Egg Muffins

I think I have said it before, but I will say it again - I love breakfast for dinner!  Love it.  It is so easy, it is typically fast, and you can use all sorts of ingredients to make it the way you like it.

The Toddler likes breakfast for dinner, but she usually ends up calling it "dinner for breakfast".  So cute! 

The Husband - well I don't think he likes it as much as we do, unless it includes bacon.  So I make it only once and a while and only when I really want it.  It's a compromise!

Egg Muffins
based on a recipe from "The Primal Blueprint Cookbook" by Mark Sisson

Ingredients:
3 eggs and 3 egg whites
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 C grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Pre heat oven to 350F.  Grease or line muffin tins (AFC note: next time I make these I will grease the muffin tins.  Paper was hard for me to remove on some muffins).

In a bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites.  Add the cheese and pepper and stir in.  Pour mixture into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Breakfast for Dinner

Do you think breakfast for dinner is a cop-out?  I bet some people think so.  Not me!  I love breakfast for dinner and think that it can take as much time and prep as any other dinner .  I guess the only way I would think breakfast for dinner was a cop-out is if someone poured themselves a bowl of cereal and called it dinner.

A couple of days ago I felt like cooking, but just didn't feel like cooking chicken, steak, pork, etc.  So instead I made a quick frittata.  After it mostly cooked on the stove, I put it in the oven to let it finish cooking and then put it under the broiler for a quick minute to brown it up.

Served it with bacon. And - Ta Da! - Dinner.

Zucchini, Onion and Tomato Frittata
Ingredients:
2 small zucchinis, washed and sliced into rounds
1/4 med. red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
3 eggs
1 C to 1.5 C packaged egg whites
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:
Combine eggs, egg whites and spices in a bowl.  Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Heat an oven safe skillet over medium high heat and spray  with cooking spray.  Add zucchini and onions and cook until they start to become tender.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.  Pour egg mixture over veggies in skillet and let cook until eggs start to set.  Adjust heat on skillet accordingly.

Once eggs are almost set, place sliced tomatoes on top of the egg and veggie mixture.  Place skillet in oven and cook for 10 mins or until eggs are fully set and completely cooked through.  If desired, turn on broiler and place frittata under broiler until brown.  Remove from broiler and add fresh parsley for garnish.

Serve with fresh fruit and bacon!

Tuesday Edition: Kitchen Tip

"Egg egg egg egg" uploaded to Flickr by boughtbooks

Eggs have always been a favorite of mine and the Toddler's.  The Husband - eh, not so much.  But ever since we started eating Paleo, he has started to eat eggs for breakfast.  The poor guy really doesn't have a choice since his only other option is eating leftovers from the night before - he can't have his beloved bagels, waffles or cereals. 

I usually eat eggs for breakfast.  Apparently the Toddler likes to eat hard boiled eggs for lunch when my mom comes to watch her during the week.  I love hard boiled eggs, but always get so frustrated in peeling them - you know, when you take off the shell and half the egg comes with it?  So annoying.

Fresh eggs are harder to peel than older eggs.  I had heard this before, but then I saw something in Country Living magazine that confirmed it.  It is also recommended to peel right after cooling the eggs, and to peel the egg starting at the largest end while holding the egg under cold running water!  Who knew?

P.S. I'm linking up at J&M's Eye Candy

Breakfast for Dinner: An Egg and Cheese Wrap

Or you could call it a burrito instead of a wrap.  The idea is still the same: instead of the usual boring eggs with toast, scramble your eggs, put them on a tortilla and add some salsa!  And there you have a yummy breakfast, lunch or dinner!

I've been eating these wraps/burritos for a while now since the Husband brought home a package of a million tortillas from BJs.  I mean, we will never be able to eat all of these tortillas on taco night, so I have to find some other uses.  Any suggestions??

Egg and Cheese Wrap
Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 flour tortilla
cheese (amount to your liking)
salsa (amount to your liking)
cilantro to garnish

Instructions:
Scramble your eggs in a non-stick skillet.  Place the cooked eggs on the tortilla (which you can warm in microwave for 10sec. if desired).  Add cheese, salsa and cilantro.  Eat!

Breakfast for Dinner - Veggie Frittata

As I've mentioned before, I love breakfast for dinner.  It's typically fast and easy.  And there are so many variations - eggs, omelets, pancakes, waffles - that you should be able to find one that your entire family would enjoy!

For myself, I prefer making egg dishes.  High in protein and very versatile.  Frittatas are great since you can use whole eggs, egg whites (or a combination of the two) and load up on veggies (or not!).  If the Husband had his way, he would have pancakes or waffles with bacon.  I think the Toddler would be happy with either my way or the Husband's way!

There are dozens hundreds of frittata recipes.  I didn't follow any particular recipe for this frittata that I made.  And I would encourage you to experiment too!

Veggie Frittata
Ingredients:
olive oil cooking spray
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3-4 scallions, chopped
8 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1 C grape tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Spray oven safe frying pan with cooking spray, add pepper and onions, allowing them to saute for a few minutes.  Adjust heat accordingly - I typically use medium heat, but your stove may differ. 
Add scallions.

Continue sauteing the veggies until crisp-tender.  Meanwhile, combine eggs and egg whites and whisk together to break yolks.  Pour egg mixture over veggies and pre-heat your broiler.  You can stir the frittata while the eggs are not yet cooked, but once the eggs begin to solidify, leave the mixture be so it can cook from the bottom up and get a nicely browned bottom.  Once the eggs start to solidify, then I add the tomatoes and some S&P. 

After the majority of the eggs have cooked, I take the pan off the stove top and put the frittata under the broiler for a few minutes to cook the remaining eggs and brown up the top of it.  Slice and enjoy!

Some recipes call for milk in the egg mixtures.  Other recipes add cheese, either to the egg mixture or to the top of the frittata.  So there is lots of room for experimenting!  What's your favorite frittata recipe?  Anyone have one that uses bacon??

Breakfast for Dinner

I didn't have time to cook on Wednesday night either.  I gave a seminar at the other end of the state.  So I had to leave my house (and my office) really early, and I got home really late.  I only saw the Toddler for a few minutes in the morning before I left for work.  

In this situation, I typically would have thrown something in the slow cooker.  But I had not been grocery shopping, so I didn't have anything to throw in there!  The Husband had to fend for himself.  The Toddler - well, she had chicken nuggets and carrots.

So between the heat wave and a crazy work schedule, this appears to be a non-cooking week!  However, I have been making myself breakfast.  And the other day I made this yummy omelet, which I would totally eat for dinner (or lunch, or even a snack).  So I figured I would share it with you!

Turkey and Swiss Omelet with Honey Mustard Ranch Sauce
Ingredients:
olive oil spray
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
2 slices deli turkey (I used low sodium organic turkey)
1 slice Swiss cheese (I used low fat)
1 T lite ranch dressing
1 T honey Dijon mustard

Instructions:

Heat skillet or frying pan over high heat, spray pan with olive oil spray and add egg whites and whole egg. (You can mix the eggs together prior to adding them to the pan, but I am lazy, and just crack the entire egg into the pan and then stir it in!).  Turn heat down to medium (unless you are really good at this and can cook at high without ruining your meal.  I'm not that good).

After the eggs cook for 1-2 minutes (and stop being so runny), lay the turkey and the Swiss down on top of the eggs.  Let that cook for another 1-2 minutes while you whisk together the 1 T lite ranch dressing and the 1 T honey Dijon mustard in a separate bowl.

Once the eggs are cooked through and the cheese is melty, flip your omelet in half and take it out of your pan.  Drizzle the desired amount of sauce over your omelet - and you have breakfast for dinner!

What are your favorite omelets?  Have you tried any of those omelet making devices that help you flip it?  Do they work?  Let me know!  I love comments!