Because February is National Hot Breakfast Month (I didn't know that either), The Happy Housewife is hosting a hot breakfast challenge each week. Since I've mentioned how we pretty much only eat hot breakfasts here (with rare exception, usually consisting of yogurt, granola and either fruit and jam or honey) and how important it was for me to have cooked breakfasts for us, both as a way of being frugal and, more importantly, providing quality nutrition to our family. We almost always fall back on oatmeal or eggs for obvious reasons. I use steel cut oats because they are heartier, more filling, have a better texture and we like the taste. Also, they cook while we do morning prayer, so breakfast is ready as soon as we say the final amen. The children would eat this every single day, it is I who gets a little bored with it. I use any leftover oatmeal in whole grain bread (use whole wheat flour or a blend of whole wheat and oat flour, I use honey in the dough) which we can use as toast for breakfasts like this.

Since our girls lay quite nicely for us, we almost always have an abundance of eggs, even in winter (though nowhere near the hundreds of eggs a week we have in the summer). This is a quick, tasty and pretty breakfast. If it is a meat day, we sometimes cook up bacon or sausage links while these are being made, though these provide plenty of protein on their own. We also often have fruit with our breakfasts.

This is also a great breakfast for children to help make, or to learn how to use an oven (as the tray provides a little more stability). Obviously, this can be halved, doubled, quintupled, whatever you need to do to make it work for your family size. For our family of seven breakfast eaters, I usually make about a dozen of these. Five extra eggs is usually adequate for those who want seconds. When Yasmina starts eating more solids, I'll readjust how much to make (as the older children will be eating more then, too). Add a glass of milk or hot cocoa (not a mix, please) and coffee or tea, and you have a delicious breakfast that fills up stomachs with long term fuel.

Creamed Eggs

Butter (real butter, unsalted)
8 large eggs
1/2 cup finely grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 large bunch of chives (or parsley or any other fresh herb that you like), minced
1 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 325˚F. Lightly butter eight 1/2 cup ramekins or other oven proof bowls/dishes.

Break one egg into each ramekin, sprinkle with the cheese and the chives. Pour two tablespoons cream over each and season with salt and pepper. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and put in the oven.

Bake until the eggs are set and the cream is bubbling a little, between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on how done you like your yolk. Remove from oven and serve with hot, toasted, whole grain bread, sliced on the diagonal better to dip in the egg yolk.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:31 AM