Eggs — The Protean Protein
by Tom Herndon
Eggs are astonishingly verstile. Not only can they be prepared in different ways alone (fried, poached, soft-boiled, etc.), they also offer a rich but neutral backdrop for endless varieties of herbs, spices, meats, and vegetables.
Quiche
8 servings
Quiche is another one of those ‘blank slates’ onto which you can be creative, and are therefore great for using leftover meats and vegetables. Through the use of fresh or dried herbs and spices you can pay a visit to France (nicoise olives, sundried tomatoes, tuna), or Morocco (shredded lamb, cumin, coriander, pinch of cinnamon), Italy (fresh tomatoes, basil), Mexico (chili peppers, cumin, roasted corn kernels), and so on.
Ume plum vinegar, found in most Asian or specialty foods shops, adds a nice cheesy flavor and is safe for the dairy intolerant.
Below is an easy, flavorful pie crust made with crumbled crackers or cookies. Alternatively, there are a few pre-formed gluten-free pie shells and even some frozen pastry dough on the market if you feel ambitious enough to roll your own (sorry, just had a flashback to 1972). Whole Foods makes a GF pie shell and because they stack well, you can stock up. Sans Gluten-Free Grocery in San Rafael has a couple of lovely shells available, as well as a yummy frozen dough.
1 cup coconut, almond, rice, or hemp milk
4 large eggs
2 tsp. ume plum vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 8 -9 inch unbaked gluten-free pie crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With fork, mix together the coconut milk, eggs, vinegar, garlic, yeast, mustard powder, salt and pepper. The powdery substances might be lumpy but just mix as well as you can. They tend to dissolve while baking.
Create any options at this point. Have them ready to go before you add the eggs. Just add them to the gluten free pie crust, then pour on the egg mixture and top with whatever you’d like (it’s nice to have the top show a good presentation).
Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Options (be creative – there are literally endless combinations):
~ Sauté chopped vegetables over medium heat until softened
~ Crumble and cook a couple of links of good sausage until done
~ Fry up some bacon, drain, and crumble
~ Top with chopped green onions, and sliced tomatoes
~ Caramelized onions (cook sliced onions covered in ghee very slowly, until browned and sweet)
~ Avocados, artichoke hearts, chopped ham, and shredded roasted chicken (pick the leftover store-bought roasted chicken clean and use the meat for quiche)
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Easy Savory Crumb Crust
makes one 9” pie shell
2 ½ cups cracker crumbs (enough for one 9″ crust and topping)
2 ½ Tbsp. softened (not liquid) ghee
Pulse crackers in your food processor or blender, or place them in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and bang away with a rolling pin until they’re the consistency of breadcrumbs (you’ll have a lot of finer crumbs as part of it). Use 1/2 Tbsp. soft ghee to grease the pie plate and mix the remaining into the cracker crumbs. Mix until you can pinch some between your thumb and forefinger and the crumbs will hold their shape. Press crumbs into the plate and up the sides.
Chill well in the freezer, fill with your favorite quiche filling recipe, and bake.
Be creative with the crackers you use. Mary’s Gone Crackers has a number of yummy flavors (Herb, Caraway, Savory Blend and Black Pepper), and even sells cracker crumbs. Crunchmaster also has good choices.
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Oven-Roasted Eggs
8 eggs
A roasted egg is a traditional part of the Seder on Passover called the Beitzah. Traditionally these eggs were cooked by being buried overnight in the embers of a fire. These eggs have a deep, savory, roasted caramel flavor. They’re way easy to prepare, and there are many ways to do so, including boiling the egg first, or roasting it over a grill. I’m giving you a method from Paula Wolfert, author of Mediterranian Clay Pot Cooking.
8 whole eggs, at room temperature
Preheat your oven to 225. Place the eggs in warm water while preheating the oven. When the oven is ready, remove the eggs from the water and set them directly in the oven’s middle rack. Bake for 4-5 hours. The eggs turn a rich, caramel color. For a variety of shades, remove a few eggs at a time starting at the 4 hour mark.
Remove the eggs and let cool for a few minutes. Gently roll and press the eggs to crackle the shells. Place them into a bowl of cold water for at least five minutes. Slip off the shells and arrange on a plate. Serve with condiments of your choosing.
Condiment suggestions:
~ Sea salt and cracked black pepper
~ Sea salt and pre-toasted powdered cumin
~ A rich anchovy vinaigrette
~ Seasoning Sand (a wonderful condiment from Le Mar’s Mendocino with sea salt, garlic, onion, brown sugar, and pepper)
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Spinach Salad with Poached Eggs and Gluten-Free Croutons
4 servings
This is a classic salad and an elegant presentation appropriate for any meal, especially brunch or lunch. The warm yolk adds a lovely, creamy texture.
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup white-wine vinegar
4 large eggs
6 strips bacon, (about 6 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces baby spinach, (about 12 cups)
Gluten-free croutons (see below)
Use a large wide skillet that can hold 1 ½ inches of water. Heat the water to the point of bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan. (A rolling boil is too hot and the moving water will mess up the eggs.) Stir in the tablespoon of vinegar, which helps prevent the whites from dispersing.
Break each egg into a cup, and remove any shell fragments. (Cold eggs are easier to break and will hold their shape better. ) Dip the cup into the hot water for a few seconds and release the egg into the water. Repeat. Cook until whites are just firm, 4 to 6 minutes, and use a slotted spoon to remove each egg onto a paper towel. If desired, trim off the rough edges with a knife.
Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place the bacon on the sheet. Keep an eye on it and don’t let the bacon burn. When it gets to the crispiness you like, remove and drain on paper towels (reserving one tablespoons of fat). When cooled, crumble and reserve.
In a small frying pan, add the bacon fat and heat to medium. Add the minced shallot and cook in bacon fat until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup of vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well to emulsify the vinaigrette.
In a bowl, toss spinach with bacon and hot vinaigrette. Divide among plates; top each with a poached egg. Sprinkle with croutons and serve.
GF Croutons (the fast version)
2 slices gluten free bread
1 clove garlic, sliced in half
2 Tablespoons ghee (or use olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste
Toast the bread in your toaster to nice and brown. Let each slice cool slightly. Rub the cut garlic all over one side of each slice. Drizzle each slice with 1 Tablespoon of the ghee (or olive oil). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. On a cutting board, slice the bread into ½-inch cubes. Viola! Instant croutons!
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Lemon Soufflé
4 servings
Intimidating, I know, but, please give it a try. It’s easier than you think, really, and only takes about 45 minutes. You’ll be so happy, ’cause it’s completely yummola!
½ cup superfine coconut sugar (place coconut sugar in a spice/coffee grinder and whir about 30 second)
2 tbsp white rice flour
½ tsp salt
2 eggs, separated
1 cup plain, low-fat, unflavored coconut, almond, rice, or hemp milk
2 tbsp lemon juice (use Meyer lemons when available)
1 ½ tbsp grated lemon zest
Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, sugar and salt. Beat egg yolks with milk, add to dry ingredients. Blend in lemon juice and rind.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into lemon mixture (do not overmix, leave fluffy). Immediately pour into a large greased ramekin or high-sided baking dish. Place in a hot water bath (pan that’s deep enough to have water come up half way on the baking dish).
Bake 45 minutes. Serve chilled, dusted with more fine coconut sugar.
Genious! Can’t wait to find out what new products you come up with! And I look forward to trying some of these recipes too.