eggs – And What I Ate

Breakfast Bake: Spinach, Feta and Caramelized Onion

I really love breakfast bakes – they’re so easy to make, you can throw it together in 15 minutes and have a reheatable breakfast for almost the rest of the week, and they’re so versatile, too. In this past I’ve made a baby kale & feta bake and one with leeks, smoked salmon, cheddar & cream cheese, but this one is more of a Greek flavor…spinach, feta, onions and a little dill. It was fantastic.

BREAKFAST BAKE: SPINACH, FETA AND CARAMELIZED ONION (makes 8 slices)
– 8 oz. spinach
– 1/2 a vidalia onion, sliced into thin moons
– 1 tsp. chopped dill (optional)
– salt & pepper
– 10 eggs (6 whites and 4 whole eggs)
– 1/3 C. milk
– 1 tbsp. butter
– 1 tbsp. EVOO
– 1/3 c feta
– 1 tsp. herbamare or 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Grease pan lightly with dab of EVOO.

3. Melt butter over medium low and saute onions until translucent, then beginning to pick up some rich color.

4. Remove from heat and add spinach, stir until wilted.

5. Add dill (optional) and herbamare or salt/pepper.

6. Make the first layer a mix of spinach & onions.

7. Add crumbled feta for the second layer.

8. Beat the eggs, milk & a little more salt/pepper, then add to the top of the spinach/onion/feta layers. Use a fork to kind of stick the eggs down into the mix so they get covered.

9. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife can be interested cleanly. Don’t open the oven to check on this until you’re almost positive it’s ready, or it’ll fall!

10. Let stand uncovered for at least 5 minutes before serving. Cut into squares or slices and enjoy.

Olive Oil-Poached Eggs with Thyme

I kind of couldn’t believe how awesome these turned out. Poaching these eggs in olive oil means an almost-fried egg with that great runny center of a poached egg, which was fantastic. You end up using a bunch of olive oil that you have to throw out afterwards, which is kind of a drawback, but the thyme infuses it with this really light, savory flavor that was perfect. We topped avocado-feta toasts with these and had them with some heart-shaped fruit salad for a full, healthy, protein-filled breakfast.

OLIVE OIL-POACHED EGGS WITH THYME
– Eggs (2 per person)
– EVOO approx. 1.5 cups
– Thyme sprigs
– Kosher salt & pepper

1. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. You’ll know when it’s hot enough because you can dip a wooden spoon into the olive oil and the bubbles will kind of cling to it. Add the thyme bundle to let that flavor start infusing into the olive oil.

2. While EVOO is heating, get the eggs out, but only crack 1 at a time to add to the olive oil.

3. When EVOO is hot enough, add individually cracked eggs, 1 at a time, to the oil. Let it cook for approx 45 seconds on one side, then gently flip over and cook for approx. 1 minute on the other side while floating in the olive oil, or until the white is set.

4. With a slotted spoon, remove poached egg and set aside. When ready to serve, top with kosher salt and pepper.

Breakfast Bake: Leeks, Smoked Salmon, Cheddar & (a little) Cream Cheese

So…I guess you can make things that are full of eggs, and still have them be kind of healthy? This recipe uses local/organic eggs (mostly whites), leeks (which are one of my favorite foods), cheddar, smoked salmon for some flavor, cream cheese, dill, etc. It was delicious, looked pretty fancy, and actually kept really well for a couple of days. And, was surprisingly really light – not to mention carb-free – for how much went into it!

BREAKFAST BAKE: LEEKS, SMOKED SALMON, CHEDDAR & (A LITTLE) CREAM CHEESE (serves 4-6)
– 12 eggs – 5 yolks & whites, 7 whites
– 2 bunches of leeks (white parts only), washed and cut into half moons
– 1/2 vidalia onion, cut into half moons
– 1/3 C. smoked salmon (approx. 4 oz), roughly chopped
– 1/4 c. milk
– 1 tbsp dill (or less, if you don’t love dill as much as I do)
– 1 c. grated cheddar
– 1 tbsp butter
– 3 tbsp. cream cheese, cut into little dots
– kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Wash the leeks – these are kind of tough to clean, because all the dirt from the ground gets in between the little sections. The easiest way to clean them is to lop off the green parts and the very end of the white parts, cut them in half lengthwise, and submerge them in water for a little bit, kind of flipping through the sections of them as if they were a deck of cards. This will loosen and release any dirt hiding in them.

3. Over medium heat, melt the butter. Chop the onion and the washed leeks, then add to the pan when butter is melted and cook until wilted, approx. 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add eggs, smoked salmon, cheddar, dill, milk, salt & pepper. Mix to combine well.

pre-mixed

5. Lightly grease a larger pie pan or casserole dish (either with butter or cooking spray), then add the leek/onion mixture to form a base for the Breakfast Bake.

6. Add the egg mixture on top of the leeks, and kind of bang around the pan so the mixture gets in between the cracks of the leeks and onions, and combines with everything.

7. Bake for approx. 15 minutes, until it starts to set. Remove from oven and dot with the cream cheese. Put back into the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or so, or until the dish is set and fluffy.

8. Remove from oven and let sit to cool for 15 minutes. Cut and serve. We had this with a Shaved Asparagus Salad, and it was a perfect little brunch. Happy 4th of July!

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, & Chives

Ah, breakfast for dinner. This is indulgent enough for suppertime, served with some good sourdough, or a real treat for breakfast. If you can’t find creme fraiche, just substitute cream cheese, which is also awesome (so awesome, in fact, that I used to eat it by itself as a snack when I was a kid. I know).

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SMOKED SALMON, CREME FRAICHE, & CHIVES (serves 2)

– 6 eggs (3 yolks, 6 whites)

– 1/4 C. roughly chopped smoked salmon (approx. 2 oz.)

– 2 tbsp. creme cheese or creme fraiche

– 2 tbsp. half & half or heavy cream

– 1 tbsp. butter

– really good quality sourdough (or whatever kind you’d like)

– chopped chives

– kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

1. In a smaller saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.

2. Whisk the eggs lightly together with the half & half (or cream), salt, & pepper.

3. When butter is melted, pour the eggs into the saucepan. The key to cooking them is to use a wooden spoon, and kind of push the uncooked parts around the pan so they can get some heat, not letting the cooked parts stay on the heat too much. Keep a pretty close eye on these until they’re finished (approx. 5-7 minutes). You want them to be soft & creamy, not overdone.

4. When eggs are almost finished, add salmon & stir to heat.

5. Remove eggs from heat, add the cream cheese or creme fraiche in little dollops, and stir to combine all of it. The heat from the eggs will melt the cream cheese a bit, which is perfect.

6. Top with torn chives. Serve with toasted buttered sourdough.

— My new little indoor herb garden!!! I love springtime. This has been a really transitional 6 weeks or so, but the gorgeous new apartment and the new experiences – and cooking in the new kitchen! – are all helping, a lot. It’s a watershed moment in my life, and I’m really looking forward to everything that’s yet to come.

Breakfast Bake: Egg, Baby Kale, & Feta

Baby kale! Who knew? I was so excited when I saw this in the grocery store. Kale is great for you, but traditionally it’s really hearty and kind of tough. Baby kale is so much more delicate, doesn’t require any prep work, and can be used in place of spinach leaves for just about anything, so I started with this. Throw this “breakfast bake” together in 15 minutes, bake it for 30-35, and you have a super filling breakfast that gives you the added benefit of another serving of veggies for the day. We ate this over the next 2 days, and it was still delicious.

BREAKFAST BAKE: EGG, BABY KALE, & FETA (makes 6 servings)
– 1/2 a container of baby kale (I used Olivia’s Organics, so approx. 6 oz.), or regular-leaf kale, “ribs” removed, and chopped roughly
– 1 tbsp. EVOO
– 3 shallots, thinly sliced
– 1/2 – 1/3 C. crumbled feta
– 8 eggs – 4 with yolk, 4 egg whites only
– 1/4 c. milk
– 1 tsp. Herbamare, which is the greatest seasoning ever, or just regular salt & pepper if you can’t find it
– 1/2 tsp. fresh chopped dill (optional)
– Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Rub a little olive oil in an 8 x 8 (or similar) casserole dish.

3. In a large sautee pan, heat the 1 tbsp. EVOO, then add the shallots and cook until they soften, approx. 2 minutes. Add the baby kale and sautee until wilted, which shouldn’t take longer than a minute. If you’re using regular kale, it’ll take about 2 minutes until it’s just wilted. Add the tsp. Herbamare and the dill, and stir to combine everything.

4. Remove from heat and spread the kale/shallot mixture in the casserole dish. Top with the crumbled feta.

5. Lightly beat the eggs and milk. Add however much salt & pepper you would typically add for scrambled eggs.

6. Pour the egg mixture over the kale/shallots/feta. Use a fork to gently sort of poke the egg mixture down into the kale & shallots, so that the eggs get evenly distributed.

7. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes.

8. Cut into servings and enjoy, then save your leftovers (if there are any!) for a quick breakfast over the next day or two.

Breakfast Burritos!

I’ve never been much of a breakfast person. I tend to subscribe to the whole “food doesn’t fit into a specific time slot” theory of eating, which basically means that if I’m craving pancakes, it’s usually for dinner, and whatever leftovers I have from the night before (especially pasta), it’s what’s for breakfast. That said, I am completely obsessed with breakfast burritos. Not only are the healthy, versatile, and filling, but you can make a whole batch of them and freeze them, then nuke them individually for maybe 2 minutes and your breakfast is ready to go. For those people who love sleep and consequently are pretty hurried in the morning (me), these are a great timesaver, and a much better option than the sodium breakfast sandwiches available at just about any of the places you can stop at on your ride in to work.

HAM, ASPARAGUS, & CHEDDAR BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Ingredients (serving size can be whatever you want it to be – it’s usually 1.5 egg whites per burrito, and other ingredients to your desired filling, so this recipe made 8 burritos):

– Eggs

– Breakfast ham

– Vidalia onion, diced

– Asparagus, chopped

– Grated Cheddar

– Small whole-wheat wraps – don’t use the regular burrito size, because these will be enormous

– Butter, EVOO

– Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Dice up 1 vidalia onion and maybe 1/2 a bunch of asparagus. Asparagus spears will naturally break off at the part of the stem that gets woody if you just bend it until it snaps.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When melted, add the asparagus and the onion, cook until soft. Remove from heat and transfer the asparagus/onion mixture to a plate.

3. Dice some breakfast ham, and add to the pan that the onions and asparagus were in. Cook until browned, then remove from heat and transfer ham to the plate with the asparagus/onion mixture.

4. Using that same pan, melt a small tab of butter and add eggs that have been whisked. I used mainly egg whites, maybe 1-2 egg yolks. Yolks are chock full of cholesterol, sure, but they mainly just gross me out. Scrambled eggs though – yummo! Once these are set, leave them in the pan but turn off the heat.

5. With your little assembly station ready (scrambled eggs, ham/onion/asparagus mixture, cheddar cheese, burritos), place one burrito on a flat surface, then add eggs, asparagus/ham/onions, and cheddar. I am pretty terrible at rolling burritos, so I can’t even tell you if this is where the ingredients are meant to be placed, or how to roll them well. I kind of just winged it, and they turned out fine, which means I’m sure you’ll be all set, too.

6. Once you’ve rolled your burrito, roll it up in a paper towel (this will help it not get soggy when you microwave it, I find that Viva “choose-a-size” is perfect for smaller burritos), and then wrap that tightly in a piece of aluminum foil. Put the assembled, paper-toweled, foil-wrapped burritos in a freezer ziplock bag.

When ready for breakfast, remove one of the burritos, remove the foil (as I learned from watching my babysitter when I was 6 microwave a hamburger still in foil, microwave + aluminum foil = bad news bears), and heat for 1 minute on one side, flip to the other side, and microwave for 1 minute more.

These are super tasty, and keep really well too. I thought that 1 burrito might be too little, but it ends up being a perfect breakfast portion for both me and Brad, which says enough!