Fresh Tart

It's Sunday, you're feeling organized, you're even willing to cook ahead a bit to make dinner easier during the week.  What to make?

A pot of soup is always a winner - always.  But if you're like me, you eat it for a couple of meals and then you're ready for something new.  (In that case - freeze the rest!  Ladle into individual portions, grab-n-go for work, or reheat on a cold day when you're home late and starving.  Happiness.)

Another option is to simmer a big pot of beans and enjoy a variety of meals from it, all week long.  The beans you simmer yourself are so much more flavorful than the canned variety (although I eat plenty of those too) and are as easy as a slap to make.  Choose whichever variety you like best - garbanzo, pinto, navy, flageolet, cannelini, black, lentils, etc. - and simmer away with some garlic, onion, and thyme.  When they're just-tender (you want them to hold their shape), into the fridge they go, ready to become lunches and dinners all week long.

This week, I simmered a pot of Beluga lentils.  Tiny and glossy black, they do indeed resemble their namesake caviar - I oohed and ahhed over them at the Minneapolis Farmers Market this summer.  Aren't they so pretty?  They have a lovely fragrance and flavor as well, and hold their shape nicely, rather like French green lentils.

But for this recipe, Part I of Using a Pot of Beans, any bean will do.  This dish, like so many that I post, is really about the bacon.  What can I say?  I bow to the power of pork fat.  Bacon in particular is my favorite, since a small amount of it packs so much...everything.  In fact, you could stop with just bacon, beans, and cabbage and enjoy a nice lumberjack of a dish - hearty, rough around the edges, nicely appealing.

But nestle a girlie, pretty poached egg on top and witness a full-on flavor romance, rarrr.  Salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy.  Everything.

With pre-cooked beans on hand, this dish is on the table in 10 minutes.

Pot of Beans

1 lb. bag of your favorite dried bean variety
1/2 c. olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 large shallots (or 1/2 medium onion), chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. salt

Follow package directions for pre-soaking, usually along the lines of rinse and pick over beans, place in a large pot with water to cover, bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and allow beans to soak for an hour or so.  Drain and rinse beans in a colander.

To cook the beans: In the same large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic, shallots, and thyme and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the beans to coat with oil.  Pour in cold water to cover by no more than an inch.  (Do not add salt - yet.)  Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add a little more water if the beans start to become dry.  Add salt and continue simmering, another 30-45 minutes, or until beans are just tender.  Cool to room temperature, cover, and chill (or freeze).

Poached Egg Over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage
Serves 1 (recipe can be doubled or more quite easily)

1 slice bacon, chopped
1/2 large shallot, sliced
1/2 c. thinly sliced cabbage
1/4 c. cooked lentils (or any cooked beans)
1 egg
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Set a saucepan 1/2 filled with salted water on to boil.

Put bacon in a large skillet and set over medium heat.  Fry bacon until crisp (do not drain), then add shallot and cabbage to the pan.  Saute the shallot and cabbage with the bacon until just tender and wilted, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the beans and saute for 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat, season with a little salt and pepper, and leave in the hot pan.

The water will likely boil as you're preparing the cabbage and beans, which is great.  Turn heat down so that the water is barely simmering - small bubbles should barely break the surface.  As soon as the beans are done, crack one egg into a small dish and slide it into the water.  Set the timer for 3 minutes.  The egg white will look shredded, but that's OK.

Just before the timer goes off, transfer the beans to a plate.

When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to scoop the egg out of the water.  Tilt the spoon so the water drains completely off, then place the egg on top of the beans.

Add a light sprinkle of salt and pepper to the egg and serve immediately.

What's this?  Why, it's the best (insert your favorite curse word) breakfast you've had, like, ever.  You'll see the list of ingredients, and you might freak out a little bit, thinking that it's awfully rich for breakfast.  But bear with me, as I'm a big fan of small jolts of dear ingredients, the best possible way to eat healthfully without dying of boredom.

This baby has it all, and I'm not just talking a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  I'm talking crunchy, creamy, salty, spicy, even a hint of sweetness from the tomatoes.  I realize that I'm claiming no new territory here - huevos rancheros fans will be all over this.  But I might be able to shake you egg-&-buttered-toast fans out of a rut, and for that I'd be thrilled.  (This totals around 250 calories, for those who care, and in my experience will leave you nicely satisfied until lunch time.)

Best part - ready in 10 minutes or less.  Yes!  I say breakfast, but I make this for lunch (and dinner!) all the time too.  I'm not sure why I haven't shared it with you before, probably because it feels like sharing a bowl of yogurt, as in, I eat this all the time.  But there was something about the way this morning's gorgeous fall sunlight fell on that equally golden yolk that made me think, Hey, this is blog worthy!  Right?

Oh, I keep forgetting to say (because I keep forgetting that I'm going)...  I'm heading to San Francisco later this week for BlogHer Food '10, a big annual food bloggers conference.  Food bloggers know all about it but the reaction from family and non-blogging friends has been mostly pleasant confusion.

Oh cool.  Wait - why?

I can't say exactly, yet - I've never attended a conference like this before - but I'm expecting serious networking as well as conversations about photography, writing, social marketing, monetizing, recipe writing, web design, niche/audience, on and on.  And on.  This will be two full days of conversation with hundreds of assertive, talented, successful, motivated women, after all.  (There are male food bloggers of course.  Food Wishes, David Lebovitz, Michael Ruhlman, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, and Amateur Gourmet are all favorites of mine.  But as the world goes, so does blogging...  Women are taking over.  Just kidding.  A little.)

John is going with me, so I'm not sure how much blogging I'll do from San Francisco.  We have drives to take and restaurants to scope!  Also, I'm the type that needs to mentally digest a bit before I summarize.  But despite prolonged exposure to excellent food and wine, I'll most certainly glean nuggets of wisdom which I'll be anxious to share.  Stay tuned for raves...  (And if you're going - email or DM me!  I'd love to meet you!)

Fried Egg Tostada with Sausage, Spinach & Tomatoes
Serves 1

Note: If you're avoiding grains, just skip the tortilla and serve the egg over the spinach & sausage, with the slice of avocado as garnish.  Delicious.

1 small, fresh corn tortilla
olive oil
1/2-inch-thick slice of ripe avocado, mashed lightly with a pinch of salt (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 oz. (about the size of a 1-inch meatball) of pork breakfast sausage (I love Blue Gentian, available at Minneapolis Farmers Market)
3 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c. spinach leaves
chipotle chili powder
1 large, organic egg
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Rub a few drops of olive oil into both sides of the tortilla.  Toast the tortilla in the hot skillet until lightly browned and crispy on both sides.  Set tortilla on a plate.

Crumble pork sausage into the hot skillet and stir around until nicely browned, about 3 minutes.  Add cherry tomatoes, spinach, a sprinkle of salt, and a dash of chipotle chili powder and stir until spinach is wilted.  Remove pan from heat.  Spread avocado on tortilla, then top with the spinach mixture.

Return pan to heat.  Add a a few drops of olive oil if there is no fat in the pan, then crack egg into the pan.  Sprinkle egg with a little salt and pepper and fry egg to desired doneness (I like an over-medium egg).  Nestle egg on top of tortilla and serve immediately.