TOMATO ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

Frittatas are not only quick and easy to prepare, but they’re a tasty and fairly inexpensive meal–well, providing you don’t go all fancy and toss in caviar and smoked salmon and the like. Although this recipe makes four nice-sized servings, our abbreviated family of three (You know exactly what you’re missing, Junior!) worked its way through the entire dish. But then, Senior and Junior Too were hungrier than usual. Oh, to have their metabolism…

1 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup red onion, minced

8 thin asparagus spears, chopped

8 eggs

sea salt

ground black pepper

1 tbsp parsley, divided

2 large tomatoes, diced and divided

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat broiler

2) Heat oil in large oven-safe skillet over medium heat; add onions and cook 5 minutes; add asparagus and cook 3 minutes

3) Meanwhile, beat eggs in medium-sized bowl and season with salt and pepper; add half the parsley

4) Pour egg mixture in pan over onions and asparagus; add half the tomatoes and stir gently; stand back and let frittata cook until eggs are almost set, about 5 minutes; remove from heat and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top; place frittata under broiler and cook 3 minutes until cheese is melted and eggs are set and lightly browned; remove from oven

5) Top frittata with remaining tomatoes and parsley; serve with a lovely green salad

Servings: 4

MEXICAN EGGS BENEDICT FLORENTINE

Eggs Benedict: quite good. Eggs Benedict Florentine: unbelievably good. Then there’s this twist, substituting corn tortillas for english muffins. My guys scarfed this down. I didn’t scarf, but only because I exercised restraint. If Hollandaise sauce isn’t your thing, consider salsa. As for the hassle of poached eggs, I made my eggs in a muffin tin. Sometimes cheaters do prosper 🙂

1 pkg Knorr Hollandaise sauce mix (or make your own sauce if you have the time–I didn’t)

olive oil spray

8 eggs

2 tsp olive oil

8 corn tortillas

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 large tomato, sliced into 8 rounds

2 cups fresh baby spinach

Paprika

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Meanwhile, prepare Knorr Hollandaise sauce as directed and keep warm

3) Lightly spray 8 cups in muffin tin with olive oil spray; crack eggs into cups and bake 10-12 minutes (or longer if you don’t like yolks on the runny side)

4) While eggs are baking, in large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high; cook corn tortillas, 1 minute each side until tortillas soften and begin to brown; transfer 2 tortillas to each of 4 plates, overlapping slightly as pictured; reduce skillet heat to low

5) Scatter Monterey Jack cheese over tortillas, dividing equally between servings; top each serving with 2 slices of tomato placed side by side; set aside

6) Add spinach to skillet and cook 1-2 minutes until spinach starts to wilt; remove from heat and divide between tomato slices

7) Finish assembling each serving: top tomato and spinach with cooked eggs and Hollandaise sauce; lightly sprinkle with paprika; serve immediately and let ’em scarf away!

Servings: 4

AMAZING BREAKFAST PIZZA

According to Junior and Junior Too, I’ve finally mastered the pizza (yeast tends to stump me). However, Junior Too advised me to stick to pizzas like this one and my taco pizza and leave traditional pepperoni and supreme pizzas to pizza joints, Freschetta, and Digiorno. Sniff…some habits are just hard to break.

PIZZA DOUGH (or you can buy pre-made):

1 cup warm water

1-1/2 tsp yeast

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp olive oil + 2 tsp olive oil (divided)

PIZZA:

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan-romano-asiago cheese blend

1 cup chopped grape tomatoes

5 slices turkey bacon, fried to slightly crisp and chopped

1 green onion, sliced thin

6 eggs

1 tsp minced fresh parsley

Optional: tabasco or other hot sauce

1) PIZZA DOUGH: Add warm water and yeast to small bowl, stir gently, and let sit 10 minutes

2) To large bowl, add flour, salt, and 3 tbsp olive oil; stir to combine; pour in water-yeast mixture and stir well to combine; turn dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour

3) Preheat oven to 475 degrees

4) Lightly oil large pizza pan with 1 tsp olive oil; on floured surface, roll out dough to fit pan; transfer dough to pan; brush surface of dough with remaining 1 tsp olive oil

5) Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan-romano-asiago cheese over dough, followed by tomatoes, bacon, and green onion

6) Crack 6 eggs on pizza and sprinkle with fresh parsley; bake in oven 10-12 minutes and serve

Servings: 4 (but don’t be too hungry)

CAPRESE BAKED EGG MINI-CASSEROLES

When senior pulled out a package of hot dogs, I knew it was time to put away my edits and hop on dinner. He did grill those dogs, but my tasty, easy-to-make casseroles made it to the dinner table first. And guess what became leftovers? Yeah 🙂

Spray olive oil

2 cups croutons (I used Texas Toast brand)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 tsp dried basil

8 eggs

sea salt

pepper

1/4 cup half and half

1 tsp minced parsley

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat bottoms and sides of 4 mini-casserole dishes with spray olive oil

2) Evenly divide ingredients between casseroles in this order: croutons, tomatoes, cheese (reserving 1/2 cup for topping), basil, eggs (2 each), dash of salt and pepper, half and half, parsley, and cheese (reserved 1/2 cup)

3) Bake 7-8 minutes; turn on broiler and bake additional 4-5 minutes until eggs set to your taste; enjoy!

Serves: 4

BACON-SPINACH SHIRRED EGGS

This was one of those breakfast-themed dinners of which my guys are so fond. And they were not at all disappointed with this recipe which is amazingly tasty–better yet, easy to put together. Though I served it in individual casserole dishes, it works equally well in a large casserole dish. Enjoy!

spray olive oil

2 cups baby spinach

8 eggs

4 strips bacon, fried and chopped

1/4 cup half-and-half

sea salt

ground black pepper

paprika

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees; lightly coat casserole dishes with spray olive oil

2) Assemble individual servings as follows, dividing ingredients equally between dishes; place spinach in bottom of dish, crack 2 eggs on top, scatter with bacon, drizzle with half-and-half, and lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika

3) Bake eggs in oven 20-25 minutes until whites are firm and yolks are set to your preference; scatter Parmesan cheese over top and bake additional 2 minutes until cheese melts; remove from oven and serve (see…easy!)

Servings: 4

SAUSAGE-CHEESE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Yes, it’s another crowd-pleasing breakfast casserole–a special request from Junior who surprised us with a visit home from university. Though I made this in individual casserole dishes, it can be prepared in a large baking dish, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time upward a bit. Was Junior happy with his special request? Oh, yes, and those two extra individual casseroles will soon be installed in his dorm room fridge. Go mom!

3 cups milk

12 eggs

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

French bread loaf, cubed (about 10 cups)

10 oz fully cooked turkey sausage crumbles (I used Jimmy Dean brand)

1-1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided

 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1) To large mixing bowl add milk, eggs, mustard, black pepper, and salt; whisk to combine

2) To a separate large mixing bowl, add bread cubes, sausage, 1 cup cheese (reserving 1/4 cup), and parsley; pour egg mixture over top and gently mix; cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight if you think farther ahead than I do)

3) Heat oven to 350 degrees

4) Lightly oil 6 individual casserole dishes; divide egg-bread mixture between casserole dishes and bake in oven 40 minutes until golden brown and just firm in center; scatter reserved 1/4 cup cheese over casseroles and bake additional 3-5 minutes until cheese melts; remove from oven and dig in!

Servings: 6-8

PORK FRIED RICE

Pork Fried Rice–love it! Fortunately, it’s relatively easy and quick to put on the table. Although our family usually leans more toward chicken, there’s no beating juicy pork tenderloin in fried rice. All thumbs up!

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2″ dice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups cooked white rice

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup peas

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp Asian sesame oil

1) In medium-sized bowl, mix hoisin sauce, honey, and soy sauce; stir in pork and marinate 10 minutes

2) Add oil to large skillet and heat over medium-high; add onion and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes; drain marinade from pork (reserving marinade) and add pork to skillet; cook, stirring often, 4 minutes; add carrots and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes; stir in rice and reserved marinade and cook 3-4 minutes

3) With large spoon, push rice mixture to sides of skillet, forming well in center; add beaten eggs to center and scramble; add peas, scallions, and sesame oil to skillet and, stirring continuously, cook 3 minutes until heated through; serve with additional soy sauce

Servings: 6 dinner-sized; 10 side-sized

SWEET CRANBERRY BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Yes, another breakfast casserole. But this one is definitely Thanksgiving- and Christmas-themed. While I’m thinking on one that includes pumpkin, enjoy this tasty creation.

10 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, torn into bite-sized pieces

1-14 oz can whole cranberry sauce

8 eggs

3/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup pecans halves

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees; lightly butter 13×9 baking dish

2) Spread rolls over bottom of baking dish; drop cranberry sauce by teaspoonfuls over rolls; set aside

3) In medium-sized bowl, mix eggs, half and half, brown sugar, and cinnamon; pour over rolls; bake in oven 45-50 minutes until done in center; scatter pecans over top and bake additional 5 minutes; serve

Servings: 6

BLACK BEAN-FETA SOFT BREAKFAST TACO

Don’t let the name fool you. This is dinner–in a big way. Not only is this breakfast taco fabulously easy and quick to prepare, but it’s incredibly tasty.

Olive oil spray

4 large flour tortillas

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

8 eggs

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3 green onions, sliced thin

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1) Spray olive oil over large skillet and heat over medium-high; warm tortillas, both sides, until lightly golden; set aside

2) In medium-sized bowl, lightly beat eggs with salt, pepper, and green onions

3) Add 1 tbsp olive oil (reserving 1 tbsp) to same skillet and heat over medium; pour in egg mixture and, stirring occasionally, cook until scrambled and just done; remove from heat, cover, and set aside

4) Add reserved 1 tbsp olive oil to small skillet and heat over medium-high; add red bell pepper and black beans and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes; stir in salsa and, when warmed through, remove from heat

5) Assemble breakfast tacos as follows: divide egg mixture between flour tortillas, top with black bean mixture, feta cheese, and cilantro; serve

Servings: 4

ASPARAGUS FRITTATA WITH CAPER SAUCE

Frittatas are fabulous and not to be limited to breakfast. The asparagus and spinach in this one make it quite tasty, but the thing that marks it as special is the caper-parsley sauce. Unfortunately, the skillet was scraped clean, leaving no leftovers for my lunch tomorrow. So sad 😦

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces

1 tsp sea salt, divided

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

8 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup onion, finely chopped

3 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp champagne wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tbsp capers, drained

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) To large skillet (I used cast-iron), add 1 tbsp olive oil (reserving 2 tbsp) and heat over medium-high; add asparagus, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sea salt (reserving 1/2 tsp), and cook 3 minutes, stirring often; transfer asparagus to medium-sized bowl and toss with lemon juice; set aside

3) In medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs and milk; set aside

4) To same skillet, add onions (you should have enough oil left over from cooking asparagus but may have to add a bit more) and cook 5 minutes, stirring often; reduce heat to medium, stir in spinach and black pepper, and cook 1 minute; pour egg mixture into skillet and cook, stirring constantly 1-2 minutes  until eggs begin to set but are still quite wet; remove skillet from heat and scatter asparagus over top; bake in oven 12-15 minutes until frittata sets completely

5) Meanwhile, to small bowl add 2 tbsp reserved olive oil, vinegar, reserved 1/2 tsp sea salt, capers, parsley, and green onion; mix well and set aside

6) Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top and cook additional 2 minutes until cheese melts; remove frittata from oven and spoon caper sauce over the top; serve immediately

Servings: 4