Egg 'Waffles' -- ("Chaffles"???)

Apparently calling them "chaffles" is a thing (something+waffle??? -- I truly have no idea! Egg is the main ingredient). But...whatever!  It's a fun alternative to scrambled eggs with 'add ins'.

The 2-egg recipe amounts below were perfect for one serving in my 8" waffle iron. Easy to double (or quadruple), but this is a great single serving size...my students would have fun mixing up their own individual creations!

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 T flour

¼ tsp baking powder

pinch each salt & pepper

Optional: 1/3 C shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, diced ham, crumbled breakfast sausage, chopped scallions, minced chives, minced garlic, small diced peppers or onions, minced herbs...   You get the idea!

Directions

Whisk eggs until fluffy. Whisk in flour, baking powder, salt & pepper.

Add in shredded cheese(s) and other add-ins if desired (they can also be used as toppers to garnish the finished egg-waffle).

Heat waffle iron; pour egg mixture onto waffle iron and cook about 3 minutes until set and beginning to brown. Serve immediately while still very fluffy...they do tend to deflate a little. 

I topped mine with sour cream with a little bacon jam mixed in, and some roasted cherry tomatoes and chopped scallions (both of which I also mixed into the egg batter).

Sheet Pan Eggs/Omelet Roll-Up

Whether you dish it up flat, or roll it and slice it, baking a large batch of eggs topped with veggies, cheese and/or meats makes a one-pan meal, all on it's own...though a side of salad or fruit is nice too! This basic recipe will get you started making endless flavor combinations:

* Disclaimer: Neither of the photos are my own originals -- I ate it up without remembering to snap any pics! I'll add originals next time I whip out a batch!

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

½ C milk

½ C flour

½ tsp each, salt & pepper

1½ C thin sliced or small diced vegetables

¾ C shredded cheese(s)

¾ C pre-cooked meat

1 T 'flavor booster'

Vegetables: Almost any vegetables will work -- mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, spinach, kale etc. Tomatoes can be pretty juicy and water down the egg mixture; consider draining some of the liquid before adding them; or pair them with some eggplant, which tends to absorb excess liquid! Veggies can be pre-cooked (great way to use up leftovers!), but it's not necessary. If you want to use firm vegetables like potatoes, yams, butternut squash, parsnips, beets, turnips... they probably should be pre-cooked (at least par-cooked), and thin sliced so they cook all the way through.

Cheeses: What's your favorite? Go for it! ...cheddar, parmesan, Gruyère, chevre, feta, gouda (smoked gouda adds another layer of flavor!)

Meats: Breakfast meats like bacon, ham (or pancetta!) or sausage work well, but fish, ground or shredded poultry works too! Meats should be pre-cooked, for food safety. Tofu or beans would be fine as well, for a non-animal protein, if that's your preference.

'Flavor boosters': Any herbs or spices work fine here...dill, thyme, rosemary, basil, cayenne, chile powder, curry, Za'atar, peri peri, or other spice blends, etc. Feel free to combine for a total of 1 tablespoon. Foods with stronger, intense flavors can also be delicious: capers, garlic, chives, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, salsa, chile peppers... With these, you can use more than a tablespoon, but don't go overboard as the more intense flavors can become overpowering.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Coat a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet with a rim) with non-stick cooking spray.*

* If you're planning on rolling the baked egg dish and you have parchment paper, lining the pan with parchment paper makes rolling easier; but you can still roll it without parchment.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt & pepper. If your 'flavor booster' is an herb or spice, add that in with the egg mixture; larger 'flavor booster' ingredients can be added later with the vegetables, cheese(s) and meat. Pour egg mixture ino the pan; sprinkle with vegetables, cheese(s) and meat.

Bake 25 minutes.

Slice and serve as is, or... 

Roll it as soon as you can (not too, too hot!), starting on one of the long edges; transfer to a serving platter. Top, if desired with extra cheese or herbs; slice and serve!

Sweet Potato & Bacon Frittata

I was inspired by this recipe from Cooking Light; but after last night's snowfall (on top of the previous week's accumulation) it wasn't worth going on a grocery run, especially when I had reasonable substitutes and things that needed to be used up right here in my frig! Here's my version, finished in jumbo muffin cups for easy single servings that I can keep and re-heat individually...though a larger skilled -- or casserole -- would be fine too.

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 C)
5 slices bacon, chopped
1-2 T vegetable oil or butter
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about 3/4 C)
6 eggs
1 oz Gruyere, grated
½ C sour cream
½ C milk
½ C heavy cream
1 T fresh sage, chopped*
     (okay, I didn't have fresh sage...substitute 1 tsp dried sage)
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ C crumbled chevre
2 T chpoped fresh chives (I didn't have any, but I'll include it here as it would be welcome!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook bacon in skillet to desired doneness (I like mine fairly well done); remove bacon to paper-towel-lined plate, reserving drippings in skillet.

Add sweet potatoes and sliced shallots; cover and sauté over medium heat, tossing periodically, until potatoes are almost fork tender and shallots have caramelized (6-10 minutes, depending on size of dice).

Meanwhile, lightly coat 6 jumbo muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray (or ramekins, or 1 9-inch pie plate or similar size casserole dish...). Whisk together eggs, Gruyere, sour cream, milk, heavy cream, sage, salt and cayenne.

When potatoes and shallots are ready, divide equally between muffin cups; top each with bacon. Pour egg mixture over each muffin cup, dividing equally...2/3 - 3/4 full as they will puff as they cook. Top with crumbled chevre.

Bake 20-24 minutes, until centers are set and tops are golden brown. (A larger casserole will need 40-45 minutes.) Garnish with chopped chives.

Dutch Apple Pancake

I still want to fiddle with this recipe a bit. I made a single serving version (1/4 the recipe - pictured); I'm also not wild about the oat crumble in this recipe. I generally love a good crumble, and I saw some Dutch Apple Pancake recipes that included it, so I thought I'd try it that way. But I think I might prefer to just let the apples shine on their own. The crumble adds another dimension for sure, but in my opinion kind of weighs things down. With the whipped egg whites, I was anticipating a fluffier finished product.

Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
1 C milk
½ C heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
½ C flour
¹/₃ C sugar
¾ tsp salt
½ C rolled oats
½ C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

½ C + 1 T butter
4 Granny Smith apples

Directions
Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine egg yolks, milk, cream and vanilla in a bowl. Add flour, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites into soft peaks. Gently fold in yolk and milk mixture. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring to mix evenly. Add melted butter and mix into a crumble. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. (If you have a large, oven-safe skillet to bake Dutch Apple pancakes in...even better! But a glass baking dish works fine too.)

Peel, core and slice apples. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet; add apples, cooking over medium heat until softened and just beginning to carmelize. Spread apples evenly over crumble already in baking dish.

Gently pour egg mixture over apples. Bake approximately 35-40 minutes (more if your skillet is smaller and the pancakes are thicker, less if thinner...) until egdes are browned and center is only slightly jiggly, but not runny! -- Eggs should be cooked to 155° F.)

Invert to serve.

Basic Meringue

Ingredients
4 egg whites, room temperature
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
2¼ C powdered sugar
optional: food coloring

Directions
Preheat oven to 250˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed and beat until thick and opaque (about 1 minute more). Gradually add powdered sugar a little (¼ C) at a time; beat until stiff shiny peaks form (about 5 more minutes).

Scoop or pipe meringue into desired shapes and bake about 3 hours (4 for larger/thicker shapes) until dry and crisp. Let cool completely on baking sheets. Store in airtight container in dry place for up to 1 week.

Lots of ways to serve these... color with food coloring and pipe into various shapes, sandwich two cookies with jam, dust with cocoa powder, fold in chocolate chips just before piping and baking, dip bottoms in melted white chocolate and then in colored sanding sugar...

Fried Sage and Gruyere Deep Dish Quiche

...with Ham and Caramelized Onions

The fried sage and Gruyere get top billing in the name simply because they were the inspiration for this quiche...originally from an omelette recipe (FoodNetwork?) that included them in combination. The ham and onion got in on this one -- in smaller amounts -- simply because I had half an onion and the end of a ham to use up!

Ingredients:
6 eggs 
½ C sour cream 
½ C half and half (or heavy cream) 
½ tsp salt 
¼ tsp pepper
pinch each of nutmeg and cayenne pepper
6 oz gruyere, shredded 
¼ C fried sage leaves
olive oil
4 oz ham, small diced
½ onion, thinly sliced
1  9" deep dish pie crust

Directions :
Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a 9" pie pan/dish with crust. Spread diced ham over bottom. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat; add sage leaves. Fry the sage leaves, turning as they just begin to brown. They should be just crisping. Remove from heat and drain leaves on paper towel. I started with 8 or 9 fairly large sage leaves which gave me about a ¼ cup of crumbled leaves to add to the quiche.

Return sauté pan to medium-high heat, adding another tablespoon of olive oil. Add thinly sliced onion to pan; saute 10-12 minutes until well caramelized. Spread evenly over ham in pie dish.

 Whisk together eggs, half and half, sour cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Stir in 4 oz of the shredded Gruyere and crumbled sage leaves. Pour egg mixture over ham and onion in pie crust.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until eggs are slightly browned on top and firm in the middle.

Broccoli-Onion-Bacon Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon
1 sweet onion, halved & thinly sliced
2 C broccoli florets
5 eggs
1½ C milk 
½ tsp dried basil, crushed
4 C sourdough bread, 1" cubes
4 oz Muenster or Swiss cheese, ½" cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add onions to skillet; cover and cook on medium-low heat 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, cook broccoli in lightly salted water about 3 minutes, until fork tender. Drain.

Uncover onions, increase heat to medium and cook until caramelized (about 5 minutes).

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs,milk, basil, salt and pepper. Stir in bread, broccoli, onion, cheese and bacon. Transfer to 2 quart baking dish; cover and chill 2-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°. Bake casserole, covered, 20 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 20-30 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I only had a small, sweet onion when I made this recipe, so (in case you notice in the picture) I added some scallions. Not exactly the same flavor as a sweet onion, but I knew I'd like it anyway.

Blackberry Bread Pudding with Lemon Whipped Cream

I know some people who have "comfort food" associations with bread pudding. I don't think I ever had bread pudding growing up...just not part of my family traditions. So this was a new one for me. The blackberries aren't actually any part of the pudding, so any bread pudding recipe (if you have a traditional family favorite) could simply be dressed up with some sweetened blackberries and lemony whipped cream.


Ingredients
1 large brioche loaf, cut into 1½ -inch cubes
3¾ C heavy cream
1¼ C sugar
zest of 1 lemon
6 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1½ pints fresh blackberries
1 Tbls lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet; toast until lightly golden brown on all sides, turning a few times (about 15 min). Remove and let cool slightly.

Bring cream, 1 cup sugar, and lemon zest to a simmer over medium heat.
Whisk together eggs and yolks in medium bowl.
Slowly whisk warm milk into eggs; add vanilla.

Transfer bread cubes to 9x15" baking dish. Pour custard mixture over bread; press bread to submerge in custard. Let sit (room temp) 30 minutes so bread absorbs more custard.

Place baking dish inside a larger roasting pan; fill outer pan with warm water halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until puffed around edges, slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from water bath; let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Toss remaining ¼ C sugar with blackberries. Serve bread pudding topped with macerated berries
and Lemon Whipped Cream.

Lemon Whipped Cream
1½ C heavy cream
1½ Tbls powdered sugar
1 Tbls lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp vanilla

Strata, Frittata and Quiche

MHS: Introduction to Foods & Nutrition *

This recipe is from The Learning Zone Express, Amazing Eggs DVD (2012)

Ingredients for egg mixture for strata, frittata, or quiche:

12 eggs

1 C heavy cream (or half and half)

1 C sour cream

1 tsp salt

pinch of nutmeg, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, pepper

Directions:

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add cream or half and half, sour cream, salt, nutmeg, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and fresh ground pepper. Beat with a hand mixer until well blended. This makes enough batter for a 9 x 13” strata or frittata or two 9” quiches.

ideas for toppings: ham, sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, onions, zucchini, cheese…

Remember to precook meats (and vegetables, if desired).

To prepare strata: Spray 9” x 13” baking dish with non-stick spray. Crumble a layer of stale, dry bread. Add precooked toppings and shredded cheese. Pour egg mixture over and bake.

To prepare frittata: Spray 9” x 13” baking dish with non-stick spray. Place a single layer of diced, pre-cooked potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with desired precooked toppings and shredded cheese. Pour egg mixture over and bake.

To prepare quiche: Line pie plates with pie shells or use pre-made shells. Add desired precooked toppings and shredded cheese. Pour egg mixture over toppings, dividing evenly between the two shells, leaving room at the top for eggs to expand. Bake.

Bake each egg dish at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned and eggs are firm in the middle. Cool slightly before serving.

* This recipe is one used in the introductory culinary course I teach.
(Protein - Eggs)