Frittata with Carmelized Onions and Sausage

Frittata is an egg-based dish similar to an omelette or quiche, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. A frittata is not folded like an omelette, and has no crust like a quiche. This is a great option when cooking breakfast or brunch for more than four people and requires only one pan. Use your imagination as you would with an omelette by adding spinach, bacon, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, green/red peppers, ham or anything you choose.

 

Ingredients: (serves 6 people)

1/2 large yellow onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 lb. sausage crumbled

12 eggs beaten
1 large tomato diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs. chopped fresh basil (or dried basil)
1 tbs. butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In 9" cast iron skillet brown sausage over medium/medium-high heat until no longer pink. Place browned sausage in a bowl reserving 1 tbs. of grease. In same skillet, add onions and butter and cook until they begin to soften, add garlic and stir frequently to prevent garlic from burning. Cook onions and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 4-6 minutes. Return browned sausage to skillet and mix with onions and garlic. Cook until sausage is done, about 4-6 minutes. Pour egg mixture into skillet over sausage and onions and stir. Add tomatoes and basil and stir. Cook on stove top for 1 minute. Sprinkle shredded cheese over frittata and place in oven. Cook in oven until cheese melts and eggs have set and are lightly browned.

Slide a butter knife around the outer edge of the frittata to ease removal from the skillet. Using a spatula, gently remove frittata from the skillet onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Should make 6 healthy wedges.

Delicious Chicken Quesadillas

Because this is one of the few things my wife's daughters like, I cook these quesadillas at least once a month. They're easy and you don't need a special pan.

Ingredients: (makes 8 quesadillas to feed 2-3 people)

Two (2) burrito size flour tortillas
Shredded Taco cheese (8 oz package)
Fajita style chicken breast strips (6 oz package)
Vegetable oil 1/4 cup
Chunky salsa
Sour cream

In a 12" skillet or fry pan, heat oil over medium heat (3-4 on dial) until hot. Place a paper towel on a large cutting board. Place chicken breast strips in a microwaveable dish and heat about two minutes on medium-high. Meanwhile, lay the tortillas on a flat surface and dress one tortilla with shredded cheese as shown.

Add the heated chicken strips on top of the shredded cheese as shown.

Place the second tortilla over the chicken and cheese and place carefully in the fry pan.

Cook tortillas in hot oil until golden brown and lightly crisp. Turn carefully and cook other side until done.

Place cooked quesadilla on paper towel and an another paper towel on top side to catch oil. Using a large chef knife, cut quesadilla in half, then quarters, and again until you have eight (8) wedges as shown.

Serve quesadillas with salsa and sour cream. This is great with yellow saffron rice and black beans on the side.

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast

Of the many breakfast items I make, this French toast is a favorite. I spent many years eating French toast with burnt cinnamon sugar because I had always been taught to sprinkle it on the bread before cooking. Wrong! The key is to get the right combination of sugar and cinnamon and toss butter coated pieces of cooked bread in the cinnamon sugar just before serving. I guarantee you'll love it this way. 

Ingredients

Fresh extra large eggs (average one per person eating)
Thick (1/2--3/4") slices of bread (2 per person)
[optional] Milk (splash per person)
melted butter or margarine
white sugar (1 cup for four people)
ground cinnamon (1 tbs per cup of sugar)

Tools
griddle heated to 350 degrees
cooking spray
basting or pastry brush
chef knife
casserole dish
cutting board
gallon freezer/storage bag or bread bag


Preparation
While griddle is heating. Place cutting board on table with knife close by. Spoon out butter or margarine in a small bowl and melt in microwave. Place bowl of melted butter and pastry brush beside cutting board. 

Mix sugar and cinnamon in storage or bread bag and put beside cutting board area. You will need all these items close by when the bread has finished cooking. 

Once the prep area is ready, break eggs into a casserole dish (one large enough to accommodate at least one slice of bread) and beat lightly. Milk is optional to add into the egg mixture. Place egg mixture directly beside heated griddle. 

Stack bread slices on a plate and place next to the egg mixture. When griddle is heated and ready, coat the cooking area with cooking spray. 

One at a time, dip bread slices in egg mixture to coat. Shake lightly to remove excess and place on hot griddle. Cook until golden/yellow brown on under side (about 1-1/2--2 minutes) and turn and cook until both sides are golden/yellow brown. While second side is cooking, brush melted butter over already cooked side. 


One at a time using a spatula, stack cooked bread slices on cutting board (buttered side down). Brush melted butter on second side of each slice. Do not stack more than four slices of bread together.


Using the chef knife, cut the slices in half diagonally as shown in photo. Place no more than two (four halves) bread slices in bag containing cinnamon sugar. Closing the open end of the bag, shake the bread slices to coat with the cinnamon sugar. Remove slices and arrange in rows on a warm plate as shown. Garnish with fresh fruit. Eat as is or with warm maple syrup. 




How sweet are your words to my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! —Psalm 119:103