Category Archives: Breakfast

No Clean Up Eggs

Back in our Scout camping days, my husband and I learned to make “Omelets in a Bag.” Instead of dirtying a bowl and a skillet, we boil the eggs and other fixings in a zipper bag. If you are careful not to get any food on the outside of the bag, you can use the hot water to wash dishes, too.

It is VERY important to use a freezer bag; a regular storage bag won’t take the heat. We had green chile, pork sausage (cooked ahead at home), and cheese for our omelets. Our niece and her husband also put some avocado in their bags. I usually crack the eggs into the bag, seal it, and squish them up well before adding anything else. Here’s my omelet before cooking:

Baggie Omelet, Ready for Cooking

Notice that I wrote my name on the bag. Makes it easier to tell them apart in the boiling water. After the omelet is mixed up, we zip up the bags, being very careful to get all the air out of the bag. Then, we drop the bags into a pot of boiling water to cook. Because the eggs will cook from the outside, in, I periodically pull the bags out of the water and squeeze the eggs with a tongs to release uncooked egg mixture. Once the eggs are cooked, they just slide right out of the bag and onto a tortilla for a breakfast burrito!

Breakfast Burrito

So, yummy! These are a great way to start the day when out camping.

Happy eating!

Ruth

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros CasseroleOne of the first traditional Mexican foods I discovered when we first moved to New Mexico was Huevos Rancheros. Usually, these consist of fried eggs on a corn tortilla smothered in chile sauce, with a side of refried beans and rice. I decided to try making a casserole with the flavors of huevos rancheros. This could be served either for breakfast or supper. (We had it for supper, served with a side salad.)

Huevos Rancheros Casserole
Recipe type: Breakfast or Main Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup roasted green chile, chopped
  • ½ cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • ½ cup graped tomatoes, halved
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 11 X 7 casserole with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Combine all ingredients. Pour into prepared casserole.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes.

Happy eating!

Ruth

Cranberry Beet Muffins

cranberry beet muffinsSeveral months ago, I made a chocolate cake with beets. Knowing that it had turned out well, I had total confidence in adapting this recipe from allrecipes.com for muffins made with beets. I had some cranberries in the refrigerator (leftover from Thanksgiving), so I decided to go with a cranberry orange flavor combination. They are so good! This batch makes 24 muffins, which was plenty for us. Even better, my adaptation uses no oil or sugar, so they are pretty healthy!

Cranberry Beet Muffins
Recipe type: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1½ cups uncooked oatmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup Splenda
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¾ cup chopped cranberries
  • 1 cup peeled, shredded beets
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups.
  2. Mix flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, Splenda, eggs, and orange juice. Pour into the dry ingredients, stir to combine. Fold in cranberries and beets.
  4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

These would be a great breakfast on Christmas morning.

Happy eating!

Ruth

Mexican Kale Egg Bake

Mexican kale egg bakeWe got a BIG bunch of kale in our box this week. Today, I decided to saute some up and put it in an egg bake. I couldn’t find a recipe that I liked, so I decided to make my own. Next time, I’m going to add some green chili, but if you aren’t into spicy, this was quite good. I still have half of the kale left. I’ll need to figure out something else to do with that.

Mexican Kale Egg Bake
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ medium tomato, chopped
  • ½ cup low fat Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add kale and continue to saute until kale is soft, stirring frequently.
  2. While the vegetables are cooking, beat eggs. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, tomato, cheese, and cooked vegetables.
  3. Spray an 11 X 7 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Pour egg mixture into the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until eggs are set and top is golden brown.

I’m curious. Can people in other parts of the country get frozen, chopped green chile?

Happy eating!

Ruth

Crock Pot Apple Oatmeal

crock pot apple oatmeal

Last fall, I took a class on an eating plan called the Full Plate Diet. The concept of the plan is to eat more fiber, feel full, and therefore eat less. It has actually worked pretty well for me.

Several members of the group were big on steel cut oats. I was initially hesitant, because they take a long time to cook. I’m a “fix it quick” person at breakfast time, so that was a big problem. Then, I found this recipe from Meals Matter for cooking them in the crock pot. Since sugar and butter didn’t seem like diet food, I’ve modified the recipe to be higher in fiber and lower in unnecessary calories.

I make up a pot of this and freeze it in 1 cup portions. When I heat it up for breakfast, I often add some ground flax seed (for extra fiber) and almond milk.

Crock Pot Apple Oatmeal
Recipe type: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 7
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup steel cut oatmeal
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 apples, chopped (I leave the peels on them)
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (I use almonds, walnuts would be good, too.)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Spray the inside of a 3-4 quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. (This is very important.)
  2. Mix all ingredients in the crock pot.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Stir well, scraping the sides of the crock pot as necessary.

 

What do you eat for breakfast? I hope you eat breakfast, because it is the most important meal of the day!

Happy eating!

Ruth