Roasted Tomatoes and Lentils with Dukka-Crumbed Eggs

Tomatoes:
12 large plum tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons harissa
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and black pepper

Lentils:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups Puy or green lentils
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 

Dukka:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

6 eggs

Heat the oven to 375°F.  

Lay the tomatoes in a single layer in the roasting pan.  Mix the olive oil and harissa together and pour over the tomatoes.  Turn to coat, ending cut side up, then sprinkle with sugar and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until caramelized in parts and slightly shrunken.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils.  Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently saute the onion, celery, and garlic until soft but not browned.  Add the lentils and turn them over in the oil.  Add the thyme and bay leaf.  Pour in 3 cups of water, season lightly, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are just tender.  This could take 15-25 minutes depending on their age, so watch them, as they can turn to mush quickly.  When the lentils are cooked, they should have absorbed all the liquid (drain them if liquid remains).  Remove the bay leaf and thyme.  Add the lemon juice.  Mix together the vinegar and extra virgin olive oil; stir into the lentils with the cilantro.  Season to taste.

While lentils and tomatoes are cooking, make the dukka.  Put hazelnuts in a dry skillet and toast over high heat until they smell roasted.  Watch carefully, as they burn easily.  Transfer to a plate to cool a little, then crush them in a mortar to a coarsely ground mixture.

Put the sesame seeds in the dry skillet with the nigella; toast until the sesame seeds are golden brow Follow with the sunflower seeds.  Coarsely crush all the toasted seeds and add to the nuts.  Toast the coriander seeds until they smell toasted, then grind them coarsely.  Do the same with the peppercorns, then the cumin seeds.  Combine the nuts, seeds, and toasted spices with the paprika and salt.  Store in an airtight container until needed.

Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes; they should still be a little runny in the middle.  Rinse them in cold water and, once cool enough to handle, quickly peel.  Roll eggs lightly in the dukka and set each on top of a serving of lentils and tomatoes.  If you prefer to see the yolk, break the egg in half and sprinkle some dukka on top.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

From A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry

Chard, White Bean and Potato in Chili, Basil and Tomato Broth

2 pounds tomatoes, quartered
2-4 fresh red chilies, thinly sliced
Olive oil, for coating

Olive oil, for cooking
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large bunch fresh basil
5 cups vegetable stock
11 ounces potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and diced
Medium bunch chard leaves
1 cup drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans 
Salt

Heat oven to 400°F.

Toss the tomatoes and chilies in an oven dish with enough olive oil to coat.  Season with salt and roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are beginning to color.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Saute the onions and garlic for 7-8 minutes.  Chop the basil coarsely, add it to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes more.  

Add the roasted tomatoes to the saucepan along with about 2 cups of the vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  

Blend tomato and onion mixture to a puree and pass through a sieve, saving the liquid and discarding the solids. Return the liquid to the pan.  Add the remainder of the stock, and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt.

Bring a small saucepan of water to boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until almost done. Drain.

Cut the chard leaves at the base; discard the stalk ends.  Coarsely chop the leaves, stripping and removing any thick stalks and slicing them thinly.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy saucepan over high heat.  Add the chard and saute, stirring, for 5-7 minutes, until tender.  Add the potatoes and beans and about a cup of the stock mixture.  Simmer for 5 minutes, until the potato is cooked and the stock is absorbed.

Ladle some of the stock mixture into shallow bowls and pile some of the vegetables in the center.

Serves 4.

From For the Love of Food by Denis Cotter

Maple Oatmeal Bread

(FOR REGULAR LOAF)
1 cup water
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rising or active dry yeast

(FOR LARGE LOAF)
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons rapid-rising or active dry yeast

Pour the water into the pan of the bread machine.  Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Select the Basic cycle, set the crust on Medium, and press Start.  (During the mixing cycle, if the dough is wet and sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth yet soft to the touch.  Or, if the dough is not soft to the touch but is very firm, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time, 
until the dough is smooth yet soft to the touch.)

Alternatively, to make without bread machine:
Heat the water until warm, between 105° and 115°F; pour it into a large, warmed bowl, and add the yeast and rolled oats.  Let stand 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble.  Stir in the butter, syrup, salt, and whole wheat flour.  Beat until a smooth batter forms.  Cover, and let stand 15 minutes.  Slowly add the bread flour and beat until a stiff dough forms.  Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured board and knead, adding flour if necessary, until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes.  Wash the bowl and grease it; place the dough back in the bowl and turn it over to grease the top.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch loaf pan or round cake pan.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or lightly oiled surface.  Punch the dough down, shape into loaf, and place in the pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 1 hour.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

From Whole Grain Breads By Machine or Hand by Beatrice Ojakangas

Spicy Caramel Popcorn

Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 cups salted peanuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt

Lightly coat two large, heatproof rubber spatulas, a very large mixing bowl and two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or a thin slick of oil.

In a large saucepan or pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and keep the saucepan moving until all of the kernels have popped, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared bowl, removing any unpopped kernels. Toss with salted peanuts, if using.

In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and cayenne pepper.

Have the two large baking sheets ready. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until the mixture becomes a light golden-yellow caramel, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the baking-soda mixture (the mixture will bubble up).

Immediately pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and don’t fuss if it doesn’t all come out of the pot — you’ll have plenty.  Working quickly and carefully, use the prepared spatulas to toss the caramel and popcorn together until the popcorn is well-coated.

Spread the popcorn onto the baking sheets and quickly separate them into small pieces while still warm. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Makes 4 quarts.

Adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox, via Smitten Kitchen blog

Royal Icing (with meringue powder)

This is the traditional icing for glazing cookies, piping decorations, or assembling the walls of a gingerbread house. It's light and fluffy; the more you beat it, the stiffer it becomes. For a thinner version, simply thin with a bit of water until you have a consistency that will flow evenly over the cookie. Let it dry to a hard, shiny surface, then you can pipe over it or use food-safe markers to decorate. To color the frosting, we recommend gel paste or powdered colors; liquid food coloring can dilute the frosting so much it separates and becomes grainy. Be sure to store any frosting you're not using in a tightly covered container; it becomes quite hard as it dries. Make this big batch of frosting, then divide it into smaller amounts to tint different colors.

1/4 cup meringue powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3/4 cup cool water

Place the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the cool water, and stir slowly to allow the sugar to dissolve.  Mix on low speed at first, increasing to high speed over several minutes. Beat until the icing is fluffy.  Keep the frosting covered with a damp towel and some plastic wrap until you have time to use it.

Divide the frosting into smaller containers and mix with food coloring for several colors.

To use for piping, put a tip in the bottom of a disposable pastry bag. Using a coupler will allow you to change tips with ease.  Use a tall, heavy-bottomed glass to hold the pastry bag while you add the frosting. Take care not to fill the bag more than half full.  Close the back of the pastry bag with a twist tie or spring clip, to keep the icing from backing up over your hand when you squeeze it.

Makes 3 cups icing.

From King Arthur Flour

Tips from King Arthur Flour bakers:

To make a hard cookie glaze, thin some of the frosting with a little more water. Dip the top of a cooled cookie into the frosting, then sweep across the top with a spatula to remove the excess. At this point you can sprinkle the wet glaze with colored sugar and let it dry, or put another color on top and swirl it through with a toothpick.

To keep the frosting in a pastry bag from hardening at the tip, place the pastry bag inside a second, uncut bag. This will shield the open tip from the air, and keep the frosting from leaking out.

When decorating, here are some of the tools you may find handy to have on hand: craft paintbrushes for spreading frosting; toothpicks for drawing one color through another; tweezers for placing sugar decorations, and colored sugars for sprinkling over wet icing.

Royal Icing (with egg white)

1 egg white

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat all of the ingredients together until the icing forms peaks.

From King Arthur Flour

Holiday Butter Cookies (Butter Scout Cookies!)

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1/8 to 1 teaspoon other flavoring extract

2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine the sugar, butter, egg yolk, salt, and flavoring, beating until smooth. Add the flour, mixing until smooth. The mixture will seem dry at first, but will suddenly come together. If it doesn't, dribble in a tablespoon of water.

Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a flattened disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight. When you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it soften for about 20 to 30 minutes, until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but shouldn't feel rock-hard.  Heat oven to 350°F.

Sprinkle rolling surface with flour, and flour the rolling pin. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it 1/8" to 3/16" thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes. Re-roll and cut the dough scraps. Place the cookies on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets. They can be close together; they'll barely spread.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they're set and barely browned around the edges.  Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool right on the pan, or allow to cool for a few minutes on the pan and transfer to a wire rack .

Repeat with the remaining piece of dough, rolling, cutting, and baking cookies. When cookies are completely cool, ice and decorate.

Makes 5 dozen 2" cookies.

From King Arthur Flour