Baked Eggs in Chunky Tomato Sauce

I stole this recipe straight from Martha Stewart.  MS recipes tend to be good, so I felt confident that it would turn out alright.  We've had a few "eh" recipes lately... I was ready for something that we really loved.

This recipe would be great for a week of breakfasts.  I would pre-make the tomato sauce and refrigerate it.  In the morning, I would pre-heat the oven and scoop up 1/4 of the sauce and quickly heat it up in an individual sized baking dish.  Make the well in the sauce and crack the two eggs, adding 1 oz of crumbly cheese.  Bake for 5-10 minutes.  Top with cilantro (if you like it!) and dig in.

Uz and I really enjoyed this dish.  It was very hearty and filling!  You don't miss the protein from meat at all, with this clocking in at 22 g protein per serving.  Very nice!

Baked Eggs in Chunky Tomato Sauce

From Martha Stewart
Serves: 4
Stats: ~ 302 cals per serving

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), stemmed, seeded, and diced small
1 large yellow onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 1/2 ounces baby spinach (2 1/2 cups) (or arugula or similar green)
Red-pepper flakes (optional)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs
4 ounces queso fresco or goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Stir in greens and pinch of red-pepper flakes, if using. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Transfer sauce to four 14-ounce gratin dishes or a 2-quart shallow baking dish. With the back of a large spoon, make 4 wells in sauce and crack 2 eggs into each. Bake until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 10-15 minutes, rotating dishes halfway through. To serve, top with cheese and cilantro.

Note:  Martha says to cook 25 minutes, but this baked my eggs almost through.  I was pretty sad about that... I really looked forward to the runny egg!  Also, I cooked the cheese WITH the dish, and loved how it got super melty and delicious. 

I can definitely see this dish becoming a regular on the menu in the fall and winter time, when I need a cheap and filling dinner option, or an easy go-to breakfast recipe for days when I oversleep.  Enjoy!

recipe for Quick Veggie Fajita Tacos

Good morning all!

Running behind this morning so picked up a yummy breakfast at Starbucks:

Bacon & Gouda on Ciabatta, NF iced mocha

A little more calories than I normally consume (Bacon and Gouda Sandwich: 350 cals; Non-fat Iced Mocha, no whip, extra shot: 170 cals) but I figure I'll eat light the rest of the day to make up for it.  Actually, I probably won't but I'll feel better about myself if I have "good intentions".  A girl needs a hearty breakfast, you know.

I am still trying to wake up this morning, so I'll just get right to the recipe I'd like to share.  I'll try to come back later with a little more zest for life...  right now I just need to chug that coffee (thank God for the extra shot, I think I need it!) and wake up.  Normally I'm a morning person, but I think I am still hungover from a Benadryl I took last night.  This could get interesting, actually...

Right, the recipe.

Last night I tried something new, Everyday Food's Veggie Fajitas.  I switched up a few of the ingredients, but overall stuck to the general recipe.  We LOVED them!  It was definitely a keeper recipe.  Perfect for summer and very budget-friendly.  I think we'll be having these soon, especially once my garden starts producing lots of zucchini and poblano peppers.

Quick Veggie Fajita Tacos 

(adapted from Everyday Food's May 2012 issue)

Stats: ~ 229 cals each taco, using all listed ingredients; ~170 cals, leaving out sour cream and cheese
Serves 8 tacos

8 corn tortillas (6-inch; can use flour but calories will be higher)
1 cup refried beans (canned or homemade, we used homemade)
2 TBS canola oil
1 large white onion, sliced (I only had half an onion)
2 large poblano chiles, halved, seeded, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (we only had jalapeno available, but I think it would be even better with poblano or another smokey-tasting chile)
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons
2 cups frozen corn (10 oz), thawed if frozen
Coarse salt and ground pepper as needed (we didn't use any)
1/2 cup salsa (we used Peach Mango from Target's Archer Farms brand)
1/2 cup sour cream if desired
2 oz shredded cheese (1/2 cup) if desired
lime wedges

1.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion and chiles and cook until softened, 10-15 minutes.

2.  Add zucchini and cook until crisp-tender (oh, that's explanatory...), about 6 minutes.  (I added a couple minutes because my zucchini half-moons weren't quite softened enough).

3.  Add corn and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.

4.  Using an ungreased skillet, heat tortillas on each side at medium heat.  They will be come slightly puffy when it's time to flip them over and heat the other side.  You can do this instead of heating them in the oven or microwave...  they come out fresher and crisper.

5.  To serve, spread beans on tortillas (about 1 or 2 TBS) and top with vegetables; serve with salsa and other condiments (sour cream, cheese, lime wedges, cilantro, etc.)

Dinner: one veggie fajita taco, a couple spoonfuls of beans, 1/3 or 1/2 cup Latin Yellow Rice

I would have a couple outfit posts for you, but I need to do some major laundry and ironing...  and my iPhone doesn't take good outfit pictures.  My husband is looking at getting us a real camera (nothing fancy!) this summer so we don't have to use our iPhones for everything.  I love my iPhone and the convenience of the camera, but we'd also like a camera to take pictures while on vacays or whatever.  Any suggestions?

Oh!  And, chin up...

credit: http://www.socialmedialogue.com

It's almost the WEEKEND! 

breakfast: 5-15-2012

Every morning I eat pretty much the same breakfast.  It sounds boring, but I've found the perfect breakfast that keeps me full until close to lunch...  that's 5-6 hours, and no small feat!  I eat a lot for being such a small gal, and usually I get pretty hungry again in a short amount of time.  It's a rough life, I'm tellin' ya.

my dishes don't match...  oops!

Normally, I'll make myself one large egg + 1 large egg white, a raisin English muffin with some whipped butter and jam or preserves, and sometimes a little bit of fruit.  Today I had about 1/2 cup of watermelon.   This breakfast is filling and has lots of essential nutrients but doesn't break the bank.  I generally buy an 18-count carton of eggs (my husband has 2 every morning!) and a box of all-natural, no preservatives egg whites. 
 
I've really been into one of two options for jam/preserves lately:

http://www.dalmatiaimports.com

Bonne Maman Four Fruit Preserves

They are both WONDERFUL options...  the hardest decision I face in the morning is which one to spread on my English muffin... maybe tomorrow I'll do one of each!  I guess that would solve my first-world dilemma.  Just a side note, both are very, VERY good over cream cheese or brie and eaten with crackers for an easy but glamorous dessert.

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, yeah!  (This song is so ridiculous I couldn't bear to leave it out.  Sometimes you just need a little pick-me-up on a Tuesday morning, isn't that right??)

Not pictured is a smoothie I made right before getting out the door.  Sometimes for breakfast, or if I'm craving something sweet after dinner, I'll throw together a fruit smoothie.  Today I blended 7 medium-large strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, a large handful of ice, and one raspberry yogurt (no aspartame!).  I divided it into two cups and sent one with my husband to work.

It looked something like this, only divided in two:

credit:  about.com

Anyway, I hope you all have a beautiful morning.  I'm off to work!