Whip it up Wednesday: Poached Eggs in Pasta Sauce

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cooking, easy, easy meals, eggs, food, pasta, quick meals, recipe, recipes, skillet meals, vegetables, whip it up wednesday

This is my new favorite way to eat eggs.

I love poached eggs, but I always fail miserably at making them…or at least making them pretty.

However. If you poach them in pasta sauce, you will instantly become a master egg poacher, no matter your expertise with poaching eggs in water.

Don’t believe me? Give it a try.

Plus, if you like runny eggs (if you don’t, we can’t be friends), but if you do, the runny egg acts like an extra, silky sauce that leaves you wondering why pasta sauce isn’t always made with egg yolks…

And, this meal is fast, easy, painless, and all the ingredients are fridge and pantry staples.

aka.

You must make this!

Poached Eggs in Pasta Sauce (Adapted from Cooking Light)
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 medium onion, cut in half, then sliced into strips
• 1 (24 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 4 large eggs
• 1 box orzo
• Parmesan cheese for serving
• parsley for serving (optional)

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to get soft and the peppers are crisp-tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to the package directions.
3. Add the pasta sauce and oregano to the pan and stir. Let cook for 3 minutes.
4. Make 4 little wells in the pasta sauce/veggie mix. Crack the eggs and slip them into each well. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook for 6-8 minutes until they have set to your desired consistency.
5. Serve the egg and pasta sauce over the orzo. Sprinkle with pepper, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Enjoy!

My Two Cents: Can someone explain to me why so many people are afraid of eggs? One week they’re horrible for you, the next, eat ‘em every day, twice a day. I say, eat them in moderation, and don’t worry about it. In fact, eat everything in moderation, and don’t worry about it.

This meal is so balanced. It’s chock full of veggies, the egg gives you your protein, and the pasta gives you your carbs. Add in some cheese, you have the dairy. All of your food groups in one bite? I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Spinach, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Quiche

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bacon, Breakfast, brunch, cooking, eggs, food, goat cheese, quiche, recipe, recipes

I bought a package of bacon on Saturday.

I don’t usually buy bacon, or eat it. But Saturday was special. Chris and I spent the day together at home. No studying. No cleaning. No wedding planning. No bill paying. No blogging. No thinking. Just us and some good books and good TV.

We started the day with bacon and eggs, of course But then I had half a package of uncooked bacon left, and I couldn’t just leave it there, all fat and sad and wanting to be cooked.

So I made some quiche.

Some really, really good quiche.

Spinach, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Quiche
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• One 9 inch deep dish frozen pie crust
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 of a 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/3 medium zucchini, diced
• 10 grape tomatoes, sliced
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place pie crust on sheet.
2. Cook bacon until browned and crisp; drain on paper towels. Chop into small pieces and place in large bowl with the spinach, onion, zucchini, and tomato; toss the bacon and veggies, then place into the pie crust.
3. Beat the eggs and milk together in another bowl, then add then garlic powder, dill weed, and pepper to the egg mixture. Beat well. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies in the pie crust. Mix around gently with a fork to evenly distribute the eggs into the veggies.
4. Drop the goat cheese crumbles evenly on top of the eggs and vegetables. Then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
5. Bake the quiche for 1 hour. Let cool for a few minutes; serve hot or at room temperature.

My Two Cents: Quiche has been and forever will be my one of my favorite foods. You can literally put any veggies you have leftover in your fridge into this. Just keep the milk and eggs the same in every recipe, and go wild.

When you’re cooking the bacon, be sure to add one or two extra slices to the pan for yourself while you’re cooking

Or omit the bacon all together (for a vegetarian option, but it’s so so good).

And please, for the love of God, do NOT omit the goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Bacon and Egg Muffin Cups

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bacon, Breakfast, eggs, food, recipes

That’s right.

This happened.

Real bacon, wrapped around an egg, on top of a layer of cheese and toast.

I’m pretty sure there is nothing better than that, and nothing more sinfully wonderful than gnawing on pure fried fat, hot off the skillet.

My friend Fran (who loves to eat almost as much—dare I say more than me), saw this on a bacon tumblr that she follows, and told me that I should make them.  As I was looking at this picture from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, Chris came up from behind me and promptly told me that he would take my ring away if I didn’t make these immediately.

“I don’t have bacon, though,” I said.

“I will get bacon for you, then,” said Chris. And just like that he was out the door and back in 10 minutes with a pack of bacon.

So, you see, I had to make them.

Bacon and Egg Muffin Cups (Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles)

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 slices of bread
• 6 eggs
• 6 slices of bacon
• shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes, so that it’s still flexible. Meanwhile, cut two circles out of each slice of bread.

2. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Lay the slices of bread into the bottom of each cup. Wrap the bacon around the edge of each muffin cup. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the bread slices. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a shallow bowl and pour carefully into each muffin cup.

3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the whites have set and the yolk is to your desired consistency.

4. Present to your tired and hungry fiance. Cook extra bacon. Eat extra bacon. Enjoy. Worry about your waist later.

My Two Cents: My apartment still smelled like bacon two days after I made these.

‘Nuff said.

Midwestern Deviled Eggs

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cookbooks, cooking, delicious, deviled eggs, eggs, food, i love food, recipes

Not too long ago I confessed my love of deviled eggs to all of you fabulous readers of mine.

And I got a surprise in the mail one afternoon–a Deviled Eggs cookbook! (Sender shall remain anonymous). But clearly, as a child who hung out by the deviled eggs platter during parties, I squealed a little when I received this book in the mail.

Here are the reasons:

• Wait, seriously? A deviled eggs cookbook? How many different ways can I make deviled eggs? (And why have I not heard about them before?) What other kind of cookbooks are out there that I don’t know of? Is there a cookbook on just avocado recipes? If there is I need to find that one too. (Mental note…Amazon is my next stop after this post…)
• She put what in her deviled eggs? Parsley? Salsa? Lemon juice? Capers? Olives? Spinach? Bacon? Hot sauce? Horseradish? Jalapenos? Wasabi? Tell me more.
• Now I can make a different deviled egg recipe for every special occasion. (Yes, I will take requests.)
• This cookbook actually tells me how to boil and peel eggs– the right way! The right way to cook them (so there are no ugly green rings on your eggs), is to place pan on the heat and bring to a boil. When the water hits a boil, remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water. Peeling gotcha down? Unfortunately there’s no easy way around it, but not using the freshest eggs in your fridge is a good first step. Then–crack the shell all over by gently rolling it in your hands or on the counter. Starting at the butt of the egg, peel away (there is usually an air bubble at that end. Voila! Thanks, Debbie Moose!

So when I went to a picnic with some of my favorite foodies the other week, I volunteered to bring some deviled eggs. They were a hit at the Passover Feast, and I knew they’d be a hit again.

Flipping through the book, Ann’s midwestern-style deviled eggs caught my eye. Why are they midwestern? I’m not sure. Maybe Ann was from the midwest. Maybe it has to do with the cider vinegar or brown sugar in here, but regardless of the name, they’re good. Real good.

Midwestern Deviled Eggs (From Deviled Eggs by Debbie Moose)

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, cut in half, and  yolks mashed in a bowl
• 2 tbsp Miracle Whip
• 1 1/2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp chopped green onion (white and green parts), plus more for garnish
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the thoroughly mashed yolks with the Miracle Whip and mustard. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, and green onion. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.

2.Fill the whites evenly with the mixture and garnish each egg with a sprinkle of chopped green onion.

My Two Cents: Debbie Moose, we should be friends.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Tags

appetizer, blogger events, boston food bloggers, cooking, deviled eggs, eggs, food, food events, kosher, passover, recipes

When Cara from Cara’s Cravings invited me to attend her Passover Feast (recap for that in another post to come!) that she was hosting yesterday, I immediately signed up for an egg dish, specifically deviled eggs.

I was always excited as a kid when I went to a party and there were deviled eggs out on the table. I would gobble them up faster than anything else laid out. There’s something about the combination of egg yolks, mayo, and mustard that hits the spot–no matter what.

Interestingly enough, though, as much as I absolutely love deviled eggs I’ve never made them before. They’re mainly a party dish, and since I’m just starting out my social food life as an adult, I never had the opportunity to bring them to a get-together.

But I’m glad I had the chance to make them for the Passover feast. They’re remarkably simple to make, but look so elegant–!

Deviled Eggs (From The Comfort Table by Katie Lee)

Makes 24

Ingredients

• 1 dozen large eggs
• 2 tbsp white vinegar (optional)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp yellow prepared mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• paprika for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover completely with water. Add the vinegar (this is optional, since I made a test batch with–and the ones for the party without–there was absolutely no difference in the end result). Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and cover the saucepan. Let sit for 15 minutes.

2. Remove the eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Rinse under cold water until the eggs are cool enough to touch. Remove the shells.

3. Slice each egg in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks from the whites and place in a separate bowl and mash with a fork until there are no large chunks left. Mix in the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Scoop the yolk mixture into a plastic bag. Cut off one corner of the plastic bag and pipe the yolks into the egg whites. Sprinkle with a dash of paprika.

4. Cool the eggs completely before serving.

My Two Cents: First of all, I probably shouldn’t have anything with cholesterol in it for the next two weeks. These things are addictive. And by addictive I mean I made a test batch that made 12 deviled eggs, and within 5 minutes after they were done, I had 3 of them (and then an hour later I had another, and then at the party I think I had 4….)

I think the type of mayo you choose to use for this will have an impact on the taste. I happened to have my favorite mayo on hand, Cains Light, and it was a perfect match with the yolks and the mustard. For the mustard, I stuck to the recipe and used yellow prepared mustard (in this case, French’s), and I think that makes a difference too. Dijon or spicy brown mustard might work, though. That’s an experiment for another day.

You know that green ring you get around hard boiled eggs if you cook them too long? You won’t get that if you follow my directions. The original recipe didn’t state to cool them under cold water right after you take them out of the pan, but this is important. Even if you remove them from the pan into another bowl and let them cool, they’ll still cook because they’re still very hot.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with this classic dish. It’s simple to whip up, and easily impresses a crowd!

Oh, and according to Katie Lee, Paula Deen said these are the best deviled eggs she’s ever had.

Oh, and it’s kosher

Pesto Pasta with a Soft Boiled Egg

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cooking, dinner, eggs, food, pasta, recipes, soft boiled egg, spaghetti, zucchini

A number of things inspired me to make this beautiful and absolutely delicious dish.

1. I was sick earlier this week with what I will name “a weird and mysterious stomach bug”. I got a huge stomach ache every time I ate something from Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon. But Tuesday night I was determined to eat something more (and tastier) than a bowl of mushy oatmeal and some sad canned tomato soup.
2. I saw a picture quite similar to this in the latest issue of Cooking Light. If you subscribe to it, you know exactly what I’m referring to. They pictured a hunk of pasta with a beautiful soft boiled egg on the side. I could have eaten the page.
3. Eggs are the perfect food to eat when you’re easing your way back into eating meals.
4. Pasta is good for that too.
5. I had a packet of pesto mix in my cupboard.
6. It was time to create this.

Pesto Pasta with a Soft Boiled Egg (Inspired by Cooking Light, created by me)

Ingredients:

• 10-12 oz spaghetti (I would be more precise, but when I make pasta dishes, I often don’t measure. I just throw what I think feels good into the pot)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 package of dry pesto mix (plus amt of olive oil and water listed on package)
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)

Directions:

1. Start by bringing a large pot of water on to boil. Chop your veggies while the water heats to a boil. Then throw the pasta in.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions, zucchini, and mushrooms. Stir to coat the veggies in oil, then cover the skillet. This helps the vegetables cook more with their moisture, rather than drying out and getting too brown and crispy. Cook the vegetables until they are soft, the mushrooms are brown, and the onions are translucent.

3. While the veggies and pasta are cooking, fill a small/medium sized saucepan halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil, then place the eggs in the boiling water. Let boil for 5 1/2 minutes, then remove from heat and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

4. And on the last burner on your stove, make the pesto sauce. The oil and water ratios might may be different depending on the pesto mix you buy. But regardless, mix together the olive oil, water, and dry pesto mix in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce  heat to low.

5. Drain the pasta and return to pot. Stir in the vegetables and pesto sauce and toss well. Carefully peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Season with your desired amount of salt and pepper. Set next to your pasta and enjoy!

My Two Cents: This meal was pretty perfect. How can you say no to that soft boiled egg?

I used Trader Joe’s Organic Rice Spaghetti for the pasta. But obviously any spaghetti you have in the house will work–or even linguine or angel hair pasta. Other vegetables you have lying around will work too, but I’m a really big fan of the mixture of zucchini, mushrooms, and onions.

Also, if you’re really daring, you can make your own pesto. I don’t have a food processor, nor did I randomly have basil or fresh Parmesan cheese on hand. I always keep a package of pesto mix in my cabinet for this reason. It’s an awesome alternative to tomato sauce. And it’s so easy to whip up.

And this is a wonderfully light but filling meal.

Enjoy!