Last night, after a rushed day, my husband and I did something together that doesn’t happen enough these days: we power-cleaned the house. In short order, my office was transformed from neglected storage space to usable thinking space. By the time we were done, the bathrooms were sparkling and the living room picked up. It was a great feeling to wake up to such a tidy house today.

And having a tidy house? Well, that makes me spontaneous. Seriously. I was driving to the store today when I had an inkling that today might be a good day to invite someone over for lunch. I did – or tried to – but it didn’t work out. The quiche, on the other hand, was fantastic. The kids just ate it up.

I started with two big shallots. After chopping then into rings, I sauteed them in some olive oil, swishing them around with my favorite wooden spatula until they were all soft and caramelized. It’s important to smash them a bit while they are cooking so that they break up a little. The caramelizing brought out their wonderful subtle sweetness.

When it came time to make the quiche, I layered the shallots with some crumbled Danish blue cheese. Danish blue cheese is creamy and blends well. Some blue cheeses, like Maytag blue, have a major bite, but Danish is a little more subtle. Although it’s sharp, it mellows a lot when melted into the egg mixture. The result is this amazing flavor combination that is sweet, salty, savory and super … all at once.

After it baked up, the kids and I dug in and devoured it. Mmm, and was it ever good. This would make a perfect lunch with a nice green salad (we skipped that today) and some toasty bread. And best of all? It’s ridiculously easy to make. Totally perfect for an impromptu lunch date.

Blue Cheese and Caramelized Shallot Quiche
serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large shallots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
5 large eggs
1 cup nonfat milk
dash salt and pepper
1 frozen deep dish pie shell (I like the Oronoque brand)
1 cup crumbed Danish blue cheese (roughly 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sprinkly lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the egg, milk and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place the frozen pie shell on a baking sheet (this will make it easier to transfer the quiche between oven and counter). Spread the shallots in the bottom of the shell, followed by the blue cheese. Pour the egg mixture in last.

Cook the quiche in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

If Will had his way, we’d eat Blueberry and White Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes every single morning. Actually, scratch the ‘we’ – he’d eat the whole batch himself every day.

Not that I can blame him … they are delish.

But could we really eat pancakes daily? My schedule and waistline say no way, so I try to mix it up with easier options (yogurt, fruit and toast, scrambled eggs) and some alternative more-involved dishes (French toast, waffles, homemade muffins).

This quesadilla is heartier than your standard quesadilla and crammed with flavor. Yes, it’s more-involved, but it’s also a big family favorite. Serve it up plain or with a dollop of salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

What’s your family’s favorite breakfast?

Bacon and Bell Pepper Breakfast Quesadilla
serves 4

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced green pepper (dice it small)
2 eggs, beaten with a dash of milk and a sprinkle of salt and pepper
butter
4 tortillas
2 strips bacon, cooked and drained on paper towels
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook until softened. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble, tossing together with the peppers. Remove from heat.

Working quickly, heat a large skillet over just-under medium heat. Butter one side of each of the tortillas. Flip over and divide the egg mixture evenly among the four tortillas (spread it onto half of the unbuttered side — I do this directly in the pan). Sprinkle 1/2 slice of crumbled bacon onto each tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup of cheddar.

Fold the empty half of the tortilla over and cook until browned on both sides, flipping ones.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Some days, I write and write and write. I think Sunday was one of those days. But today, I just want to share a delicious recipe with you.

On Easter, I wanted a special frittata to grace the table and this was the result. I used the Joy of Cooking method, adapted slightly, to craft this recipe. Cate of Sweetnicks had suggested a similar frittata from Ina Garten, which sounded divine but had a few too many steps for me. So this is the simplified version with similar — but not the same — flavors.

I made it with egg substitute to keep it a little heart healthier. And the goat cheese and dill are just perfect with the salty smoked salmon. This is a perfect brunch dish.

Coincidentally, when I recently wrote about eating quiche for breakfast, I felt like the only one who considers it a breakfast dish after getting several comments about brunch, lunch and dinner. I guess I think eggs and that leads right to breakfast for me. Doesn’t anyone else make quiche for breakfast? What about frittata?

Smoked Salmon, Dill and Goat Cheese Frittata
serves 6
Adapted from Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition – 2006

1 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 6 eggs, beaten)
salt and pepper
4 oz smoked salmon, chopped or fork shredded
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium.

In a large bowl, stir together the egg substitute (or eggs), salt, pepper, smoked salmon, goat cheese and dill until well combined.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and swirl around to coat all the sides. Pour in the egg mixture and cook without stirring until the bottom is set, but the top is still loose.

Place the pan into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the stop is set. No need to let it brown — you just want it firm.

Serve hot.

Mmmm, extra local, farm fresh, free-range eggs. We’ve just entered the depths of winter now, where fresh food in Connecticut is but a dream and all we can hang onto is memories of delicious summer delights like the salad you see … Oh, how I miss those lovely, wonderful eggs.

Poached eggs are an easy method of cooking eggs that doesn’t impart any additional fat (like an egg over easy would). Making them is a breeze. Hopefully this guide will have you poaching fresh eggs in no time.

How to make poached eggs:

1. Heat a pot of water to a rapid boil. Turn off the heat and let cool until there are just small bubbles — no big ones.
2. Crack one egg into a bowl.
3. Place the rim of the bowl close to the water line and slide the egg into the water.
4. Set the timer for 3 minutes for a looser yolk or 4 for a slightly firmer (but still runny) yolk.
5. When the timer goes off, remove the egg with a slotted spoon.
6. Eat and enjoy

For a few years now, I’ve had this fascination with frittatas. Convinced that they would be too thick, too dense, too eggy and so on, I swore I would never make one. Yet, I coveted every photo that my fellow food bloggers snapped of the interesting egg dish.

Finally, in search of an easy breakfast recently, I decided to just make one. It would use up the eggs in the house so that I wouldn’t feel guilty buying a dozen at the farmer’s market and it would get this unhealthy frittata obsession out of my system.

After all my assumptive analysis, I was very wrong. Frittatas aren’t really too thick, heavy, dense or even eggy. In fact, they are quite tasty. And the leftovers reheated easily the next day. This is a good dish, believe it or not, when you really don’t feel like cooking since it’s something you put on and just leave alone.

Easy Spinach Frittata
serves 6

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Italian herbs
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Salt and pepper generously.

Beat the eggs, adding Italian herbs to the mixture. Pour over spinach mixture. Top with the cheddar.

Cook, without stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the frittata is mostly set. (No, I don’t cover it.)

Preheat a broiler to high. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until golden.

Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Today is my first day back to work after maternity leave. I had to drop my two cute little kids off to daycare and drive an hour to work. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But I don’t think it’s ever easy for a parent to leave their children. Well, at least not a full-time parent who is invested in raising their kids.

Breakfast is, on the best days, a challenge for me. I have a hard time cooking that early in the morning for one thing. And when I do cook, it’s often on the disastrous side. Many a good omelet has been scorched in the early morning hours.

But, that being said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day (everyone knows that!). It gives you fuel after going eight hours or more without any. It revives you and gets you going for the day.

Somehow, I don’t think that a cup of coffee and a cracker is going to cut it.

Well, I’ve seen these little egg concoctions all over the Internet. The first time was on Kalyn’s Kitchen. Kalyn calls them Egg Muffins and pops two in the microwave before running out to school (she’s a teacher). Cate over at Sweetnicks calls them Egg Cups, since she gets a similar picture as I do with the term “muffin.” Recently, these appeared on Fit Fare, which (in the interest of full disclosure) I edit, and author Patricia DiGiacomo Eddy called them mini frittatas. I like that name, so I am going with it.

The difference between mine and the others I have seen is that mine have significantly less calories and fat because I use egg substitute. Flavor-wise, they are superb. I have several other varieties popping around my head . . . can’t wait to make more.
Asparagus Swiss Mini Frittatas
yields 6 (which serves 3 adults)

1 cup chopped (and cooked) asparagus – I used roasted asparagus from a few days earlier
1/3 cup provolone cheese, grated
1 tsp dried basil
1 cup egg substitute
1 tbsp Romano cheese, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the insides of a six cup muffin tin.

Layer ingredients in the muffin tins in the order above.

Place in oven and cook for 18 minutes.

Let sit for 5 minutes and then enjoy!

Me: I’m thinking of making a quiche with the leftover ham for breakfast tomorrow.
Shawn: A quiche? (crinkles nose) Am I even going to like that?
Me: I don’t see why you wouldn’t. It’s just eggs, ham and cheese.
Shawn: That’s all?
Me: Yes, that’s it. I can’t believe you’ve never had one before

My husband had never had quiche before I whipped this one up last week. Although it was a brunch staple in my household growing up, it wasn’t in his. He was particularly surprised to actually like it. It just goes to show that just because you haven’t had something doesn’t mean it isn’t totally delicious and worth eating.

Quiche is a lighter, fluffier French cousin of the frittata. It is often made in a pie crust, but can be made crustless as well. For this quiche, I used leftover ham but you could use a cubed ham steak too for this recipe too. But the possibilities for quiche are endless. Vegetables and meats of all shapes and sizes can be added. But you have to have cheese, if you ask me. Without cheese, it’s just eggs in a crust. But, traditionally, quiches didn’t typically contain cheese . . .

For seasoning, this recipe uses herbes de provence, which is a dried herb blend consisting of rosemary, fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, dill weed, oregano, lavender, chervil and marjoram. I use this blend a lot because it combines several of my favorite herbs – rosemary, thyme, basil and lavender, namely. It is mostly used to season chickens, beef or pork tenderloin, but gives a great flavor to this quiche. My bottle comes from Penzeys but you can also order it from Amazon with free shipping (yay!).

Quick Ham and Cheese Quiche
serves 6

1 prepared pie shell (NOT a deep dish shell)
1 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 tsp herbes de provence
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pie crust in a pie pan (if it isn’t already in one) and put that on a cookie sheet. Layer ham then cheese in the pie crust. Whisk together eggs, milk, herbs, pepper and salt. Pour the mixture over the cheese.

Put the quiche on the baking sheet into the preheated oven and cook for 32 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until the top is puffed and golden and a tester (such as a toothpick) inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. It makes a great addition to a brunch or could be served alongside some sliced seasonal fruits . . . Mmmm.

Being that it’s Father’s Day weekend, I wanted to make this a meal that my husband would enjoy. I started thinking of his breakfast favorites – corned beef hash, Eggs Benedict, Belgium waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. I don’t like to have more than one bread in a meal so the waffles were automatically discounted. But hash? Normally it’s a fatty dish, but I had a hunch that with a little work it could be not so bad. And since he loves lavender, I thought that would add a wonderful flavor he’d love.

All in all, this was a great breakfast – although we had it for dinner on Saturday instead of breakfast on Sunday (Shawn’s work schedule prevented an actual Father’s Day morning breakfast). The hash and poached egg on top were tasty. I love runny yolks on hash. Mmm. My husband suggested that a hollandaise or Bearnaise sauce would have been a great addition, but I wanted to spare the calories. Perhaps next time though. And as expected, he loved the flavor of the hash.

I have to admit though, I was disappointed with the biscuits though. They were dense and heavy, not light, fluffy and flaky like I anticipated. I suspect that was mostly poor preparation on my part, not a problem with the recipe. It’s definitely something I will attempt again in the future though. Can’t have total success, right?

2 tbsp butter
1 lb small red potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch chunks
1 lb ham steak, diced into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks
1 tsp dried lavender
1/4 tsp salt
drizzle olive oil

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.

Reduce heat to low. Add the ham, lavender, salt and olive oil. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the ham is cooked through. Don’t forget to stir to keep the hash from sticking.

Boil 2-3 inches of water in a saucepan. Lower heat to medium.

Break egg into a bowl and tip into the saucepan. Cook 3-4 minutes, until whites are solid and yolk is cooked but runny. Lift out with a slotted spoon.

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What is Sunday Breakfasts?
Breakfast is daunting for me, to say the least. Pancakes burn, eggs dry out, sausage turns to rubber … it’s a curse. But one I want to reverse with practice. But I am working hard to reverse the curse. Each Sunday for the next few months, I will be posting a breakfast – including the hits and misses. And when it’s all over, I will hopefully have conquered my kitchen in the morning.

Did you miss a previous Sunday Breakfasts? Click here to see them all.