Mexican Eggs, Two Ways!

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I have a few days off between jobs, so I figured I'd take advantage and make a new breakfast! I had two different ideas, so I decided to make both. I think my favorite was the baked egg cup, but I definitely enjoyed both...and yes, I ate both! I'm kind of on vacation after all :) Both use the same ingredients; they are just prepared differently. Feel free to get creative with the toppings!

Ingredients
1 egg (you can make as many as you wish)
1 corn tortilla (or flour, whichever you prefer)
Cooking spray
1 tb shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or whichever cheese you prefer)
1/2 avocado (sliced for skillet egg, diced for baked egg)
1-2 tb fresh salsa (I used my homemade salsa)
1-2 leaves of cilantro, for garnish

 
Baked Mexican Egg Cup
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (only the cups you plan on making). Cut the corn tortilla to fit in the base of the tin. Beware: these tear easily. Crack the egg into the muffin tin on top of the tortilla. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Top with the cheese the last few minutes. Remove from the oven when the egg is cooked to your liking - personally, I like to let the white set and have the yolk still runny. Top with the avocado and salsa. Top with cilantro if desired.

Skillet Mexican Eggs
Spray the skillet with cooking spray. Crack the egg into the skillet and cook to your liking. I cooked mine on one side until almost set and then flipped to the other side and cooked a couple more minutes so that the yolk was still runny. Top with the cheese for the last minute or two. Throw the tortilla over the eye of the stove over low heat just until browned on each side. Top the tortilla with the egg, avocado, and salsa. Top with cilantro if desired.

   

Skillet Eggs with Squash & Zucchini

Adapted from Food Network Magazine (July/August 2011)

I'm ashamed that I haven't posted anything in as long as it's been! This usually means that I've been bad by eating out, going to too many happy hours, and most likely going out of town on the weekends! However, a lot of fun has been had in the past couple of weeks, but now it's back to the grind and cooking! I decided to make a new breakfast dish since the weekend seems to be the perfect time to do this. One note - your life will be a lot easier if you have a food processor with the shred attachment. This is now my new favorite toy :)

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium summer squash and/or zucchini (I used 2 of each)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 leek, sliced thinly (white and about an inch of the green portion)
1 dash ground red cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated smoked gouda

DIRECTIONS:

Grate the squash into a colander using the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment). Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then let drain in the sink, 30 to 40 minutes. Squeeze the squash to remove as much liquid as possible.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons scallion greens. Add the remaining scallions (white and green parts), the leeks, the cayenne pepper, and salt to taste and cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.

Spread the squash evenly in the skillet. Make six indentations in the mixture with the back of a spoon; put 1/2 teaspoon butter in each one. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and pour into an indentation. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cheese.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the reserved scallion greens on top.

Breakfast Buttercups

Courtesy of Cook's Country

I follow a lot of cooking blogs and this was something I stumbled across on The Bitten Word. Originally, the recipe is from Cook's Country. I made just a few modifications.

I'm always looking for ways to spice up breakfast and these just looked fun to make :) Who doesn't love ham, egg, and cheese?

• 10 medium eggs
• 10 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed (I used Pepperidge Farm Very Thinly Sliced White Bread)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 10 thin slices cheddar cheese (about 5 ounces)
• 5 thin slices deli Black Forest ham (about 5 ounces), halved crosswise
• Salt and pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place eggs in large bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let sit 10 minutes. Grease muffin tin with some of the melted butter.
2. Meanwhile, roll bread as thin as possible with rolling pin and press into cups of 12-cup muffin tin, leaving 2 center cups empty.
3. Layer the bread with ham and cheese. Crack 1 egg into each cup and season with salt and pepper.
4. Return muffin tin to oven and bake until egg whites are barely set and still appear slightly moist, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Italian Breakfast Sandwich

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

This is a new take on your typical breakfast sandwich, one in which I welcome :) It's super fast and easy! I made a few variations from the original recipe and spiced it up a bit!

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper
• 1 slice fresh bread (I used jalapeno cheddar -- sourdough is also delicious)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 slice of prosciutto
• 1/4 cup warm tomato sauce/pizza sauce
• parmesan (optional for topping)

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg into the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the white is firm and the yolk is almost set, about 4 minutes. Season with salt. Meanwhile, toast the bread until golden brown. Rub the garlic over the toast. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spoon the marinara sauce over the Parmesan. Top with a slice of prosciutto and the egg. Serve open faced.