Fluffy Baked Scrambled Eggs

Baked Scrambled Eggs

Have you ever wondered how restaurants create such fluffy scrambled eggs? Instead of cooking the eggs on the skillet, they are baked in the oven to a wonderful, golden color. This recipe is so easy that your kids can make it on their own. It can also be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator—just keep the vegetables separate from the egg mixture, then throw them together just before baking for a quick, healthy breakfast for the whole family.

8 large eggs

1 ½ teaspoon prepared mustard

¾ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon salt

1 tsp dried parsley

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1 green onion, finely sliced

A handful or two of sliced vegetables (mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, peppers, zucchini—whatever you prefer)

1 large tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, parmesan or Italian mix)

1)      Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8” pan.

2)      Beat eggs in a large bowl until light and frothy.

3)      Add mustard and seasonings; mix well.

4)      Stir in onion and vegetables

5)      Pour egg mixture into a greased 8x8” pan

6)      Place baking dish in heated oven.

7)      Bake approximately 8 to 15 minutes, until eggs are just barely set in the middle. (Be sure to check at 8 minutes—the time depends on how many vegetables you added to the mixture and how accurate your oven temperature is)

8)      Pull from oven and push eggs from pan into serving bowl, breaking up the eggs into smaller pieces

9)      Stir in tomatoes and cheese.

10)  Top with additional parsley.

11)  Cover with foil until ready to serve.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Pulled Pork

I served this recipe to friends and family at our daughter’s graduation. It was definitely worth the extra effort to brine the meat first—it adds amazing flavor, texture and moistness. And since I’m not a fan of fennel, I used a different herb in its place.

I’ve revised this recipe a bit to make it more user friendly for those of us who don’t have all the professional chef tools. Make up a batch of this and toss meal-sized servings into freezer bags for future use. I also make single-serving freezer packs of the meat for my husband’s lunches. It’s the perfect recipe for a crowd and can be made ahead to serve at a family reunion or summer party.

Alton Brown’s Pulled Pork

Ingredients

Brine:

·         8 ounces or ¾ cup molasses

·         12 ounces pickling salt

·         2 quarts water

·         6 to 8 pound Boston butt

Rub:

·         1 teaspoon whole cumin seed

·         1 teaspoon whole fennel seed

·         1 teaspoon coriander

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1 tablespoon onion powder

·         1 tablespoon paprika

Directions

Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart bowl. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal.

Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine (I didn’t grind mine—you can also substitute your favorite seasonings for the ones listed). Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application.

If you are roasting the meat in an oven, place it in a large roaster and cover with foil or a lid.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F or preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in oven/smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork. Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired.