Spicy Tomatoes & Eggs

Where did this week go already?  Not that I’m complaining or anything… but woah TGIF! 😛

Oh and it’s about 98% official you guys, remember the super exciting news that I had but couldn’t let loose quite yet (??), well by February 14th that is going to change!

I can’t wait to share this with you friends, it is one of the most exciting things that’s happened in my life and I just want to be able to finally share it 😀

Well let’s move onto the food portion of this show, shall we?

Enter:  Obsession.

Yep, it’ssssss backkkkkk!

I’ll give you guys the recap of dinner but not going to be able to share the recipes since they aren’t published online 😦

Gotta do the right thing though ya know!

Egg and Masa “Omelet” (torta de huevo con masa)

Can you really go wrong with these ingredients?

Made into a torta on the stovetop!

The perfect accompaniment to this spicy fresh egg dish…

Shoemaker’s Eggs (Huevos zapateros)

A sauce is made using tomatoes, dried chile de arbol, sea salt and epazote, an herb common in Mexican cuisine.

This was my first time using epazote in the kitchen, I really liked the flavor it added.  It was unique and unlike anything I’d ever had.

I also read that it can be toxic in large quantities, after we ate.  So of course was paranoid that I killed us both for a good portion of the night.

The Man must seriously question his life sometimes haha 😛

And don’t worry, the 1/4 tsp I used was perfectly fine after all!

I also got to use my new toy 🙂

Score!

I just love the flavor these dried chiles added to the tomato sauce, the perfect kick of spice that is a punch to the tastebuds but then doesn’t linger around.  Perfect 🙂

The eggs were cooked in the sauce until set and voila

Served together they were a match made in heaven!  The egg omelet was so delicious, the flavors of the masa, onion and jalapeno each really shined through. 

Dipped in the spicy tomato sauce with the creamy eggs, my mouth was sayin’ Olé!!! 😉

What a fun and different dinner idea, right?  Plus super economical I might add!

It reminded of a version of this Italian egg & tomato dish that we had a few months back which we also really enjoyed. 

Just reminds me that I need to make dishes like this more often!

Are you adventurous with trying new ingredients in the kitchen? What’s the “weirdest” ingredient you’ve used and ended up loving?!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL 😛

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“Fried Rice” — No Oil & Still Tasty???

Remember the quick oil-free fried rice I raved about Friday night?

Well it’s time to share the “recipe”!

It was actually accidental that it came together this way (w/out oil) – as I was just throwing ingredients into a pan in a hurry to have a quick meal before heading out to a party.

But I’m sure glad it did 😀

This is so incredibly easy, trust me.  You’ll have a healthy dinner on the table in no time plus it won’t put a big dent in the ol’ wallet either – always a win around this time of year 😉

Oil-Free Veggie “Fried” Rice

Serves 2

What you’ll need:

• ½ bag frozen vegetables, I chose California blend (carrot, broc, cauliflower)
• 1.5 c. brown rice, I had some pre-cooked stashed in the freezer from a past adventure, perfect use for it!
• 2 tblsp terryaki sauce, I really like this Kikkoman Teriyaki marinade/sauce vs. soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• Black pepper to taste

 

** Make sure to use a non-stick pan **

First step, add frozen veggies to a hot pan with about ¾ cup water.  Loosely cover and turn heat up to high – 10 minutes.  They’ll start to boil about halfway through and get mostly cooked/heated through during this step.

Remove lid and turn heat down to medium-high, most of your water should be evaporated at this point.  Add in rice & black pepper.  Cover again for another 5 minutes.

Uncover again and turn heat down to medium, there should be no water left at this point.  Now stir in the sauce and the eggs, cooking until the eggs are set – another 5 minutes.  Stir this pretty continously to mix thoroughly and prevent sticking.

Guess what, you’re done!

You may notice a bit of sticking to the bottom of the pan but that’s okay, a quick rinse will remove that from your non-stick in no time 🙂

Plus I love that browned flavor it leaves on the veggies & rice 🙂

Such an easy and satisfying dinner!

 Tell me, do you have a version of fried rice that you like to make at home?

I’d love to try some different variations on this basic version!

Strata take 1000!

Hey hey everyone!!!!!!  Long time no see?

Well I know many of you may be curious as to what I was up to last night….

Let’s just say that it was one of the most exciting times I’ve had and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!

Buttttt…

You’ll have to be patient with me and know that once the details are ironed out you’ll be the first to know everythinggggg! 🙂 🙂 🙂

So to make up for it I have a great, easy dinner recipe for ya tonight… kapeesh?

I think ya’ll know my love for egg strata by now.  And if you don’t, check out all the fabulous ways that we’ve eaten this dish in the Fanatic house here, here AND here!

What I love about this meal is how simple, flexible, economical & flavorful it always is 😀

Got some extra bread ends stashed in the freezer?  Go ahead, use ’em.  Got some extra veggies on hand that you don’t know what to do with?  Strata it is!  Need some leftovers for lunch?  Get a lil’ crazy and make some extra, it keeps beautifully overnight!

Here was tonight’s version – featuring freshly picked green peppers from our garden. 

I grew these from the seed and must say that I’m very proud of them!

Chop up an onion, 2 green peppers and a pattypan squash.  Saute in 1 tblsp olive oil, seasoning with salt & pepper, until everything starts to brown.

While the veggies are sautéing get everything else ready to go.  Start by preheating the oven to 350F. 

Then gather whatever bread you may be using.  Ours was sliced Italian that was stashed in the freezer, perfect.  Just give it a rough tear/chop and layer into a baking dish.

(Cooking spray or butter on the bottom – I’ve made this mistake eh hmmm tonight once or twice before 😉 )

I threw this into the oven for 5 minutes to get a little toasty/crunchy too.

Next give whatever cheese you may be using a slicing/grating.  I chose to do both, grated to mix in with the egg mixture and sliced to top the strata.

Mozzarella and hot pepper cheese.  Yum 😛

Next combine your eggs with milk, here you see 4 eggs and 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk. 

Yep, you read that right haha.  It’s all we had on hand, and quite honestly I have found that it makes a great sub in for regular milk or even the original flavored almond milk in dishes that feature cheese.  I don’t know why, but it’s really really good!

Plus some S&P and Frank’s hot sauce.  Obsessed.  I also stirred in the grated cheese so that it would spread evenly through the strata when I poured the egg mixture over the top.

I added in some sweet sliced ham too – call me crazyyyy 😉

Sliced cheese to finish.  Oh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Into a 350F oven for 30 minutes and then cranked up to 375F for the last 10 minutes to brown up the cheese. 

Oh the smells…

This is one of my favorite go-to meals when I don’t have a dinner plan.  It is so flexible and you can really use anything you have on hand!

So what are you waiting for… there’s a strata in your kitchen with your name on it 😀

Egg Strata – “today’s version”

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 small green peppers, chopped
• 1 pattypan squash, chopped
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1/2 loaf sliced Italian bread, torn
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• Frank’s hot sauce
• cheese (whatever you like, however you like!)
• sliced ham
• salt & pepper

Saute the veggies in olive oil until they begin to brown, seasoning with salt & pepper.  Allow to cool for a few minutes. 

Tear/chop up the bread pieces and layer them into a baking pan coated with cooking spray or butter.

Slice/grate cheese – whatever you choose to do.  Mix eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt & pepper together – I also threw in some of the grated cheese.

Start to put the strata together by topping the bread pieces with the veggies & ham.  Then pour the egg mixture over top and finish off with the sliced cheese.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then 375F for another 10 minutes until the cheese is browned & bubbly.

Enjoy!

Eggs. Gone Tomato?

After seeing this recipe idea around the tv & internet “foodie” world for some time now, I was really excited to finally give it a try!

Healthy, economical and delicious… don’t mind if I do! 🙂

Eggs in Tomato Sauce

First up, the sauce.  Tomatoes, garlic and onion.  The trifecta  (?) of perfection in my eyes 😉

I’ve been using boxed tomatoes whenever possible these days after continuing to read articles on the increased relationship between canned tomatoes & BPA due to their acidity… but with all that’s out there who even knows what to believe these days sometimes?!

Anywho, this boxed version is much better than any type I’ve had in a can before – so now I think I’m mostly won over by taste.  Either way, win win situation me thinks 🙂

And plus, look at the ingredients.  Doesn’t get much simpler than that 😉

I gave the onion a fine chop and added to a hot pan with 1 tblsp olive oil. 

Let this saute until golden then add in the finely minced garlic for another minute or two.  At this point dump in your tomatoes and bring up to a boil.

Add in some herbs and spices of your choice too – I went with the classic dried oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (bam!)

Once it’s come to a boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cover.  Ya’ll all know that I’m a firm believer that dishes such as this really get better when left to “mingle” for a little while.

Plus once you cover it you can forget about it for a little while and get on with your life, chores, workouts, relaxation — whatever floats your boat!

After about an hour was up it was time to get crackin’ <—- pun intended 😉

Into the tomato sauce went four eggs, which I cracked ahead of time into a small bowl (one at a time) and laid into little indentations I made in the sauce pan.

Cover until cooked to your liking, these went about 5 minutes over medium heat.

To serve, toast up some delicious crusty sliced Italian bread in the oven…

Then layer the egg mixture on top, scooping out each egg individually for each slice of bread!

We topped with some shredded cheese & basil as well 🙂

Verdict? 

This was everything I hoped this dish would be!  So simple.  So flavorful.  So gooooooood.

Plus not to bad on the eyes either, what a gorgeous presentation this dish makes 🙂

So there you have it, for mere pennies dollars and a small commitment of time, this fancy egg dish is a great way to put a spin on your normal dinner routine!

Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Serves 2

• 4 organic, cage free eggs
• 1 box tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 slices crusty sliced bread

Saute chopped onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium to med-high heat until golden.  Add chopped garlic for another minute or two before dumping in tomatoes.  Stir in seasonings and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a low simmer and cover, cooking as long as you like/have time for.

Crack each egg one at a time into a small bowl, adding to the tomato sauce mixture (make small indentations in the pan for this).  Cover and cook until eggs are done to your liking.

Toast up bread and serve egg/tomato mixture on top.  Serve w/ fresh basil and grated cheese if you like!

Strata-fied!

Well in case ya’ll didn’t know by now, I’m a huge fan of the egg strata!

I’ve made them a couple times before and they always turn out so delicious.

Plus they’re such a healthy & economical way to get your boyfriend to eat lots of vegetables use up some items in your kitchen too —> win win! 

Last night’s strata featured:

• 1/2 loaf Italian bread, cubed
• 4 cage-free eggs
• 1/2 block raw cheddar, shredded
• 2 peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 summer squash, diced
• 2 spoonfuls onion relish
• 1 1/3 cups plain almond milk
• Frank’s hot sauce
• S&P
• 1 tblsp olive oil

Like I said, a strata is a great way to use up some bread that may have been lying on your counter for 1 day too long!

Or try out raw cheddar for the first time, which I must say is quite delicious.

I picked up this sweet Vidalia onion relish at The Fresh Market the other week and thought it would be a fun addition to the strata too.  The perfect blend of mild onion flavor with both a sweetness and a tang!

I have also added dijon mustard before, which adds a great ‘zing’ as well.

That’s the beauty of a strata, anything goes!  Even tortillas!

Give the veggies a sauté in the olive oil until they just start to brown a bit, love the flavor that brings out.  Give them some S&P seasoning too, you know the drill 

While the veggies are cooking away, get your bread and cheese prepped and ready as well as your egg mixture.

Just whisk the eggs w/ the (surprise!) almond milk and a few splashes of hot sauce.  S&P too of course!

I substitute almond milk for cow’s milk all the time in cooking these days.  Not because I don’t enjoy cow’s milk, but because we don’t usually have it on hand.  I must say that almond milk does the job too, works perfectly (if  not better) every time!

Once the veggies are done, mix in the onion relish and let cool for a few minutes (don’t want them to cook the egg mixture when putting together).

Then it’s time to start the strata assembly!

Cooking spray in baking dish followed by a thick layer of cubed bread.

Then the cooked veggie/onion relish mixture goes next.

Don’t forget your cheese!  Can’ you tell whose side is whose?

Bake at 400F for 30-40  minutes until the eggs are cooked and the bread begins to crisp.

And there you have it!

Don’t forget some yummy side dishes to go with your meal, such as this beautifully delicious heirloom tomato.

Which I may or may not have eaten just like an apple on our way back from the beach (omgggg it was goooooood)!

This time around I was a bit more civilized and made a tomato basil salad…

These farmer’s market heirlooms from one of my favorite vendors are some of the best I’ve ever had.

They may even beat out my beloved cherry gold tomatoes… it’s that serious.

Of course some okra fries wouldn’t hurt either… this lil’ habit of mine is getting out of control!

I could eat these suckers at every meal.

Oh yea!

This strata turned out to be one of the best yet we both agreed.  Yummmmmm yummmmmmm yummmmmmmm.

Follow up this dinner with some Bachelor Pad and chocolate and you’ve got yourself a kickin’ Monday night!

So who else indulged in The Bachelor Pad last night?!?!  Do tell do tell, did you like it?!?! Are you in love with Jesse B. too?!?!

*shhhh that’s our lil’ secret haha!*

New Eats

What a great weekend so far!

I spent yesterday lounging by the pool with The Man and then shopping for the rest of the afternoon with Fanatic Mom 🙂  Couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Dinner was an experiment with a new farmer’s market find, love it.

MINI BEETS & beet greens!!

The same farmer that got me hooked on kale & bok choy found a winner again.  That’s why I love the market, you learn so many new ideas & get to try new foods!

How cute is that, seriously?

To prepare, I washed them thoroughly, sliced off the baby beets & chopped up the greens into large pieces.

A quick saute in EVOO, a touch of S&P, some minced garlic and white balsamic vinegar was all these needed!

Served simply with some pre-made vegetarian baked beans and a simple tomato/basil salad.

Loved the beet greens!  They were sweetened up by the mini beets & just tasted great (despite their lackluster appearance 😉 )

Is anyone else as excited about peak tomato season as I am?!?!  Gahhh I live to those months!!!  Nothing better than a perfect tomato topped w/ salt & pepper if you ask me 🙂

Of course, a coconut cake pop found it’s way into my belly as well!

The Man and I enjoyed some cocktails, watched some tv and called it a lazy night… twas glorious!

This morning I woke up craving a non-oatmeal breakfast *gasp* haha.

Blueberry pancakes topped with cream cheese & maple syrup you say?  Scrambled eggs w/ jarlsberg cheese & hot sauce too?  Ahhh twist my arm 😉

I should just commit myself to “cream cheese addicts anonymous” at this point… seriously.

I spent an early morning at the pool, starting with a 750M swim followed by some serious lounge time 😀

I haven’t swam in ohhhh about 2 years so I was pretty excited about the distance covered during that straight swim!

My kinda morning….

Dinner tonight is a continuation of new farmer’s market finds, but of course I’m throwing in a Mexican theme on it 😉

See ya back for more!

Adventures in Mexican Cooking!

Happy Thursday night everyone!

I had a great day at work today and only a half day on the agenda tomorrow so it’s all smiles here 😀

After I got home from work I was in one of those moods to just get all sorts of creative in the kitchen!

And I knew I wanted to do something to use up our eggs…

So what better than a Mexican egg dinner?! 

Perhaps it was my new summery dress that got me in the fiesta mood 😉

After a visit to the Goya site (great place for recipe inspiration for me fyi!) I decided that I would make up a black bean & corn salsa using the following ingredients:

• 1 can organic black beans, drained/rinsed
• 1.5 cups frozen organic corn
• 1/2 cup tequila lime salsa
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 tblsp recaito
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• fresh cilantro, chopped

I picked up this recaito at the Latino market and have been so curious about it ever since, so of course I was happy to get a chance to try it out!

A unique cilantro-based seasoning containing sauteed cilantro, green pepper, onion and garlic in olive oil to create a  rich, thick base that enhances the flavor of your beans, rice, soups and stews.

Sold 😛

Combined all the ingredients and gave it a stir, voila! 

I got this done right after work so that it could sit for a while and the flavors could all become friends… we all know how that story goes 😉

For the main event I came up with a tortilla egg casserole using these guys:

• 4 corn tortillas
• 2 eggs, 4 egg whites
• splash plain almond milk (unpic)
• tequila lime salsa
• recaito
• 1.5 onions, chopped
• dried anchos, rehydrated in hot water & chopped
• cheddar cheese
• S&P

I sauteed up the onion & rehydrated ancho chile pepper in 1 tblsp olive oil until tender and golden, adding S&P to taste.

Meanwhile I got started on layering up the casserole!

A spray of cooking spray followed by a layer of roughly ripped corn tortillas…

A few spoonfuls of salsa and recaito…

After cracking the eggs / separating the egg whites into a bowl, onto the tortilla layer they go topped with the sauteed onion & ancho chile mixture…

Topped with some roughly chopped cheddar and into a 350F oven for 25 minutes followed by a quick crank up of the temp to 450F to bubble up the cheese (or a broil) and voila!

Served the casserole with the bean & corn salsa plus some tortilla chips 🙂

Such a great meal!  Flavorful, healthy and economical — win win win!!!

So the weekend is right around the corner, what are you friends looking forward to?!?! 

I’m really excited because we are headed out to celebrate my lil’ sister’s 21st (it was Monday, but they were on a cruise in Bermuda sans Steph!) and it’s sure to be a fun night 🙂

Ahhh seems like just yesterday she was turning 18!!

We’re having dinner & drinks at an awesome restaurant & bar in The Fan close to where I used to live and go all the time, then who knows what!  Time to channel my inner “21” and see how it rolls 😉

And don’t forget that before I head out for the night tomorrow I’ll be randomly selecting the winner of the Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Lotion Giveaway —> so go enter friends!!

Have a great night everyone 😀