Tag Archives: eggs

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

A Bit of Spice in a Chorizo and Egg Casserole

Coming from the southwest, you just know that I love Mexican food and that includes the spicy chorizo sausage that is mixed with chile.  The basque chorizo that I first found more frequently when I moved to Reno is a solid, easily cut version and it doesn’t melt in the skillet as the Mexican chorizo does.  This recipe is definitely for the Mexican variety.  These days, it’s packaged in a plastic tube and you can cut it open and squeeze it into the skillet.

Mexican style chorizo in a plastic tube. Chorizo can be pork or beef or a combination.

 

I made a small 2 or 4 serving (depending on how hungry you are) casserole of this, but it’s easy to double it to make a larger size.

Chorizo and Egg Casserole

4 eggs
2 oz Chorizo
1/4 cup sliced Bell Pepper
1/4 cup diced Onions
1/2 cup Mexican Cheese (Queso Fresca)
1/4 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Chile Powder
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F>)

In a skillet add the olive oil and chorizo and cook over medium high heat until the chorizo begins to melt. Add the onions and bell peppers and continue to cook until the onions are tender and the chorizo is completely melted. Turn heat to low.

In a bowl, beat together eggs and seasonings. Add most of the Mexican cheese, saving a little for topping. Pour the eggs into the pan with the chorizo and stir to mix well. The eggs will begin to cook as you stir. Remove from heat. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray and pour the egg and chorizo mixture into the casserole. Sprinkle the remaining Mexican cheese and shredded cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 431 Fat: 32 g g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 29.5 g

*I’ve actually pictured 1/4 of the recipe serving, which is what I usually eat, so picture double the amount of that wedge in a regular serving.

Breakfast & Brunch, Italian Inspired Recipes, Recipes

Brunch Time Skillet Frittata

I often hear people say that they get so tired of eggs, which are just a mainstay in the low carb lifestyle.  The egg is super low carb’d, nutritious and very versatile.  There are so many ways to prepare eggs and they are ingredients in many things where they aren’t the star.  If you don’t like the taste of eggs,  then there isn’t much that will hide the egg flavor unless you bake them into custards, flan, cakes and muffins.  But dishes like this one change the basic taste and many more ingredients enhance the experience.

A frittata is like a quiche or an omelet, but is made in a skillet.  It’s the Italian version of a Spanish omelet that is not the same as an American omelet.  Typically, an American omelet is a fluffy, folded over egg with filling ingredients in the middle.  The European version has the ingredients baked into the eggs to make a skillet egg cake, which is essentially what the name means. The flavor is different from the American version and is just as versatile with the added filling ingredients.

Often a frittata will use potatoes or even pasta in the mix.  This version replaces the potatoes with diced turnips, but you can also use Daikon radish, kohlrabi or celery root in it to keep it low-carb’d.  If you aren’t too worried about the carbs in the potato, then use the potato.  You can get creative with the frittata and it makes a great breakfast or brunch dish.  It even serves up well cold or at room temperature so it can make a great summer dinner meal with a berry salad on the side.

Skillet Italian Frittata

3 or 4 Eggs
1 link Italian Sausage, removed from casing
1/4 cup sliced Sweet Peppers
1/2 cup diced Turnips, Daikon Radish or Kohlrabi, pre-cooked
2 tablespoons Pico de Gallo
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Herb Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a skillet, cook the sausage until it is browned, separating it into small pieces as you cook. Don’t overcook as it will cook more in the frittata.

If the turnips (or other vegetable) isn’t already prepared, peel it, dice it and cook in boiling water for about five minutes. The little cubes should be fork tender when you poke them.

Break the eggs into a small bowl, add seasoning, salt, pepper and heavy cream and beat with a fork until well mixed and frothy.

Over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter in an omelet skillet, then add the sweet peppers and sauté about five minutes. Add the turnips, pico de gallo and sausage and stir to mix into the peppers and butter. Stir the eggs again, then pour into the skillet.

Cook as for an omelet, letting the eggs set, the lift the edges to let the liquid egg in the middle run underneath to cook. Repeat until most of the liquid egg is set. Turn the heat to low and put a cover over the skillet and let cook about three to five minutes. Check to see if the eggs look set in the middle. If so, then sprinkle the cheese over the top and put the cover back on for two or three minutes. Turn off the heat (if using an electric range, move off the burner) and let sit a couple of minutes.

Cut the frittata in two and serve.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 388 Fat: 30.5 g Net Carbs: 4.6 g Protein: 21.9 g

 

Breakfast & Brunch, Italian Inspired Recipes, Recipes

Quick Breakfast – or Any Time – Pizza

Breakfast Pizza

This is a quick, low carb solution to the desire for pizza. It can be a great little breakfast pizza with an egg on top or leave off the egg, add more toppings and make it a lunch pizza. It uses a low carb tortilla for the base. If you can’t find them at your supermarket, you can order them from Netrition.com or you can make your own.

2 low carb Tortillas
1 Italian Sausage
4 tablespoons Pasta Sauce (look for low carbs – mine is 5 nc for 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon Onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Mozarella Cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, shredded
2 eggs (optional)
1/2 teaspoon crushed Red Peppers (optional)

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray or butter. Put on a baking pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the tortilla is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, remove the sausage from the casing and brown in a skillet, breaking it into small pieces. When the tortillas are done, spread 2 tablespoons of pasta sauce on each tortilla. Add 1/2 of the sausage, spread evenly on top of the sauce. Mix the onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and crushed red peppers, if you are using it, together and distribute 1/2 of the mixture onto each tortilla. Tope with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is just toasted.

While the pizza is baking, prepare the eggs. I used fried eggs, but you can make them how ever you prefer or leave them off.

Top each pizza with an egg, season and serve.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories:358 Fat: 24.5 g Net Carbs: 6.1 g Protein: 24.9 g

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