October 6: Anyone for Brunch? B, L, or D Adaptation (That's Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner to You!)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
3/4  pound chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, 2 chopped and 1 crushed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
6 medium red potatoes, cut in half and then thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, such as Muir Glen brand
2 cups chicken stock or broth
4 thick slices crusty country-style bread
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
   Zest of 1 lemon
   Zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 eggs

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.

Add the 2 cloves of chopped garlic, the onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring up to a bubble, then turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Fill a medium skillet with warm water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.

While the water is coming up to a simmer, toast the bread in the broiler or in a toaster oven. Rub with the crushed garlic clove and then drizzle EVOO over it and reserve.

Pile the parsley leaves, lemon zest, and orange zest on a cutting board. Run your knife through the pile until the parsley is finely chopped and the zests are completely incorporated into the parsley; reserve.

Pour the vinegar into the simmering water. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Gently pour the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Cook the eggs for about 2 minutes for runny yolks.

Carefully remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to a towel-lined plate to drain.

To serve, arrange the garlic croutons in the bottom of 4 shallow soup bowls, ladle some of the chorizo tomato stew on top of the garlic croutons, toss a little of the zesty parsley sprinkle over the stew, and serve the eggs on top of the stew.

4 SERVINGS

This meal is the variation on the Chorizo-Tomato Stew. It is the EXACT same meal with the addition of a poached egg on top. The egg makes it taste good, but I didn't see any point to making the whole meal over again. So I just heated up the leftovers and made the eggs to go on top. Quick and easy! RR says, "Serve with Sangria." No thanks for me. I'm going to have a baby in a couple weeks (or days)!