Eggs are my favorite and I like them in any form. So much so, I can eat eggs during any meal of the day. That’s the versatility about them. You can make them into omelets, poached, scrambled or even baked….
Green Pea And Mint Croquettes
I have always been a great fan of Ottolenghi’s. And ever since I visited his restaurant in Islington, London, I just keep dreaming about that place and his vibrant flavorful recipes, which are always abundantly loaded with fresh and seasonal ingredients. And you know what, I am his admirer and have all of his four cookbooks on my bookshelf. His recipes never have gone wrong, and I have said that umpteen number of times on blog now.
Fresh and seasonal ingredients are something which his recipes always rave about. Plenty and Plenty More are two of his cookbooks which are purely on vegetarian cooking, another reason to believe that vegetarian cooking can be so expressive and full of life too. This recipe of green Pea and mint croquettes may sound daunting at first but they aren’t. These are full of sweet flavor of seasonal fresh peas and fragrant mint leaves, which are perfect for either taking to a picnic on a sunny day or even better to be served as tiny little appetizers with drink in a party you’d throw for your friends. Although, you could make them with frozen peas too, but my belief is that they can’t taste any better if you’ve got sweet fresh vibrant green peas. I know, there’s a little exercise needed to take them out of their pods, but you’d realize that’s worth the effort.
Green Pea And Mint Croquettes
2015-02-26 08:52:32
Green Pea And Mint Croquettes
For the croquettes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 300 gm onions/shallots (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 700 gm shelled green peas
- 20 gm mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 4 eggs
- 100 gm all purpose flour
- 150 gm bread crumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
- salt and black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 120 gm strained yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper
For the sauce
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until needed.
For the croquettes
- Place the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Remove from heat, add lemon juice.
- Blanch the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain. Place the peas in a food processor and blitz briefly. They need to break down without turning into a mushy paste.
- Transfer the peas to a bowl. Add cooked onions, mint, garlic, 1 egg, salt, pepper and mix well.
- Line a tray with parchment paper, that can fit into your freezer. Shape the pea mixture into small patties, about 2 inches across. Place on the parchment paper and freeze for a couple of hours to firm up.
- Place the remaining 3 eggs in a bowl and beat gently. Place the flour and bread crumbs in two separate bowls. Remove the croquettes from the freezer and one at a time, roll them in the flour, dip them in the egg, then coat in the crumbs.
- Pour the oil in a frying pan and place the pan on a high heat for 5 minutes for the oil to get hot. Turn down the heat to medium and fry the croquettes in batches for about 5 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on parchment paper to let the excess oil drain out.
- Serve hot with sauce.
Notes
- You can keep the patties frozen in advance. Ensure they are only partially frozen before you start to cook them.
Adapted from Plenty More (Yottam Ottolenghi)
Adapted from Plenty More (Yottam Ottolenghi)
The White Ramekins http://thewhiteramekins.com/
Shakshuka
Eggs are my favorite go to breakfast option. I love eggs in breakfast in any form. Scrambled, omelettes, french toasts, sunny side up, poached or even plain jane boiled eggs with toasts, truly any form you could think of them. But there is one more preparation of eggs which is rather more exciting than any other preparation. Shakshuka, which has eggs poached in spicy tomato gravy is a revelation for us all egg lovers.
Eggs are softly cooked in a fiery spicy tomato sauce in a skillet sometimes on a stove top or sometimes in oven. The silky smooth texture of poached eggs leaves you wanting for more. And the spicy richly thick tomato gravy is amazing to dunk in your healthy loaf of multigrain bread. Though the origin of this wonderful luscious egg breakfast is somewhat unsure, it is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian cuisines.
Despite whoever claims to have invented the recipe, and however big fights would have been fought over it’s origin, it deserves to be my most loved eggs recipe. I somehow can relate to the beautiful flavors it has to offer. The spice route connects me well to this simple yet heart winning egg dish.
Good thing is you can play with the ingredients too, as long as you keep the basics intact, whole eggs poaching in rich tomato gravy. The dish is really forgiving and gives you the liberty of utilizing all those leftover vegetables you have stocked up in your fridge. It’s one humble dish to be enjoyed with your family and friends, so don’t make this in small proportions. Trust me, you’d gonna love this!
Shakshuka
2014-08-03 00:30:51
Shakshuka, eggs softly poached in a thick spicy tomato gravy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 – 1 chili pepper (or to taste), deseeded and finely minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 100 gm feta cheese, cut in bite-sized cubes
- 4 to 6 eggs
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, hull the stems from your tomatoes and slice a shallow "X" in the bottom. Fill a bowl with ice and water and set it next to the stove.
- Drop tomatoes into the boiling water. Poach them for around 2 minutes and then transfer them into the iced water. Once cooled, transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board. Use your fingers or a paring knife to peel back the tomato skins.
- Puree half of the tomatoes in a blender and chop remaining half of the tomatoes. Mix both and keep aside.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. Add the chili pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.
- Add the red and yellow bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.
- Turn the heat back on so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time. Cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
- Serve with lots of crusty bread.
Adapted from My Paris Kitchen
Adapted from My Paris Kitchen
The White Ramekins http://thewhiteramekins.com/