Doin' Some Cookin'... Chipotle Scotch Eggs

With working out as hard as I have been the last couple of months and hitting the weights my body has been craving protein. The protein I crave the most is hard boiled eggs but I burn out on them because the texture gets to me after a while. 

One evening I was soaking my muscles in an Epsom salt therapy bath to help ease the soreness and I took the April issue of Women's Health magazine with me. I came across an article that had 16 different recipes all using hard boiled eggs. I pulled out the pages taking note of a couple I wanted to try.

Thursday night I had to work until 10pm but took a break to cook dinner. I was craving breakfast for dinner and remembered this recipe for Chipotle Scotch Eggs and decided to pair it with some veggies (Yukon gold potato, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus) that I could roast while the eggs were baking. 

Never heard of a scotch egg? A scotch egg is a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried and a popular dish in the United Kingdom. They are traditional pub food. 

Not these bad boys though which makes them waistline friendly. 

I patiently waited the 30 minutes and stayed away from Little Man's pizza he got to enjoy while watching the 2017 NFL Draft. But!, it was so worth it. These Chipotle Scotch Eggs did not disappoint. It wasn't quite the breakfast for dinner taste I was hoping for but was the perfect meat and potatoes kinda dinner. 

The recipe called for only one chipotle pepper but I used two and the chipotle flavor is subtle. Next time I would throw in one or two more and maybe leave out the carrot, although you can't really taste it and I guess why not sneak in more veggies to the diet if I can. 

I've had these Chipotle Scotch Eggs the last couple of mornings of breakfast after my workouts and they are just what my body needs. Protein wrapped in protein. Genius. 

Chipotle Scotch Eggs

Adapted from: Women's Health Magazine, April 2017 Issue

Makes 6 Servings (1 Egg Per Serving)

Stars of the Show:

• 1 lb lean ground pork 
• 8 baby carrots (or 1 medium carrot)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 hard boiled eggs

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse the pork, carrots, chipotle peppers and salt in a food processor until well combined. Divide the pork mixture into six equal portions and mold the mixture around each egg until fully covered. Place the eggs on a greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Breakfast Egg Muffins

Breakfast Egg Muffins are so easy to make and easily adaptable for ingredients you have on hand.

I followed this recipe from the Healthy Recipes blog and did as they did using beef. Not a traditional "breakfast" food item I use so it was no big deal making these for dinner instead. Word from the wise, using beef made these essentially a burger topped with an egg. Not at all what I was thinking an egg muffin would be. Next time I would use spicy pork sausage for more of a "breakfast" egg muffin.

I also want to try and scramble the eggs with some veggies and fill the meat shells with that instead of cracking the egg whole.

Serve these egg muffins with a side of fresh berries and you've got a filling meal.

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Adapted From: Healthy Recipes

Makes 8 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8 large eggs

And Action:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eight 7oz ramekins brushed with olive oil on a large baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix the beef and seasonings until well combined. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions and press into each ramekin. Pressing the meat until it covers the bottom and sides of the ramekins creating a shell.

Break an egg into each meat shell. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are set, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the ramekins and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Spicy Bacon Egg Salad

I despised egg salad as a child and grew to love it as an adult. Whenever I hard boil eggs for my week any that were cracked in the process of cooking I would set aside and make an egg salad sandwich. There is something so satisfying when I bite into that cold sandwich.

Whenever I've made egg salad in the past it has never been more than a couple of hard boiled eggs mixed with some mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and then slathered between two slices of bread.

Now that I'm following the Whole30 diet and cutting carbs the sandwich actually doesn't sound that great but lettuce wraps excite me so this Spicy Bacon Egg Salad has me jumping for joy!

Crispy bacon, green onions, and creamy chopped eggs gets mixed with a tablespoon of mayonnaise and Sriracha. Instead of slathering this egg salad between bread I scooped it into iceberg lettuce leaves to eat as a wrap. This honestly is the best egg salad I have ever had! I kept sneaking spoonfuls while I was mixing this up. It's that good.

Spicy Bacon Egg Salad

Adapted From: HelloHealthy from MyFitnessPal

Makes 3 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/6 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp mayo
• Sriracha, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

And Action:

Stir all ingredients together until well combined. Serve 1/3 cup of the mix in an iceberg lettuce leaf and wrap. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Parsley Scramble

Scrambles are one of my favorite breakfast items because of their versatility. On the weekends I like to use up veggies and meat that may be near their expiration date and serve the scrambles with toast.

Goat cheese, tomato, and parsley make for a simple yet tasty combination and has a creamy texture.

Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Parsley Scramble

Adapted From: The Beachbody Blog

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 2 egg whites
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 oz garlic herb goat cheese

And Action:

Spray a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium. Add the tomatoes and heat through, about 2 minutes. Add the egg whites, cooking slowly, about 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add goat cheese and parsley. Cook for 1 more minute. Serve hot and enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Kale Salad with Feta, Garlic Panko Breadcrumbs, and Fried Egg

This is one of the best kale salads I've ever had and this time it was picked up at a Starbucks.

The salad is mixed with Mediterranean inspired ingredients on a bed of sauteed kale, topped with a fried egg, and then sprinkled with garlic panko breadcrumbs and feta cheese making this the perfect meatless meal option.

The runny yolk acts as a dressing after you cut into the egg. If you're really hungry you may want to double your portion. It's that good!

Kale Salad with Feta, Garlic Panko Crumbs, and Fried Egg

Adapted From: Jeanette's Healthy Living

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 8 cups kale, stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
• splash of rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• garlic powder, to taste
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tomato, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 oz black pepper feta cheese
• 16 kalamata olives
• 4 fried eggs, for topping

And Action:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale and saute until wilted, then add a splash of rice vinegar. 

To make the garlic panko breadcrumbs: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic powder and panic breadcrumbs. Sauce until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

While you fry the eggs begin assembling the salad. Top kale with with the tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, and olives. Top with the fried egg on each portion and then sprinkle with the garlic panic breadcrumbs. Enjoy!