Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, Scallions: Caring for those who care for your kids.

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, Scallions: Caring for those who care for your kids.

For CY, my favorite elementary school teacher and all the teachers out there who do it for our children. Thank you.

It's been busy at our house as Daughter #1 has started kindergarten. She has been at school since she was 20 months old so the adjustment of sending her to school wasn't difficult, but as the school year started, I wanted to be more involved at her school. I know, as a former high school teacher, that without strong parent involvement, public education has the high likelihood of failing the next generation of children. The reasons why are numerous and many and not the purpose of this post, but I will make my plea that if you can, you should definitely get involved in your child's school, however small the effort.

I've been in Daughter's kindergarten class once a week helping out since her school started back in July. (She attends a year round school.) The kindergarten day is short, but the things that Daughter's teacher deals with blow my mind. 22 kids in the classroom, all at different levels of achievement, different backgrounds, different cultures and native languages. In addition, there are numerous assessments, tests, and evaluations that need to be completed for every single child in the class. Even after only 1.5 hours of volunteering in the classroom, I'm pretty spent mentally and need a break. Daughter's teacher continues on for another couple of ours before her day is over.

I've always liked to cook and bake things for Daughters' teachers and this year is no exception. Something nice to eat at the end of the teaching day is an gift with an intangible value. It shows love, appreciation and the acknowledgment of your child's teacher's efforts on behalf of your son and daughter. I've baked for Daughter's teacher on quite a few occasions but today I wanted to bring her LUNCH, so I quickly made this couscous salad to bring to her. I topped the one I gave to the teacher with feta, so as to make it more substantial, but this is really excellent without the feta as a side to any grilled or simple protein as the balsamic adds a special flavor. It is simple, comes together very easily but is a wonderful way to show your child's teacher that you care and you want to thank him or her.

Here are a few more ideas of great and easy lunches to bring to the teachers:

Orzo Salad with Tomato, Feta, and Green Onions
Tri Colore Orzo
Curried Chicken Salad (in a sandwich or presented with some crackers)

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, and Scallions
Serves 4-6

2 cups boiling water
2 cups dry couscous (I use whole wheat couscous)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (depending on the size)
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup basil, chiffonade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, pour in dry couscous, salt and olive oil. Carefully measure out two cups of boiling water and pour over couscous. Give a quick stir and find a lid to fully cover the bowl. Let sit and steam for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile chop scallions, basil and tomatoes and set aside. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Take off the lid of the couscous, and using a fork, fluff up the couscous. Add tomatoes, scallions and basil and drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Toss well.

Serve as a side to protein, or to make it a more substantial meal on it's own, top with feta cheese.

Printable recipe

A bowl of something delicious - who wouldn't want that!

Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

This is what you call a “floating recipe”.  Meaning that it comes from a friend, who got it from her neighbor who got it from…who knows anymore?
Anyway, I was at my friend’s house for lunch last week, and she served this delicious, bright, easy-to-make salad.  This is just one of those great combinations of ingredients that afterwards, you can’t wait to eat again.  I asked her for the recipe while my mouth was still full (and she’s the amazing kind of friend that sends it right away).   I made it the next day for my family—and ended up sharing it with our neighbors—who asked for the recipe while their mouths were still full…and now I’m casting it even further into the universe because this really should belong to everyone—it’s just that good.
Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound large cooked shrimp
1 avocado, in large dice
1 cup fresh or canned corn
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
½ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup honey
1 garlic clove, pressed or chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil


Combine the shrimp, avocado, corn, cilantro and onion in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, honey, garlic clove, salt, pepper and olive oil and whisk until well combined.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad (you may want to go a little at a time and taste as you go—I used most, but not quite all of the vinaigrette) and gently toss to combine.  Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.   Don’t chill overnight, the whole thing will taste like shrimp and the avocado will fall apart.

10 Healthy Breakfasts in 10 minutes or Less

In the interest of saving time and space, I decided to dismantle the 40 Day Breakfast Challenge post series and create a new post highlighting 10 quick and healthy breakfasts. These breakfasts can be made in 10 minutes or less. There are tons of research studies showing why breakfast is important, but I would like to leave you with what I believe are the top 10 reasons.

1. HEALTHY EATING HABITS – It is well established that people who eat breakfast consume less fat and cholesterol and more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than people who skip breakfast.
2. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT – the National Weight Control Registry reported that people who eat breakfast have an easier time managing their weight than people who skip breakfast.
3. PORTION CONTROL – In general, people who eat breakfast have an easier time controlling their caloric intake throughout the day than those who don’t.
4. REDUCED RISK OF DIABETES – A report by the American Heart Association showed that people who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to develop diabetes than people who skip breakfast.
5. MORE ENERGY – A healthy breakfast can provide your body with the nutrients that you need to stay energized for several hours.
6. FITNESS – It is believed that people who eat breakfast have more energy and therefore may participate in more physical activity than people who skip breakfast.
7. FOCUS – According to the American Dietetic Association, people who eat breakfast have an easier time focusing and are more productive throughout the morning than people who skip breakfast.
8. MEMORY – Eating breakfast improves memory and learning.
9. BETTER MOOD – Skipping breakfast can make you feel grumpy and fatigued throughout the day. Taking just 10 minutes to eat something in the morning can really improve your mood.
10. BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL – Help your children to develop healthy eating habits at an early age by encouraging them to eat breakfast. If they see you eating breakfast, they are more likely to eat breakfast too.

Slow cooking oats or steel-cut oats with kiwi, mango, banana, green grapes, and honey

Organic flax waffles with warm peanut butter, banana slices, and chopped walnuts and a glass of 1% milk

Sesame Ezekiel toast with reduced fat cottage cheese, tomato slices, and parsley garnish

Tofu scramble with red peppers, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms….and tofu.

A classic: peanut butter and jelly on an English muffin (or toast or mini whole wheat bagel)

Breakfast bruschetta: French baguette with scrambled eggs, thin layer of reduced fat cream cheese, diced cherry tomatoes, and fresh parsley

Mini whole wheat waffles with mango chunks, honey, and powdered sugar

Whole wheat toast with scrambled eggs (or egg whites/substitute) with fresh sauteed spinach, provolone cheese, and marinara dipping sauce

Fruit bruschetta: organic chocolate cherry bread (from Whole Foods) topped with honey roasted peanut butter, fresh cantaloupe, strawberries, honey, and powdered sugar

Cheese Pancakes and Celery and Walnut Salad

These cheese pancakes are one of our family recipes – I loved them when I was a kid, and not just because they were quite a rare treat on our everyday menu – yes there were times when eggs and cheese were considered expensive products that couldn’t be wasted just like that.
While some magical childhood memories about certain foods die as you grow up and try those foods (my Grandmother, for example, cherished memories of beetroot leaves soup that she once had during the war, until she finally made it many years later and… the dream got ruined: the soup was not too edible), but I have to say these cheese pancakes taste just as good now as they did in my childhood. They look good, too – golden brown on the outside, fluffy and yellow on the inside. The eggs in the batter make them taste a little bit omelet-y. Well, I think there are some flavours that are just impossible to resist – the flavour of melted/fried cheese is one of them, to me.
But, obviously you will want a counterbalance to these pancakes - something green and fresh and preferably crunchy on the side. From the limited choice of fresh greens and vegetables that we have in this time of the year, celery looked like the perfect candidate. Green, fresh and crunchy. We added some chopped parsley leaves and tossed it all with some minced walnuts and garlic. The walnut-garlic-oil paste is close to what you could find inside Georgian eggplant rolls. I found out it could serve as a standalone dip for crackers/tortillas as well.
The salad came out so good that we thought we’d make it next time we have guests. As for the pancakes… isn’t it great we always have enough cheese and eggs to make them nowadays?



Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients
150g mild-flavoured cheese, grated coarsely
3 eggs
150ml wheat flour
150ml kefir (alternatively, sour yogurt/buttermilk)
1/3 tsp baking soda
Salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Serves 4

Combine grated cheese end eggs, add a pinch of salt, and stir well. Add kefir with baking soda, stir and gradually add flour. Stir through the batter well.
Oil a large skillet with vegetable oil, or use your favourite cooking spray. Cook the pancakes on a medium heat until golden on both sides.



Celery and walnut salad
Ingredients
4 celery stalks
75g walnuts
A sheaf of fresh parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves of garlic
4-5 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Serves 4

Chop celery stalks and parsley leaves.
Mince walnuts and garlic. Combine walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add salt to taste and stir well.
Toss the celery and the parsley with the walnut paste.

Salsa roja (roasted red salsa)

I eat a lot of salsa. A LOT. I am rather notorious for this, in fact. My friend’s boyfriend once innocently asked if I had anything he could snack on — maybe some chips and salsa? My friend nearly fell on the floor laughing at the thought of me not having chips and salsa in the house. There is no risk of that. Ever.
So when my awesome world-traveling chef cousin came to town for a few days, she offered to teach me how to make roasted red salsa and tamales (more on that later). Can you imagine how much I hesitated? Not. At. All.
And people, this salsa. PEOPLE. With a lifetime of tasting, sampling, and gorging research on salsa, I have never in my life had salsa this good.
Note that this makes a lot — a big mixing bowl full. I’m too embarrassed to tell you how quickly it went here. Without further ado, I give you: The Best Salsa Ever:

• 16 full size tomatoes, or nearly a produce bag full of roma tomatoes (we used roma)
• 2-3 yellow onions
• 20-25 Serrano peppers (remove caps) Note: this many peppers makes it hot. Feel free to reduce # of peppers, or scrape the seeds out of them
• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 Tbsp salt
• 1-2 bunches cilantro

1. Halve the tomatoes and onions and lay cut-side up on a cookie sheet along with the peppers and garlic
2. Roast at 375 till the onions look nice and translucent (see bottom left of the next picture), tomatoes look soft, and peppers are getting a nice char on them

3. Let it all cool a bit, then run through the food processor with salt and cilantro (we had to do this in two batches)
4. Stir it all together and eat with abandon. Trust me.

chile and lime veggie bowls

chile and lime veggie bowls

These are so so good!

We've had them a few times since I first found the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Chile and Lime Veggie Bowls

adapted from BHG

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. fresh oregano, snipped, or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. olive oil
2 medium sweet potatos, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup shelled edamame
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped
large cabbage leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
lime wedges (optional)

directions
1. Make Dressing; set aside (if you can make this the day before....DO!! It has so much more flavor!)

Yogurt-Lime Dressing

In small bowl combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 2 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS chili powder, and 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1TBS chopped chives. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil until well combined.

2. In small bowl stir together soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and olive oil; add diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Roast at 425° for 30-40 minutes until done.

3. Divide potatoes, beans, tomatoes, edamame, and avocado among cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

Drizzle veggies with dressing, and enjoy!

(we found it easiest to fold them up and eat them like tacos:)

Sauteed Chicken with Clementine Salsa

Does everyone  have a little box of Cuties or clementines on their kitchen counter right now?  We've been eating them like candy....a bowl of them on the coffee table in the living room, another bowl in the kitchen, and a stash in the fridge. They’re everywhere right now and absolutely irresistible.  I found this recipe in Bon Apetit magazine a while back and have been meaning to make it and, well, with 4,000 clementines in the house, it seemed like a good time, right?
So the clementine is the hesperidium of a variety of the mandarin orange.  I have no idea what that means, but I found it on Wikipedia.  I was just wondering if the clementine was actually a tangerine, and it turns out it’s a hybrid of sorts, the clementine being seedless.
You don’t really need to know all that to enjoy this dish though.  What we have is a nice organic, free-range chicken breast, topped with a flavorful salsa comprised of chunks of clementine, grape tomatoes, poblano chiles, basil, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and a little red onion, the flavors of which meld into a very lovely salsa.  The juice of a few clementines are reduced to also create a sauce and it all just tastes dad-gum good together.
At the risk of sounding naggy, I must mention (once again)...DO NOT overcook your chicken breast!!  It’s certain death to any dish no matter how wonderful it’s accompanying components.  For tips on how to cook your chicken perfectly, check this out.
This salsa would also be fabulous over grilled fish or shrimp, and if you added some black beans and jalapenos, it could be a killer salsa with chips.

Sauteed Chicken with Clementine Salsa
Printable Recipe

Adapted from Bon Apetit Magazine
4 5-ounce chicken breast halves
4 clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 6 clementines)
Pour 6 cups of water (for 3 or 4 breasts) in a large bowl .  Add 3 tablespoons of kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved and then add the chicken breasts.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
Mix clementines and next 8 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Salsa can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.  Add a drizzle of olive oil to a 12"skillet, and heat to medium high. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and lay them salted side down in the pan.  Drizzle a little more olive over the top of the breasts and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat on the first side for about 4 minutes and then turn them.  Cook another 2 or 3 minutes and then cover the pan, remove from the heat and just let them sit covered for 15 minutes.  The residual heat will continue to cook them.
Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring often, about 2 minutes.

Drizzle sauce over chicken. Spoon salsa over and serve.

Could we get more refreshing? QUINOA-GRAPEFRUIT-CUCUMBER SALAD!

QUINOA-GRAPEFRUIT-CUCUMBER SALAD

I saw the inspiration for this on another blog and had to make it.  All the flavors sounded so beautiful together, and they are!

This is a light, summery salad, full of good-for-you carbs and protein from the quinoa.  With a slightly spicy dressing and undertones of fresh mint…what’s not to love?   Serve it with a moist chicken breast or some deli-turkey slices for a very filling lunch.

(Don’t let the carb count of this scare you.  Quinoa is something that doesn’t seem to cause cravings.  I am a carb-craver to the CORE, and have never had a problem with quinoa.)

~~~~

2 cups cooked quinoa (directions below)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

2/3 cup diced grapefruit (see what I used below…reserve juice)

2 green onions (scallions) sliced – green parts only

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (OR 1 tablespoon honey)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar – regular flavor

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt – or to taste

.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cucumber, grapefruit, green onions, almonds, and mint.  Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, grapefruit juice, agave, vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, pepper, and salt.  Pour over salad and mix well.

I loved it as soon as it was made, but it only got more intense and yummy after it was chilled!

Makes approx. six  1/2-cup servings.

Per Serving: Calories 211; Protein 5 g; Fat 10 g; NET Carbs 20 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugar 7 g; Sodium 59 mg

.

Cooking Quinoa:  It cooks like long-grain rice…very easy.  For this salad I cooked it in salted water, but using chicken, beef, or vegetable broth works great, too.  I’ve also done it with half water, half coconut milk for a breakfast cereal-version.

Bring 1 cup water and a little less than 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa.  (Rinse in a fine mesh sieve making sure the water runs clear.  Most on the market – even the bulk stuff – is very clean already.)

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the white ‘tail’ or ‘ring’ can be seen on each seed.  Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temp for this salad.  Or cool, cover and chill for later use.  It should stay nice and fluffy.

.

I LOVE these little cups for use in recipes.  All the work has been done AND you get some juice to use for the dressing!  They can be found in the produce section, usually by the bagged salads or chilled dressings.  I used all of the grapefruit and 2 tablespoons of the juice for this recipe.

Also really good with Mandarin Oranges and orange juice! Little bit easier and cheaper that way too!

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

One of my food revelations when I moved here was to be able to get fresh asparagus without paying a fortune and getting healthy, vigorous ones as well instead of the scrawny ones I would find in Sweden in those days. I'm sure things have changed since then but when I lived there, either you bought canned asparagus or you bought not that great fresh ones, what a lousy choice. So you can imagine how I felt here, an ardent asparagus lover when the first Spring came and I saw all this wonderful asparagus on sale, I went mad. Nowadays I'm a bit blasé but I still can't resist their allure when spring comes. I think my favourite way of serving them is with really creamy scrambled eggs but you cannot live on that alone so I do serve it in other ways and this is one of them.





PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS
4 servings

400-500 g/0,88-1,1 lb pasta
1 bunch of asparagus, they usually weigh around 500 g/ 1,1 lb
2 small fresh onions
3-4 tblsp sesame seeds
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

- Start cooking the pasta.
- Clean the asparagus and break or cut off the woody arts of the stalks before cutting them into pieces. If you want to speed up the cooking, you can chop them now instead of later.
- Chop the onions finely and start frying gently them and the asparagus in a skillet in some olive oil. Add salt and cook until the asparagus is soft but still got a bite to them, we don't want mushy asparagus. Unless you like that of course.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a hot skillet.
- When the asparagus is ready, chop them roughly and taste for salt.
- When the pasta is ready, mix it with the asparagus and sprinkle the sesame seeds over before serving. Or why not let people sprinkle for themselves?

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

I do over my fair share of food blog browsing and therefore I see the trends in the food world...and my friends ASPARAGUS is the new BLACK.

Pair it up with a pork tenderloin, as an accessory to your salmon, or wrap it in proscuttio for an appetizer. Really it goes with everything and is the most popular vegetable this spring. My family loves it so I'm always trying different ways to serve it and we really liked this. This recipe comes from my sister-in-law Kristy who served this at Easter.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

by SweetTreatsandMore

40 asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Make sure not to burn it just get it to a point where the butter has a nutty smell. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over the asparagus, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately

Chipotle Portobello Burgers

Here is yet another successful meatless meal.  Joey was actually surprised when I told him the "patty" was a mushroom.  He just assumed it was turkey or beef given how flavorful it was.  Success!  I'm honestly not surprised that its delicious - the mushroom caps are marinated in a spicy and flavorful chipotle dressing, grilled, and served on a burger bun with grilled onions, tomatoes, pepperjack cheese, and avocado. 

However, a word to the wise:  don't make these for company or on a first date.  They are incredibly messy to eat, and I would actually almost classify this as a fork and knife burger.  Joey and I have been married long enough that neither of us cares about being neat and clean... and let's face it.  No matter what I'm eating, I still manage to wear half.  Quite honestly, Caroline may very well be a cleaner eater than her mother.

We had a few mushrooms leftover, and I turned the ingredients into a salad for lunch.  Another success!  Loved this burger, and I'll be making it again and again this summer - just not for people that we need to impress.

Chipotle Portobello Burgers
adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Steven Raichlen
makes 4 burgers

Marinade

• 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• coarse salt and ground black pepper

Burgers

• 4 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a paper towel
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into rings
• 2-3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 buns or rolls
• 4 slices pepperjack cheese
• 4 tomato slices
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into slices

Combine the ingredients for the marinade in the food processor.  Puree until smooth, and pour over mushroom caps.  Turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Skewer the onions, or prepare vegetable basket for grill.

Grill mushrooms, gill side down, on the grill, brushing with extra marinade.  Brush the onion slices with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill alongside the mushrooms.  After 3 minutes, flip the mushrooms and onions, and brush with remaining marinade.  Allow to cook until tender and sizzling.  Lay a slice of cheese over each mushroom and continue to cook until it is melted and bubbly.

Brush buns with melted butter, and grill until toasted and lightly browned.

Starting with the bottom half of each bun, layer the onion, tomato, mushroom, and avocado.  Serve immediately.

Egg Drop Breakfast Heaven

New categories for me. I’m filing this under ‘kids‘ and ‘breakfast‘. Not because it’s a specific food for children, but because my baby loves to eat this (will I ever stop calling him my baby? I somehow doubt it). This is by far his favorite breakfast -not to mention he loves to ‘help‘ me cook it – which makes it a fun thing for the both of us. If he likes it, chances are more toddlers out there like it and well, us moms gotta give each other a hand whenever we can, right! :)
It’s just a little break from the traditional way of cooking eggs and it’s actually a pretty decent start of the day, nutritionally speaking. Since it’s not a very quick breakfast we usually make this on Sunday morning. Yes, of course in our pajamas!
It’s not just fun to make but they’re also great to serve because they’re oh-so simple, but look oh-so good, and not just for kids!

Ingredients:
drop of olive oil
1/2 small onion
grated cheese
1 tomato
2oz ham
2 eggs
pepper
salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 (175c)
This was a breakfast for two, so if you need more just double (or triple) the amounts. Start by finely chopping your onion. You can also use shallots for this, I mainly grab whatever I find in my pantry. Do the same with the ham.

I’ve used fresh and vibrant organic/biological tomatoes for this and I must say, there’s definitely a noticeable difference in flavor. I was always skeptical about it, but it’s just really a deeper and more pure flavor. Hard to describe. Anyway, give them a rough chop. Remove as many of the seeds as you can but don’t sweat it, most of the seeds will fall off when you transfer them to the skillet later on.

Using a little drop of olive oil, sautee your onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for one more minute before adding the ham. Let everything heat through for an additional minute now.

I’ve used ramekins for this, but any small, individual baking dish will do, just lightly grease it. My ramekins don’t look great with all the gray on white (especially not in photos), but they do have a huge advantage to them – a non stick interior, so I’ll gladly trade in pretty pictures for comfort. Spoon the vegetable mix in whatever you’re gonna use to bake it in and top with a little grated cheese.

The egg saga. Need I say more? Just crack an egg over each baking dish.

Now there’s a slight chance one (or all) of your eggs survived the crash, so we’ll just have to burst their bubbles ourselves. If you leave the yolk intact it’s gonna end up all dried out, small, sad and shriveled up. It’s not a pretty sight and quite frankly, it scares me. What can I say? I’m a woman, I tend to panic when I think about things ending up sad and shriveled up. Anything. So use something sharp to break the yolk and let it run its course. Don’t mix things.

Pop them in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes and keep an eye on them. If after 15 minutes the egg white doesn’t look completely firm give it a few more minutes. You want the egg to be fully cooked but the yolk underneath still a bit soft and runny.
In the mean time I make toast that I cut up in small strips. The kiddo loves dipping them in the runny yolks and I love my kiddo, so I’ll gladly make them. You can lightly butter them if you like.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on top, a little parsley if you want to get real fancy and you’re done.