September 18, 2022 by Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

September – Eggs for Dinner or Emergency Dinner

I call this my back pocket or emergency dinner. It relies on items that are always in my fridge or pantry…eggs, some sort of white liquid, bread and some sort of cheese. I’ve added some asparagus here but a simple green salad would be welcome as well.

But, it’s also the perfect Sunday night dinner after a busy weekend or a long afternoon walk. It’s a cozy dinner. Something that will sit lightly on your tummy for a good nights sleep. Start a fire and sit in front of it to eat, or watch the rain (or snow) outside your window and be thankful for your own dry snug home.

Eggs in a hole

A dense country style loaf is best, sliced thickly. But if you, like me, only have a pre-sliced sourdough loaf on hand, it will work just fine. In that case, don’t leave the bread soaking in the egg for too long or it will dissolve.

For the eggy/milk soaking use anything you have on hand. Cow, goat, nut, oak milk all work. Only have half and half? Go for it. Coconut creamer…sounds good to me.

This a ‘toad-in-the-hole’ idea with eggs. If you are not familiar with ‘toad-in-the-hole’, it’s usually made with sausages and a popover (or Yorkshire pudding) batter. The sausages peek out of the batter which puffs up around them. Personally I don’t think they look much like toads.

Toad in the hole from Delish

This would be a great brunch dish as well as dinner, it’s quick to assemble and is mostly hands off.

Eggs in a hole

This will serve 2 people with 2 eggs each, 4 if you only want 1 egg. Choose bread slices from the middle of the loaf. With larger slices you may be able to put 2 eggs in each bread slice.

Ingredients:

2 to 4 slices of country style bread such as sourdough from the middle of the loaf
5 eggs, 1 for the soaking and 4 to bake
1/3 cup of milk of some kind
1/4 cup grated parmesan or some other grated cheese, I used cheddar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup cheese for topping
Salt and pepper
1 scallion (optional for garnish), sliced

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and grease it lightly with olive oil
In a large shallow dish, whisk together the egg, 1/3 cup milk, melted butter, and 1/4 cup parmesan with a large pinch of salt and a grind of pepper
Soak the bread in the mixture, soaking each side. The bread should be soft and soaked through but not falling apart. The length of time will depend on the thickness of your slices and the type of bread.
Arrange the soaked bread on the baking sheet, pouring any remaining soaking liquid over them. Using a small juice glass or cookie cutter, carefully cut 1 or 2 (2 1/2 inch) holes in each slice of soaked bread. Place the cut out rounds on the cookie sheet beside the bread slices.
Place the sheet in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the bread is starting to turn golden on top.
Remove from the oven and flip the bread slices and hole lids.
Crack an egg into each hole and sprinkle with cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Bake another 5 to 7 minutes until the eggs are barely set (they will continue to cook on the hot pan). If the egg whites are still translucent, bake them for another minute or two.
To serve, place the egg toasts on places, top each toast with its lid and garnish with the scallion.

Eggs in a hole

You can roast asparagus on the other end of the sheet pan as I did. It does somewhat defeat the empty larder concept though.

To do so simply trim enough for 2 people, toss with a little olive oil, and place the stalks on the other end of the sheet pan when the bread slices go into the oven. Sprinkle with salt. If the stalks are cooked after the first 10 minutes you can remove them to a warm plate until the eggs are cooked.

Broccolini could be cooked in the same way. Or a bunch of scallions, trimmed but left whole.

A lovely glass of wine elevates this even further.

I think I am going to mosey over to Fiesta Friday #450. I think Angie and the gang might like to have this in their back pocket as well.

May 6, 2022 by Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

May – Overnight Croissant French Toast Bake with Coffee Rum Sauce

Get ready for the perfect Mother’s Day brunch dish. Why do I say perfect?

Easy – check,

No fussy ingredients – check,

Make the night before – check,

Absolutely delicious and decadent – double check!!

Overnight Croissant French Toast

Have a relaxing morning as this dish bakes to a delectable double layer, crisp on top and creamy below. You will be a hero to whom ever you serve it to. This is also the perfect dish to contribute to a brunch pot luck, or serve overnight guests. You only need some fresh fruit, coffee or tea round out the meal.

It’s good the next day, reheated (or cold right out to the baking dish).

My taste testers thought it would make a perfect dessert with some dried fruit added to the base.

Overnight Croissant French Toast

This recipe will generously serve 6 and 8 to 10 if it is part of a larger menu.

I will include the recipe for the coffee rum sauce (easy, easy, easy). A simple custard sauce would be a wonderful accompaniment as well, especially at breakfast time.

Overnight Croissant French Toast Bake with Coffee Rum Sauce

Ingredients:

8 croissants (stale is perfectly ok)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (354 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (117 ml) pure maple syrup
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla paste or extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Coffee Rum Sauce

1 cup (235 ml) coffee ice cream, melted
2 oz (59 ml) dark rum

Method:

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Tear the croissants into 2 inch pieces and set into the baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the croissants and gently toss to make sure they are coated with the custard mixture.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and allow to come to room temperature.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and the custard has set but is still soft.
Combine the melted ice cream with the dark rum and serve over the warm French Toast Bake.

I think melted vanilla ice cream would also be good, with our without the rum.

Note: This can also be prepared several hours in advance, it need not be overnight.

I am taking this to Fiesta Friday #431, hosted by Angie. It’s just in time for Mother’s Day.

Overnight Croissant French Toast

The recipe comes from the ‘effortless entertaining cookbook’ by Meredith Steele.

May 29, 2021 by Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

May – Green Eggs

A jar of pesto in my fridge is a given, as ubiquitous at mayo. In addition to its obvious use as a sauce for pasta, try it on grilled cheese sandwiches or a baked potato or grilled vegetables or sliced summer tomatoes.

It’s not quite basil season here yet but I can recommend the basil pesto from Costco as an out of season substitute. It is actually quite good although missing some of the wonderful aroma you get when you make your own. But, it’s very handy to have a jar in the freezer or fridge and it keeps very well.

Basil Pesto from Costco

This is such a simple recipe that I will tell it to you in pictures…

Melt a couple of generous spoons of pesto in a non stick skillet.

Melting Basil Pesto

Crack in your desired number of eggs.

Green Eggs

Sprinkle with some flaky salt

Green Eggs

Cover, I like one I can see through

Green Eggs

Cook to your preferred state of doneness.

Serve on toasted bread or an English muffin, drizzling some of the pesto over the egg

Green Eggs

Yum.

You could also add a slice of ham as well, then you would have green eggs and ham. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful Memorial weekend everyone.

April 13, 2020 by Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

April – Domestic Harmony in the Time of Covid-19

What does domestic harmony look like in your household? In our house it looks like this:

Equal Split of Margaret Fox’s Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Whatever it takes, eh?

Margaret Fox was the owner and chef at Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, one of the early restaurants in the California cuisine trend in the style of Alice Waters. She now runs the deli and bakery at our local independent grocery store, Harvest Market. We are indeed lucky. Her buttermilk coffee cake is delicious. I am not a baker so we try to get one whenever they are available on our currently infrequent jaunts to the store. Sharing equally is a big deal.

What are you doing to maintain a tranquil environment in this time of social distancing and stay-at-home requirements? I know things can get testy. Long walks definitely help, and Zoom exercise classes, and gardening if you are lucky enough to have one.

It’s time to appreciate and notice small things small things. Spring is definitely here. In my yard the song sparrows are singing a chorus. This is the first year the song sparrows have found our clearing, although I’ve been feeding the birds for the last three years (the seed bill is growing). Redwood forests don’t have a lot of birds, there isn’t much food for them under the trees. So it took awhile for them to find us, it’s worth getting up early to hear the morning riot of song. I’m hoping that they nest nearby as the mourning doves have. Their population has gone from 2 to 7. I’m keeping a log of all the birds that visit the feeders, they are increasing in varieties and number. Every once in a while I see a new one to add to the list.

We now have two native Western grey squirrels raiding the feeders as well, until recently there was only one. I am expecting some little ones the summer.

Did you know there is a run on jigsaw puzzles?

Undersea jigsaw puzzle

We found this one in the garage, an old one we had never put together. Puzzles are very relaxing and something the entire family can enjoy. The NY Times had a fascinating article on how jigsaw puzzles are made, it takes weeks. And it seems that puzzle makers are having a hard time keeping up with current demand.

Board games are a good distraction.

Board Games

We were introduced to Mexican Train Dominos by some friends a few months ago, it has become a favorite. The instructions that come with the game are terrible, we had to figure them out for ourselves from online research. I’m still not sure we are playing it ‘correctly’ but we are having fun.

There are currently three of us sheltering in place in our household. We each choose an activity for the evening in rotation…games or a movie or a TV series we are watching together or simply sit and talk about something from our day. There aren’t any small children so things are a little easier for us than some of you. All three of us enjoy science fiction so we have been watching the new Star Trek episodes together.

And in case you are wondering what to do with all those leftover hard boiled eggs…

deviled eggs, one of my favorites
Deviled Eggs with Anchovies
Easter egg salad sandwiches
Easter Egg Salad
Eggs a la Goldenrod – an old recipe from Betty Crocker
Eggs a La Goldenrod
sliced and put on top of avocado toast with a sprinkling of coarse salt

Deviled Eggs for Anchovy Lovers

Ingredients:

1 hardboiled egg per person – see the note below
1/2 anchovy per egg
1/4 teaspoon capers per egg
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard per egg
1 teaspoon mayo/egg, or more as needed
red pepper flakes as desired (optional)
Thinly sliced chives or green scallion tops

Method;

Cook hardboiled eggs as noted below
Cool and remove the shell carefully
Slice in half, remove the yolks to a small bowl
Mash with the anchovies, add mayonnaise to thin as necessary
Add the capers and taste for salt (it probably won’t need any with the anchovies)
Add the red pepper flakes if you want some heat
Carefully fill the egg whites with the mixture
Garnish with chives or scallions

Deviled Eggs with Anchovies

Note on cooking hard boiled eggs:

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by at least an inch.
Bring the eggs and water to a rapid boil, then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Leave the pan on the burner. If you have a gas stove, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and leave for 1 minute before turning off the heat.
Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 12 minutes.
Drain and run cool water over the eggs.
Peel when cool. Slightly older eggs are often easier to peel.

June 3, 2016 by Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

June – Eggs with Punch

This simple and quick method of frying an egg elevates it to an entirely different plane, suitable for lunch or dinner. Why just delegate them to breakfast? It punches up the flavor profile and turns a simple egg into a special event.

Did you know that eggs are considered the perfect food? Want to know why? I am going to give you a snapshot, skip to the recipe if you don’t want a nutrition lesson.

Eggs contain high quality protein with the perfect mix of amino acids. Eggs contain all 21 amino acids that the body requires, including the 9 essential ones that we cannot make ourselves. As a food eggs are given a biological score of 100, which is perfect.
One egg contains (remember that all these nutrients with the exception of protein are contained in the yolk):
- 9% of the RDA of B12
- 15% of the RDA of B2
- 6% of the RDA of Vitamin A
- 7% of the RDA of B5
- 22% of the RDA of Selenium
- They also contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body, that includes calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, Vitamin E, and Folate.
- A large egg contains 77 calories, with 6 grams of top quality protein, 5 grams of fat and trace amounts of carbohydrates.
- One large egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol and it has given eggs a bad rap. However, eggs have not been implicated in raising your bad cholesterol. The liver produces cholesterol every day. Studies have shown that if you eat cholesterol, your liver produces less. Eggs may actually improve your cholesterol profile because they tend to raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and change the LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) to a subgroup with is not associated with an increased chance of heart disease.
- Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect your eyes. Those antioxidants significantly reduce the risk of Macular Degeneration and Cataracts, which are among the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness in the elderly.
Eggs for breakfast can help you lose body fat. They have a high satiety index, which is the measure of how satisfied and full you feel after eating them. Studies show that those individuals who eat eggs compared to comparable calories from a bagel, lost 65% more weight.
Remember that not all eggs are the same. If you can afford them, it is preferable to buy pastured eggs or those that are Omega-3 enriched. Hens that are raised in small cages in factories are fed a grain-based diet which alters the final nutrient composition of the eggs. Besides the humane reasons, buy the best quality eggs you can find (or raise your own chickens). You as well as the chickens will be healthier.

Ok, enough with the lecture.

Really, punch up the flavor profile of your eggs with this simple technique.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

2 large organic, pasture raised eggs
1-2 teaspoons of sweet butter or olive oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika or calabrian chilis (to taste) – or zatar or curry powder or…
Calabrian Chilis
2 tablespoons of half and half
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Method:

Melt the butter or warm the olive oil in a small non-stick pan over medium high heat.
Add your flavor choice and mix until the aroma begins to make you crazy.
Add the half and half and briefly stir to mix everything together.
Flavored Eggs
Break 2 eggs into the pan, salt the tops of the eggs, cover and turn the heat down to medium.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes, checking frequently. You want the yolk to be covered by a thin film of white while still staying runny.
Perfectly Cooked Eggs
Serve with a grind of pepper if desired.
Perfectly Fried Eggs