Catastrophe

This dish was first served to me on a campout, when I was 14. Now, when I say campout, I mean that a few leaders agreed to take a group of about twenty 14 year olds camping, to pass off some merit badge requirements for our summer camp. As we sat in a planning meeting, trying to hammer out the details, one of the leaders off-handedly mentioned that his family owned two condos near the area we were talking about camping in. All the eyes in the room were suddenly on him...and that, kids, is how my Great 4th Year Camp Out happened in a condo near the shores of Lake Chelan.

The strange digs didn't deter the more rugged of the leaders from feeding us true camping fare, though! Brother Potter pulled out a huge dutch oven in the morning and proceeded to cook us a one-pot camping feast. He called it, simply, Catastrophe.

The recipe is incredibly forgiving, and fairly adaptable. Basically, this is a mixture of breakfast meat, potatoes, onions, eggs,  and (if you like), cheese. Breakfast meat can be sausage or bacon, the potatoes can be hash browns, canned potatoes, or cubed potatoes. Some recipes call for cheddar, some call for Velveeta, and I leave it out entirely.

So. That's clear as mud, eh? I'll give you what I do for my family of 4. With a side of fresh fruit, this is a great breakfast for a lazy Saturday morning, or a fun dinner for a busy weeknight!

Catastrophe
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of bacon, raw, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups of hash browns (I use the cartons of dried hash browns, and use 1 carton)
6 eggs, scrambled

Toppings: (Take your pick)
Cheese
Ketchup
Hot Sauce

In a large dutch oven, cook your bacon until it starts to lose its fat and is sizzling. Add your chopped onions and continue to cook until the bacon and onions are cooked to your liking.

Drain off the fat (or leave it in, if you're feeling feisty), and add your hash browns. Don't stir too much at this point - you want the hash browns to get a little crispy, instead of just steaming them. Let them cook in the remaining bacon grease for a few minutes, then use a spatula to sort of turn the potatoes over, in clumps. Let them brown again. Repeat the process, stirring to break up the browned potatoes, until everything is looking nice.

Finally, add your beaten eggs and continue to cook (gently folding the mixture), until the eggs are completely cooked.

Scoop into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings. My kids prefer ketchup!

Mushroom and Egg Tart

A base of baked puff pastry, topped with a pan of cooked-down onions and mushrooms, and topped with perfectly-set eggs.

I think yes.

This was a huge hit for dinner the other night- the husband, six-year-old, and myself polished this off with no problem, along with a big green salad.  It took some time, but most of the prep could be done ahead of time for a quick meal prep later.  If you pre-baked the pastry shell, and cooked the mushrooms and onions, all that would be left is piling them into the oven and baking.

This came from the November '11 edition of Everyday Food.  I've marked, and tried, so many recipes from that edition- definitely shelf-worthy, with the rest of my cookbooks!

The original ingredients called for shitake mushrooms and tarragon, and parmesan cheese for dusting.  Here is how I made it.

Crimini and Egg Tart

Serves 3 as main course, or six as side dish

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3/4 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
sea salt and ground pepper
6 large eggs

1.  On a piece of parchment paper, unfold puff pastry.  Cover with a sheet of cling film, and roll out to 11x14 inches.  Remove cling film, and use a sharp paring knife to trim pastry edges straight.  A half inch from the edge of the dough, using your paring knife, lightly cut partially through the dough.  Transfer pastry, on parchment paper, to a rimmed baking sheet.  Use a fork to prick all over, inside the scored border.  Refrigerate 20 minutes.

2.  Turn oven on to 375.  In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized (10 to 15 minutes.)  Using a large glass measuring cup, or a small fry pan, crush mushrooms lightly.  Finish chopping with a knife into 1/4-1/2" pieces.  Add mushrooms and thyme to caramelized onions and cook until mushrooms are soft and dark, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Deglaze pan with a few tablespoons water, if necessary.

3.  Bake puff pastry until light golden, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with mushroom mixture, staying within border.  Crack eggs into a small bowl or cup, and carefully pour eggs on top of mushroom mixture.  Bake until whites are set and yolks are still runny (about 10 minutes) or longer if you like your eggs more cooked.  I thought it was perfect after about 20 minutes.

A (Healthier) Breakfast Casserole

Last night, I was staring at my fridge and larder, willing dinner to manifest itself to me. I couldn't find a recipe that used precisely what I had on hand, so I made one up.

I do that a lot. I'm simply too creative (read: lazy) to follow someone else's directions. Why make a dish that's been made before?

What I ended up with was a scrummy, slightly healthier version of a breakfast casserole. It puffed up in the oven, like a German pancake, and then settled down into a lovely golden layer once it cooled a bit.

Aunt LoLo's (Healthier) Breakfast Casserole

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf stale bread, ripped into pieces
1/2 lb bacon, cut into pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
6 eggs
2 cups skim milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Spread your bread pieces out in a 9x13 pan. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. (Leave 'em soft if that's what you like!) When the bacon is nearly done, toss in a spoonful of minced garlic. Drain the fat away.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, skim milk, salt and pepper. When the bacon is done, toss that into the egg mixture, along with the cheese. Pour the egg/bacon/cheese mixture over your bread pieces and press down lightly through the mixture to make sure the bread is submerged and soaked.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, at least 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the eggs are set.

Serve warm.

Baked Eggs in a Cup

I'm sure I've seen this idea a million other places, but this morning it seemed like a stroke of pure genius. Which, even if it isn't MY genius, it definitely is.

These are simply slices of day-old wheat bread, sliced thinly and pushed into muffin tins. Crack an egg in each well, sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper and bake at 400 degrees until the eggs are just the way you like them.

Even though the bread wanted to split and crack, the oven was hot enough to sear the outside of the egg where it touched the pan and crisp the edges of the bread, so the whole thing came out clean. Served with canned peaches, we ate them out of hand, with silly little smiles on our faces. A family breakfast on a Friday, that cooked while Mom was in the shower? Brilliant. This might be a start to a lovely new tradition.