I have always wanted to make a strata- for those of you who haven't made one either, a strata is an egg, bread, & milk concoction. I have read about different versions of strata- savory, sweet, with meat, with veggies, this is a really versatile dish. After my meat overload during Christmas, I knew that I wanted to make my strata with lots of vegetables. You guys- if you resolved to eat more vegetables this year, this is a great way to sneak some in!
Happy New Year! Hope everyone's 2013 was amazing. I love setting goals for each year, so I will write about my 2014 goals shortly. But first- I had to share this delicious egg dish that I made last week.
I have always wanted to make a strata- for those of you who haven't made one either, a strata is an egg, bread, & milk concoction. I have read about different versions of strata- savory, sweet, with meat, with veggies, this is a really versatile dish. After my meat overload during Christmas, I knew that I wanted to make my strata with lots of vegetables. You guys- if you resolved to eat more vegetables this year, this is a great way to sneak some in!
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Before I started getting a weekly vegetable delivery through Spiral Path Farm, I had never even heard of swiss chard let alone cooked with it. One of my favorite parts of the veggie delivery is being forced to try new foods and really experiment in the kitchen.
I often read about the health benefits of eating leafy greens- swiss chard, spinach, kale, etc.- but eating a plate of steamed greens does not appeal to me at all. Texture is a huge factor in whether I enjoy a food or not, and the thought of a mushy pile of wilted spinach or kale makes me gag. I know that I need to eat these nutrient-rich foods, so over the years I have found ways to eat my leafy greens- and even enjoy them! Unfamiliar with exotic leafy greens like I was? No Meat Athlete produced this great chart that will help familiarize you with some of the nontraditional options. Maybe I will try each of these this summer? Another yummy frittata recipe. Seriously I can't get enough of these easy baked omelets. Delicious, nutritious, and the combinations are endless. I make many frittata variations, usually with whatever ingredients I have in the fridge that I need to use up. This combination features soy sausage. I used the Gimme Lean soy sausage that comes in a log of sorts, but you can use your favorite soy sausage. Or if you are a meat eater, some lean chicken sausage would work here too. Just for fun, here are a few reasons I love frittatas:
Sausage, Spinach, Onion & Feta Frittata
Ingredients for 4 servings: 6 eggs splash of milk 1/2 package (7 oz) of soy sausage 2 or 3 big handfuls of baby spinach, chopped 1/2 cup feta cheese 1/2 an onion, chopped Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a oven-proof nonstick skillet, saute soy sausage in a little olive oil until it browns a bit, breaking it up with the back of your spatula to make it crumbly. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. Add a bit more oil, then saute onion until it's soft and golden. While sausage & veggies are cooking, whisk eggs & milk together and season with salt & pepper to taste. Once onion is cooked, add sausage back into the pan along with spinach- cook for a minute or two until spinach wilts. Pour eggs over veggies, cook for just a minute until eggs begin to set. Remove from heat and add cheese to the top. Move skillet into the oven for about 15 minutes, or until eggs are fully set. Cut into 4 wedges & serve. Here is another delicious egg dish for you- Caramelized Shallot & Artichoke Frittata. A frittata is just an oven-baked omelet, which works out awesome for me because my omelet skills leave a lot to be desired. Plus it's a lot easier than hovering over the stove and having to make omelets one at a time.
This method for making frittatas can really be used with any combination of ingredients- and I have tried a ton of them. Perfect for using up veggies you have in the fridge. Watch out for this summer once my Spiral Path Farm vegetables start coming in- we'll be eating a ton of frittatas with zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, and onion. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Caramelized Shallot & Artichoke Frittata: Ingredients for 4 servings: 6 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1 can (15 oz) artichokes in water 2 large shallots, thinly sliced goat cheese (I used half a 5 oz container) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a non-stick oven proof skillet, sautee shallot in olive oil until soft & starting to turn golden brown. Chop artichokes into bite size chunks, add to caramelized shallots. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Whisk eggs & milk in a bowl, then pour over the artichoke mixture in the skillet. Stir eggs for about 2 minutes until they start to set- then remove from heat. Dot pieces of goat cheese on the top of the eggs, then place skillet in oven- cooking for about 15 minutes or until the middle of the eggs are set. Cut into 4 pieces & serve. A couple weeks ago when I went to Roots Farmer's Market with my mom, I bought a bunch of HUGE beets, I swear these were the size of baseballs. I roasted them all on my Sunday prep day so I could just throw already roasted beets into easy workweek dishes. I used a lot of the roasted beets to make Beet & Kale Salad, but I still had some left over. This egg bake is what I ended up creating, and it turned out great. Here is what I did:
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 large beet, skin removed & cut into chunks 1/2 sweet onion goat cheese, I used 1/2 a 5 oz container 4 eggs 1/4 cup milk salt, pepper, olive oil Heat your oven to 400 degrees, wrap beet in foil and roast until soft. Depending on the size of the beets, this can take anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours. Let beets cool, then peel off the skin and cut into chunks. I do this step ahead of time on the weekend. When you're ready to make the egg bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat some olive oil in a skillet, then sautee onion on low heat until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Combine onions and beets and pour into a 8x8 glass baking dish that's been coated with cooking spray. Whisk together eggs and milk, season with salt & pepper, then pour eggs on top of the veggies. Dot pieces of the goat cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are set. Cut into 4 pieces and serve. Huevos Rancheros is so easy and delicious. It's great for nights when you are just cooking for yourself or one other person because it's quick and only requires a microwave and a little frying. There are many variations of Huevos Rancheros- but the basic concept is a tortilla with salsa & beans, topped with eggs. This dish is a great way to get protein, fiber, & healthy fats- it's a triple threat! The version pictured here is made with a whole wheat flour tortilla & black beans, but I have also done corn tortillas & pinto or refried beans.
Ingredients for 2 servings: 2 medium-size whole wheat flour tortillas 1/2 can black beans, drained & rinsed 1/4 cup of jarred salsa, or more to taste 4 eggs 1/2 an avocado, cut into chunks Combine beans & salsa in a microwavable dish, heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Put a little olive oil in a skillet & swirl around to coat the skillet. Heat each tortilla in oil until it's warm and starts to brown, flipping over halfway through. Place a heated tortilla on each of 2 plates & top with bean mixture, set aside. In the same skillet, heat some oil or butter & cook 2 eggs per person. I like mine over easy, but you can cook the eggs however you like. Top the tortillas & beans with the eggs, then add avocado. Sometimes (OK, a lot of the time) I really crave avocado so I think of different ways to incorporate it into my meal. This scramble could also be made as an omelet, assuming you have better omelet making skills than I do. I ate this scramble with a big potato that I diced & sauteed in olive oil.
Ingredients (for one serving): 2 eggs, mixed with a splash of milk 1 plum tomato, chopped 1/4 an onion, finely chopped 1/2 an avocado, mashed up with cilantro & lime juice Sautee onion in a little olive oil, until tender & beginning to brown. Add in tomato & eggs, scramble until eggs are set. Season with salt & pepper to taste, then top with avocado. Quiche Cornbread, with hummus & veggies. About a year ago, I started reading the blog "Healthy Tipping Point" after my friend Tracy recommended it to me. The author, Caitlin, is a vegetarian, and I have tried many of her meatless recipes. The Quiche Cornbread is one of my favorites. She lists it as a breakfast, but I eat most of my eggs for lunch or dinner. With that being said, I created a separate category here on Food Only Better for eggs, since they are really a breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. I can't seem to break my peanut butter & banana breakfast habit!
The only change to Caitlin's recipe I make is that I use homemade cornbread. I can't seem to find a cornbread mix that I like at my grocery store, they all seem to have high fructose corn syrup. Here is my recipe: Easy Cornbread: 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour 1/2 cup cornmeal or polenta 1 egg 1/2 cup 2% milk 1 1/4 t baking powder 1 T sugar 1/2 t salt 2 T melted butter Mix everything together in a bowl, bake according to the Quiche Cornbread instructions. I work full time and pack my lunch almost every day- an egg salad sammy with a side of fruit is a typical packed lunch. Egg salad is on the menu at least once a week- it's yummy and packed with protein. My egg salad is not complicated, it just contains the ingredients listed below. Most of my product choices are once again based on information from the "Eat This Not That" book series.
Olive Oil Mayo- I subscribe to the idea of eating healthy fats, and usually opt for items with olive or canola oil. Bertman Ball Park Mustard- This is a Cleveland thing. Matt & I both grew up in Ohio, and we love this mustard. My mom brings it to us from Ohio when she visits. Cage Free Eggs- Watch the documentary "Food Inc." My sister Rachel told me about it, and it changed the way I buy and consume food. It's crazy scary. Those poor chickens. Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Bread- Tastes great, and contains the most protein & fiber for the least amount of calories I have seen. I don't have a set amount of each ingredient that I use, this should be adjusted to taste. Each sammy usually contains 2 eggs, a spoonful of mayo, a little mustard, salt & pepper. This is seriously one of my favorite meals. I love having eggs for dinner, especially when they are over-easy and on top of some hearty hash. The great thing about hash is that there are so many variations. If you are a meat eater, add in some turkey sausage. Use whatever kind of potatoes & veggies you have on hand, or that are on sale that week. If you would rather have scrambled eggs instead of over easy, go for it. Here is what I used for this batch:
Ingredients for two servings: 2 small sweet potatoes 1 green pepper 1 onion 2 big kale leaves, stems removed olive oil, salt & pepper 2 eggs per person butter or oil for frying hot sauce (optional). Dice potatoes, green pepper, onion, & kale leaves. The smaller the dice on the potatoes, the quicker this will cook. Heat a couple teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add potatoes. I cover with a lid, I find that it steams the potatoes a bit so the inside gets soft without burning. Cook for about 20 minutes stirring often, then add the rest of the vegetables, salt & pepper to taste. Once everything is soft enough for your liking, the hash is done. This usually takes about 10 minutes. In a separate skillet, cook 2 eggs per person in a little butter. Spoon some hash onto your plate, then top with your eggs & a little hot sauce. |