Surviving Summer with a Toaster Oven

For the last five years I have spent my summers rolling around in the San Francisco fog with my rain boots and down vests while enjoying a steaming bowl of oatmeal. All the while I was feeling sorry for my family as I read their cries for help on Facebook. This year I join them in their plight as I try to find creative ways to adjust to the humidity and keep my core temperature cool. You know you are in the South when you it's 90 degrees at 8pm, you drive around for ten minutes looking for a shady parking spot and you take a minimum of three showers a day.

In our frugal home we made a decision to take precautions to keep our apartment cool and keep our electricity bill low. When this decision involved purchasing a toaster oven to avoid heating up our space with the conventional oven I was definitely on board.  While half of my household expected this new bundle of joy to lower our electricity bill, the other half of our household expected  some wiggle room in the electricity budget to keep the AC lower at night. Whatever the reason, I have fallen in love with this new addition. I originally imagined that after a few uses it would be sitting in the corner growing dust and gathering keys, mail and anything else that needed a place to land. I was wrong. (You hear that happy husband, I was wrong. In writing. For all the world to see). This toaster oven has assisted me in roasted veggies, pizzas, open face sandwiches, toast, baked eggs, baked fish, chicken, meatballs and banana nut bread. I am constantly impressed at its abilities and five minute preheat regardless of the temperature. Below is an egg recipe and some pictures.

Wherever you may live, whatever the temps might be, I hope you enjoy your summer.


Baked Eggs-Serves 2
3 eggs
1 tbsp milk
3/4 cup diced potatoes, microwaved for 2 minutes
1/2 red pepper, diced
handful of cheese
salt, pepper
Grease a small casserole dish and layer your veggies of choice at the bottom. I used potatoes and red pepper but any of your favorites will do. Make three small wells to crack your eggs in and add salt and pepper. Pour a splash of milk on top each egg. This will keep them from drying out. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Cook for 35 minutes or until egg whites are done completely.

 

Action shot.

 

Homemade pizza fresh out the oven.



Yep, it even does meatballs.

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The Tiny Sous-Chef and the Tortilla Scramble

A few weekends ago my parents and my 5 year old niece came to visit us in our new home (apartment). My niece was elated to discover we had a huge pool. She has been swimming like a fish since she was about 3 years old. I can't even begin to describe how much she loves swimming. I would not be exaggerating to say that she would swim all day, everyday if she could. On Sunday as she was saying her goodbyes I asked her what was her favorite thing about the weekend and she said "cooking with you". I was shocked and so very excited. My thought immediately turned to the rising percentages of childhood obesity. Could getting our kids in the kitchen be the answer or at least a stepping stone to a healthy relationship with food? Below is the recipe my niece and I cooked together.




Serves 4-5
8 eggs

1 tbsp skim milk

corn tortillas

1/2 large green bellpepper, diced

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

salt, pepper, salsa

Beat eggs with milk, salt, pepper, and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp butter on medium-high in a skillet. Working in batches, add tortillas and let cook for a minute or two on each side. They will get brown and crisp up a bit.  Once all tortillas are done, cut them into small triangles and set aside. Next add oil to a skillet on medium heat, add green pepper and let soften for about 4 minutes. Add eggs, let them set and continue to scramble. A minute or two before the eggs are done to your liking, add tortillas and cheese and combine. Remove from heat, top with salsa and serve. 

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Baked French Toast

If you know a little bit about me, you know that I believe in a balanced life. Especially when it comes to food and nutrition. I strongly believe there is room in one's diet for dessert on a birthday, a beer after work, or an afternoon piece of chocolate. A wise person once said "life is too short to skip dessert and too long to have large amounts of it everyday". Wait, that was me! I am not well versed in the rules on quoting yourself. Can that be done?

I recently made a baked french toast recipe for a leisurely weekend brunch. I found the original recipe here on one of my favorite food blogs. It's an easy throw together and since it's baked you won't have to stand over the skillet while it cooks. I feel like I should mention that I tried making a double batch of this for my family during the Easter holidays and it bombed. I'm not sure what I did wrong but these things happen and we pout and move on. The recipe above is the one shown in the picture (yum) and it was scrumptious as it looks. So go on, pour a second cup of coffee and linger over your weekend.

Serves 2-4

5 pc of bread (I used Nature's Own 100% whole wheat, sugar free bread)
2 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups milk
1tbs orange liqueur
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey
1tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
berries and maple syrup


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 8x8 casserole dish, lay out two layers of bread. You may have to break some pieces to make them fit. Combine eggs, milk, orange liqueur, vanilla, honey, sugar, and salt. Pour mixture into the casserole dish making sure to soak each slice of bread. Top with pecans and a few sprinkles of cinnamon. Bake until bread is puffed (see picture) and the middle is the consistency you like your french toast (wet or dry). This will take between 30-40 minutes and varies depending on the oven. If you happen to go too long the maple syrup will take care of the dryness. Top with berries and make someone smile (it might just be you).

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Savory Cilantro French Toast

Say what? It sounds so taboo. A french toast that is savory? Oh yes, my friends, not taboo at all. According to the author on Food 52  this is South Asia’s version of french toast. Rock on Asia!

I like finding and trying a dish that I have never heard of before; I love when a dish meets or exceeds my expectations; and I prefer that the process doesn't cause me to swear. Yes, I admit, it is not just baking that causes me to use dirty words. (Don't you even think about it, my mom reads this blog!) The kitchen is a place where I curse quite often and I would like to believe that if I cut out cooking then the cursing would go away. But that is not an experiment that I am willing to conduct.

This toast kept me company one Saturday when I was having "breakfast for one". On a separate night, it was a big hit as tomato soup dippers when I was enjoying “dinner for two”.

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

4 pieces of wheat bread cut into diagonals

1-2 Tbsp Butter

Hot sauce (optional)

Beat eggs with milk and stir in salt, pepper and cilantro. Heat a medium skillet or griddle on medium-high heat and add a 1 tbsp of butter to the skillet. Dip the triangles into the batter, drain excess liquid and lay toast in the skillet until browned on one side (2-3 minutes). You will want the toast to be a little darker and crispier than your average french toast. Flip and do the same on the opposite side.  Serve with hot sauce on the side for those who want to take it up a notch. Or serve on the side of a bowl of tomato soup.

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Pecan Cinnamon Scones

I say again, I am not a baker. I don't like baking and I am not good at baking. And with my Mom as my witness last week (sorry Mom), when I do try to bake,  words that Mom didn't teach me fly out of my mouth. However, every now and then I find a recipe that is worth trying. While visiting family for Thanksgiving I found a basic scone recipe in Southern Living magazine. I like this recipe because there are variations for sweet and savory and because I was able to tweak it which tickles my chef's hat. The result was what I would imagine would happen if a cinnamon roll and a biscuit had a baby. They would be blessed with a yummy pecan cinnamon scone that has now been added to my bag of "rainy weekend breakfast treats". Yes, I have one of those bags. You don't?

Makes 8 scones or 16 mini scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped pecans


Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your hands combine cubes of butter into flour mixture until large chunks disappear and it resembles a sandy consistency. Set the bowl in the freezer for about five minutes. Add pecans and then add 3/4 cup of milk a bit at a time until ingredients are moistened. Turn dough onto floured wax paper and gently press or pat into a round about 3/4 of inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes. While scones are baking, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tbsp of milk at a time and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Use to drizzle on top of scones before serving.

Savory Scone: omit sugar and add 3/4 cup shredded cheese and 3/4 cup bacon or ham

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The Frittata Experiment Continued- Mini Frittatas

Ahhh! Thanksgiving, you are my favorite holiday. I love you not only because you bring about feelings of warmth and coziness, not only because your main focus is spending time with loved ones, not only because the you require good food, but also because there is no pressure to buy “stuff” for people who don’t need or want "stuff". And by "stuff" I mean gifts.  I have very intense feelings on holidays that require gifts but I will spare you my rant. Instead I will post a crowd friendly recipe to feed those who may be milling about your home preparing food or burping babies or watching football. So grab a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and let us toast to a holiday without gifts. Cheers!

Makes 12 muffins
8 eggs, beaten
½ cup of milk
1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped finely
4-6 strips of bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
1 cup any color bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup mexican cheese blend
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a nonstick muffin tin. Beat eggs and ½ cup of milk in a medium size bowl. Add cilantro, peppers, bacon, cheese, salt and pepper to combine. Using a measuring cup with a pouring spout for convenience, fill each muffin slot leaving a bit of room. Cook for 20 minutes or until egg is set in the middle.

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The Frittata Experiment-Spinach, Tomato, Feta, Sausage

Today's post will be a continuing feature I am calling “The Frittata Experiment”. For those who have never made or eaten a frittata, it can be described as a baked omelet or a crustless quiche. The frittata's appearance and taste will decieve you and make you question me for labeling it a “simple plate”. However, after you conquer a couple easy steps you will acknowledge the "simple" status.

The Frittata Experiment will consist of many different variations and tweaks providing enough fun to scare a person.  Similar to alot of my recipes (pita pizzas, veggie pastas, etc) this one is a basic blank canvas with room to dream for the creative. Stay tuned my frittata loving friends!

Serves 3-4
oven proof skillet*
6 oz bag of fresh spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3 ounces feta cheese

6 eggs

¼ cup of milk

Boca soy breakfast sausage or sausage of choice

*Use an oven proof skillet for easy transfer to the oven. And WATCH the handle when you remove it. I forget and burn myself every time!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly beat six eggs with ¼ cup of milk. Add an all spice blend of choice or oregano, salt and pepper and set aside. Heat an oven proof skillet on medium-high, add olive oil and cook spinach until wilted. Add tomatoes and saute until juices are released. Remove veggies from skillet and put in a bowl on the side. Cook/heat your breakfast sausage of choice, remove from skillet and crumble in a bowl. Remove skillet from heat, add eggs, veggies, sausage and feta cheese. It will look like too much toppings but the egg will rise. Put the skillet  in the oven  for about 20 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

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Honey Banana Nut Bites

Congratulations to my husband for completing a 106 mile bike ride this weekend. The Marin Century ride has been on his “to do” list for four years now. In honor of his exciting accomplishment, I am posting one of his favorite après biking snacks that he introduced to me about a month ago. This delicious treat goes perfect with a cup of coffee and an easy Sunday morning. It’s nutritious and filling for post workouts or maybe a great after school snack for the kiddos.

Congrats Robbie, this post is for you!

1 cup Peanuts or almonds
Graham crackers, vanilla wafers, etc
Banana, sliced
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey

In a food processor, grind nuts until they form a thick paste. You are  making natural peanut butter or almond butter. This will take about 10-15 minutes of grinding. The nuts will turn into a ground meal after a couple minutes. Keep grinding and eventually the oils in the nuts will release and form a paste/butter.


Mix the butter with 1 cup yogurt and 1 tablespoon honey.
Layer the butter on top of the cookie and top with a banana slice.

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Egg & Tomato Toast

If I were to make a list of my favorite things, one of the top listings (after my husband of course) would be breakfast or brunch on a weekend or on vacation. I love to linger over a cup of coffee, leisure conversation and a great bite. I am not sure which I enjoy more; going out for breakfast and getting new ideas from the menu or staying in for breakfast and recreating those menu items in my robe.

I have several routine menu items but the one below involves minimal ingredients that are likely hanging out in your house anyway. Eggs and tomatoes are a perfect match that should get married and live happily ever after. The cream cheese is an indulgence that can be left off or scaled back if one is watching his/her girlish or boyish figure. Or you could indulge and just loosen the belt on your robe.

Serves two

2 pieces whole wheat sourdough bread (or any bread desired)

4 eggs

1 tbsp skim milk

One large tomato or two smaller tomatoes

Whipped cream cheese

Salt and pepper

Crack four eggs in a bowl, add 1 tbsp milk and beat lightly. Cut the tomato into thick slices. Toast bread in toaster or in the oven and spread with desired amount of cream cheese. Layer the tomatoes on top of the cream cheese and salt and pepper the tomatoes.
I recently learned a foolproof method for cooking fluffy eggs: Heat a skillet on medium high and add a pat of butter. Add eggs and don’t touch them for about 3 minutes or until they set up. Once they are set do a push/pull motion with a spatula and leave them for about 2 minutes while they set. Repeat this until the eggs are fluffy and moist. When they look just a bit undercooked than you normally would like, immediately remove from heat. The eggs will cook a bit more on their own and turn out perfect. Layer the eggs on top of the tomatoes, salt, pepper and serve.

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