Egg(s) In Purgatory

Another one of my favorite No Recipe recipes, I make this dish at least once a week. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's great for breakfast, lunch or dinner so you just can't beat it. Plus, it's easy to switch things up however you like; keep it simple and basic with just the egg and tomatoes, or toss in pretty much whatever you have a taste for. This particular time, I had some fresh kale in the fridge that was in a use-it-or-toss-it state of being, so I went ahead and used it. Oh, and it's just as easy to make a single serving as it is to cook several eggs at a time to feed a crowd.

Egg(s) In Purgatory

Ingredients:
olive oil
tomatoes, any form you like (my preference is to use canned, stewed tomatoes, italian style)
red pepper flakes (use as much or as little as you like to adjust the heat level)
egg(s)
salt & pepper to taste
add-ins of choice *optional

Directions:
In a skillet over medium low heat, bring the olive oil, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to a low simmer. (Note: Now would also be the time to add in any other optional ingredients that require cooking, like kale or spinach for example.) Make a well in the center of the tomatoes and crack in the egg(s), sprinkling on salt & pepper to taste. If you want to speed the cooking along, cover the pan with a lid, otherwise you can sort of baste the egg(s) with the tomato juices until the white is set and the yolk has reached your desired level of doneness, about 6-9 minutes. Best when served in a shallow bowl with crusty bread or toast points on the side- all the better for sopping up every bit of tomato-eggy goodness. Feel free to finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan or fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Cookie Palooza 2011, A Retrospective, Part 2

Original post date: Monday, 12/6/11

The last day of my 3-day weekend, and what did I do? Bake. Again.

cranberry bread

Well, I also swept, vacuumed, and did a load of laundry, but mostly I was in the kitchen. I made another 2 loaves of cranberry bread because, really, you can't have enough and I'll probably bring a loaf or 2 to work again for the overnight doc since she decimated the first loaf I brought her. Plus, it freezes beautifully, so if I decide to be greedy and keep it all to myself... well, there you go.

meringue cookies

In addition to the cranberry bread, I also tried out yet another new-to-me recipe for meringue cookies. They were pretty easy to make, but I won't know how they taste until tomorrow since they will cool in the oven overnight. Normally, when I try a new recipe for the first time (at least when it comes to baking) I stick pretty close to the recipe as written. Not today, though. Nope. I changed up the flavoring in these meringues by using dark chocolate chips (60% cacao) and orange zest, one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I can't wait to taste them.

Addendum: The most IMPORTANT lesson I learned about making meringue cookies is to line the damn cookie sheets with parchment paper like the recipe tells you!

Greek Breakfast Pizzetta

What's a pizzetta, you ask? It's a small pizza... you know, a single serving, mini pizza. This particular pizza is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast, not only because it's seriously yummy, but also because it's quick and easy to put together. And really, who doesn't like pizza for breakfast?

Greek Breakfast Pizzetta

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pita, opened into 2 halves
olive oil
handful of spinach
sun dried tomatoes, diced
pinch of oregano
pinch of dill
pinch of basil
pinch of parsley
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of onion powder or dried onions
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of lemon pepper (or salt & pepper to taste)
1 (or 2) egg(s)
crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees.

I've made these several ways, but my favorite way is to saute the spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and all spices in olive oil until the spinach is wilted. While that's cooking, split the pita into 2 rounds (NOT into pockets) and brush with olive oil. Top one half with the spinach mixture, making a well in the center. (What to do with the 2nd half, you ask? Nothing's stopping you from fixing 2 pizzette, I just wanted 1 for breakfast this morning so I took the other 1/2 pita round and stuck it in the freezer for another day.) Crack the egg into the well and then bake the pizzetta at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the egg is set and cooked to your desired doneness. Sprinkle on the feta cheese in the last minute of cooking and finish with another sprinkle of your favorite herbs.

Enjoy!

Quiche Lorraine with Spinach

Quiche Lorraine with Spinach

Ingredient:
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
10 oz frozen cut leaf spinach
5 slices of turkey bacon, diced
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg
2 whole eggs + 4 egg whites
4 oz neufchatel cheese, softened
assorted herbs (parsley, chives, basil, dill)
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
9" refrigerated pie crust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and allow the pie crust to come to room temperature (about 15 minutes).

Saute the onion, spinach, and turkey bacon in the olive oil with salt & pepper (lemon pepper is good here) and a pinch of nutmeg until most of the moisture is cooked out. Whisk together the whole eggs, egg whites, neufchatel cheese, and assorted herbs until well blended. Press the pie crust into a 9" pie dish then spread the spinach mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of the Gruyere cheese then slowly pour in the egg mixture. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to cook for another 25 minutes. *Cover the crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Cool slightly before slicing.

Enjoy!

Fall Flavored Brunch

I love this time of year and the flavors I associate with it are some of my favorites; think about Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and the scents that go along with those meals. In the fall, apples are a big theme for me, as well as combining sweet and savory sensations so here's just one of many apple inspired breakfasts I make: Sweet and spicy sweet potatoes (cooked in olive oil and cider vinegar that creates a warm vinaigrette absorbed by the potatoes), turkey sausage patties with apple butter, and "green" cheesy eggs.

Ingredients:

sweet potato, cubed

1 Tbs. olive oil (regular vegetable oil would be fine)

water

2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar (sweet and tangy, it's perfect!)

red pepper flakes

sea salt

eggs (as usual, I used my Garden Vegetable Egg Beaters)

spinach (either fresh or frozen, I used frozen and defrosted it before ringing out excess moisture)

goat cheese, crumbled

chives, chopped

turkey sausage patties (do you really want me to go into how to make your own sausage? take the easy way out and just buy some)

apple butter (yum! a nice apple and cranberry relish would be good here too)

Think like a diner and start with what takes the longest to cook, the potatoes. To make these, toss the potatoes and olive oil into a large skillet in one even layer. Add just enough water to come half way up the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water has just about evaporated, turn down the heat to medium and add the apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Continue to cook until all of the moisture has evaporated (all that yummy tanginess will absorb into the potatoes) and then allow the potatoes to crisp in the remaining olive oil.

Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, cook the turkey sausage patties for 3-5 minutes each side (depending on thickness). Once cooked through, remove patties and use the same pan to prepare the eggs. (What can I say? I hate having 39 pans to wash after I'm done cooking. Besides, turkey sausage has such a minuscule amount of fat that it leaves behind, it's the perfect amount to add flavor to eggs.) Over low heat, combine the eggs and spinach, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired texture. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese and chives.

If you've timed this just right, the potatoes are ready to come out of the pan the same time that the eggs are done. Move everything to a big plate, top the sausage patties with a spoonful of apple butter, and serve with a big cup of cinnamon flavored coffee.

Enjoy!

Hangover Carbonara

Not that I overindulge on a regular basis, but every once in a while I tip back a few too many and like everyone else, suffer the consequences the next day. Last night, I was challenged by a pitcher of margaritas and had to show it who was boss. So when I was finally able to pry my eyes open this morning, I realized that I was in desperate need of something to soak up the rest of the alcohol swimming in my system… this particular dish is a pretty good stand alone meal to serve for dinner (especially when you have an unexpected dinner guest), but it’s fantastic for a hangover breakfast, especially when served with a side of strong hot coffee and a handful of ibuprofen.


Ingredients:

turkey bacon, diced
olive oil (I use some oil because the turkey bacon is so lean)
shallot, diced (you can use a regular onion and garlic here, but I wanted to keep the knife work to a minimum)
pasta, cooked al dente (I had some leftover penne in the fridge, but any pasta shape would work… you can also start from scratch and cook the pasta while the sauce is coming together, but with a hangover pounding my head I wanted something fast and easy)
1 egg, beaten (I used my regular Egg Beaters)
splash of heavy cream or milk (I’m not going to lie, all I had was some soy milk on hand and it worked in a pinch but wasn’t my first choice)
Parmesan cheese (the stuff from the green can works just as well, if not better, than fresh grated in this dish)
coarse ground black pepper

(*When fighting the effects of a hangover, drink as much water as possible while in the kitchen gathering food… I think I drank like 4 glasses in the short amount of time it took me to throw this dish together and brew a pot of coffee.)

In a large sauté pan, toss the turkey bacon with the olive oil over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes before adding the shallot. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the shallot is softened and the bacon is starting to crisp. Toss in the cooked pasta and stir to combine. (If your brain is actually functioning and not just running on autopilot, you might want to add some frozen green peas to the pan as well at this point.) Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together the beaten egg or Egg Beaters, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat before stirring the egg mixture into the pasta. The residual heat from the pan and the hot pasta will cook the egg mixture without scrambling it. If you’re like me and don’t remove the pan from the heat soon enough, it will be a little too hot and start to scramble the egg, but whatever. It still tastes just as good with little bits of scrambled egg in the otherwise creamy sauce that clings to the pasta. Finish with another sprinkle of Parmesan and black pepper.

Enjoy! (quietly, please)

Egg McElle Sandwich

Ok, I admit it: I love to stop at McDonald's for breakfast. Considering that their breakfast offerings aren't really the healthiest options and that I either (a) don't have time to stop before work when I'm scheduled for the early shift (6-2), or (b) I'm still sleeping and they're no longer serving breakfast when I work the late shift (2-close), I don't eat there very often. So to satisfy those cravings, I have created my own versions of some of McD's breakfast favorites. Today's version is my answer to the classic Egg McMuffin... with a few tweaks.

Ingredients:

1 egg, fried (I suppose you could scramble or poach an egg, but I just went with the classic fried)

2 slices of Canadian bacon

2 slices of bread (I always have whole grain bread on hand... the kind with lots of nuts/seeds/oats etc. baked right in)

goat cheese (the kind that comes in a log is easier to spread on toast than the usual crumbles I have in the fridge, but you can use any cheese you like)

So keeping it close to the classic version, I had originally considered adding spinach and sun dried tomatoes this morning but in the end, decided to leave off all the frills (but you can add whatever floats your boat). I won't tell you how to fry an egg because I can only assume that if you're reading this, than you have at least some basic skills in the kitchen. I will say that I fried my egg in a small amount of Smart Balance and that I broke the yolk so I could have a bit of yolk with each bite. Meanwhile, I toasted 2 slices of my favorite whole grain bread and in the last moments before the egg was done cooking, I tossed the Canadian bacon into the pan to heat through. To assemble the sandwich: piece of toast, Canadian bacon, fried egg, top with second piece of toast that has been smeared with creamy goat cheese. Serve with iced coffee, and it's the perfect "fast food" before heading out the door.

Enjoy!

Feta Omelet

So here it is, Sunday once again. I know I've said it before, but what better way to celebrate a day off than to prepare a fantabulous breakfast? Today's offering is another great omelet paired with some leftover sweet potatoes and mixed veg, transformed into a tasty hash. I did make a slight departure from my regular coffee or iced coffee, and instead made my version of a hot mocha using a few of my pantry staples.

Ingredients:

2 eggs (I used my Garden Vegetable Egg Beaters as usual)

sun dried tomatoes, diced

feta cheese, crumbled

sweet potatoes, diced (I had these leftover in the fridge so all I had to do was reheat them)

mixed veg (again, from the freezer, this mix included red peppers, corn, and broccoli)

*For the hot mocha: instant espresso, hot chocolate, water, splash of creamer if desired

Because the omelet would only take a few minutes to come together, I started with the sweet potatoes and a splash of olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the potatoes until they start to crisp before adding in the rest of the veg to heat through. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, prepare the omelet and stuff it with the feta and tomatoes. Instead of my regulation coffee, I went with a package of sugar-free hot chocolate mixed with instant espresso and finished it with a splash of my favorite French vanilla creamer.

Enjoy!

Country Hash In The City

So this is my version of a country hash recipe I saw on Food Network last week. Many of my favorite dishes are inspired by something I've seen on Food Network or in any number of foodie magazines I read each week/month. In this case, I made it my own with what I had on hand in my fridge and pantry. Y'all know how much I love a good breakfast/brunch, and this was certainly no exception. It's Sunday after all, so what better day to enjoy it?

Ingredients:

2 red potatoes, diced

mixed veg (I always have a huge selection of frozen veg on hand so this mix included red peppers, corn, and broccoli)

chicken breast, diced (like I've said before, those prepackaged chicken strips are amazingly versatile!)

1 egg, fried or poached (dealer's choice on the preparation, I went with the classic fried egg)

thyme (dried works as well as fresh here)

salt and pepper to taste

I used the same short cut that the semi-homemaker on Food Network used with her potatoes: In a microwave safe bowl covered by a damp paper towel, microwave the diced potatoes for 3 minutes or until barely fork tender. Now, you could of course use left over potatoes if you've got them, but I didn't so I started from fresh. Once the potatoes reach the desired texture, transfer them to a large skillet with some olive oil, and cook over medium-high heat for several minutes until golden brown. Toss in the mixed veg, chicken breast, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the rest of ingredients are heated through. Serve with the egg on top and a big glass of iced coffee on the side.

Enjoy!

Quick Fix Workday Breakfast

Most workdays, I'm up way before the butt crack of dawn so I can get to work by 6:30am. As such, I'm definitely not interested in trying to fix something to eat before I leave the house because quite frankly, I'm not awake enough to even contemplate it let alone actually prepare something. To get around this situation, I usually make something the night before that's relatively easy to take with me to work. However, on Saturdays, I don't have to be to work until 9:00am so I'm usually mostly coherent and cognizant of my surroundings so I'm able to fix something to eat before I leave the house. Notice I said mostly... give me a break. I've never been a morning person and I never will be. Anyway, today I had what I like to call an "Inside-Out Omelet"... aka loaded scrambled eggs where anything goes. Here's today's version:

Ingredients:

eggs

chicken breast, diced or shredded

diced sauteed veg (shallot, red bell pepper, zucchini, carrot, celery)

spinach

goat cheese

I know, weird combination of ingredients. But I had the sauteed veg leftover from when I made my mini-meatloaf earlier in the week (made for a very moist turkey meatloaf!) and I always have spinach on hand. As for the chicken, if I don't have left over stuff in the fridge, well I always have a package of the pre-cooked chicken strips which are great to toss in salads. Anyway, you can change this up a million different ways... this is just what I had handy this morning.

So in a small saute pan over medium heat, toss all the veggies and chicken in to reheat for 2-3 minutes. Pour the beaten eggs (I used my Garden Vegetable Egg Beaters again, about the equivalent of 2 eggs) over the mixture and continue to cook until eggs are set, another 2-3 minutes. To serve, remove from heat and stir in your favorite cheese. Most importantly, don't forget to share the last few bites with the dog. :)

Enjoy!

Deluxe Day-Off Brunch

A couple of years ago I had an epiphany when it came to food and how it relates to me. Translation: I was fast approaching my 30th birthday and was tired of the way I looked and felt. I've always enjoyed cooking; my grandmother had me in the kitchen helping her from a very young age and I grew up in one of those homes where the mother was a stay at home mom and had dinner on the table for the family every night. Good ol' American classics of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, and anything fried were staples in our household so that's what I grew up on. Not alot of fresh veggies or salads, and fruits were usually only seen when packed in a lunchbox for school. Once I was out on my own and had a kitchen of my own, I was able to start exploring what food could really be like. Unfortunately, I let my culinary exploration slack off in the name of convenience and lost focus for several years. As for that epiphany, I won't bore you with the details, but it got me eating so much healthier than I was and trying out new flavors and techniques when it came to my own culinary exploits. And, one of the most important lessons I learned (and I can't believe it took me nearly 30 years to admit it) is this: Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Who'd have thought all those nutritionists were right?

So one of my favorite things to do on my days off is prepare a nice big breakfast/brunch, even if it's just for myself (although I must say that I've had friends over for brunch and garnered rave reviews!). After a meal like this, I'm good to go with just a snack later in the afternoon and then a light dinner. So here is today's version of my deluxe day-off brunch...

Ingredients:

2 egg omelet (I find that this makes just enough so that there's a few bites of egg left to feed to Seamus)

turkey sausage links (turkey bacon is good too... or you can splurge and use real pork products)

whole grain toast (I like to spread mine with Smart Balance or strawberry preserves if I've got a jar in the fridge)

mixed berries (any fruit is good, but berries have the added bonus of all those anti-oxidants)

coffee (please... what meal isn't complete without at least one cup of coffee?)

I won't go into the specifics of how to prepare each item on the menu because, frankly, anybody can make a halfway decent omelet if they have the right pan. What I will tell you, is that my omelet was made with Garden Vegetable Egg Beaters (equivalent of 2 eggs) and I use Smart Balance spread to cook it in. I like my omelets cooked to a firmer consistency than most restaurants cook eggs to, so I like to pour the beaten eggs into the pan over medium-low heat and let them set almost completely (the center is still a little loose) before I flip the entire thing like a pancake. Today's filling was spinach, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, fresh basil, salt, and pepper, and I place everything on one half of the eggs before folding over the other half of the eggs to form, in my opinion, the perfect omelet.

Along with this glorious ode to egg substitute, I had some left over turkey sausage links that I made yesterday so I tossed those in the pan for a few minutes to reheat just as I folded the omelet. In the mean time, my favorite chocolate scented coffee was brewing and the whole grain bread (yes, I read my labels and I know that it's the real thing) was toasting. (Times like these, I really wish I was able to bake bread like my dad could... there's nothing better than freshly baked bread!) To round out the meal, I tossed some of my favorite berries (strawberries, blueberries, and dark cherries) into a bowl and sprinkled on a packet of Splenda (to help them macerate and get extra juicy) and finished it with a splash of vanilla extract. This is equally as good served with lemon or vanilla yogurt, but alas, I have no plain yogurt in the fridge right now, just some Activia Light singles.

Sorry, I just had to wipe the drool off my chin. :)

Since I've started eating breakfast every day, I've learned that I'm more of a hearty breakfast type instead of the simple cereal type. I actually function better with a protein laden breakfast rather than one filled with carbs like pancakes or oatmeal. Go figure.

Enjoy!