Tag Archives: breakfast

Baked Eggs in Puff Pastry.

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Jey| 9 Comments

We take Sunday Brunch quite seriously in this house.  Most weeks, we go out to one of the many delightful breakfast places in our neighborhood but some of the time, I really enjoy spending a lazy Sunday in my jammies and taking my time to make an excellent morning/early afternoon meal.

This one certainly didn’t disappoint.  It was great served with a side of potatoes and bottomless mimosas :)   See, it really is just like going out… and I didn’t even have to get dressed!

Baked Eggs in Puff Pastry – slightly adapted from I Will Not Eat Oysters

  • 2 Sheets Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
  • 1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 3 Slices Center Cut Bacon
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • Parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.  Once cooled, crumble and set aside.

Unroll the puff pastry and cut out 2 circles on each sheet that are about 5 inches in diameter (I used a wide mouthed plastic cup to do this).  Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet and, without cutting all the way through, make a 1/2 inch border around each circle.  Prick the inner circle with a fork a few times and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator and add bacon and cheese to the inner circles of each puff pastry disc.  Bake for 8 minutes, until the border has risen.  Remove from oven and ,using the back of a spoon, press the centers back down gently if necessary.

Break one egg into a small bowl, then pour into the center of the puff pastry plate.  Repeat with each egg/plate.  Season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.

Bake for an addition 6-7 minutes until the eggs are set and the puff pastry is golden brown.  Garnish with parsley.

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Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Jey| 5 Comments

I was looking for a really special recipe to make for my boys for breakfast Valentine’s morning and was thrilled when I came across this one on Annie’s Eats.  I had all of the ingredients on hand except for the bread, so I left the boys in front of the tv and made the quickest trip to the grocery store.

I had never made a french toast before that called for the addition of flour to the egg mixture, but Annie assured us that it allows just the right amount to soak into the bread.  The result was amazing.  I may never go back to flour-free egg mixtures for french toast again.

And the boys?  They loved it (as did I).  I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Fruitaholic eat as much as he did that morning, and the Husby quickly retreated into a post-breakfast coma for the next half hour.  As for me?  I was blissfully full as I did the dishes.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast – from Annie’s Eats

  • 1 Cup Fresh Strawberries, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
  • 6 Slices Challah, thickly sliced
  • 1 Egg
  • 3/4 Cup Milk
  • 2 Tbsp. Melted Butter
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1/4 Cup Flour
  • 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • Unsalted Butter, for cooking
  • Maple Syrup, Powdered Sugar and Sliced Strawberries, for serving

Combine strawberries and sugar in a bowl.  Set aside for about 15 minutes then stir in the cream cheese until well blended.

Slice a pocket into each bread slice, being careful not to cut all the way through.  In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk, then the melted butter and vanilla.  Stir in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk until smooth.

Fill each bread pocket with the strawberry filing.  Place the bread into the egg mixture and allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side.  Remove bread from the mixture and allow excess to drip off.  Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining slices.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. butter and swirl to coat.  Working 2 slices at a time, add the toast and cook for 2 minutes per side.  Repeat with remaining slices, adding more butter to the skillet before each round.  Garnish with maple syrup, pwdered sugar and fresh strawberries.

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Mini Quiche-like Muffins.

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Jey| 2 Comments

This meal came about on a whim. With my hungry family demanding breakfast, I wiped the sleep from my eyes, looked in the fridge and found a refrigerated pie crust, leftover ham, half a bag of spinach, some string cheese, 5 eggs that needed to be used up and little else since it had been a while since I’d made a trip to the grocery store.  I threw a pot of coffee on and got to work.

It came together in no time.  I cut the pie crust into 6 little rounds using the mouth of a pint glass and fitted them into the cavities of a greased muffin tin.  I cracked and whisked the eggs with a little bit of milk and a splash of orange juice (my dad’s secret egg-making ingredient), diced up the ham into bite sized pieces, chopped the spinach and cheese and tossed it all in the oven.  It couldn’t have been easier and we were delighted with the result.  Feel free to use whatever random ingredients you may have in your fridge!

Mini Quiche-like Muffins

  • 1 9-inch Round Refrigerated Pie Crust
  • 5 Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Ham
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Spinach
  • 2 String Cheese Sticks, chopped into small pieces
  • Splash of Heavy Cream
  • Splash of Orange Juice
  • A Few Shakes of Parsley Flakes

Preheat oven to 350.

Unroll refrigerated pie crust onto a lightly floured surface.  Using the mouth of a pint glass, cut out 6 rounds and press into a greased muffin tin.  Prick the bottoms with a fork and bake for 5-6 minutes.

Once removed from oven, divide ham, spinach and cheese  into each crust.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and orange juice.  Pour over each cavity until full and sprinkle with parsley flakes.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until eggs are set.  Cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the muffin to loosen.

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Heart-Smart Granola Bar “Cookies” for the Cause.

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Jey| 12 Comments

Folks, this is an extra special post.  Not only does it contain a delicious, healthy recipe, but it’s also dedicated to my mom.

My mom means the world to me.  She’s always been there when I needed a shoulder to cry on and she’s taught me many important life lessons, as moms are known to do.

Recently, Mom has had some health problems and is currently awaiting a heart transplant.  She’s had to make a major lifestyle change, and in order to aid her on the next part of the journey, I’ve decided to do something to honor her.

With Valentine’s Day and Mom’s birthday right around the corner and in the spirit of the “Charity Soup-er Bowl” over on Branny Boils Over, I am collecting heart healthy recipes.  For every entry I receive, I’ll donate $1.00 to the American Heart Association.

Thanks to Cute Food For Kids for the use of this photo. Click on the photo to check out her blog. She has great ideas!

If you’re a blogger, blog a heart healthy recipe between now and February 20th and send me an email with the link to TheJeyofCooking@gmail.com

If you’re not a blogger, you can still participate.  Take a photo of your dish and send it to me along with the recipe at the same address.   I’ll post a round-up of the submissions on February 22nd, Mom’s birthday.  Please pass along this post to your friends.

Now onto the real reason that you’re here.  The food!  I found this recipe for Heart Smart Cookies while searching for heart healthy recipes to pass along to Mom.  When I made them, they came out really crisp and crunchy with the texture that reminded me more of a granola bar than a cookie.

They’re stuffed full of good-for-you ingredients and are pretty darn tasty.  I think Mom would really like them.

Heart-Smart Granola Bar “Cookies” – slightly adapted from Cooking Light

  • 1/3 Cup Flour
  • 1/3 Cup Whole-Wheat Flour
  • 1 1/2 Cups Oats
  • 1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed
  • 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
  • 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 1 Cup Dried Cherries, chopped
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 Egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 oz. Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preaheat oven to 350.

Combine flours, oats, flax, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a mixer.

Melt butter over low heat.  Remove from heat and add brown sugar.  Stir until smooth.  Add sugar mixture to the flour mixture and beat until well blended.  Add cherries, vanilla and egg and mix again.  Fold in chocolate.

Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Add dough and spread out evenly.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Allow to cool for 3 minutes before cutting into bars.

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