Ratatouille With Poached Eggs And Garlic Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, zucchini, eggplant and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the garlic is softened, about 1 more minute.
• Stir the tomatoes, beans (and their liquid) and 1/2 cup basil into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a gentle simmer. Make 8 wells in the sauce and crack 1 egg into each well; season each with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and top with the scallion greens and the remaining 1/2 cup basil. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve with the baguette.

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander. Season generously with salt; toss to coat evenly. Let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, the thyme, and oregano in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together eggplant, onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables out into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss zucchini and bell peppers in bowl with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out into an even layer on another rimmed baking sheet. Roast vegetables, rotating sheets once, until golden and tender, about 45 minutes. Immediately transfer cooked vegetables to tomato-herb mixture. Stir to combine. Let cool.
• Brush slices of bread with oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, and lightly toast in oven, about 2 minutes.
• Fill a large, shallow saucepan with 4 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. When water is barely simmering, break 1 egg into a small bowl. Gently tip bowl, carefully sliding egg into water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Cook until whites are set but yolks are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Spoon ratatouille over bread slices. Top each with a poached egg, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with thyme.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in small pot over low heat, add the 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Saute the garlic for 2 minutes.
• In a medium bowl add the bread, 1 teaspoon dried herbes or thyme, about 1/3 palmful and the cheese. Drizzle the garlic butter over the bread mixture and arrange the croutons on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and evenly brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Croutons may be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days in a cool place.
• Salt the eggplant and drain it in a colander for30 minutes to remove the bitterness from the eggplant.
• Meanwhile, blacken the skins of the red peppers over open flame on the stove or under a hot boiler. If broiling, leave the oven ajar to allow the steam to escape. Put the blackened peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel, seed and dice the peppers.
• While peppers cool, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the eggplant, zucchini, remaining sliced garlic, onions, rosemary and remaining 1 teaspoon of herbes or dried thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot. Stir in the red peppers and 1/2 tomato-can of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.
• To serve, bring the ratatouille back to a simmer over medium heat, covered, then uncover and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Make 4 nests or wells in the ratatouille and crack an egg into each nest. Cover the pot and cook the eggs to desired doneness, about 2 to 5 minutes. Scoop the ratatouille and eggs into shallow bowls and top with croutons and torn basil.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, pepper, garlic and rosemary, then cook for 5 mins, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened. Add the aubergine and courgettes, then cook for 2 mins more.
• Add the tomatoes, then fill the can with water, swirl it around and tip into the pan. Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer for 40 mins, uncovering after 20 mins, until reduced and pulpy.
• Stir the vinegar into the ratatouille, then make 4 spaces for the eggs. Crack an egg into each hole and season with black pepper. Cover, then cook for 2-5 mins until set as softly or firmly as you like. Scatter over the basil and serve with some crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Steps:

• For the soup: melt the butter in a large pan until foaming, then add the onion and gently fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened byt not coloured. Add the chopped potato and cover with the chicken stock. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Add the wild garlic leaves and stir for about 30 seconds, until wilted. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until smooth and then pass through a fine sieve. To preserv the vibrant green colour of the soup, place the large chunks of ice into a bowl and pour over the soup. When chilled, strain the soup again, leaving behind the ice. Stir in the cream.
• For the poached eggs: bring a deep pan of water to the boil, then add a splash of vinegar and reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering. Crack the eggs into the pan and gently poach for 3-4 minutes, or until the egg is cooked to your liking. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• Preheat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
• For the bacon and croutons: melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming, add the bacon and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
• Thinly slice the French stick and place onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.
• To serve, place a poached egg into the centre of each bowl. Heat the soup through, then pour over the egg. Sprinkle over the crisp bacon bits and serve with the croutons.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss with thyme. Roast until tomatoes begin to burst, about 20 minutes. Scrape tomatoes and any juices into a bowl and let cool slightly.
• In a medium straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches of water over medium until bubbles cover bottom and sides of pan. Crack each egg into a separate small bowl. Gently pour eggs into pan, leaving room between them. Cook eggs, undisturbed, until white is just set and yolk is still loose, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently release eggs from bottom of pan, if necessary. Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from water. Blot bottom of spoon on a paper towel to remove excess water before serving.
• Serve eggs over English muffin halves. Season with salt and pepper. Top with roasted tomatoes.