Cuban Eggs

I don't know why this is called Cuban Eggs.  Anyway, I found this recipe in the South Beach Diet for Beginners. Beginner cooks or beginner SB dieters? However you see it,  it can be either or both. This dish is quite easy to make and takes just half an hour. I made some adaptations to the recipe as you'll see from the notes in brackets. The sauce was quite flavorful with the tang of tomato but it overpowered the cheese. AJ enjoyed these eggs and we both pronounced this recipe "a keeper."

Eggs
8 large hard-cooked eggs (I used large eggs; egg size wasn't stipulated in the recipe)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild)
3 tablespoons non-fat half and half (5 tablespoons non-fat milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used scallion, minced)
1/2 cup sweet green pepper (for color contrast; but any color will do. I had red pepper on hand)
1 tablespoon butter (Oh, no! Use olive oil instead)
2 tins (8 oz.) non-salt tomato sauce (I used 1 salt and 1 non-salt)
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce, optional (my addition)
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped (I used cilantro)

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Hardcook the eggs. Put eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Cover the pan and heat the water to boiling. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water and remove shells. Split the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and put into a small bowl. But the whites in a 9-inch square baking dish.

Season the yolks. Mash the yolks with the back of a fork. Add the cheese and the milk. In fact, add just enough milk to make the yolks a thick consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill each egg white with a heaping tablespoon of the yolk mixture. Place the filled eggs in a single layer in the baking dish.

Make the sauce. In a small skillet, heat the oil. Add the scallions and sweet pepper and cook until fragrant. Mix in the tomato sauce and add the Sriracha, if using. Pour over the eggs.

Bake the eggs. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with cilantro, if using.

Serve. For Phase Two, serve with hot cooked brown rice.

Crustless Quiche

This is a very forgiving recipe in that I've done just about anything to it and it invariably comes out right. I've added spinach and bacon. I've substituted ham for bacon. I've put in chopped sweet peppers and broccoli. This time I didn't have spinach on hand but arugula. 

Crustless Quiche (adapted from Butterfly Breeze Bed and Breakfast)
4 strips bacon, fried until crisp, drained, and crumbled
1 1/2 cups milk
dash of black pepper
1/2 cup prepared biscuit mix (recipe to follow)
3-4 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
6 cups arugula, chopped (It's an acceptable substitute for spinach)
3 cups shredded cheese (low-fat mozzarella is recommended)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add arugula and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat. In a blender or food processor, combine milk, black pepper, biscuit mix, melted butter, eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour into one 8 inch square pan or one pie plate.  

Scrape arugula mixture and sprinkle cheese on top of the egg mixture. Use a fork to push arugula-cheese down beneath the surface. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the quiche cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. It tends to fall a bit after it's taken out of the oven.

You can use packaged biscuit mix from the supermarket or you can make your own.


Home made Biscuit Mix
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in the shortening. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Broccoli Cheese Pie

 Preheat the oven to 350˚F and spray a 9 inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle with whole wheat breadcrumbs and tilt the plate to coat the bottom and sides.

 Add eggs, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. And I forgot to add one thing. Do you know what it is yet?

 Chop the onion, ham and broccoli florets. Blanch the florets in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking process and to keep that bright green color.

 Add 2 slices of cubed bread to the egg mixture. Still don't know what I forgot yet. Hmm. I used the Texas Toast bread I bought at Trader Joe's to make the breading for the center cut pork chops. I froze the rest of the loaf and just take out what I need.

 Fry the onions and ham until the onions are wilted and fragrant. Yum.

 Combine the bread-egg mixture with the blanched broccoli and the ham and onions. Still haven't figured out what I forgot yet?

 No, it's not the cheese. I remembered that.

 Doesn't it look dry? Yikes. I forgot the milk! I poured everything out and added the milk to the mixture. This meant I had to wash and dry the pie plate. Then spray it again with cooking spray and dust it with breadcrumbs. Then I poured the mixture back into the plate and as an after thought, sprinkled the top with seasoning salt. Then I put the pie in the oven. And crossed my fingers.

 After 50 minutes in the oven, the eggs had set and the top was golden brown.

 This is why I like glass plates. I can see the sides and the bottom. I let the pie rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

 The broccoli cheese pie makes a great breakfast by itself or, if served with a side of salad becomes a light brunch or lunch.

Of course, you have to serve it with Sriracha Sauce on the side. Everything tastes better if it burns the palate. Here's the list of ingredients, and if you forget the milk, you can always add it at the last minute!

Broccoli Cheese Pie (from: eating well.com)
2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs
cooking spray
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (This is too conservative. Feel free to add more)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups zero percent milk
2 cups cubed bread (the hearty kind, as America's Test Kitchen likes to point out)
3 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup diced sliced ham (Canadian bacon in the original recipe)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup grated Cheddar-Jack cheeses (can substitute any low fat low calorie cheeses)
Seasoning salt, optional

Potato-Spinach-Bacon Frittata

Frittata

My Calphalon Everyday Pan is so versatile and perfect for making one-pot meals. Tonight's light supper was a frittata consisting of eggs, small red, white, and blue potatoes, bacon,  and spinach. Served with a salad it's perfect for brunch too. I got this recipe from about.com and made some adjustments to it.

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped (don't you just love garlic and eggs?)
1 cup chopped spinach
6 eggs (1 1/2 cups liquid egg substitute in the original recipe)
1/4 cup fat-free milk
salt and pepper to taste
Scallion and cilantro, chopped, for garnish
6 strips of bacon, fried, drained, and crumbled (I used uncured pepper bacon)

Boil the potatoes. Let them simmer for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic and cook until the onion and garlic become fragrant. Add spinach and cook until wilted.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over the potato-spinach mixture and reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle the bacon on top. Cover and let the eggs set, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Use a spatula to gently loosen the edges of the frittata. Cook until completely set about 5-7 minutes.

Wedge of frittata with Sriracha sauce and a Greek salad