Farmer Egg & Potato Breakfast

Good morning Breakfast Buddies– We have a group at church called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).  I obviously do not fall into that category!!  But lucky for me, there is also a older mentor mom at each table.  So I get to hang out with all those fun moms and their adorable kids on Tuesdays.

We start off each get-together with breakfast (a highlight for us all)– and last week I brought along these eggs and potatoes all baked up together.  Delicious!  And happily, you throw it all together the night before and in the morning, just pop it into the oven!

FARMER EGG & POTATO BREAKFAST
6 cups frozen hash browns*
1  1/2 cup grated cheddar
2 cups ham, cut to small bits
1/2 cup green onion, sliced (about 4)
8 eggs
3 cups whole milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Make this ahead the night before you want to cook it up for breakfast.

Spray a 9″x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread the hash browns on the bottom of the dish.  Then layer on the cheddar, ham and green onion.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are blended.  Then whisk in the milk, salt and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish.

Cover it with foil and set it into the fridge overnight.  The next morning, let the dish sit out for 30 minutes and then take off the foil and bake up the whole thing at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes.  Enjoy!

*Use the shredded hash browns, not the chunky kind!

Baked Bacon & Eggs

Good morning!  I meet with a group of young moms (MOPS) every other Tuesday– and each time we meet they fill tables with eggs, muffins, fruit… It’s a breakfast banquet.  Last week, this is was my little contribution.

It’s my go-to egg dish–So easy– and you can change it up.  Take out the bacon & chilis and substitute any omelette-ish ingredient you are partial to– ham, mushrooms, avocado, peppers, spinach, broccoli, sausage…  It can be different every time.  The secret ingredient here is cottage cheese– makes it creamy and smooth! I hope you like it.

BAKED BACON & EGGS
6 strips of bacon
5 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
2 cups grated cheddar (I used colby jack)
4oz. can mild green chilis

Cook the bacon until it’s crispy.  Drain on a paper towel and then break it up into small bits.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are frothy.  Then stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, cheddar, chilis and prepared bacon.

Pour it all into a 9″ pie plate that has been sprayed with cooking spray– and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and cook for 20 minutes more until the eggs are set and a little browned around the edges.  Best eaten hot from the oven!

Fab French Toast

Hi breakfast friends–  Found this recipe in the Food & Wine Best of the Best year end cookbook.  It was labeled “Fabulous French Toast.”  And happily it lived up to it’s name!  It’s a little more work to start the night before– but if you have houseguests or friends coming in for breakfast, then half the work is done when you hit the kitchen in the morning.  I loved it’s sweet custardy texture.  You might want to give it a try…

FAB FRENCH TOAST
6 eggs
1/2 cup suar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups half & half
6 slices of sourdough bread, cut 1″ thick
butter for cooking & then for serving
maple syrup (of course)
berries, optional

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Then add in the half & half and whisk it all together.  Place the bread in a single layer in a shallow baking dish and pour the egg mixture over the top.  Turn the bread over once to coat both sides.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge overnight.

The next morning, heat your skillet and add in a bit of butter.  When it’s melted, cook the slices of soaked bread 2 to 3minutes on each side until they are nicely browned.  Then settle the bread slices on a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray and put them in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes.

Arrange the french toast on plates and serve with mounds of butter and dribbles of good maple syrup.   Then dig in!

Fresh Corn & Zucchini Pie

Hello there– It’s that zucchini time of year.  I wish I could say we have a bountiful, beautiful zucchini patch in our side yard.  But not this year.  So I’m depending on the market for m supply. But zucchini –and that fresh corn just taste like summer. So here it is…

FRESH CORN & ZUCCHINI PIE
2 smallish zucchini, cut into slices
2 yellow crooked neck squash, cut into slices
1 small yellow onion, chopped
splash of olive oil
2 ears fresh sweet corn
1/2 tsp salt*
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups shredded cheese
(I used half colby jack & half mozzarella)
3 eggs

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Then add the sliced zucchini, squash and onion.  Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then.

While that’s cooking, slice the corn kernels off the cob.  After the first 5 minutes, throw the corn into the pan and cook 5 minutes more.  Season with the salt and basil.

In a large heat proof mixing bowl, beat the eggs til frothy with a whisk.  Stir in the cheese (but save a little handful aside to sprinkle on top)  and then scoop in the zucchini, squash and corn from the skillet into the bowl.  Mix it up and pour it into a 9 or 10″ baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

Cover the dish loosely with foil (try to keep it from touching the zucchini etc.) and pop it into a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Then remove the foil and bake 10-12 minutes longer to brown up the top.

Let it sit about 10 minutes to firm up and then cut into warm, delicious slices.

*I used garlic salt instead of plain salt, just because I love that stuff.

P.S.  This makes great leftovers to tote to work for lunch.  Eggs suffer the microwave well, and I like a nice warm dish for lunch,  tastier than the routine sandwich.

Blueberry Dutch Baby

Hello there–  Love this cheerful baking dish full of blueberries and custard.  You put it together in just 10 minutes and while it’s baking, you can put on some music, build a fire in the fireplace and throw together a salad, maybe a little bacon.  Sunday brunch.

BLUEBERRY DUTCH BABY
2 tab. butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3 tab. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
6 0z. blueberries (about 1 1/4 cup)
powdered sugar for dusting

Melt the butter in the microwave.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Then whisk in the milk, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt.

Pour the melted butter into a 9″ baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, covering the bottom of the dish.  Then spoon in the egg batter on top of the butter and top with the blueberries.

Pop it into a 425 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Dust it with powdered sugar straight from the oven and eat it up while it’s hot and puffy!

Confetti Baked Eggs

Hello there– Last week we had a Thanksgiving breakfast with friends.  We talked and sang and prayed and were hopeful and thankful together.  If was a fine morning.  Everyone brought food to share and here was our contribution to the table– eggs with peppers.  Hope you shared dear times of thanks with people you love…

CONFETTI BAKED EGGS
5 eggs beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
2 cups grated cheddar-jack cheese
1 cup red, green, orange bell peppers, chopped fine
4 oz. black forest ham, cut to bits.

Whisk the eggs until they are foamy and then whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir in the cottage cheese, cheddar, peppers and ham.  Spoon it all into a 9″ baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake it up at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and cook for 20 minutes more.  Serve it piping hot and puffy from the oven.

Breakfast Tacos

Buenas Dias!   It’s taco time–for breakfast.  If you think breakfast burritos are a little too heavy duty first thing in the morning, here’s a nice little alternative.  Start with tortillas and eggs and add whatever taco-ish ingredients you like for breakfast–and that you happen to have in the fridge.   These are quick (less than 15 minutes) and everyone can fill their tortilla to their own liking.  I love tacos.  I literally could eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  Hope you like them too.

BREAKFAST TACOS
8 small corn tortillas*
4 slices turkey ham**
4 eggs
salt & pepper
a few drips of hot sauce
cheddar
cilantro
avocado
tomato

Lightly toast the tortillas in the toaster oven for just a couple minutes.  While they are warming up, cut the turkey ham to small bits and brown it in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray (you can use butter or olive oil if you like the real thing).  Beat the eggs in a cup with salt & pepper and a few drops of hot sauce.  Then pour them over the ham and gently fold them in to cook up firm and golden.

Set the torillas on plates and spoon on the eggs, topped with cilantro, cheese, avocado and tomato***.  That’s it.  So breakfast yummy!

* I love the new tiny “street taco size” tortillas made by Guerrero (if you live in California).
**Any ham will do, of course, I just like my inexpensive, almost healthy turkey ham.
— or bacon, who wouldn’t love this with bacon?!
*** or whatever other Mexican food-ish things you love to eat.

Swiss Chard & Sausage Frittata

Hello friends– Here’s a cheerful little plate for breakfast.  Or lunch.  Or Sunday supper. You can cut it up and serve it steaming hot from the oven.  Or set it out cold with good bread for a picnic lunch.  It’s just a versatile little dish savory and satisfying–and pretty on the plate!  I think you’d like to add it to your culinary repertoire.

SWISS CHARD & SAUSAGE FRITTATA
2 tab. olive oil
1/2 pound mild Italian sauage*
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper
1/2 brown mushrooms, chopped to nice bits
3 large leaves Swiss chard, stems removed, sliced to pieces
8 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cheddar

Heat the olive oil in a oven proof skillet.  Put in the sausage and onion into the pan.  While it’s cooking chop the sausage to bits– for about 5 minutes until the sausage is browned and cooked through.  Then add in the peppers and mushrooms.  Cook 3 minutes more and finally stir in the Swiss chard, cooking about 1 more minute until it wilts.

While all this cooking is going on in the skillet, beat the eggs until they are frothy.  Stir in the salt and cheddar and pour it evenly over the ingredients in the skillet.  Turn the heat to medium and cook about 3 minutes until the bottom is set.  Then set it into the broiler, about 4 inches from the heat and broil 3 to 4 more minutes until the top is golden and browned around the edges. (Keep at eye on it– it’s easy to burn it in the boiler!)

Serve it up hot with a simple bright salad– breakfast, brunch or a Sunday night dinner…

*1/2 pound of Italian sausage is about 2 links.  Use pork of turkey, mild or hot– it’s up to you…

Easy Eggs with Peppers & Kale

Hi all–  My mom came for breakfast to see all my China pictures.  Only a mom would volunteer to sit through all 406 of my favorite pics!!  But first we started out with some muffins and eggs.  I love this fool proof recipe– tender with a nice little kale and pepper bits thrown in.  It’s a standby “friends for breakfast” recipe.   I think you’d like it too.

EASY EGGS WITH PEPPERS & KALE
5 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (8 oz.) small curd cottage cheese
1 cup colby jack cheddar, grated
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped to bits
1/2 cup orange bell pepper, chopped to bits
1 cup kale, chopped fine

Beat the eggs and then stir in the flour and baking powder.  Mix in the remaining ingredients and spoon it all in to a 9″ or 10″ pie pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Pop it into a 400 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and bake 20-25 minutes more.  It’s that easy!

Potato, Ham and Spinach Tortilla

Hi you all–  This is all a bit confusing.  Our years in Spain, I learned to make Spanish tortilla–not to be confused with the Mexican variety we consume by the millions here in California.  It’s a potato-egg confection, similar to an Italian frittata. This version has a decidedly American bent.  All that aside, I just submit that it’s really good, homestyle, warm food for a winter’s evening.

POTATO, HAM AND SPINACH TORTILLA
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2″ chunks
1 yellow onion, minced
olive oil
garlic salt
4 eggs
dash salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup smoky ham, cut in bits
1 cup spinach, chopped to slivers
1/2 cup cheddar, grated

Thoroughly cook the potatoes in a nonstick pan with the olive oil.  About half way through, throw in the onion & ham and season with garlic salt. Meanwhile, crack the 4 eggs into a large bowl and season with salt and the ground pepper.  Beat them together and after the potatoes are beginning to brown take them off the heat and let them cool for 10 minutes.  Then drop the potatoes and spinach into the bowl of eggs and let them sit for 5 minutes to really coat the potatoes.

Here is the fun part.  Wipe out the pan so it’s smooth and clean.  Add a couple tablespoons of oil heat the pan.  Pour the eggs and potatoes into the heated pan and cook on medium heat until the bottom is browned and the eggs are mostly set.  Then cover the top of the pan with a large plate and flip it over onto the plate.  Slide the tortilla back into the pan cooked side up and let it cook on medium low for another 5-8 minutes until the bottom is browned as well.

You can eat this cold like Spaniards do for picnics or make tortilla sandwiches on thick slabs of crunchy Spanish bread.  But I like it best piping hot and sitting by fireplace with a bright salad.  Que aproveche!

Fresh Tomato Basil Frittata

Well hello there– With the yellow bowl of tomatoes on the kitchen counter spilling over, I tried a new dinner for us, a tomato frittata and a big summer salad.  We spread out on the coffee table to eat by the t.v. because I just couldn’t miss those incredible (and adorable) girl gymnasts at the Olympics.  So, it was happy endings!!– the girls won the gold medal and the frittata turned out just fine.

FRESH TOMATO BASIL FRITTATA
2 tab. olive oil
6 eggs
4 tab. grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
5 ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into slices

Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and spread them on a paper towel to soak off extra juices.  Heat the oil in the pan and whisk up the eggs with the parmesan and a few shakes of salt and fresh ground pepper.  Pour the eggs into the pan and cook on medium heat until they are partially set and the edges are browned.  Sprinkle the basil on the eggs and then layer the tomatoes on top.  Set the pan into a 350 degree oven and bake until the eggs are completely set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Slice up the frittata and add a bright green salad and a slice of sturdy bread.  A nice light dinner or a great addition to brunch.