My Favorite Summer Breakfast… or Lunch

My Favorite Summer Breakfast

I love fresh eggs, basil and tomatoes all from my own backyard!  This meal is filling, packed with protein and has amazing flavor!

Recipe

1 Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain English muffin, toasted and buttered or with avocado slices

2-3 eggs scrambled with onion powder, sea salt, pepper and a little mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

Christmas French Omelet

Christmas French OmleteEvery Christmas morning I make this omelet and blueberry pancakes!  I took the recipe from one of Barefoot Contessa’s cookbooks and added a few extra things.  You can add or take away to make it a family favorite.

French Omelet

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch peices

1 cup (i-inch diced) Yukon gold potatoes

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

6 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives

1 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon has browned.  Take bacon out of pan and set aside on plate.  Drain out most of the bacon fat.

Place potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Continue to cook over medium for 8-10 minutes, until very tender and browned, tossing occasionally to brown evenly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.  Add butter to the pan and turn off heat.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese on top.  Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until eggs are set.  Sprinkle chives on top and serve hot.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce

Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce

My mom used to make this chili sauce for us as kids.  The jar was empty in one sitting!  This recipe is so good on scrambled eggs!  Here is the recipe for both the eggs and chili sauce!

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

2 fresh eggs

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

homemade onion powder

2-3 tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese

In a medium frying pan sprayed with Pam, crack eggs over medium high heat.  Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add a pinch or two of onion powder and the cheese.  Stir gently with a fork and serve once thoroughly cooked.  Serve with sweet chili sauce.

 

Sweet Chili Sauce

25 large tomaotoes diced (blanch with skin removed first)

4-6 large onions

4 large green bell peppers, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped with seeds removed

1.5 oz. jar of McCormick’s Pickling Spice wrapped in cheese cloth and tied with string

2 cups apple cider vinegar

3 cups sugar

2 tbsp. sea salt

Add all ingredients into a large stainless steel pot.  Cook down to a good consistency until it has thickened to about half in volume.  Put in jars no bigger than a pint jar.  Process for 10 minutes in caner.

 

 

Crustless Garden Vegetable Quiche

Crustless Garen Vegetable Quiche

Summer is so wonderful for many reasons!  But one of my most favorite is that I get to make my fabulous rich and savory garden vegetable quiche!  Perfect for Sunday brunch or a weeknight dinner!  Use high quality ingredients and you will have a foolproof quiche everyone will rave over!

Fresh Ingredients from the Garden

I love when I can go outside in my own backyard and find all the vegetables I need to make something really wonderful!  Even the eggs were from my own backyard!  I love being self-reliant, even if it is on a smaller scale!

 

Recipe

10 large organic eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 (16 ounce) carton of cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Egg Mixture for Quiche
Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup cheddar, 3/4 cup Monterrey cheese, milk, cottage cheese, flour, baking powder, salt and parsley in a large bowl.
Chopped Fresh Vegetables for Quiche

4 cups zucchini, chopped

2 cups organic red potato, chopped
1 cup green peppers, chopped (sweet or medium spice)
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup mushrooms chopped (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Saute Garden Vegetables for Quiche
Saute vegetables in a 12-inch oven safe skillet with some organic canola oil, until softened, 5-10 minutes.
Ready to Bake Quiche
Pour the egg mixture over the softened vegetables, top with the remaining cheese and freshly sliced tomatoes.  Place in a 400` oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 350` and bake for an additional 35 minutes until lightly browned and set.  Serves 10.

Sunny-Side Up Personal Pizzas!

Sunny-side Up Pizza

Now here is a new twist on pizza!  These personal pizzas are fun for the whole family to help make!  My kids loved rolling out their own little pizzas and enjoyed eating them too!  They can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  This recipe makes 4 personal pizzas or 2 large.

Recipe

1 lb. pizza dough (see recipe below)

1 cup tomato or pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Additional toppings of your choice, such as mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, spinach, etc.

4 large eggs

Basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll out on a floured surface, about 1/2-inch thick.   Place 2 pizzas on a oiled jelly roll pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Take out of oven and place sauce and toppings on the pizza, including cheese.  Crack one egg over the top and put back into the oven for 15-20 minutes longer until the cheese is bubbly and the egg is set.  Garnish with basil.

 

Pizza Dough

1 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans

1 cup warm water, divided

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 1/2 cups flour, either all all-purpose flour or half white, half wheat

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

In a blender puree beans with 1/4 cup of the water until completely smooth.  In a small bowl stir together the remaining warm water, yeast and sugar.  Make sure the mixture gets foamy to ensure the yeast is fresh.  In a large electric bowl fitted with a bread dough hook add the water and bean mixtures together along with 1 cup flour.  Add the oil and salt.  Add the remaining flour and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Knead a few times on an oiled surface.  Place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour or until doubled in size.  Once the dough has raised punch down and proceed with directions above.

 

 

Growing and Using Herbs: Dill

Growing and Using Herbs: Dill

Right now in my garden, dill is at it’s peak of foliage just before going  to flower and seed in the next few weeks!   These tender leaves make a delicious and refreshing addition to many dishes including eggs, salads and fish.  Once it begins to flower, it adds a charming and whimsical addition to the garden, attracting beneficial insects and deters some of the bad bugs!

Companion Planting with Dill

In any vegetable garden, dill can benefit the members of the cabbage family, onion family, lettuce, corn, and cucumbers.  Avoid planting it with carrots and tomatoes. Many of the same insects that benefit vegetables will also benefit flowers through pollination.   Dill attracts wasps, hoverflies, tomato horn worms and honeybees.  Dill also repels aphids, mites, cabbage loopers and squash bugs. It is also one of the few annuals that can be planted with fennel which should be avoided by almost everything else.  Next year I plan on planting dill around my plum tree, currants and honeysuckle to keep the aphids away!

How to Plant Dill

Dill is probably one of the easiest things to grow!  It is another water-wise plant that needs full sun and well draining soil.   Add a little organic matter like compost to your soil to help with keeping the soil lose and free from compaction.  Dill germinates well in soil that is 60`-70` and can be planted from mid spring to early summer.  It can grow in 6 hours of sun, but will do well with more.  Dill self seeds, so you can expect it to return next year provided the soil conditions are the same.  Plant dill next to flowers with a variety of color.  Its light green stem and yellowish green flowers contrast nicely with flowers that produce dark petals, making the garden jump in color. If garden aesthetics are what you do best, sprinkle dill seeds in a variety of locations throughout your flower garden. The bouquet of flowers accentuated by sprigs of green leaves allow the vibrant colors of the flowers to stand out.  Dill not only looks beautiful but also adds a lovely fragrance to the garden.

Harvesting Dill

The best time to harvest dill is when the weather is cool or in the morning just like other herbs.  Cut the flower heads after they begin to go to seed, but be sure to let some complete the life cycle to reseed the ground or save for the following year to be placed in an intentional part of your yard.  A dill harvest is another advantage of growing this herb.  If you enjoy making pickles, grow plenty of dill. For each jar of dill pickles, at least two flower heads and several sprigs are necessary.  Dill can be planted in mid spring to early summer.   I recommend planting both times so that if you do like to pickle cucumbers, you’ll have some around for when the cucumbers are ready.

I love the flavor of dill!  Here are just a few of my favorite recipes!  Next time you make a green salad, throw some dill in, you will be delighted!

 

Salmon Pasta Salad with a Feta, Dill and Lemon Dressing

Salmon Orzo Pasta with a Feta, Dill and Lemon Dressing

6 cups water
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice shaped pasta)
1 (1 1/4 pound) skinless salmon fillet
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 purple onion, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in large bowl.  Add the pasta to the water and cook according to directions on package.  In the meantime, drizzle salmon with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Broil  for 5 minutes or until salmon is flaky.  Set aside once finished.  Add chopped onions, feta cheese, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste into the asparagus.  Add fish and drained pasta.  Mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.  Recipe from Cooking Light, Fresh Food Fast. pg. 105
Eggs, Lemon, Dill and Toast

Fresh Eggs and Greens from the Garden with Whole Grain Organic Toast and Lemon Dill Dressing

Garden Egg Sandwich
1-2 pieces of good whole grain bread (I like to make my own or use Dave’s Organic Bread from Costco)
Fresh greens
Fresh egg, cooked to your liking
Lemon dill vinaigrette (recipe below)
2 teaspoons fresh Parmesan (optional)
Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
1 lemon zested and juiced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

When it comes to potato salads, I haven’t found very many worthy of putting into my mouth.  I’m just not a fan!  However, I did try this one from Barefoot Contessa and fell in love!  It not only taste fabulous but is pretty too!

3 pounds small red potatoes
kosher salt
1 cup good mayo
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium-diced celery
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife.  Drain potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel.  Leave the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, buttermilk, Dijon and whole-grain mustards, dill, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.   When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size.  Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl and pour the dressing over them.  Add the celery and red onion.  Refrigerate for a few hours or up to a day to allow the flavors to blend.