Eggs Purgatory, Lisa Style

My mother-in-law introduced me to Eggs in Purgatory, a simple breakfast dish of eggs poached in tomatoes or spaghetti sauce. They were good, and after bottling tomatoes yesterday, I had to try my hand at it. This is a great meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and is one that most people have all the ingredients for at any given time. It's super simple and really tasty.

Eggs in Purgatory on Cheesy Garlic Toast
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups bottled tomatoes (1 big can or most of a quart)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dry
4-6 eggs

4-6 slices of bread
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp mayonnaise
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic

1) Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a bubble.
2) In a small bowl, mix together the butter, mayonnaise, cheese, and garlic. Spread your cheese mixture on the bread. Put the bread on a sheet tray. Preheat your broiler or toaster oven.
3) Carefully break the eggs and drop them into the tomato sauce so that each stays individual and separated, and try not to crack the yolks. Cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are white and the yolk is firm, but still slightly runny (unless you like a firmer egg).
4) Put the bread under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the bread starts to toast.
5) Serve with the garlic cheese toast on bottom, then a scoop of the tomato sauce with the egg in it. You can shred fresh basil or Parmesan Cheese over the top if you like. It's also good with a little splash of hot sauce.

Note: For Gluten-Free, you can serve the eggs over instant grits with cheese, or hashbrowns.

Amazingly Easy Fish Recipe

My friend Lydia requested this recipe, and it is a good one for the summer especially. I use this recipe for nearly any type of fish, any size, any shape, and it always comes out beautifully.

Fish-in-a-pouch

Fish, any type (for starters try trout or salmon; they are very mild)
a handful of fresh basil, parsley, or oregano (or 1 or 2 tsp dry)
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, sliced

1) Make sure your fish is cleaned and if you like, filleted or boned. When cooking a whole fish, it is often much easier to remove the bones when it is done than before, so I typically keep my fish whole. You may remove the head and fins if you like, but it isn't necessary.

2) On a large piece of aluminum foil, place the fish. Stuff the cavity, or just lay on top, all the herbs, butter, and seasonings. Top with pretty slices of lemon.

3) Fold and Seal up the aluminum foil so that no juices can get out.

4) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-30 minutes. Timing here is hard to guess, because it greatly varies between fish types and sizes. You're looking for the fish to be opaque all the way through and a little flaky. Temperature to shoot for is about 150-160 degrees. You can also put your pouch on the grill if you prefer. Start checking when you start smelling the fish. If you have no sense of smell, start checking after about 15 minutes, or less, if the oven temp is hotter.

5) Serve with more fresh lemon slices to squirt over the fish.


This recipe is fantastic because it is virtually fool-proof. By cooking the fish in the pouch, it prevents any sticking, reduces the risk of over cooking, and can be done anywhere--in the oven, on the grill, or even in a campfire. You can get really creative with the herbs you put in your pouch, and can really change things up by adding cherry tomatoes or other vegetables like asparagus.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken

The church potluck coincided with needing to harvest my basil. This recipe can be served hot, warm, room temperature, or even cold, so it makes a great picnic dish. All the fresh basil is also really refreshing on a warm summer day.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Basil Pesto:
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tsp fresh garlic
zest and juice of 2 limes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until like a thick paste. Drizzle in the oil as you blend to ensure the right texture--if it's a really humid day, for example, you might need less oil.

Pesto Pasta Salad:
1 lb rotini (or elbow macaroni)
3 cups cooked chicken (see note below)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1 batch of the basil pesto listed above

Cook the pasta in 1 gallon of salted boiling water until al dente. Cube the chicken, halve the tomatoes, and cube the mozzarella cheese so that everything is about 1 inch cubes. Mix everything together in a big bowl. Warm up if you like, or chill and serve cold. This makes a big batch of chicken salad.

*Note on the chicken: The more flavorful the chicken you start with, the better the salad will be. I made grilled chicken yesterday, and the leftovers are going in my dish. I marinaded them with lime juice and spices. Also, rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a good choice. For very easy roasted chicken, buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, season with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour. This tastes amazing, and is so much better than boiling or microwaving the chicken.

*Note on Basil Pesto: My recipe listed above contains just a few unusual ingredients--Walnuts and lime juice. I use walnuts because traditional pine nuts can be expensive. I put in lime juice because I love the citrus buzz, and it keeps the basil greener longer. Pesto is absolutely delicious, so watch out--you might get addicted! Try putting it on grilled meat, or just plain pasta for a very quick side dish. It can also be spread on your sandwiches like any other condiment, and leftovers freeze really nicely. It doesn't store very well in the fridge, so use it or freeze it.

*One more quick note: This recipe contains nuts that I blend in the blender. Please make sure your guests know there are nuts in there. Allergies are nothing to sneeze at!

Herb Oil meal

One quick sauce, made from just a few stellar ingredients, can really turn around a boring dinner. Pork chops and baked potatoes are taken to new heights with this easy herb oil. Make a Saturday-style dinner on Monday night. Your family will love you for it.

Oregano oil
1 cup of fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika (smoked is especially nice)
1/2 tsp garlic

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute, or until everything is totally pulverized.

Make it a meal...

-Boil 4 potatoes for 10 minutes--they will still be firm, but starting to get tender. This is called par-boiling or par-cooking.
-Run the hot potatoes under cold water until you can handle them. Cut into fourths or large wedges.
-Brush the herb oil on the potatoes, thick-cut pork chops or chicken breasts, and thickly sliced onions.
-Grill on medium-high until everything is done. The potatoes will take about 10 minutes, the pork chops need to be 160 degrees, and depending on the thickness, that could be anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes per side. Temperature is best. The onions will be fastest, at about 5 minutes on the grill. Turn once or twice to ensure lovely grill marks all over the food.
-Serve everything along side a simple green salad or just sliced veggies. If you want, serve the potatoes with a little sour cream or mayonnaise, though they're delicious just as is. If you time everything right and are quick with the knife, you can make this meal in 30 minutes or less.

Note: when you're putting anything on meat, make sure that nothing comes in contact with the raw meat. Brush your veggies first, or pour the herb oil over the meat and rub it in with your fingers so that no oil, tools, or surfaces are contaminated. The last thing anyone wants is food-born illness.

This oil would be great on lots and lots of things, and will store in the fridge just fine for a few days. Make extra and try brushing it on other vegetables, meats, or even pouring a little on your breakfast eggs. It'd even make a fine salad dressing.