I just whipped up this super-easy Country French Omelet from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredientscookbook. Although the omelet is nothing fancy, it is really good. It makes a nice meal for breakfast or lunch.

I used 6 large eggs instead of 5 extra-large, red potatoes instead of yukon golds, and green onions instead of chives. For a nice lunch, serve with a salad. Enjoy!

Country French Omelet
-recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients by Ina Garten

Jeffrey and I have a wonderful routine when we go to Paris. We arrive late morning, drop our bags, and rush to Café Varenne for lunch. They make this fabulous country omelet with bacon, potatoes, and chopped chives. It’s such a satisfying breakfast or lunch. If you want to serve four people, double the recipe and make it in two pans.

1 tablespoon good olive oil
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, 1-inch-diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 extra large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof omelet pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned but not crisp. Take the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Place the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender and browned, tossing occasionally to brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same plate with the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together with a fork. After the potatoes are removed, pour the fat out of the pan and discard. Add the butter, lower the heat to low, and pour the eggs into the hot pan. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes, and chives evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until the eggs are set. Slide onto a plate, divide in half, and serve hot.

Tags: bacon, chives, Eggs, French, omelet, oven-safe non-stick pan, potatoes

Who said real men don’t eat quiche? Husband can inhale 2 manly-sized pieces of this delicious Bacon and Green Chili Quiche in one sitting. The combination of bacon, green chiles and cheese is a definite winner! It’s also great for brunch or lunch entertaining because it can be made ahead and cooled (completely), then wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated. To serve, simply remove the plastic wrap and reheat the quiche in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until it’s heated through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I followed the recipe except for substituting  pepperjack cheese for regular jack cheese. I forgot to drain the green chiles so the custard wasn’t quite as firm as I would’ve liked but it was still very, very tasty. Next time, I’ll try using only 1 cup of half & half to see if that makes for a firmer quiche, too (if reducing liquid, reduce the salt). After baking, let the quiche rest for 20 minutes or so (5 minutes wasn’t quite long enough).  Enjoy!

I’m linking this recipe to these blog parties: Finer Things Friday, Foodie Friday

Bacon and Green Chile Quiche
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

1 refrigerated pie crust (half of 15-ounce package), room temperature

8 strips bacon
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 1/4 cups half and half
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Unfold crust. Using wet fingertips, press together any tears. Press crust into 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Press foil over crust to hold shape. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven; remove foil. Reduce temperature to 400°F.

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon. Sprinkle bacon, then chilies and green onion over crust. Combine Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese and sprinkle over. Beat half and half, eggs and salt in medium bowl to blend. Pour half and half mixture into crust.

Bake quiche until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let quiche stand 5 minutes. Cut quiche into wedges and serve.

Tags: bacon, brunch, cheddar cheese, Eggs, green chiles, jack cheese, pie crust, quiche

I love deviled eggs and I love curry, so it pretty much was a given that I would love the two combined. This recipe is a fun twist on a classic!

Major Grey’s chutney is a type of chutney, not a brand. If you don’t have it (or can’t find it), the eggs will still be good. The chutney just provides another layer of flavor to the egg filling.

A decorating bag makes the stuffed eggs look fancy and labor-intensive when it’s actually super quick and easy to do.  Just spoon the filling into a decorating bag with a tip (I used tip #21), squeeze filling into each egg white in a swirly pattern, and Bob’s your uncle…pretty, swirly-filled eggs. If you don’t have a decorating bag then just spoon the filling into each egg white.

Curried Stuffed Eggs
-recipe from Gourmet Magazine 

Yield: Makes 12 stuffed eggs

6 hard-cooked large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon bottled Major Grey’s chutney, large pieces minced
1 scallion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Tabasco to taste

Garnish: thinly sliced scallion green

Cut a paper-thin slice off both ends of eggs and halve eggs crosswise. Force yolks through a sieve into a bowl (or mash with a fork) and stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large ribbon or other decorative tip and pipe into whites, mounding it. The stuffed eggs may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Just before serving, garnish eggs.

Tags: chutney, cumin, curry, deviled eggs, Easter, green onions, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, picnic, scallions, stuffed eggs, Summer, yogurt

I make fried egg sandwiches all the time for my family. It’s a great protein-loaded breakfast (or snack) and can be eaten on the go. It’s really not a dish that needs a recipe but I’ve included one with handy tips on making 4 breakfast sandwiches at a time.

I’m not a fan of American cheese so I always use thin slices of cheddar (or sometimes jalapeno jack), and I like Canadian bacon because it’s lower in fat and can be quickly heated in a few seconds in the microwave. When microwaving Canadian bacon, cover it with a paper towel and check it at 15-20 second intervals (the bacon explodes quickly). When frying the eggs, I always break the yolks so that they’re hard cooked…nobody wants to take a bite of a breakfast sandwich and have soft yolk squirt out all over them (I’ve tried it and it’s messy).

Fried Egg Sandwich
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

English muffins are our favorite choice for fried egg sandwiches, but toasted bagels, biscuits, or even plain toast work fine, too. And improvise with the cheese as well: Any type of semi-soft melting cheese can be used in place of the American. If the bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon is very salty, omit the salt in step 3.

Serves 4

4 English muffins , split in half
8 slices bacon , 4 sausage patties, or 4 slices Canadian bacon (optional)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Table salt and ground black pepper
4 slices American cheese

Adjust one oven rack to the middle position and a second rack 6 inches from the broiler element. Heat the broiler. Arrange the English muffins on a baking sheet, split-side up, and toast under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Set the oven to 200 degrees and move the muffins to the middle rack to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon or sausage (if using) in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until well browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven.

Wipe the skillet clean and return it to the lowest possible heat. (If the bacon or sausage has been omitted, heat the pan for 5 minutes on the lowest possible heat before continuing.) Meanwhile, crack the eggs into two small bowls (2 eggs in each bowl). Add the butter to the hot skillet and melt, swirling to coat the pan. Add the eggs to the pan simultaneously so that all four eggs will be done at the same time. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper, cover, and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Check the eggs and, if necessary, continue to cook, covered, until the eggs have cooked through as desired, up to 3 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly assemble the sandwiches by layering the fried eggs, cheese, and bacon between the toasted muffin halves.

Tips for making a Fried Egg Sandwich:
Some recipes are so simple that they don’t seem to need a recipe. The fried egg sandwich is a case in point. Isn’t it just a fried egg and breakfast meat sandwiched between pieces of toast? Yes and no–a lot can go wrong with those simple components. We wanted to make the perfect fried egg sandwich. Here’s what we discovered:

- Cook the meat–be it bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon–before cooking the eggs. The meat can be kept warm more easily than the eggs.
- To fry the eggs, use a nonstick skillet and preheat it for five minutes over low heat so that it is evenly heated.
Crack the eggs into two bowls and then slide the eggs into the pan simultaneously. With this method, there’s little risk of the yolks cracking and the eggs will cook evenly and be done at the same time.
- Toast English muffins (our preference, although you can use bread, biscuits, or bagels) under the broiler so that they can all be cooked–and ready–at the same time.
- Keep the English muffins and meat warm in the oven while the eggs cook to ensure that the sandwich is warm through and through.

Tags: Breakfast, canadian bacon, Eggs, english muffin, sandwich

Egg fried rice is a great way to use up leftover rice or a good reason to make it in the first place. Using cold streamed rice (rice that’s been cooled then refrigerated) is the key to making this dish because freshly cooked rice can get mushy. I used a large non-stick pan instead of a wok and it worked perfectly. I used jasmine rice, a long-grained variety originally from Thailand, because I love it’s fragrance and flavor. After I mixed in the scallions and sesame oil, I also added 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and seasoned rice vinegar, drizzling it over the rice and stirring it until well combined. Garnish with a little (or a lot) of hot sauce and you’ve got a quick light dinner or late night snack, or serve it as a side dish with Asian-flavored chicken or pork.

Egg Fried Rice
-recipe from epicurious.com 

Yield: Makes 4 side-dish or light main-course servings
Active Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min (does not include making steamed rice)
 
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold unsalted steamed white rice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (3 to 4 scallions)
1 to 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Special equipment: a well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok
 
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly upon contact. Add peanut oil, swirling to coat wok evenly, and heat until hot and just smoking. Add eggs, tilting wok and swirling eggs to form a thin even layer on cooking surface, and cook 30 seconds, then add rice and salt and stir-fry, breaking up eggs and letting rice rest several seconds between stirs, until rice is hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and sesame oil (to taste) and stir-fry until combined well.

Tags: Eggs, fried rice, rice