Archive | Breakfast RSS feed for this section

Cactus Scramble

By on September 5, 2011 in Breakfast, Main Dishes

Nopales are the pads from prickly pear cactii. I had never had them before, but when we received them in our Local Box this week, eggs felt like the perfect fit. We always source our eggs locally, and pairing them with local veggies is a great karma-enriching way to start out the day.

Nopales have a bit of slime to them, much like okra, and I found that adding a bit of baking soda while boiling the pieces helps cut down on the goo. Be careful, though, because the baking soda will cause the water to boil quite high, and if you aren’t careful you’ll soon be cleaning up a big mess on the stove.

While there is a bit of prep work involved, this breakfast comes together easily and makes for a nice change in morning routine. You want to make sure you trim the nopales all the way around, and then carefully cut out the thorn nodes without losing too much of the meat. And of course, make sure you wash them well before slicing.

 

Cactus Scramble

Serves 2

2 cactus pads, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch chunks
1 tsp baking soda
Olive oil
1 Hatch or poblano pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 palm-sized tomato, diced
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce

Heat a deep saucepan of water to boiling. Add the cactus and baking soda, and boil gently for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure pot doesn’t boil over. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a saute pan, heat a swirl of olive oil over medium. Add the pepper and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, then add tomatoes and cactus and cook for 2 minutes.
Beat eggs with a fork and add to the vegetables. Cook until eggs are desired consistency, stirring every so often.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with hot sauce.

Comments { 0 }

Five Fruit Salsa

By on August 6, 2011 in Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast, Desserts, Side Dishes, Summer

Ingredients:

 

  • 2 cups cantaloupe
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 3 kiwifruit, peeled & finely chopped
  • 1 medium orange, peeled & finely chopped
  • 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
  • 1 (8-oz) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

  • 10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup finely copped fresh strawberries

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the cantaloupe, onion, kiwi, orange, peppers and pineapple. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

For chips, brush tortillas with butter; cut into eight wedges. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the tortillas. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-14 minutes or just until crisp.

Just before serving, drain salsa if desired. Stir in strawberries.

Serve fruit salsa with cinnamon chips.

Comments { 1 }

Crustless Quiche with Juliet Tomatoes

By on August 1, 2011 in Breakfast, Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Summer

 

Juliet tomatoes, onions and cheddar cheese make this casserole look fancy in a pie crust. When it’s just family, I skip those calories and pour the Quiche filling straight into a buttered pie pan.

Sans crust, this Quiche is one of my favorites for lazy Saturday morning breakfasts since I can sneak back into bed and listen to NPR while it cooks in the oven. It also works well for a quick weeknight dinner paired with a side salad and a glass of wine.

If you don’t have cherry or juliet tomatoes on hand, chopped fresh tomatoes are a good substitute. None of those? A cup of chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, greens, or cooked potatoes would work well, too. If you end up using any of those ingredients, cook them with the onions in the skillet before stirring them into the eggs.

Crustless Quiché with Juliet Tomatoes (serves 8 )

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup skim milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
half-pint juliet tomatoes (8-12), cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a nine-inch pie pan. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook them until they are tender, then set them aside to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and par-cooled onions. Stir to combine, then pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan. Arrange tomato halves, skin side up, in the egg mixture.  Bake the Quiche until the custard is golden, puffed and the edges are set, about 30-35 minutes. Set on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes to cool before serving.

Comments { 1 }

Blueberry-Zucchini Bread

By on July 18, 2011 in Breakfast, Desserts

I first came across the idea of blueberry zucchini bread a while back, but many of the recipes out there are surprisingly unhealthy, considering the star ingredients are a fruit and a veggie. So when I went looking for a lightened-up version, I turned to My Baking Addiction. I’ve said before that I don’t do a lot of baking, but when I do, I often visit this site. Her recipes are delicious and her photos are lovely, too (don’t you love the one I showcased above?).

This version of blueberry-zucchini bread was just what I was looking for. Not overly sweet, it only calls for 1 cup of sugar (half white, half brown), and uses half white, half whole wheat flour to add a little extra fiber. It’s a perfect way to use up a bounty of blueberries and zucchini as well as sneak veggies into a snack kids will love, but adults love it smeared with a little butter along with their morning coffee. Well, I do at least. I guess I can’t speak for the whole adult population, but I’m sure many of them would agree with me.

Blueberry-Zucchini Bread (from My Baking Addiction)

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar; lightly packed
1 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugars. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan.

Bake 55-65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

- Stephanie

Comments { 1 }

Meatless Monday: Goat Cheese & Zucchini Frittata

By on June 27, 2011 in Breakfast, Main Dishes

Recipe and photo from Whole Foods Market
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2284

Serves 1

Serve this perfect frittata for one with a green salad on the side, if you like. Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available in the Whole Foods Market Family of Brands.

Ingredients

2 eggs*
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil*
Few thin slices of red onion
1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 ounce fresh goat cheese*
1 roasted red pepper from a jar, chopped
Small handful fresh herbs such as parsley and chives, roughly chopped

Method

Beat eggs and season well. Heat oil in a small cast iron or other ovenproof skillet and cook onion and zucchini 2 to 3 minutes to soften. Add eggs and cook 1 to 2 minutes until almost set. Dot with goat cheese and roasted red pepper, then sprinkle with herbs. Place under broiler until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Comments { 1 }