Dalia's Kitchen: eggs

A week back in Paris and the best Baked eggs with Tomatoes & Cream...

Image by Sukaina Rajabali

My trip to Paris last week was truly one of a kind. I grew up in this gorgeous city, so usually when I go back it's either with family, to see friends or simply because I miss my old home. But this time, Paris was all about my cookbook.

It was lovely to be back where my love for food started. And it was even lovelier to be presenting my very own cookbook. It was also quite overwhelming to be honest, realizing that my eternal love for food and cooking lead me to a career that today feels so right in many ways. As I always mention, I have this everlasting identity crisis, which never felt as good as when I started making food my life. All the different influences and the beautiful confusions made so much sense all of a sudden. Life became my delicious melting pot that started in Damascus via London, Mannheim, Paris, Malaga, NYC, Beirut and now Dubai. Something I was unsure about growing up, has become, I believe, one of my strengths as an adult today. Funny how things change the way you least expect it...

Those who know the French a little, would understand why I was a little anxious to see the their reactions to my book. But all I can say is that it was even more exciting than I expected! They absolutely loved it and I could not have been more pleased and humbled to say the least. And being an ex-grumpy Parisian who is never satisfied with anything myself - this really means a lot ;) So some super exciting things in the pipeline inshAllah... I will let you know in due time.

In the mean time I will leave you with one of my favourite ways to have eggs. Simple, but so so good. The recipe is in the cookbook.

Much love,

D xx

And of course a few snapshots of my Paris❤

Could there ever be a more gorgeous city?

Heavenly bite.

One classic, simple croque lunch.

Live for this stuff!

À la prochaine...

Recipe from the book "Food, Love and Life from Dalia's Kitchen"

Almost White Scrambled Eggs with Truffle

It's finally the exciting month of May I have so been looking forward to.. I'm heading on my long awaited break to the US.. Back home to NYC after a long time and I can't wait to go to favourite spots and discover what's new in the city! Then we're spending few days in the City of Angels where it's all about soya latte's and healthy burgers :)

So as I'm getting ready to go on a much awaited trip filled with loads and loads of incredible food, I have decided to take it easy the next few days before traveling, and eating somewhat healthier than usual..

These eggs are perfect for breakie or lunch, and even though it's just a truffle paste I picked up from the gourmet store, it did the job.. Anyone who wants to send me real black, or even better white truffles is more than welcome.. :) Enjoy!

Serves 2

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: ~20 minutes

6 eggs (but only 3 yolks)
a small knob of butter
1 tsp of truffle paste
salt and cracked pepper to taste
drizzle of truffle oil
whole-wheat toast

Fill a large pot with boiling water and place a stainless bowl right on top (so basically a double boiler, a bain-marie). In another bowl whisk the eggs then add the truffle paste.

Bring the water to a simmer and add the butter to the bowl. Once it's completely melted add the eggs and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. This process needs a little time as you want the eggs to cook slowly, so please keep the water simmering and not on a strong boil.. When the eggs start coming together (but still liquidy!) add some salt. When you get to the consistency you like, remove from the heat and place the eggs on toasts whole-wheat bread. Crack blacked pepper on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. Divine!

Fried Eggs, Tomatoes & Mushrooms on Country Bread

Good Morning beautiful people! As you may have noticed, I am in love with breakfast, it really is my favourite meal of the day.. And for some kind of reason, I was craving Eggs Hussard from Pastis in New York.. It's probably my favourite egg dish out there, poached eggs with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and a Hussard sauce which is this meaty kind of broth.. But the actual Hussard sauce seemed too lengthy to make in the morning (I was starving), and so I came up with my own version to satisfy the crave.. And it absolutely did.. Gorgeous!

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves 2

4 organic eggs
1/2 pack mushroom, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup mushroom broth or vegetable broth
3 tbsp light cooking cream
1tsp corn flour
1 large tomato, sliced
a knob of butter
salt & cracked pepper
2 slices of country bread, toasted

Sauté the mushrooms in a little butter for a few minutes, then add the hot broth, season with salt and pepper and add a bit of corn flour. Let it simmer and thicken on low heat as you preparing the rest.

In a dry pan, fry the tomato slices and set them aside. Add a little butter to the pan and fry the eggs the way you like them (I would go for a little runny).

Add the cream to the mushroom sauce and remove from the heat. Season one last time to taste.

Now assemble the dish by starting with the toasted bread, the tomatoes on top, then the egg, and finish with the mushroom sauce. Enjoy ;)

Tortilla con Chorizo

picture by Shruti Jagdeesh and for ITP Publishing

As I'm officially on holiday (on the foodie trip of a life time driving from the south of France to Spain and stopping at every little yummy town on the way), I won't be able to post current recipes.. But I kept some spare so that I don't disappear for too long from the blog :)

I will also be tweeting from my foodie excursion, with pictures and updates on what is happening food wise in this part of the world.. And of course, I'm coming back to Dubai with loads of new and exciting recipes..

But for now, I will leave you with this beautiful Spanish Tortilla. I've been munching on this delicacy since I'm tiny.. In the summer when I'm in Spain, there is always a tortilla sitting in the kitchen for a quick lunch or snack in between meals.. It tastes best at room temperature - and don't over cook it! The best parts are the mushy bits of egg and potato!

Prep & Cook Time: ~45 minutes

Serves 4 - 6

Prep 3 large potatoes, cut in slices
1 large onion, chopped
9 large eggs
3 chorizo sausages (or any preferred type), cut in round slices
½ cup of olive oil
salt and cracked pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C. In a pan, heat a generous amount of olive oil. Cook the onions and potatoes together on low - med heat, until the potatoes are just about done, but still slightly firm. Don’t forget to season, then drain from the excess olive oil and set aside.

Sauté the sausages for a few minutes in the same pan, then add the potatoes and onions and cook for another minute or so.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, season, and pour over the potatoes, sausages and onions. Cook for a few minutes over low heat, just until the sides start to cook. Place the pan in the oven for a few minutes, just until the top is firm but not dry, so that the tortilla remains slightly moist. Let it cool down before serving. Buen provecho!

(as featured in Harper's Bazaar Arabia June 2011)

Sausage Frittata

I can't believe we are almost in December.. This year simply flew by and didn't have enough months.. It's the start of the week in Dubai and everyone is running around trying to finish things up before the holidays, so it's another busy bee week which means hearty breakfast time.. As I looked through my fridge this morning I found German sausages, eggs and tomatoes.. Instead of doing the usual eggs and sausage, I decided on making this baked frittata.. Delicious!

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: ~20minutes

Serves 2

6 organic eggs
4 Bockwurst sausages, cut into round slices
half a pack of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
2 TBL crème fraiche
2 TBL grated cheddar
salt and pepper to taste
a little chopped chives to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200C (on the broiler function).. In bowl, whisk the eggs with the crème fraiche, salt and pepper.. Sauté the sausages and once they have a little color add the egg mixture.. Sprinkle with cheddar and place the tomatoes on top, keep the pan on the heat for another minute or so, then place it in the oven for 5 - 7 minutes.. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chives and enjoy!

Eggs Florentine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & homemade Hollandaise

picture by Jovana Obradovic for ITP publishing

This week I'm posting recipes from the fabulous Harper's Bazaar Arabia October feature.. As you know I love eggs, and one of the best combinations ever, must be spinach and eggs.. I like the sweet, sour taste the sundried tomatoes give the traditional Florentine, you can also substitute with portobello mushrooms or anything that appeals to you..

Serves 2

4 organic eggs
1 pack of baby spinach
4 sundried tomatoes
4 toasted English muffins or bagels
For the Hollandaise:
4 tbsp vinegar
4 egg yolks
100 g of butter
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and cracked pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat 3 tbsp of vinegar and a little cracked pepper. When almost evaporated, add the egg yolks and whisk continuously until you have a creamy consistency. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter slowly while continuing to whisk. Put it back on the heat and finish with lemon juice, salt, pepper to taste, and set your sauce aside.
In a pan, heat a little butter and olive oil, and sauté the spinach for a minute or so, just until it wilts a little (don’t forget to season). Place the spinach on top of the toasted muffins, and add the sundried tomatoes. To poach your eggs, use a pan deep enough to cover the eggs with water. Add one tablespoon of vinegar (this helps to keep the egg in one piece) and bring the water to a slight simmer. Crack each egg into a small cup and gently descend it in the water. Poach the eggs for about 2 - 3 minutes, then gently remove with a slotted spoon.

Drain the eggs on a plate with paper towels before serving. Place one egg on each spinach and tomato muffin, drizzle with the hollandaise sauce, and your Eggs Florentine are ready to be served!

Egg Omelette with Sumac

I'm spending a quickie weekend at my lovely in laws in Lebanon.. We had a beautiful traditional Lebanese breakfast with eggs, cheese, kaak, zaatar and labne.. Delicious!

Serves 2 - 3

5 organic eggs
2 TBL labne
1/2 tsp sumac
knob of butter
salt and cracked pepper to taste

Crack the eggs in a bowl, and whisk them with the labne.. In a pan, melt a knob of butter and let it brown a little before you add the egg mixture.. Fry the omelet to your desired doneness (I like it a little moist), and sprinkle it with the sumac just before you fold it.. Season with salt and pepper, slice some tomatoes and cucumbers and serve immediately.. Enjoy!

The PERFECT Scrambled Eggs

I know what you are thinking.. "Scrambled Eggs?! Of course I know how to do those!" And believe me I thought exactly the same thing when I read Albert Roux's recipe for scrambled eggs.. So when Nuffy (he doesn't like to be called hubby anymore :) and I tried Mr. Roux's scrambled eggs we were baffled.. No cream, milk or anything yet they were the creamiest and most flavourful scrambled eggs we ever had! So this morning I woke up CRAVING scrambled eggs and decided to follow once again Mr. Roux's tips..

Serves 2 persons

6 organic eggs

1 TBL of unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

chopped chives to garnish

Fill a large pot with boiling water and place a stainless bowl right on top (so basically a double boiler, a bain-marie).. In another bowl crack your eggs and whisk them.. Bring the water to a simmer and add the butter to the bowl.. Once it's completely melted add the eggs and stir constantly with a wooden spoon.. This process needs a little time as you want the eggs to cook slowly, so please keep the water simmering and not on a strong boil.. When the eggs start coming together (but still liquidy!) add the salt and remove from the heat.. Sprinkle with pepper & chives and voila! The creamiest and PERFECT scrambled eggs..

Sunday Brunch! Eggs Benedict & home made Hollandaise

I love eggs, any style and at any time of day.. Usually, Eggs Benedict tend to be less home made cuz people think that the Hollandaise sauce is quite tricky to make, but it really isn’t..

Serves 2 persons

4 eggs
4 slices of bacon (you can always do Eggs Florentine & use spinach instead)
4 toasted English muffins, bagels, country bread or anything you like!
4 TBL vinegar
4 egg yolks
100 g of butter
2 TBL lemon juice
salt & cracked pepper

Preheat your oven at 180C:

To make the Hollandaise, put a stainless pot on med-high heat.. Pour 3 TBL of vinegar, salt & pepper and wait until it almost evaporates.. Add the egg yolks and whisk until creamy, stirring constantly so they don't turn into scrambled eggs.. Remove from the heat and add the butter slowly while continuing to whisk.. Add the lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste and place on the heat again for a minute or so, whisking vigorously, then set aside.. Place the bacon on a tray and bake until crisp..

To poach your eggs, fill water in a deep stainless steel pan, add some salt and 1 TBL of vinegar (helps keep your egg in one piece).. The water should be very hot, almost boiling.. Then use a large spoon to gently descend the eggs in the water.. Poach the eggs for about 90 seconds.. If the Hollandaise has thickened, use a little hot water or lemon juice to get the desired consistency.. Now plate your Eggs Benedict and enjoy ;)

Older Posts

A week back in Paris and the best Baked eggs with Tomatoes & Cream...

Almost White Scrambled Eggs with Truffle

Fried Eggs, Tomatoes & Mushrooms on Country Bread

Tortilla con Chorizo

Sausage Frittata

Eggs Florentine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & homemade Hollandaise

Egg Omelette with Sumac

The PERFECT Scrambled Eggs

Sunday Brunch! Eggs Benedict & home made Hollandaise

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