Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Omelet with asparagus and serrano

“Dear Lianelle

We have a long weekend coming up soon and your father told me to write you and tell you to come visit…

“…I received a phone call from Aunt Betty.  You know how very elegant and stylish she is, never cooking without her string of pearls? But then, let’s not forget the wonderful and elegant meals she broils up with those pearls!  She told me about her humiliating experience the other day and I just had to share this part with you…

” ‘Her granddaughter of five was visiting for the weekend, a real cutie she is, and asked Grandma for a boiled egg for lunch. While waiting for the water to come to boil, Aunt Betty put the egg, taken from the fridge door, into the pocket of her skirt, to get the edge off the cold egg. Then the telephone rang and now you also know that Aunt Betty does enjoy a telephone! After a final third goodbye to her good friend, sorting out their dates for their antique shopping and luncheon afterwards, she needed to drop in at the bathroom…..all those many cups of Earl grey she believes in drinking every day…..and right there is where disaster struck your elegant aunt and her precious raw egg, hidden and forgotten in her pocket!’

Now I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination! Suffice to say, elegant or not, when it comes to a raw egg in the pocket and a toilet seat, we’re all pretty much in the same kind of scramble!….

Love Mom”

PS: I’m sending you this omelet recipe your father and I had for dinner last night and just to be a little naughty I sent it to Aunt Betty too!

Omelet with asparagus and serrano

  • Tomato salsa: dice a mixture of red, yellow and orange tomatoes, sprinkle wit lemon juice, salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
  • 2 eggs
  • a tablespoon of milk
  • knob of butter
  • 2 spring onions, roughly sliced on the diagonal.
  • salt and pepper tot taste
  • about 4 asparagus spears
  • some shredded serrano ham, or other ham of your choice
  1. Cut the tomatoes into dice, mix lightly and add salt and pepper, lemon juice and olive oil to taste.
  2. Steam the asparagus until just tender.
  3. Saute the spring onions quickly until translucent, but still bright green.
  4. Lightly beat two eggs, add a tablespoon of milk.
  5. Heat a small skillet, add the butter and pour in the beaten eggs. Break the egg lightly up with a fork and when it start to settle, leave on low heat until puffed up.
  6. Take from the heat while the top of the egg is still runny and slide off on a plate.
  7. Place the sauteed spring onion and 4 to 5 asparagus spears onto the one half of the omelet. Fold the other half over.
  8. Top with the shredded serrano ham, flavour with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
  9. Serve immediately with the tomato salsa on the side.

                                One portion

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Colette, who was the inspiration for this “story and recipe”. She was taken to hospital into intensive care today…Colette, get well soon, we have so many laughs (like this story) awaiting us all the tomorrows ahead..

This is an entry for WTSIM…breakfast favourites, hosted this month by Johanna at Thepassionatecook.

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Roasted pepper and red lentil soup

I couldn’t decide which to post..the lentil soup or lentil salad. The weather here in France finally decided for me. The trees are in bud, the tulips are in bloom, the daffodils are nodding their heads and the strawberries are sweet. But we still take to the streets with our coats and scarves en walk head first into the wind. I’m not complaining…like my wine maker neighbor says; “C’est normal”. It gives me a little longer to enjoy a bowl of soup, easy and quick and filling.

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Roasted pepper and red lentil soup

  • 2 red peppers
  • 200 g red lentils
  • 500 ml vegetable stock
  • red wine vinegar
  • 1 onion
  • olive oil
  • parmesan cheese
  • parsley/coriander
  • 2 bay leaves
  • tablespoon red pesto
  • salt and pepper
  1. Remove the seeds from the peppers, cut into strips and place in an oven pan, drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes or until tender.
  2. Sauté the chopped onion in some oilive oil until tranlucent, add the vegetable stock, lentils and the two bayleaves and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add the peppers and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  3. Let it cool down, remove the bay leaves  and puree with a handmixer until smooth and creamy. You can also press it through a fine sieve if you want it smoother.
  4. Taste for salt and pepper, add some red wine vingear for a little tartness and I add a tablespoon of red pesto for flavour.
  5. Serve with shaved parmesan and decorate with some parsley or coriandre leaves.
  6. Optional: Stir in some cream for a richer version.
  7. Alternative: The peppers can be halved, then roasted with the skin side up and the skin can be easily peeled off after roasting.

Suggestions:

  • You can try and add more, or larger red peppers and lessen the red lentils. You can add up to 4 or 5 large red peppers. Add a little bit more stock if it gets too thick.
  • Don’t overcook the lentils, cook them until just tender.
  • Instead of the red pesto, which is usually a sundried tomato paste, use only a heaped TBSP  concentrated tomato paste or even more, to add color to the soup.
  • Add some chopped ripe red tomatoes or a small can of chopped tomatoes to make it more liquid.
  • If you don’t like thick  soups, try the following recipe where nothing is blended:                                                                     Red lentil, carrot and pancetta soup… just add the red pepper and leave out the carrot or play around with the recipe.

Serves 6

This is an entry for WTSIM, hosted by Jeanne at cooksister.

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