Recipe: Baked Eggs

I was browsing the Internet when I came upon beautiful photographs of baked eggs. I've never seen such a variation on eggs so I had to find out. I used the following two recipes to create a fancy spin on the typical egg. Both variations are unique and therefore should both be made!

I enjoyed the pesto potato baked eggs (the one on the right) more just because I love pesto but the tomato sauce baked eggs (on the left) is fantastic as well.

Tomato Sauce Baked Eggs
Adapted from La Buena Vida
Serves 2

Ingredients
4 eggs (2 per person)
1/2 of a jar of tomato sauce (12 oz or about 1 1/2 cup)
fresh or dried thyme (or any herb)
2 tbsp mozzarella or parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a baking dish with oil spray and add half of a jar of tomato sauce and cheese. Crack 4 eggs evenly spaced out on top of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle herbs on top.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-25 minutes, until preferred egg doneness. You want the whites to be firm and the suace to bubble. Serve with toast, using it to soak up the tomato sauce, and a green salad.


Pesto Potato Baked Eggs
Adapted from Notions & Notations of a Novice Cook
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 medium sized potato, thinly sliced
2 eggs
3 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh basil
salt and pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a skillet with olive oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, toss the potato slices in with the olive oil, and add garlic and salt and pepper. Cook the potato for about 5 minutes, until just cooked. You can check to see if it's cooked by putting a fork through it. If it goes in smooth, the potatoes are done.
Remove the potato slices from the skillet and place them in a baking dish. Spoon in the pesto and toss to evenly coat. Place the eggs, making sure the yolks don't break, and basil on top and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the eggs are just set.

Recipe: Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

I alluded to this soup recipe in my previous post on White Cheddar Yogurt Cornbread. Whether vegetarian or with chunks of ham, one of my favorite soups is split pea soup. I followed the following recipe and the result was amazing. Split pea soup is all about the thick, chunky texture and this recipe produces exactly that. The addition of lemon juice and lemon zest really make the flavors pop, making this recipe my go-to for split pea soup. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups dried split green peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups water
juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve the zest)
a few pinches of smoked paprika
more olive oil to drizzle

Instructions
Add olive oil to a big pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions often, just a minute or two. Add the split peas and water. Bring to a boil, dial down the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through (but still a touch al dente).
Using a large cup or mug, ladle half of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Using a hand blender, puree the soup that is still remaining in in the pot. Stir the reserved (still chunky) soup back into the puree - you should have a soup that is nicely textured. If you need to thin the soup out with more water, do so a bit at a time.
Stir in the lemon juice and taste. If the soup needs more salt, add more a bit at a time, until the flavor of the soup really pops.
Ladle into bowls and serve each drizzled with olive oil and topped with a good pinch of smoked paprika and a touch of lemon zest.

Recipe: White Cheddar Yogurt Cornbread

Cornbread is one of my favorite comfort foods and there are few things better than hot cornbread straight out of the oven. I ate the cornbread with split pea soup (recipe to come) and it was the perfect lunch on a chilly day.

I really enjoy baking but because I don't really like sweet food, I like to bake more savory things. This cornbread recipe is not only delicious, but also really adaptable because you can use whatever cheese you have in your kitchen. I modified the recipe according to what I had in my kitchen, using butter and sharp cheddar cheese instead of Earth Balance and white cheddar. I really want to one day own a Le Creuset Skillet so I can make skillet cornbread, but until then, I will continue to make my cornbread in a baking pan.

White Cheddar Yogurt Cornbread
Adapted from Daily Garnish
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp + pinch salt

1/8 cayenne pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt (I used Trader Joe's 0%)

2 medium eggs

1/4 cup Earth Balance (I used butter)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

3/4 cup shredded white cheddar (I used sharp cheddar but feel free to experiment with any cheese)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, corn kernels, baking soda, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, almond milk, and butter.

Next, shred the cheese if it isn't already.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, and then fold in almost all of the cheese, reserving just a little bit to the side.

Line the baking pan with parchment paper or spray with oil spray. Spread the batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Also sprinkle the top with a tiny extra pinch of salt.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on the cornbread because you don't want to overcook it and make it dry!

Take baking pan out of the oven and let cool before slicing it. Pair it with a soup of your choice.

Recipe: Breakfast Pita Pizza

I really like to use pitas in place of pizza dough because it saves a lot of time. I've made my own dough from scratch and have also used Trader Joe's refrigerated dough before, but I really hate the process of rolling out the sticky dough because I can never get it to be round. By using pitas, pizza making can take less than 15 minutes.

One of my favorite pita pizzas to make is the Breakfast Pizza, which features a cracked egg on top. I love my egg yolks runny but feel free to adjust the baking time according to how you like your eggs. This pizza can be eaten for for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Breakfast Pita Pizza
Inspired by Chow
Serves 1

Ingredients
1 pita
1 cup loosely packed chopped kale leaves
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (1 oz)
1 large egg
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven at 425 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a large pan set on medium heat. When the oil is hot, saute the minced garlic for about 30 seconds, making sure to not let it burn. Then add the chopped kale leaves and lemon juice and saute it with the garlic, turning it over a few times until all the kale is wilted. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. If the kale starts to burn, add a tbsp of water and continue to turn it for a few more minutes. Once the kale has wilted down significantly, turn off the heat.
Grab the pita and place it on top of the baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spread out the cooked kale on top of the pita, leaving a small nest of about 1 inch wide in the center of the pita. Sprinkle the pita with the mozzarella cheese and crack 1 egg into the nest of the pita.
Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 425 degrees until the egg whites are set, about 6-7 minutes. If you like the yolks to be set, bake it for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pitas to a cutting board. Cut each pita into 4 wedges and serve immediately.