The Incredibly Good EGGS!
Recipe Contest
Sponsored by the North Carolina Egg Association
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
First Place: Felice Bogus, Raleigh
Pub-Style Falafel Eggs
Makes 8
For the eggs:
10 large NC eggs, divided use
1 Tbs. olive oil, plus extra for rolling
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley
2 ½ c. whole wheat breadcrumbs
5 Tbs. flour, plus extra for dusting
¾ c. panko crumbs
4 Tbs. sesame seeds
Vegetable oil, for frying
Moroccan Harissa Sauce:
½ c. plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbs. harissa paste
2 tsp. chopped thyme
½ tsp. grated lemon zest
Tahini Sauce:
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. salt
¼ c. tahini
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. minced Italian parsley
1/8 tsp. cumin
Pinch Aleppo pepper
Tzatziki Sauce:
¼ c. plain Greek yogurt
¼ c. sour cream
¼ c. peeled, grated cucumber, squeezed dry
½ tsp. minced garlic
1 ½ tsp. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh mint
1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. grated lemon zest
Make the eggs: Place 8 eggs in a saucepan filled with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook 5 -6 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs into and ice bath and let cool completely. Peel eggs and set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until softened and beginning to color lightly, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn onion mixture into a food processor work bowl and process well. Add chickpeas, parsley, and 1 egg and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Stir in breadcrumbs, 5 Tbs. flour, and salt and pepper to taste.
Divide chickpea mixture into 8 and flatten each into a large, flat disk. Roll each boiled egg in some flour and wrap chickpea mixture around each egg, enclosing completely. Beat remaining egg lightly in a shallow bowl and mix together panko and sesame seeds in a pie plate. Dip each wrapped egg in beaten egg, then panko/sesame seed mixture. Place on a plate and refrigerate until ready to fry.
Heat oil to 350° in a deep fryer or deep saucepan and fry eggs, 2 at a time, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve either warm or at room temperature with one or more of the sauces.
Directions for Sauces
Make the Harissa sauce: Mix together yogurt, harissa, thyme, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
Make the Tahini sauce: Mash minced garlic to a paste with salt. Whisk together garlic paste and remaining ingredients until well combined. Serve at room temperature.
Make the Tzatziki sauce: Combine yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, and garlic in a food processor work bowl and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in olive oil, mint, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Second Place: Pamela Yoder, Benson
Cappuccino Cheesecake
Crust:
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 whole chocolate graham crackers, crushed fine
1 Tbsp. sugar
Filling:
4 (8oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ cup whipping cream
4 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Crust: Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl; add 5 Tbsp. of melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened. Empty the crumbs into the spring form pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan and bake for 13 minutes. Cool crust on a wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes. When cool, wrap the outside of the pan with two 18” lengths of heavy duty foil; set the spring form pan in a roasting pan.
Filling: Bring 4 quarts of water to a simmer in a stock pot. Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then use a spatula and scrape the beater, sides and bottom of the bowl. Add half of the sugar and beat until blended, about a minute, scrape bowl again. Add remaining half of sugar and beat until well blended, about a minute, scrape bowl again. Add the eggs 2 at a time and beat until blended, about a minute. Between each addition, scrape bowl. Beat in the flour until blended, about a minute and scrape bowl. Whisk together the whipping cream, instant coffee powder, and vanilla in a small bowl until coffee powder dissolves, then stir into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour the filling into the spring form pan and smooth the surface. Set the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes. Set the roasting pan on a wire rack and cool for 45 minutes. Remove the spring form pan from the water bath, discard foil, set cheesecake pan on wire rack; run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen and let cake cool until barely warm, about 2 hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.
Remove the sides of the pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the pan bottom to loosen the cake, and then slide the cake onto a serving platter.
(Decorative Egg on top was made with White Chocolate and food coloring)
Third Place: Julia Truelove, Raleigh
Tea Sandwich Cake
Ingredients:
8″ round loaf of bread
For the egg & avocado salad: Decorations:
5 hard-boiled eggs – chopped 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 avocado – peeled 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice Chives
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 Tbsp finely diced celery
Salt & pepper
For the cucumber & dill:
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, sliced and drained on paper towels
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 t garlic salt
For the icing:
1/3 cup Sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
Directions:
Cut the crust off of the loaf of bread and cut loaf into thirds horizontally. Set the bread aside. Save the crust to make breadcrumbs for another recipe.
Egg & Avocado Salad:
Mix all of the egg & avocado salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
Cucumber & Dill layer:
In a separate bowl, mix 4 oz. of cream cheese with the dill and garlic salt until blended.
Icing: Using an electric mixer, blend together the sour cream, 1/4 c of mayonnaise, 4 oz. cream cheese, 3/4 t salt and the white pepper. Set aside.
To assemble, spread half of the dill cream cheese on bottom layer of bread. Top with peeled cucumber slices, slightly overlapping them. Spread the remainder of the dill cream cheese on another layer of bread and place cream cheese side down over the cucumbers. Spread the egg/avocado salad on top of that layer and top with the third piece of bread. Frost the cake with the sour cream mixture. To decorate, circle the side of the cake with the remaining cucumber slices and chives, arrange the egg slices and some chives on the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 8.
Note: For perfect hard boiled eggs, place eggs in a saucepan with enough water to cover by one inch. Bring to a hard boil, cover and remove from heat. After 12 minutes, remove the eggs from the hot water and place in an ice bath for a minute to stop the cooking. Refrigerate eggs until completely cool.
