Sweet Potato Hash + Egg

If you love fun food like I do.

If you adore anything avian (birds, nests, eggs).

If you love comfort food.

You’ll love this.

Sweet potato hash gets a salty-sweet kick with a little onion salt and an egg bakes in the center for a most delicious pairing that would be fun to make with kids.

Or even, fun for a twenty-something gal who likes breakfast for dinner every now and then.

If you think it’s hard to make, think again. Nothing I make is very challenging, really. I have limited time and limited patience most nights, like most people. So I try to cook fast, but well. 

So don’t let a spud and a bird’s egg scare you. Try this recipe. You can even try it in the microwave.

Ingredients

1-6 or 7 oz. sweet potato

1 egg

dash of onion salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a ramekin. Set aside.

Cut your potato into four pieces. Heat for 30 seconds to soften a tad. Then take to the scraper and begin making hash with your shredder. You could process in a food processor, but you won’t get hash shreds, really.

Once your shreds are ready, put them in the ramekin. Shape a little hole in the center for the egg. Crack it and drop it in the center. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the egg and shreds are fully cooked.

Alternatively, if you want to try this in the microwave–which I also did once because I really didn’t have any patience that night–microwave your shreds in the ramekin for 3 minutes. Add in the egg as you would if you were baking, and microwave for another 1-2 minutes, being careful to listen for overheating or that unwelcome yolk-pop sound.

Sprinkle with a little pepper, hot sauce, or whatever else you like on your eggs and potatoes, and enjoy!

Cottage-Cheese and Veggie Egg Muffins

True fact: Up until this point in my life (just a day shy of 24) I have avoided that lumpy white sludge they call cottage cheese.

What about it is cottage-like, I wonder? The wordie in me likes to think this unattractive, lactose-filled allergen wonder was snarkishly named in memory of a grandparent gumming lumpy cheese back in the holler somewhere. That’s the story in my head that I’ll stick to.

On to more serious points, when I tried this recipe a few weeks ago–with my own single-serving adjustments–I was surprised, and pleasantly surprised at that.

Is lumpy white cheese my new favorite dish? No. I honestly don’t understand how people can pair this with fresh fruit…

But does it bake down into a delicious light, eggy crust? Absolutely. Paired with sauteed veggies and legumes, this recipe might be worth sharing with my own grandma and Nana.

Makes 4 small or 3 medium muffins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup diced vegetables of choice
• 1/4 cup black beans or low-sodium refried beans
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese (lactose-free ones are available!)
• optional: toppers like extra sprinkle cheese or diced hatch chiles
• dash of paprika, cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Sautee vegetables, spices and spinach over high heat until tender.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin liners (or grease really really well).
3. Spoon veggie mixture into muffin slots, filling each about 1/2 full. Then evenly divide and spoon the beans on top.
4. In a small bowl, whisk egg and cottage cheese together.
5. Spoon egg mixture over top of veggie cups.
6. Top with additional paprika and cayenne, if you like.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set. If they’re taking a while or if you’d like a crispy golden finish, set the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes, but be sure to remove quickly so they don’t burn.

Use a spoon to remove and serve warm. Enjoy!

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Hatch Chiles & Cheese Over Easy

Since arriving in Fort Worth at the start of this month, I’ve been less consumed with being the new girl in town and more into all the new things this town can offer. My foodie favorite is Hatch Chiles from an awesome new grocer called Central Market. 

The Hatch Chile Festival was not the traditional festival I thought it to be–more of an in-store roasting and celebration than an off-site extravaganza. Nevertheless, my spicy side had to try, so I picked up some of those big green chiles, the “Hot” ones, one night before a Rangers game.

Were they as “Hot” as advertised? I didn’t really think so. But these once-a-year peppers from New Mexico are fresh and tasty. I thought they’d be the perfect compliment to eggs. Some simple cheese and red pepper spice later, I had an excellent Southwestern breakfast. It’s not novel, but it is good. Lots of egg-white protein and some capsaicin make for a delightfully healthy mix.

Ingredients

1/2 small Hatch chile, sliced into rings

4 egg whites or 1 egg + 3 egg whites

1 oz. fresh cheese, crumbled or sliced

1 T fresh salsa

optional: Red pepper flakes

Directions

-Lightly grease a skillet. Add in eggs one at a time after the skillet has reached medium-medium heat. Cook until almost all of the egg white has hardened, and then using a wide spatula, flip carefully.

-While eggs are cooking, prepare other ingredients as necessary. When egg is cooked through, plate it. Top with cheese first, then chiles, then salsa and spice. The egg should be hot enough for the cheese to melt down a bit on it’s own, but if not you can microwave on high for about 30 seconds.

Related articles

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A Healthier Egg McMuffin

Two or three things I know for sure (about food)…

An egg should not be a “patty,” a hockey puck, or in any other unidentified form.

Good cheese doesn’t have to be pumped with antibiotic-laden dairy.

Bread should be made with whole grains and wholly nourishing, not white, sugary, and processed.

And nothing should be fried in hydrogenated oils, ever.

But McDonald’s classic Egg McMuffin sandwich goes against all of this. We know this. So why do people still want to eat them?

I know for sure there are a lot of reasons why people still order these sandwiches. Lack of knowledge, will power, and delay gratification are just a few.

But another big one is time. Let me be the first to tell you, that time can be on your side. I made this, my Healthier Egg McMuffin, in a pinch. Here’s what you need and what to do:

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 slice of soy-based cheddar cheese

1 whole-wheat English Muffin

optional: turkey bacon, sausage, or other meat, preferably antibiotic free

Directions

-Pull out your two eggs. Get ’em ready. If you’re using the whole egg, you’ll probably have quite a bit left over. If you’re going egg whites only like I did, you’ll be right at a good amount.

-In a small skillet, turn the heat up to medium. It should get hot rather quickly. And when you can drop a few droplets of water on the skillet and watch them sizzle, then spritz with a good deal of cooking spray and crack the eggs over. Cook for about 2 minutes until the outer edges firm up, and then turn the pan a bit, letting the runny egg that remains cook to the outsides. When a fairly thick bottom has formed, you’ll be ready to flip. If you wait too long, it’ll stick to the bottom of the pan.

-Meanwhile, get the muffin ready by toasting it lightly.

-When the egg is cooked all the way through, remove and fold gently to fit to the size of the muffin. Lay cheese over the top and watch it melt.

Easy, right? Like 10 minutes or less easy. You can’t be that. It’s cheaper than a McMuffin, and a lot better for you, too! You won’t feel yucky and bloated afterward, and if your arteries could talk they’d probably say thanks, just sayin’.

Related articles

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Yogurt & Oat Pancakes

Sweet breakfasts can be so good. Berry-filled crepes, French toast, pastry tarts. All of which can be healthy. All of which I’ve posted on this blog.

But what I dislike about sweet breakfasts (only slightly…) is that they aren’t the most filling. Normally, I have to add a little peanut butter for protein and lots of fruit for fiber.

This recipe, however, is a sweet but stick-to-your-ribs kind of breakfast. The Greek yogurt and the hearty oats that can be mixed in make it very filling, enough to power you through any morning.

Ingredients

1/4 cup + 1 t whole-wheat flour

1 T rolled or steel-cut oats

1/4 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (sub for coconut or almond varieties if you like)

2 T water (more or less depending on how runny/ thin you like your cakes)

1 t stevia

dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder

splash of vanilla

Directions

–Heat your griddle to med-low setting. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Allow to warm.

-In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients well. Then slowly add in yogurt, then vanilla, and then water as you like. For thicker cakes, use less water. For a few more cakes that are thinner, add more water.

-Pour pancake batter on griddle to the size of pancake you like. They will probably spread a bit. At this point, if you’d like to add in other ingredients, such as berries or chocolate chips, you can drop them on top while the bottom side of the cakes cook.

-When the edges begin to firm up a bit and bubbles are popping up through the top side, the cakes should be solid enough to flip. Do so carefully. They should be golden brown on each side.

Topping Ideas?

Yes, I always have lots of these! For this recipe, I mixed 1 T all-natural peanut butter with 1 T yogurt and a dash of honey. Fresh apples were chopped and added, too. Berries and honey would also be delicious.

Enjoy!

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Skinny Monkey Cookies

I made you a big breakfast cookie recipe this morning.

Why?

With all the healthful ingredients in this recipe, you don’t have to feel bad about eating the whole recipe. I mean, this is a low-calorie, nutritious recipe, so indulge yourself a bit! Make a batch of little cookies (8-10) or one or two giant cookies.

I have a feeling you’re going to like this one–even my picky little sister did–and I bet it will keep your sweet tooth satiated for the rest of the day.

Ingredients

1 banana, somewhat ripe

1/3 cup + 1 T rolled oats

1 T whole-wheat flour

1 T + 1 t cocoa powder

dash of cinnamon

scantest pinch of salt

1.5 heaping T applesauce

splash of vanilla

Optional: 1 T nut butter

Directions

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

-In a small bowl, mash up banana. If the banana is still too ripe to mash easily, you can ripen it quickly by popping it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

-Once banana is well mashed, start working on dry ingredients in another, slightly larger bowl. Mix well. Then add in mashed banana, applesauce, vanilla, and nut butter. Again, mix all ingredients well, trying to make sure that most of the chunks of banana are no longer visible.

-Bake for about 9-10 minutes. Per usual, the longer you bake, the crispier they’ll be.

I think these taste so good super soft, but then again, I’m not a crispy-cookie kind of gal. You’ll just have to try it out and see for yourself!

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DIY VitaTop Muffins (and Cookies!)

VitaTop muffins are oh so good, but hardly cheap. Why can’t we just make our own for less?

We can!

This recipe posted by Healthy is Always Better is pretty good, especially if you have a good food processor that can easily flour rolled oats. (I mention this because mine is not the best.) The more “floured-down” the oats, the better the dough.

Oh, and if you’re confused about the cookie-muffin tops pictured above, well, I made them small enough to double as cookies, which I then made into ice cream sammies (pictured at the bottom of this post). Mmm.Mmm.Mmm!

Makes 1 muffin or 2 medium-sized muffin tops.

Ingredients

2.3 T oats

.5 t or less of egg white

2 t unsweetened applesauce

pinch of vanilla

2 t vanilla yogurt (Greek may work as well)

tiny pinch of cream of tartar (or .33 t vinegar)

pinch of baking powder, baking soda, and salt

1.3 T hot water

1.5 t stevia

Optional: Chocolate chips

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a cupcake liner or lightly grease a muffin tin. Set aside.

-In a food processor, mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. Blend until dough is smooth and well mixed. Remove and mix in chips.

-Scoop dough into tin and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove and place a few chocolate chips on top for aesthetics :).

-Place back in oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

-Cool muffins (or muffin tops, or muffin ice cream sammies!) and enjoy.

Mint-Chip Ice Cream

Turning green with envy?

Or green with disgust?

Hopefully, it’s the former. This pretty little green ice cream–pretty by my standards, at least–might turn some away in disgust, but true lovers of the mint-chocolate combo will crave.

And feel free to crave away, because your craving need not be accompanied by guilt. Why?

It’s made with bananas! And the green coloring doesn’t require food dye, although you’re welcome to use that if you like.

Makes one big serving of mint-chip ice cream

Ingredients

1 large, frozen banana, chopped into small rounds

1/4 cup frozen spinach (or food coloring)

2-3 drops peppermint extract

splash of vanilla

dash of stevia

1-2 T dark chocolate chips

Directions

In a small blender, mix banana rounds, spinach, extract, vanilla, and stevia ’til smooth cream forms.

Remove from blender. Shape into ice cream if need be and top with chips.

If any of the banana melts down or gets too runny, simply freeze for a few minutes.

Would you have ever guessed those were bananas just by looking at them? I certainly wouldn’t.

Hope you think this recipe is as cool as I do… and find it as tasty, too!

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Avocado Toast

Have you all tried this?

It’s not the first time I have, but I thought I’d share it. There’s nothing more delicious, I think, than a creamy avocado. As someone with an awful lactose allergy, I hate feeling like I’ve been cheated out of creamy, cheesy spreads, but I love spreading avocado on my toast because it provides a similar consistency.

And there are so many different ways to do it. Here I just sliced some and sprinkled with a little sea salt.

But you could also blend it to be more like traditional guac, add in cumin or chili powder, salsa for a fresh-tomatoey take on the dip, or even plain yogurt if you want something really creamy.

Try it and tell me what you think.

-Jackie

Egg-Stuffed Baked Potato

I’ve heard it called an “Idaho Sunrise” by a fellow foodie blogger, Our Best Bites.

While I’ve never been to Idaho, I’ve heard the land is beautiful, so I’ll fallaciously correlate that with equally beautiful sunrises and equally wholesome breakfasts. Hey, you’ve got to have a good breakfast, especially if you’re living/ working in Idaho’s rugged terrain.

I really like this recipe idea. A few tips to make it better for you though:

First, use a smaller egg for stuffing or scrape out more of the insides. I used a large egg and it overflowed, making things a bit messy.

Second, season well and consider sprinkling with cheese, salsa, chives, or whatever other toppings you like.

Third, serve warm and allow ample time for the egg to cook all the way through. For a quicker cook, microwave the potato to soften, then stuff with egg and broil on high, checking frequently.

Otherwise, preparing is pretty simple.

Ingredients

1 medium- to large-sized potato

1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or ramekin. Set aside.

Wash potato well.

Slice a thin, but not too thin, layer of skin off one side of the potato. Carve out a hole and fill with egg (or stuff with additional toppings on the inside). Do not add toppings to the outside yet because they’ll cook too quickly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until potato is tender and egg is cooked all the way through.

If you add toppings, you can do so now and bake an additional 3-5 minutes. Or you can broil for a crispier finish.