THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG

 

The Chicken and the Egg

           Eggs and chicken these days are almost staples in a well-stocked modern-day kitchen. Even though in 1928 “a chicken for every pot” became a by-word in the presidential political debate, this concept as a symbol of being well fed goes back to Henry IV of France who in 16^th century said: ”I want there to be no peasant in my realm so poor that he will not have a chicken in his pot every Sunday.”

          History aside, both chicken and eggs are thrifty ingredients for meals and as such are often treated in a cavalier manner by the cook, assuming the same old familiar recipes will do. With the advent of fall, it might be tempting to improvise with these ingredients to present them in a slightly different and appetizing form.  

                                     Southwestern Breakfast Frittata

          Relaxed weekend breakfasts are a treat at our house, a leftover behavior from the days when both my husband and I spent our time in academic teaching and research. A hearty breakfast usually requires eggs in some form or another, so here is a recipe with a Southwestern flavor.

1)    Beat 4 eggs with 2-3 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and a dash of cayenne.

2)    Dice: 1 seeded frying pepper (or ½ of a green or red pepper), 2 tablespoons onion and 3 inch piece of chorizo.

3)    Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pan and sauté the vegetables and chorizo for 4 minutes on medium heat.

4)    Stir in the eggs and lightly keep turning over with a spatula until the eggs are done.

5)    Divide the eggs between two plates in an elongated mound. Place a band of salsa or ketchup and hot sauce crosswise.

6)    Garnish with a couple of slices of tomato on the side and basil or parsley.

7)    Serve with tacos or buttered English muffin.

Unless you are making roast chicken or just chicken wings, the choice becomes  whether to select and cook chicken breast (white meat) or chicken legs (dark meat). The legs are more succulent, but the breast, especially without skin, is lower in calories. Unfortunately, skinless chicken breast when overcooked can taste like cardboard unless you cook quickly with a lot of oil or butter. Here is one of my favorite chicken recipes that tries to balance the calorie count with moisture and taste.

          Chicken with Sun-dried Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

1)    Select two small chicken breasts or cut a very large one in half. For lower calorie count use skinless breasts. Pat dry and salt and pepper on both sides.

2)    Wipe clean and slice 4-5 fresh white mushrooms, chop 3 tablespoons onion, thinly slice 5-6 dry and moist sun-dried tomatoes and mince 2 large garlic cloves.

3)    Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat (not smoking) in a pan and brown chicken on both sides, turning once for total of 6-7 minutes and set aside on a plate, even though it will not be cooked through.

4)    Add the chopped vegetables, 1 teaspoon basil and 1/8  teaspoon hot pepper flakes to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup dry white wine and scrape up brown bits from the pan for 1 minute. Stir in ¾ cups chicken broth and heat to boiling.

5)    Lower heat to simmer and add in the chicken and any juices from the plate. Simmer covered 4-5 minutes.

6)    Remove chicken pieces to the serving dish and stir in ¼ cup cream. Heat to just below boiling and pour over the chicken. Garnish with fresh basil leaves or a bit of chopped parsley. Good served with fettucine pasta, rice or boiled potatoes.

As the time approaches for our November elections, if anyone gets a bit weary of the repetition in political discussions and arguments, an easy way to change the topic is the question: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’. That argument has gone on for centuries.

(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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

SWEET AND SAVORY SCONES

 

Sweet and Savory Scones

 The frost is not yet close enough to the pumpkin, but we are noticeably approaching the Fall equinox, with shorter and cooler days. Spending some time in the kitchen and baking suddenly becomes more appealing. One of the quickest, easiest and delightful home baked items are scones.

If you ever perused historical stories or novels set in the British Isles you must have noticed the protagonists setting down to tea at every opportunity, invariably accompanied by scones, preferably served with clotted cream and jam. It didn’t hurt to have a good cook able to come up with fresh ones on short notice.

While scones originated in Scotland probably before 1700’s, today we can find them world-wide in various forms. Purists argue the differences between biscuits and scones on basis of flakiness and density. The main argument seems to be based on the  presence or absence of an egg in scones. Having made them both ways, I find that an egg makes the scones heavier. Accurate measures of flour and light handling seem to be the trick to achieving both crumbly and light scones good with a warm beverage any time of the day.

Most familiar scones are sweet and can be made with dried fruit or nuts. Traditional scones were made with buttermilk, but they can be also made with milk. They can be made in rounds, squares or wedges, but must be baked in a well pre-heated oven. The recipes here use a food processor for cutting butter in the flour mixture, but you can also sift together the dry ingredients and cut the butter in separately, before adding currants and the liquid.

                             Lemon-Currant Scones.

1)   Whisk together in a food processor: 3 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt..

2)   Add 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut in ½ inch pieces and pulse until mixture is in pea sized lumps. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

3)   Toss 2/3 cups dried currants in the flour mixture. If currants are very dry, steam them for 2 minutes and toss with 2 teaspoons flour before adding to the rest of the flour mix.

4)   In a small bowl combine 1 cup buttermilk with grated zest from a lemon and ½ teaspoon lemon flavoring.

5)   Slowly stir buttermilk mixture in the flour mix stirring with a fork. When mixed knead about 6 times until the mixture holds together and turn out on a floured surface.

6)   Shape dough together without excess kneading, divide in half and flatten each half in a 1 inch thick round on a parchment lined cookie pan. Cut each round in 6 wedges, brush with a bit more buttermilk and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

7)   Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and separate the wedges on the pan while still warm. Server warm or at room temperature.

In the days before the rogue virus ate our social scene and we would see friends  for dinner, I liked to take scones to my host or hostess for their next morning’s breakfast. For anyone liking a savory breakfast, here is a savory recipe for breakfast in a scone:  oatmeal, bacon, bread, cheese and scallion for color.

                   Bacon, Cheese and Oatmeal Scones

1)   Fry 2 thick slices of bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble. Shred sharp cheddar to 2/3 cup. Finely slice green part of 2 scallions.

2)   In a food processor combine: 1 cup old fashioned oats, 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons sugar and pulse 15 times.

3)   Add ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cut in ½ inch slices and pulse until incorporated to pea size. Transfer to a large bowl.

4)   Toss bacon, cheese and scallion in the flour mixture.

5)   Slowly stir ¾ cups buttermilk in the flour mix with a fork. When mixed, knead 6 times and turn out on a floured surface.

6)   Shape dough together without excess kneading, divide in half and flatten each half in a 1 inch thick round on a parchment lined cookie pan. Cut each round in 6 wedges, brush with a bit more buttermilk and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

7)   Bake18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and separate the wedges on the pan while still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.

For a proper Cream Tea one requires scones, jam and clotted cream. I’m willing to forego the clotted cream, since is not readily available here and requires tedious 20+ hours of preparation. Still, scones are a delight for breakfast, lunch or as a snack with butter and or jam! 

 (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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

REDISCOVERING LEEKS

 

Rediscovering Leeks

           Leeks may be one of the national emblems of Wales, but only in the last few years we find them common in stores and farmers markets in Maine. A bunch of leeks with their fat round stalks and green strong flat leaves make for a tempting source of delicious and distinctive servings for your table.

          Leeks are a mild tasting vegetable from the Allium family of plants which include onions, garlic and shallots. They were part of the Egyptian diet as long as 4,000 years ago and the Romans considered them a delicacy. Taters and leeks have been common staples for centuries in the British isles, some with intriguing names like the Scottish cock-a-leekie soup.

For cooking, only the white and pale green tight portions of the plant are used, discarding the loose green leaves. A leek must be trimmed not only at the root end, but also split lengthwise to remove any hidden soil, since those plump stalks tend to retain soil between the leaves close to the white part. Properly trimmed leeks sliced can add to salads and serve as a flavorful main ingredient in this delicious soup.

                                                      Leek and Potato Soup

Trim and split 4 fat leeks and rinse to remove traces of dirt. Cut in ½ inch slices, there should be 4 cups. Wash 2 large stalks of celery and cut in ½ inch slices. Peel and cut 4 large potatoes in medium cubes.

1)      Sauté the leeks, celery and 1 small chopped onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot for 5 minutes without allowing to brown.

2)      Add to the pot: 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth 3 cups water, the potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper.

3)      Bring to boil and cook for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

4)      Purée in a blender with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar.  Adjust volume with water as needed to make a very thick soup.

5)      Return soup to pot to heat and stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream. Do not boil.

6)      Serve garnished with chopped chives. Optional: sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

A wonderful luncheon or light supper main course is the following leek pie. The subtle flavor of leeks is well complemented by the tartness of tomatoes and cheese.

                                         Leek and Tomato Pie

Trim, split and clean 2 fat leeks and cut in ½ inch slices. Prepare and set aside ½ cup cubed Swiss or Fontina cheese and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese.

1)    Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2)    Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry and bake 5 minutes.

3)    In a pan sauté the leeks in 1 tablespoon butter for 10 minutes on low heat not allowing to brown. Stir in 1 chopped garlic clove and sauté for an additional minute.

4)    Layer leeks in the baked pastry. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan. Spread ¼ cup julienned sundried tomatoes on top and 1 tablespoon sliced fresh basil leaves.

5)    In a small bowl combine 1 ½  cup creamed cottage cheese with 4 beaten eggs, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the cheeses.

6)    Slice a tomato in very thin slices and layer in a single layer over the pie. Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.

7)    Bake pie 15 minutes at 450 degrees, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until puffed and a knife inserted in the middle comes clean.

8)    Serve warm or cool with scattered fresh basil leaves on top.

 Discoveries by definition are bound to be interesting. The pleasant ones can be exciting, eye opening and fun. For the cook, they have an additional bonus – they are deliciously edible!

 (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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)