Crazy mix up with Breakfast Pie for supper

Whenever I ask my girls what they want for supper I hear some crazy things.  Hummus!  Chips and salsa!  Breakfast!  Breakfast... for supper is a favorite around here, for some reason this crazy mix up is just enough to get the girls all excited about supper.  A few weeks ago I blogged about Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole, which is awesome if you have time to "make ahead".  But if you are down to the wire and have just four eggs on hand consider the Breakfast Pie.  My skeptic husband even loved it, he said it trumped the casserole!

We all loved this recipe and what made it even more special is my 7 year old's contribution.  She is my salsa lover.  I have a big box of generous-neighbor tomatoes and have been making salsa, but my salsa motivation was wearing off.  So she decided to take over.  With my supervision only she prepped the tomatoes, jalapeno, red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice.  She even pulsed it in the food processor.  So we ended up having breakfast pie with homemade salsa.

Breakfast Pie

Adapted from Cooks Country

INGREDIENTS

• 1tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted
• 3tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 8ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups).  I used some havarti that I had on hand... remember that Fraiser episode?  "Havarti?  Gouda!"
• 4ounces thickly sliced deli ham, chopped
• 4scallions, minced
• 1/2cup (2 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon pepper
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1cup half-and-half
• 4large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/8teaspoon ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate with softened butter, then coat plate evenly with Parmesan.
• 2. Combine Gruyère, ham, and scallions in bowl. Sprinkle cheese-and-ham mixture evenly in bottom of prepared pie dish. 
  
  
  
  
  
  3.  Combine flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt in now-empty bowl. Whisk in half-and-half, eggs, melted butter, mustard, and nutmeg until smooth. Slowly pour batter over cheese-and-ham mixture in pie dish.
  
  
  
• 4. Bake until pie is light golden brown and filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice into wedges. Serve warm.
  
  
  
  
  
  The weekly menu
  Thursday:  Unwrapped Chicken Cordon Bleu.  I have ham to use up!
  Friday:  Salmon with greek orzo and cucumber salad
  Monday and Tuesday:  I am excited about this one!  I found an ingenious slow cooker recipe that cooks the potatoes nestled right in the pot.  When all done you fish them out and make mashed potatoes!
  Wednesday:  My favorite steak fajitas and lots of peppers
  Thursday:  Halloween!  Bloody bones and fearsome apples.  Ha ha ha ha!!  In other words premade pizza dough rolled into bones and dunked in pizza sauce and apples with almond sliver mouths.  I'll take some photos:)

Soft Pretzels for Oktoberfest or Anytime Really

My new favorite food on the planet is homemade soft pretzels.  They are easy to make, and that is coming from someone formerly intimidated by yeast.  They are great alone right out of the oven.  They are also quite tasty dunked in beer cheese soup and are shockingly good as an egg sandwich for breakfast.  My inspiration came from Oktoberfest, but I will make these all year long.

The process itself is a little surprising.  To get that dark exterior and keep them dense instead of fluffy like bread... there is a step that involves boiling the raw pretzels in water and baking soda.  Not what I would have expected.  But when I opened the oven door that first time I was amazed to see what really looked like soft pretzels staring back at me.

Homemade Soft Pretzels
adapted from Cooks Illustrated

INGREDIENTS

• 1teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/4cup honey
• 1teaspoon Salt
• 3cups (16 1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1cup warm water, (about 110 degrees)
• 3tablespoons baking soda
• 2tablespoons coarse salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Mix together the yeast, honey, salt, flour, and water in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the dough hook, knead at low speed until a smooth, elastic ball of dough forms (the dough will be quite stiff), 5 to 7 minutes.  The first time I have used my dough hook and I am glad I even knew where it was!
2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Deflate the dough, cover, and let rise until nearly doubled in size again, 30 to 40 minutes.  In a cool dry kitchen you may have trouble.  I boiled water in a coffee cup in the microwave then left the bowl in there to rise.
3. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to themiddle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour 6 cups water into a 12-inch skillet add the baking soda, stir, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
4. 4. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 2 ounces each). Roll each piece into a 20-inch-long, 1/2-inch-wide rope. Shape each rope into a pretzel and place on the prepared baking sheet.  I found that rolling on the table was impossible.  It worked better to roll it between my hands and then use, what I called, the jump rope technique to stretch it out.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, gently place the pretzels into the boilling water, top-side down (you should be able to fit 3 or 4 pretzels at a time), for 30 seconds. Using tongs, carefully flip the pretzels over and boil for 30 seconds longer. Remove the pretzels with a slotted spoon, drain well, and place back onto the prepared baking sheet (because the pretzels will not rise much in the oven, you should be able to fit all 12 pretzels on one baking sheet). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame or poppy seeds (if using) and bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the pretzels are well-browned, turning the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Remove the pretzels from the baking sheet to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   
   
   
   
   

 You may be able to make a batch and a half in a Kitchenaid Mixer, but beware it has to work pretty hard to mix the stretchy dough.  I have found that big soft pretzels also make great comfort food.

The week

Sunday:  Turkey meatloaf and baked potato with broccoli.  I divide the meatloaf into a cupcake tin, the girls love the cute little personal sized meatloaves.

Monday:  Flank steak fajitas with peppers and guacamole.  The fajitas I make are marinated with 1/2 cup italian dressing, 1/2 cup salsa, lime juice, and worcestershire.  They are the best.

Tuesday:  Tuna melt and CSA carrots.  These taste so much more "carrot-y" than the store bought baby carrots.  I think I almost forgot what carrot was supposed to taste like.

Wednesday:  My faux meatball spaghetti.  I try to trick them with portabella mushrooms.

Thursday:  It is starting to be chili weather.  The best with extra kidney beans and cornbread.