Gerties Egg Special Recipe

This easy dish has its origins from Ancient Spanish Ships traversing across the seas - but for me, this dish is what my mom used to make for breakfast when I was in luck and when we had left over potatoes, whether they were boiled or oven roasted. Easy quick meal I make for myself for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

She never liked being called Gertie, but we always loved her egg special for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Left over oven roasted (preferred by me) or boiled potatoes - any kind
1-2 eggs per person
1 onion sliced thin
1 bell pepper (optional)
1 garlic clove minced (optional)
salt and pepper
red chili flakes (optional)
a few shakes of hot sauce (optional)
fresh parsley minced (for garnish when plating)
large skillet
olive oil and butter

Directions:

I have done this many times with raw potatoes which I suggest slicing and cutting very small, so that they cook up easily and quickly - though this will add at least 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Take eggs out of refrigerator to get off chill.
In skillet add a drizzle of olive oil and a little dab of butter
Cut up left over potatoes into 1-1/2 inch sized chunks and put into skillet.
Add thinly sliced or diced onions and bell pepper if using.
Let brown and turn over to brown potatoes on the other sides.
Once potatoes are nearly browned to your hearts content you can add eggs.
There are two (2) ways you can do this - my photo shows both. You can either crack an egg on a pile of potatoes so that the egg gets fried sitting on top of the potatoes and when removing from skillet, you scoop up both potatoes and fried egg.
Or - which is what my mother did - is crack the eggs over the potatoes, let cook for two minutes, then with spatula, 'break' yolks and start turning entire potatoes and eggs over each other creating a sort of fried egg/scrambled egg concoction.
Cook eggs for as long as you like - I prefer soft and slightly still runny (but that is me - and don't yell at me for adding ketchup!)
Plate eggs and potatoes and garnish dish with fresh minced parsley and serve with toast - add sausage, ham or bacon if you would like.
Photo shows both ways of cooking eggs - as both are super delicious.
Enjoy this easy way to upcycle cooked potatoes from the night before.

Orange Tea Muffins Recipe

The Orange Juice added to this muffin recipe along with orange zest brings forth a bright flavor, yet these muffins are super fluffy, and light for breakfast and brunch, easy to freeze and keep well, take out a few when you need them. My Grandma Nelle would make these often enough. - a family fave.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven 400 degrees - These will bake for 20-25 minutes
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening (4 tablespoons butter)
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure orange or lemon extract (vanilla ok if you don't have the others)
1/2 cup whole milk (prefer whole vs. skim)
1/2 cup orange juice (with pulp is best)(go for broke as make fresh for that extra oh my factor)
2 tablespoons grated orange rind (avoid the pith, which is super bitter - the white stuff, only the skin of the orange)
Hand mixer, electric mixer.
You can do this by hand, as I have done with other muffins, but the extra fluffy factor is created in this case and recipe with using my mixmaster.

Directions:

Grease muffin pans, this recipe will make between 12-15 muffins (the normal size muffin pans)
Preheat that oven at 400 degrees if you haven't done so already.
Sift flour, measure, add baking powder, salt and sift again. Set aside.
If you are using pre-sifted flour, then measure once, add other dry ingredients and sift once with dry ingredients all together.
Cream shortening, adding sugar slowly, mix until light and fluffy.
Add egg and beat, then add milk, orange juice and extract and beat one minute.
Slowly add dry ingredients (flour, etc.) just until the ingredients come together - Do not over beat! Literally takes maybe 2 minutes on slow with an electric mixer - ok to have some lumps - they will bake out, I promise.
Fill greased muffin pans two-thirds full, sprinkle tops with a little sugar if you wish.
Place on middle rack in preheated oven and allow to bake for 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy! - Image is from simcooks.com but recipe is my Grandma Nelle's.

Leah's Cozy Cottage Eggs Recipe

Crazy for comfort food? This quick dish my grandma used to make on cold winter mornings made me feel all cozy inside. The added dried chipped beef reminds people the days of "old" and is a nice change from your usual bacon or sausage.

Ingredients:

1 package of dried chipped beef (you can usually find it near the bacon isle at your grocery store)
2 stalks scallions, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cottage cheese - plain - size curd - your preference
6 eggs
****Equipment needed:
skillet, bowl, whisk, hungry people wanting their breakfast fast!

Directions:

Taking dried chipped beef out of its package, quickly rinse it under water. Some of them can be salty, and this takes out some of the salt that may be strong for some.
Chop chipped beef into large pieces and add to skillet with butter along with diced scallions.
While that's cooking, break eggs into bowl and add cottage cheese. Mix with hand mixer or whisk till well combined.
Cook the scallions and chipped beef until edges of dried chipped beef are curling and starting to get brown.
Add egg mixture to skillet and over low heat, cook and stir till thick and soft.
Serve it up with toast or english muffins and enjoy!