Sweet,Spicy,and Sassy: Green Eggs and Ham

Foodie Friends!

I am so excited to introduce my first guest blogger to you all. She is a fantastic mom of 3, cook, and....she's my big sister!
Enjoy!

LC

First of all, I would like to thank my sister for inviting me to guest blog. When she asked me to blog about something delicious and original to inspire the everyday cook, I couldn’t help but think about what inspires me, as a cook, and that would be my kids. I almost always make meals with them in mind. They are finicky and picky eaters, but I refuse to make separate meals for them and I am not a fan of highly processed foods, either. I took a page (metaphorically) from Jessica Seinfeld’s book, Deceptively Delicious, in which she incorporates pureed fruits and vegetables into everyday recipes to sneak those vitamins and minerals into picky eaters. While I am still a proponent of exposing children to whole fruits and vegetables on their plate, let’s face it, if your kids are anything like my kids, they’ll nibble on it and call it a day. I am fascinated with the concept of swapping out artificial colors and flavors with all-natural pureed foods. While Jessica Seinfeld has many ideas for incorporating purees into food, my Green Eggs and Ham with pureed broccoli is original to me. When my son, Devin, turned 3, he wanted a Dr. Seuss breakfast birthday party. Instead of adding food coloring to the eggs, I added pureed spinach. I even added it to the deviled eggs. But sshhhh, it’s our little secret. Not even the adults were aware. Today, I added pureed broccoli to the eggs. You get the same effect with pureed spinach, broccoli or zucchini. For a more full Dr. Seuss effect, mix and match plates, napkins and table cloth in black, red and white. You can even add some of the pureed vegetable over the Canadian bacon to make it green, too. This is a festive and healthy way to enjoy breakfast.

Green Eggs and Ham

Ingredients:

Serves 1

2 eggs
1/4 cup pureed broccoli (spinach and zucchini work, as well)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tb oil
3 slices of Canadian bacon

Directions:
First, puree either broccoli, spinach or zucchini, your choice (see special pureeing instructions below). Oil the pan or skillet. Beat two eggs in a bowl. Add the puree, salt and pepper, and continue beating until well incorporated. Scramble eggs on a skillet as usual. Place Canadian bacon on a pan or skillet to heat through. Serve eggs and bacon with toast or other favorite breakfast side dish.

Pureeing vegetables

vegetable	Broccoli	spinach	zucchini
preparation	Cut into florets	None if you purchase the kind that is triple washed from the bag	Trim off the ends and cut into 1-inch pieces
Steaming process	Steam for 6-7 minutes. Florets should be tender but still bright green.	Steam for 30-60 seconds or cook in a skillet with 1 Tb of water for about 90 seconds or until wilted	Steam for 6-8 minutes
puree	In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes. Add a few teaspoons of water if needed.	In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes	In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
Store	In freezer zip bag in ¼ or ½ cup amounts. Refrigerate if using within a few days or freeze for longer storage.	In freezer zip bag in ¼ or ½ cup amounts. Refrigerate if using within a few days or freeze for longer storage.	In freezer zip bag in ¼ or ½ cup amounts. Refrigerate if using within a few days or freeze for longer storage.