Eggs in Cocotte with Leeks

Don't let the fancy-sounding name fool you. This is a very easy dish to prepare and only has a few ingredients. You just cook leeks, put them in a ramekin, and then crack eggs over them and bake the whole thing in the oven.

If you don't have ramekins, I think you could just make this dish in a pan on your stove. You could cook the leeks in butter on the stove, crack eggs over the cooked leeks, cover and cook until the eggs are done the way you like them. Though, I have to say, the ramekins make a nice presentation. I'm not a big proponent of buying all kinds of kitchen equipment; but, I think ramekins are a nice investment. They are inexpensive and they make this dish and even a simple chocolate pudding look dressed up.

I think that it is a shame that most people think of eggs as a breakfast food. This egg dish (and many others) makes a great dinner. I served the eggs with some rainbow chard that I sauteed with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flake; and, some pan roasted potatoes.

I got this dish from The Silver Spoon Cookbook. This cookbook is a classic in Italy; and, a bit overwhelming (there are 1200 pages). But, it is full of good and simple recipes like this one.

Eggs En Cocotte with Leeks

Ingredients:

1 pound of leeks, washed and trimmed

1/4 cup of butter

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Halve the leeks lengthwise, then slice them very thinly. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Stir well and add 3 tablespoons warm water, then cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease four ramekins with butter. Divide leeks among the ramekins, break an egg into each dish and bake for 8-10 minutes depending on how well done you like your eggs.

Turnip and Tomato Curry

If a beet, a radish, and a potato had a baby it would be a turnip. This root vegetable is sweet, spicy and starchy. It adds texture, flavor, and meatiness to any dish. Sadly, the turnip suffers from its association with Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit. We all picture Peter with that turnip in his mouth running from Farmer McGregor. Yuck! Well, I ask you dear reader to give this neglected vegetable a chance.

This curry is very simple and doesn't have a ton of ingredients which makes it good for a quick weeknight meal.

The garlic, ginger, onion and spices will make your kitchen smell delicious. The spices and aromatics combine nicely with the roasted tomatoes, turnips, and potatoes.

To finish, sprinkle a bit of cilantro on top and serve the curry on a bed of basmati rice. Delicious! I promise you this dish will make you reconsider the turnip.

Turnip and Tomato Curry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh green garlic, finely chopped (regular garlic is fine, also)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 14 ounce can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Whole Tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons curry powder

2/3 cup water

1 1/2 cups fresh turnips, peeled and diced

1/2 cup of potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

salt to taste

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until golden. Add ginger and green garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Sprinkle the ground cumin, coriander, and curry powder over the onions and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in tomatoes, the turmeric and water. Stir to thoroughly combine. Add the turnips and potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, and then bring down to a simmer. Cook until the turnips and potatoes are soft (about 30-40 minutes). Sprinkle with sugar and salt to taste. Stir in cilantro. Enjoy!