Shakshuka: Don't Call It Breakfast

Thank heavens for NPR. All these years I've been covering up a dirty secret, carefully glossing over what seemed to be a major character flaw, and now our very own Deena Prichep, writer, producer and radio personality extraordinaire (Hey, she's talked with all my crushes at NPR…that qualifies!), has absolved my shame.

And that is…oh god, it's so hard to type this…I will, on occasion, make breakfast for dinner.

The ragu.

There, I've said it. Breakfast for dinner. Usually involving eggs, but occasionally pancakes or, heaven help me, waffles. Yes, waffles.

Whew…I feel so much better! Like a heavy burden has been lifted, like my life doesn't need to spiral into embarrassment and recrimination every evening when the light starts fading and I look up from Facebook and realize Dave's going to be home in 30 minutes and I don't have a gorgeous roast chicken or braised meat to set on the table.

Dinner is served.

Panic mode! But then I relax because, as anyone who indulges in this practice knows, breakfast items like the ones Deena writes about—chilaquiles, waffles, omelets and pancakes—can be easily whipped up in less than an hour.

One example from just the other night is shakshuka, a dish of eggs poached in a vegetable ragu. Flexible as far as required ingredients go, it's a great way to clean out the vegetable bin of those bits and bobs that didn't quite make it into other meals and might not make it to the next day (you know what I'm talking about here…).

So free yourself from your chains, grab the egg carton out of the fridge and declare your liberation. Let me hear a "Hallelujah!"

Shakshuka

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and sliced crosswise into 1/8" slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 c. crushed tomatoes
1 small bunch kale, about 3 cups, sliced into thin strips
2 tsp. smoked paprika (I used piquante, or slightly spicy, but mild dulce is fine, too.)
1 tsp. cumin
Salt, to taste
6 eggs
Chevre (optional)
Crusty bread (optional)

In large skillet (I used a large cast iron skillet, but any kind will do), heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and sauté till tender. Add garlic, bell pepper and spices and continue sautéing. When peppers are tender, add tomatoes and bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir in the kale and allow it to cook down into the ragu, about 15 to 20 minutes.

At this point, if the shame is too much, you could always just cook up a pot of pasta and mix the ragu into it, but I'd encourage you to go for broke:

Make six slight indentations in the vegetables and crack an egg into each one (the indentations help to cup the egg and keep it from running all over the surface). Cover and cook until the whites of the eggs are cooked but the yolks are still soft. (The yolks will have a slightly translucent white film when they're done, but watch so you can catch them just as the film appears.) Serve in the skillet or plate by taking a scoop of eggs and ragu, then top with a dollop of chevre, if desired. Slices of crusty bread are encouraged for sopping.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Sláinte!

Livin' in the Blurbs: Busy Busy Busy!

This weekend is looking to be a blockbuster, with the city filling up with the nation's top bartenders here for the confab that is known as Portland Cocktail Week, the grape harvest starting in the vineyards (call your favorite small winemaker and offer to sort grapes…they'll cry) and apples literally spilling out of orchard crates at the many harvest festivals and apple tastings going on. But if you're not busy tomorrow evening and want to stuff yourself for a good cause, you can't do better than to buy a ticket to the Portland Farmers' Market 20th Anniversary Party. Not just another sit-down fundraising dinner, this shindig is sporting live chef demos, sweet treats from the city's top patissiers, intimate lounges and dining spaces and options for everyone regardless of food leanings (meaning omnivores and vegans alike). It's going to be the dinner of the year, and the price is ridiculous for what you'll get.

Details: Portland Farmers' Market 20th Anniversary Party. Thurs., Mar. 20, 6:30-8:30 pm; $75. Dinner held at the Sharp restaurant at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland, 34 NW 8th Ave. 503-241-0032.

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It was like Christmas in October when I came back from walking the dog yesterday and found, O Joy!, a little plastic bucket sitting on my front stoop. To me it represents nothing less than a major redemption of a cardinal sin that I've been committing daily for a number of years. That is, to be specific, throwing perfectly good vegetable trimmings and other compostables into the trash. It's not that we don't want to make our own compost, it's that we don't have the time, the space or the backs to manage a major composting effort. So the idea that I can keep this little bucket under my counter for the scraps and bits and then throw paper towels, the odd pizza box and even bones into my green roll cart for the good of the community is nothing short of miraculous. Thanks to the powers that be!

Details: Portland Composts. Get a complete description of the program and a list of what goes in and what stays out at the Portland Composts website. Questions? E-mail wasteinfo@portlandoregon.gov.

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Every Sunday around 9:40 or so in the morning, the call goes out across the house: "Puzzle Guy!" That means it's time to gather around the radio…um…the iPhone in the dock, actually…and listen to Will Shortz, "the Puzzle Editor of the New York Times and NPR's Puzzlemaster," befuddle a caller with a crafty brainteaser. If you, like Dave, have lines around your mouth from grimacing and patches of hair missing from trying to solve Friday's NY Times crossword, or if, god help you, anagrams or palindromes are your thing, you can't miss the upcoming fundraiser for Write Around Portland. An organization that works to put on writing workshops, publish anthologies and present public readings in the community "with a special focus on people living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of domestic violence, adults and youth in addiction recovery, low income seniors, people in prison, homeless youth and others who may not have access to writing in community because of income, isolation or other barriers." It's a tall order, and their yearly fundraiser is coming up on Nov. 5, with an opportunity to hobnob, nibble and sip with other word geeks while playing word games and walking away with silent auction items. It'll be fun, really!

Details: Write Around Portland X Y & Z Fundraiser. 7:30-10 pm; $50 adv., $60 door (tickets available online). Event at Design Within Reach, 1200 NW Everett St. 503-796-9224.