Category / Breakfasts

by susanb181

Spanish Breakfast Tortilla

Egg and vegetable breakfast tortilla in pan

Delicious breakfast tortilla ready to be served

When you think of tortillas you probably think of the wraps that are used in Mexican food. This kind is from Spain; a wonderful breakfast dish with a base of potatoes, layers of vegetables, and meat if you want, topped by an egg mixture. A beauty of this Spanish Tortilla recipe is that it’s very flexible— you can use your favorite vegetables and meat, as long as they are layered over the potatoes.

This Spanish breakfast tortilla recipe was taught to me by Martin, a Spanish guy who my best friend in university married. The marriage didn’t last, but at least I always have this wonderful recipe!

Spanish Breakfast Tortilla ( serves 2-3)

4 large eggs, beaten with 2 Tbsp. 1/2 and 1/2 or alternative milk of your choice, plus fresh or dried thyme, chives or whatever herbs you like

sweet and/or Yukon gold potatoes, diced finely

1 medium  onion , diced

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced ( I use brown Cremini)

1 cup fresh, washed spinach, chopped

1-2 tomatoes, chopped ( I used the last of our home grown tomatoes)

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup shallots finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives* (reserve a few for garnish); if not available green onions are ok

Optional: 1/2 lb. chorizo or any kind of sausage, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

TO DO

(preheat oven to 400 degrees)

1. On stove top, heat oil in large pan that can go into the oven. Add potatoes and sauté until tender and gently browned. Remove pan from the heat.

2. In a separate pan Sauté onions and mushrooms until tender, drain remove from pan and add to a bowl.

3. Sauté sausage, put in separate bowl.

4. Sauté all other ingredients and add to a separate bowl.

5. Put potatoes back on the stove on medium heat.

6. Add vegetables in layers, then sausages.

9. Pour egg mixture over all ingredients in pan.

10. Sauté for a few minutes until eggs are a bit set, then put pan in heated oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve in slices.

We serve with honeydew melon, and a slice of whole grain toast,

Delicious!

Note: * Chives are very easy to grow in pots.

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com

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by susanb181

New Avocado Toast

Avocado Toast topped with Fried Egg

Avocado Toast topped with Fried Egg

Avocado toast is the latest rage-it’s being offered on menus in almost every cafe and  bakery I’ve been to lately. Actually, it’s so easy to prepare at home. No reason to pay a lot for this simple dish! As you probably know, avocados are a healthy food choice; here’s some of the reasons Why Avocados are a healthy food choice.

Avocado toast is even more delicious topped with a fried egg; more protein and a great breakfast, especially with some fruit to complete the meal. We like citrus, especially the little tangerines that we find now at farmers’ markets. Here’s my recipe for this avocado treat.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

  • 1 medium size avocado
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
  • 1tsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 slices cheese- we use goat Gouda slices (Trader Joe’s sells pre-sliced Dutch goat Gouda that we like))
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 slices whole grain bread
  • salt free seasoning (or salt if you like), ground pepper, lemon juice; to taste
  • fresh herbs- chopped chives or dill or your choice
  • Paprika or smoked Paprika

TO DO

  1. With a fork, mash the avocado and the mayo together; (not too smooth- should have some chunkiness). Set aside.
  2. Add salt, (or no salt seasoning), and pepper to taste; (also a squeeze of lemon if you like.)
  3. Toast the bread.
  4. Put a slice of goat cheese on each toast; either microwave for 20-30 seconds until cheese is slightly softened or saute toast topped with the cheese for 1-2 minutes to soften the cheese. (I actually prefer the microwave method- but either works fine.)
  5. Spread avocado mixture thickly on top of the cheese toast.
  6. Melt butter in a hot nonstick pan; crack eggs gently into the pan and fry til whites are opaque and edges are brown and crisp; turn over and cook an additional 10-20 seconds (depending on your preference for the firmness of the yolk).
  7. Top each avocado toast with hot fried egg.
  8. Garnish with fresh chopped herbs.
  9. Sprinkle with Paprika (or smoked Paprika) to add a bit of color

That’s it- avocado toast-so easy and delicious!

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com

by susanb181

Hearty Lentil Veggie Soup

Lentils, tomatoes, onion, on cutting board to be made into Lentil soup

Lentil Veggie Soup process

 

Lentil Veggie Soup -recipe to come

Hope you don’t mind, but before  I share this recipe I want to express something that has become even more clear to me; the difficulty it can be for folks who had totally different lifestyle and eating habits to make healthy choices–and how impactful that can be.

What prompted this are two people I met in different circumstances. Rick and I were shopping for olive oils at a World Market store, and a guy started asking us about our choices, and that he was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and was “trying to reduce sugars”– he had no idea about carbs – just that “sugar is bad.” He was buying two large cans of high carb snack foods (no sugar though), to substitute for sugary snacks. Actually I couldn’t help but suggest he try this blog (and especially read “The Journey” post).

The second incident was a woman who came to our house to pick up bottles we were giving away (we’re in process of stuff reducing)–she was thrilled as now she had containers for her own salad dressing, sauces, and such non-processed foods she was making for the first time in her life. She was so excited as this was a huge change for her!

It hit me strongly that these folks are representative of a large group of our population- who grew up with lots of processed foods and are used to eating one way, and are now faced with changing their diets- and what a major deal it is. I know this theoretically, of course, but it was reinforced!

Made me realize even more how lucky some of us are to have grown up mainly eating in a healthy way, with an emphasis on fresh foods; (although my son went through a fish stick and tater tot phase–I’m not a total purist (<*).

Makes me even more motivated to show that delicious, healthy eating and cooking is not difficult, not expensive, (cheaper that buying most processed foods, such as bottled salad dressings), and fun to do!

Stay tuned soon for the Lentil Veggie Soup recipe!

 

 

 

 

www.type2delicious.com

by susanb181

Spring Veggie Breakfast Scramble

Eggs and fresh vegetables in a breakfast scramble including tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and spring onions

Spring Veggie Breakfast Scramble

 

 

Saute onions mushrooms spinach

Saute onions, mushrooms and then spinach.

Eggs and fresh vegetables in a breakfast scramble including tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and spring onions

Eggs and fresh vegetables in a breakfast scramble including tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and spring onions

Spring Veggie Breakfast Scramble

Breakfast, especially on a lovely spring Sunday morning after a busy week, is one of our favorite meals.  For this dish, I sautéed  Spring onions, spinach, Cremini mushrooms, and tomatoes and added eggs and fresh thyme from my garden for a delicious scramble.

It’s spring and the weather is lovely.  Spring onions are a special treat now in season for a short while. They look like regular scallions with a slightly larger bulb, but they are very different; sweeter and more tender. I use them as often as I can find them at the local farmer’s market or even at the supermarket. (We have a local one that features fresh, local produce.)

(I also added sautéed chopped chicken livers–I love them although I know everyone doesn’t share my enthusiasm.) The secret to making them is not to overcook–they should be pink inside.

Low carb and so delicious and satisfying!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4 fresh spring onions, washed and chopped, including white bulbs and green stems
  • 1/2 cup spinach, chopped, removing stems (I use washed and bagged baby spinach, but if using fresh from garden or farmer’s market be sure to wash thoroughly and use a salad spinner before adding.)
  • 1/2-1 cup Cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • Fresh chicken livers; I used about 4 livers for the two of us. (optional of course!)
  • Tomatoes–cut into quarters
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp butter (I use unsalted, both as it’s my taste preference and for the salt-free aspect)
  • Thyme, herbs de Provence and/or salt-free seasoning/pepper to taste

TO DO:

1. Beat eggs ( I add a tsp. of milk or 1/2 and 1/2- that small amount Rick can tolerate); add seasonings to the eggs, and set aside.

2. Sauté mushrooms in butter; after they’re browned (about 6-7 minutes), add chopped onions and saute until soft, about another 5-6 minutes.

3.  Remove mushrooms and onions to a bowl.

4. Add spinach to the pan; saute briefly, 1-2 minutes until wilted.

5. Sautee tomato pieces in the pan, pushing spinach to the side.

6. Add mushrooms and onions back into the pan.

7. Sautée chicken livers til pink inside (about 3-4 minutes/side) and then chop–add to Mushroom, onion, tomatoes and spinach.

8. Add beaten eggs over the mixture in the pan.

9. Gently cook the mixture, using a spatula around the sides to fold in the mixture as it’s cooking.

10. Cook until barely firm, and serve.

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com

by susanb181

SHAKSHUKA–Middle Eastern Brunch Delight

dish of poached eggs on top of chopped vegetables and tomatoes

Delicious Middle Eastern
egg-veggie brunch dish

Shakshuka--final with poached eggs on top of veggies/tomatoes

Shakshuka–final with poached eggs on top of veggies/tomatoes

I want to share a new breakfast/brunch discovery–Shakshuka. This is a wonderful skillet dish that originates from the Middle East; I’ve been told it’s a staple in Israel; (not sure what other countries). It’s very delicious and is easy to customize and prepare. You can change out the spices and throw in whatever vegetables you have on hand. For my version I used chopped red pepper, onions, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, and jalapeño peppers (diced) and plum tomatoes.

We had it for brunch recently and were knocked out by the combination of sweet tomato flavor, vegetables, spicy undertones of the jalpeno (but not too spicy) and the creamy, rich eggs. It’s now one of our favorites.

This is a great dish to serve company or enjoy with your family when you have a leisurely weekend brunch. I suggest you serve with crusty whole grain toast to mop up the delicious sauce!

I’ve been out of town and apologize for not posting for a few weeks. Fall is in the air; next I’ll post a hearty fall vegetable stew–my version of Ratatouille. Please follow–stay tuned!

Shakshuka

INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3)

  • 4-6 large eggs (for 2 eggs per serving)
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped into 1/2″ pieces (1 Cup)
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2-1 cup chopped mushrooms (I use Cremini)
  • 1 cup carrots; chopped into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 small can diced Jalapeño peppers (more if you like it spicier–or add tabasco)
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. sweet or smoky paprika
  • 1 tsp. ground tumeric
  • 1 28 oz. can of diced plum tomatoes, including the juice
  • no salt seasoning or 1/2 tsp. salt depending on your situation; ground black pepper
  • Feta or Goat Gouda, depending on your tolerance (Rick only eats goat cheeses, so we use that)
  • optional: Cilantro and/or oregano for garnish

TO DO:

1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet (I use an AllClad pan)

2. Add onion, sweet pepper, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, jalapeños, spices, seasonings. Saute until tender, but not browned–about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes and juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer about 10-12 minutes, uncovered; stir occasionally.

4. Crack each egg individually into a small bowl, and and carefully add, one at a time, on top of the vegetable mixture.

5. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5-8 minutes, until the whites are set and yolks are firm but still soft.

6. Serve with grated or crumbled cheese, oregano and/or cilantro.

That’s it! Pretty easy and delicious- a feast for the eyes and…!

Enjoy! www.type2delicious.com

by susanb181

Luscious Veggie Eggs

 

Lucious Veggie Mixture

Lucious Veggie Mixture

Eggs underneath the veggies

Eggs underneath the veggies

Sauce Ingredients

Ready to enjoy!i

Ready to enjoy!i

This morning I wanted to celebrate Martin Luther King’s B-Day and serve eggs in a different way. Actually I originally thought of the sauce, my own version of a remoulade, but found we had a variety of veggies in the fridge, including leftover cooked ones, so combined them with gently fried eggs and the sauce.

Rick approved!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

  • Approx. 1 1/2 cup Vegetables, chopped fine (I used 1/2 large onion, leftover cooked broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, and carrots, 1/3 red pepper, and about 1 cup spinach.)
  • chopped cooked sausage (optional)
  • 2 fresh eggs
  • Olive oil/butter
  •  Goat cheese for grating (optional)
  • Herbs; your choice; I like Herbs de Provence

 

 

  • Remoulade Sauce:
  • 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1Tbsp. Ketchup
  • 1 tsp. Capers
  • 2-3 drops Siracha (optional)

TO DO

1. Saute chopped onions in butter/olive oil mix until browned.

2. Add red peppers ( and any other uncooked veggies- I used leftover cooked ones except for the onions, red pepper and spinach); saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the remaining cooked vegetables, and spinach. Saute a few more minutes until spinach is tender.

4. Remove veggies to a bowl.

5. Make sauce: combine Mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, capers. Set aside for serving; (can be made ahead of time)

6. Gently fry eggs; sunny side up. Sprinkle with herbs and cheese if desired.

7. Slide an egg on each plate; top with veggie mix and serve with sauce.

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com