Friday, August 30, 2013

Roasted Pepper & Baked Egg Galette aka Simply Sensational Lunch for One

Roasted Pepper & Baked Egg Galette 2

The beginning of September is just days away now, and in my part of the world that means the start of spring (yay! happy dance).  I always feel so much better about life in general once we cross that threshold from winter into spring ... days get longer and warmer, and all my favourite leafy greens and vegetables (asparagus and broad beans) are on the horizon.

It's a great time of year to recharge one's batteries.  It's a time when I find some renewed vigor for my yoga practice, and don't mind dragging myself out of bed at 5.30am to do a practice before heading off to work.  It's also a great time for a bit of an internal spring clean too - reboot the digestive system, liver function, etc, which can all get a bit sluggish after all the comfort eating of winter.

So, starting next week, I'm going to do a bit of a cleanse/detox for the next month.  For the first week, at least, that's going to mean no coffee, no alchohol, no meat, no shellfish, no wheat, no dairy (with the exception of natural yoghurt), no sugar, no salt, no soy (except for miso).  On the plus side, it's also going to mean loads of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts, oily fish, juices and salads.  After the first week, I'll be slowly reintroducing small quantities of unrefined sweeteners (such as honey), seasonings and soy products, shellfish and eggs, but I'm planning to stay completely caffeine, alchohol, meat, wheat and dairy free for the whole month - you have no idea what a challenge that is going to be for me!!

Until then, I'm spending the next few days making the most of what will shortly become forbidden foods, and using up a few ingredients that might be too tempting to have hanging around.  Pies and Tarts (our theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs) will definitely be on the forbidden list, but until then this Roasted Pepper and Baked Egg Galette seemed like a good way to use up the last sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry kicking about in the freezer, along with some sour cream which might prove to be too much of a temptation for me next week.

I adapted this recipe from one by Yotam Ottolenghi from his stunning book "Jerusalem: A Cookbook", adjusting quantities to make a stunning (but incredibly simple) lunch for one, and to suit ingredients I had on hand.

The original recipe called for roasting fresh red peppers, together with onions and herbs, for the topping for the tarts.  This of course adds considerable time and effort to the final dish (not ideal for a quick lunchtime fix).  Couple this with the fact that fresh peppers are out of season and astronomically expensive in the southern hemisphere right now, and the whole freshly roasted pepper thing was just not going to fly.  As luck would have it though, back when they were in season, I had roasted several batches of red peppers and preserved them in olive oil with garlic and bay leaves.  These then made the perfect, fuss-free topping for my galette.

I don't know about you, but lunch is frequently a meal that I consume on my own, and I sometimes feel a bit stuck for interesting lunch ideas.  Sure, soup or cheese on toast, or even a simple salad are great fall-backs, but sometimes I want something a little more interesting.  This galette was the perfect answer, and very simple to make.  It was utterly delicious, and the combination of flaky pastry, sour cream, garlic infused peppers and creamy egg actually tasted and felt quite decadent.  It definitely tasted like something that had required a whole heap of effort, not just the five minutes it took to put together.  It was wonderful on its own, but you could certainly make a more substantial meal out of this by adding a salad on the side.  This would be great for a picnic too if you feel moved to take lunch outdoors, and of course you could easily make this for a crowd just by multiplying the ingredients to suit.  I'm certainly making this again - I hope you'll give it a try too.

I've kept things pretty loose in this recipe - use your discretion.  For example, how many roasted peppers you use will depend, firstly on their size to begin with, and also whether you are roasting them fresh or using bottled ones.  You could also swap out the dried oregano for some other herb that takes your fancy - maybe some fresh thyme or flat-leaf parsley.  You could use creme fraiche or even ricotta instead of the sour cream or mascarpone.  You could add some toasted nuts for a little extra texture if you felt like it.  Really this recipe is just a suggestion - interpret it anyway you like.

Roasted Pepper & Baked Egg Galette 1

Roasted Pepper & Baked Egg Galette
Adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Makes one sensational serving
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

1x sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
1x free-range egg, lightly beaten
sour cream or mascarpone
roasted red peppers
1x free-range egg, whole
flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
dried oregano

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (425 degrees F).

Trim pastry to a 15cm x 15cm (6" x 6") square.

Set pastry square on a parchment lined baking sheet, and prick all over with a fork.  Brush pastry square all over with the lightly beaten egg.

Spread sour cream or mascarpone over the pastry, leaving a 1cm (1/2") border free around the edges.  Arrange roasted peppers over the sour cream (pile on as many as you like), leaving a shallow well in the centre for the egg to be added later.

Put pastry into the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden.  Remove from oven, and break the whole egg into the well in the middle of the peppers.  Sprinkle over sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkling of oregano.

Return to the oven for approximately 5 to 8 minutes, until the egg is set to your liking - set white with runny yolk is ideal.

Remove from the oven and devour immediately, relishing every solitary moment - do not share!!

If you would like to get to know Yotam Ottolenghi a little better, then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and see what they've all cooked up ...

IHCC Ottolenghi Leek Badge resized

... or check out Jerusalem and Ottolenghi's other great titles available from Amazon USA, Amazon UK or Fishpond NZ.

          Jerusalem 

I'll also be sharing this post at See Ya In the Gumbo hosted by the lovely, and very amusing, Michelle at Ms. enPlace, at Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads, at Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollam, and at My Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya at My Sweet and Savory.


See Ya in The Gumbo Badge      Weekend Cooking Badge          MyMeatlessMondays



32 comments:

  1. Looks scrumptious Sue. I could quite happily eat two of those now.

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    1. Thanks, David - yeah, I too could actually have quite happily eaten two :-)

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  2. If I hadn't had a bowl of muesli already I'd breakfast on this. Lunchtime seems too far away for such a treat! Thanks for posting.

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    1. Thanks, Lyn - this would certainly make great breakfast/brunch fodder. A delicious alternative to muesli.

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  3. I am always looking for something that I can make for one or easily adjust for more. This looks wonderful. I have several Ottolenghi recipes I want to try. Your photography and presentation makes me want to add one more.

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comments, Ms Lemon :-) You should definitely try some of those Ottolenghi recipes - he's a very inspirational chef - I just love his food. I love it when I stumble across a recipe that I can turn into a delicious treat for one.

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  4. That's gorgeous. It looks like a very special lunch.

    Joy's Book Blog

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    1. Thanks, Joy, and thanks for stopping by - I appreciate your visit.

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  5. That is one fine looking Galette, Sue. When we were kids, we use to have peppers and eggs for dinner on Friday's rather than eating meat. We made huge heros with a little antipasti on the side. I just got that flood of memories as I read your post. Thank you:)

    I must commend you on your detox efforts. Kudus to you! We are going to be welcoming Fall in my part of the world. It too is a time of refreshment and contemplation. I wish you much luck with your endeavor. I'll be dropping by to see how you're doing:)

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    1. Thanks, Louise. I'm so happy that this brought back some great food memories for you - that absolutely makes my day. When I was a kid it was always fish on Friday instead of meat, but I would have been very happy to come to your house and have peppers and eggs instead :-)

      Thanks for your encouragement for the detox. You're right - fall (or autumn as we call it down here) does bring up many of the same feelings as spring.

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  6. I love that your version of a detox still involves eating real food rather than soup or drinking those weird juices! GO YOU.

    This galette is fabulous! I would feel so fancy eating this for lunch.

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    1. Thanks, Joanne. I'm sure there will be some soup and a few juices, but there is no substitute for real food :-)

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  7. Beautiful! Great substitution with the roasted red peppers. I often have them on hand but forget when I'm making recipes like this one.

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    1. Thanks, Zosia. Last summer was actually the first time I've ever preserved roasted peppers, but it was so easy to do and ends up being such a great pantry staple over the winter months that I will be putting up twice as much next summer!

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  8. I want to reach out and grab that galette off from the screen! It looks so GREAT!

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    1. Thanks, Angie, that's very kind, and thanks for your visit and taking time to leave a lovely comment - I really do appreciate it.

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  9. Gorgeous! I love roasted red peppers.
    Lunch is always problematic for me since I run out of ideas and tend to rely on salads or sandwiches. Gets a bit boring. This galette...not boring in the least.

    Good luck with your detox. Coffee is really the only way my family can stand me. They would suffer if I gave it up.

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. Yes, I often struggle with lunch to - I eat a lot of toast!!

      Thanks for your encouragement with the detox. I reckon I can be quite bearable without the coffee - not at all sure what kind of haridan I'm going to turn into without the red wine though!!

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  10. How beautiful! I've been meaning to get that cookbook, now I think I will for sure. Love how you are welcoming spring and we are saying goodbye to summer.

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    1. Thanks, Beth - you should totally get this cookbook - it is hands-down my favourite cookbook ever :-)

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  11. Hi Sue,
    That is one delicious looking galette. I have learnt to love roasted peppers during IHCC time with Rick Bayless. Using homemade peppers in olive oil sounds good to me. I got to make a new batch too, as mine was used up for a pasta dish.
    Good luck with your detox, I've always wanted to do that, but my self-discipline really sucks!
    Hope you have a beautiful spring!

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    1. Thanks, Joyce. I adore roasted peppers, and I've found that preserving them in oil at the end of summer enables me to enjoy them all year round - especially good in winter when you get a bit tired of root vegetables.

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  12. Sue - This recipe has been at the top of my list for awhile now. I kept putting it off because I felt like every week I was featuring an egg dish of some sort. I guess I just tend to gravitate towards egg dishes because they seem so very inviting and welcoming. This galette is just stunning! I may just have to squeeze it in before we finish up our time with Ottolenghi!

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    1. Kim, I often gravitate to the egg dishes to, and Ottolenghi has some really good ones - this galette was no exception - I know you'd love it.

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  13. I was very tempted to make this one but since I didn't have puff pastry but had a jar of grape leaves I went that route instead. This is gorgeous--such great color and I love that pretty egg on top. Yum! ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Deb - this was definitely a very pretty dish as well as great tasting, I think your herb pie wrapped in grape leaves was a good option for a pastry-free dish.

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  14. Your photos are gorgeous and the galette looks delicious! Best of luck on your cleanse - I know I couldn't do without caffeine!

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    1. Thanks so much, Cecelia. So far so good on the cleanse, and feeling great.

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  15. The perfect lunch :) Look forward to all sorts of exciting healthiness on here while you detox! Good luck :). I am, I think, 2 or 3 months in to no coffee, bar a couple as treats...& what a difference! Seriously I don't think I'll be going back to my one a day...calmer & clearer headed for sure :)

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    1. Mairi, it's a great lunch, and a very easy one to make for a crowd too. Detox going great so far - really impressed that you've done that long without coffee. I was actually doing quite well on the coffee front, having cut back to one a week - but then I went on holiday and got into the habit of a couple of day. After one week without I'm already feeling better. I'm hoping once this month is over to be into an "only an occasional treat" habit.

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  16. Ooo! I love the idea of these little puff pastry squares! Great recipe!

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