Category Archives: Breakfast & Brunch

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Spicy Breakfast Eggs to Start the New Year

I wanted to squeeze one more recipe in before the start of 2014 and this one for Mexicali Baked Eggs is a great way to start off New Year’s morning. I love it when I read a recipe and it inspires me to come up with a new take on it. This is my variation of a recipe posted by Chef John on All Recipes.com His original recipe used Marinara sauce and was more Italian. If you’d like to try that, go to his recipe (and a video) for it. For the south of the border version, mine is right below.

Mexicali Baked Eggs

1/4 cup Green or Red Enchilada Sauce
2 ounces Mexican Chorizo
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Dried Peppers (optional)
1/2 low carb Tortilla, torn into pieces
1/8 teaspoon ground Cumin
Sprinkle of Mexican Oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried Cilantro (or 1 teaspoon fresh, cut)
2 tablespoon Queso Fresco, (Mexican white cheese) crumbled
2 tablespoon Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons of Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small oven-proof baking dish or two single serving casseroles, spray the bottom with cooking spray, then tear the tortilla and layer the pieces on the bottom of the dish, (Split all ingredients if you are making in two small dishes.) Spoon the enchilada sauce over the tortillas, then sprinkle peppers and cumin on top.

In a small skillet, cook the chorizo until the sauce is melted. Separate into two mounds. Put each mound into the dish to form the base for the eggs. If using a single dish, space these at least three inches apart. Using the back of the spoon, make a well in the middle of the chorizo. Sprinkle a little cheese over the top.

I used a single serving dish to make mine using a green sauce.

Break an egg into a recipe bowl or small bowl being careful not to break the yolk. Carefully slide the egg into the well. It will probably overflow a little. Repeat with the second egg and slide it into the second well. Sprinkle oregano and cilantro, salt and pepper on top of the egg, then sprinkle the crumbled cheese over the top. Top with shredded cheddar jack cheese. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of heavy cream over the top.

You can’t always convince the egg to stay in the well.  I make mine with 1 egg, but feel free to add a second one.

Put the dish(es) on a baking pan and slide into the oven. Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes until the egg is set but still slightly runny in the middle, about like a soft boiled egg.

Remove and serve. Beak up the egg and mix it into the sauce and cheese to really mix the flavors.

To make this for more than a couple of people, you can easily double the recipe and use a larger baking dish.

Nutrition Info: 1 egg in half the sauce
Calories: 300 Fat: 23.5 g Net Carbs: 4.6 g Protein: 15.7 g

Posted on 12/30/2013

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Eggs with Asparagus for Sunday Brunch

Huevos Rancheros are a part of my Texas up-bringing and I’ve enjoyed them many times and in many ways over the years. This recipe is based on my version that I inherited from my grandma with a couple of new twists, like adding the asparagus and chipotle salsa to it. Low carb tortillas can be purchased at most grocery stores, just look for the lowest net carbohydrate count (La Tortilla Factory and Mama Lupe’s both have ones that are 3 net carbs.)

I call these “spring” ranch eggs because they are best made when asparagus is arriving in supermarkets (or your garden) in the spring. You definitely want to use fresh asparagus for it. At times that you can’t get asparagus or the price is just too high, try broccolini (baby broccoli) with it or skip it altogether.

I used what I call Mexican style chorizo, which is a beef or pork sausage packed with chili in a plastic casing. Remove the casing and it almost melts in the pan while it’s cooking. It’s a spicy, but not too hot sausage that also makes fabulous scrambled eggs with sausage burritos. You can also use ground beef or pork sausage to make this.

I am a light eater these days, so one egg is enough for me, but if you want more food, there is plenty of room for a second egg on the tortilla.

Heuvos Rancheros Primavera

2 low carb Tortillas
2 to 4 Eggs
1/2 link Mexican-style Chorizo or 1/2 cup ground Beef or Pork
Queso Blanco or Queso Fresca cheese
1/2 cup Enchilada Sauce (canned or homemade)
3 tablespoons Pico de Gallo (tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro)
2 tablespoons Chipotle Salsa or other Salsa
6 spears of Asparagus or Broccolini
2 tablespoons Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.

Wash and trim the asparagus spears. Bring a pot of water to a boil and put the asparagus spears in for two minutes to blanch. Remove and drain the spears.

Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or a silicone mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking. Put enchilada sauce in a pie pan and dip each tortilla in it, making sure the whole tortilla is covered. Place on the baking sheet and put in the hot oven to cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove the chorizo from its casing and stir fry it in a small skillet until it is done. In another skillet, fry the eggs the way you like them. Or poach the eggs. Or you can scramble the eggs with the chorizo.

Mix the salsa with the pico de gallo in a small bowl.

Put a tortilla on the plate, arrange 3 asparagus spears in a trio with the tops meeting and the bottoms spread across the tortilla. Put the egg on top, then put the chorizo around the edge of the eggs. Put a little salsa on each side and across the tops of the spears. Crumble queso fresco or queso blanca over the entire tortilla, about 2 to 3 tablespoons, then put sour cream on top of the egg.

Add salt and pepper, if desired and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 263.7 Fat: 18.1 g Net Carbs: 8.4 g Protein: 14.4 g

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 5/14/2013 1:22 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes

Crustless Sausage and Ham Ricotta Quiche

I’ve made my quiches with ricotta cheese in them for years and find the addition is really good, no matter what other ingredients I put in with the eggs and cheese. This quiche features ham and sausage along with fresh spinach. I use pico de gallo for the tomatoes, onion and cilantro since the local grocery store has a lovely fresh version all ready to go. This is an especially good use for the pico de gallo when it is “on the verge” of becoming not so good.

6 large Eggs
3/4 cup of browned bulk Pork sausage
1/2 cup diced Ham
1/4 cup chopped Onions
1/4 cup chopped Tomatoes,
2 tbsp chopped Cilantro
1 cup fresh Spinach, fresh, torn or chopped
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream,
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh Chives
3/4 cup cheddar jack or Mexican four cheese mix
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Garlic herb mix seasoning or other seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together eggs, ricotta cheese, whipping cream and seasoning. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cheddar jack cheese and mix the rest with the remaining ingredients into the eggs.

Use a cooking spray to lightly coat an 8×8″ square pan or a deep dish pan plate. Pour the egg and meat mixture into the pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until eggs are set and lightly browned. Turn off oven. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the quiche and put back into the oven for another five minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Cut and serve. Also reheats in the microwave easily. Just heat for 1 minute.

6 servings
1 serving equals calories: 268, Net Carbs 2.5 g and protein 19.1 g.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/21/2012 1:30 PM

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Mah-velous LC Pumpkin Pancakes

When the cool of fall hits the air, it’s time for pumpkin pancakes at IHOP.  Sometimes I really miss those!  So I decided to do something about that desire for the wonderful taste of pumpkin, cinnamon, butter and maple syrup.  This recipe hits all the right buttons for me and I hope you find it as delicious as I do.  There are a few brands of sugar free pancake syrup available at various grocery stores and Wal-Mart, so look for one that is 0 carbs and 0 calories, like Mrs. Butterworth’s, Log Cabin and Smith’s brand.

Still can’t find one?  Use maple extract and mix about 1 teaspoon with 1/2 cup sugar substitute dissolved in 1/2 cup water and heated until just boiling.  Melt a tablespoon of butter into it and you have a wonderful quick maple syrup.

2/3 cup Carbquick
1/3 cup Almond flour
2 tablespoons Buttermilk
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Whey Protein Powder (optional)
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground Clove
1/4 cup Water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the wet ingredients and hand mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix the ingredients. Add just enough water to make an easily spoon-able batter. Spray a large skillet or griddle with baking spray and heat to medium hot. A little water should skittle across the top when it is hot enough. Spoon about a 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake and smooth it out. If using a skillet, cover it with a lid and cook it for about 2 minutes. Turn the pancakes and cook another two minutes until done.

Spread with butter and serve with sugar free, low carb syrup.

Makes 8 pancakes. Each pancake is 114 calories, 2.1 g net carbs, and 3.6 g protein. Two pancakes make a normal serving.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/28/2012 11:13 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Turning Leftovers Into Lunch Pies

If you’re like me and you come home with leftover steak or you have lots of ham leftovers, then you have the main ingredient for these two quick and easy lunch pies. Of course, I do have to add that CarbQuick is a staple around my house, so the recipe also uses that low carb flour option. I think you can probably substitute almond flour and flax meal flour for the CarbQuick, but I haven’t tried it on this recipe. It worked well to make a pizza crust, so why not?

The recipe for the bread base is the same for both pies, only the toppers and the cheese change.

Bread Pie Base:
3/4 cup Carbquik
1 Egg
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cheese (whichever one you are using in the pie)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray.

Combine the cream and water in a cup and mix. In a small bowl, mix flours, egg, seasoning and 1/2 the cream mixture. Stir well or beat with an egg beater to remove lumps. Add the remaining cream and 1/2 the cheese and mix together. Pour into the pie pan.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven

Ham, Bacon and Cheese Pie

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with bacon in a dish, can you?

2 tablespoons Hormel Bacon Bits
1 sliced Red Ripe Tomatoes or 3/4 cup Pico de Gallo
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup diced Ham
1/4 cup Mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup Spinach Leaves, torn

Once you remove the crust from the oven, spread the topping ingredients evenly over the top covering them with the cheese last. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with a salad or green vegetable.

Makes 4 moderate servings or 2 hungry man servings.

Nutrition Info for 1/4 pie:
Calories: 300 Net Carbs: 2.2g Protein: 19.5g

Steak and Onion Pie

As you can tell from the photo, the mozzarella cheese got a little browner than you might like, so watch it the last few minutes of cooking.

A variation on the pie uses leftover steak or you can grill a small steak for this purpose. Use the basic pie base above with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese then these toppings:

1/2 cup sliced Onions
1 cup grilled Steak, chopped or diced
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced Sweet Peppers (small or bell peppers)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray.

Prepare pie crust as above and bake.

Once you remove the crust from the oven, spread the topping ingredients evenly over the top covering them with the cheese last. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with a salad or green vegetable.

Serves 4
Calories: 380 Net Carbs 3.8g Protein: 30.9g