Italian Style Omelet

Summer is over. Okay. It's still 90 degrees and crazy humid out there. The local beach is still open. I've only just started to get red tomatoes from my tomato plants. But our local school has decided that this would be the perfect time for the kids to go back to school. Sad for me. I miss the kids when they aren't home. And when the younger children go back, it means that my oldest will soon be headed back to college and things are definitely not the same when he's not here. (Sad also because yesterday was the first day we spent at the local lake where the water was warm enough that could enjoy swimming in it! Never fear. This year the beach will be open during the week through labor day so I plan to get in plenty of swimming while the kids are at school!)

The good news is that now things are getting back to some semblance of a routine, I'm starting to cook again. Starting today with lunch, I'm jumping back on the bandwagon! Enough frozen pizzas and fast food! Lunch was a delicious Italian-Style Omelet I found over at The Perfect Pantry. Creamy, cheesy eggs stuffed with an abundance of garden vegetables and seasoned with some fresh basil from my herb garden, this is a great recipe for a quick and hearty weeknight meal. even veggie-phobic dh enjoyed this one. :-)


Italian Style Omelet
Recipe found at The Perfect Pantry

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped raw vegetables of your choice (mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, peas, zucchini)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
1 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 heaping Tbsp chopped garlic

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat a 6-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil and vegetables, and sauté on low heat for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked (might take more time, depending on which vegetables you're using). In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients until the eggs are fluffy. Run a spatula along the edge of the skillet until the bottom of the egg mixture sets.

Once the mixture is set, take a flat plate, put on top of the skillet. Flip the frozia over onto the plate, them slide the uncooked side back into the skillet. Put in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through (mine took 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Breakfast Panini

I don't eat much meat. Usually I don't miss it, but after being sick for a few days, I felt like I could use a protein boost. This Breakfast Panini from Eating Out Loud was the perfect solution. Crispy bread filled with eggs scrambled with scallions, salty bacon, juicy tomatoes and (since I was out of mozzarella) my own addition of creamy goat cheese. Need I say more? This sandwich would make a perfect breakfast-on-the-go or a simple late night dinner as well.

Be sure to head over to Eating Out Loud for the full recipe. Or check out the last Egg Panini-creation I tried here.

Bacon, Cheese and Potato Skillet Omelet

It's hard to think about blogging when you're starving! We were all tired and hungry last night by the time we got home so I scrapped the plans for a big labor-intensive feast and decided to throw together a Bacon, Cheese and Potato Skillet Omelet. It's a good thing I did, DD fell asleep almost as soon as she finished eating! But we were so hungry I forgot to take a picture until it was almost all gone. LOL!

I like to make regular omelets when we have the time. That way I can customize each one to taste. I can satisfy my veggie cravings while still filling dh's with lots of meat. The little ones can keep theirs simple and ds can fill his as he pleases. That takes a lot of time though so when I'm in a hurry we make Skillet Omelets. Prep is easy. Decide what you want on yours: Bacon, sausage, green peppers, jalapenos ... you name it. I begin by sauteing some diced onion in a bit of butter or oil. Last night I added a partial bag of refrigerated hash brown potatoes. (I used Southwestern style.) At this point you could also add diced green peppers or garlic if desired. Stir until cooked through. Mix 6 eggs in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Pour over potato-onion mixture. Turn heat to low and cover. Cook until eggs are set. Top with grated cheese of your choice and replace lid until cheese is melted. Add bacon (or whatever other topping you want.) Slice and serve.

A quick and easy way to get a filling meal on the table in no time!

Italian Breakfast Panini

I didn't do much cooking over the weekend but I did find a great way to take a simple BLT to the next level. I was browsing through some of my favorite blogs when I came across a recipe for an Italian Breakfast Panini over at Inn Cuisine. One look and I was hooked! It sounded so delicious that I bookmarked it and willed myself to remember it the next time we needed dinner in a hurry.

Well after a long day shopping with the girls while dh and ds rode dirt bikes, quick, easy and filling were definite requirements. This panini fit the bill perfectly. Cripy bacon, juicy tomatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, spinach, cheese, all on some good whole wheat bread. And as if that wasn't enough, the bread is given an extra shot of flavor by brushing it with a mixture of olive oil and Italian seasonings. Delicious!

I also blogged about this sandwich over at my new blog The Good Life: Live Well on Less where I explore ways to save money without resorting to hideous mac 'n cheese in a box or forgoing shopping trips!

Italian Breakfast Panini
Recipe from Inn Cuisine, originally courtesy Aska Lodge B&B, adapted from Relishmag.com

3 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 (3/4 oz.) slices sharp Cheddar cheese
1 small Roma tomato, thinly sliced
1 small handful baby spinach leaves
4 slices cooked bacon or Canadian bacon
2 (3/4 oz.) slices Provolone
4 slices oatmeal, sourdough, or any dense bread
Balsamic glaze
3 T Olive oil mixed with 1 tsp.Italian seasoning

Scramble eggs with salt & pepper. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil mixture (this side will be out). Layer cheddar cheese, tomato, spinach, bacon, eggs (drizzled with Balsamic glaze) and Provolone on 2 slices of bread, top with remaining bread. Cook 3-5 minutes on panini grill or in a grill pan. Slice diagonally in half.

Yield: 2 servings or 4 half servings.

OMG! Migas!

I am in love! Seriously. Totally. Head over heels in love.

I needed something quick to make for dinner last week. Something that didn't require a trip to the grocery store. Flipping through one of my Rachael Ray cookbooks I came across a recipe for Mighty Migas. Eggs, red pepper, jalapeno, onions and crushed tortilla chips, scrambled and topped with cheese and a spicy tomato-chipotle pepper sauce and placed on top of a blistered tortilla. O.M.G. Heaven on a plate. Seriously. I found myself thinking about these while standing at line at the grocery store. Wondering if I had enough eggs to make one while I was brushing my teeth at night. Plotting a way to get someone to bring me some eggs while I was lying in bed at night. Really. These things are like crack. I've made them three times in the past week. My cholesterol is probably through the roof. There really needs to be a 12 step program for these things. LOL!

The recipe is from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals cookbook. As I was looking for the recipe online (and jonesing for my next fix) I realized there are a million migas recipes out there and they all sound delicious. Imagine my surprise when I came across a link ... to my own blog! Yes, it's true. I actually blogged about Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy's recipe for Migas back in May! I remember (now) that I did like them but for some reason I never made them again. I think what I love the most about Rachael Ray's recipe is the Chipotle Sauce on top. All that smoky, delicious heat. ::sigh:: And the RR version isn't really a taco. The flour tortilla is blistered in a dry skillet for 30 seconds or so per side so that is crispy. Mmmm!

Here are a few recipes for Migas for you to check out. And I'll include the recipe for the wonderful Tomato-Chipotle Sauce to top them with.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

My Italian Grandmother

Homesick Texan

Rachael Ray.com

Serious Eats

Love and Cooking

Culinary Kicks

The Spicy Skillet

Midwest Neurotica

Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy

I'm Running to Eat!


Tomato-Chipotle Sauce
Recipe from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals

1 cup tomato sauce
1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped (I used two.)
A handful of cilantro, finely chopped

In a small bowl stir together the tomato sauce and the chopped chipotles. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Pancakes with Blueberry-studded Honey Peach Sauce

I just wasn't very hungry tonight and the thought of whipping up a semi-labor intensive batch of gumbo just wasn't cutting it. Instead I checked the fridge to see what we had and decided to use up some of the fruit I picked up at the farmer's market last week. I whipped up a batch of pancakes, fried up some bacon (in the oven, of course!), and prepared the Blueberry-Studded Honey Peach Sauce that I'd bookmarked over at Inn Cuisine. Unfortunately my peaches were a little too far gone so I substituted some jarred peaches that I'd picked up at Aldi's awhile back. ::Patting myself on the back for using up stuff from the pantry:: They worked perfectly. In fact, they made the sauce really quick to put together since I didn't have to do any chopping or slicing. The sauce was delicious. The tart blueberries save the sauce from being too sweet. Definitely a keeper!

Since I've had this one bookmarked for awhile, it will be my submission to next week's Bookmarked Recipes event over at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments. Check out last week's yummy recipes here.




Blueberry-studded Honey Peach Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Inn Cuisine

1 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 quart fresh or frozen (and thawed) sliced Peaches

Combine honey, blueberries and cinnamon in a large saucepan, mixing well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low, simmering for 10 minutes or until the flavors are well blended. Remove from heat, add peaches and mix well.

Serve over waffles, pancakes, French toast, pound cake, cream stuffed crepes… and anything else you dare to try!

Makes approximately 8 servings.

Huevos Racheros: Heaven on a Plate!

I found the most amazingly simple and incredibly delicious idea for a quick and easy dinner over at Smitten Kitchen. Huevos Rancheros. I've heard of them for years but never really thought much about them ... until I saw Deb's gorgeous photos and simple recipe. After reading her post I knew we'd have to try it. I even picked up some corn tortillas at the grocery so I knew I'd make them, I just didn't know when.

Ds has given up running cross country and has decided to try out for the tennis team instead. He'd been wanting to go to the middle school and practice for awhile. Today was sunny, yet cool for August in Indiana so off we went. He hit balls with dh while I moseyed on over to the track and got about 3 miles in. It felt good to get back out there. I hadn't run in almost a month. Hopefully now that school is starting, I will be able to get back into the exercise groove. It should be a bit easier if ds has tennis practice every day. I won't have an excuse not to use the track! LOL! Last year I did most of my running during cross country and wrestling practices. In the beginning, the other parents looked at me like I was nuts but by the end of the season there were at least 5 or 6 others who were running or walking during practices. :-)

Coming home with no idea what dinner was going to be and pretty wiped out (in a good way!) I deciped to give Deb's Huevos a try. O.M.G.!!! So quick. So delicious. So easy! Corn tortillas, eggs, cheese, black beans (I used Trader Joe's Cuban Black Beans. Mmmm!), fresh salsa toped with some leftover guac. Heaven. On. A. Plate!

My pictures don't do it justice. Head on over to Smitten Kitchen and check out Deb's drool-worthy pictures and her awesome idea of frying the egg on the tortilla.

Dinner Frittata for lunch!

I was trying to come up with a good idea for lunch. Ham sandwiches are fine. But every day? Dh would cheerfully have his ham and Miracle Whip sandwich on wheat bread every single day for the rest of his life but I need a bit more variety in my life. Catching up on some of the blogs I'd been unable to read lately, I came across this recipe for Dinner Fritatta at The Saucy Bird. It sounded perfect. It went together quickly and tasted great. Dh didn't even complain (much) about missing his ham sandwich! Thanks to Robin for this great recipe that we'll be using often around here!


Dinner Frittata
Recipe courtesy of The Saucy Bird


6 slices peppered bacon, cut in half
1 cup onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
3 cups packed baby spinach
6 eggs
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a 10 inch nonstick skillet on medium heat fry bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels reserving any grease rendered in the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Saute 6-8 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the spinach and turn with tongs until wilted. Chop half of the bacon and mix it in to the spinach mixture. Reduce the heat to low.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs and milk until a light yellow color. Stir in half of the cheddar and 1/2 the jack cheese. Pour the mixture evenly over the spinach mixture.

Cook the eggs on low heat for about 2 minutes without stirring, until the edges of the eggs have begun to set. Add the reserved cheese and arrange the bacon and red pepper strips attractively on top. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 8- 12 minutes or until the eggs have puffed slightly and are set in the middle.

Serve hot or at room temperature with a mixed green salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal.

Bacon Sandwich

When I planned our Tennessee getaway, I really didn't focus on the food aspect of the trip. I was more interested in the no-children-are-going aspect! ;-) After our amazing first dinner at the Barnyard Bistro (a gourmet establishment decorated in chickens and other down-homey type things), breakfast turned out to be another pleasant surprise. Since we were perched on the side of a mountain halfway to the middle of nowhere, we decided to check out the nearest diner for a quick breakfast before starting our day. That happened to be The Slab in Del Rio, Tennessee. Not really sure where the name comes from. It certainly didn't conjure up images of great food but again, things aren't always what they seem. The slab is a gas station/convenience store/diner located almost to Halfway to the Middle of Nowhere. Convenient for us so we stopped in a couple times during our trip to stock up on water or ice cream. ;-)

For breakfast I ordered a bacon and tomato biscuit. Now I love bacon sandwiches and I often make a bacon and tomato sandwich for lunch but it never occurred to me to make a bacon and tomato sandwich on a buttermilk biscuit. The bacon was perfectly cooked. I always ask for it to be cooked "crisp" and almost no one can manage that. It's either too chewy (ick!) or it resembles charcoal. This thick cut bacon came out perfectly. The biscuit was buttery and flaky and amazingly this early in the season, the tomato was red, ripe and juicy. Perfect start for a busy day. Dh had the eggs, bacon and biscuits and gravy and I couldn't quite decipher what he was trying to say through the moans of pleasure. And all the ladies working at the slab were friendly and helpful. All in all, The Slab was a big surprise. If you are ever in the Del Rio area, be sure to stop in!

Since we'd forgotten to take the camera or even a cell phone to dinner the night before, I had dh take a picture of my bacon biscuit. I didn't really think I'd write about it. I mean, come on! A bacon sandwich? Well, apparently bacon sandwiches are a popular topic for food bloggers these days. ;-)

Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy: Sandwich A la "a wonderful, magical animal"

Christine Cooks: What's for Lunch? Tomato Bacon Sandwich

Closet Cooking: Tomato and Bacon Sandwich

Death to Film: A Bacon Sandwich as Big as Your Head

Recipe Challenge: Grilled Cheese and Bacon Sandwich

Is it still a breakfast taco ...

... if you eat it at 1:30 in the afternoon? Hmmm. Whatever it is ... taco, burrito ... this dish is delicious at any time of the day. I was checking out Slightly Cheaper than Therapy (one of my new favorite foodie blogs) this morning and came across her recipe for Migas Tacos (If you are curious what Migas means, you can find out here.) I'm not usually a big egg fan. I can take them or leave them but generally I'd rather leave them. Something about her pictures really grabbed my attention. So much so that when I found out that ds and his friends had eaten all the tortilla chips during their sleepover last night, I jumped in the car and drove to the nearest gas station to pick some up. I'm glad I did. The tortilla chip crumbs soak up enough of the juice and eggs to lose their crunchy texture and add a delicious, corny flavor to the dish. Definitely wouldn't be the same without them. Unfortunately I wimped out on the jalapeno and went on the lower side. Next time I'd use a bit more as fresh jalapenos don't seem to add as much punch as the pickled ones do.

Migas Tacos
Recipe from Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy

2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 of a sweet white onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, coarsely chopped
1 - 2 seeded jalapenos
3 large eggs
crushed tortilla chips
1/4 c. Mexican blend shredded cheese
3 taco-sized flour tortillas, heated

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Do NOT caramelize. Add tomatoes, jalapeno and crushed tortilla chips and saute a bit longer until slightly soft. Be careful not to burn the chips. (If you’re worried about the onions cooking too much, add the tomatoes and jalapeno when the onions are about halfway cooked.) Mix in the eggs and cook till softly scrambled. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until it’s completely melted. Divide egg mixture into thirds and top tortillas. Roll up and serve with queso (yes, more cheese!) and salsa.

A Breakfast Feast!

We don't *do* breakfast around here. Oh we *eat* breakfast. We just don't sit down and do it all at the same time. The kids get up way too early on the weekends or dh and I are off for our group runs before sun-up and so while we always eat dinner together, we never have breakfast as a family. For the most part breakfast is usually cold cereal, toast or bagels (hopefully) made while mom is sleeping in. ;-) The other night while we were preparing dinner, Lily asked why we never have a breakfast feast. Since there really wasn't a good reason, we decided we should have a "Breakfast Feast" soon.

Fast forward to Saturday morning. I was thinking it seemed like a good day for sleeping in but the girls had other ideas. Katie made some yummy pancakes from a recipe that we found on the internet. Lily scrambled the eggs and whipped up a batch of real bacon using Jill's recipe for oven fried bacon. (Mess free! Too bad it isn't cholesterol free.) The girls had a blast preparing breakfast. Katie even made a "Breakfast Menu". I think we have a new tradition. :-)



Basic Pancake Mix
http://www.recipezaar.com/48635

1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
2	tablespoons sugar
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
1 1/4-1 1/2	cups milk
2	eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla (optional)
2	tablespoons vegetable oil

1. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk.
3. Start with 1 1/4 cups milk, adding up to another 1/4 cup if necessary, as you mix it with the flour.
4. Add the two eggs, vanilla if using and oil, whisking until mixed but still a bit lumpy.
5. Heat a frying pan (if it is not non-stick, you will need to melt a bit of butter or oil in it) and when hot, pour in some pancake mix.
6. How much depends on how experienced you are at flipping pancakes and how big you want them. We do about 1/4 cup a time for small, easy-to-flip pancakes but you could make this as much as 1/2 cup of pancake mix.
7. If you are adding fruit, I like to sprinkle it on top of the pancake now.
8. When the pancake starts to bubble on top and is golden brown on the cooked side, turn it and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.
9. The first pancake is always a bit of a test so adjust the batter by adding more flour if you need to make it thicker or more milk if you want a thinner pancake. In either case, just add a few spoonfuls at a time until you get it right.
10. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter. You may need to adjust the heat as pan tends to get hotter as you keep making pancakes.
11. Keep the cooked pancakes covered with a tea towel, to keep them warm while you finish cooking the rest.

Indianapolis Marathon

Much to the joy of my family, I find myself back in the kitchen and actually cooking again. I've been challenging myself to try so new things as well as old favorites. I've actually been doing better in the kitchen than I have out on the road. I ran the Indianapolis Marathon as part of a relay team on October 20th. It was fun. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but better than I expected. It was a great experience and I hope to possible run the full marathon next year. After the race I've been having a really hard time getting out there to run. The weather's been fine, it's just a lack of motivation. I was really sore after the race and took a few days off. If I take more than one day off, it seems like I'm out for the week. ::sigh:: You'd think the upcoming Fall Classic 10K would keep me motivated but I guess 6.2 miles doesn't seem as daunting as it used to! LOL!

I did get out and ran three miles on the bike trail Sunday. It was a perfect day. Probably 65 and sunny. The leaves were changing and I had the trail all to myself. After that I wasn't particularly motivated to fix a big, elaborate dinner. I decided to try a recipe I found at Kalyn's Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs. I'd had the recipe for awhile and this seemed like the perfect time to try it out. Mushroom, Green Pepper, and Feta Breakfast Casserole turned out to another family favorite. Aside from chopping up the bell pepper, the dish went together quickly. I compromised with the boys, who felt that there were a few too many veggies involved, and added a layer of spicy sausage to half of the casserole. I used some baby portobella mushrooms and a red bell pepper instead of green. I also used the Feta cheese with Tomatoes and basil that we like so much in the Greek Feta and Tomato Pasta. This is definitely a recipe I'd pull out for company. Since you can make it a day ahead and bake it the next morning, I may use this one for Christmas Day brunch.


Mushroom, Green Pepper, and Feta Breakfast Casserole
Recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen

4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 large green bell pepper -- coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 green onions -- white and green parts, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta (or more -- to taste)
9 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Spike Seasoning (optional -- but highly recommended)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 10 X 14 glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. (A dish slightly smaller than this will work. If your dish is much larger than this, just increase ingredients slightly.

Heat non-stick frying pan, add small amount of olive oil, and saute mushrooms 4-5 minutes, until softened and partly cooked. Spread mushrooms in bottom of casserole dish. Add a bit more olive oil to frying pan if needed, and saute green peppers until softened and partly cooked. Layer peppers over mushrooms. Crumble feta cheese over top of mushroom-pepper mixture.

Beat eggs with Spike Seasoning and black pepper. (Don't add salt because Feta cheese is salty enough.) Bake about 45 minutes, or until casserole is firmly set and top is slightly browned. Serve hot. I like to eat it with a little bit of low-fat sour cream and salsa on top.