Spicy Dill Feta Baked Eggs

I often stay at Hotel le Germain in Montreal, and one of the breakfast options from Laurie Raphael that they offer is "an egg casserole of the day" that is cooked and served in individual dishes. I really liked it and thought it was great presentation, so I was really excited when I came across the recipe for Tomato and Feta Baked Eggs on one of my favourite blogs, Closet Cooking. This recipe is an adaptation of the recipe on that site, with more emphasis on dill (my favourite herb!) and a bit more spice with Frank's Red Hot. 

Prep Time: 12 mins  
Hands on cook time:  16 mins
Bake Time: 17 minutesTotal Time: 45 mins


Ingredients
1/4 onion (I used sweet), chopped
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/8 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
3 dashes Frank's Red Hot, plus a few drops
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1 tsp garlic, minced (I used jarred)
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 Naan breads


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Heat oil in pan over medium heat.
3. Add onion to pan and saute until soft, approx. 6 minutes.
4. Add garlic, dried dill and Frank's hot sauce and continue to saute until fragrant and mixed.
5. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Simmer until tomatoes start to break down and thickens into sauce, about 10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and mix fresh dill, fresh parsley, feta, and green onion.
8. Divide into two portions and put in two individual sized oven safe dishes, I used French onion soup bowls.
9. Indent the centres with a bowl, and crack one egg into each indentation. Be careful not to break yolk. Put a few extra drops of Frank's Red Hot on egg.
10. Put bowls on baking sheet and bake in oven for about 15 minutes to the point where egg whites are set and sauce just starts to bubble.

Serve it up with a simple green salad and naan bread (pop it in the oven with the egg to warm) to dip in the eggs. Enjoy!

Tip: For added protein put 2 eggs in the dish, that's what I did for Mike :) It may take a bit longer for the egg to cook though...about 3 minutes or so more.

Summer Fruit and Fried Goat Cheese Salad

We love goat cheese, and especially when it is warmed up. To beat the cloudy evening, I made this bright summer salad with goat cheese. It presents well with many different vibrant colours, and egg adds that extra protein. You could also server this with grilled chicken. 


Serves 2 - me and my hungry husband with a big appetite! Could serve three people. 


Prep Time: 10 mins  
Hands on cook time:  25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients
1 egg, whole uncooked
2 eggs, hard boiled (I used this method), crumbled
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
4 oz log of goat cheese
handful of blueberries
8 strawberries
4 cups of spring mix or mache blend 
1 bell pepper, I used orange...you could also use jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 onion, thinly sliced 
1/2 tsp roasted garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic, I use jarred


For dressing:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp mustard
splash lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic glaze (optional)




Directions

1. Cut cheese into six 1/2 inch slices (roughly). If you have dental floss, use that to slice. I didn't so I put the cheese in the freezer for a few minutes and then cut with a very sharp knife. Once cut put back in the fridge to keep cool. If any cheese crumbles off while you are cutting, just add to salad bowl. 
2. Heat grill (my trusty Breville) and slice pepper into pieces to be grilled. When grill is hot, grill peppers until soft and set aside to cool down. Once cool, finely slice the peppers.
3. While peppers are cooking, use a small bowl or dressing jar to make dressing by mixing: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic and lime juice. Set aside.
4. Slice the end off of 6 strawberries and slice berries, add to salad bowl. With the remaining two, keep end on and slice, then fan out for garnish.
5. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil with brown sugar and minced garlic in small fry pan over medium-high heat, when warm add onion and cook until soft and caramelized. Remove onions from pan  
6. While onions are cooking, set up three small bowls with:
1. Flour
2. Egg, beaten
3. Breadcrumbs, rosemary, salt and basil
7. Dip each slice of goat cheese in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture.
8. When onions are cooked and removed from pan, add 2 additional tsp of oil (don't wash out pan) and then add breaded cheese once the oil is hot. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and brown the other side.
9. While cheese is cooking, add spring mix, blueberries, sliced grilled peppers, caramelized onion and crumbled egg to salad bowl and toss with dressing.
10. Plate salad and place goat cheese patties on top with fanned out strawberries for garnish. 
11. Drizzle with balsamic glaze (optional).

Dinner Breakfast Style (Great for Brunch too!)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love breakfast...any time of day.  My husband works during the evening a few nights a week, so when I am on my own for dinner I try to experiment, and tonight, I tried something new with my breakfast fav's: potatoes, eggs and bacon. This recipe is for one, but you can multiple it by the number of people you are serving for brunch...or dinner :)


Prep Time: 15 mins  
Hands on Cooking: 25 mins (add a bit more time if you don't have cooked bacon on hand)
Total: 40 mins
Serves 1  (multiply recipe by number of people to serve)

Ingredients
3 strips bacon, cooked
1 potato, but into matchsticks  (or 1/4 cup hashbrown cut potato - I used Reser's Hashbrowns)
1 tsp olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 yellow pepper
3 slice onion, thin
1 green onion
1/8 cup grated cheddar cheese




Directions

1. Heat a dash of oil in fry pan over medium high and, when hot, add onions and peppers.
2. Cook until softened, then remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add more oil and then potatoes, forming a thin layer in a circle.
4. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip...they will fall apart, but reshape once flipped. 
5. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then add grated cheese and keep over heat until cheese melts.
6. Let cook until cheese melts and remove pan from heat to cool slightly, until cheese hardens. DO NOT OVERCOOK, no one likes burnt cheese! 
7. Place the pan back over the heat, and crack two eggs. Muddle them with a spatula and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Once cooked remove from heat. 
9. On a plate, on top of the potato cheese "pancake" top with 1/2 of cooked onion and pepper mix. Top with 2 slices of bacon, then egg, then rest of onion and pepper mix.
10. Spoon a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with green onion. 

Serve it up!

Serve with sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste.