Tag: Breakfast
Egg Spinach and Cheese Quesadilla
It was a very hectic weekend. Sia’s school had a fair on Saturday and she was very excited. It was a lot of fun but the food is very unhealthy. I did volunteer at the healthy table and it did have lots of healthy options but my daughter didn’t indulge in any of them. She instead had pizza and cotton candy! Pizza, I guess is okay but that cotton candy really bothers me- just plain processed sugar and some terrible dye. I try to keep Sia away from it but it’s hard at a fair- it’s right in front of your face. Anyway, she had the cotton candy on Saturday and Sunday! We have a May fest in our town every year and this year it was on Sunday- so guess what, we had a lot of unhealthy food there as well. There was a hotdog for Sia and yes, another cotton candy! I, on the other hand, had the best barbecue chicken I’ve had in a long time. There was a vendor called the Coney Island grill company and they were serving 2 big pieces of chicken on top of white or wheat bread topped with the yummiest barbeque sauce I have ever had- and that includes the barbeque place I love to go to in Austin when ever I visit my cousin! My husband was shocked at the amount of food I had bought especially since he had bought quite a bit him self from another vendor. Well, I wasn’t worried since my plan was to devour the whole thing myself- and I almost did… well, I had to share a little bit. I also had a yummy lemon cupcake. I am usually not a cupcake person- not a fan of the icing- this one was delicious! I digress- we got home and I started to wonder what I should feed Sia for dinner?? It had to be something healthy after two days of eating junk! We were not eating out again and I didn’t have much in the fridge and I was in no mood to cook! After some thinking, I came up with quesadillas. I had whole grain tortillas in the freezer and my favorite ‘go to’ frozen vegetable- spinach. I always have some around for times like this when you have no idea what to make and need something quick, easy and healthy. I wanted to give her a healthy grain, protein and vegetable. So, I decided to make scrambled eggs with spinach and add it to the whole grain quesadilla- a perfectly balanced meal that can be prepared in an cinch. Sia loved it and I had a few bites with a salad and it was delicious! Yes, of course I had a salad- I had to- after that monster of a meal I consumed at the fair!
Egg Paratha
Parathas are essentially a tortilla like flat bread made out of whole wheat flour. It is very common to have them for breakfast in India. They are typically stuffed with vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower or even a daikon. It can also be prepared plain layered with butter or ghee and eaten with yogurt. In this dish, a whole wheat tortilla or any choice of flat bread can be used. I grew up eating egg parathas for breakfast. I am not sure how common they are amongst other Indians, but we would have them once in a while for breakfast or even lunch. It is almost a whole meal- whole wheat bread with an egg. The egg is nicely spiced with salt and cayenne pepper. The cilantro gives the dish great flavor and color. Typically a regular onion is sauteed with a green chili- I like to use green onions because of their mild flavor and beautiful color. The soft layer of egg goes very well with the crispy paratha. The spice level can be increased by adding more cayenne pepper in the egg mixture- I love it spicy, so I add more cayenne and more serrano chilies to the frying pan- my mouth salivates as I write about this dish!!!- even though I just finished eating the most flavorful biryani I have ever had! Stay tuned for the recipe and explanation on Monday… as usual, I digress…
Egg paratha goes very well with ketchup or even a tomato chutney and a cup of hot masala chai– perfect combination! We usually look forward to having this breakfast dish on the weekends.
- 1 large egg, beaten well
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- 1 round flat bread, a tortilla, a prepared roti or paratha
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the green onion and Serrano chili. Saute for a minute or two on medium heat. In the meantime, beat the egg well and add the salt, cayenne pepper and cilantro. Have the tortilla or the paratha ready. Pour the egg mixture on to the onion mixture in the frying pan. Rotate the frying pan to spread the egg mixture evenly. Plate the paratha on top of the egg mixture and press down with a spatula. Cook on medium heat till the egg below the paratha is well cooked- about 3-4 minutes. Flip the egg paratha over and brown the other side.
Banana Chocolate Walnut Bread
I have been baking this bread for many years now. I got the original recipe from food television but have tweaked it over time. One of the things I changed was the sugar. I have stopped using white sugar and have switched to sugar made out of evaporated cane juice. The raw version of that is turbinado sugar. It brings a crunch and a nutty flavor to the bread. I also substituted all-purpose flour to white whole-wheat flour. This definitely darkens the color of the bread and again it adds nuttiness to it. I also added chocolate to it! Now anything with chocolate is usually very good- including this bread. I guarantee this will be the best banana bread you will taste! It is simply delicious!! I am curious to know if any of you have a favorite banana bread recipe. My daughter absolutely loves it and likes to take some to school for an after lunch dessert. I don’t mind as I am happy about the healthy ingredients in it. It is good for breakfast, snack or dessert!
- 1¼ cups unbleached white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
- 1 cup turbinado sugar
- 3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup toasted walnut pieces
- ½ cup milk or dark chocolate, chips or grated
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside. Lightly brush a 9X5X3 inches loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled), and remove the bowl from the mixer.
With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and chocolate pieces and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes before taking it out. Cool completely before serving.
Chicken Sausage and Spinach Frittata
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup grated fontina cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 3 medium boiled potatoes sliced
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 3 links chicken sausage taken out of the casings
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Preheat the broiler and place the top rack 4 to 5 inches from the broiler element. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, 2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add ½ cup of the cheese and ¼ cup of the cilantro and whisk. Set aside.
In a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Add the spinach and cook it for another 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage and potatoes and stir until they are golden brown. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Cook, lifting with a rubber spatula to let the eggs flow underneath, until the edges are set but the middle is still loose, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top. Place under the broiler until the eggs are slightly puffed and the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent from overcooking.
Remove from the oven and carefully slide the frittata out onto a large serving platter. Garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro. Slice and serve immediately.