10. Angel Hair Carbonara



I know, I know... my posts have been semi-MIA lately, but seriously - I warned you in my introduction that periods of postlessness were likely.  Luckily for all of us, my business travel should be done for the year and I have successfully checked some major projects off my "to do" list.  So, I'm happy to not only bust out a post today, but I think it's an especially delicious dish.

I'm sure that many of you have heard of "Spaghetti Carbonara" or seen it on menus.  You many have even eaten it.  I was very surprised recently to discover that many people didn't realize that eggs are a key ingredient for this pasta, giving that sauce it's unique creaminess without any actual cream and not too much cheese.  Plus, like many pasta dishes, it's super easy.

What you need for 4 servings... And by "four servings" I don't mean little puny side-dish servings, I mean big, hearty, full-bowl servings that work as your entire dinner:

• Pasta
• BACON - As little or as much as you want
• 2 eggs
• Fresh Parmesan cheese
• Half of a white onion, chopped
• 2 very large cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 cup of peas (optional, obvi)
• 12 ounces of sliced mushrooms

First, fry up the bacon in a very large pan.
You'll also want to have a large pot of
water on another burner, heating up and
getting ready for the pasta.

After removing the bacon and setting aside,
add the mushrooms to the pan and cook
in the bacon grease until they are just
starting to turn golden brown.

Add half a chopped white onion and stir.

Once the onions begin to get translucent,
add the chopped garlic and mix in with
the mushrooms and white onion.

Once you add the garlic to the pan, add your pasta to the now-boiling water.  Angel hair doesn't take too long to cook, which is definitely one of the benefits.  I don't think you will EVER see me make anything with actual Spaghetti.  The thickness of spaghetti really holds back my twirl-skills and if I'm making any long-noodle dishes I will almost always go for Linguine or Angel Hair (my most favorite). To make four semi-large servings, I use about 4/5 of one whole box.  I should really start being more professional with my measurements and recipes, but it's just not my natural style... I usually like to assume that people are smart enough to figure out a few details on their own.  Also, I would like to mention that I have found whole wheat angel hair to be easier to cook and have a much better texture than spaghetti or fettuccine.

While the pasta cooks, make sure the
stove is on medium heat & add the peas
to the mushrooms, onion and garlic.  I
have a very strong preference for fresh peas,
but frozen is second-best. Canned? NO.

Once the pasta is ready - and don't over-
cook it because it will continue to cook a
bit in the next few minutes - add it to the
frying pan, along with the butter, and begin
tossing all the ingredients together until
they are well-mixed and the pasta is
evenly coated in bacon grease and butter.

Reduce the heat again to low, and it's time to add the eggs!  Most recipes ask you to beat the eggs in advance of adding them to the pasta, but I have done it both ways and haven't noticed a difference, and I'd rather have one dirty dish rather than two.  The most important thing for this step is that you quickly puncture the yolks and begin mixing up all the pasta.  You'll want to mix very well, and continuously for several minutes.  The goal is to get the egg mixed with the butter and grease, coating all the pasta, all without letting the eggs "scramble."  You won't really see the eggs, so there aren't any bits of hard egg white or anything like that.  Really what it does is add a richness to the "sauce" that is slick and creamy but only appears like a shiny coating on all the noodles.  I mixed mine very thoroughly for about 3-5 minutes.

Once everything is well-mixed, I slowly add small handfuls of Parmesan cheese.  While you can, of course, use the grated stuff that comes in a can, I would highly recommend you get something a little richer and fresher.  I have even made this dish using Italian cheese mixes that include Asiago as well as Parmesan.  Some recipes call for a lot of cheese, which will give you a thicker, creamier sauce.  I prefer to only add enough to give the pasta some extra flavor, but let the other ingredients speak for themselves.

Now comes the time where I must apologize... It had been a long day and I was anxious to sit down, eat, and relax.  In my rush, my brain made up memories of taking some additional pictures.  Fortunately, the rest is super easy to describe with words:

1. Put some pasta in a bowl
2. Top with a little additional cheese, and some black pepper
3. Crumble bacon on top

Most recipes have you mix the bacon in with everything else.  Which is totally fine.  However, one of the things I love most about bacon is how salty and crispy it is.  Soggy bacon is like hearing a classical masterpiece from a orchestra of kazoos.  I mean, let's be real... I still eat it, it's just not as good.  The point is that when you crumble the bacon on top of the pasta, it stays crisp throughout your meal.

While this dish is usually some combination of bacon, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and sometimes peas, there's really no reason you couldn't be flexible and make some tasty variations.  Maybe sausage instead of bacon?  Or add some diced tomato?  Broccoli?  What makes Carbonara so special is the unique sauce that is neither marinara/tomato-based, nor is it a thick Alfredo style.  It's most similar to an olive oil sauce but manages to be creamier and more flavorful.  It is by far, one of my favorite pasta dishes EVER.

Love & Eggs,

Laura

These eggs brought to you by Bronte (black and white hen), my Silver-Laced Wyandotte, and Alabama, on of my blue-egg laying Easter Eggers.

9. Doggy Bag Steak 'n Eggs



I'm certain, absolutely certain, you have heard of "Steak & Eggs" before, but in the ridiculous case that I should be wrong about something, let me quickly explain: It's steak.  With eggs.  It's steak and eggs together in one meal, and it's something that people eat sometimes.  There, that's over with.

If you order steak & eggs at a diner or restaurant you'll actually get a whole steak, eggs, toast, and possibly potatoes too.  That is entirely too much for one meal, in my opinion, especially breakfast.  However, the flavor combination of tender steak with runny egg yolk is MMMMMM.  Luckily for me, last week was my 3rd wedding anniversary.  In an effort to prevent us from spending our "special day" eating frozen pizza or whatever else we have stocked and can be made in the 20 minutes from when I get home to when I'm so ravenously hungry I start to scream and throw things, I made a reservation at one of my favorite steak houses in St. Louis, Citizen Kane's.

While I usually get the filet, I opted for a New York Strip this time - mostly because it was the same price and it's bigger so I thought that seemed to make sense.  Did I like it as much as a filet?  No, and I'll probably revert back to my usual order the next time I'm fortunate enough to convince my husband it's ok to spend $150 on dinner (we like wine AND dessert).  However, I managed to bring home half my steak, plus a little bit of leftover creamed spinach and mashed potatoes which means I'll manage to make three meals out of my order, so that's nice.

Since I don't usually have extra steak laying around, I thought this was an excellent opportunity to make a "Steak 'n Eggs" breakfast.  It also plays into one of the themes of this blog which, if you haven't picked up on it, is that with a little creativity and an open mind, you could eat eggs every day of your life and never get bored with it.  Sometimes you can even get creative with non-breakfast related leftovers.

So, here's what I took home from Citizen Kane's:

• Approximately 4 ounces of New York Strip steak
• Less than 1/4 of a cup of garlic mashed potatoes
• About 1/4 cup creamed spinach

I could have used the potatoes, but opted out.  There's enough flavor going down with the steak, spinach, and egg.

First, I slice three thin slices of steak off,
totally approximately 2 ounces.

Then, I lay them down on a micro-wave safe plate.

I heat up the spinach by zapping it for 30-
45 seconds in the microwave.

And I get the fried egg going.  Man, I never, ever
get tired of seeing beautiful photos of egg yolks.

While the egg is cooking, I nuke the steak slices for 45 seconds.  It really doesn't take much to get the steak hot and you don't want to over-cook it and dry it out.  The juices are a very good thing.

I only use a little bit of the creamed spinach - about half of what I brought home.  I spoon a little bit over each of the steak slices, and I save the rest for a second Steak 'n Eggs indulgence later.

And finally - I slide my fried egg on top of the spinach, then salt and pepper the whole thing.

Honestly, I wish this was a meal that photographed better.  I take the majority of the responsibility in that I'm not a professional food photographer, but also I just don't think this meal is easy to make visually appetizing once you start cutting into it.  You're just going to have to imaging all the different textures and flavors.

To help you imagine, I will employ nearly pornographic descriptions of how amazingly delicious each bite of this luxurious breakfast is:  The steak is so tender, I don't even need my knife to cut it... Juices seep out each time I prepare another bite.  The spinach is so rich and creamy, it's like a savory gravy that cascades over my taste buds.  The egg yolk is thick and salty, pooling on my plate in anticipation of the next bite of steak that will be used to wipe it up.  The egg itself is firm and fresh with a crispy edge, crackling slightly as I bite into it...  Ok, so did the words help?  I swear, this was one of my most delicious breakfast concoctions.

So, next time you end up with a few measly ounces of steak, you should totally give Steak 'n Eggs a try.  It's super rich and you don't need much of it to feel like you've just eaten a "splurge" breakfast.  And, not to keep harping on the calories aspect, but this breakfast was only about 250 calories.  ROCK.

Love & Eggs,

Laura

This egg brought to you by Alabama,                                                my oldest "Easter Egger" hen.





8. Feta & Dill Breakfast Quesadilla

I know I recently waxed poetic about oregano, but dill is another one of my very favorite herbs.  Actually, I love all herbs and herb-flavored foods with ONE exception: Cilantro.  I despise cilantro.  Don't try to convince me it's good, because I won't have it.  This is not to say I won't eat things that have cilantro in it.  Most salsas have at least a little bit of cilantro and I adore salsa, but as soon as the scales tip to the cilantro-extreme, NO ME GUSTA.

While oregano is definitely more versatile, dill has a crisp, refreshing herb flavor that is truly grand during the summer months.  Summer is winding down now, it's starting to be dark when I get up in the mornings and the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbuck's, but I had some feta in the fridge and thought I'd enjoy a summery breakfast one last time before I dust off my sweaters and boots.

Have you ever enjoyed a breakfast quesadilla?  They are both tasty and fun.  Similar to omelets or quiches, you stuff them with almost anything.

What you'll need:

• 2 tortillas
• 1-2 eggs
• A bit of olive oil or butter
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Dill (fresh is best, but from the pantry is just fine)
• Either a big frying pan or a panini press

I have the best-sized little frying pan in the world.  I should measure it so I could tell you what size it is, but I'd guess it's about 7 or 8 inches across.  It is the perfect size for my 1-2 egg breakfasts, whether it's an omelet or a fried egg.  It works especially well for when I make breakfast quesadillas because I can cook the egg into a perfect, thin circle, ready for placement on a cheesy tortilla.

 
First, I throw a little olive oil in my perfect little frying pan.  Then, I sprinkle some dill on top of it.  Unfortunately the dill from my herb garden died off several weeks ago, so I used the kind in a canister.

Next, I turn the heat on low-medium and while the pan is heating up a little bit, I whip up the egg(s).  I'll tell you that normally I would just use one large egg, but in this case I used a couple small eggs.  I have three "bantam" hens which are basically miniature hens.  Mine are all Japanese Silkies which are basically little fluffy muppets that freak people out when they first see them.  Anyway, the point is that since they are miniature chickens, they lay miniature eggs.  The general rule of thumb is that two bantam eggs are equivalent to one large egg.  This truly depends on the type of hen, or even the individual hen's egg.  There are some breeds of bantams that are practically the size of pigeons and lay REALLY small eggs.  Silkies are among some of the larger bantams and all three of mine lay a slightly different egg.  Because I often sell my eggs to friends and co-workers, I try to use the bantam eggs up on my own.  If someone buys eggs from me, I give them the biggest eggs and also try to include a large assortment of colors.  So, for this quesadilla, I happened to have an overstock of Silkie eggs and so I decided to use two of those instead of one of the usual big ones.  A couple of my Silkies actually lay kind of large eggs, so when I log the calories I usually estimate that two Silkie eggs is about 1.5 regular eggs.

I gently pour the egg into the pan,
pouring all around and not in the
same spot the whole time. This helps
from displacing all the dill into one spot.

Then I sprinkle some additional dill
over the top of the egg and cover the pan.

While the egg is solidifying, I pull out the other ingredients and get set up to assemble:

STEP ONE: Place tortilla on assembly surface.  This is also known as a counter or plate.  The tortillas I use are a brand called "Smart & Delicious" from La Tortilla Factory.  They have a lot of flavors, but I always get the 100% whole wheat.  If I ever have an option for 100% whole grain when it comes to ANY of my starches, that's almost always what I go with.  The best thing?  These tortillas are only FIFTY calories each.  If you actually read the nutritional content of things, you might already know that most tortillas are 100-200 calories a piece.  It's no wonder why I stock up on them when I can and find all kind of fun uses for them.

STEP TWO: Sprinkle feta over the tortilla.  It would be tastier with more than what is pictured, but I'm trying to limit my calorie intake, so I tried to keep my love of cheese slightly restrained.  For this quesadilla I used feta crumbles that come in a 6 oz. tub from Trader Joe's.  They have both regular flavor and also one with "Mediterranean Herbs" which is what I always get.  I love herby flavors.

STEP THREE: If you really only did about one egg, then it should probably be cooked by now. Slide it out of the pan and lay it on top of the cheesed tortilla.  See how perfect the size of my pan is for this?

STEP FOUR: More cheese on top!

STEP FIVE: Place the second tortilla on top of the whole shebang.

Ok, so now you have the quesadilla assembled, but it requires some grilling to make it delectable.  You could easily use a large frying pan or a griddle.  I really love using my panini press for these.  I pretty much love using my panini press for EVERYTHING.  If I'm really honest with myself, aside from all my sweet fiesta dinnerware, my panini press is probably one of my most-used wedding gifts. 

These little tortillas fit perfectly!  I also wanted to show a good side-view of the quesadilla.  Usually when you get a quesadilla out at a restaurant it is a monstrous thing.  These 50-calorie tortillas I are only about 8 inches across and with a little cheese and a single egg, it's actually a pretty small but very satisfying breakfast.  If you're the kind of person that eats in the car (I'm not) then this is also a good "on the go" type of breakfast.

I like my quesadillas to get pretty crispy, so I probably had this in the panini press for several minutes.  It doesn't hurt it at all to check periodically to get it to your desired "doneness."  If I wasn't always looking for ways to minimize my caloric intake, I would absolutely eat this with a little bit of Greek yogurt mixed with some lemon juice and dill, or full-blown tzatziki sauce.  But I love that ish way to much would end up using my quesadilla to scoop that creamy goodness down my throat and straight to my waistline.

In total, this little meal features 100 calories of tortilla, 70-90 calories of egg, 40 calories of feta (one of the many reasons I love feta is that strong flavor makes a little go a long way AND it's fairly low in calories compared to other cheeses), and 40-50 calories of olive oil.  I consider "low-calorie" breakfasts to be anything under 200 calories, but I don't think 250-270 calories for a filling and fun breakfast is too shabby!

Love & Eggs,

Laura

These two Silkie eggs brought to you by Sally, our little hen who thinks she's one of the big girls.

7. 160 Calorie Fried Egg Breakfast

I absolutely adore my family, really I do.  I get as excited for Christmas as I did as a kid and it's not because of presents - it's because I get to spend a lot of time with all of my family, even the ones that live out of town.  Well, to be perfectly honest, my excitement is about 70% family-time, 20% "the spirit of the season," and 10% due to food.  I'm really into food.

Anyway, the point is this - I love my family and I love food.  Unfortunately, along with my delightful sense of humor, passion for reading, adorable freckles, and virtually hair-less arms, I also received the gift of a slow metabolism.  I didn't always have problems with my weight, but somewhere around my senior year of college, I must have triggered the curse.  I know this is something a lot of people deal with, especially women, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating.  Especially when some of my other gifts include a deep, uncompromising love of food and the ability to make it.

I have tried all kinds of diets - the 14 day diet, detoxifying diets, Nutri-system, low-carb, vegetarian, and so on.  However, and this shouldn't shock anyone, the only thing that ever really worked for me was a very low-calorie diet.  I tried 2,000 calories a day... nothing.  I tried 1,500 calories a day... almost nothing.  The only number that seemed to give me "healthy weight loss" rates of 1-3 lbs. a week was somewhere between 1,000-1,200 calories a day.  And before anyone jumps all over me about it, I did discuss it with my doctor.

Geez, that was the most boring, self-absorbed blog intro EVER.  The only reason I started out by giving you some of my personal background is that: (A) If you are on a very calorie-restricted diet, you can't really blow much on your breakfast because lunch and dinner are more social and therefore usually end up being the higher-calorie meals of the day, (B) I am a FIRM believer that eating eggs in the morning, especially paired with a whole grain, keep you full all the way until lunch, and (C) I can't stay on a "diet" if I don't feel satisfied by my meals, meaning not only do I need to feel full, but I need to feel like I ate something tasty.

So, it's pretty great that places like Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's have breakfast sandwiches that are touted as being under 300 calories, but if I can have a great breakfast - at home and less costly, for HALF those calories... well, then Hallelujah!

This is the "recipe" for my 150-160 calorie breakfast that is gooey, filling, satisfying and utterly delicious!  I'll warn you in advance that I'll totally be pimping a couple specific brands, but I think you'll understand why.

Ingredient #1: one toasted slice of Healthy Life brand whole wheat bread.  If you don't have Healthy Life products in your grocery store, I'm so very, very sorry.  This brand is amazing.  They make hot dog buns, hamburger buns, and lots of different kids of bread.  You can see right there on the package that they like to label themselves "the dieter's dream" and they are RIGHT.  Each slice of this bread only has 35 calories.  In case you didn't realize, the average slice of sandwich bread (whether it is whole wheat or white) is 70-100 calories.  Which means, if you make a little, boring sandwich for lunch, your could still end up with a 400 calorie sandwich without chips or a drink or anything.  There are some other low-calorie bread options out there... I think Sara Lee makes one that is 45 calories a slice... But I'm pretty partial to Healthy Life because I can get 100% whole grain, with no hydrogenated oils, and the bag is made of #4 LDPE recyclable plastic.  All things to love.

Ingredient #2: Kraft fat-free, American cheese slice.  Listen, I lean HEAVILY towards a "clean" and "natural" diet.  I buy very few processed foods, I always eat whole grains, most of my groceries include fresh fruits and vegetables (and wine), and I generally stick with meats that come from local farms.  However, there is a time and place for foods like processed cheese, and I vote for this breakfast.  Nothing gets as gooey and melty as processed cheese.  Plus, I like my food to have a variety of textures, as well as flavors.  So, I know it's not exactly in my usual arsenal of healthy foods, but it works great for this meal, is inexpensive, only has 25 calories per slice, and absolutely adds an essential component to my signature low-calorie fried egg breakfast.  I should also mention that I have looked at store brands of fat-free American cheese and it always has 5-10 calories more per slice.  Call me crazy, but I suspect that the same people make the store brands and part of the contract is to give them a good price, but keep them at a calorie disadvantage.  That's just my little theory.  So, while I might save a few dimes to get the store brand, I go for the lowest calorie option.

Ingredient #3: A fresh, delicious, fried egg.  If you haven't ever had a really, really, fresh egg, I want you to know that YES, they really do taste better.  It's certainly possible you could get a fresh one from the store, depending on how close you are to the farm and where your store fits into the distribution channel, but a farmer's market or a neighbor with chickens is your best bet.  Notice in the picture how tall the yolk sits up from pan?  That's one way to tell a fresh egg from an older egg.  If the yolk lays flat, it's a little older.  That doesn't mean it's bad, by any means.  But one thing I've noticed is that the fresher the egg is, and the taller the yolk sits, the better your fried or sunny-side up eggs will turn out.  Flatter yolks cook a lot quicker so you can end up with an "over hard" or "over medium" when you intended an "over easy."  I fried this egg in a thin coating of extra-virgin olive oil, but use whatever you like best, just try to keep the layer very thin to minimize calories.  A "large" egg has an average of 70 calories.  I add another 20-30 calories to account for the fat needed to fry it.  You could certainly poach the egg to cut it down even more, but I'm usually making this breakfast before work and fried eggs are a little quicker and more convenient.

STEP ONE: Place the piece of toast on a plate. 
It generally works best if you put the "toastier" side down, as that
keeps the crispy texture intact after you add the cheese and egg.

STEP TWO: Place the cheese slice on top of the toast.

STEP THREE: Place the fried egg on top of the cheese slice.

OMG, it's so simple, right?  You're totally thinking, "this is so dumb, I could totally do that and not need a blog to show me how."  But still, if you are a calorie-counter, you should give it a try.  The whole grains add fiber, while the egg is a great source of vitamins and protein.  The cheese melts between the toast and egg which gives every single bite a luscious texture and flavor, especially when you cut down the middle and watch that golden yolk spill out on the plate, begging you to cut off a bite and dip it into the puddle of deliciousness.

Is it low-calorie?  CHECK.  Does it keep me full for 4+ hours?  CHECK.  Does it satisfy my need to eat tasty food?  DOUBLE CHECK.  This is why my "low-calorie fried egg breakfast" is my default setting for most weekday mornings. 

Love & Eggs,

Laura

This egg brought to you by Alabama, our "Easter Egger" hen with an attitude and a penchant for escaping which led to a dog incident, which led to a surgery, which led to her missing a lot of feathers around her neck and I'm beginning to suspect they'll never grow back. (picture taken before the incident with all neck feathers intact)

6: Mediterranean Quiche

And now, the continuation of "A Tale of Two Quiches..."

In my previous post, I explained that a short weekend at the lake house means bringing some quick and easy foods.  For my recent lake-weekend, I made two different flavors of "shortcut" quiche, meaning two easy quiche flavors using pre-packaged pie crust. 

Ever since my vegetarian days, I not only have a deep, passionate love for vegetables, but I also really appreciate having meatless options available when I'm feeding groups of people.  I made the Ham & Cheddar Quiche as a more basic, popular flavor (read: something my husband would eat), and I made this Mediterranean-style quiche mostly for myself. 

One of my favorite flavor combinations is mushrooms with spinach.  Add feta, and I'm ALL ABOUT IT.  To add some color and another layer of flavor, I decided to include roasted red peppers.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• Milk
• 6 oz. Feta
• Bag of fresh, baby spinach
• Sliced button or baby portabella mushrooms
• Roasted red peppers (make your own, or go "shortcut" style like I did)
• Pie crust
• Butter or olive oil for sauteing

First, I pressed the pre-made pie crust into the pie pan.  I just like to have things ready to go so that as my ingredients are prepped, I can throw them in.

After that teeny, tiny bit of "setup" I jump in to the good stuff: sauteing mushrooms and spinach in olive oil or butter.  Also known as "mmmmm... that smells/looks delicious."  I use one really big pan so that I can do everything together and still have room to stir.

Few things in the culinary world get my
juices flowing like mushrooms sauteed in
butter, especially when you add some
onion and garlic... But for this "easy quiche"
I stuck to just a few key ingredients.

Once the mushrooms are pretty well cooked,
I add handfuls of the spinach.  Mushrooms
take longer, where the spinach cooks up and
wilts very fast. As it shrinks, add another handful
at a time until the entire bag is in the pan.

Once the mushrooms and spinach look like
this, you're ready to add them to the crust.
I usually poach a few stray mushrooms in
order to conduct a "taste test." You know,
just to make sure it doesn't taste bad... ;)

You can either put half the mixture in the
bottom and add a second layer later, or
you can just create a really thick layer of
spinach and mushrooms in the bottom.
Either way, sprinkle half the feta on top.

Here, I'd like to say a few words about cheese.  I know I mentioned in my Ham & Cheddar Quiche post that I'm dedicated to "Extra Sharp" Cheddar.  The truth is, I'm fairly particular about cheese in general.  Hm... I should amend that statement... I ADORE CHEESE.  I'm not particular in the "picky eater" way.  I mean, if you put cheese anywhere NEAR my face, it will get eaten.  I don't care if it's Velveeta (yeah, yeah... I know a lot of people make fun of Velveeta or other processed cheeses, but honestly, those have their place too!) or if it is some gourmet manchego, I'll eat it.  The way in which I'm particular is simply that some brands or suppliers taste better to me than others.  Feta is one such cheese for me.  I use feta a lot more than most people probably... I love in on paninis, in omelets, on salads, with rice, in quesadillas... I just love the texture and flavor.  Seeing as how I love feta, and seeing as how I shop at no fewer than three different grocery stores, I have tried a variety of brands.  I know I talk about Trader Joe's in almost every single blog post, but seriously folks, Trader Joe's is awesome.  The "Trader Joe's" brand of almost anything is of great quality and usually has a pretty kick-ass price.  Plus, they seem to "get" their consumer.  For example, Trader Joe's has this little brick of feta.  Most often, you'll find feta in crumble form, usually sold in small tubs.  That's great for lots of things, but I went with the brick on this quiche because I've found that the denser texture holds up better in dishes that are baked or cooked longer.  Plus, you can make the chunks or pieces as big or as small as you want, and that flexibility is nice.

Once I've added all or most of the feta
on top of the spinach and mushrooms,
I slice up the roasted red peppers.  Since
this was a "quick-quiche" I used pre-made.

You can dice them up into smaller pieces,
do large chucks, or basically cut them to
your personal preference.  I went with small
strips.  I like the way they look like that.

Now, you'll probably notice in any quiches I do, that I like a really "layered" approach.  That's just my preference.  I just love using a fork to cut into a slice of quiche and seeing a thick layer of sauteed spinach, or tasting a layer of cheese.  There are times where I mix all the ingredients together, even with the eggs sometimes, in order to get a more uniform appearance.  I just think there is something to be said about cutting a piece and getting a great view of all the different tasty treats hiding inside.  Plus, it helps ensure you get a little bit of everything in each bite.

To make the egg mixture, I beat half a dozen eggs very thoroughly with some milk or cream until the mixture is kind of foamy.  It doesn't take long, especially if you get some assistance from an egg beater or mixer.  I'm not going into details here, as I already covered this bit in my previous post.



  


Next, I pour the egg mixture over the top of the quiche, gently to make sure I don't totally disrupt all the fillings.  Then I use the remaining feta over the top, and finish off with a generous sprinkling of my very favorite herb, oregano.  Seriously, people!  Basil gets all the glory.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love basil.  It is delicious and full of flavor that works in soooooo many different dishes and even beverages.  However, oregano is super delicious and honestly, it's almost as versatile as basil.  I use it when I saute vegetables, when I scramble eggs, on fish, on chicken, on pork... If you haven't tried a heavy-handed dose of oregano on something, you should try it!

Finally, I pop the whole thing in the oven at 250° for 45 minutes to an hour.  Personally, I like the top to have a shiny, golden brown appearance, especially on a veggie flavor.

There you have it!  An easy, vegetarian quiche that will provide a week of meals.  Oh, and it tastes fantastic too!  I should know, I ate this entire thing!  Um, not in one sitting, though.  I promise.

Love & Eggs,

Laura

These eggs brought to you by 
my backyard flock.