Fried Egg Topped Salad

For those that don't know, I've been dairy-free for 4 months now... since I've had my daughter.  I am breastfeeding her and she does not tolerate dairy well at all.  It's pretty much pure torture for her.  So I've had to make a lot of adjustments to my diet to suit her needs.

My favorite salad dressing is homemade ranch, but of course this has dairy in it.  I was making homemade honey mustard dressing there for awhile and would also use vinegar and oil (which has kind of become my new favorite, actually) quite often, but they both get old after awhile.  Especially with as many salads as I consumed (and still am consuming) this year with our delicious salad greens from our CSA. 

So I started using fried eggs on my salads.  I just cook the egg whites and keep the yolk runny.  The yolk then becomes my salad dressing.  This picture was taken one of the first couple times I made them like this and only has one egg on it.  I actually usually use one whole egg plus another yolk now.  It makes such a delicious salad dressing and it is SUPER nutritious!  Give it a try the next time you make a salad. 


This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS
Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager
Monday Mania @ Healthy Home Economist

Egg in a Basket (with Zucchini)

Have you ever heard of Egg in a Basket, or Hole in the Heads, or One-Eyed Jacks?  It usually refers to the idea of cutting a round hole in a slice of toast, placing it in a frypan, and cracking an egg in the center to cook.  I always called them Hole in the Heads, but I figured Egg in a Basket was a more appropriate reference.  Since we're not eating bread at our house these days, I decided to try them with zucchini and summer squash since we are getting so much of it from our garden.  It's a good use for those zucchini or squash that get ginormous overnight when you don't think they're quite ready to pick the day prior.  We really enjoyed these.  And you really can't have a simpler breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

Zucchini Eggs in a Basket

1 large zucchini or summer squash
eggs
coconut oil or butter for frying
celtic sea salt

Grease your pan with coconut oil or butter.  Let it heat up. 

Slice your zucchini or summer squash into about 1/2"-3/4" slices.  Use a sharp knife to cut the seeds out of the middle, leaving a hole. 

Fry up both sides of the zucchini until tender.  Then crack an egg into the center.  Flip over after the egg has cooked on the first side.  Sprinkle with celtic sea salt, serve, and enjoy! 


This post is linked to:
Traditional Tuesdays @ Delicious Obsessions
Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade
Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS

Homemade Mayonnaise

I've been making homemade mayonnaise for quite a long time... for at least a year now on a regular basis.  As I was getting ready to post a recipe for a salad dressing (coming up next) I made this weekend, I went searching for my mayo post to link it to the new recipe... and I couldn't find it.  So here it is.  I got the original recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet.  I've tweaked it a bit for our tastes (as written below).  My SIL, Mary, also has a great version on her blog for something closer to Miracle Whip if you prefer that.  I'll have to try hers sometime, as Kevin likes Miracle Whip... but he also always liked Hellman's which was always my favorite.  So I usually just make plain mayo.  It really does taste very much like Hellman's. 

You'll notice that this mayo is quite yellow.  This is because I use farm-fresh, pastured eggs.  These are the most nutritious eggs... with very orange yolks.  The contrast between pastured and conventional yolks is amazing.  You'll also see that the yolks remain raw in this recipe.  Please don't make this recipe with eggs you don't trust.  If you are using farm-fresh, pastured eggs from a farmer you know uses sustainable practices... you are most likely safe.  That's who I'd trust, at least.  :)

Homemade Mayonnaise
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (we do prefer ACV, though)
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
3/4-1 cup oil - I usually use all olive oil, but sometimes will add in some grapeseed oil

Combine everything EXCEPT the oil. I use a quart sized wide-mouth mason jar.  You just want something that fits your immersion blender.  Mix with a stick blender until creamy.

While blending, add the oil in small increments and mix until it’s homogenized. Make sure you lift the blender up and down as it’s blending- the quick up and down motion helps the mixture to homogenize, and it will thicken right up.

Primal Egg Casserole

This is just a basic egg casserole recipe.  I almost didn't even post it, but figured since I've made it about 5 times now, I might as well.  Each time I've made it, the casserole has been slightly different - switching out the greens or adding a vegetable.  This is very simple and fast to make.  And it's very good.  I will bake it on Sunday evening, slice it, and store it in the refrigerator for fast, easy breakfasts on our busy work mornings.  This is great straight out of the fridge, or warmed a little in the oven. 

I know my pictures show the casserole with cheese, but I've listed it as an optional ingredient below.  The first time I made it, I used cheese (and took pictures).  But I don't generally add the cheese anymore.  It's great without! 

Primal Egg Casserole

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 pound naturally seasoned sausage
1 bunch greens - spinach, kale, swiss chard, beet greens, etc.8-10 eggs
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
6-8 eggs
a small bunch of parsley or other fresh herb... chives are great in this, too
1/4 cup shredded cheese, optional

Preheat the oven to 375.   Heat a pan on medium.  Add butter and swirl around pan.  Add the sausage.  Meanwhile, slice the greens into thin strips.  Add the greens to the sausage and saute until sausage is cooked through and greens are tender.  If you are adding any extra vegetables (we like mushrooms in ours... but its great without, too... my pictures show it without), add them to the pan while things are cooking. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs.  Mix in the fresh herbs.  Then add the greens and sausage mixture.  Pour into a greased 8×8 pan.  If you are using cheese, sprinkle on top of egg mixture.  You don't need cheese.  My pictures show the casserole with cheese, but I don't generally add it anymore. 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until middle of casserole is set.  Let it cool slightly before slicing into squares. 

This post is linked to:
Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade
Fresh Bites Friday at Read Food Whole Health
Traditional Tuesdays at Delicious Obsessions
Grain Free Tuesday at Hella Delicious

Egg Salad Avocado Boats

Last week, I posted a recipe/method of serving tuna salad in avocado boats.  I mentioned in the post that egg salad is delicious in avocado boats, too.  I made these for lunch one day last week and snapped a picture, so thought I'd post it.  I make a very simple egg salad.  All three of us love it.  Carson often requests it, even.

Egg Salad in Avocado Boats

avocado, halved and pitted
hard boiled eggs
mayonnaise, preferfably homemade
dijon mustard
celery, diced

Chop up your hard boiled eggs into a medium sized bowl.  Add some mayonnaise and dijon to your liking and mix up.  Add diced celery to your liking and mix.  Spoon into avocado halves (a.k.a. boats) and enjoy!


This post is linked to:
Sugar Free Sundays at Flip Cookbook

Baked Spinach

This is a super easy side dish recipe. Its is quite tasty, too!   We have had this a couple of times now.  Its quite tasty as leftovers, too... and I don't say that very often because I'm not a leftover fan.  :)  I found the idea on a Crossfit food blog.  You could make this with any type of greens.  I've only made it with spinach, but it'd be very good with others.  You could also change up the nuts and add cheese and other spices.  This picture is made as it is written below.  But the second time I made it, I used crispy walnuts and added some of my homemade soft cheese into the mixture.  Feta would be good, too.  Or a cheese topping. 

Baked Spinach

1 1/2 pounds spinach
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup crispy pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Saute your spinach in butter until wilted.  Add your crispy pine nuts and garlic. Saute for just a couple of minutes.  Pour spinach mixture into a small casserole dish. 

Whisk eggs in a separate bowl.  Pour eggs over spinach mixture and stir to combine.  Spread evenly in dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes. 


This post is participating in the Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS, Whole Food for the Holidays: Side Dishes at The Nourishing Gourmet. 

Broccoli and Parmesan Egg Scramble

I've been looking for more ideas for breakfasts lately. Quick, healthy, tasty, filling breakfasts. The May 2010 issue of Fitness magazine featured ideas for each meal of the day. All of their breakfast ideas were under or at 300 calories. While we eat veggies in our scrambled eggs almost every week, I don't normally think to use parmesan cheese. I think I will start using it on our eggs more often, though. You get so much bang (of flavor) for very few calories. So anyway, this isn't really a novel idea of a recipe, but I wanted to post it anyway, in case their are others looking for little ways to eat a larger variety of breakfasts. This is very good. I love starting our day with a good dose of veggies, especially with the super-food, broccoli!

Broccoli and Parmesan Egg Scramble

2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
1 1/2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Whisk together eggs; set aside.

Coat a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and saute broccoli florets for 2 minutes.

Add eggs and scramble. Once eggs are cooked, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Black Hills Golden Egg Bake

I made this egg casserole for our Christmas celebration with Kevin's immediate family on Saturday morning. It was very good and it makes a lot - it'd be great for a potluck brunch or something. The recipe called for 4 cups of cheese... which I thought was a little insane... so I cut it back to 1 3/4 cups of cheese... and probably could even go down to 1 1/2 cups and still taste really good.

And I think this is my last post for tonight... I'll try to catch up more later... I have a lot of cookie posts with some new cookie recipes we tried this year... and some breads and other misc. meals from last week.

Black Hills Golden Egg Bake

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
(I added a handful of frozen spinach, as well)
1/4 cup butter, cubed - use cooking spray instead
10 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) container low fat small curd cottage cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I thought 4 cups of cheese was way too much, so I put 1 cup in the egg mixture and then used about 3/4 cup to sprinkle on top to form a nice crust)
1 pound bulk turkey sausage, cooked and drained

In a skillet, saute mushrooms and green pepper in butter until tender. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, flour, baking powder and salt if desired; mix well. Add mushroom mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well.

Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Mini Frittattas & Breakfast Potatoes

Last night, we had breakfast for dinner... broccoli and cheddar mini frittatas and breakfast sweet potatoes. Both recipes come from my Biggest Loser Family Cookbook and both were so good! We all loved them - Kevin even liked the sweet potatoes! (He normally says he hates sweet potatoes). This was a great-tasting, healthy, low-cal meal that was actually quite filling. A great meal, especially during this time of year with the holidays coming up. I'll definitely make these both again. The only thing I'll do differently next time is to chop the peppers and onions into larger pieces... I chopped them into about the same size pieces as my sweet potatoes and most of the peppers and onions got quite charred.

I do have pictures, just haven't uploaded them yet. I'll update once I do.

Broccoli and Cheddar Mini Frittatas


Olive oil spray
1 cup chopped steamed broccoli
2 cups egg substitute
2 ounces (1 cup) finely shredded Cabot's 75% Light Cheddar Cheese, or your favorite low fat cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist 8 muffin tin cups with olive oil spray. Divide broccoli evenly among cups (2 Tablespoons in each). Then divide the egg substitute evenly between cups (1/4 cup in each). Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until almost set. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the tops of the frittatas. Bake for 8-10 minutes longer, or until the egg is no longer runny and the cheese is melted. Transfer muffin tin to a cooling rack and allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 (2-frittata) servings

Per serving: 102 calories, 18 g protein, 4 g carbs, 2 g fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 362 mg sodium


Breakfast Sweet Potatoes


1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons EVOO
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
Ground red pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (I didn't do this and had no problems sticking). In a medium bowl, combine sweet potatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, EVOO, and salt. Mix to combine. (I just did this on the baking sheet to save a bowl). Transfer to the baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn veggies with a spatula and bake another 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the onion and pepper are slightly browned. Season with additional salt and peppers. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 125 calories, 2 g protein, 25 g carbs, 2 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 133 mg sodium

Herbed Baked Eggs

I tried a recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook this week for Herbed Baked Eggs. I saw the recipe on the Barefoot Bloggers site and thought it looked tasty and easy. It totally was! These were so simple to make and so fast! A perfect work-night meal for us. They tasted awesome, too. All three of us loved them! These will definitely be making a regular appearance in our menus. I did have to make a couple slight modifications with the herbs. Kevin mowed down some of my herbs by mistake and I couldn't find thyme or rosemary at the store, so I used dried thyme and rosemary, but used fresh parsley. It worked out great still. I also didn't have gratin dishes, so I used some small/individual size tart/quiche pans and made three instead of two - using two eggs in each. Again, it was perfect!

Herbed Baked Eggs

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)

Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Huevos Rancheros

Last night we had huevos rancheros for dinner. I got the recipe from a blog I read often - Two Peas and Their Pod. YUM! These were so good! And very easy and quick to make, too! Definitely something we'll keep on file to make again! These are very versatile, too. You could keep them meatless, or add some shredded chicken, beef, or pork and they'd be yummy, too. Carson didn't get a chance to try them since he was already asleep by the time I was able to make dinner, but Kevin and I loved them! I'm betting Carson would love them, too... next time...

Huevos Rancheros

Flour tortillas
Eggs (or scrambled egg whites)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small onion, diced
Cumin, to taste
Diced tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Avocado, diced
Fresh cilantro, chopped (left this off)
Fresh lime juice (left this off)

Heat up your tortillas. In a small sauce pan, warm up your black beans with the onion and cumin. Fry up your eggs or scramble your egg whites. Place the eggs on the flour tortilla. Top with the beans. Next, add all of your toppings-tomatoes, cheese, avocados, cilantro, and lime juice.

Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

Tonight I made a spinach and mushroom frittata. I used this recipe as my base, but if you read through the instructions in the recipe, it bakes like a quiche, not like a frittata. So I cooked mine like a normal frittata is done - on the stovetop and under the broiler. It turned out very tasty! I just love spinach and mushrooms together, though. Anyway, this was super easy and cooks faster than a quiche does, so I think I'll probably be doing more frittatas from now on, too. I posted the original recipe below with my changes in parentheses.

Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed thoroughly to remove liquid
4 eggs or equivalent egg substitute
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used about 1/4 cup Parm and 1/2 cup shredded Swiss)
3/4 cup chopped portobello mushrooms (I used more than this... I just used an entire 8oz package of mushrooms and chopped them up)
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions with some green tops
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
1 pinch Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (I preheated my broiler instead).

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well mixed. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and fill with the spinach mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and set. Let cool for 20 minutes, cut in wedges and serve.

(I started by sauteing the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil cooking spray in an oven-proof skillet. After they were cooked down and soft, I added the spinach still frozen and sauteed a little longer. I then added the green onions and removed the skillet from the heat. I whisked the eggs, ricotta, parm, swiss, and seasonings together in a bowl. I added the veggies to this and mixed till combined. Then poured it all back into the skillet. I cooked it on about medium heat for probably 15 minutes or so... till the middle was just starting to set. Then I popped it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes till it was set and browned.)

Leek-Spinach-Broccoli Quiche

I tried another recipe from my cookbook, Simply in Season, last week for a quiche with leeks, broccoli, and spinach. This was sooooo good! We all loved it. Carson ate his entire slice, plus about a third of a second slice! (And they were normal-sized slices, too!) This is a definite keeper and something I'll make again! There's not as many eggs in this recipe as others I've seen, so if you like it more egg-y, you may want to use your own base recipe, but this veggie combo was awesome! I will probably try it with the base recipe I used before since I do like a little more egg-y taste, but this was a great change, though. I made a potato crust, since it's gluten-free. It tasted great! Definitely something I'll try again.

Spring Quiche Trio - Leek-Spinach-Broccoli Filling

3 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli, chopped
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded (I used Fontina since that's what I had, then some co-jack to sprinkle on top)
(the recipe also calls for 1/2 cup fried and crumbled bacon, but I left it out)

Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Set aside while you prepare your filling.

Saute the leeks and broccoli together in a greased frypan, 5-10 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Place bacon (if using) and cheese into the bottom of the pan, on top of the crust. Then top with the veggie mixture. Then pour over the egg mixture. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake until browned on top and set in the middle, about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Potato Crust
3 cups uncooked potatoes, coarsely grated
3 Tablespoons oil

Mix together the potatoes and oil. Press into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven until just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Add filling and bake as directed.

Crustless Quiche

Today I made a crustless quiche to use up some eggs and veggies from my fridge and freezer. I used a recipe that my SIL Mary made a few weeks back as my base recipe, but I changed it up a bit. Ours was meatless and I used a variety of veggies - onions, carrots, celery, orange bell pepper, green beans, peas, spinach. I think I actually threw in a few too many veggies since my pie plate was very, very full - it kept spilling over the side when I was trying to get it from the counter to the fridge and then to the oven. But it was still yummy. I love quiche, Carson loves quiche, Kevin could take it or leave it, but he's going to have to suck it up from now on because I think it will become more of a regular thing since it goes over so well with Carson. Surprisingly, though, Kevin actually really liked this quiche tonight - he declared it as the "best quiche he's ever had" and thought it was "actually really good."

Crustless Quiche

2 cups cream, half and half, milk, or a combination of those
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I used co-jack)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (I used garlic powder instead)
small pinch grated nutmeg or cayenne (I used nutmeg)
veggies - I used half of a medium-sized yellow onion, one finely chopped carrot, one finely chopped stalk of celery, half a bell pepper, about 3/4 cup frozen green beans, about 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, and about 3/4 cup frozen peas

I sauteed all of my veggies with a little butter spray first, to soften them a little. Then I whisked the eggs and milk together, added the cheese, then added the veggies. Pour into a greased pie plate, covered it, and put it in the fridge overnight (I prepped the night before). I baked the quiche at 350 for about 40 minutes, then turned it up to 375 for another 20 minutes until it was set.