Anytime Asparagus Frittata

A quick and easy recipe to whip up for a savory, protein-rich meal for any occasion or time of day or night. I served this frittata tonight with a mixed lettuce salad with sliced tomato and pickled beets drizzled with a vinaigrette.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 large Onion, thinly sliced
1 pound (bunch) of Asparagus with thick stems snapped off, then cut diagonally into 1" lengths
6 large Eggs, beaten
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup shredded White Cheddar Cheese
1/3 shredded Parmesan Cheese
Herbs* and Paprika (optional)

*Cilantro, Italian Herb Blend, etc.

Directions

Preheat broiler.

Drizzle olive oil in to a deep 10"-12" ovenproof frying pan.

Over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, sauté onion rings 

with salt until onion is soft, but not browned.

Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and add the asparagus, 

and cook covered until asparagus is just tender for about 7 minutes.

Pour in the egg mixture and cook for about 3 minutes, 

until the eggs are almost cooked but still a bit runny on top.

Sprinkle the cheeses and paprika over the egg mixture and 

broil for another 4 minutes, until the cheeses are melted 

and slightly browned on top.

Remove from the oven and slide the frittata onto a platter.

Cut into wedges and serve with a fresh salad or selection of fruits.

Egg Strata

With so much going on during the holidays, it's great to have a breakfast recipe that can be prepared a day ahead to bake just for breakfast or brunch the next morning. I made this Egg Strata dish on the afternoon of Christmas Eve to bake and enjoy after opening gifts with the kids on Christmas morning. I pulled it from the refrigerator at 7 a.m. to warm until time to bake and serve later in the morning. I will be serving a version of this dish this coming Sunday, when we enjoy another holiday brunch with our family in Bend, Oregon. Serves 8

Egg Strata

Ingredients

14 Eggs
2 cups Coconut Milk beverage, unsweetened (I used SoDelicious brand)
2 Baguettes, Udi's gluten-free (defrosted and cubed) OR 12 slices gluten-free bread (cubed)
4 Green Onions, sliced
1-1/2 cups fresh Mushrooms, chopped
1-2 cups fresh Spinach, chopped
1/2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Pinch or two of Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
2 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese 

Optional Ingredients: Red Bell Pepper (chopped or minced), Butternut Squash (cooked and cubed, small), Herbs (garlic, thyme, oregano, with Paprika and/or Goat Cheese (crumbled) for a topping.

Directions

1. Grease a 13X9 inch glass baking dish with butter or a butter substitute (my preference).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut milk, Dijon mustard, Cayenne pepper, and seasoned salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the cubed bread, shredded cheese, fresh mushrooms, spinach and green onions and any optional vegetable or herbs you wish to add.
4. Add the bread mixture into the buttered baking dish, and spread evenly.
5. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture in the baking dish.
6. Refrigerate overnight covered with plastic wrap.
7. In the morning, set the Egg Strata out on the counter to warm to room temperature.
8. Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees.*
9. Bake at 350-degrees for 50-60 minutes, until set and slightly browned on top.
10. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

*NOTE: If the glass baking dish is still cool when you are ready to bake the Egg Strata, place the egg dish in the oven as soon as you begin to pre-heat the oven, and bake for 1 hour.

Quiching in the Dark

Everything went black. It had been a cold and blustery evening. Maybe the wind caused a tree to fall across our power line; no one knows for sure. While the quiches were waiting for the wall-oven to come up to temperature, the whole house went pitch black. So black that we had to grope our way around the room to find the drawer with the lighter and the door to the laundry pantry where our candles and lanterns were shelved.

My husband reminded me that our commercial oven runs on propane, so all was not lost. By the glow of lanterns and with me holding the flashlight, he got down on his hands and knees and lit  the pilot light, then set the oven to pre-heat to 425-degrees. With a glass of pinot noir in hand, we sat by the glow and warmth of the fire to wait. Quiching in the dark and eating fashionably late turned out to be quite lovely under the circumstances. The quiches turned out perfect! Photo made possible  with fluorscent lamplight (blue cast), flashlight and white paper to bounce more light on the subject....

Bavaria Mills in Vancouver Washington makes specialty baked goods, including 9-inch gluten-free pie crusts. The pastry is made with white rice flour, palm oil, brown rice vinegar, eggs, chickpea flour, potato starch, water, rice vinegar, Xylitol, salt and xanthan gum. Quite good!

We picked the chanterelles ourselves in the woods near our home, but that story will be one of my next blog posts. Here is my recipe for "Quiching in the Dark" Chanterelle and Feta Quiche:

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup chanterelle mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup scallions (not green onions), finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup feta cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup cream or Half & Half
1 pie crust
olive oil or butter for sauteing 
sea salt, a pinch

Directons:

1. Lightly saute the onion, garlic and chanterelles for a couple of minutes in a little olive oil or butter. Let cool.
   
2. Whisk the eggs and cream together.
3. Fill the pie crust first with 1/2 of the feta cheese, followed by the mushroom saute and the remaining feta.
4. Pour the egg and cream mixture over all and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, some fine Parmesan cheese and paprika over the top.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 20-30 minutes; until set like a custard. If the center remains a little too liquid, turn off the oven and let the quiche set; check in 5-minute intervals.

I recommend not adding herbs or spices, as the delicate flavor of the chanterelles along with the tang of the feta are wonderful to experience without overpowering the taste with aromatic ingredients.  

Serves 2-4

Saturday's Omelet, the Perfect Omelet and Cracking an Egg with One Hand

Typically my omelets are light and fluffy. This morning I left the heat on a little to high to start and browned the underside (outside). Despite a bit of overcooking, not what I call the "perfect omelet", it still turned out moist and delicious. Made with three eggs with a splash of water, I cooked the omelet in a little olive oil and filled the center while it was runny on top with a large pinch of sea salt, a dash of cayenne pepper, chopped and sauteed garlic, chantrelles, scallions, orange and yellow peppers, sour cream and avocado. I let it cook from the bottom up. No lid. On the side I served a dollop of Tuong Ot Toi Viet-Nam Chili Garlic Sauce.

Try this technique for making the perfect omelet: 

1. Crack three eggs in a bowl and beat until thoroughly mixed with a splash of milk or water. 
2. Pour into a lightly oiled, oven-proof stainless omelet pan at room temperature; slow cook on medium heat on a stove top burner (gas or electric). 
3. Roll the pan occasionally to see how it's cooking on the bottom. 
4. While still a little runny on top, add your filling ingredients and shredded cheese. 
5. Next, place the omelet in a pre-heated oven set to broil for two minutes. 
6. Be sure to have your oven mitt on when pulling your omelet out of the oven by the handle. 
7. Because you oiled your pan well, the omelet should slip right out and fold over. 
8. Garnish the top if you like with herbs, and add a dollop of sour cream, sauce, salsa or another condiment and serve hot.

I had hoped to share a link to an article by Tom Barkin of Slow Food Eugene and freelance writer. The archived article is unavailable, but here is an excerpt from the full article Tom sent me, written for The Register Guard and published on March 19, 2009:

Eggs a la perfection - The simplest of dishes can be the most difficult to get just right; with eggs, start with the farm. 

 

 "Ah! The perfect fried egg. Picture it sitting on a warmed plate amidst freshly buttered toast and crisp, salty bacon. Steam rises from the cup of coffee sitting nearby. The morning paper lies within reach, waiting to be read. The vision calls up moments of peacefulness and indulgence.

Or, consider the hard-cooked egg that for some inspires religious fervor. Visualize the Easter experience of some Christians for whom hard-boiled, red-dyed eggs symbolize the promise of eternal life. Or, consider Jews sitting at the Passover Seder table discussing the egg as a symbol of life, Biblical sacrifices in the Temple, the infinite nature of God, or springtime and rebirth.

Even the raw egg can engender vehement argument and protest. One can imagine the theologian and the scientist debating passionately whether the egg preceded the chicken or vice versa.

Eggs can do that for people. Some people, that is.

For others, eggs spur moments of culinary obsession. Those are my people...." Tom Barkin

Video: How to impress your foodie friends - Cracking an egg with one hand: