Fried Eggs over Roasted Asparagus

One holiday has passed and another approaches! For all of the mothers out there, may your weekend be full of hugs, kisses, rest, and celebration, because you all deserve it. I will be spending Saturday with my mom and sister before heading off to my in-laws, so my mom’s Mother’s Day breakfast will come a day early. Since it will be sandwiched between waking up and getting out the door to our early morning pedicure, it needs to be easily prepared and not too heavy. Eggs in any fashion remind me of my mom, so I think this simple combination of eggs and asparagus will be suitable for the occasion. If you are preparing this for a crowd, you can just as easily scramble or poach the eggs. Crumbled bacon or pancetta is also a nice addition to this dish. 

Fried Eggs over Roasted Asparagus
Serves 4

1lb asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 large organic eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up).

Toss the trimmed asparagus in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender, but still a little crisp.

Meanwhile, prepare eggs to your liking. I prefer a fried egg over-easy. To do this, preheat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the eggs (2-4 at a time, depending on the size of your pan) to the pan and cook until the whites have set, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and then flip the egg over and turn off the heat. Let it sit in the hot pan for 2 minutes.

To serve, remove the eggs from the pan and place them over several stalks of roasted asparagus. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  

Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs

We stuck close to home this Easter which made it a different kind of holiday for us. It was nice to take it easy and have a relaxing weekend without any commitments, but at the same time we missed the chaos and excitement of being with our families. My husband and I both are accustom to large holiday meals that are usually centered around a turkey or ham with at least six sides to choose from, so I knew I needed to create some sort of meal to mark the occasion. I had such an overwhelming positive response to the Overnight French Toast a few weeks back (I am so glad you all enjoyed it!) that I wanted to find another “company worthy” breakfast dish that can be made in advance. When I came across this recipe I ran straight to the kitchen. It took about 30 minutes to prepare the day before, but the next morning I cracked four eggs and it was done.  The presentation is rustic and has that overall "no fuss"  feel that I just love!

Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs
Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4

8oz. bakery white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (drained)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups extra-sharp cheddar, shredded
2 tablespoons snipped chives
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
Salt
4 large eggs
Hot sauce, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil and spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until the bread is golden and lightly crisp.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet.

3. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook until any liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.

4. Return the toasted bread cubes to the bowl. Add the contents of the skillet, along with the bacon, shredded cheeses, chives and broth. Stir until the bread is evenly moistened. Season with salt. Spread the mixture in the baking dish and cover with lightly oiled foil.

5. Bake the bread mixture in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is crispy, about 15 minutes longer. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and, using a ladle, press 8 indentations into the bread mixture. Crack an egg into each indentation. Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Serve the breakfast bake right away with hot sauce.

Overnight French Toast Casserole

I am not sure if it is my 13 month old or my innate sweet tooth, but I have been craving anything with maple syrup over the past few weeks. When I was growing up, my mom made French toast all the time. What patience it must have taken to dip each individual piece of bread in a cinnamon flavored batter and then grill it to golden brown perfection…for 3 kids! Fast forward 20 years and I would like a shortcut please! I have been curious about the French toast casseroles that soak overnight, so I decided to give one a try this weekend while we had friends visiting. It was so wonderfully easy! I assembled in less than 5 minutes the night before and then on Sunday all we had to do was pop it in the oven and let it do its thing. Love it! Maple syrup and a side of bacon are a must!

Overnight French Toast Casserole
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 loaf brioche or challah -sliced
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
(Optional) maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping


Directions
In a small bowl combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish overlapping if necessary.

Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices. 

Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices. 

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours. 

In the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheating your oven to 350 degrees. 

Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes. If top starts browning too quickly place a foil loosely over the top of the casserole for the last 10 minutes or so. You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked but don't dry it out completely.

Remove casserole from oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Bacon Pancakes

GENIUS is all I have to say about bacon pancakes. Fluffy pancakes with sweet maple syrup and salty crispy bacon...what is not to like?! I encountered this menu item on my recent trip to California while eating brunch at Hash House A Go Go (fabulously entertaining brunch spot that I would highly recommend when in San Diego). This is the only time in my life that I can say that I was thankful to be seated near the kitchen so that I could see every dish that came out! When I saw bacon pancakes I knew it was something that I would have to recreate at home.  To cut a corner just use a pancake mix, I think it will taste just as good.  I would put the focus on quality bacon and maple syrup.  I love these pancakes and cannot wait to make them again...next time with chocolate chips!

Bacon Pancakes
serves 4

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 tablespoon white sugar
 1 1/4 cups milk
 1 egg
 3 tablespoons butter, melted 
4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. When bubbles start to form,  add the chopped bacon to the pancake, check the bottom side for a light brown color, when browned to your liking flip it to the other side and cooking until it is light brown in color. Serve hot with a sprinkle of crumbled bacon and hot maple syrup. 


*You can keep them warm in the oven on low heat covered with foil until ready to serve.

Blueberry Muffins

During my 9 (really 10!) months of pregnancy I consumed an abnormal amount of muffins.  I truly went through a phase where I was making 2 dozen + a week for just two of us!  I tried everything from pumpkin, zucchini, banana, chocolate chip, persimmon, apple, strawberry, oatmeal, bran, and anything else that I deemed edible.  As much as I enjoyed all of the different flavors and combinations that I tested, my all time favorite blueberry muffin recipe still reigned supreme.  This muffin recipe is from Cooks Illustrated and exemplifies my favorite kind of muffin, which has a “cake-like” texture, a lot of blueberries, and does not taste too sweet.  It is made from ingredients that most of us have on hand and the best part is that it does not require any special equipment.   As long as you have a bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer you are ready to go!   What are you having for breakfast this weekend?

Best Blueberry Muffins

Cooks Illustrated

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 large egg

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups sour cream (10 ounces)

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, preferably wild

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk egg in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 steps, whisking just to combine.

Add frozen berries to dry ingredients and gently toss to combine. Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds (small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick). Do not overmix.

Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright, and cool 5 minutes.

Ham and Cheese Egg Casserole

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs Closet Cooking back in 2009.  This has become my go to breakfast recipe because it is not only delicious, but incredibly easy.   Most of the ingredients are ones that I usually have on hand and substitutions work beautifully.    Honestly, whatever is in my kitchen that day is what usually will end up in this casserole.  I have made a few adjustments by decreasing the amount of shredded cheese and increasing the cooking time.  The trick here is to use the cottage cheese- it adds a texture and seasoning that you do not want to miss!  The next time you are contemplating breakfast food, I recommend you try this, it will not disappoint!  This recipe can also be halved or doubled easily depending on the size of your crowd.

Print Recipe

Ham and Cheese Casserole

Serves 6

Ingredients

10 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup diced ham or bacon (cooked)

1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, colby- anything you have on hand)

1/4 cup diced jalapeno pepper

2 chopped green onions

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.  Pour mixture into an 8 inch square pan (adjust size of the pan if you are making more or less).  Bake in a preheated oven at 375 until the eggs are firmly set and golden brown on top.  Usually around 30 minutes.  If you give the pan a shake and nothing "jiggles", then you are all set!