E.A.T Sandwiches with Sun-dried Tomato Aioli

 

E.A.T–Egg, avocado, tomato…  Three things I haven’t been able to enjoy for a while now.  I’m at the tail end of a month-long break from a chemo drug that made me lose a crazy amount of weight, and decreased my appetite and tolerance for many of the foods I love–you can imagine how hard this has been based on my clear obsession with food.  Right now, food tastes absolutely magical.  Every time I eat, I feel like I’m in some sort of kaleidoscopic hippie dream.  Whoa man, these flavors are for real!  A month ago, I got down to my lowest weight ever (not a good thing), and I keep a chipper face, because whatever the “normal” of the hour happens to be, I’m going to make it the best damn normal I can.  I’m nervous to be off the medication that has helped me so much, but all I can really worry about is right now; and right now my job is to eat, be, and enjoy the technicolor tastes of all my long lost food friends.

I eat like Van Gogh painted; crazed and unapologetic, making up for lost time.  I’m eating for my life and my health, to add some extra strength and pounds.  My soft-coated wheaten terrier has felt the inconvenience of my increased food intolerances.  She looked on eagerly as I prepared her favorite food, which she hadn’t eaten in a very long time.  Luca, today is a special day, I told her as I fried up the egg with some cracked pepper and fresh thyme.  I found some positively juicy heirloom tomatoes, and layered it all up on toast slathered with sundried tomato aioli, with buttery sliced avocado, fresh arugula, salt, pepper, the egg of course, and a drizzle of tuscan olive oil given to me for my birthday.  

I crunched through the bread, and when the combination of tomato juices, peppery olive oil, and egg yolk hit my mouth,  it got audible.  Hunched over my counter top, I mumbled expletives between bites, messily devouring in my exploded kitchen (maniacs don’t have time to clean as they go). Luca looked up at the spectacle, waiting expectantly for me to sprinkle a few bits of egg on top of the uneaten food in her dog bowl.  We both ate voraciously, and gratefully.  I don’t know what will happen when I go on my new medication.  I don’t have to care about that right now.  Right now, food is my hot crush and psychedelic escapade, and I’m going on an unapologetic magic carpet ride.

You can swap ingredients to fit your dietary needs of the moment–use gluten-free bread, or just serve it right on top of the greens like a salad.  You want some cheese?  Slap on some white cheddar, vegan cheese, or whatever will give you your technicolor egg sandwich experience.  You may customize to your heart’s desire, but promise me this: You will eat this E.A.T sandwich voraciously and unapologetically, as if rediscovering something you’ve gone years without.  Knowing that will make my day!  

E.A.T Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

This recipe can be customized as you wish, and easily scaled up.  The aioli is easier to blend when made in a larger quantity, and will keep for about a week in the fridge.  It can be used for sandwiches and wraps, or my favorite, on this rosemary tortilla española.  If you’d like to make less,  chop and smash the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and salt into a paste and mix it by hand into the mayonnaise.  It will not be as smooth or deeply colored, but will still taste delicious!

For the aioli:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayo
• 3 TB finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or sherry vinegar if you have on hand

For the sandwiches:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• leaves from a few sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly cracked pepper
• sliced tomato
• sliced avocado
• baby arugula/baby spinach mix, or your choice of greens
• 2 slices sprouted grain bread, or your favorite sandwich bread
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1. Make the aioli: Blend all aioli ingredients in an immersion blender, blender, or small food processor until smooth.  Adjust salt and pepper, and lemon juice or vinegar to taste.
2. Cook the egg: Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle a bit of salt, and pepper onto the pan, then crack the egg on top.  Sprinkle the top with the thyme, and a bit more salt and pepper.  Cook for about 4 minutes for over-easy, or 5-6 minutes for over-medium.
3. While the egg is cooking, toast the bread.  Spread the aioli on the toast, then layer the avocado, tomato on one side, and the  arugula-spinach mix on the other.  Drizzle the olive oil over the greens, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the fried egg on the bread, and serve while hot.

 

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Rosemary Tortilla Española with Watercress Sauce

I had to google myself today.  Not to see if my fame has taken over the internet.  Not to make sure the paparazzi hasn’t posted any pictures of me without makeup outside my mini mansion (ha!).  Not even because I haven’t posted in so long that I had to check on myself (glad to be back, by the way!).  I had to google myself, because I really couldn’t believe I haven’t posted this recipe yet, because it’s such a staple in our house.

The Mister and I first had a taste (or many tastes) of this dish when traveling around Spain a few years ago.   Tapas bar?  Tortilla Española.  Sandwich place?  Tortilla Española between two slices of crusty bread, with an obscene amount of mayonnaise (which I believe is Spain’s national condiment).  Dinner?  You guessed it, Tortilla Española served atop a big hunk of bread.  I think that in Spain, farmers have trained special breeds of hens to lay their eggs, harvest potatoes, and immediately turn them into Tortilla Española.

Why is this dish so good?  It’s so basic. Tortilla has nothing to do with the wraps we are used to.  Rather, it’s a Spanish Omelette, similar to a fritatta, made with thinly sliced potatoes and onions sauteed in what you’ll think is way too much olive oil, then nestled in a pillow of eggs.  Traditionally, it’s started on the stove, finished off in the oven, then the entire thing is flipped over so that the new top is spotted golden brown.

Sometimes keeping the tortilla in one piece as you flip it is iffy, depending on your pan. The method that works for me is to give it a short stint under the broiler, and to serve it right out of the pan.  I also add fresh minced rosemary as a twist on the original version.  Taking a cue from the Spaniards, I usually whip up a batch of some sort of aioli, such as garlic or sundried tomato.  This time, I was craving something with a hit of freshness, so I created a tangy, herbacious sauce from nutrient-dense watercress, which complemented the richness of the tortilla.

Tortilla Española makes a great crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch dish, but how we most enjoy it here in the Spoon house is for dinner over a crusty slice of bread, drizzled or dolloped with whatever sauce or aioli materializes out of ingredients we already have.  It comes together in less than 30 minutes, and as a bonus, can be eaten for breakfast in the morning as well.

Muy delicioso.  Now all I have to do is work on training those hens.

Rosemary Tortilla Española with Watercress Sauce

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Best International Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 10 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• watercress sauce for serving (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425˚f.  Heat the oil in a 10 inch oven-proof pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring, and scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally (the potatoes tend to stick), until the potatoes and onions are soft.

In the meantime, whisk together the eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the rosemary in a medium bowl until well combined and slightly frothy.  Add the eggs to the pan with the cooked potatoes and onions.  Gently and quickly stir and fold in the eggs to combine.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes on the stovetop, until the eggs begin to set.

Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the top is puffed and the eggs are set, about 9 minutes.  Switch the oven to broil, and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until the top is spotted golden.

Allow to cool slightly.  Either slice and serve directly from the pan, or loosen the edges with a rubber spatula, and flip the tortilla onto a serving plate.  Serve with watercress sauce.

Watercress Sauce

Is it a vinaigrette?  Is it an aioli?  Maybe on both accounts.  It’s creamier than a vinaigrette, and looser than an aioli.   Call it what you want, but what matters is that it’s packed with nutrition, and is bright and herbaceous, a perfect contrast to the richness of the Tortilla Española!

• 1 bunch watercress, upper stems and leaves only, about 1 cup packed
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Puree all ingredients using an immersion blender (or regular blender).

6:00 Asparagus with Toasted Ciabatta and Creamy Eggs

Midnight asparagus?  Who am i kidding?  Midnight is as mysterious and unfathomable as a unicorn between the months of August and May.  Perhaps I should back up a bit to say that I based this recipe on the Splendid Table’s Midnight asparagus.  Tonight, and most nights, it’s more like, “it’s 6:00 on a wed and I just got home from a meeting and a day full to the brim with bouncy spring-fevered kids” asparagus.  You other teachers out there know exactly what I’m talking about!

 

Hence, my version, 6:00 asparagus.  It comes together in a snap when you feel like eating but not cooking.  Toasted ciabatta, creamy eggs, cracked pepper, and roasty asparagus, all speared together with a piece of ciabatta to dab up the runny yolk that creates the sauce.

 

 

 

I think we all should have recipes that come together this easily to lure us, if only briefly, to the kitchen after a long day at work!

6:00 Asparagus with Toasted Ciabatta and Creamy Eggs

Adapted from the Splendid Table’s Midnight Asparagus

• 1 bunch pencil thin asparagus, about 12 oz
• 1/2 medium red onion, halved peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch wedges
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium lemon, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 eggs (or as many as you’d like to serve)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 crusty loaf bread, such as ciabatta, cut into 1 inch slices

Preheat broiler on high, and set an oven rack to the highest position.  On a rimmed nonstick baking sheet, toss together the asparagus, onion,  garlic and lemon with the olive oil.  Add a couple of generous pinches kosher salt and some grindings of black pepper to taste.  Spread everything out on the pan into a single layer.

Broil on high 4 inches from the top of the oven for about 4-5 minutes, until starting to brown and crisp-tender.  Remove from the broiler.  Push the vegetables to the sides, and crack the eggs onto the pan, wherever they will fit around the asparagus.  Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper.  Put the ciabatta into the oven to toast.  Broil the eggs and asparagus for 1-2 minutes longer, until eggs are cooked to your desired doneness (keep in mind that the eggs will continue to cook once removed from the oven. 1 minute eggs will be runny, and 2 minute eggs will be more set).  Squeeze the lemons over the asparagus.  Serve hot on the toasted ciabatta slices.

Kale, Potato, Tomato and Onion Mini-Frittatas

Frittatas are all about fancy.  I mean, dahhhling, I just whipped up a frittata.  See, doesn’t it sound extra fancy?  The best part is, it’s one of those secret weapon skills to break out when you want to serve something special that will whip up in a flash.  I’ve had many people tell me that they can’t cook without a recipe.  Dishes like this are very customizable based on what you have on hand, even if you’re not a habitual improviser.

 

The process, in a nutshell, is to mix up your egg base, saute and cool the other ingredients, mix together, then bake.  Sure, you could make a big frittata, but these little guys are perfect for grab-and-go breakfasts on the run, or serving at a brunch or baby shower, no serving utensils needed.

This particular frittata is chock-full of veggies and contains some of my favorite breakfast ingredients–sauteed onion, kale, potato, and cherry tomatoes.  Although you could add dairy, I promise, the recipe doesn’t need it.  The nutritional yeast gives these little guys the rounded out, rich flavor that dairy offers, in a healthier way.  The mister and I have been known to whip up frittatas for any meal of the day, including dinner on nights that we are tired and at a loss for what to make.

 

A sum up of lessons learned today:

1. Frittata.  Just say it.  Ooh, you’re so fancy!
2. I can make frittatas in muffin cups faster than deciding on where to eat out
3. These look good.  I’m gonna make ‘em.  Then, I’m gonna go rogue with all sorts of crazy combinations.  Oh snap.

I’d love to read your comments on any favorite ingredient combination ideas! 

Here are some of mine…

Green hatch chiles+potato+diced tomato+onion+queso fresco+chorizo

Spinach+mushroom+turkey sausage (or vegetarian sausage)

Tomatoes+oregano+onion+crushed red pepper+mushroom (pizza frittata!)

 

Kale, Cherry Tomato, Potato and Onion Mini-Frittatas

Makes 10 muffin-sized frittatas

Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full, and don’t be overly concerned if the frittatas bubble up over the sides of the muffin tins.  The scraggly edges of the eggs can be easily tucked down around the frittatas using a butter knife.  

For the Vegetables:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes (or chopped if large)

1 medium yukon gold potato (about 4 oz), peeled, quartered and sliced into 1/8 inch thick triangles

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chopped dino kale leaves (about one bunch–don’t include the tough lower stems)

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

For the egg base:

8 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast*

Coconut oil, olive oil, or butter for greasing the muffin tins (or paper muffin cups)

1) Preheat oven to 375˚F.  Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the onions, potatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and saute until soft but not falling apart, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, and saute 30 seconds more.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 minutes until softened.  Add the chopped kale and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Cook for a couple minutes longer, until the kale is wilted.  Sprinkle in the lemon juice and add pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool to lukewarm before incorporating into the eggs.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, almond milk, 3/4 teaspoons salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast until the mixture lightens in color and appears frothy on top.  Stir in the cooled vegetable mixture.

3) Spoon the egg mixture into well-greased muffin tins (a scant 1/3 cup per tin).  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the eggs are set.  Switch oven to broil, and cook the frittatas on the top rack for 1-2 minutes to brown the tops if desired.  Best served warm.

*Nutritional yeast can be bought in bulk in health food stores such as Whole Foods

Quick Bite: Pan con Tomate

You know those days where you forget to set your alarm clock, and when you get out of bed and hour late, your hair is sleep-sculpted into a style reminiscent to Flock of Seagulls?  Then, you can’t find your keys, and when you finally do, you’re running out the door wearing only one earring and stuffing a piece of raw toast (aka: bread) into your mouth?  Well, due to some fun reasons (Amsterdam, anyone?), and some frazzling reasons, this has been a month where I’ve felt like the treadmill is one speed too fast.  So, I’m happy to be back here, cooking and writing in one of my favorite places, with some of my favorite people (you!).

In order to get back into the swing of things, I wanted to share a quick bite with you. The Mister and I first discovered pan con tomate on our trip to Spain last year.  Our bus, from Madrid to Granada, had taken a pitstop in the countryside.  The service station there housed a long, diner-like counter.  The man behind the counter brewed espresso, and fixed quick bites for the travelers to eat.  I watched a girl, sitting at one of the rickety tables in the seating area, pour what looked like fresh crushed tomatoes from a syrup pitcher onto a piece of toasted crusty bread.  She drizzled olive oil over top and sprinkled it with salt.  I jabbed the Mister.  I want that.  That’s what I want!  We saw “Pan con Tomate” written in chalk on the menu board and ordered.

The Mister and I doctored up our bread like we saw the locals do, and crunched into our first bites. I couldn’t believe how simultaneously sweet, tangy and earthy the combination of the tomatoes were when drizzled with good olive oil.  In Spain, pan con tomate is served for breakfast, lunch and as an afternoon snack to hold you over until dinnertime, which is usually quite late by American standards.  Pan con tomate soon became my breakfast of choice.

Now’s the time of year when the tomatoes on my 16 massive plants are ready to harvest.  When I harvested a “Mortgage Lifter” tomato last week that weighed in at a pound, its destiny was already chosen.  I may be running around like the pigeon lady muttering to-do lists, with two unmatched socks, but at least I can rest assured that when I come home, during these early-autumn harvest days, simple soul-satisfying food is just steps away.

 Pan Con Tomate:

Makes 2 main course servings, or 4 side/snack size servings

• 1 crusty baguette, halved lengthwise
• 1 large, ripe beefsteak type tomato (about 1 pound), halved
• good quality olive oil, for drizzling
• sea salt or kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Slice the tomato in half, and grate with the large holes of a box grater, discarding most of the skin.

Cut the baguette halves into serving-size pieces (2 or 3 pieces each half).  Bake the baguette slices in the oven for 4-6 minutes until lightly toasted.  Rub the cloves of garlic on the bread.  Drizzle olive oil onto the bread, then spoon the grated tomato onto the bread.  Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.