Buttered Eggs

So, in my email this morning was a recommendation from Amazon that I might like a new book..."Outlander Kitchen" by Theresa Carle-Sanders.  It's a cookbook inspired by the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon!  Amazon was right...again.  I DO like this book.  I also like the website: http://outlanderkitchen.com/ 

As I was scrolling through the list of recipes (and being how we hadn't eaten breakfast yet), I decided to try the Buttered Eggs from The Scottish Prisoner.  I had all the ingredients...you probably do too...there aren't that many.  Eggs, Butter, Salt and Pepper.  A frightening amount of butter, actually. One full tablespoon of butter per egg!!

So, I made a few minor adjustments (namely a little less butter!) and cooked these up. Delicious!  A toasted English Muffin and teaspoon of homemade Blueberry Preserves are the perfect accompaniment.  We are now ready to hitch up the oxen and go plow the back 40!!  

Here's the recipe.

BUTTERED EGGS

3 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.  While that's doing, season the eggs with a little salt and pepper and beat well until the white and yellow are well combined.  When the butter starts to get frothy, pour the eggs into it and stir often with a fork or spatula.  You want to incorporate the butter into the cooking eggs, so don't stop stirring!  Gently, though.  When the eggs are still moist, turn the heat off and and finish cooking and stirring until they are done. You don't want to overcook them...they should be done, but still moist and creamy looking.  Serve with toast.

The eggs tasted great, but even though I used less butter than the original recipe called for, I would decrease the butter to only 2 tablespoons if I made this again.  Or increase the eggs to 6 instead of 4!

Also, just in case you're interested in history, this dish was described in a cookbook as early as 1660 (The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May).  Here's the instructions for preparing it in 1822 (from The Cook and Housekeeper's Dictionary by Mary Eaton):

BUTTERED EGGS. Beat four or five eggs, yolk and white together; put a quarter of a pound of butter in a bason, and then put that into boiling water. Stir it till melted, then put that butter and the eggs into a saucepan; keep a bason in your hand, just hold the saucepan in the other over a slow part of the fire, shaking it one way, as it begins to warm. Pour it into the bason and back again, then hold it over the fire, stirring it constantly in the saucepan, and pouring it into the bason, more perfectly to mix the egg and butter, until they shall be hot without boiling. Serve on toasted bread, or in a bason, to eat with salt fish or red herrings.

Eggs Benedict Casserole

6-oz Canadian Bacon or Ham, cut into cubes
3 English Muffins, cut into cubes
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Hollandaise Sauce, if desired

Butter a 9x9-inch casserole dish.

Combine the ham and English Muffin cubes and put them in the casserole.  Whisk the eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika until well mixed and pour over the ham mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375^F.  Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 15-20 minutes more or until set.

Serve with Hollandaise Sauce, if desired.  Being the lazy cook that I am, I used a package mix for the Hollandaise.

Adapted from a couple of recipes found on Pinterest.

Cottage Scrambled Eggs

Cottage Scrambled Eggs

3 eggs
1/4 cup cottage cheese
Salt and Pepper
Butter

Put eggs and cottage cheese in blender.  Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.

Melt enough butter in a small skillet to cover the bottom of the pan.  When the butter starts to sizzle add the eggs and cook gently, pushing the cooked egg to the center until it's all cooked.

These were good!  Recipe found on Pinterest.

Says you can also mix it with a fork or whisk but the cottage cheese curds will remain whole.  I think I'll try that next time.

Ham & Egg Salad

Ham & Egg Salad

5-oz can Hormel Premium Smoked Ham
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped fine
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp honey
2-3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp minced celery

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed.  Use to make sandwiches or as a spread for Ritz Crackers.  Yum!

Huevos Barbacoa

1 flour tortilla
Leftover Refried beans, warmed
Leftover Shredded Mexican-style Beef or Pork (I prefer Pork), heated
A few crumbled tortilla chips
2 eggs, fried
Taco Sauce
Shredded Mexican-Blend Cheese
Chopped Green Onions

Warm a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook the tortilla on both sides until it's got a nice golden color.  Place on a serving plate and top with refried beans, shredded meat, the crumbled chips, eggs, and a drizzle of taco sauce.  Garnish with cheese and green onions and enjoy! Delicious!

Pepper Jack Eggs

1 tbsp butter
6 eggs
2-3 Tbsp half and half
Salt and Pepper to taste
Shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Taco Sauce or Salsa
Crispy Bacon or Cooked Sausage
2-3 flour tortillas, lightly grilled and sprinkled with finely shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Thinly sliced green onions, if you want to be fancy

Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over low-medium heat. Beat the eggs with the half and half, salt and pepper until very will mixed. You should not be able to see any egg white. Pour the eggs into the skillet and cook slowly, stirring frequently until the eggs are creamy looking and about half cooked. Sprinkle with the pepper jack cheese (I used about 1/4 cup of cheese) and continue stirring until the eggs are as done as you like them.

I spoon my eggs over the warm, cheesy tortilla, drizzle on some taco sauce and crumble a strip of bacon over it then roll it into a burrito. John likes his with the tortillas and meat on the side.

Swiss Chicken Quiche

Swiss Chicken Quiche

1 (9-inch) unbaked pastry shell, pricked
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp instant chicken bouillon
1 cup milk
3 eggs, well beaten
1 Tbsp dehydrated minced onions
2 Tbsp minced green bell pepper
2 Tbsp chopped pimiento

Preheat oven to 450^F. Bake pastry shell 8 minutes; remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350^F.

In small bowl, toss cheese with flour and bouillon. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add cheese and remaining ingredients until well mixed. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

From Borden's Holiday Recipe Collection, 1987. This is a very tasty Quiche!

Herb Baked Eggs

Herb Baked Eggs

1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves, minced
3/4 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
Pinch garlic powder
6 extra-large eggs
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper to taste, if desired
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the thyme, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese and garlic powder and set aside. Carefully crack 2 eggs into each of 3 small bowls (you won’t be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks.

Place 3 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 2 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooking evenly.)

The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Good eggs! Easy and quick. However, I left mine in for the entire 6 minutes and they were a bit over-cooked for my taste. Nest time I'll only cook them 5 minutes!

Adapted from http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/2008/07/herb-baked-eggs_25.html

Individual Baked Eggs

Individual Baked Eggs

6 slices Boars Head fully cooked bacon
6 tsp butter, melted
6 eggs
Shredded cheddar, if desired

Preheat oven to 350^F. Place 1 tsp melted butter in the bottom of each muffin pan (I used a 6 muffin pan). Wrap each bacon slice around the inside of a muffin cup. Break the eggs into the cups and bake until of desired doneness (10 to 20 minutes). Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over each egg if desired and cook another minute or so until melted. These were good and really cute! However, I think they were overcooked at 20 minutes so next time I'll aim for 15 minutes. I also think if these were made in a custard cup or something slightly wider than the muffin cups, they would be better and would fit nicely on an English Muffin. Adapted from allrecipes.com

Migas

Migas

4 oz sausage (preferably hot sausage)
3 tbsp minced red onion
2 tbsp bacon fat
2 corn tortillas, cut or torn into small pieces
6 eggs
2 tbsp milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 handful shredded cheddar-jack cheese
Salsa or Hot Sauce

Crumble and brown the sausage and onion in the hot bacon fat in an iron skillet. Toss in the tortilla pieces and continue to cook until they are starting to crisp up a bit. Combine the eggs, milk, salt & pepper and pour over the sausage mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally until eggs are just beginning to set. Stir in the cheese and continue cooking a couple of minutes until the eggs are done and the cheese has melted. Serve with Salsa or Hot Sauce.

These are not John's favorite but he'll eat them. I like it! They are also good wrapped up in a flour tortilla (burrito style) with a bit of extra cheese and salsa. You can make the burritos and freeze them in small ziploc bags, to reheat in the microwave later for a quick on-the-go breakfast.

Breakfast Sausage & Velveeta Eggs

Breakfast Sausage

2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch ground cloves
2 lbs ground pork

Combine all the spices and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Add to the ground pork and mix well with your hands. Form into patties. Place a many patties as you need in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute for 5 minutes per side, or until done. (Freeze remaining patties).

These were good, but not great. I will definitely be experimenting with the seasonings until I find a combination I like, because I like the fact that these were nice and lean. Even though there was only a pinch of cloves, I didn't like that flavor so I'll be leaving it out next time. Adapted from allrecipes.com


Velveeta Eggs

6 eggs
2 tbsp half & half or milk
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter
2 slices Extra-Thick Velveeta, torn into pieces

Beat the eggs, milk, salt & pepper in a bowl until well combined. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet until foamy. Pour in the eggs, add the velveeta and stir occasionally until cooked. The cheese will melt into the eggs when ready.

Great with toast!

Smoked Sausage & Egg Salad Sandwich

Smoked Sausage and Egg Salad Sandwich

5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp minced dried onion
1 heaping tablespoon soft cream cheese (plain or Chive & Onion flavored)
2 tsp yellow mustard
Mayonnaise
1 lb Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage
Toasted Hot Dog Buns

Combine the chopped eggs, onion, cream cheese, mustard and enough mayonnaise to bind. Chill until ready to make the sandwiches.

Cut the sausage into bun-sized pieces and broil or grill until hot and lightly browned. Spread some egg salad on the toasted buns and top with a piece of sausage. Yummy good, fast and easy!

Omelets 5.30.09

For me, Ham, Swiss and Chives. John's had Onions, Peppers, Mushrooms and Ham.

Basic Three Egg Omelet

1 tbsp butter
3 eggs
1 tbsp half & half
Salt & Pepper to taste
Filling ingredients of your choice

Prepare your filling ingredients (for me, tonight I used about 2 tbsp minced ham, 1 slice of swiss cheese torn into small strips and 1 tsp chives). Beat the eggs, half & half, salt and pepper with a fork until thoroughly combined.

Melt the butter in a 6-inch omelet pan over medium heat until foamy, tilting the pan to completely coat the bottom with the butter. Pour in the eggs. As they cook, lift the edges with a spatula and tilt the skillet to allow the uncooked egg mixture to run to the bottom. When all is of an even consistency, place filling ingredients of your choice down the center of the eggs. Put a lid on the pan and cook a minute or so until filling is hot. Using a spatula, fold the omelet 1/3 of the way over the filling, then (using spatula and tilting the pan) flip it over the rest of the way and slide out onto a warm plate.

John's omelet (and the only way he'll eat one) is called a Denver Omelet. Same directions as above except use 4 eggs, and once you have the butter melted, cook about a half cup total of chopped onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and diced ham until hot. Pour the egg mixture over the ham and veggies and proceed as directed above.

Serve with hot, buttered toast and crisp bacon.