Camp Breakfast Is In the Bag - total time 30 minutes

Have you seen those pins on Pinterest where they show a paper bag sitting over the campfire to cook breakfast?  I definitely have.  But have you ever seen the end result?  So many pins about allegedly being able to cook a camp breakfast without any clean up... sounds too good to be true.

So I tried it out...

To my surprise, no Pinterest fail occurred, which is good because we were hungry.  I shouldn't really be a surprised that the layered cooking works on a campfire because I did it with bacon, onions, and potatoes last year... but had to clean my cast iron afterward.  So now we can go pan free!

I love breakfast sandwiches, so the ingredients in this are perfect after a night sleeping in tents or really any time.  The bacon acts as a liner to the paper bag preventing the eggs from leaking out and the fat prevents the bag from burning in the fire.  I also add a little cooking spray just to be in the safe side.   The biscuit on top gets just enough air through the paper bag that it cooks perfectly (unlike covering a pan of biscuits with foil... if the steam can't escape, your biscuits will be soggy).  Where to put the bag once you have everything ready becomes the tricky part.  You don't want flames constantly hitting the bag... the bacon can protect the paper that well.  But you also need it close enough to cook before you get hangry.

Campfire Breakfast in a Skillet - total time 30 minutes

Until this year, I thought everyone went camping when they were kids.  I just thought that was part of growing up, your family spending a couple weekends, some times weeks, at a campground having fun outside.  I remember organizing our family's "field day" competition one year complete with SkipIt and paper ribbons hand colored and cut by yours truly.

Maybe that's why I love to be outside, get my hands dirty in the garden, stare at the night sky, and why bugs really don't bother me (unless they're mosquitos, mosquitos bother me a lot).  While I'd like to think of myself as a somewhat technically savvy individual, I can also disconnect from the interwebs and be okay (unlike these kids).

Since it is summer time, it's the perfect time get off the grid and recharge your batteries, literally and figuratively!  :)  Time to go for a hike, sleep under the stars, and cook over the fire.

For me, breakfast recipes need to be easy.  I'm not fully awake, and if it isn't easy, I might accidentally cut off a finger or something.  This recipe requires very little effort and includes minimal involvement of sharp objects.  It is very similar to the breakfast in a bag recipe (that I forgot to post, so, coming soon), but no chance of the cooking vessel breaking or burning in the fire.  If you like breakfast sandwiches, but would rather clean one pan instead of three... this is the recipe for you.

Campfire Eggs-periment

When you're camping you can't take your whole kitchen with you, so it requires some minimalist cooking techniques.  We were planning our meals a couple day before we left (meal planning is an absolute necessity for camping) we found this interesting technique for cooking eggs.... right in the fire... using just the egg itself.  Can't get more minimalist than that!  So we packed an extra couple eggs to try this eggs-periment.  :)

First you poke a hole in the top of the egg shell.  You could use a safety pin, push pin, or even a metal skewer.  This allows for the heat to escape to prevent the shell from cracking under the pressure.  Then you carefully place the egg in the coals of the fire (not the flame).  Wait about 10 minutes for the eggs to cook.  You'll see the steam escaping from the small hole and maybe even little egg whites bubbling out.  Remove the eggs from the fire and let rest for at least 5 minutes before pealing the shell away.  

Lessons Learned
1.  Do not shake the egg before cooking... this doesn't create scrambled eggs in the shell... it creates explosive eggs.
2.  Poke a big enough hole, maybe two... or the shell will crack.
3.  Bring backup eggs just in case!

regular egg verses shaken egg... oops

Or just use your castiron... it is a camp cooking essential.

 

Breakfast Enchiladas - total time 30 minutes

We used to have a game on trying to make every meal into a sandwich... you know, since sandwiches are so awesome.  I think breakfast might have been the beginning of this challenge when I was using pancakes and sandwich ends before McDonalds made it a thing.  We made spaghetti sandwiches between garlic toasts.  Of course we sandwiched our pizza.  Pretty much anything was fair game to be between two slices of bread.

Now I feel like it's tacos time to shine (or enchiladas in this case).   Fish and veggie tacos that may have been hard to find a few years ago are not available everywhere.  With Taco Bell's waffle taco, you really have to wonder what can't be turned into a taco (and when does it stop being a taco and start just being a way to eat with your hands and shove food in your mouth).

Enter breakfast enchilada!  While it's not technically a taco, it sorta is.  Ha.  It's also kind of like a mini breakfast burrito.  Perfect serving size for your brunch table or for making on a Sunday and heating up throughout the week.  I went with more of a fajita approach, but add potatoes, beans, salsa, etc if that's what floats your boat!

Grilled Asparagus and Poached Egg - total time 20 minutes

Eggs are a great source of protein for vegetarians and omnivores alike.  There have been many studies and reports that go back and forth on whether eggs are healthy for you or not.  Some say that they are high in cholesterol and that people shouldn't eat more that one or two a week.  Others says it's the ultimate health food and should even be consumed raw.  I like to think reality is somewhere in between knowing that eggs are low fat, high protein, have dietary sulfur (great for you hair and nails), and the yolks have carotenoids (similar to carrots).  I also love eggs... so at this point of being meat-free for around 40 days now... we have gone through quite a few eggs!

With Easter coming up, eggs are center stage.  You may be hard boiling some right now to dye different colors.  Or you could be filling a bunch of colorful plastic versions with candy in the next few days.  Eggs are a symbolic message of rebirth, so the iconic Easter egg completely makes sense.  

Celebrate Easter with this quick, delicious brunch.  Perfect timing for asparagus which are at their peak right now and the buttery, runny yolk over top... just delicious!  We actually had this dish for dinner, it is quite filling with a side dish of crispy roast potatoes.  It's minimal ingredients and cooks quickly, the slowest part is that you can only poach one egg at a time, but they only take a minute or two.  :)

Broccolini Frittata - total time 35 minutes

Happy Independence Day!  I hope you have time for a "lazy weekend" breakfast or brunch before running off to parades and fireworks.  While this breakfast has nothing to do with anything red, white, and blue (like a strawberry and blueberry parfait), it is great to just sit down and really enjoy breakfast with the family without rushing around worrying about being late for something.

This breakfast will leave you feeling full without weighing you down.  It is savory with a touch of bacon (easily omitted to make vegetarian).  And it is really easy!  I love frittatas for feeding multiple people in the mornings.  It is like cooking individual omlettes for everyone in one pan all at once.  I also like frittatas for dinner because cold cereal for breakfast every morning really just doesn't do it for me and some times the only time you can get a real breakfast in is when the sun is going down.

Mini Spinach Quiche - total time 1 hour

I love breakfast foods, love.  Savory or sweet.  Morning or night.  I am down for some pancakes, eggs, breakfast sandwiches, muffins, doughnuts, hash browns... okay, I am getting hungry again.  So I have been planning on making a quiche for a while now.  But after my husband kept calling frittatas "egg pies" that making quiche for dinner might seal the deal on no more breakfast for dinner.  (I got him to admit that frittatas are more like omlettes cut like a pizza, not a pie.)  

Thankfully, he liked it.  So I will continue to sneak breakfast for dinner meals into our menus!

So you could make one big quiche or little ones in a muffin pan.  The little ones are definitely cuter... but I couldn't stop eating them!  Just one more...  ha!  The crust if flaky, the egg is fluffy, and the spinach and feta are savory.  Yum!  It kind of just melts in your mouth.  Also with the mini sized ones... forks are not required... just three bites and you'll be looking for the next one.

Asparagus Frittata - total time 30 minutes

When I found the local produce options on my Green Bean delivery account, the only thing available was asparagus... so of course I got some for my bin.  Something about Spring makes me want to cook asparagus all of the time!  There are other vegetables in season, but asparagus has such a short window that you want to savor the moment as often as possible before the tender stalks become tough and woody.

I was planning to make this frittata last week (since I had it on my menu plan)... but my husband vetoed it calling it 'egg pie'.  That's okay, more for me, because he really missed out on this one!  While a frittata is kind of like an omelet... maybe it is the roasted asparagus or the broiled finish, but it is so much better.

Vegetarian Hot Pockets - total time 30 minutes

Eggs are not just for breakfast and baking.  They are a great source of protein in a vegetarian diet.  Quiches, souffles, stratas, frittatas, or poached on a sandwich or in soup are all great ways to incorporate eggs into meals after noon.  Some day I want to have a few chickens and we could have eggs every day... 

Any way, this recipe is kind of like a Hot Pocket... well, only in that it is hot and a pocket of food.  Quality and taste are way better than any Hot Pocket.  But you get the point.  The puff pastry is buttery, flaky, and tender.  The filling tastes fresh and a little spicy.  Really you could put pretty much anything inside these pockets, like ham and cheese or broccoli and cheese or something else and cheese (guess I really want a cheesy pocket).  As long as it is fresh ingredients, it will be good!

1 pkg puff pastry, thawed
5 eggs, divided
4 oz. cheese
1 avocado
.5 cup salsa
chives
salt and pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Scramble four eggs with salt and pepper.  Roll out puff pastry and cut into six sections.  Lay puff pastry on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
2.  Layer eggs, cheese, smashed avocado, salsa, and chives on half of the dough.  Fold dough over top of the filling.  Press edge close with fork.
3.  With remaining egg, brush a thin layer of egg over each dough pocket.  Bake for 18 minutes or until crust turns golden and flaky.  

Breakfast Cups - total time 40 minutes

I love the idea of cooking in individual serving sizes.  It is so easy to serve and then get seconds and thirds.  These are also great to make on a Sunday and enjoy throughout the week.  You get a savory breakfast (the whole deal; potato, eggs, and cheese) and all you have to do is warm it up in the toaster oven or microwave.

2 large potatoes, shredded (I used Yukon Gold)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
.5 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 eggs
.25 cup sour cream
2 green onions
salt & pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Shredded potatoes and cheese.  Squeeze out excess liquid from shredded potatoes.  Combine shredded potatoes, half of the shredded cheese, chopped onion, garlic, salt, and pepper into a mixing bowl.
2.  Spray muffin pan with olive oil.  Place a scoop of potato mixture in each muffin cup, then form into cups with fork.  Bake for 12 minutes.
3.  While potato cups are baking, crack open eggs into mixing bowl (optional: remove half of the egg yolks). Add salt and pepper and then whisk together with a fork.
4.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Pour in egg mixture into each muffin cup.  Top with remaining shredded cheese and bake for 18 minutes.
5.  Add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of green onions on top of each breakfast cup and serve!

Fluffy Scrabbled Eggs - total time 15 minutes

Make your breakfast even more tasty with a little sour cream and a splash of heavy cream in your scrambled eggs.  The sour cream makes it fluffy, the heavy cream makes it rich... add one or both.  No real directions here... just whip it together and fry it in a pan!

I always remove half of the yolks... mostly because of preference, but also less cholesterol.

Remember, cast iron handles are HOT!