My journey of cooking, gardening, preserving and more
Quite often I am awed and inspired by what my followers deem my most popular recipes because, quite often, they are not the recipes (nor the accompanying photos) that I aspire to be popular. A few people take the time to comment here on my …
Fresh spring rolls, sometimes called summer rolls, are beautiful, aren’t they? No matter what you decide to fill them with, they become these gorgeous stained glass works of edible art. I’ve made spring rolls a number of times because I love their crunchy freshness as …
Not only is this a great way to enjoy a good breakfast each day, but it also makes an easy weeknight dinner and a tasty meatless Monday dish. This is a simple way to add veggies to your diet and amp up your antioxidant quotient for the day.
There are only a few constants in this recipe; the rest of it hinges on what veggies and cheese I have on hand. Play around with it and find out what you like most. It’s pretty tough to screw this up.
Preheat oven to 375º
Prepare a 9 x 11 (or so) baking dish by rubbing with olive oil or butter.
If you’re using any veggies that may require a little pre-steaming, do so now. I pre-steam thick asparagus or chunky broccoli, which is about the only thing, but if you’re adding any long-cooking veggies, such as carrots, I’d pre-steam them also, for just a few minutes. Most veggies, as long as they’re diced and sliced thinly enough, will cook in the baking time allowed. Be sure and let the veggies cool (or run under cold water and strain) before adding them to your egg mixture.
In a large bowl, whip eggs and egg whites until frothy. Add half and half or cream, cheese, and salt and pepper.
Add prepared veggies to bowl and stir.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25-35 minutes – the center of the casserole will rise up slightly as it begins to fully cook. Remove from oven when casserole begins to brown very lightly at the edges.
Let cool in pan at least 20 minutes before slicing.
I love my egg casseroles! Here are some of the veggies I typically add:
I also love to add fresh parsley, basil or tarragon when they’re in season and growing rampant in my garden.
As far as the cheese goes, go with what you love – almost any melt-able cheese works well in this. I always add a touch of Parmesan for the salty deliciousness but take your pick. You can even stir in a little ricotta or fresh mozzarella for added creaminess.
If you like a little meat in your eggs, you can, of course, add some diced ham, prosciutto, salami, bacon or other meat of your choice – another great way to use leftovers.
I love my eggs over easy but I also loved them baked easy.
Don’t be afraid to play with your food! Enjoy.
It was not a stellar year for my tomato plants this season. Though I harvested quite a few, it was certainly not a typical year. Cool nights, flooding rains and cooler-than-average daytime temps do not make for happy, bountiful tomato plants. The exception to all …
Every year I’m in awe of just how many eggplants one plant can product and this year is no different. Here are a couple of shots of some of the eggplants I harvested out of our garden last year: Beautiful, aren’t they? This past weekend, I decided …
Take your pick of tomatoes and see what you like. For this, I prefer a beefy red or Roma, but I have mixed in some fruity heirlooms with good results. Cherry tomatoes are really great for this also – just cut them in half, to help release their juices. You’ll have to play around with what you like. Also – feel free to mix up the cheese: Parmesan works great, of course, but a little cubed, fresh mozzarella adds a creaminess to it. A spoonful or two of ricotta also works beautifully.
As far as the pasta itself, I tend to make this with whatever I have on hand, whether it’s fresh or dried, though I’d stay away from anything too heavy, such as rigatoni. Two things that really make this work best are this: let the sauce sit for at least an hour at room temperature. This gives the salt time to work its magic on the tomatoes and helps them release their juices. The second thing is to add the sauce immediately to the hot, drained pasta, which ensures the oil becomes smooth and the cheese and tomatoes heat up and soften. Seems simple enough, right? It is!
This is definitely not a “measure it out” dish – if you like more garlic, add more. If you like more tomato, add more. If you like more basil, or cheese, or oil, add more. If you want a bit of kick, add a few crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce before it rests. You’ll find what you like and works for you. The recipe below contains my best “guesstimate” measures since I literally throw this together in about 10 minutes. This is truly an easy summertime recipe. Enjoy.
In a large bowl, mix everything but the pasta together. Set aside, at room temperature, for at least one hour. After an hour, you’ll notice that the tomatoes have released their juices and the sauce is much saucier than when you started. Cook pasta and drain. Immediately add tomato sauce and stir well. See how simple and easy that was? This is a great weeknight recipe and also perfect for a meatless Monday dish. If you want another no-cook pasta sauce recipe check out my Lemon, Basil and Parmesan recipes here and here.
Happy cooking and Happy Independence Day! Let the fireworks begin!
There’s not been much time for blogging for this girl lately. First there was painting, to get ready for new living room furniture. Then veggie gardening, followed by flower gardening. And in between, I’ve been working on refinishing a cool side table I found at …