Eggs | Cooking In Stilettos

Tried and True: Lemon Herb Eggs In Ciabatta

When I lived in Orlando and I was still dabbling in my “learning to cook” phase, I remember seeing an episode of Everyday Italian where Giada de Laurentiis made “Lemon Basil Eggs Over Foccacia.” In typical Lys fashion, I watched and thought “I Can Do That!”, deciding that I would throw a brunch soiree for some friends and this would be one of the dishes showcased. Now, remember, at this juncture of my culinary exploration, I was just learning to cook. One could reasonably infer that if I made this successfully, you know that it’s that easy. It just looks daunting.

Recently, I thought that perhaps I should liven up the recipe a bit. Granted there is no Meyer Lemon Oil that I have located around these parts but I do have a killer Tuscan Herb Oil from Garces Trading Company. I mixed that with some lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice and voila! I made some changes, namely with the ciabatta bread which just beckoned for attention. Add some chives and this is a killer brunch dish that will make everyone fawn and beg you to part with the recipe. It’s up to you if you want to share or not.

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Lemon Herb Eggs In Ciabatta

Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 loaf of freshly baked ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons of your favorite olive oil, preferably infused with herbs, combined with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and the zest of half a lemon
4 eggs
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup milk
Freshly

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Hollow out the ciabatta bread and reserve the inside bread trimmings, including the top of the loaf.
Brush the inside of the ciabatta with the olive oil mixture and place on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
Take the reserved bread pieces and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large bowl, wisk the eggs.Add the milk, cheese, salt, pepper and chives. Mix lightly and then stir in the reserved bread pieces.
Remove the toasted ciabatta from the oven and carefully pour in the eggy bread mixture.
Bake until the eggs have cooked, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Cut the baked ciabatta into pieces and serve immediately.

Line Up Your Ingredients

Garces Trading Company Oil – One of my faves!

Toasting Time

Freshly Grated Cheese

Time to Bake

Now THIS is a brunch dish to be proud of!

From Bampa’s Kitchen: Huevos Rancheros, My Way

When I was younger, I remember my Aunt Deya helping my Bampa in the kitchen while he was making breakfast. She introduced me to something that I thought was so amazing – that being huevos rancheros. Sadly, she lived in California or you know I would have been pestering her to teach me the recipe on the daily.

Lately, I’ve been toying with different styles of cuisine, namely Mexican & Spanish. It was only natural that I attempt something that is synonymous with Mexican cuisine right? Now, I do have a quick confession – eggs and I have a love/hate affair. Can I make a over hard fried egg – sure, with my eyes closed. Scrambled eggs and I have kissed and made up after learning how to FINALLY cook them correctly. Poached Eggs and Sunny Side Up eggs and I are still on the outs but I resolve this year to learn how to do both types of eggs perfectly.

I decided to perfect my own take on Huevos Rancheros and I’m happy to say that after multiple kitchen experiments, this version just sang. The addition of chipotle and smoked paprika left some heat that hit the back of the throat. The fire roasted tomatoes add a earthy quality along with the cumin and the lime adds brightness, just tying everything together. Couple that with the yolk from the eggs that moistens the crispy corn tortilla and you have a new take on breakfast that, quite simply, can be great for dinner as well.

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HUEVOS RANCHEROS, MY WAY

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 small red onion, diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. of minced chipotle in adobo (you can add more but yes, I admit – I’m a wimp) Alternatively, you could add 1/2 tsp. of chipotle chili powder or chili powder.
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Diced Green Chiles (optional)
Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
4 eggs
4 corn tortillas
Butter
Olive Oil

Directions:

In a sauté pan, sauté the onion over medium heat in olive oil until translucent. Gently salt the onion to make sure the moisture is released.
Add the garlic and let the fragrance develop.
Add the fire roasted tomatoes and allow it to bubble for a minute or two.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, Mexican oregano, smoked Spanish paprika, cumin, and chipotle and stir gently. (You can add the diced green chiles. I made an executive decision to omit them.)
Add the lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
Allow to simmer gently while you move onto the eggs & tortillas.
Toast the tortillas until lightly browned and crispy on a nonstick skillet. Keep warm while you make the eggs.
Melt a teaspoon of butter in the same nonstick skillet that you used for the tortillas.
Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the yolks are runny and the whites are set.
Plate with tortilla, a small amount of the fire roasted salsa, the egg and top with a drizzle of the salsa on top and enjoy!