eggs – Page 4 – The Pajama Chef

Eggplant Potato Frittata for Two [or a crowd]

July 17, 2013July 17, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

from September 8, 2011… I need to make this again soon!

Q: How do you get a husband (or kids) to eat eggplant?

A: With eggs, cheese, and potato of course!

This summer my husband and I joined a CSA for the first time. CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” and is basically a chance to purchase a basket of produce each week from a local farmer. You can read more about our experience here, but for the most part, it’s been great–and it lasts until early November so we still have several months to go! I love that my CSA basket has items that I would never purchase on my own… but sometimes it does create challenges, like when you have an eggplant-hating husband and you receive a pint full of those purple vegetables.

Enter the frittata, also known in my kitchen as a “miracle vegetable hider” or just plain “delicious.” A frittata is a crustless quiche, prepared mostly on the stove but thrown in the oven for a delicious finishing touch. Frittatas sound complex, but are really simple to prepare and make a great, filling dinner on a busy night or an impressive looking meal for company.

Over the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to make many combinations of frittatas with different vegetables and herbs. It’s amazing what egg and cheese can do! This is my latest version–sweet, chewy eggplant combined with familiar, comforting potatoes was a winner in our book, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Eggplant Potato Frittata for Two [adapted from In Praise of Leftovers and The Pajama Chef]
click to print

Ingredients:

olive oil
3/4 cup potato, cut into very thin rounds
3 small eggplants, chopped [about 3/4 cup]
4 eggs
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped [I used basil] or 1 tablespoon dried herbs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese [I used mozzarella]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a small, ovenproof, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a little oil [once around the pan], then add potato and eggplant. Cook 4-5 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, beat eggs, water, and herbs together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

After vegetables are soft, pour in egg mixture and use a spatula to evenly distribute vegetables. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, until the bottom of the frittata starts to set, then use a thin spatula to lift the edge of the frittata. This allows the uncooked egg to transfer below to cook. When eggs are almost set, top with cheese and place in the oven to cook for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool briefly before cutting, then serve warm.

Note: Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled, etc. as needed, but leftovers aren’t the best so just make what will be consumed in one meal if possible.

Yield: 2 servings.

Time: 30 minutes.

Linked up with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake

May 10, 2013May 7, 2013 Sarah

Since this week has been all about breakfast so far, why not continue the trend? For Friday, this meal is a little less sweet than the waffles and oatmeal I shared before, but less sweet does not equal less tasty. No, no, no. Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake is a hearty, cheesy, veggie-filled breakfast that you do NOT want to miss!

This easy egg casserole can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is just so good! I filled the classic bread-egg-milk bake with healthy kale, tangy red onions, and two kinds of potatoes! I personally thought the shredded sweet potatoes added a ton of flavor, while the roasted white potatoes [I used Russet, but use whatever you have on hand] were a great base for all the yummy veggies. Oh! And what egg bake doesn’t get better topped with a big handful of sharp cheddar cheese? This one is no exception.

We enjoyed this egg bake for dinner one night, then saved the leftovers for breakfast over the next few days. It heats up beautifully and is a great start to your day! Enjoy! 🙂

Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake [a TPC original]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 large Russet potatoes, cubed
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 a large red onion, diced
1/2 a bunch kale, rinsed, dried, and chopped into bite size pieces
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups skim milk
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces day-old bread, cubed
1 large sweet potato, shredded
heaping 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Place cubed Russet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Then add kale and toss to coat with oil, then cover for 2-3 minutes and cook until wilted.

In a large bowl, gently stir together eggs, milk, seasonings, bread cubes, and sweet potato. Pour mixture into prepared pan, then add roasted potatoes. Top with onion and kale mixture, pressing into the eggs. Cover with shredded cheese and more pepper as desired.

Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.

Time: 75 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Kale Fried Rice

April 29, 2013May 3, 2013 Sarah

I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I first saw this recipe posted on Kristin’s blog. I mean, fried rice is great and so is kale, but the two together? Kinda weird, eh? Umm, no. Turns out, most definitely not.

This is our new favorite dinner!! Well, maybe not our but most definitely mine. Ben likes it, but I devour it. What can I say? I know what I like. And I like this… this salty-sweet, nutty, garlicky, chewy fried rice starring everyone’s favorite healthy green–kale–and just enough egg and chicken ~~to make your manly man happy~~ for some filling protein.

I am hard-pressed to tell you just what’s so great about this dish. The sauce is pretty phenomenal. Made up of white cooking wine, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and… wait for it… MAPLE SYRUP [also known in our house as may-PELLL sir-RUUUUP. Yes, we are weird. Thanks for asking.], this sauce is pretty much incredible. It’s unmistakably Asian, but with a bit of unexpected sweetness. Totally craveable, I can see this being a great marinade for grilled chicken, tofu, or even some fish. Maybe add a little crushed red pepper… mmm, mmm.

Beyond the sauce, though, fried rice is a great easy weeknight dinner. It’s super quick, especially if you make the rice ahead of time [see the note at the end for details!]. Plus, it’s practically a one-skillet meal. The original recipe didn’t call for chicken or eggs, but I added them to make it a bit more filling. Totally not necessary though–it’s great without!! No matter how you make it, I seriously can’t get enough! I’ve made this for dinner two weeks in a row, and it’s on the menu plan again this week. I am hopelessly addicted. There are worse addictions, right? 🙂 Enjoy!!

P.S. If you missed it, be sure to check out my birthday post from Saturday… I turned 28 and have big culinary goals for the next 2 years in my 30 before 30 project. 🙂

Kale Fried Rice [adapted from Iowa Girl Eats]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups brown rice
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 cups water
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken, shredded [I used some from a roasted chicken]
4 tablespoons white cooking wine
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
sesame seeds, for garnish
sliced green onions, for garnish ,

Directions:

Prepare rice in chicken broth according to package directions.***

After rice is almost done, bring water to boil in a large skillet or wok. Then add kale and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain kale in a colander set in the sink and leave to cool.

Return skillet to stove then heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, use a spatula to press as much water out of the draining kale as you can. A few presses against the side of the colander should squeeze out a lot of water.

After onion is soft, add garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add kale and chicken, and saute for 2 minutes.

Next, whisk together wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup.

Reduce heat to medium, then dd rice to skillet and toss to combine. Pour in sauce and toss again. Cover and cook until rice is heated through, about 5 minutes [note: this step is not necessary if rice has not been refrigerated.]

Lastly, make a hole in the center of the rice mixture and pour in the eggs. Quickly stir eggs into the rice mixture to incorporate, then cook for another 2 minutes to ensure eggs are fully cooked.

Serve with lots of sesame seeds and green onions as garnish!

Time: 20 minutes [if you make rice ahead of time], 60 minutes [if you make rice fresh].

Yield: 4 servings.

***Note: I usually make the rice a day or so ahead of time, as day-old refrigerated rice tends to work better for fried rice and this step takes 40-45 minutes.

Linked with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches and Wraps

Mushroom Egg Salad

November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 Sarah

So, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted any recipes for a no-heat lunch and/or a 10 Minute Lunch. Sad day. Lately when I’ve been on campus, I’ve been eating a lot of PB&Js and soup for lunch, usually leftovers that I’ve stashed in the freezer. On the couple days a week that I work from home, my lunches have as of late have consisted of things like a giant bowl of popcorn, smoothies, and cereal. Healthy and complete meals, I know. But such is life. And thesis writing. However, I did recently put a new spin on egg salad… just as a little experiment since I had some mushrooms to use up. I wasn’t sure how the final product would turn out, but it was just so good that I had to share!

While I know that egg salad isn’t going to win any beauty contests, adding some extras to a traditional salad definitely ups the taste value!! My mushroom egg salad includes a savory blend of sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions to add some unexpected heartiness to lunch. Though this egg salad is a bit more involved than most, it is definitely worth it. You can sauté the mushrooms and caramelize the onions while fixing dinner at night, and then throw the rest of the salad together afterwards… leaving you a gourmet lunch ready for the next day! Win win! I seasoned this egg salad with a little fresh and tangy lemon and dill and let me tell you… it was so good. I couldn’t just stop at one sandwich and I bet you won’t either! Hope you enjoy!

Mushroom Egg Salad [adapted from Let’s Eat!]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
4-5 small baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 hardboiled eggs, chopped
~1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon whole grain dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
zest of 1/4 lemon
1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried dill
freshly ground black pepper
bread, spinach/lettuce, tomato for serving

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, season with pepper, and cook, stirring often until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Then reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes or until lightly caramelized. Stir occasionally during the process, but for the most part they can be left alone. Remove from skillet when done and place in a medium bowl to cool.

Next, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to skillet set over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden, stirring often, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from skillet and place in bowl with onions.

Add eggs to mushrooms and onions, then prepare dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon dill.

Pour dressing over egg mixture and toss to coat, then taste and add more dill and/or ground pepper as desired. If more dressing is needed, thin with extra mayonnaise or lemon juice.

Serve on bread with spinach and tomato as garnishes.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 sandwiches.

Note: Can easily be doubled, tripled, etc.

Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta | The Pajama Chef

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

SRC: Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta

November 5, 2012September 26, 2016 Sarah

For the month of November, my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month was Aly’s fun and fashionable blog, Cooking in Stilettos. As I say every month, I love being part of the SRC. It’s a fun way to try new blogs and recipes and be part of a great community. If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

Aly has an amazing collection of recipes on her blog. I had such a hard time just picking one! She is a self-taught cook and draws inspiration for her food from the people and places around her–most notably her grandfather, or as she lovingly called him, her Bampa. I just love Aly’s tribute to him on her blog–I feel the same way about my own grandpa. If I had planned ahead, it would have been fitting to make one of his recipes, but alas–I did not. Instead, I made pretty much the awesomest brunch dish EVER.

This impressive looking Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta looks complicated, but is in fact quite simple to make. [Just don’t tell anyone!] And you know what? It’s as tasty as it looks [even if it sounds weird].

Despite any preconceived notions you might have about what should go with egg, you should definitely give this recipe a fair shot. It’s the most light and refreshing egg dish I have ever had. And eggs aren’t something I would consider to be heavy… but there’s just something about the lemon-herb combo that just squeals “refreshing!!!”

Since lemon isn’t actually mixed with egg, this dish isn’t quite as bizarre as it sounds. The lemon flavor is baked into the crust, also known as the shell for a snappy herb egg bake. In order to achieve this, the ciabatta shell is brushed with a mixture of herb-infused olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest… then toasted, prior to adding the egg-herb-bread filling. This gives the bread maximum flavor for minimum effort… especially if you purchase the bread from a bakery, like I did.

I infused my olive oil with an Italian seasoning that is actually intended for olive oil, you know, those gourmet food shop seasoning containers that you’re supposed to add to olive oil for bread dipping and whatnot? Well, that’s all I’ve used mine for actually. Then, for the herb-in-egg mixture, I used fresh parsley, since that pairs so well with lemon. We all know it’s more than that! Aly used chives, but I couldn’t find any fresh so I improvised.It’s not too often that a dish highlights parsley, and I didn’t want the parsley to feel like it was just a garnish. And here, it is so good.

I just don’t have anything more to say about this dish except that it’s so beautiful and stunning and EASY that you should make it this weekend and impress everyone you know. Even those of the feline variety. I was just trying to impress Ben on a recent Saturday morning, but the kitty wanted in on the action too.

Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta

Servings: 4-6
Time: 15 minutes active & 45 minutes to bake
Print

from Cooking in Stilettos

Ingredients:

1 loaf fresh ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons herb-infused olive oil [I just mixed a bit of Italian seasoning with some good extra virgin olive oil]
1 teaspoon lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
4 large eggs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a paring knife, hollow out the loaf of bread. Reserve for later. Then, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Brush on inside of ciabatta, then place on a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut reserved bread pieces into 1 inch pieces. Next, whisk the eggs, then stir in parsley, Parmesan, pepper, and milk. Add the bread cubes and stir gently to combine.

Remove toasted bread from oven, then pour in egg mixture.

Return to oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked. Cut into pieces and serve immediately.

Notes: This is best fresh, but leftovers aren’t bad. Just toast in the oven to reheat. Also, original baking time was listed as 35-40 minutes, but mine definitely took 45. If it starts to brown too much on top while baking, just cover with foil.

Be sure to check out the other fabulous recipes posted today [click below] for this week’s SRC reveal. Have a great day!