I must admit, some of my biggest recipe fails are when I start “free styling” with random substitutions. You should ask my husband some time about the coconut cream pie I tried to make that came out more like coconut cream pudding. Or the time I tried to make a gluten free deep-dish pizza crust without “super fine” brown rice flour. Both were complicated recipes and therefore required strict attention to detail. One or two small changes and most complex dishes fall apart.
With simple meals, however, going rogue leads to delicious “accidents” and an opportunity use vegetables before they go bad or repurpose leftovers. One of the easiest foods to free style with is eggs. A couple of weeks ago, with Brian gone and a busy day behind me, I wanted something easy for dinner. I wanted something filling and I didn’t have a lot of time. With no recipe, just some staples and imagination I came up with Scrambled Green Eggs (NO Ham) and Gluten Free Sundried Tomato Bruschetta.
Scrambled Green Eggs (NO Ham)
- Olive oil cooking spray
- ½ medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg whites
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tbsp pesto (I used the Cilantro and Pumpkin Seed Pesto from Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Vegetarian Cookbook, leftover from the weekend)
- Heat non-stick pan on medium heat and spray with olive oil spray.
- Saute zucchini for 3-5 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add egg and egg whites to pan, stirring occasionally. Cook to desired level of firmness.
- Add spinach to pan and mix with the eggs for about 30 seconds, long enough to wilt spinach.
- Remove eggs from heat and place on plate. Top with pesto and serve.
Yield: 1 Serving
Prep Time: 2.5 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Per Serving: Calories 227; Total Fat 7.1g; (Sat Fat 1.6g, Trans 0g, Poly Fat 1g, Mono Fat 2g); Protein 26.5g; Carb 9g; Fiber 3g; Sugars 2g; Cholesterol 210mg; Sodium 330mg
Gluten Free Sun-Dried Tomato Bruschetta
- Two small thinly sliced pieces of gluten free bread. (I make the Gluten Free Olive Oil Bread from the book Healthy Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day). You might even take one piece of gluten free sandwich bread and cut it in half.
- 2 tbsp jarred sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/8 cup mozzarella (I use the dairy free version from Daiya)
- Toast broad until slightly brown on the edges in a toaster oven, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the toaster oven and top each slice with 1 tbsp of sun-dried tomatoes and half the cheese.
- Place back in toaster oven for another 1-2 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread has reached desired level of crispiness.
- Remove from toaster oven and serve.
Yield: 1 Serving
Prep Time: 2.5 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Per Serving: Calories 262; Total Fat 714g; (Sat Fat 1.7g, Trans 0g, Poly Fat 0g, Mono Fat 2g); Protein 3.5g; Carb 32g; Fiber 4g; Sugars 3g; Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 210mg
I had a colorful, filling and nutrient rich meal on the table in 15 minutes. There was no recipe. There was nothing complicated. It was just a little imagination and a little necessity thrown together.
What’s your favorite free style cooking creation? What staples do you always keep on hand for easy meals?
