Table Talk: Breakfast Strata

The book we are using { The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook} is all about making everyday meals healthier.  I don't recall that I've ever eaten strata before, so I can't really compare it to the full-fat and calorie version but I thought this was pretty good.

My only complaint, again, is the amount of dishes this recipe created.  If I made it again, I would definitely try to streamline that.  I would also probably half the spinach and throw in some other vegetables.  I did add some mushrooms, but not nearly enough.  Also, I didn't have enough feta cheese so, after mixing the feta in with the strata, I just threw some monterey jack on top instead of more feta.

My pie weights came in handy to weigh the strata down for an hour before baking.  Fine!  I'm not fancy enough to have pie weights.  They are just beans.  Happy?!

After the weight was lifted.

After baking.

We had this for dinner but if I were going to make it for breakfast, I would put everything together the night before and refrigerate it over night.  The recipe says you can refrigerate for up to 24 hrs.

If you'd like the recipe you can buy the bookor you can visit the blog of our hostess for the week, Janet.

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Growing up, I thought the yolks of hard-boiled eggs were supposed to be green.  At least a little around the edges.  I am not sure when I realized that green yolks meant they were over-cooked but once I realized that, I wanted to figure out how to make the perfect hard-boiled eggs.  Why?  Because I'm a weirdo and these are the kind of things I spend my time worrying about.

Bake 52: Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole

 I don't want to sound whiny or anything (again) BUT I don't remember a time before my computer started uploading these THREE photos!  I am about to go ballistic on the internet in general if I could just figure out a way to do that.  A hissy fit sounds like a stellar idea about now.  How did we EVER survive with dial-up internet connections?!!? I feel like I have dial-up and it's un-survivable.  It was a simpler time I guess.  But enough about that...

This is such a great fall dish!  And while I haven't totally gotten on the fall-bandwagon yet, I was excited to make it.  You should have smelled it baking!

Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs

Ummm, what?!  I know what you are thinking.  I really don't have anything to say for myself.  I don't consider myself a gourmet.  And when I first saw this recipe on Annie's blog, I just skimmed it over and didn't give it a second thought.  When in the world would I ever make that?  I was there long enough to see her rave reviews but that's about it.  And I didn't know if I believed her.  

Fried Rice

I love Chinese food.  Well, probably not real Chinese food, more like the fake-American-kind-of-Chinese food.  I bought a Chinese cookbook once and was a bit disappointed.  Um where were the recipes for all my favorite dishes?  The book was filled with more authentic recipes that called for things I had never heard of and had no idea how to get.  This recipe is really easy with simple to find ingredients and it's the best fried rice I have been able to make at home.