Baked eggs for breakfast? Yes please!

Like most people, I'd say my life is pretty full of routines.

Monday through Friday is the whole work thing : wake- work- sleep- repeat.  Sure, sometimes it's a drag, but I usually consider myself lucky because:

a.  I have a job, and

     b.  It's pretty awesome.

Photo of me on the job.  Not really.  Maybe?

My routines even bear their regulated head during my weekends, most notably on Saturday, a.k.a. grocery shopping day.

I never really thought grocery shopping was all that big of a deal growing up.  In the suburbs all you have to do is jump in your car, go to the store, and carry the bags into the house- no big.

Now that I live in the city, I've found things to be a bit more complicated...

Grocery shopping now involves elaborate planning (to stick to a budget), annoying transportation (about a 90 minute round trip), and the logistics of carrying/ carting back a weeks worth of groceries.

But really, the most daunting question I face before my taxing Saturday morning trek is:

What am I going to eat to fuel this shopping excursion?

Sometimes (if I roll out of bed pretty late, or kind of hung over) it's clothes on, out the door, and pick up a bagel on the way to the train.

Other mornings when I wake up early and I'm feeling a little more ambitious I take the time to make my own breakfast. And yes, it's better than a bagel.

Lately, I've been really into this quick fix:

Baked Egg with Tomato Sauce (a.k.a. Pizza Eggs)

I use up the remaining bit of pizza sauce (bear with me here) from Friday night's homemade pizza.  I imagine you could make this with any kind of tomato based sauce (leftover marinara and the like), but this particular pizza sauce is SOFUCKINGOOD!  I generally have to restrain myself from eating it straight from the pot.

Seriously though, the creamy baked eggs when combined with this sauce and a little bit of mozzarella = heaven in a ramekin.  Scoop it up with toast fingers, or eat it with a spoon- this breakfast is incredibly delicious, easy, and far more satisfying than a bodega bagel.

Baked Eggs with Tomato Sauce

serves 2

Ingredients

2 eggs (preferably from the farmers market)

1/2 cup Best Ever Pizza Sauce (or whatever you happen to have)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Directions

1.  Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 425F.

2.  In two small ramekins or oven safe bowls, divide half of the sauce.  Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of mozzarella each.  Crack an egg into each bowl, keeping the yolk intact.  Sprinkle with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder.  Cover the eggs with the remaining pizza sauce, and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

3.  Bake for 13-15 minutes until the eggs are set.  Allow to cool a few minutes before eating, and serve with toasted bread.

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Meatless Monday: Moar lentilz plz!!!

Okay, okay, so I know there are a lot of jokes going around about lentils.  Namely because they are often used by the well-meaning folks as a cure all for the problems of the poor, fat, and hungry.

I.E.  "All the poor fat peoplez should eat all the lentilz because they're healthy and cheaper than a Big Mac!!"

All ass-hattery aside, I really think people should eat more lentils.  They are healthy, cheap, and insanely delicious!!!  The only downside as far as I can see is there lack of, shall we say, visual appeal?

Honestly, this is actually a pretty good picture of lentils.  If you want to see them in their total paradoxically ugly/ delicious form, see this post here on Sausage with Lentils.

Where was I?

Right, lentils are delicious (if somewhat disgusting looking), and I really could eat them any day of the week.  (Mr. greenhorngourmande still remains somewhat unconvinced of this all lentil diet.  That's okay though, because that just means more for me.)

Seriously though, I'm pretty in love with this tasty little legume.  As seen in a recent photo of me daydreaming of this particular lentil dish, Mujadara.

I can haz all the lentilz!?!?!

I do have to admit that this particular dishes appeal lies not so much in the lentils, but rather the copious amounts of caramelized onions contained within.  This dish is hearty, savoury, and ready in about 45 minutes.  Give it a try, and maybe you too will find yourself as a member of #teamlentilz4life.

Mujadara

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup long grain rice
4-6 cups liquid (veg. stock, chicken stock, water etc.)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions
1.  In a large pot heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the diced onions.  Cook until softened and add the garlic and garam masala, cooking until fragrant.
2.  Add the lentils and 4 cups of liquid.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes until lentils are beginning to become soft.  Add the rice and enough liquid to cover by about an inch.  Stir together, cover, and cook over low heat until rice and lentils are completely cooked.
3.  While lentils are cooking in step 2, melt the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the onions, salt and pepper, and cook until caramelized.
4.  Stir caramelized onions into the cooked rice and lentils, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meatless Monday- Broiled Portabellas with Caramelized Onions

As much as I like my vegetarian meals, this weekend I found myself craving something different from my usual fare of lentils and quinoa.

To change it up I bought some mushrooms to make stuffed portabella caps, but the thing is, I always make stuffed caps.  So I thought to myself, lets try something new.

I'm so glad I did!  Although the ingredients for this meal are simple, the flavors are complex and deep.  The creamy caramelized onions pair well with the slightly springy mushroom, and the components are complimentary rather than combative.

All in all the experiment was a succes, and one I'm sure I'll recreate soon.

Mom's Potato Cheddar Casserole- 50th post!

I find that everyone has some special dish from childhood that holds a special place in their heart.  Usually something simple, warm, and comforting.  I was lucky, my mother was and still is a wonderful cook, so I have quite a few childhood favorites.

One of these is my mom's hamburger and potato casserole.  A quintessentially American dish that my grandmother used to make for my mom.  The tangy tomato sauce loaded with lean ground beef is a perfect match with the tender yet firm potatoes.  The cheddar makes the dish feel extra homey, and the extra crisp bits of cheese on the sides are quite possibly the best part.

I'm sad to say that while I've always been interested in eating, the cooking part of the whole process was quite foreign to me until a few years ago.  While my mother was performing magic in the kitchen, I was elsewhere.  So when I have a craving for an old favorite, I call my mother and try to squeeze the recipe out of her.

Don't get me wrong, she loves it when I call to ask for a recipe, but she is one of those skilled and experienced cooks that hardly ever follows a particular recipe.

Fortunately for me, I was able to recreate this dish (with a few small changes) that was almost as good as the real deal.

I replaced the classic orange cheddar with some extra sharp white, and I traded in a mix of red and green lentils for the lean hamburger (don't tell mom!).  The casserole tastes almost exactly the same, but the texture was a little off.  Lentils just can't compete for the delightful chew of ground beef.  At any rate this recipe is delicious, and makes a wonderfully hearty vegetarian meal.

Lentil and Potato Casserole

Ingredients

4 large yellow potatoes, sliced into 1/3in. circles
2 tbsp salt
3/4 cup green lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked over
3 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
1 tbsp oil (olive, canola, bacon grease, etc.)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1/2-3/4 cup ketchup (one made with sugar is preferred)
4 ounces extra sharp white cheddar, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.  In a large bowl place sliced potatoes, 2 tbsp salt, and cover with cold water until all slices are submerged.  Set aside.  In a large non-stick pot place all of the lentils and 3 cups of your liquid of choice.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes.  By this point the red lentils will have lost their shape, and the green will still have a slight bite.
2.  Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a large sauce pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the chopped onions.  Saute until softened, and then add the minced garlic.  Continue cooking until garlic is fragrant.  Add the lentils, tomato paste, water and 1/2 cup ketchup.  Stir until combined and taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, and ketchup to taste.
3.  In a large baking dish (I used 9x13x4) place 1/3 of the lentil mixture.  Top with half of the potato slices in a uniform and single layer and cover with half of the remaining lentil mixture.  Repeat with the remaining potatoes and lentils for a total of two layers of potatoes.  Cover the entire casserole with the cheese and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Let cool slightly before serving.

As my title suggests, this is my fiftieth blog post!!  I have to say that I'm a little surprised to have continued with my blog so long.  Thank you to everyone who has ever left me a comment, or visited my blog!

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Meatless Monday

I'm not really into the whole 'Meatless Monday' meme.  I eat meatless most of the time; sometimes this happens on a Monday, and sometimes it doesn't.

At any rate, this simple pasta dish would be delicious any day of the week as a light dinner or lunch.

Even though this winter has been rather mild, I still have found myself primarily drawn to heavy stews and casseroles.  Now that we are on the verge of spring I've been craving lighter fare.  This was another kind of "throw in what sounds good" creation, but I found that the lemon and caper's brightness are very balanced by the earthy and savory tones from the anchovies and red pepper flakes.  The grated pecorino romano on top serves as a bridge to really unify the flavors in this dish.  Delicious, simple, and ready in the time it takes to cook a pot of pasta.

Lemon Caper Spaghetti 

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 anchovy filets

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper

12 ounces spaghetti

pecorino romano, grated

Directions

1.  Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Salt the water and add the pasta.  While the pasta is cooking, melt over medium low heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan and then add the anchovies and garlic.  Stir until the anchovies have disolved (carefully, they can splatter quite a bit), and then add the red pepper flakes and capers.

2.  Once the pasta is cooked slightly under al dente, carefully remove from the pot with a pasta ladel into the frying pan.  Once all the pasta is in the pan, give it a toss with large tongs until evenly coated.  Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to combine.  Garnish with a sprinkling of cheese.  Serves 3-4.

Come join the party over at The Sweet Spot to see my post and a bunch of other tasty treats.