Friday, May 6, 2011

Breakfast Tostada


Tostada means "toasted" in Spanish. For this breakfast tostada, you toast a flour tortilla with some gooey cheese in a skillet and then top it with eggs, black beans, avocado and other delights.

This recipe is the perfect solution to a fun breakfast-for-dinner night or a perfect Sunday Brunch. The recipe below makes 4 tostadas. It can easily be halved (or quartered!) or doubled. I sprinkled some chopped red pepper, sweet onion and romaine on the side. If you don't have these in your produce draw--don't fret. Use what you have.

Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas
1 cup of Cheddar-Jack shredded cheese
Non-stick cooking spray
8 eggs
1 T. Olive Oil
salt/pepper
1 cup canned black beans (I love Ortega brand with jalapenos-grab a can in the Mexican aisle)
1/2 cup of diced vegetables--red pepper and onion (or whatever you have)
1/4 cup lettuce shreds (any variety, even spinach!)
Your favorite tomato salsa
1 avocado, halved, peeled, sliced
4 black olives

The work:
1. Heat a medium sized skillet over high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Place flour tortilla in skillet, cover and turn heat to low. Give it five minutes or until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas, in between making the eggs.
2. Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Beat eggs until fluffy and light yellow. Season with salt and pepper. Add to skillet with 1 cup of black beans.
3. Cook eggs (scramble with a spatula as you go) until firm. Remove from heat.
4. Assemble your tostadas: place egg/bean, mixture on top of melted cheese, then add avocado slices, a spoonful of salsa and a black olive. Sprinkle peppers, onions and lettuce on the outside edge of the tostada.

Room Service French Toast

This french toast recipe is better than Room Service and infused with oranges that will delight your taste buds. The recipe can be made with a fresh baguette or one that is stale, making it a great way to use up fresh bread (and it is way yummier than croutons). It can also be frozen and warmed up on a cookie sheet--making it a make ahead go-to recipe for special occasions or for the everyday.

Top it with your favorite jam (or whatever you have on hand). Apricot jam is my favorite topper. 


The stuff:
1 french baguette, sliced to about 1/4”
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten until frothy
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg
1 orange--the juice, plus zest
Vegetable oil for frying

  1. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in large skillet on medium-high heat
  2. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, orange juice and zest in dish.
  3. Dip the baguette slices in the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to dip off slices.
  4. Fry baguette slices on both sides until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  5. Top with your favorite jam.