Croque Madame

A few months ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to join my husband in Paris for a quick trip of sight-seeing and exploring the historical city!  He had traveled with his classmates to London then Paris during their final semester in obtaining their masters degrees from Auburn University.  Many of the wives were able to join them.  It was a once in a lifetime trip.

Of course, the macaroons were fabulous!  But I was so bummed when I found out they didn't ship to the US...until I found this little place in Winter Park, which I'll be sure to visit next time I'm there.

Surprisingly however, it wasn't the desserts that caught my eye on this trip.  One of the items on a Parisian menu that stuck out to me the most was a Croque Madame.  While most people were probably drooling over the fancy shoes, handbags, and jewelry in the store windows along Champs-Elysees or taking in the views from atop the Eiffel Tower, I was thinking about how I could recreate this masterpiece at home. ;)

Well, here it is!

The Croque Madame:  Basically, it is just a fancy grilled ham and cheese sandwich (a croque-monsieur) with a fried egg on top.  The egg is supposed to resemble a old-fashioned woman's hat making it a madame.

Here is how to make my version:

Croque Madame

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread

2 slices Gruyere cheese

Deli ham, sliced

Dijon mustard

Butter

1 large egg

Fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter 1 side of each bread slice.  Set one slice buttered side down in a skillet.  Top with a slice of cheese.  Place a few slices of ham over the cheese and place other piece of bread over the ham, buttered side up.  Heat skillet over medium heat.  Cook sandwich until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove sandwich and place on a plate.  Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the top of the sandwich then place a piece of cheese on top.  Put the sandwich back onto the skillet then place in the oven, cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Remove and place back onto the plate.

Spray a small skillet with nonstick spray and cook the egg sunny side up.  Turn egg over and cook 3 minutes longer for a soft-cooked egg or 5 minutes longer for a hard-cooked egg.  Place fried egg on top of the sandwich.  Season with fresh cracked black pepper.  Serves 1.

Jouir!

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Breakfast Egg Casserole

I was pleasantly surprised when we were asked to bring a dish to share at our last BSF Monday meeting before summer break.  It's the only day throughout the year when BSF stands for Bring Some Food!  Woohoo!

In addition to sharing our favorite dishes during this fellowship time, we were also preparing to share what the Lord has done in our lives throughout the 30 week study of Matthew.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a faith-filled person.  I grew up in a Christian home, accepted Christ at a young age, participated in youth group activities, and spent several summers at a week-long Christian camp.  We now attend church regularly and I've participated in lots of Bible studies over the years.  But generally, I was just kind of going through life believing.  Through this study, I learned that "blind faith is not biblical faith."  Sure, the previous Bible studies I've done have kept me in the Word during the study and brought me closer to the Lord but it wasn't until this study that it hit me.  I needed to and was ready to go deeper.  Romans 10:17 promises that faith comes as we read God's Word.  The best way to believe is to expose yourself intentionally and steadily to the Bible.  Intentionally and steadily meaning purposefully and routinely.  Jesus doesn't promise life following him will be easy but he does promise it will be rewarding.  It's not always easy but I'm excited at 6:00am to get up before the baby to do my reading, studying, and question answering knowing that will most likely be the only quiet time of my day, but more so knowing that the Lord has so much to teach me if I will just be obedient and open his Word with an open heart, refreshed eyes, and a clear mind.  Through that time together it's as if He has grown my heart to love Him more and know Him better.

So, let me encourage you to find a quiet time that works for you, open His word and listen.

Ok back to the food...I was hoping to sign up to bring this Blueberry Banana Bread, but the only thing left to put my name beside was a breakfast casserole.  However, I still had the bread on my mind so I made it too for us to enjoy at home. :)

Here is how to make it:

Breakfast Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

1 cup milk

white bread, crusts removed

1/2 lb sausage, browned and drained

small onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown sausage along with onion and red pepper until cooked through.  Drain off excess grease and set aside.  Arrange bread in bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Beat eggs and milk and pour over bread.  Sprinkle sausage, onion, pepper over eggs.  Cover with cheese.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 300 degrees for 1 ½ hours total (1 ¼ hours covered, 15 minutes uncovered).

Enjoy!

Here it is ready to go in the frig overnight.

Muffin Frittatas

All of the sudden, I have a picky eater on my hands.  Basically if it's not bread-like, cheesey, or crunchy, it's not going in my 17 month old little boy's mouth.  Being somewhat of a healthy eater myself, this is causing me some distress!  Much to my dismay, the kid won't even try a blueberry.  :(  Hoping it's just a phase, I must press on being creative and sneaking fruits and vegetables into his diet when I can while still offering him the real thing so he knows they are available.  Thank goodness he loves these Peter Rabbit Organics veggie blend pouches...

They say it can take 15 to 20 exposures before a child will try something new...not sure I have the patience but I must find a way!

He will NOT try eggs in any of the forms I have tried so far but I thought he would for sure go for these Muffin Frittatas.  I think he might have taken one bite...but I loved them!

Here is how to make them:

Muffin Frittatas

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup chopped zucchini

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup turkey sausage crumbles

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in medium bowl until blended.  Add cheese, zucchini, bell pepper and turkey sausage.  Mix well.  Spoon evenly into 12 greased muffin cups, about 1/4 cup each.  Bake 20 minutes until just set.  Cool on rack 5 minutes.  Remove from cups and serve warm.

Tip:  To save time in the morning, bake them the night before and refrigerate.  Quickly re-warm in the microwave when ready to serve.

Another option is to reheat the frittata and sandwich it between a sliced and toasted whole wheat English muffin.  A quick and healthy way to start your morning! :)

Enjoy!

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Egg White Veggie Frittata

Ok, if you've followed my blog very long at all, you know by now that...I LOVE BREAKFAST!

I'm sharing with you today one of my favorite breakfasts from one of my favorite restaurants...Dixie Cream Cafe!  They are open for breakfast and lunch 6 days a week.  If you're in the area, stop in and say I sent you!  They will definitely know me...

Just about every time we go, I get the Egg White Veggie Frittata.  It's awesomely full of mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers then topped with jack cheese.  It comes with a huge buttermilk biscuit and a side of seasoned home fries (which I usually sub for fruit).  Pair all this with a cup of coffee or two (with Splenda and skim milk) and I'm set for the morning!

This just happens to be the place where a BIG surprise happened over the weekend!  We decided to go to Dixie for lunch on Saturday and who was sitting there waiting for us?!  My parents who flew in that morning!  AND just about 30 minutes later, in walks my sister, her husband, and their 6 week old little girl who all drove down from Indiana!  Wow, was I surprised!  Turns out they were all in town for my surprise birthday party that night!  What an awesome weekend filled with family and friends!

Dad's Dunkin' Eggs

Saturday morning I woke up to a quiet house.  Everyone was away for the weekend so it was just me, the baby, and Unkas.

I enjoy a quiet moment every now and then, but on this particular morning with no plans for the day, I was missing my family.  For a little taste of home, I decided to make a breakfast my dad would make for me if he was here or I was there.

I started by slowly brewing a small pot of regular coffee instead of quickly popping in the usual K-Cup.  My brewed coffee never matches up to my dad's but this pot was pretty close.  Growing up, whenever my dad made breakfast, it was always dunkin' eggs!  My sister and I would ask for them all the time.  In fact, on a spring break road trip to Florida, we stopped at a restaurant for breakfast and the waitress was pretty confused when we ordered "dunkin' eggs"!  My dad quickly explained to her that they were really eggs over easy but in our house, we call them dunkin' eggs. :)

Here is how I made them...

Start by spraying your Mini Egg Skillet (It's the bomb!) with non-stick spray.  Heat it over low to medium heat.  Crack one egg into the skillet being careful not to break the yolk.  After just about two minutes when the white part look almost cooked, drop a little bit of water into the skillet along the edge (I used a straw dipped in a glass of water as a dropper.) and cover with a lid to create steam for about a mintue.  This way the whites will finish cooking leaving the yolks runny and you don't have to flip the egg!  Transfer the egg to your plate.  Cook second egg the same way.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Note:  If you do use the Mini Egg Skillet, you'll have to cook each egg separately as opposed to two or more at a time if you were using a larger skillet.  Serve with buttered toast, bacon, and berries for a complete breakfast meal!

ahhh :) This breakfast and call home made my morning better.  Now, I can get on with my day!

Linking up at Semi Homemade Mom!

Mini Egg Skillet & Spatula

From time to time, I come across a kitchen utensil I cannot live without!  And this set is one of them...

The Mini Egg Skillet & Spatula

The little skillet fits 1 to 2 cracked eggs perfectly and makes just the right sized egg round!  I use these two gadgets a couple times each week when I make my Open-faced Breakfast Sandwich!

The mini egg skillet and spatula can be found at Bed Bath and Beyond or on Amazon.com.  I just love them. Aren't they cute?!

What kitchen utensils can you not live without?!

Comment below and let me know.  I'd love to check them out!

Open-faced Breakfast Sandwich

Breakfast!!!...my favorite and the most important meal of the entire day!  It boost your metabolism and gets your day started off right.  I especially love breakfast with my family in Indianapolis at Cafe Patachou noshing on The Hippie with a Benz and a side of extra crispy bacon or at Dixie Cream Cafe in Windermere with my husband and our kids enjoying "my usual" - an Egg White Veggie Fritatta with one of their famous gigantic biscuits!  But when I'm not in Indy visiting or don't have time to go out, something homemade in my own kitchen is the next best thing.  So here I'm sharing an open-faced breakfast sandwich which I make for myself on many mornings at home.



 

Open-faced Breakfast Sandwich for One

 

Ingredients:

1 slice whole grain bread, toasted (I like Arnold’s Healthfull 10 Grain.)

2 egg whites

1 slice cheese (Kraft Big Slice 2% Cheddar is a good choice.)

2 slices low sodium bacon
cracked black pepper

 

Directions:

Spray a mini skillet with cooking spray.  Crack eggs and pour only the white into the skillet.  You may want to separate the white from the yolk in a bowl first to avoid getting egg shells in your skillet.  Crack or sprinkle some black pepper on the eggsfor flavor.  Flip the egg white once the edges start to cook and finish cooking on the other side.  Meanwhile, microwave the bacon as directed on the package.  Finally, layer the toast, cheese, bacon, and egg to create your open-faced sandwich.  Serve with a side of fruit and coffee for a delicious healthy start to your day.

 

Resist the temptation to dig right in.  It will be hot, so wait a few minutes before taking your first bite.

 

Nutrition:

Calories 242, Fat 12g, Carbs 17g, Sodium 590mg, Protein 21g