Brunch | The Foodies' Kitchen

Cauliflower Hash with Fried Egg

Hi guys, I’m back! I took a much needed vacation with my hubby and am now ready to tackle the holidays. I had this post in my drafts folder, which I wanted to share with you before I left… but you know how it is with all the organizing and packing.
I made this as a side dish a few weeks ago, and I think it’s an excellent choice for a weekend brunch or to pair with some soup for a cozy dinner.

Hash is essentially a mixture of diced potatoes, vegetables, spices and sometimes meats. It’s primarily a breakfast food, you can dice up anything you can think of such as a mixture of potatoes and sweet potatoes mixed with some bacon and onions. This particular version includes cauliflower, which makes it a very tasty way to sneak in some vegetables. The original recipe has some spinach in there, so feel free to add some after step 4. Just add it to the pan, and move it around for a few minutes until they it’s wilted. You can also add some chopped bell pepper, which I think would make an excellent addition.

Cauliflower Hash with Fried Egg

Servings: approximately 4
Recipe adapted from The Curvy Carrot

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 head of cauliflower, chopped (I chopped mine into bite-sized pieces)
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice powder (if you can’t find this, substitute whatever spice you like)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup Virginia ham, chopped
3-4 red potatoes, chopped
Chives, chopped, for garnish
4 eggs

Procedure:

1. In a large sauté pan (one that you can cover with a lid), heat the olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 4-6 minutes.

3. Add the ham, cauliflower, celery, chili powder, Cajun spice, salt, pepper, and water and let cook, covered, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the red potatoes and let cook, covered, for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Top with fried eggs, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh chives.

03:51 PM
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- Brunch, cauliflower, Eggs, hash, potatoes
0

Eggs in Bread Baskets

Here’s a neat idea to serve eggs for breakfast! It works especially well when cooking for a crowd, you just fill out the bread baskets with raw eggs and pop them in the oven. You can bake up to 12 or so at a time, depending on how many fit into your baking sheets.

To empty the bread rolls to make your baskets, use a serrated knife to slice the top off, and using your fingers pinch out the inside of the bread.

The first recipe I found said to bake for 10-12 minutes, and then for another 25 minutes, which sounds like an insane amount of time for baking eggs. I found a second recipe that said to bake them for 20-25 minutes, which sounded better…but I still wasn’t sure. They came out well with this timing, but I prefer a tender yolk. Next time, I will take them out at 15 minutes, hopefully the whites will be cooked. ( I like a tender yolk, but not runny egg whites).

I made simple egg baskets, with no additional ingredients except for some dried basil and a little Tabasco. Below you will find some ideas so you can spice them up with things like bacon, herbs, veggies or cheese.

Have a happy weekend everybody!

Eggs in Bread Baskets

Yields 8 individual egg baskets
Adapted from My Recipes and Perfecting the Pairing

Ingredients:

8 crusty bread rolls
2 Tb butter, melted
heavy cream
Salt and pepper
8 eggs
Tabasco (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice off the top of each roll and scoop out the soft bread inside, leaving the sides of the roll intact. Brush the inside of each roll with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
Crack an egg or egg white on top, season with salt and pepper, add a teaspoon of cream to each and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the egg is just set. (remember to go for 15 minutes if you want a tender yolk!… start checking after 15 minutes)

Optional:

You can add assorted fillings together with the uncooked egg, such as grape tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, thyme, shredded cheese, herbed goat cheese, caramelized onions, pre-cooked breakfast potatoes, spinach, artichoke dip, deli ham, cooked sausage, crumbled bacon, onions, mushrooms, spinach, feta cheese.
Another option is to add 1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, chives and tarragon

10:51 AM
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- baskets, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Eggs
0

Apple Pie

Apple pie, the all American dessert. I recommend this recipe the next time you want to make some apple pie. The crust is light and flaky, the filling is and delicious mixture of cinnamon and sugared sliced apples. I made this a couple of weekends ago for Sunday brunch, served with whipped cream. For ths pie, I made a lattice top, instead of covering the entire pie.

Helga

Apple Pie

Recipe from The Joy of Baking
Makes 1 – 9 inch pie

Ingredients Pate Brisee (Short Crust Pastry):
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 – 120 ml) ice water

Ingredients Apple Filling:
2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) apples (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups sliced) (about 900 grams sliced)
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (15 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

Garnish:
Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Procedure:

For the Pate Brisee, in a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.
After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface.
Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.
Now for the apple Filling, In a large bowl combine the sliced apples, sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let the apples macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to three hours.
Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices).
Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have at least 1/2 cup (120 ml) of juice.
Spray a 4 cup (960 ml) heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, 6 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)
Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften and become pliable.
Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch (corn flour). Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine.
Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples.
Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices.
Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.