We all have our go-to meals. For me, sometimes it’s pasta, often it’s soup, more often than not, it’s eggs.
Remember last week when I wrote about lentils? I had a great idea to top sweet potatoes with them.
I also had a ton of lentils leftover.
I thought that those leftovers would be great topped with a fried egg and some dill.
I was right.
I’m kinda obsessed with dill right now. I’m not sure why. Maybe because up until a year or so ago I didn’t think I liked it. I guess it was one of those tastes that I didn’t like as a kid and had never really found a way to enjoy as a grownup. Until my friend, Christy, introduced me to it, in some of the foods she made.
Now I want to eat it in all the things. (I’ll have a Winter Salad for you soon that also uses dill… Can’t stop won’t stop.)
Back to the eggs again for a sec. The reason they’re such a go-to for me: they can be made into so many different things, in no time at all. Treats like, French Toast Stuffed with Fresh Fruit and Basil, End of the Week Pasta topped with a fried egg, scrambled into some summer squash to make Squash ‘n Eggs. And never mind all the wonders they can do to baking, or the fact that they make things like Chicken Pot Pie look so amazing when they’re used. They’re one of my best kitchen friends.
This meal is a great example of one of my favorite types of meals. Effortless, nutritious, delicious.
Simple foods.
This dish takes humble ingredients, lentils, eggs, lemon, and dill, and really lets them shine.
I will definitely be eating this again soon. Maybe for dinner tonight.
Today is one of those fall days where it actually feels like fall. I’m wearing jeans and a sweater and am totally comfortable.
I’m also going through the photos that I took of the Chicken Pot Pie that I made the other week and drooling. We ate the leftovers for dinner last night, otherwise I’d probably be heating them up for lunch right now.
So that’s a little bit about my life.
Fall weather and Chicken Pot Pie make me happy.
So do things like my dog’s whiskers, the way the sky can turn such brilliant shades of orange and pink after the sun’s gone down, and a good Skype conversation with my dad.
I have to tell you, this particular Chicken Pot Pie recipe is one of my favorites. After tasting the sauce I yelled, “Oh my gosh!”, to no one but myself. So, I just had to share it with you.
It’s a simple pie with humble ingredients. I make this often enough, and use what I have on hand. So it can range from things like carrots, potatoes, and celery, to parsnips, squash, and peas. It feels like the kind of meal that’s been made for years and years and years, by people who at the end of the day, just want something nourishing and delicious to fill their bellies.
This meal fits that exactly.
A couple of weeks ago I roasted some chicken. The leftovers and pan drippings were frozen. Saved just for this meal. The bones went into the freezer, for the next time I need to make stock. I defrosted the chicken in the fridge overnight and then shredded it and dropped it into the cooked veggies.
I usually use chicken stock for this dish. But, this time I had pan drippings. You can tell the difference by the jiggliness of it. The pan drippings jiggle, while stock is more liquid. The fat will rise to the top of both. I like to scrape it off (and give it to the dog as a treat).
For this type of dish, I find it a little bit easier to just whisk the thickening agent (flour or cornstarch) together with some of the liquids, and add it to the pan. It thickens nicely once it boils. A traditional roux can be made instead (you know, where you heat some fat, then add an equal amount of flour and cook for about 30-60 seconds, then whisk in the stock and let it thicken), if you prefer.
After it boils and thickens, the milk is added. I don’t like it when the sauce breaks, so I like to leave the milk out until the end. Then heat it ever so gently, just until steam rises.
Once the seasoning is checked, the skillet is set on a baking sheet (in case of overflow – I’d rather clean that than the inside of the oven).
Pie crust is rolled out. I used Alana’s recipe (from her cookbook). I tried to work quickly, but since the skillet and filling were both so hot, it got a little soft. It didn’t seem to matter in the end though.
The crust is brushed with egg and sprinkled with some of the sea salt that we brought back from Paris. Just because it feels fancy and I like the crunch.
And then it bakes and bakes and suddenly it’s done and the air smells like so much goodness that I almost can’t contain myself. I want to devour the entire pie before it’s cooled and before my friend arrives for lunch.
But, I don’t. I restrain myself. I eat a normal sized portion and don’t even yell about how good it is in the middle of our conversation (although she did interrupt us to ask about the pie crust). I like when things get interrupted because something is just too good to keep quiet about.
2 small potatoes (or combination of 1-1 1/2 C potato, radish, turnip, or rutabaga), chopped
1 small sweet potato (or 1 C peeled acorn or butternut squash), chopped
1 small onion (or 2 shallots), chopped
2 stalks celery (or 1 fennel bulb), chopped
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1 t fresh rosemary (or thyme), chopped
1 small summer squash, (or 1/2 C cauliflower or peas), chopped
1-2 C chicken, cooked and shredded
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 C chicken (or vegetable) stock or chicken pan drippings
2 T all purpose flour (or 1 T cornstarch)
1/2 C cold water
1/2 C milk
1 pie crust
1 egg, beaten
coarse sea salt
lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Heat an oven proof skillet. Add oil. When oil is hot, add carrot through rosemary. Cook covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add summer squash and chicken and cook for about 3-5 minutes more, or until veggies are tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Whisk stock or pan drippings with flour and water. Add to the skillet, turn the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Let it thicken for about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, turn heat to medium-low, and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until steam rises, but do not boil. Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set on a baking sheet.
Roll out pie crust. Top the filling with the crust (careful, the skillet is hot!). Make a few air vents with a sharp knife. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt. Bake for 22-30 minutes, or until crust is browned and flaky.
We took a sick day a while back. But, we still needed to eat. I was going to make this quick salad and head back to bed. I felt a cold coming on and had done something to my back. So I was enjoying many many episodes of Gilmore Girls.
The tough thing about working from home and working as a food blogger is that every meal that is deemed good enough for the blog has to have photographs. It takes a lot of effort to stop working. It takes a lot of self control to force myself to just focus on dinner and not wonder whether or not I’m making a mistake by not photographing or writing it down.
Sometimes I’m glad when the sauce breaks.
One of my go-to easy meals to make for a sick day, or to take to a potluck (that hopefully doesn’t fall on the same day), is a quinoa salad. This one is full of veggies and protein. Just what we needed to give us a little lift when we weren’t feeling our best.
A veggie that will add both flavor and color is corn. Corn season is in full swing, so I’m using it in just about everything I can think of. Cutting corn off the cob when it’s not going to be used right away is a good idea, since the sugars turn into starch after a few days, making it less sweet. Corn that you’re not going to use can be frozen raw, for another time.
Collard greens, kale, or chard are cut chiffonade-style (thin ribbons). They add extra nutrients to this already healthy dish.
My in-laws went to Nazareth last year and brought me back some saffron. I’d never used it before and it was fun to experiment with in this dish. If you don’t want to use saffron, feel free to leave it out. If you want to use it, just a pinch will do.
The dressing is made up of some of my favorite things: lemon, honey, olive oil, and garlic.
I like a bit of feta in a salad like this. If you wanted to make this a vegan salad, omit the feta and honey and use your favorite vegan cheese and some maple syrup instead. For added protein (quinoa has lots too) I added garbanzo beans (chick peas).
There are plenty of fresh herbs, lots of cucumber and squash, and kalamata olives (for those of us that like them – Tim does not, but I love them).
I served this simple meal with some nectarines and plums, and a slice of lemon to squeeze over top.
There were leftovers, so a day or two later we had the same thing for lunch, topped with a fried egg.
My favorite way to fry eggs is covered over pretty low heat. Cracking the eggs into a bowl before adding them to the pan will allow any shells to be removed without scorching your finger on the bottom of the hot skillet.
Serve the salad cold, topped with a hot egg.
Perfection.
If you’re good at poaching eggs, those would be great on top too. One of my summer goals is to learn how to make Eggs Benedict, so hopefully my poaching skills will improve slightly. However, I’ve been distracted by our lovely front yard and the beautiful weather and haven’t done much learning.
I think we have about three more months of summer here in L.A., so I’ve got time.
We’ve all been there. I know I have. I seem to have a problem cooking for two (or, let’s be honest, however many I’m cooking for) and we always end up with leftovers.
Good. I don’t mind.
There’s something so satisfying about making yesterday’s dinner into a totally new creation.
Are you with me? Or are you squinching up your nose in disgust?
Let me convince you with a few ideas for what to do with some of the meals you might be preparing right now, with our in season produce.
So now dinner’s over and they’re sitting in your freezer, turning into a solid brick of unrecognizable something, waiting for inspiration to hit.
Right?
Well, do you have eggs? Milk? Cheese maybe? Salt and pepper? Of course you have salt and pepper…. This is gon’ be easy. We’re making a frittata.
You could add more veggies. You could chop up some fresh veggies too, saute them for a few minutes first, then the softness will be on par with the already cooked ones. Same deal with the Massaged Kale Salad that you have leftover (you’ve tried this, right?!). Basically, we’re making a Spring Frittata. Don’t forget the spring herbs are bursting with flavor right now, so add them liberally to the frittata, before you pop it into the oven and when you’re serving.
If you’re not in the mood for a frittata, that’s cool. You could take all of the same containers of leftovers and toss them with some vegetable stock and make a soup. Add the herbs too. Done. There’s dinner. (Or toss the asparagus and radishes with some pasta or rice, chop up some leftover chicken and you’ve got a great one dish dinner.)
Next, let’s talk about those Radish and Feta Toasts that I made a while ago. I hope that you took my advice and served the leftovers wrapped up in a tortilla (or a pita, hello!). I think I ate this two days in a row. I couldn’t get enough.
Maybe you made some Summer Chili, but don’t want to eat it the exact same way a second or third time. I mean, I’m almost always in the mood for chili, especially if there’s cornbread. Buuuut then one day I plomped the chili onto some Crispy Potatoes (also leftovers – re-heat in the toaster oven in tin foil until hot) and magic happened (uh, not for real, but it seemed like magic). It became Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese.
Also, this Summer Chili, one of my all-time favorites. So good so good soooo gooooood.
You could also use the leftover chili on some of these Twice Baked Potatoes – mix it in, or just add it after they’re baked. You could also chop up the leftover potatoes and add some veggie stock and make soup.
My answer to leftovers is almost always to make soup. But, I’ve branched out for your sake. Do you like soup as much as I do? You don’t have to answer that.
There are enough meals here to feed you for a week.
You might have leftovers of your reinvented meals… it happens.
When I have a lot of produce to use up, I usually make soup. But, another great way to get those veggies into a dish: FRITTATA!!
I like to change things up sometimes, and have breakfast-y foods for dinner. Last night we had this super frittata with some roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower, that were drizzled with honey… mmm mmmmm… let’s not get distracted here, we’re all about the frittata right now… ooh, but you could add brussels and cauliflower to it too!
Back to what I was saying. Ahem… I like breakfast for dinner. It’s fun. It’s different. It’s easy.
Easy go-to’s are pancakes, french toast, bacon and eggs. You know, the usual. Sometimes I forget about the simple frittata.
It’s not an omelet, because there’s no flipping. It’s not a quiche, because there’s no crust. What it is: simple deliciousness.
Veggies are sautéed. I chose seasonal produce, so used broccoli, black spanish radish, spinach, onion, garlic, and potato. I also used some not in season tomato, and some mushrooms. You could use whatever veggies you think would taste good together and with eggs.
Make it a mix and match kinda dish.
Just broccoli and spinach would be great, if you want to simplify. Once the spring veggies are here, asparagus could be substituted for broccoli. Kale, chard, collards, or mustard greens could be used instead of the spinach. Any kind of radish would be great.
Let’s get creative!
My favorite eggs around are from Burroughs Family Farms. Thick brown shells and golden yolks. Best best best.
Almond milk is added. You can use whatever kind of milk you prefer. And if you don’t want to use milk, water will work just fine too.
Basil is cut into thin ribbons, or a chiffonade. If you don’t want to do this, chop chop chop it up.
This frittata is full of veggies that are held together by some eggy goodness. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Leftovers can be halved and eaten on toast with some cheese, or frozen for another week.
If you hate leftovers, invite some friends over and share a meal. You could serve the Winter Frittata with some crostini topped with Parmesan cheese and honey, some slices of ripe melon, and some crispy bacon (if you’re so inclined).
Happy Eating!
Winter Frittata
Recipe Type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian, Vegetables, Quick and Easy
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 C broccoli, roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 C radish, grated
6 mushrooms, roughly chopped
1-2 C potatoes, cooked* and cubed (I used leftovers)
fresh basil, chiffonade-style or chopped, for topping
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Heat an ovenproof skillet. When it’s hot, add oil. (*If using raw potatoes cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, until they are fork tender, then proceed with next steps.) When oil is hot add onion through mushrooms and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add potatoes through thyme and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add vinegar, tomato, and greens and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Whisk eggs and milk together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour eggs into skillet and stir. Cook for a minute or two, stir again, and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until eggs are beginning to set.
Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until eggs are set and have come to an internal temperature of 160F.
