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.

Egg Salad with Dill

I would imagine that a great number of you are opening your refrigerators this morning wondering how you will ever consume the bounty of hard boiled eggs left over from the holiday weekend. I propose an impromptu lunch of egg salad sandwiches, as that will be the solution in my house. I really like egg salad and enjoy it in a lot of variations, but my go-to classic version is from the The Silver Palate Cookbook (a staple in my kitchen). The most important part of making egg salad is ensuring  you have the eggs cooked properly. An over cooked hard-boiled egg will produce a rubbery white shell with a chalky, greenish toned yoke…not exactly appetizing. The process is simple:

1. Place eggs in a pan that is just large enough to hold all of the eggs and cover with cold water.

2. Add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil.

3. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat (keep it covered) and let it sit for 15 minutes.

4. Remove eggs from the pan and let them cool either in the refrigerator or under cold water.



Egg Salad with Dill
Courtesy of The Silver Palate Cookbook
Serves 6-8

8 Hard-cooked eggs
½ cup finely chopped purple onion
⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup prepared Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

*I normally use low fat sour cream and low fat mayonnaise.

Peel the eggs and quarter them. Place in a mixing bowl with the onions and dill.
In another bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and pour over eggs, onion and dill.
Toss gently, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss again.
Cover and refrigerate if you must, but the salad is at its best eaten immediately.

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!