Oct 13 2008
Easy like Sunday morning
Nathan woke us up this morning with a request for waffles. "Nathan, it isn't even the weekend!" I said. "There's no way I'm going to make you an elaborate breakfast."
Nathan continued to beg for waffles, and wasn't going to settle for the toaster waffles in the freezer. (I couldn't blame him. They'd been in there a very long time.)
Having had a good night's sleep for a change, I thought I'd try to do something special for Nathan, even if it was only scrambling up a couple of eggs. Then I remembered a fun breakfast dish I saw in a children's cookbook I had just received. This is a version of a dish that is sometimes called toad in a hole, frog in a pond, chicken in a basket, or a picture frame egg. No matter what you call it, the dish is easy to make and fun to eat.
Sunshine Toast
Note: this recipe involves use of a microwave and oven. Please do not let children cook without adult supervision.
Ingredients:
1 slice of bread
melted butter
1 medium egg
large cookie cutter
cookie sheet
aluminum foil or a non-stick silicone baking mat
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. If you are using aluminum foil on your cookie sheet, spray the surface with a nonstick cooking spray or grease well with butter. If you are using a silicone baking mat there is no need to grease the surface.
3. Use your microwave to melt some butter. Make sure to use a microwave safe bowl.
4. Brush the melted butter on one side of the bread with a pastry brush. Then take the cookie cutter and press it hard into the middle of the slice of bread. Wiggle it back and forth slightly while pressing to make sure you're cutting through the bread.
5. Carefully lift out the shape you have cut out. Lay both pieces of bread on the tray with the butter side up.
6. Break the egg into a saucer and remove any pieces of shell. Carefully slide the egg into the hole you have cut.
7. Bake for seven minutes on the top rack of the oven, or for a little longer (about 10 minutes) if you don't like a runny yolk.
8. Lift the pieces of bread carefully off the tray. Season with salt and pepper. Eat it while it's still warm. Use the toast shape to dip in the egg yolk.
Variation: If you like cheese with your egg, sprinkle grated cheese on your egg before placing in the oven.
While Nathan was impressed with how it looked, he balked when he tasted it. Then we realized we forgot to add the salt and pepper. Paul and I really enjoyed our eggs and toast. Being allergic, Lucie had a blueberry bagel and cream cheese.
This recipe took very little time to cook and clean up. Plus it provided a shared moment at the breakfast table -- a nice alternative to a harried weekday morning.
*Adapted from the Usborne Activities cookbook, What Shall I Cook?
