MARGHERITA FRITTATA. Thanks Queenie.

I always wondered where the name Margherita Pizza came from.

Simple fresh ingredients.

Delicious combination.

But how did they come up with Margherita?

Rumor has it, that back in 1889, Queen Margherita of Italy, went to Naples and was served a pizza that resembled the colors of the Italian Flag.

Red = Tomato, White = Mozzarella and Green = Basil.

Someone really wanted to impress Queen M. by coming up with that delicious red, green & white combination. 

I would imagine she took one look at that fresh Mozzarella all melted in with the fresh ripe tomatoes and basil and said "Bellessima!'

Just think........ if the person who came up with the Margherita pizza for Queenie was alive today, he'd have his own Food Network show.

If Queen M. ever came to visit Kansas, I believe this is what I'd present her.

Your Majesty, I present you a Margherita Frittata.

I think she'd like it.

3 eggs

Splash of Milk

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 or 5 fresh Cherry Tomatoes, sliced

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Basil (I used 1 green onion stem, sliced in place of basil. Queenie is gonna have to live with it)

Kosher Salt 

Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

In a bowl, whisk the 3 eggs with a splash of milk.

Dice up your cherry tomatoes into nice little slices.

If you are using basil leaves get them ready buy pulling the leaves off the stems.  If you are using green onions as I am doing, slice only the green stem of one green onion.

Now take your fresh Mozzarella ball and slice about 4 nice round thin-ish slices.

Bel Gioiso brand of fresh mozzarella is normally what I find in my grocery store.  It comes in a round ball, about the size of a baseball.

HINT:  Keep refrigerated until ready to slice.  It's much easier to slice when the Mozzarella is completely chilled and not room temperature.

Set your skillet to Medium heat.  I normally put my setting to #7.

Pour 2 Tbsp. of olive oil into your skillet.  Tip the skillet so the oil covers the entire bottom of the pan.

I use a 9 or 10 inch non-stick skillet.  I find non-stick works best for an easy-slide-out Frittata.  I've had several "stuck" Frittatas, and it's not pretty.  In the end, you might as well say they were "scrambled eggs".

Heat your olive oil in your pan for just about one minute.  You don't want it to be scorching when you pour your egg mixture in.

Pour in your egg/milk mixture.  

Now sprinkle your sliced tomatoes all around on top of the egg mixture. 

Just like you would a pizza.

Gently lay your four round slices of Mozzarella evenly around into the mixture.

Same with your basil pieces or in my case, the green onions (Sorry Queenie). 

Let your Frittata sort of do it's thing for a while.

Practice your Italian for when the Queen arrives, or get your curtsy down-pat.

What you will be watching for is the egg will start to pull away just slightly from the pan and it will start to some-what solidify.

The center will still have some egg liquid, but you will start to see the cheese melting, and the liquid should be reduced to less than half of what it was originally.

Quick, now is the time you need to sprinkle the top with a pinch of Kosher salt, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and cover the pan.

More time for you to practice your Italian.....

Welcome to Kansas Queen M.   "Benvenuti nel Kansas Queenie".

After about 4 minutes or so, you should see the egg has totally set and is ready to perfectly slide out of the pan onto the Royal Platter.  

Ask your Majesty if she would like a sprinkling of Fresh Parmesan at this point.

BELLISIMA!

Change-it-Up Rule................POTATO EGG CASSEROLE

I love a recipe that lets you change-it-up to your liking.

I've butchered many a recipe, where I've tried to Change-It-Up, or varied it to my taste buds.

This Potato Egg Casserole is very forgiving.

Don't like Mushrooms.....No Problem......add Spinach.

Don't like Red Pepper.....No Problem.......add Green Pepper or even diced tomatoes.

Don't like Sausage......Not a Problem people.....add Ham or Bacon.

You get the picture.

So go ahead, if you don't like the ingredients I've used in this recipe, use the Change-It-Up Rule.

It will turn out perfectly, no matter what you swap or switch out.

6 eggs
1/2 c. milk
20 ounce bag refrigerated diced potatoes with onions (equal to 3 cups)
6 links of Jimmy Dean Brown-N-Serve Sausage Links
1 c. Baby Portabella Mushrooms, diced fine
1/4 c. Red Pepper, diced fine
1 c. shredded Longhorn Cheddar Cheese
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lets start with the basics:

1.  I find that 6 eggs and 1/2 cup milk works best for a 9 x 9 casserole pan.  That's pretty much a given, so don't change-it-up too much when it comes to the egg/milk basics.

2.  Refrigerated pre-diced Potatoes are perfect for this recipe.  No dicing and slicing necessary; which makes them ideal for a house filled with hungry mouths and a fast ticking clock.

3. Ditto with the Brown-N-Serve Sausage Links. No frying necessary. This just makes my life so much easier.

These are the refrigerated diced potatoes I'm using.  They already have diced onions in them which gives me more free ticks on my fast ticking clock.

But if you can't find the ones with onions....remember our little Change-It-Up Rule;  If you like em' add em' , if you don't, forget it.

The refrigerated potatoes are perfectly cut in cute little squares.  So handy.

Place your potatoes in a large bowl and set aside.

Dice up your mushrooms, or your Change-It-Up veggie, into one cup.

Make sure they are smallish in size. 

Set aside.

Now dice up the red pepper, also smallish, to 1/3 cup measurements.  Set aside.

If you're using a veggie that might be a bit stronger in flavor, like the red pepper, or onion or green pepper, I like to use only 1/3 cup so the flavor doesn't take over the dish.

That way the milder veggies, like mushrooms, tomatoes, or fresh spinach, or whatever change-it-up veggie you use, can be in 1 cup measurements.

Now for the meat portion. I use the Jimmy Dean Brown-N-Serve sausage links.  That way, no frying or prep time is taking up my ticking clock.

They come in a convenient 2-pack.  Not to be confused with Tupac.  6 sausage links to each pack.

Use only ONE pack, and toss the other pack in the fridge for another time.

Dice up the 6 sausage in bite-sized pieces and set aside.

 In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and milk, and pour over the potatoes.

Add two nice sized pinches of Kosher Salt to the potato egg mixture and combine well.

In a frying pan, squirt in about 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil and on medium high heat saute the red pepper, mushrooms and sausage pieces.  Just until everything gets nice and warm, and tender.

Once done, combine with potato egg mixture.

Shred your Longhorn Cheddar cheese, or whatever Change-It-Up cheese you prefer, and toss with potato mixture and combine all ingredients.

Spray a 9x9 square casserole pan with non-stick spray and pour in your mixture.

Sprinkle top with a little black pepper. 

 

Toss in your pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes.  Keep an eye on it, as you're looking for the egg to not be jiggly in the middle.  Oh, I hate the word jiggly.  Which reminds me....I need to go to the gym when I'm done posting this.

Should look something terribly delicious, like this.

Quick little Egg Casserole Tip:

Always let your egg casserole (also goes for any sort of Quiche) sit at room temperature for a good 15 minutes before cutting.  20 minutes would be even better.  It cuts much easier, and for some reason, the flavors come together after it has set for awhile.

Once your casserole has finished his little 20 minute nap, cut into nice little squares.

Use the Change-It-Up Rule, and make this for dinner.

Thanks to Little Kitchen On the Prairie for the fantastic idea.

Adapted from Little Kitchen on the Prairie

Jimmy Dean Sausage Hash. Because the Queen Says So.

Hash of some sort has been around for years and years.   Every country has some form of recipe that they call Hash.  The common thread of all the many varieties, consists of some type of meat, carrots and potatoes.

The most well-known variety is Corned Beef Hash which dates back to the 1800s.

But alas, Scotland has their version of Hash, called Stovies.

Denmark's version of Hash is called Biksemad - translated to "tossed together food"  - that's funny.

In Austria there's Grostl which consists of " left-over meat topped with an egg".

In Mexico, there's Picadilio.

Oh I'm sure the list goes on and on from country to country.

I came up with my own version, as many countries have done over the years.

I like to call it.......Jimmy Dean Sausage Hash.

I know....I know.....it's not a very clever name. 

But hey, it's "MY" Country.   Population 5 by the way, and I'm the Queen of it.

And this Queen simply loves Jimmy Dean Sausage. 

So until my townspeople complain, and I'm over-thrown, it will be called Jimmy Dean Sausage Hash.  So there.



1 roll Jimmy Dean Sausage (because the Queen loves it)  - Regular Flavor

1 1/4 cup fresh carrots, cut into cubes

1/3 cup chopped onion (I use frozen) - not pictured.  I ALWAYS forget the onions in my pictures.

8 small Yukon Gold potatoes

1/3 cup beef broth, low sodium

6 eggs

* This will make 4 to 6 servings, depending on your appetite.

Yukon gold potatoes come in all sizes.  I used about 8 medium ones.  About this size:

Cut them in half, or in thirds, depending on the size.

Place them in a pot of boiling salted water.  We want them to boil until they are fork tender.

In the meantime, lets get these carrots cut into little cubes.

Be sure to use fresh carrots.  Trust me.  Canned ones will just get all mushy, and frozen ones...well, I've never used frozen ones so I can't really comment.

The Queen likes her carrots cut into little squares, just a tradition from my country that dates way back.

This is how I do it.

I cut the carrot lengthwise.

And then cut them again in half lengthwise until you have four slices.

Now get to cutting into little squares.  The Queen is hungry.

Take the carrots, sausage and the frozen onion, and throw it all into a big pot on medium high heat.

Use your wooden spoon to chop up the sausage into crumbles as it cooks.

Just when the sausage turns brown, and the pink is gone, pour in the beef broth and turn the heat down low and cover.  Let simmer about 10 minutes until the carrots get all tender.

***A Message From The Queen (Trumpets blare and the whole thing).......Don't get tempted to pour in more beef broth than the recipe calls for.  I did this once.  I got all carried away and poured  in extra broth, and it ended up being mushy hash.  I mean really mushy.  And the townspeople were very upset with me.

By now the potatoes should be fork tender.

Drain potatoes and place in with the sausage mixture.

Use your wooden spoon and gently mash up the potatoes to combine with the sausage mixture. Leave some of the potatoes in small chunks.

If your people like, you can eat the hash just like this, with toast or a Biscuit or English Muffin.

But my townspeople like to top our hash with an egg.

Add a little pepper............

Insert Fork here.....

Let Them Eat Hash! 





California Style BREAKFAST BURRITO

Growing up in the Midwest in the 60s and 70s, and then moving to Southern California in the early 80s was quite the Culture Shock.

Spiked blue hair.... Surfer Dudes.....Valley Girl Accents....... and Breakfast Burritos.

I soon grew accustomed to the fashion styles and funny California accents, but  was still simply amazed  with the whole Breakfast Burrito concept.

Growing up in Kansas, our breakfasts consisted of, Waffles, Biscuits & Gravy, and of course Pigs in a Blanket.

My trips to Del Taco drive-thru became more and more frequent.  Each time, leaving there thinking "Breakfast in a Burrito form, Amazing!"

Man, California is light-years ahead of the Midwest.  Nothing like that existed in my Kansas world growing up in the 70s.  Nothing.

Moving back to Kansas in 1992, I proudly carried back my recipe for California Breakfast Burritos.

It's been 20 years since I've moved back, and I still make these for breakfast OR for dinner. 

Moving back from California, I now thought I was all cultured & stuff.  After all, it was "I" who brought the Breakfast Burrito to the Midwest!  (Well not really, but let's just go with it for the sake of this blog post)

Note: I completely forgot to put several items in the photo above, so just just ignore my memory loss.
1 roll Jimmy Dean Regular Breakfast Sausage
5 c. frozen cubed hash browns
1/2 stick butter
9 eggs
Splash of Milk
1/4 c. diced onions
1/8 c. diced red bell pepper
1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
6 small flour tortillas (taco size)

In a large pot, preferably non-stick, throw in your half stick of butter and your 5 cups frozen hash brown cubes. Turn your stove to the 6 dial (medium heat).

This part is the slowest, trickiest part of the whole recipe.  These little frozen potato cubes tend to burn quickly on the outside, while remain hard on the inside, and tend to stick on the bottom of the pan if you don't pay close attention.

I find it best to cook them slowly, with the lid on for steam reasons, and stir them quite often.

Once they are tender all the way through, take them off the stove and throw them into a large bowl to hang out.

Now in the same pan, throw in your sausage, onion and red peppers.  Turn your heat up to Medium High and cook until sausage is brown.  While browning, take a wooden spoon and break up the sausage.  Break break break it up until there are no large clumps.

When browned, throw it in the same bowl as the hash browns, and let them just hang out.  Like California surfers do, waiting for that big wave.

In a large bowl, crack open your 9 eggs, and throw in a splash of milk.  Whisk away like you're making scrambled eggs.

Throw in the egg mixture into the big pot.  There should be enough oil in the bottom from the sausage so the eggs won't stick.  If not, then just spritz it with a spray of Pam.

Scramble those eggs, and once they are done, toss back in the sausage and potato mixture.

Now is the time to put in your shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.

Turn the heat down to low, and stir until cheese is melted.

To assemble the burritos, I like to pop the tortilla in the microwave for about 8 seconds, so it gets all soft and bendy.

I also like to use the small tortillas.  I know I know, they are called Breakfast "Burritos", but that's what they did in California in the 80s, so just do it.

Place mixture down center of tortilla and roll er up.

You can be like the Californians and top with Salsa, or be like me, from Kansas, and top it with Jelly (can't take the Midwest out of the girl, sorry, I love jelly on my breakfast burritos)

Breakfast Burritos might not be a "new" concept to people anymore, but to me they are still a delicious change-of-pace to the boring old breakfast.

Curly Q Cheese on Eggs - My New Favorite Grater

I get excited over the simplest of things really.

I bought this cute little grater because I finally broke down and bought a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano. You know, the stuff that all the Food TV people use.  Whatever happened to plain ole Parmesan?  It's a fraction of the price of it's fancy schmancy relative, Parmigiano Reggiano.

Anyway, back to my cute little grater.

One morning I made some scrambled eggs and thought Swiss cheese a-top would go quite nicely. 

Perfect chance to use my new little grater.

See how cute it is:

Some mornings a gal has to have scrambled eggs piled high on a piece of buttered toast , with just a sprinkling of cheese.

And oh to my surprise, lookie at what my new little grater did.

It gave me Curly-Q Cheese!

Cute little curly pieces of cheese, that not only melt perfectly but is so pretty to look at. (see them in the background all cute and curly).

Sometimes all you want is a light sprinkling of cheese on top of something to satisfy your cheesy cravings.

And if it just-so-happens that the light sprinkling of cheese is all Curly-Q looking, then how happy things will be!

It melts perfectly and oh-so quickly.

Just think of it.  Think how pretty it will make your salads.

Or use it with Cheddar Cheese and make an awfully pretty pile of Nachos.

Or what about curly pieces of cheese to sprinkle on top of your tacos or on top of a casserole.

Or what about curly pieces of chocolate sprinkled here and there on your baked goods. Oh my!

I am so happy I bought this little grater.

Just in case you want Curly-Q cheese here's the link:

http://www.joieshop.com/e/item.asp?ItemCode=10223&CatCode=14488&s=

I told you I get excited over the littlest things.

You Say Frittata I Say Un-Flipped Omelet. ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

"You Say ToMay-toe, I Say ToMah-toe......You Say PotAY-toe, I say PoTah-toe"

I love that song (probably because it has food in the lyrics).

I find it funny that over the years, names of food and  types of ingredients have changed. 

Back in the day, as a teenager in the 70s, one would never have seen or heard the word "Frittata" on a menu much less on their table for breakfast or dinner.

You also never would have heard the words:
Chipotle Sauce
Pomegranate Salsa
Edamame
Hummus
Bruschetta
Feta

So many new & wonderful things have entered our recipe world over the past 30 years.

Back in 1975, I never would have imagined that one day, an entire television channel would be dedicated solely to "cooking".  Who'd a thunk it?

This recipe, although it has the new age name of Frittata, to me, it's just a plain ole "un-flipped" Omelet.

Whatever you want to call it, this un-flipped Omelet/Frittata is super yummy. Super Easy.  And looks very  impressive. 

3 eggs
5 Asparagus Spears
1/4 c. shredded Swiss cheese
Sprinkling of grated Parmesan Cheese
Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Cavendars Seasoning (optional)

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

NOTE:  I found this wonderful bag of frozen asparagus spears at my grocer since they are not in season right now, but if it's that time of year, and you have fresh, by all means use them

Break the 3 eggs into a bowl and with a fork, whisk them together like you would if making scrambled eggs. Set aside.

Take your 5 spears of asparagus, and either steam them if you are using fresh, or cook as directed in the microwave, if using frozen.  Don't over cook or over steam them.  Nothing worse than wilty asparagus spears.

Turn your stove up to the number 8 heat setting.  Pour in the olive oil and make sure it coats the entire bottom of your pan.

Now lay all five spears gently into the egg in the frying pan.  Line them up real pretty like.

Sprinkle the top with Kosher Salt.  Then, sprinkle the top evenly with the Parmesan and Swiss Cheese.

Personally, I love Cavendars Greek Seasonings.  It's wonderful on eggs and on vegetables.  So if you have some of this wonderful stuff, sprinkle some of that on top right about now.

 I Love this stuff!

Now set back and let the eggs do their thing. It's amazing how eggs just cook right up all by their self. 

Once it starts to look like the edges of the egg is starting to cook, but the center is still a bit jiggly, take a lid -or if you don't have a lid for your fry pan, then use a cookie sheet, and cover your pan.  Turn your heat down to 6.

The egg corners should look like this when you cover it.  See how the edges are starting to cook but the center is still liquidy?

After you have covered your pan and turned your heat down, once again, sit back and let the eggs do their thing.

Eggs are like good little children, the kind you can leave alone in their room, and they will entertain their self without having to constantly go in and check on them.

After about 3 minutes, lift the lid and take a peek.  When it is done, it will look just like a wonderful little un-flipped omelet.  The eggs just miraculously cook around the asparagus and gets all pillowy.

Once your Frittata looks done, you should be able to just slide it right out of the pan onto your plate. Gotta love Olive Oil for that cool move.

Omelet or Frittata, however you want to call it, everyone else will call it YUMMY.