moroccan baked eggs

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  4

ingredients:
1/2  cup olive oil
1 large onion - diced
4 large garlic cloves - peeled and minced
1 pound merguez sausage
1 tablespoon ras el hanout
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon harissa
2 15-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
4 eggs
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

steps:
1.  heat some oilve oil in a large pan over medium heat.  add the onion and stir until they start to brown.  add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.  add the sausage and saute for about 3 minutes, careful not to overcook the sausage.

2.  add the ras el hanout, paprika, and salt and stir to slightly "toast" them.  add the tomatoes and harissa and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. 

3.  create a little "bed" for each of the eggs and carefully crack the eggs over the mixture, then cover and cook on medium-low until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. 

4.  using a deep spoon, carefully lift the eggs into warmed bowls, along with the tomato mixture.  aprinkle with cilantro and goat cheese.

notes:  chorizo can be substituted for the merguez sausage. 

- coco + kelley

spanish asparagus revuelto

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  4 - 6

ingredients:
olive oil
2 peeled garlic cloves + 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups bread cubes - cut in 1/2-inch cubes
salt
pepper
2 ounces diced spanish chorizo
1 bunch thin asparagus - cut in 1 - 2-inch lengths
1 bunch green onions - chopped
8 large eggs - beaten
1/2 teaspoon pimeton
2 tablespoons roughly chopped italian parsley

steps:
1.  put 3 tablespoon olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  add peeled garlic cloves and let them sizzle until lightly browned, then remove.  add bread cubes, season with salt and pepper, lower heat to medium and gently fry until lightly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes.  remove bread and set aside to cool.

2.  add chorizo and fry lightly.  add asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until cooked through but firm, 3 - 4 minutes.  add green onion and minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3.  season eggs with salt, pepper and pimenton.  pour into pan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, just until soft and creamy, 2 - 3 minutes.  add parsley and serve immediately, topped with the fried bread cubes.

- new york times, april 2014

scallops with white bean puree, kale & pinenuts

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings: 6

white bean ingredients: makes 2-3 cups

1 cup dried white beans
1/4 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves - crushed
1 medium spanish onion diced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt

topping ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

kale & scallops ingredients:
1 bunch tuscan kale (3/4 pound) - ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped
1/4 cup shallots
24 large sea scallops (about 2 pounds) - tough muscle removed
1/2 pound chorizo - cut on the bias into 1/8 inch slices (optional)
2 cups white bean puree (recipe follows)

white bean puree steps:

1. place the beans in a large bowl and cover with room temperature water by 2 inches. soak at room temperature overnight.

2. drain the beans and add them to a medium saucepan or dutch oven with the olive oil, garlic, onion, bay leaf, and salt. cover with water by 3 inches (you can also use veggie stock for more flavor) and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.

3. remove the bay leaf, drain the beans, and reserve the cooking liquid. puree the beans in a food processor with 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid (you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your machine). the puree should be the consistency of a thick milkshake. taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as necessary. (can be make 1 - 2 days in advance).

topping steps:
1.  in a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. add the shallots and cook until soft, 2 - 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and add the pine nuts, lemon zest, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and thyme. cook for 2 - 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool at room temperature. (Can be made hours in advance).

kale & scallops steps:
1.  fill a medium saucepan or dutch oven with salted water and bring to a boil. blanch the kale for 2 minutes, drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water until cool. squeeze out any extra moisture, and set aside.

2.  add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan and set it over medium heat. sauté the shallots until translucent, 2 - 3 minutes. add the kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until heated through. season with salt and pepper, set aside. (Can be made hours in advance).

3.  about 10 minutes before service, make the scallops.  heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large cast iron skillet or sauté pan over high heat. pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. when the oil is hot, but not smoking, and the butter is frothy but not beginning to brown, add the scallops. sear without touching for 2 minutes, until golden brown. flip them and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes, until the sides have become nearly opaque. remove to a plate.

4.  add the chorizo, if using, to the pan and heat through for 1 - 2 minutes.

5.  spread 1/4 - 1/2 cup of warm white bean puree on each plate.  place 4 scallops on top, arrange the kale between the scallops, and top them with the pine nut topping and slices of warm chorizo.

- adapted from the new brooklyn cookbook/saul restaurant by way of the huffington post

christmas chorizo rollups

prep time:  48 hours
cook time:  40-50 minutes
servings:  4

ingredients:
1 pound flake steaks
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup oil
3 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound chorizo sausage

prep steps:
1.  dry the flank steaks and slice into 2-inch wide strips about 6-inches long.

2.  measure the vinegar, oil, garlic, cilantro and pepper into a resealable plastic bag.  add the steaks, seal the bag and shake to coat.  marinate in the refrigerator 48 hours.

cook steps:
1.  preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  remove the steaks from the marinade.  save the marinade.

2.  in a lightly oiled roasting pan, assemble the rollups.  lay out each strip of flank steak, spread the sausage over each, then fold and clasp together with toothpicks.  stand the rollup upright in the pan.

3.  roast 40-50 minutes until the sausage registers 160 degrees. 

4.  as the steaks near finishing, take 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings, pour them into a small saucepan and add the marinade.  bring the sauce to a low boil over high heat, lover the heat to a simmer and simmer 4 minutes. 

5.  serve the rollups hot with pan juices poured over the top.

- slice of the wild, 2009