what's for dinner tonight {corn & onion chilaquiles}.

for the record, i have no idea how to pronounce the name of this dish.  after living in texas for seven years and seeing it on many a breakfast menu, i still have no clue.  nevertheless, it's delicious.

we eat breakfast for dinner at least once a week.  it's quick, it's easy and it's inexpensive.  what's not to like, really?  my mom gave me several martha stewart mags the other day, and while i was browsing through them (courtesy of naptime), i came across this recipe.  our cupboards were pretty much bare since we had just returned from vacation, but we happened to have everything on hand to make this unpronounceable dish.

thanks, martha.

i had never made chilaquiles before but it was a big hit in our house.  so much so that i think it's on the menu for tonight, too.  hey, i have a 32 ounce bag of trader joes tortilla chips that need to be eaten.  i tweaked it a bit, and you could add or subtract anything you'd like.  that's what's great about egg dishes like this one.  so many options!  get creative with your chilaquiles.  and if you figure out how to say it, please help a girl out.

corn & onion chilaquiles

* 1 T. butter
* 1/4 onion, chopped finely
* 2 1/2 c. corn (i used trader joe's corn and chile salsa...yum)
* 1 t. salt
* 12 eggs
*  2 1/2 c. tortilla chips, broken
*  1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
*  avocado, sour cream and tomatoes for garnish

- preheat broiler with rack in the top third of the oven.
- melt butter in skillet over medium high heat.  add onions and cook until translucent.
- add corn and salt.  stir and cook for one minute.
- in a large bowl, whisk eggs and gently fold in broken tortilla chips.  add to skillet with onion and corn, stirring, until bottom starts to set but mixture is still wet.
- transfer to a greased oven-safe casserole dish (i used an 8x8) and broil until set, or approximately two minutes.  sprinkle with cheese and allow to stand for ten minutes before serving.  garnish with sour cream, avocado and tomatoes.

enjoy!

what's for lunch today {egg white sandwiches}.

this is a lunch or breakfast meal... but i love eating it for lunch. i'm obsessed. last week i had one of these lil guys every afternoon before heading off to work. so good and so good for you.

my friend, holly, posts yummy pictures all the time of the healthy, good food she eats and last week she posted a snapshot of an egg white sandwich she made for breakfast. that's all it took. i came up with my own creation and paired with a grapefruit, it's the *perfect* lil lunch (or breakfast) for me.

here. you. go.

egg white sandwich

* 1 egg

* 1/4 of an avocado, sliced thinly

* 1/4 of a tomato, sliced thinly

* 1 slice of sharp cheddar cheese

* 1 whole wheat bagel thin (these are my newest obsession. only 110 calories and 5 g. of fiber per bagel. you can find them in the bread aisle at the grocery with the other bagels)

- spray a small skillet with pam and over medium heat, cook egg white until done. pull off heat, top with cheese and set aside.

- toast bagel thin. cut avocado and tomato into thin slices. when bagel is toasted, top with egg white&cheese, avocado and tomato. season with salt&pepper. top with other bagel slice. serve with fruit or a side salad (my favorite side? a pink grapefruit, of course).

i made these for nick&i for breakfast the other day and added some turkey bacon. super yum. save the rest of the avocado and tomato for another sandwich the next day because i know you will want another one of these (or... if you have a baby who is eating solids, avocado is a great food to cut into chunks and let your munchkin learn to pick up. bella loves it, so we share our avocado... mine for a sandwich, hers for her high chair tray... and hair, and nose, and ears, and the floor...wherever it may end up these days! you can also save the yolk from your egg to scramble up for your baby. my favorite baby food site: www.wholesomebabyfood.com suggests this as a good form of protein before your baby is able to eat whole eggs)

enjoy :)

what's for dinner tonight {turkey bacon quiche}.

we. love. quiche. yes, it's true. one of my favorite moments of our marriage happened last week. i love it when my husband does really cute things. he typically loves EVERYTHING i make for him to eat... which is such a blessing that he is so easy to please, but sometimes i just wish that he had some absolute favorite dishes that he really, really liked rather than just liking everything! well... i think i've found one of those things.

my variation of turkey-bacon-quiche.

i made this one day last week when i was working late so that he would have something to eat for dinner. i had one piece for lunch and put the rest in the fridge for him. the next morning i woke up, excited to have a piece of my oh-so-delish-quiche when to my surprise there was *one* piece left. yes, ladies and gentlemen. one. piece. left. i loved it (and apparently, so did he.)

here is my recipe. you can mix it up and add whatever you like.

turkey bacon quiche

* 1-2 T. olive oil
* 1/4-1/2 of an onion, minced (depending on how much onion you want)
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 5 slices of turkey bacon
* 1/2 c. extra sharp white cheddar cheese
* 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (see recipe below)
* 2 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
* 1 c. milk
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1/4 t. black pepper
* 1 T. melted butter

- preheat oven to 350.
- heat olive oil over medium heat, sautee onions until soft. add garlic and cook for 1 minute. set aside.
- between paper towels, cook 4 slices of turkey bacon in microwave for about 3 minutes... check, cook longer until crisp and done. crumble/cut and set aside.
- prepare pie crust and assemble in pie plate. pour onions and garlic into the crust. sprinkle with cheese, and press down into the crust. (this may sound odd, but it keeps quiche from getting too wet and runny). sprinkle with turkey bacon crumbles.
- whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, salt, pepper and melted butter. combine until well mixed and pour into crust ontop of the veggies and bacon.
- cook in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, or until quiche is set. cooking time will depend on your oven. i check mine with a knife... comes up clean and isn't too "jiggly" it's done. i don't like mine runny, so i also let it cook a little bit longer until it's slightly brown ontop and puffed up. love my precise instructions? you're welcome.

there's something very satisfying to me about making my own pie crust. and it's really good if i don't say so myself.

homemade pie crust

* 1 1/4 c. flour
* 1/2 c. shortening, chilled
* 1/4 t. salt
* 3-4 T. ice cold water

- start by measuring out shortening. i use the crisco butter-flavored sticks, cut into small cubes, and stick them into the freezer.
- i also take a small cup and fill with cold water and a couple of ice cubes and place that in the freezer as well. i try to keep everything very cold. this makes for a super flaky pie crust because of the way the cold-ness of the dough interacts with the heat of the oven. very scientific, i know. i'm married to a science teacher.
- measure out flour, combine with salt.
- cut in shortening until mixture resembles small peas.
- add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the right consistency and forms easily into a ball. may need more than 4 T, just eye-ball it. again, with the precise instructions.
- wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

we like to serve with a side salad or fruit.
enjoy!