Now just imagine what happens when you say this word Frittata to a roomful of high school students. They think it is hilarious. I love it! This was a staple at my house even before I knew what a Frittata was. If you have eggs you can do this. This is your go to meal when you have about thirty minutes to get a meal on the table and you don’t want another sandwich or a bowl of cereal. If you have leftover pan roasted potatoes or hash browns it will be even faster to put together.
Filed under Main dish
My students absolutely loved these!!!! A couple of my friends told me that I should try this recipe in my class. It is quick and easy! Just right for a 45 minute class period. When I started doing a little investigation about baked eggs lo and behold they are everywhere. I missed out on this one earlier, but now I am on the bandwagon. Perfect for a quick breakfast. My students came up with endless ideas making these the almost perfect food. That is what eggs are anyway – the almost perfect food! So now go get your muffin tin buttered and cook up some eggs for breakfast. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (if they last that long) and pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Eggs are a great protein source that will keep you satisfied all morning.
Talk about a show stopper this Sky-High Brunch Bake is one that will stop you in your tracks! I could not resist making it when I saw the picture in Food and Family by Kraft. It is beautiful to look at and it is quite tasty. I am keeping this bookmarked to use during the holiday season for a brunch because the green spinach and red peppers are so colorful! Don’t let the beautiful picture intimidate you because it is super simple to make if you can get past rolling out the pastry dough. Just follow the thawing directions on the box. You can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or leave it out for about 45 minutes ahead of time. I like to thaw it out in the refrigerator. If you let it get too warm just put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. The pastry dough is very forgiving. The rest of the recipe is a cinch to make. Trust me by saying the novice cook can pull this off without a hitch and come out smelling like a rose!
The Friday we cooked Fried Rice in my class I left school and ran errands. I wonder what went through the minds of those that passed me in the aisle at Publix. I’m sure they thought that I worked at some local Chinese restaurant or that I was too cheap to buy real perfume and just dabbed a lot of soy sauce behind my ear. I am not kidding you when I say that I had to roll the windows down in my car on the way home because the odor permeated every pore of my body. Just imagine 24 kitchens using sesame oil with a clove of garlic, ginger, onions, and soy sauce. The entire school smelled like a Chinese Wok by noon and we have a large school. This was a first, I had students checking out to go home and change clothes. The odor lingered in my room for weeks! Was the food good? Yes, it was, but I do need a much better ventilation system. Two large windows just does not cut it.
Filed under Main dish
Recipes that are made ahead of time are some of the best to have in your back pocket. Just pull them out when you’re having company or heck just used them to treat yourself. I hate to be rushed and anything that can be done the day before makes life easier. I have been using this recipe for years. It is our traditional Christmas morning special. Many breakfast casseroles call for as many as a dozen eggs and this one only uses four eggs. That’s really reducing the amount of cholesterol which is a good thing.
At the beginning of the year I asked my students which teachers they would like to see come to our classroom and prepare a dish. Coach Bedosky was mentioned first. I was not surprised at all. Mike Bedosky is a history teacher at Alexander High School. He has his Master’s degree and is currently working on his doctorate hopefully to be finished in 2012. When I questioned him about preparing a dish for us he did not hesitate saying, “Sure I would love to!” Mike is no stranger to my classroom. He comes quite frequently at the invitation of my students. They love him! I encourage students to invite teachers to have breakfast, lunch, or whatever we are preparing at the time. We treat our classroom as if it were a fancy restaurant. With the preparation of the meal out-of-the-way carrying on table conversation with adults can sometimes be a little difficult for teens. Coach Bedosky is the perfect role model for students. When he is our guest he has the entire table at ease and engaging in conversation. I can tell that he is thrilled to be invited and truly enjoys this time with his students. And think about it, how many times does a student get to sit down and enjoy a meal with their favorite teacher? And it is a perfect time for students to see teachers in a different light. Even before Mike was chosen as Douglas County teacher of the year I knew that he was a great teacher. He has the respect of the students as well as fellow teachers and his love for teaching shows even out of the classroom. I am so proud that he is an Alexander Cougar. Congratulations Coach! Now to the cooking-
Filed under Other
Here are the results of the Banana Pudding lab and I will say they were outstanding! The first time in a loooong time all the meringue was perfect. We only used two extra eggs for a couple that had a little trouble separating them. I was extremely pleased.
They were also pleased with their results and eager to share the leftovers with other teachers and friends.
You take a look and see what you think. If you want to give it a try yourself check out the directions here.
Filed under Banana Pudding, Dessert, Nabisco vanilla wafers
French Toast looks so sophisticated, but it is simple to put together. This is one of my favorite breakfast foods. When I was in high school it was my breakfast choice almost every day. I did not use a recipe nor did I make it fancy. All I did was whisk an egg with a little milk , dip white bread in the egg and cook in a cast iron skillet with a little butter. I drizzled with hot syrup and enjoyed with hot coffee.
Here is a recipe that I have been using for years with my classes. I prefer at home to make French toast the night before and pop it in the oven the next morning especially if we have company! It is just quicker.
Here’s what you need.
Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, French Toast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One-fourth of your daily calories should be consumed first thing in the morning. I have found that less than one-fourth of my students do not eat breakfast before they leave for school. The number one reason given for not eating breakfast is – no time. I say it is just poor planning. Breakfast is so easy and quick to make! Especially eggs!
How do we like our eggs? Scrambled is the number one choice of most Americans, then hard-cooked , over-easy, over-medium and sunny-side up. Here are some tips for making great eggs:
They are just waiting for you!!
I love deviled eggs. They are so southern. They are right up there with fried chicken, pimento cheese, biscuits, and potato salad. Deviled eggs are just something that you take to a family reunion, to your aunt’s at Thanksgiving, or to a family picnic. They are easy to make, but so many people don’t know how to cook eggs. And that could be a big problem in this case!
So how do you prepare this almost perfect food wrapped in a shell. Well, first you do not BOIL eggs. Eggs are either soft-cooked or hard-cooked in water. Never, ever boiled. Have you ever been to an Easter egg hunt where they used real eggs and you cracked into one and the yolk was green. That’s what happens when you boil eggs. A chemical reaction takes place inside the shell that turns the yolk green. No one wants green eggs. Unless of course you are Dr. Seuss.
Follow these simple steps and you cannot go wrong:
Eggs in cold water
I used large eggs here. You can use extra-large eggs, but will take a few more minutes to cook. Don’t use eggs that you just purchased. Fresh eggs are very hard to peel. They don’ t have a big air space therefore it is hard to remove the shell. Cover them with cool water not hot water which will affect the cooking time. I usually add an extra egg in case one cracks, then you have an extra yolk to make a little more filling.
Just do bring them to a boil and turn down to simmer. Set your timer for 15 minutes. You can take the saucepan off of the heat and set the timer for 30 minutes. Either method is good.
Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Use ice cubes if needed. Crack the shell under running water. Start from the large end when removing the shell. It will be much easier because the air cell is located here. Split the eggs lengthwise. This will make a nicer presentation. Place the yolk in a bowl.
Cut eggs lengthwise
Mash with a fork
Add about a teaspoon of mustard
Drain olives
I like to add olives or dill relish to my eggs. This is just my personal preference. You may add sweet pickles or horseradish or whatever you like to flavor them.
Mince olives
Add olives and mayonnaise to yolks
Be really careful when adding mayonnaise to the yolks. Just a little will go a long way. You can always add more but you cannot take out too much. This mixture will not work if it is too thin.
Mix it up!
Fill 'em up!
Ready to put on plate!
This is it! So easy and so good! At my house half of these are gone before I can put them on a plate. Make sure that you make extras. You will need them I promise.
Happy cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
The Teacher Cooks 