Tag Archives: butter

Herbed Baked Eggs

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baked_eggs

So for my brother’s birthday I made this quick, but luxurious and simple brunch/breakfast for him.  If you want to make someone feel special, but don’t really have the time to do it, I highly recommend this recipe.  This is adapted from Ina Garten (via Chrissy Teigan), so again it will be Y-U-M-M-Y!

Ingredients
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 tbs. grated parmesan
8 large eggs
4 tbs. heavy cream
2 tbs. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Set the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven on broil for 5 minutes.

Combine garlic, thyme, rosemary, and parmesan in a bowl and set aside.  Set out 4 cups/small bowls, and crack two eggs in each bowl, being careful not to break the yolk (otherwise you’ll have baked scrambled eggs).  Add salt and pepper to eggs.

Take 4 individual serving sized baking dishes and place on a cookie sheet (make sure the dish is broiler safe!!!).  Put a tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter into each baking dish.  Place under the broiler for 3 minutes, or until the cream and butter are hot and bubbly.  Take out of the oven, add the 2 eggs, and sprinkle the herb mixture on top.  Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the egg whites are almost cooked.  Take out of the oven and let the eggs set for a minute before serving with buttered toast.

Cook’s Notes
So the original recipe calls for 3 eggs, but my gratin dishes were definitely too small for 3 eggs.  If you have dishes that are a bit bigger, definitely go for 3 eggs.  I thought 2 eggs was more than enough for us and it also meant the eggs were creamier and herby.

The recipe also calls for fresh parsley.  We didn’t have fresh parsley in the house, so I omitted it from this recipe.  However, if we did have parsley I think I would have added it after the eggs were cooked in the broiler.  It was fine without the parsley too.  If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs but definitely use a 1/3 of what the recipe calls for since dried herbs are more potent.

This recipe is also for 4 people.  My brother and I like our eggs a little runny, so I pulled out two dishes at around 6 minutes.  If you like your yolks more firm, keep the eggs under the broiler for a few more minutes.  As long as your eggs are 6 inches away from the broiler, I find that it won’t completely burn if you choose to have a firmer egg.  But remember that when you pull the eggs out, it’s still cooking a bit when it sets up.

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Chicken Pot Pie

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chicken_pot_pie

It’s beginning to get a little cooler here, which I hate because I love summer.  However, I do like the comfort foods that are associated with fall and winter–stews, roasts, and pot pie!  It was a rainy day when I made this last week and I had leftover rotisserie chicken, so pot pie it was!  This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten, so you know it’s good!!!

Ingredients
2 cups shredded chicken
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tbs. unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups diced carrots, blanched
10 oz package frozen peas
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Pie crust
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbs. water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan, heat up chicken stock and bouillon cubes, making sure the cubes are fully dissolved.  In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add onions until they become translucent.  Add flour and turn the burner to low.  Stir mixture thoroughly until it becomes a very light brown, very wet sand with onion mixture.  Add stock and stir until it becomes thick.  Add salt, pepper, and heavy cream.  Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.  Then add chicken, carrots, and peas; mix well.

Divide mixture into 4 ovenproof bowls.  Divide pie crusts into 4 pieces to cover the bowls.  Brush some egg wash on the edges of the bowl, then place pie crust.  Crimp and seal crust over the bowl.  Brush crust with egg wash, sprinkle pepper (and sea salt) on crust, and then cut 3 small slits into the crust.  Place bowls on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crust is golden brown.

Cook’s Notes
This can be a baby led weaning recipe.  I would either take a baby portion of the crust and stew and have it sit in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Or I would just cook the crust separately and serve the warmed stew and crust.  The stew bit is already cooked, but when it comes out of the oven it is soooooo piping hot.  My son’s pot pie sat for an hour, even after we put an ice cube in, before it was cool enough for him to eat.

To save time, I always use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  A whole chicken costs $4.99 where I am, and we never eat an entire one for dinner.  So I repurpose the leftover chicken into the pot pie.  It’s easier and saves me time.  I also buy pie crusts just because it’s easier and saves me time.  But I know some people like to make their own crusts, which you can do of course.

Huevos Rancheros

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huevos_rancheros

So this is a breakfast I make if I’m not feeling lazy.  I also use some shortcuts to speed up the process since everyone seems to be hangry in the morning.  But it is pretty delicious to have first thing on a rainy Saturday morning, like today.

Ingredients
4-5 tortillas
Canola spray
Refried black beans (like this)
Bacon
1 tbs. canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can diced green chiles (optional)
1 tsp. chili powder (optional)
4-5 eggs
4-5 tbs. butter
Mexican blend cheese

Directions
In a medium skillet, heat up canola oil.  Saute onions until they become translucent. Then add the tomatoes (with the juice) and the chiles.  Stir in the chili powder and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

In a pan over medium high heat, I spray with canola spray and warm each tortilla individually.  About 2-3 minutes on each side.

I then take another pan on medium high heat and fry my eggs. I use a tablespoon of butter for each fried egg.

I then microwave my bacon and the refried black beans (separately of course).

I then plate my tortilla. Lather on a healthy portion of the black beans. Place my eggs on top. Then add a heaping spoonful or two of the tomato. And then I top it with some cheese and the bacon. So so so yummy!

Cook’s Notes:
I know you are probably rolling your eyes about microwavable bacon and refried black beans.  It makes expediting breakfast in a timely matter so much faster when you have a hangry husband and toddler.  If you have the time, go for it and make things from scratch.  I would probably bake the bacon in the oven before I started the tomatoes. But this meal can seriously be made in 30 minutes the way I do it.

While my son has been eating this meal since he was 18ish months old, I wouldn’t call this a baby led weaning recipe per se.  You can definitely give each component to your baby. The only reason why we didn’t do this as a baby led weaning recipe is because we put chiles and chili powder in the tomatoes, which sometimes can be a bit spicy for my now 3 year old.  You can obviously eliminate them if you do want to make this a recipe fit for you 6+ month old child. However, it just doesn’t taste as good for the adults to add these crucial flavor components afterwards like you can with salt.  I also give my son scrambled eggs instead of fried eggs.