Scrumptious Street

Cardamom Red Beet-Pickled Eggs

One of my favorite Spring food traditions growing up was my Mom's fantastic pickled eggs. It was a tradition her mother and grandmother passed down through the family and always coincided with Easter. While the kids enjoyed the pretty hues of the hard-boiled dyed Easter eggs, the adults always snacked on vibrant bright purple hard-boiled eggs pickled with red beets. I have made them in the past but not consistently and this year I was craving them. So, I took my mother's basic recipe and spiced it up a bit to really satisfy my craving for the tangy and savory with a hint of exotic. They are delicious! Make them about 4 days before you want to start eating them. They get better after a few days. Here's the simple and wonderful recipe. 

Ingredients
makes 6 eggs

6 large organic good quality eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
1 c. red beet juice from plain canned beets or your own juiced fresh
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
4 green cardamom pods
2 whole star anise

Method:

1. Remove the eggs from the fridge and let them warm to room temperature. Place in a large pan and cover fully with water. Bring the water to a good boil with big bubbles. (If you boil the water first and then lower the eggs into it, they usually crack and the white will leak out into the water). Once the water is boiling set a timer for 11 minutes. For medium eggs, 10 minutes will work.

2. While the eggs are cooking, add the red beet juice, vinegar, sugar, cardamom and star anise to a small saucepan and gently simmer just long enough to dissolve the sugar and get the spices to begin infusing the juice. Turn off the heat and let the pickling liquid cool down.

3. Drain the eggs after boiling and run cold water over them to cool completely. Peel the eggs by tapping the bottom end where the air pocket resides and then rolling along a hard surface to crack the egg all around. I usually do this with a paper towel under to keep it clean. Peel the egg and place in a bowl of cool water. Repeat with all eggs and let them cool completely in the water.

4. Add the eggs to a very clean jar with a tight lid. It doesn't need to be air-tight but a good seal will help. Make sure that your eggs and liquid are completely cooled before adding to the jar. If you are using canned beets, add the beets to the jar too. Gently pour the pickling liquid over the eggs and push down to submerge completely. I found that laying the beets on top of the eggs helps keep them under the liquid so that there aren't white spots or patches on the eggs. You want uniform purple.

5. Close the jar and place in the refrigerator and leave for at least 4 days. Then, open the goodies when you need a yummy snack.  I had a bonus surprise with the egg I used to photograph this post -- a double yolk! I like them simply sliced in half and sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt and ground white pepper.

Of course, for a larger household than one or two people you can double the recipe and do a dozen at a time. If you do this, you may not need to double the spices. It depends how strong you'd like it.

Enjoy!

 

Oyster Mushroom, Asparagus and Fontina Quiche

The Spring vegetables are looking fantastic here in the Bay Area and on a recent trip to the Farmer's Market I discovered these gorgeous Oyster Mushrooms.  Also finding beautiful tender asparagus there, a simple dish to boast the vegetables was in order.  I think egg dishes are wonderful ways to show off delicate vegetables and this time a beautiful quiche was my canvas.

I often go for a frittata for speed, but a quiche is perfect when you want simplicity yet a sense of elegance and sophistication.  A flaky, buttery crust adds so much texture to an airy custard studded with crisp and delicious tender vegetables.  Here's the final "Oyster Mushroom and Asparagus Quiche".

The great thing about egg dishes is that you can honestly just hunt in the markets for whatever looks beautiful, fresh, perfect and tasty and then whip one up depending on the time you have.  An omelette, a frittata, a quiche, a tart... you name it.  Actually, a quiche is a savory tart.  Did you know that?

Here's my very simple recipe with spectacular and scrumptious results.  It'd be perfect for brunch this weekend!

Ingredients

Serves about 4, makes 1 quiche

1 9" pie crust, rolled flat to 1/4" thickness

1 bunch fresh asparagus, washed, and chopped using tips and tender parts of stalks

6 oz. fresh oyster mushrooms, wiped with damp towel and chopped

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

3 medium eggs

1 1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. grated Fontina cheese

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  After dough is rolled out, press the dough into a quiche pan or tart pan with removable bottom.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to rest after pressing into the pan.  Line the dough with aluminum foil with enough to cover the top and sides of the dough and fill with dried beans to weight the dough.  I use dried chick peas, see photo here.   This process is called "blind baking" and helps make sure your crust will be fully cooked and is not soggy. Bake the crust for 20 minutes and then remove from oven and cool.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F.

2. In a skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium high heat and  saute the asparagus and mushrooms until tender.  Season with the salt and white pepper and set aside.

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk.  I'd recommend whole milk here, don't go with skim.  Stir in the Fontina cheese and chopped herbs.  Sprinkle with a little more ground white pepper.

4.  Over the quiche crust has cooled, remove the beans and foil and spread the sauteed mushrooms and asparagus into an even layer on the crust.  Pour in the egg custard mixture and distribute evenly with a fork or rubber spatula.  Sprinkle the parmigiano-reggiano cheese on top.

5.  Gently place the entire quiche pan onto a rimmed baking sheet.  This will catch any possible leaks or spills.  Bake in the oven about 40-45 minutes or until the quiche is golden brown and knife comes out cleanly.  After baking, remove from the oven and cool another 10 minutes.  Then, if using a tart pan with two pieces, take out the bottom from the rim and slide the quiche onto a cutting board.  Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Wimbledon Frittata Muffins

No, I wasn't at Wimbledon, but I am a huge tennis fan and this year was a fantastic tournament.  Sunday's Gentlemen's Singles Final match was truly epic and I had a conundrum:  it was on in New York starting 9 a.m. EDT and by mid-match we were hungry but glued to the television.  So, in an effort to make a meal we could eat in front of the TV (a CARDINAL SIN at Scrumptious Street ha ha for those who clicked that link) I tried out something new.  Here is a photo of my "Frittata Muffins".

I almost didn't post this, but Mr. Scrumptious lovingly reminded me that not all delicious food must be beautiful and that an idea that's perfectly executed in my mind but less than perfect in reality doesn't have to remain a secret.  Wise man, that Mr. Scrumptious.

The idea was that I'd have a frittata taste and style, but poured into muffin tins so that it would be puffy, airy and light and we could eat with our hands.  As they were progressing, I kept getting more and more excited, because they did EXACTLY what I thought and hoped they would.  After several minutes of baking they browned and then puffed up, just like muffins do so that there was a beautiful dome on top.  I watched through the light and never opened the door and saw them becoming crispy, golden and the perfect model of a frittata muffin.  I squealed in delight and triumph.  When they were finished, I removed them and set them on the counter, ready to position my camera.  And promptly, quietly, without warning and by the time I'd turned around, they had collapsed.  As did my excitement and demeanor.  Alas, I should have realized that for my idea to work, I needed to treat them as a soufflé.  And, I thought I was so clever by placing the muffin tin in the oven while it was preheating so that the tin would be hot when I poured in the egg, so they'd get brown even on the bottom, like a regular frittata. That part did work great!
   
I was ready to hide them away from you all in shame, when Mr. Scrumptious reminded me that not everything has to be perfect and that sometimes sharing the mistakes is good too.  We can all learn from this one, including the fact that eggs are infinitely delicate, even though they seem robust.  It all depends on how you treat them.  So, I should have tried it by separating the yolks and vigorously whisking the whites and adding it all so slowly.  But, in my haste not to miss anything good in the match, it didn't occur to me until too late.

Nevertheless, here is the recipe.  I will surely try them again and see if I can get them to stay aloft.  My solution to the problem was to serve them in lettuce "cups" with a light mustard vinaigrette dressing.  It turned out to be spectacular.  So, even though not perfectly executed, delicious and pretty in its own rustic way, I guess.

Ingredients:
Makes 6 "muffins"

4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 T. minced fresh herbs, lemon thyme and tarragon from my herb garden here
1 oz. diced provolone cheese
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
2 scallions, white part only
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 white asparagus spear from a jar
butter lettuce leaves for eating

Dijon vinaigrette:
1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, streamed in
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Brush the cups of a muffin tin with olive oil and place a muffin tin in the oven and preheat to 400˚F.
2.  Mince the herbs, cut the asparagus into about 8 chunks and chop the cheese.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and mustard in a liquid measuring cup with spout.  Stir in the herbs and cheese.
3. When oven is preheated, pour the egg mixture directly into the muffin tin cups. Spread the asparagus into two of the muffin tin cups.
4. Place muffin tin in the oven and bake 14-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Make the vinaigrette and toss the lettuce leaves in the dressing.
5. Remove the muffin tin from oven and let the "muffins" cool slightly until you can run a knife around the edge and scoop them out with a spoon.  Place in the lettuce leaves and eat immediately.

By the way, even if I had done them like a soufflé, I still would likely have only gotten 3-4 minutes before they collapsed.  C'est la vie.

 

The Incredible, Edible Egg

When I sat down to write this post, I remembered the catchphrase of the American Egg Board in their 1980's public service announcements on TV promoting eggs.  Eggs are indeed, incredible and what makes them so is their truly limitless power of transformation in cooking.  Apparently they are now considered "Nature's Miracle Food".  Cuisines around the world depend on eggs and without them, cooking is shackled.  I know many people are vegans, and I have tried many egg substitutes and cooked vegan for years.  But, in my opinion nothing so cheap and readily available is so vital to cooking well.  Sauces, cakes, pastas, souffles, custards, tarts... all rely on eggs or whites or yolks to transform ingredients into delicious results.  Think of all the egg dishes themselves that are boldly, fully, truly eggs and the list becomes overwhelming. 

I am celebrating the egg today in a very tasty "White Asparagus, Fontina and Herb Frittata".  It's a great joy for me to create fritattas these days because I haven't made them in YEARS.  Why, you ask?  Because I finally have wonderful skillets that are stovetop and oven proof and I finally have a kitchen large enough to store all my new pans and appliances worthy of it all.  What joy to make this fritatta and not flip it over into an omelet, but put it into the oven and make a proper crust on both sides and have light yet dense texture in the middle.

Here's my recipe for White Asparagus, Fontina and Herb Frittata.

Ingredients:
Serves 2

4 eggs, whisked
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh herbs such as rosemary and oregano
6 spears white asparagus, jarred in water
2 oz. fontina cheese, cut into small cubes

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Whisk together the eggs and kosher salt in a small bowl. Take out a small oven-safe skillet (and possibly non-stick if you like although in a well-used skillet this isn't necessary) and heat 1 T. of the olive oil on the stovetop on medium-high.  Add the onions and saute until they are transluscent.  Reduce heat to medium and add fresh herbs, ground pepper and cook a minute or two until the mixture is fragrant but do not let the onions begin to turn brown. Remove from heat and spoon the mixture into a large bowl and allow it to cool.  When cooled, add in the eggs, white asparagus and fontina cheese and mix thoroughly.  Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet on medium heat and when it's hot, pour in the egg mixture.  Reduce the flame to medium-low.  Let the eggs cook until the bottom forms a nice light-brown crust, about 3-4 minutes.  Slide a small rubber spatula under the edge of the egg.  If the egg comes away from the pan slightly, it's ready for the next step.  At that point, remove the skillet from the stovetop and place in the middle of the pre-heated oven.  Bake 14-16 minutes until the center of the eggs is firm and the top is a golden brown.  Remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool slightly.  Take a small rubber spatula and slide it all around the edges of the egg and under the bottom to loosen it from the pan.  Place a plate over the top of the skillet, invert it and give it a little shake so that the frittata falls onto the plate with a soft thump.  Lift off the skillet and garnish the frittata with more fresh herbs, cheese or fresh tomatoes.

You can serve this either warm or at room temperature.  It was a simple and delicious meal, perfect with a glass of sauvignon blanc. You can make endless varieties of frittatas, and try different cheeses-- goats cheese, brie, mozzerella-- just make sure they are soft ones which melt nicely.  You can also add any number of herbs or aromatics and whatever vegetables you really like.  I also enjoy wild mushrooms, roasted red peppers and different onions like shallots or leeks.