Green Eggs and Ham Omelet

I'm for sure the cook in our house, but when it comes to breakfast, my husband is usually the champ.  If we're venturing outside of the realm of frozen waffles or cereal, he picks up the spatula and whips up his famous pancakes.

This weekend, though, after ripping out a page in the most recent Everyday Food issue, I took control of the most important meal of the day.  In true Sam-I-Am fashion, Ryan wanted nothing to do with this green breakfast.  I doubled their recipe (changes are reflected below) and made one giant omelet that my husband and I split. 

This was quick and easy, and the flavor?  Well, let's just say I would eat them in a box, or with a fox, or in a house, or with a mouse...

Too much?  Sorry.

Green Eggs and Ham Omelet

slightly adapted from Everyday Food

• 3-4 cups spinach, trimmed and washed
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/3-1/2 ham steak, warm and diced

In a small nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons water over medium-high heat.  Add spinach and cook, tossing, until completely wilted, about one minute.  Transfer to a colander to drain, pressing out as much water as possible.  Finely chop spinach; transfer to a medium bowl along with eggs.  Whisk to combine and season with salt and pepper.

Return skillet to heat and melt butter, tilting to coat pan; add egg mixture.  Cook, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula, until eggs begin to thicken, 30 seconds.  With spatula, pull edges of omelet in toward center, tilting pan so uncooked eggs flow underneath.  Cook until just set, 15-30 seconds.

Arrange cheese and ham on top of omelet.  With spatula, fold omelet in half.  Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

Bean and Cheese Burritos

I love love love when I make a dinner that is easy, relatively fast, delicious, and somewhat healthy. These Bean and Cheese Burritos from the most recent issue of Everyday Food accomplished all four of these requisites.

I didn't change a thing and they were perfect. In the future, I might add some avocado too, maybe in place of the lettuce. This was great for a Lenten Friday meal, but would also be great for a light summer dinner.

Although my tortilla-wrapping skills leave much to be desired, we loved this meal and can't wait to make it again.


Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can (15oz) refried beans
• 4 flour tortillas (burrito sized)
• 1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce (2 cups), shredded
• 1/2 salsa, plus more for serving

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350. In a small saucepan, bring rice and broth to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes; fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, warm beans and 1/4 cup water in another small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm, about 10 minutes.

To assemble, divide beans, sour cream, rice, cheese, lettuce, and salsa among tortillas. For each tortilla, fold side closest to you over filling, then fold right and left sides toward center; tightly roll up burritos. Serve topped with more sour cream and salsa if desired.

Chicken Cheesesteaks

I ripped this one out of Everyday Food and was recently reminded of it when I saw it on Good Thymes and Good Food.


The time allocated was nowhere near enough for my chicken, which admittedly were very fat; I should have sliced them to make them thinner. But all in all, this was one delicious meal! (Oh, and I did NOT pull out the insides of the bread - that's the best part!)


Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken cutlets
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 mixed bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced (I omitted)
• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
• 4 soft hoagie rolls, split lengthwise
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise

Directions
1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Transfer to a cutting board (reserve baking sheet); let cool, and thinly slice. Set chicken aside.

3. On baking sheet, toss together peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining tablespoon oil. Broil, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender and slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

4. Add chicken to broiled vegetables; toss, and spread in a single layer.

5. Top chicken and vegetables with cheese; broil until cheese is bubbling, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

6. Scoop out most of the doughy center from both halves of rolls; discard.

7. Spread rolls with mayonnaise; fill with chicken and vegetables.

8. Serve immediately.

Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair

Sometimes I think that I must get a different version of Everyday Food as everyone else. It will come in the mail, and I'll go through it and tear out what I think I like. And then sure enough, I'll see on someone's blog a recipe that I somehow completely missed!

Thanks to Reservations Not Required, I got a second chance to make this awesome chicken dish. I did take note of her disappointment in rinsing the capers and artichokes; I was a bit afraid to have too powerful of a taste, so I did still rinse, but just briefly. Perfect.


Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed, drained, and quartered
• 2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces angel-hair pasta
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.

2. Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Swirl in butter, and cover to keep warm.

3. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, topped with parsley.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When the most recent issue of Everyday Food arrived in my mailbox the other day, I tore out this recipe so fast and made it the next night.

I don't usually cook or bake with peanut butter since Ryan is allergic, but I really couldn't help myself. These things are SO GOOD!


They are slightly denser than most cookies I make (similar to the zucchini-chip cookies I've made) but they are good. Really good. Really, really good.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup peanut butter (I used chunky but I don't think it matters)
• 4 TB (1/2 stick) unsalted butted, room temp
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 8oz semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets. Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Yields approximately 36 cookies.