Sunday, November 11, 2012

Sunday Morning 'Sunshine Toad In the Hole'

As I continue on my mission to avoid wheat and gluten, primarily in bread products, I continually have to reinvent breakfast to include some sort of low-carb option other than bread. 'Toad in the hole' is one of my all time favourite go to breakfasts and one I have been making the boys since they were able to eat solid food. But for me, the days of scarfing down two Texas Toast size slices of white bread slathered in butter encompassing a couple of oozing farm fresh eggs unfortunately are over. Living with Fibromyalgia, I have to avoid foods that cause inflammation, and wheat is one of the culprits...

I have yet to find a Gluten Free bread that toasts up like regular bread and doesn't become soggy under a soft cooked egg. (If you have such recipe, please feel free to post it here on my blog under comments!) I have found an awesome bakery in my town that bakes organic GF breads daily and two of my favourites are the Kamut and Quinoa bread, but neither have the same appeal to me in this instance as their texture once toasted is more of a dense, chewy experience than a light and fluffy one.

*Note: Original recipe for Toad In The Hole to follow below*

So in order to simultaneously avoid wheat and still be able to have one of my favourite breakfasts, I have decided to ix-nay the ead-bray altogether and make a Toad in the Hole sans pain...

This is what I came up with after raiding the fridge:
1 yellow bell pepper
2 cups leftover cooked yams (diced and finished with some butter and chopped green onions)
1/2 a clamshell of baby spinach leaves
4 eggs (I use organic or free range)
8 bacon slices (I use nitrate free, low sodium bacon)
2 tsp coconut oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cook bacon until crisp; Line a sheet of foil with paper towel; Place cooked bacon on paper towel and wrap foil into an envelope; Place in low temp oven to keep warm.
2. Cut the top off the bell pepper and discard seeds. Slice horizontally into 4 rings; place pepper rings in large preheated skillet over medium heat; add 1/4 cup water and steam pepper rings, covered just until cooked through; add baby spinach leaves to pan - water will have almost evaporated (if it has, add a little more to steam spinach - this will only take a few minutes; remove spinach and keep warm). Into each ring, place 1/2 tsp coconut oil, which will quickly melt; crack eggs into rings; Cook covered until set to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium-soft.
3. In separate pan, re-heat yams; Set aside.

To assemble:
Place cooked spinach in a ring onto plate. Place egg and pepper ring inside of spinach ring; serve with pan fried yams and bacon rashers.

**NOTE: If you are able to eat bread, by all means go for the original!

Toad in the Hole

Method:
1. Butter bread slices on one side, place in heated skillet and toast until lightly brown; flip toast to brown other side.
2. Using a 2"-3"round cookie cutter or knife, cut out a circle in bread slice; reserve cut-outs; crack eggs into hole and cook, covered until eggs are set to desired doneness. Place toast cut-outs on top of egg. Serve.

Happy Sunday!