The Amazing Egg
I'm writing today's entry from home, in bed, because I've felt so absolutely ill all day. I will continue to write about food and how wonderful it is -- although today marks one of the only days in my life where is the last thing I want to think about whatsoever. I'm sure that feeling will pass soon enough.
Anyways.
The ability to cook an egg many different ways is a life skill. You can live very well with just a dozen eggs in the fridge. But no one’s saying you have to which is why I came up with a bunch of recipes that exemplifies the egg and celebrates summer veg.
I am very fortunate enough to teach a cooking class with another coworker that goes over the foundations of simple and delicious cooking, especially for those who are on a budget or don't have a strong background in cooking. The class is geared towards our other coworkers and it's free, fun, and you get to meet lots of new people over food and drinks! This month we celebrated the egg in all its glory.
It’s easy to overlook the classics that involve egg—you just may not know it yet. Old favorites like the classic Caesar discreetly highlight the egg, which is an essential ingredient in this salad dressing.
While recreating some of these classics, I also wanted to include the wonderful summer veg that keeps flooding the market. Squash, corn, California avocados, plenty of fresh herbs – all things summer to complement the simple egg.
I like to step up egg salad with caramelized summer veg that gives the dish a greater depth of flavor and sweetness. I like to ditch the romaine lettuce in a Caesar and swap it with some avocado because it just tastes better. I like to put soft-boiled eggs in my niçoise because the yolk creates a richer dressing. Lastly, I like shaved veggies in my carbonara because it lightens up a typically heavier dish.
Sacrilege or not, this is my summer spin on a few egg-y classics.
Homemade Caesar Dressing | Avocado
Makes 2 cups
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 clove garlic
1 cup grapeseed oil
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp salt
finishing salt (optional)
2-3 avocados, halved and scooped out
toss in lemon juice
1 cup croutons, homemade or store-bought
Using a food processor or blender, add the eggs in and blend until frothy and smooth. Continue to blend until eggs begin to thicken. Add the lemon juice, garlic and champagne vinegar during this process, then the mustard. While still blending, very slowly add all of the grapeseed oil. The mixture will emulsify and drastically thicken during this process. Turn off the blender and add the salt and pepper. Mix well and transfer to a container.
Place avocado halves on a serving plate and gently pour a generous amount of the dressing over halves. Add the croutons on top and season with additional finishing salt. Serve!
Soft Boiled Egg | Summer Veg Nicoise
**This is a very simple salad that requires very little effort. The ingredients are either already prepared or need very minimal prep to serve.
Serves 4
4-8 whole eggs (1-2 eggs per person)
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed then cut into 2” pieces
1 lb green beans, stems trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 lb new potatoes, cut in half
1 cup kalamata olives
2 cans albacore tuna
1 bunch tarragon, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Prepare a medium pot with 1 inch of water. Place on stove and bring to a boil. Once brought to a boil, put the heat on medium and place the eggs in the pot. Immediately place lid over the pot and let the eggs steam for 6 minutes, no longer. While the eggs are steaming, prepare a bowl of ice water to immediately transfer the eggs into. When the eggs are done, add to the ice water and let sit until ready to use.
Fill the same pot with more water and salt very well. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the asparagus and green beans together and blanch them for 45 seconds. Remove from the water without draining it and add to the ice bath along with the eggs (you may need to add more ice). Bring the reserved water back to a boil and boil the potatoes until they are fork tender.
While the potatoes are boiling, gently peel the eggs and set them aside whole. Begin to compile the salad by evenly distributing the beans, asparagus, tomatoes, olives on each plate. Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, olive oil, tarragon, salt and pepper. Once the potatoes have finished, evenly distribute them on each plate and add an egg or two atop.
When each plate is completely composed, drizzle dressing on the individual plates and serve!
Egg salad | Toast
makes around 1 1/2 quarts
1 dozen eggs
2 spring onions, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, small diced
2 ears corn, kernels removed from cob
1 small fennel bulb, small diced
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 bunch tarragon, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup tbsp Dijon mustard
1+ tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp cooking oil
Fill a large pot with water and place inside all dozen eggs. Place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and place a lid on the pot. Let the eggs cook in the hot water for 13 minutes. Once that time has elapsed, drain the eggs and add to a ice water bath. Set aside to cool for 10minutes.
While the eggs are cooking, heat a large skillet on high heat and add the cooking oil to it. Once heated through, add the celery, corn and fennel and give a quick stir. Add a generous pinch of salt and stir once more. Cook the veggies until softened and translucent—just until they begin to caramelize. Set aside to cool
Once the eggs have completely cooled, peel them under the same water so the shells remove from the flesh and they peel easily. Using a knife, potato ricer, or food processor, finely chop up the eggs until they’ve reached the size of little peas.Add them to a large mixing bowl.
To the mixing bowl add the cooled, sautéed veggies as well as the spring onions, herbs & jalapeno. No need to stir yet so the eggs don’t get over processed. Next add the remaining ingredients: mayo, paprika, pepper, vinegar, sugar, mustard and a healthy dose of salt. Gently stir the salad so everything is evenly distributed and there are no chunks of mayonnaise left. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Serve on whole wheat toast or baguette!
Summer Veg Carbonara
Serves 2-4
16oz box spaghetti
2 summer squash, julienned or shaved into ribbons
2 spring onions, cut thinly diagonally
1 lb king trumpet mushrooms, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups arugula
2 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1+ tbsp salt
extra virgin olive oil, to garnish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure to salt very well.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs,1 tbsp salt, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Mix well and set aside
Next heat a large skillet over high heat and add the butter. Once melted and sizzling, add the mushrooms and coat completely in the fat. Let the mushrooms cook and brown, five minutes, then add a generous pinch of salt. Once cooked through a few minutes more, set aside in a large bowl.
To the bowl add the spring onions, the summer squash and the arugula and set aside.
Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and let boil until the pasta is just cooked before al dente. Reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water, then thoroughly drain the noodles in a colander. Return the pasta into the pot, then add the vegetables and the egg mixture. Turn on the heat to low and quickly stir the mixture so everything gets evenly distributed. Slowly add the pasta water to loosen the noodles and create a sauce. Use just enough to create a creamy sauce and so the pasta isn’t dry and stuck together. Remove from heat and serve! Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
