Gently fold the meatballs into the warm tomato sauce in a pot. Simmer over moderate heat, covered, until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Wipe off the baking sheets. Set the open rolls on the baking sheets and top both halves with the sliced provolone. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Spoon the meatballs onto the rolls and top with the sauce. Serve right away.
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