Sun-Dried Tomato, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Omelette

Time flies, I can’t believe the end of September is upon us! Weeks have flown by and I have started several posts without finishing them (yes, you can slap my hand for me).

Fall baking has begun at my place (recipes to come)….along with my craving for all things goat cheese.

Let’s just say the combination of goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes is a serious weakness of mine. I’m not sure why I hadn’t discovered this luscious combo in my earlier years…unless my palate wasn’t quite refined enough to appreciate the flavor explosion those two ingredients create when paired together.

Sprinkled on salads, smeared on crackers, served on/inside/alongside chicken and cooked with omelettes, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes may go together as well as…dare I say…chocolate and peanut butter? OK, I won’t stretch my luck for those of you who aren’t yet convinced on goat cheese, but the pairing has definitely won over this foodie!

Nothing fussy or complicated here, this simple omelette allows the ingredients to really shine.  I’ve been making variations of this recipe for a couple years now, yet I wonder why I’ve never posted it? Snapping photos of breakfast early in the morning could be the culprit, especially when this single-serving meal gets cold quickly and I like to chow down when I wake up

Sun-Dried Tomato, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Omelette

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 egg white
splash of milk or water
black pepper to taste
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
sea salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp oil, divided (I used the oil from jarred sun-dried tomatoes for more flavor)
1 handful baby spinach (or your favorite leafy green)
2 Tbsp jarred sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil with herbs, cut into pieces
1-2 Tbsp goat cheese crumbles (omit for dairy free, but may need to add salt and/or spices for flavoring)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg white, splash of milk/water and black pepper and set aside.
2. In a medium skillet, add 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with sea salt and saute until golden brown (about 5 minutes or so), stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.
3. Add remaining 1/2 oil to pan and swirl to coat. Whisk eggs again briefly before adding to pan. Pour eggs and swirl around pan to coat evenly. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes then *sprinkle or lightly spray with a couple drops of water (this helps moisten the omelette!) and cover again and cook until almost set and cooked through (another 2-3 minutes).
4. Add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and half of the mushrooms on half of the omelette and fold over and gently side onto a plate. Fold over the other side on top of the filling, garnish with remaining mushrooms and an additional sprinkle of goat cheese if desired. Enjoy immediately!

Note: If you want your spinach more wilted, add them to the pan after you saute the mushrooms for a minute or so and cover to keep warm before adding to filling.

Easy Spring-y Egg Salad

I discovered my love for radishes a few months ago. Their crunchy texture and semi-spicy kick make these little veggies a great snack with hummus or a lovely addition to any salad. I even added them to my egg salad for a quick and easy lunch – the contrast of the creamy eggs with the crunchy radishes made for a winning combination!

Easy. Flavorful. Light. Basically, this recipe is springtime in a salad.

For a really quick prep, I boiled the eggs*, let them cool a bit and peeled them the night before. This step made it really easy to whip up the salad in less than five minutes on my lunch break

I enjoyed this dish with gluten free oat crackers and slices of fresh cucumber. It held me over for several hours due to all the protein and the combo of complex carbs, my tummy and I were happy!

Easy Spring-y Egg Salad

Ingredients

4 hardboiled cage-free eggs, peeled and chopped*
2 scallions, chopped
3-4 radishes, small diced
1-2 Tbsp Vegenaise (or mayo)
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream or more mayo)
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!

Serve with flax crackers, rice crackers or gluten free oat crackers or gluten free bread

*Nearly-no effort hard-boiled eggs:

1. Put eggs in a medium pot that will fit one layer. Cover with cold water, about 1 inch over the eggs. Bring to a boil, cover and then turn off heat. Let eggs sit for 10-11 minutes and then plunge the eggs in cold ice water to stop the cooking. Peel while running under cold water.

Tip:  Use older eggs.  The eggs shells peel much more easily after several days of refrigeration due to the pH level of the albumen.

Italian Breakfast Pizza

I am living out of boxes again temporarily…we moved again amidst our busy schedules and March snow showers.

Chris and I were laughing last night after counting the number of times we have moved in the last four years – a total of FIVE times. It’s becoming a sort of sport for us; but this time we really hope the “We are never moving again!” claim sticks.

Though we are both beat from moving and pulling a 300lb washer up the stairs in our new townhome (no joke, I think Hulk and SuperWoman took over both of our bodies yesterday), Chris and I are happy in our new place.

A few of my top reasons I feel I can breathe a little easier now:

1. We have a dishwasher and a disposal (I think my husband might be more excited than be about this one)
2. We have a garage (no more shivering in a freezer car in the morning and scrapping ice off the windshield)
3. We have air condiitioning (you might think this is unnecessary in Montana but for me, it’s essential to sleep in a cold room)
4. We have a fireplace (this contradicts the air conditioning theory a bit but I’ve never admitted to being normal hehe)
5. Did I mention we have a dishwasher?!?!? (It’s official, I am more excited than Chris because that means easier clean-up for all my big messes in the kitchen!)

In celebration of moving, I decided to make a “mess” in the kitchen with this Italian-inspired breakfast pizza. I actually had a smile on my face as a I dirtied more than one dish in anticpation of using the dishwasher, is that funny or it is just sad? Ok, no need to answer that

I made the crust the day before, froze it and assembled the pizza the following morning so I wouldn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn…this worked really well and was relatively quick!

This spin on pizza makes for a flavor-packed and filling meal that doesn’t have to be reserved for breakfast. Plus the runny yolk is a delicious “sauce” for this dish…yummmmmm!

Italian Breakfast Pizza 

Ingredients

1 cooked grain-free pizza crust (I divided this batch into 4 mini pizzas) OR your favorite pizza crust
4 large eggs
1/2 to 2/3 cup strained cottage cheese or ricotta cheese or a combo (I used 1/2 of both)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
three shakes of crushed red pepper, optional (omit if you don’t like heat)
8-9 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp olive oil
fresh basil, chiffonade (thinly sliced)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat crust in preheated oven on baking sheet for 10 minutes if your grain-free crust is frozen like mine  (or according to your recipe or manufacturers instructions if using store bought).
2. Meanwhile, pulse cottage cheese/ricotta with the italian seasoning and garlic in a food processor or blender until smooth. Spread on pizza crust evenly.
3. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes on top of the cheese mixture. Toss mushrooms with olive oil and place on top of crust.
4. Carefully crack eggs one at a time on top of pizza or place in the center of each of the mini pizza crusts. Be careful not the break the yolk if want a “yolk-sauce”.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until egg white is nearly cooked through. Turn oven to Broil setting and cook for 2-4 minutes or until egg is cooked to your liking. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve immediately!

Makes four mini pizzas (this is what I made) or 1 large (cut recipe in half or fourths)

Now I am dreaming of different flavor variations…pesto breakfast pizzas..hummus breakfast pizza…

Mediterranean Scramble with Goat Cheese

I want all things goat cheese this week. It must be my new favorite ingredient since I go through these type of phases.

Goat cheese on eggs, crackers, sandwiches, pasta, sauteed vegetables and chicken – it all sounds appealing and deeeelish!

It’s been awhile since I posted an egg recipe so I am back again with an easy breakfast scramble! Creamy goat cheese, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach combine for a veggie-packed breakfast that is both satisfying and filling. I served this scramble with leftover refried beans topped with crumbled goat cheese; I know it doesn’t match the cuisine but adding fiber-packed ingredients to my meals helps keep me full longer.

Mediterranean Scramble with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

4 eggs, whisked
2 tsp coconut oil (butter, ghee or other oil could be used)
4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Roma tomato, diced
3 cups of fresh baby spinach
2-3 Tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil or butter in a medium skillet. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Toss in garlic and seasoning and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
2. Add spinach and tomato and stir for 30 seconds then move putting veggies to the side of the pan. Add whisked eggs to the other side of the skillet and let cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Stir veggies and eggs together and season with salt and pepper.
3. Top with crumbled goat cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serves 2 (can be cut in half for a single serving)