Spicy Turkish eggs

 I love the combination of ingredients in this dish -never thought it could go together until I tried it in London. I made a spicy version for Valentine's brunch which I like better but you can choose to reduce the heat. Regardless it's rich, creamy and luscious way to eat poached eggs and can be changed up to use different herbs or garlic.The paprika adds a smoky flavour and reddish golden colour, which was fitting for this occasion!

Ingredients:
4 very fresh eggs, preferably organic
Sage leaves
sea salt
a few tablespoons butter
Olive oil
paprika
a few generous pinches chili flakes
1 cup (whole milk) Greek yogurt

Method:Split and spread half the yogurt in 2 shallow serving dishes. This makes the creamy, pillowy base for the eggs. Poach eggs one at a time, drain and place over the yogurt, two in each dish. Heat the butter with olive oil until just melted, add the sage leaves, salt, chili flakes and let the leaves get slightly crispy. Remove from heat and sprinkle paprika in the sauce to give it the golden hue and flavour. Spoon the sage leaves and sauce immediately over the eggs in the dishes and serve with toast.

Note: For a perfect poached egg: crack an egg into a little container and slide into simmering (not boiling) water to which a tsp. of vinegar is added. The vinegar helps the egg whites stay together but it is also important to use really fresh eggs. Remove with a slotted spoon when the whites are set but the yolk is still runny - around 30 seconds.

Pannetone french toast

Pannetone is an Italian fruit bread that is common during the holidays but I was happy to find it at whole foods the other day. It has candied citrus in it, has a spongy consistency and is not too sweet. Perfect for luscious french toast!

Ingredients:

1 lb pannetone, sliced into 1" thick slices
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
maple syrup
1 tbsp. butter


Method:

Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla in a shallow pan and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.
Heat a nonstick pan. Coat the pan with some butter.

Take a slice of pannetone, dip both sides into the egg mixture and place on pan. Flip when golden and place on serving plate. Repeat with the rest of the pannetone.

Serve immediately drizzled with maple syrup. Simply divine!

Andouille and fennel galette

Brunches are my favorite way to start a lazy Sunday. Sometimes, I simply like to head out but on other days when I have great ingredients at hand, it's time to get creative! Today, I was craving something savoury to go with the creamy pannetone french toast. So, started with some fresh fennel, great andouille and then topped it off with some really tangy Bulgarian feta (I am fan now!)

Ingredients:

1 small fennel bulb, sliced
2 links andouille sausage, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
3-4 tbsp fennel greens, chopped
1 tbsp fennel seeds
4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
olive oil
2 tbsp. feta (I used a Bulgarian version that is really soft and extra creamy)
black pepper and salt to taste
1 pie crust - home made or store-bought

Method:

Film the bottom of a skillet with olive oil over medium flame. Add the fennel and garlic and toss around for a minute. Then add the sausage and saute until golden.


Now add the onion and cook until translucent. Finally add the sliced fennel, salt and pepper and cook until softened. Turn off the heat and then mix in the chopped fennel leaves.


Roll the pie-crust into a circle. Add the cooled sausage mixture on top leaving 2" around the edges. Now fold the edges inwards to make a rustic presentation. Spread the mixture evenly within the edges. Brush edges with an egg wash. Cook in a 375°F oven for 35 minutes or until golden.


Crumble the cheese over the galette and serve while still warm. I served it for brunch along with pannetone french toast. It would also be great with a simple salad for lunch.