EGGS TO START THE DAY

 

                                            Eggs to start the day

 

          Call it “perverse coincidence’, but the recent dramatic spike in egg prices just coincided with dieticians, supported by honest medical science, lifting the bane from eggs for being unhealthy due to cholesterol concerns.  Eggs are now declared the perfect source of protein, not only for building muscle but also as an easily digestible nutrient rich food. 

          Packed in the egg’s 72 calories, are high levels of choline, Vitamin D, Vitamins B2 and B12, the antioxidant selenium and Omega-3 fats, in addition of high protein. These are all important for muscle health and slowing muscle loss in older adults. A couple of eggs to start the day are likely to give your day with a boost for muscle health and nutrition.

          Any restaurant serving breakfast is likely to have fried, scrambled or even boiled eggs on the menu. The home cook can easily come up with some interesting variations on those such as dressing up the eggs with fresh salsa: chopped cherry tomatoes, diced green or yellow pepper and green or red onions mixed with a splash of flavored rice vinegar and a dash of Tabasco. 

           In the Southern part of the USA, grits are an important part of breakfast and pair well with eggs. For cooks who find mornings a slow start, grits provide an easy, quick and tasty base for presentation of eggs, though some modifications are required to overcome the bland taste of grits.

                                  Jalapeno-jack-cheese grits with egg

          This make 2 servings. Heat 2 cups of water with ½ tsp. salt to boiling and whisk in ½ cup quick cooking grits. Continue whisking on low heat for a minute and disperse any small lumps. Continue cooking for 6 additional minutes with occasional stirring. Stir in 1/3 cup shredded jalapeno-jack cheese (or sharp cheddar), stir until it melts and ladle in shallow bowls.

In the meantime, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a small pan and break 2 eggs into the melted butter. Return pan to medium heat and cook until the whites are set. Lightly sprinkle with some pepper, slide an egg on each bowl of cheese grits and serve hot.

Baked eggs in the morning can come in different forms without looking like a plain cooked egg. Popovers are delightful but sometimes tricky. Dutch baby has a similar set of ingredients and is cooked in a single heavy ovenproof pan.

                                       Dutch baby primavera

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have handy 3 oz. freshly grated sharp cheddar, 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan, 1 thinly sliced green onion, 2 tbsp. chopped dill and some baby spinach leaves. In a small bowl mix ½ cup flour with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Beat 4 eggs with 1/3 cup milk and 2 tbsp. melted butter and combine with the flour to make a smooth batter. Preheat a heavy oven safe pan in the oven for 3 minutes, remove carefully, swirl 1 tbsp. butter in pan, pour in ½ of the batter, scatter with shredded sharp cheddar, Parmesan, sliced green onion, chopped fresh dill and a pinch of small spinach leaves. Pour the rest of the batter on top and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot, cut in wedges.

Eggs do not need to be boring as I showed in a previous column of Shakshuka or Eggs in Purgatory. We will discuss more substantial meals featuring eggs, such as frittatas, omelets, soufflés, crustless quiches and tostadas in future columns             

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

MIDSUMMER

 

                                                Midsummer

           The magic of Midsummer solstice came last week together with a two-day heat wave that left most of us gasping.  It was difficult to imagine those cool dusk filled evenings portrayed in Swedish movies as young and old gather around bonfires to celebrate Midsummer or St. John’s night. The saint’s name came with Christianity to a previously pagan celebration of the arrival and fruitfulness of summer, celebrated with song, dancing, beer, cheese, herring and other savory and sweet special dishes.

          It was time to think of dinners with grilled meat, take advantage of early summer fruit and incorporate them in our meals from breakfast to desert time. Pancakes are simple and easy any day and a good pancake mix that requires only a measure of mix plus water becomes so much more, when you incorporate an egg in the batter and stir in bite size peaches before cooking. 

                                       Peach pancakes

Measure out 1 cup pancake mix and lightly beat with 1 large egg and water as per package directions, decreasing the water by 2 tblsp. per 1 cup mix. Pit a peach (no need to peel), distribute the dice evenly in the batter and fry 3-to-4-inch pancakes. Serve with or without strawberries and maple syrup or jam.  Peach pancakes might only be beaten by fresh Maine blueberries, but for that we will have to wait until late July.

                                    Steak with rice-kimchi fritters

Grill or fry in a very hot cast-iron pan, a salted and peppered 1 inch ribeye steak for 3-4 minutes on a side. Baste with Korean barbeques sauce and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute on side, remove to a platter and pour any remaining sauce on top. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and slice on diagonal.

For fritters: beat 1 large egg with 2 tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. Stir in 1 ½ -2 cups cooked rice (preferably day-old leftover). Drain 1 cup kimchi, chop the leaves and stir into the rice mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to blend and then fry fritters in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for 4 minutes to the side. Serve with dipping sauce: ¼ cup soy sauce plus 1 tbsp. white vinegar.

Serve steak with fritters, some greens and enjoy the blending of the flavors.

Each spring and early summer we savor a favorite rhubarb-cherry pie. This recipe has an interesting history since it was inspired by a Maine Public Television program that was not a cooking show. This show featured a series of garden design discussions between a woman Maine gardener and one of the curators of the Kew British Royal Gardens. Somewhere between white and night fragrant gardens the lady from Maine mentioned that she had just baked a rhubarb-cherry pie, since rhubarb was plentiful in her garden. It sounded intriguing and with a bit of second guessing I came up with my own recipe. Rhubarb need a bit of taming in a pie and many cooks accomplish this with strawberries. Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to strawberries, so discovering a combination with dried cherries saved the day.

                                                   Rhubarb-cherry pie

Wash rhubarb and cut stalks in ¾ inch lengths to make 3 and ½ cups. Roll out a ready-made pie crust for the supermarket deli case and fit in a 9-inch pie plate. Toss 1 ½ cups sugar with 3 tbsp. cornstarch and spread 1/3 over the bottom of the pastry. In a large bowl toss the rhubarb, ½ cup dried cherries with the remaining sugar mix and spread evenly in the pan. Grate 1 tsp. lemon zest over the surface and dot with 1 tblsp. butter. Cover the pie with the second crust, crimp the sides and cut some vents on top. Lightly baste the top with cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in a 450-degree preheated oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.          

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

JUICY PORK CHOPS, CITRUSY LENTILS AND PEACH MUFFINS

                Juicy pork chops, citrusy lentils and peach muffins

           The merry month of June has arrived on our calendars with graduations assuring that Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” heads all charts for the most played music of the month. Mendelsohn’s “Wedding March” probably comes in as a close second. The lilacs are finally blooming in our yard though the daily temperatures remain reticent to welcome the approach of summer and dinner is more likely to be eaten indoors.

          Pork chops make an easy dinner main course, though it requires a bit of care to keep them juicy and not overcooked to a leathery state. Bone-in thick pork chops with a good marinade, make this possible.

                                      Marinated thick pork chops

          This is a marinade useful for both pork and steak. Combine: ½ cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp. minced garlic.

          Salt and pepper two or four 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops and marinate in a plastic bag with the above sauce for 30 minutes to 24 hours.

          Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil to hot in an oven proof pan.  Remove pork chops from marinade, dust with paprika and fry in hot oil for 2 minutes to the side. If frying in batches, combine all back in the pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the chops once and continue baking for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve. Thicker pork chops will require additional time in the oven to reach the done temperature of 145 degrees.

                                                Citrusy lentils with feta

          Citrusy flavors meld well with pork, hence the citrusy lentils for serving with juicy pork chops. Rinse 1 ¼ cups gray lentils.

          Sauté 1 large, chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 diced celery stalk, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. coriander, ½ tsp. turmeric, cook for 2 minutes and then stir in 4 cups low sodium chicken broth. Bring to boil and cook on low heat for 40 minutes with occasional stirring until the lentils are soft. Add a bit more broth if the lentils become too dry. Stir in juice of ½ large lemon and grated zest of the same. Dice 4 oz. feta and stir into the mixture to blend. Serve warm with pork, chicken or sausage. Any leftovers can be diluted to taste with more broth for a tangy and delightful citrusy lentil soup.

          Peaches are just appearing in our supermarkets. If you are lucky to find juicy Georgia peaches, fresh peaches are a delight. Unfortunately, others picked too early often disappoint by not ripening to a sweet juicy state on the sideboard. Faced with 3 such recalcitrant performers I relegated them to a cooked state, supported by dried cranberries in muffins with delightfully tasty results.

                                            Peach-cranberry muffins

          Line a 6 place very large muffin pan or spray with baking spray.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

      Combine and mix 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour with 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. nutmeg and ½ tsp. salt.  In a large bowl beat 2 eggs with 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. lemon flavor, 1 tsp almond flavor and 1 cup sugar, ¾ cups milk and grated zest of ½ lemon. Stir the flour mix in the liquid and beat until just smooth. Wash and pit peaches (no need to peel them) and dice them in 1/3-inch dice. Toss peaches with 1 tsp. cornstarch and stir them and ½ cup dried cranberries in the batter. Fill batter in the lined cups. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar and slivered almonds. Bake for 35 minutes with the liners and use a toothpick to test if they are done. The time for baking will be less with smaller muffins or in a pan with baking spray instead of liners.

    You don't have to wait for poorly ripening peaches to make the muffins. Ripe peaches will have even more flavor!                      

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)