Just fried two eggs with some olive tapenade on top for breakfast. Yum. Lately, I have been craving eggs. Every time I am cooking something up I just think…”this would taste so much better with an egg on top…” So quick and easy, full of protein – they just seem to get the job done. I recently learned how to poach eggs in a cooking class which was a total hit when I made mothers day brunch (scored major daughter points!), you all know how much I loved the kale egg baskets (see recipe below) from my new favorite coffee shop in Brooklyn and most mornings I enjoy an egg white veggie scramble here at Bay Club San Francisco to start my day off right.
Thought I would share some egg recipes that you could make to last the week. The eggs provide protein and you can have these as snacks or a meal. Pair with a whole grain on the side and you are good to go. These dishes are an easy way to get more vegetables in your diet too…more bang for your buck.
Kale Egg Baskets
As promised, I worked on the kale egg baskets this weekend and below is the recipe. I roped my best friend Sarah and her husband Josh into being my guinea pigs. Josh will claim he made these and I was simply his sous chef…but since I am writing this I will happily take full credit, thank you very much! Their 2-year-old adorable daughter, Mollie loved them! She ate them up – what a great way to get veggie and protein into a toddler!
– Take 2 bunches of Lacinto Kale, destem and cut into large chunks. Lacinto Kale is the flat leaf variety it should be in most grocery stores. It may also be referred to as Dino Kale.
– Sautee kale with a small amount of olive oil for 3-5 minutes. You want the leaves to be cooked a bit but not too soft.
– Take a muffin tin and lay the kale in each cup so there is enough wrapped around the sides as well as the bottom of each cup.
– In a preheated oven at 400 degrees, place the muffin tin with the kale only to cook for 3-5 minutes. You do not want the kale to get crisp but just enough so that it dehydrates a bit and is a little firm.
– Take the muffin tin out of the oven and make sure the kale is neatly wrapped around the sides and bottom so it makes a nice “basket” for your egg.
– Crack an egg in each cup and cook for 12-17 minutes. This will vary based on how much you want your yolk to be cooked. We wanted ours to be a little runny so 13 minutes was just right.
– Josh (and Mollie) prefer their eggs scrambled so we did the same recipe and it worked great. Just note that due to the air from the whisking the scrambled variety will rise quite a bit. It may need a bit more time…closer to 15 minutes. Be sure to cut one basket in half and check to make sure the egg is cooked.
– Add some salsa, spice or a little salt and enjoy!!!
CuCu Frittata
I shared this frittata recipe with you a while back but thought I would remind you all of this yummy dish. A lot of my clients make frittatas on Sunday and portion them out so they have a meal ready to go for the week. You can try this recipe or change it up based on your tastes. Anything goes! Make it work for you. Veggies, herbs, spices, a little cheese or olives can be added– all work and make this a fantastic meal.
8 eggs
4 small leeks or 2 large leeks, sliced thinly (use onion if preferred)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1 bunches parsley, chopped finely
1 pound nettles, stemmed and washed (use spinach or any other green if you like)
Olive oil
– Slice leeks, wash, cook until tender over medium heat with some oil and salt, trying to avoid color.
– Sauté nettles with olive oil until tender. Let them cool a bit, then squeeze excess water out and chop finely.
– Crack eggs in a large bowl. Mix in greens and herbs. Season with salt.
– Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan, add olive oil, pack in the mixture, cook over medium heat. Flip, cook, done.
– If the center is not setting properly, you can finish in a 400°F oven for a few minutes….