Tag: eggs

BCT Frittata (Bacon,Cheese & Tomato)

2 Comments

done1Looking for a special breakfast to sit down to with your family?  Something delicious and easy? Something for Father’s Day or to feed a crowd? Maybe something you can mix up the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning? This Bacon Cheese & Tomato Frittata fits the bill.  I recently made a similar frittata for a girl’s bachelorette weekend… My husband loves bacon, so this one has thick cut bacon cooked right in.  A frittata is like a baked omelet.  And because it is baked, the eggs are light and fluffy and perfectly cooked throughout.

What you will need for this to come out perfectly is an oven safe non-stick skillet... if you don’t have this, no worries, just spray a baking pie dish with cooking spray or coat with butter and pour contents into that.

If you like or dislike any of these ingredients or if you happen to have something else on hand, substitute at will.  The important thing is to saute hard veggies like onions.  The frittata I made on the girl’s weekend was made up of onions, red bell peppers and sliced baked ham with a sharp cheddar.  I was also feeding a larger crowd, so I used 10 eggs instead of just 8 and I added a half cup of cream.  Customize it to what you like!

Start with your bacon. Cut up about 4 slices of thick cut bacon and start sauteing in the skillet.

Dice up some onions.

Add your onions right in with your bacon as it is cooking down.

Keep the onions and bacon going over medium heat until it's time to add in the eggs. Meanwhile get the rest of the ingredients prepped.

Keep the onions and bacon going over medium heat until it’s time to add in the eggs. Meanwhile get the rest of the ingredients prepped.

Dice up some cheddar... this is mild, sharp works well also.

Dice up some cheddar… this is mild, sharp works well also.

Cut up some sweet grape tomatoes.

Cut up some sweet grape tomatoes.

Crack 8 eggs into a bowl and scramble with a fork.

For this Frittata, I added in a smal pinch of Herbs de Provence... Be careful here, this is a strong spice for such a delicate dish, you only want to add in the smallest pinch. If you happen to have fresh herbs instead, great... some thyme and parsley would be lovely here.

For this Frittata, I added in a small pinch of Herbs de Provence… Be careful here, this is a strong spice for such a delicate dish, you only want to add in the smallest pinch. If you happen to have fresh herbs instead, great… some thyme and parsley would be lovely here.

add cheese

Add in a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Add in a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper.

When your onions and bacon are good and caramelized, you will know it’s time to drain off some of the fat add in the eggs.

Add in your egg mixture.

Add your tomatoes.

Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

done3

done2

Recipe for BCT Frittata:

(serves 4-6)

8-10 eggs

1/2 onion diced

4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

3 oz. cheddar, cubed

8-10 grape or cherry tomatoes

1 small pinch kosher salt

4-5 cracks of fresh black pepper

1 small pinch Herbs de Provence (optional)

Directions:

Render bacon in a non-stick oven safe skillet.  Add in diced onions.  In a separate bowl, scramble eggs.  Add in Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper.  Add in cheese.
Once onions and bacon are caramelized, add in egg mixture. Top with tomatoes.

Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes until set.  (Eggs will slightly puff when done)

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe

 

Stacy’s Deviled Eggs

done4

My family is heading to Jamaica this summer to attend my little sister’s wedding.  It is a very exciting time.  It is also a time to think about putting on summer clothes and dreaded bathing suits!  So, my husband and I decided it was time to shape up a bit before the trip.  Over the years I have found the easiest, most efficient and most effective way to drop some pounds is with a low (not no) carb diet and some healthy exercise!  No fun right?  Ah, but it could be.  These yummy little deviled eggs just go to show ya that eating low-carb can be great.

I have always enjoyed a good deviled egg with its creamy spicy filling, so years ago I developed this recipe that I come back to time and time again whether on a low-carb diet or not.  They are quick, easy and inexpensive.  And they are great to serve at or bring to a party!  So why not bring back this classic American appetizer this summer?

Each of my entries this week will be focused on something especially yummy and low-carb so that you can enjoy eating with your family whether they are following along the low-carb route or not! Each recipe will be great for carb lovers and dieters alike.  And with summer BBQ’s starting all around the country, if you are watching those carbs, it’s always nice to have something to reach for other than those evil chips and brownies!

hb egg

Start with a hard-boiled egg. To achieve the perfect hard-boiled egg just place your eggs in the bottom of a pot, cover with just enough water to emerse all your eggs and turn on your burner to high… once you come to a full boil, shut off and cover pot. Then set your timer for 12-15 mins. Done.

crack egg

Crack your egg gently to try to avoid making divits in the egg… after all half the appeal of a deviled egg is its presentation.

peeled

For this recipe, I am using 8 hard-boiled eggs… but I always make one or two extra in case there is a casualty.

cut eggs

Empty out the yolks… (see there is a casualty, that will have to be the tester egg)

place on tray

Now place the eggs on the deviled egg plate you will be using… I have one that goes into the freezer for summer parties, but this was for a pink themed spread, so I thought this would be a pretty plate to use.

yolks

Place all your yolks in a medium sized mixing bowl.

mash yolk

Mash them up.

add mayo

I’ve always made this recipe by eye… but, I can give you some general guidelines… two heaping soup spoons of real mayonnaise (a scant 1/4 cup)

add mustard

One non-heaping soup spoon of yellow mustard. (about a tablespoon)

add relish

One soup spoon of relish. (one heaping tablespoon) This provides the vinegar that is in a typical deviled egg, but it also adds some crunch.

one squirt of Sriracha sauce or whatever hot sauce you like. (about one teaspoon)

One dash of cayenne pepper. (about 1/8 teaspoon) Be careful here, you can always add more, but cayenne pepper is hot hot hot.

salt and pepper

Mash all your ingredients together. Then taste for salt and pepper. I didn’t add too much salt here, just about 1/8 teaspoon and about 5-6 cracks of black pepper to balance the pepper flavor from the hot sauce and cayenne.

fill bag

Now, if you want to get fancy (and this was for a party, so I did want to) Place your mixture into a piping bag fitted with a pretty tip.

full bag

These are disposable piping bags that I use for my cake decorating… but, if you don’t have a piping bag handy, just use a quart sized freezer storage bag. Be sure it is freezer strength as the regular strength won’t hold up. Then just cut the tip of one corner off and you will still make a pretty design.

Now, fill your eggs. You want to come up just a bit higher than the egg itself.

Now add some garnish. I used a simple caper. I have also used a chopped up pickle in the past and that was yummy too.

done1

And there you have it, a beautiful tray of homemade deviled eggs. Zero carbs and lots of healthy protein.

done3

Enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Deviled Eggs:

(serves 8)

8 hard-boiled eggs

1/4 cup real mayonnaise, scant

1 Tbls. yellow mustard

1 Tbls. dill relish, heaping

1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

kosher salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

Garnish: either capers or sliced pickles

Directions:

Cut and separate egg whites from yolks.  Set whites aside. Mash yolks in a medium bowl. Add in all remaining ingredients and mash together.  Garnish with capers or sliced pickles.

Enjoy!

*note: This is a no-carb, gluten-free recipe

Eggs with Hats

1 Comment

done4Eggs with Hats are a classic hybrid breakfast food.  It’s buttery toast with a perfectly cooked egg built right in.  I learned how to make these from a friend in high school and have since made them every which way.  For Valentine’s Day, I make them for my kids with a heart shape cut out using a cookie cutter.  Sometimes I do little add-ins like chives or place a slice of cheese on top. Sometimes I change the type of bread. But, my favorite is the traditional pre-sliced wheat bread with just a simply seasoned egg with salt and pepper. Delicious.

These are perfect for any special occasion like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day as shown in my Breakfast in Bed post.  It’s something a little different that kid’s can definitely help with.  Or, this can go right into your regular breakfast rotation!  It’s super quick and easy.  Sometimes, I think it’s actually quicker and easier than trying to make eggs and toast separately and keeping them all warm at the same time!

bread

Start with two slices of wheat bread.

butter

Use softened butter or spreadable margarine to butter.

both sides

Don’t forget the other side.  I like to do it this way before cutting the hole because it makes life a little easier than trying to butter bread with a hole cut out of it and then the hole separately!

glass

Find a glass that will fit comfortably in the center of your bread and is a good size for an egg to fit in.

skillet

On a non-stick skillet add both the slice with the hole and the hole.

melt butter

Now, add some more butter to the center for the egg.

egg

I always like to place the egg in a little bowl to inspect for freshness and shell.

egg in

Add in egg.

egg set

When the white sets up a bit, sprinkle with a little kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

flip

As soon as you add the salt and pepper, flip. (Its ok if you get a little splash over like this… if it really bothers you, just cut it off, if not, its yummy anyway) Don’t forget to flip the hole.

done3

That’s it, plate and serve along side some bacon or Rockstar Potatoes or whatever you like.

Recipe for Eggs with Hats:

(serves 1)

2 slices for whole wheat bread

2 large eggs

2 Tbls. spreadable margarine or butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Butter both sides of bread.  Use a juice glass to cut hole in center of each.  Heat a non-stick skillet to medium.  Place buttered bread in pan and place hole cut out separately in the pan to brown.  Add butter to hole in preparation for the egg.  Add egg.  Once the egg starts to set up, add a scant pinch of kosher salt and pepper.  Flip.  Allow to cook for about 45 seconds – 1 minute.  (Don’t forget to flip the hole)

Enjoy!

Southwest Veggie Omelet

done2It is really hard to find a good omelet!  Maybe I’m just picky, but I prefer eggs made at home to those out in a restaurant any day.  This Southwest Veggie omelet is light and fluffy, perfectly seasoned and has some key elements that make it ‘Southwest’.

Once you get my simple techniques down you can make this into any type of omelet you like.  Add ins in this beauty include mushrooms, scallions and pepper jack cheese.  Maybe you aren’t into spice, that’s O.K. substitute with a Swiss or a Cheddar.  Maybe you like some meat in your omelet, have at it.  As long as you get some key techniques down, you can rock your non-stick skillet like a cooking superstar!

Some things to keep in mind: First lets start with the ingredients, the basic to any good omelet is your egg to milk ratio.  I like 2 eggs to 1/4 c. milk.  If you want to substitute out an egg for egg white, be sure you use 2 egg whites for every one egg.  And DO NOT salt until the egg is in the pan, we will go over this in the tutorial.  Also, be sure your burner is set to medium heat, you don’t want to scorch your eggs here, have patience.  A good omelet needs some TLC.

ingredients

The ingredients you will need for this omelet are: 2 eggs, 1/4 c. milk, 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 1/4 c. sliced scallions, 2-3 oz. pepper jack cheese and a pinch each of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

butter in pan

Use a 10″ non-stick skillet (save yourself a headache). Even though the pan is non-stick, you are going to want to butter it up… So add one pad of butter.

mushrooms

Saute the mushrooms in the butter. DO NOT add salt as you don’t want to draw water from the mushrooms. Let them gently brown.

add scallions

After a few moments, the mushrooms will be nicely browned, but not overcooked. Add in the sliced scallions. I like to keep the scallions at about inch long pieces for this recipe because I feel like they can stand up to the mushrooms at this size. Any smaller and they could get lost.

add milk2

While the veggies are sauteing, take a minute to beat the eggs and milk together with a fork, vigorously.

add more butter

Once you have sautéed the scallions in with the mushrooms for a couple of minutes, add in another pad of butter. Move the butter about the pan to add an additional layer of protection for your eggs. You do not want the eggs to stick,

add egg

Gently pour your eggs in over the veggies. The eggs will naturally spread the veggies. Once poured, just make sure you redistribute the veggies throughout the egg.  Once poured, sprinkle your kosher salt, just a pinch and your fresh cracked black pepper.

technique1

Pretty immediately the eggs will start to set up. Take a minute to go around the pan and gently lift some of the set eggs to allow for the runny part to take its place in the pan. This is where the fluffiness factor comes in with my omelets. This is a crucial step.  Do this all the way around the pan, lifting in 2-4 spots.

technique2

Once you have made your omelet fluffy, you will want to get it to one edge of your pan. Due to the two layers of butter that were added, this should not be too difficult. If you are struggling a bit with a gentle shimmy, just go around the pan with a spatula and loosen the edges. Then flip. I did an air flip, so I couldn’t take a picture as I did not have the hands for it. I would encourage you to try the air flip if as it is quick and easy. As Julia Child would say “You just have to have the courage”. But, if you aren’t feeling particularly courageous, you can just use your largest spatula to help you to maneuver your eggs over to their other side.

add cheese

Immediately apply the cheese to one side of your omelet to allow for maximum melting time. And lift the non-cheese side over the cheese side. Slide the omelet off the skillet and onto a plate. This process is pretty quick because the majority of your egg is already cooked from the first side and the fluffing technique.

done3

Enjoy!

Recipe for Southwest Veggie Omelet:

(serves 1)

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup scallions, sliced

2-3 oz. pepper jack cheese

pinch of kosher salt

pinch of fresh cracked black pepper

2 pads of butter or margarine

Directions:

Beat eggs with milk.  Set aside.

Saute mushrooms in butter in a non-stick 10″skillet.  Add in scallions once mushrooms have browned.  Add in an additional pad of butter.  Add in beaten eggs.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Lift gently along the sides allowing unset eggs to run under set eggs.

Flip.  Add cheese to half the omelet.  Flip the remaining half over the cheese.  Serve.

Enjoy!

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe