Brunch Strata

From Taste of Home


(not the best photo, I know...)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
3 small zucchini, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
12 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cubed day-old bread
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and ham; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and cream until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs. Stir in the remaining ingredients and vegetable mixture.

Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I halved this recipe because, good gracious, I don't need that many leftovers! Once again, a good deal of prep work, but yielding a satisfactory result. I do think it needs... something. I'm not altogether sure what that might be. Adam voted for more meat. I'm thinking it just needs a flavor boost with some herbs or something.

Caramelized Onion Quiche

From Southern Living



Ingredients:
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
3 large sweet onions, sliced (about 1 1/2 lb.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Unroll piecrusts; stack on a lightly greased surface. Roll stacked piecrusts into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan with removable bottom; press into fluted edges. Trim off excess piecrust along edges. Line piecrust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil, and bake 8 more minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 15 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

2. Meanwhile, cook onions in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes or until onions are caramel colored. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley and bacon. Place half of onion mixture in tart shell, and top with half of cheese; repeat with remaining onion mixture and cheese.

3. Whisk together half-and-half and next 4 ingredients; pour over cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack 15 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I used Pioneer Woman's perfect pie crust again to make this. I firmly believe this is only the reason I was finally able to make a quiche that turned out right. I have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad luck with quiche so I was very proud of myself! Things set up nicely and it was delicious.

Adam Cooks: Cheeseburger Quiche

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 unbaked pie shell (9 inches)

Directions:
In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain and set aside. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, oregano, salt and pepper; beat in eggs. Stir in beef mixture and 1 cup cheese. Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Allow to stand 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Comments:
Given my history with ugly, unphotogenic (but tasty!) quiches, Adam decided to take a crack at it (get it? Crack. Bcause there are eggs. Ha. Ok sorry, back to the topic at hand) and see how his success would compare to mine. He used the second half of the totally awesome pie crust he made last week for the flat apple pie. It did take signficantly longer than the recipe says, but eventually it set up pretty well. It was pretty tasty, but seemed to be missing... something. Maybe bacon? Maybe pickles? We couldn't quite put our finger on it. Still, good stuff, and much prettier in a picture than any quiche I've made. :-)

Ham, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper
8 slices sourdough bread
1/2 pound deli-sliced ham
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the eggs; season with salt and pepper.

2. Brush the bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Layer the eggs, ham and cheese on half of the bread slices, then set the remaining bread slices on top.

3. In the same skillet, working in batches, fry the sandwiches over medium heat, turning once, until golden-brown, about 8 minutes.

Comments:
I had Adam make an omelet from the eggs rather than used fried ones because... eww. Also used a panini press instead of pan-frying. Worked just fine. These are pretty good. Not ground-breaking or earth-shattering. But a good, quick meal.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 1 large)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 (1-pound) loaf country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in artichoke hearts and garlic; cook for 8 minutes or until artichoke hearts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in herbes de Provence. Cool 10 minutes.

2. Combine milk, black pepper, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread; toss gently to combine. Stir in artichoke mixture, and let stand for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375°.

4. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of goat cheese, and top with remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle remaining half of goat cheese over top. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Comments:
Quite a bit of prep work on this recipe as well, although not all of it is active. This one is worth it though - great results. I cannot believe I went so many years not knowing how awesome goat cheese is. Yum.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
6 day-old croissants, split
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
8 eggs
5 cups 2% milk
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Place croissant bottoms in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and replace croissant tops.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla; pour over croissants. Let stand for 10 minutes or until croissants are softened.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Comments:
This was really good - very rich though. It's better with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to cut the sweetness of the pudding itself.

Fruity Stuffed French Toast

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
A couple drops pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves
1 cup pure maple syrup
8 slices white bread
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla and set near the stove. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and preserves; set aside.

2. Ask a GH (grown-up helper) to warm the syrup in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave on high for 1 minute.

3. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over 4 bread slices. Top with the remaining 4 bread slices to make 4 sammies. Cut each sammy using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Snack on the crusts.

4. Have your GH melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip the hearts in the egg mixture and, with the help of your GH, cook in the skillet, turning once with a spatula, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve the hearts with the warm syrup.

Comments:
Obviously I didn't need a grown-up helper and I skipped the cheesy heart-shaped bit. These were pretty good, although you'll notice the cream cheese didn't mix too well with the strawberry preserves. Kinda chunky. Kinda messy to eat too. But yummy.

Cannoli French Toast

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
12 slices sandwich bread

Directions:
Sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl, then stir in 1 cup ricotta cheese. In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Trim the crusts off 12 slices sandwich bread and, using a rolling pin, roll out the bread to flatten. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweetened ricotta to each slice, fold over and pinch the edges together. (The edges will seal during cooking.) In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, dip the stuffed bread slices in the egg mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 3 minutes. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar before serving

Comments:
This was really good. I wasn't sure I was going to like these since I'm not a fan of ricotta, but these are just sweet enough that they were ok by me. Really simple, quick, and tasty.

Tuscan Chicken Frittata

From a Philly ad in Taste of Home (can't find a direct link)



Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry and chopped
1 cup shredded cooked chicken

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, basil, 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir in cream cheese and tomatoes.

Heat an ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat; pour in egg mixture. As eggs set, lift edges to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until frittata begins to set.

Sprinkle with chicken and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are completely set. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Comments:
I cannot stand sun-dried tomatoes so I used about half of a large, normal tomato. It worked out fine. This turned out pretty well and was pretty easy to make. Adam suggested goat cheese in place of the cream cheese (has more of a tang) and he's not alone since most of the recipes I found while looking for a link for this one use goat cheese. This was an ad for cream cheese though, so that's probably why they made the swap.

Cauliflower, Sweet Onion, and Leek Quiche

From Everyday with Rachael Ray (can't find it on the site)



Ingredients:
One 9-inch frozen whole wheat pie shell, thawed
1/2 cup packed shredded gruyere cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 tsp EVOO
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
3/4 cup thinly sliced leeks
salt & pepper
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower
3/4 cup chicken broth
7 egg whites (about 1 cup)

Directions:
1. Position a baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven and preheat to 400. Using a fork, prick the inside of the pie shell all over. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Arrange half of the cheese in the crust and bake until melted, about 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining cheese and the cauliflower mixture. Transfer to the prepared pie shell and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Comments:
Ok, so slight fail on this one. I neglected to specify "whole wheat" on my shopping list so I just got a regular pie shell. I used provolone since that's what I had. I use whole eggs (ended up being 5 of them to get to 1 cup.) I did ok other than those things.

I knew that I'd end up baking this for much longer than it said. That always seems to happen with quiches. I ended up leaving it in the oven for about 35 minutes. It was set pretty well by that point. But you can see the end of the wedge still caved in when I plated it. Grrr.

Anyway, quiche-execution problems aside, this was pretty simple and pretty tasty. A little bland - maybe some more salt & pepper - but not bad.

Spanish Tortilla

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
10oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup egg substitute
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 ground nutmeg

Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onions until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, spinach, egg substitute, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until set and browned on bottom, about 10-15 minutes.
Loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a warm platter, or serve directly from the skillet.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 2

Comments:
Simple, basic, tasty. Plus it's meatless and has potatoes. That's always good in my book. I actually used real garlic this time too since I needed it for something else later this week anyway. Wow, that stuff is strong - makes the whole house smell like an Italian restaurant. We'll see how it treats Adam's digestive system. :)

Spring Vegetable Carbonara

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped seeded red bell pepper

Directions:
1. Cook peas and asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Combine pasta and vegetables.

2. Combine cheese and the next 3 ingredients (through eggs) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add hot cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Add bacon to pasta mixture. Cook bell pepper in drippings for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat, and stir in egg mixture. Return pan to low heat; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring constantly.

Comments:
Not the clearest directions ever, but I figured it all out. I think. My egg mixture ended up all clumpy, which the picture in the magazine did not show. Oh well. It still tasted good. I did think the proportion of asparagus to all the other vegetables, and even to the pasta, was a little off. Way too much asparagus in my opinion. Other than that, fabulous.

Summer Vegetable Frittata

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
9 large eggs

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick broiler-proof skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, bell pepper, onion, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

2. Combine eggs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until frothy. Pour egg mixture into pan over vegetables, stirring gently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes or until almost set in the center.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Broil frittata 3 minutes or until set. Invert onto a serving platter; cut into 8 wedges.

Comments:
Pretty simple. It didn't take 15 minutes for the eggs to set though - maybe 10. The flavor isn't very bold. I didn't really even taste the vegetables. It could have used something - don't know what. Adam dumped a whole bunch of mozz/gruyere on his half, so perhaps his was better.

Roadside Diner Cheeseburger Quiche

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
3/4 pound ground beef
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup dill pickle relish
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
5 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Unroll pastry into a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; flute edges and set aside. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, relish and bacon. Transfer to prepared pastry.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, mustard, pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Comments:
Doesn't look so great, does it? I can't for the life of me get quiche to come out of the pan decently. So annoying. Despite its not-so-great appearance, this is very good. There's a lot of stuff going on inside so there are plenty of flavor notes hit. Not sure I'd make this again since it takes so long, I had issues with overflow, and don't look at the nutrition information if you're on a diet. Even though I used half elk meat and all skim milk, I'm sure it still packed a caloric-laden, fatty punch.

Tortilla Bread Pudding

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 ounces cured chorizo sausage, finely chopped
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large flour tortillas (about 9 inches), ground into coarse crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Using a food processor, puree 1 cup corn.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup corn and cook until the corn begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chorizo.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, pureed corn and tortilla crumbs. Add the onion-chorizo mixture and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes; let sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions.

Comments:
A pretty easy dish to throw together. I used whole wheat tortillas, which I can never find in a large size, so I just used 6 medium ones and it seemed to work ok. Both Adam and I liked this one a lot.

P.S. Oh my God, I just typed "Gorilla Bread Pudding" up there as the title and almost posted it. Where did that come from? I must be more tired than I thought...

"Favorite" Meat Loaf

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, drained (such as Contadina)
3 (1-ounce) slices reduced-calorie whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.

3. Combine onion mixture, ground round, and next 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf; place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Combine chili sauce and water; brush over loaf. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Comments:
This dish was really good. The tomatoes in the meat mixture along with the onion and celery really keep it nice and moist. And let me tell you my favorite ingredient lately? Thai chili sauce. This stuff is AMAZING. It's spicy, but not too over the top, given you don't eat it off a spoon straight out of the jar. I'll definitely keep this in rotation, although with its hour cooking time, it might get relegated to weekends only.

Bread Crust Zucchini Quiche

From All Recipes.com



Ingredients:
3 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 large tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cut bread slices in half diagonally, and arrange around edge of 9-inch pie plate.

2. In a medium skillet, melt butter and saute zucchini until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato and oregano, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, and spoon mixture into center of the bread-lined pie plate.

3. In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese. Spoon this mixture over the vegetables in the pie plate, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm in center.

Comments:
This was good, but I didn't even bother to take a picture of it when it was cut because it was so runny. Adam thinks it was the fault of the cottage cheese since the eggs were cooked through. In any case, good flavor, bad presentation.

Sausage Breakfast Scramble

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 tbsp minced red onion
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground sage
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (about half of a medium-sized one)
1/2 tsp seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper (about one small)
8 large egg whites
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pork, red onion, garlic, thyme, sage, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Mix well.

Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the pork mixture, onion, red and jalapeno peppers. Cook, stirring to break up the pork, until meat is no longer pink.

Add the egg whites. Let cook for a few minutes, until the whites begin to set. Scramble and continue cooking until eggs are done. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Comments:
I modified this recipe quite a bit. First off, this is another recipe that uses a different one as an element - this time it was the sausage that was separate. Also, the original has you microwaving the egg whites. I know I already mentioned my dislike of microwave cooking on chicken. The same goes for eggs. I don't use the microwave to cook things very often aside from frozen veggies or things that are meant to be cooked there - like Lean Cuisines. So I changed the recipe to what I actually did. It looked kind of gross for a little bit since egg whites have a tendency to look like, well, snot. But once they cook up they look and taste just fine.

6-Layer Breakfast Casserole

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 package Jimmy Dean Hot Roll Sausage, cooked, crumbled, drained
1/4 cup jalapeno pepper, 1/4 dice
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
4 slices bread, cut in half

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix the eggs and heavy cream in a bowl with the salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, place the sausage, jalapeno pepper, cheese, garlic and cumin. Place 1/3 of the egg mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Place a slice of bread in the dish. Place 1/3 of the sausage mixture on the slice of bread. Repeat layering until last slice of bread is on top. Add the remaining 1/3 of sausage ingredients evenly across the top slice of bread. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Comments:
First of all, these are not the directions that are found in the magazine. The directions and corresponding picture do not match and I found it very confusing. I ended up using a 1 1/2-quart baking dish and could only fit bread 2 layers high. Also, 15 minutes? Ha. More like 45. The eggs don't set in 15 minutes at such a low heat. After about half an hour I cranked it to 425.

Aside from the crappy directions, this wasn't bad. Nice kick from the jalapenos and sausage.

Salmon Delight Burgers

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Salt
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
3 large eggs, 2 hard-boiled and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 brioche rolls, split and toasted
1 bunch baby spinach (about 2 cups)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and mint; season with salt. In a medium bowl, add the cucumber and sprinkle with salt; let stand for 15 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Meanwhile, slice the salmon lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide strips, cut in half crosswise, then cut into ¼-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, beat the raw egg with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in the salmon.

3. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the salmon mixture in 4 mounds; gently press to form 4 patties. Cook, turning once, for 6 minutes.

4. Place a salmon patty on each roll bottom; top with 2 tablespoons yogurt-mint sauce, some cucumber, sliced hard-boiled egg, spinach and a roll top.

Comments:
I left out the yogurt-mint sauce since Adam didn't want it. I also tried to halve this since I wasn't going to eat it, but I ended up with a lot less salmon meat than I thought I would after I skinned it so the burger itself ended up very eggy. I even drained a lot of the egg off through my fingers as I put the meat in the pan to cook, but it still ended up kind of sad-looking. Oh well. He ate it. Even though I screwed up the hard-boiled egg thing again. It's kind of pathetic that I can't get an egg to a decent hard-boiled state. I suppose if I liked them I'd have more of an incentive to figure it out...