Spice up breakfast with 3 egg recipes

Add a little kick to your usual breakfast routine with these awesome ideas from the Valley's Over Easy restaurant.

Baked French Toast

Ingredients:
    1 loaf brioche
     8 large eggs
    1 cup cream
    2 cup milk
    2 tablespoons light brown sugar                                    
    1 vanilla bean
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    Dash salt
    2 oz brandy
    ½ cup currants
    Zest of 1 orange
    1 tablespoon lemon juice


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Split vanilla bean and bring to a boil with milk and cream in a medium saucepan.  Remove from heat, strain and chill.  

Soak currants in brandy.  Add orange zest.  

Slice brioche into 12 slices, 1-inch each.  Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with whisk until smooth.

Pour mixture over the bread slices evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Reserve chilled for 1 hour.

Pour currant, zest and brandy mixture evenly over brioche.  

Bake for 35 min or until custard is set.  


Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:
    4 ea 6 oz  cube steak
    2 teaspoons kosher salt
    1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    ¼ teaspoon cayenne
    ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    3 whole eggs, beaten
    2 cups chicken broth
    ½ cup whole milk
    2 sausage links, chopped
    ½  teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
    Vegetable oil



Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Pound out each steak into1/4-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pan. Place the eggs into a separate pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour., followed by the egg and finally in the flour again, reserve.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, cook on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan. Add sausage links and whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.

Fritatta
Ingredients:

    1 tablespoon butter
    12 eggs, beaten
    ½  cup chopped cooked bacon
    1 cup chopped blanched spinach
    4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
    2 russett potatoes peeled
    ½ teaspoon chopped garlic
    ½ teaspoon chopped shallot
    ½  teaspoon black pepper
    Pinch salt
    1 tablespoon chopped herbs



Directions:
Preheat oven to broil setting.

Slice potatoes 1/8 in thick, toss with olive oil, garlic and shallot and lay on a sheet pan.  Broil until edges are crisp, 6-8 min, remove and let cool.  

In medium size bowl, using a fork, blend together eggs, Swiss, potato mixture, pepper, and salt. Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Add bacon and spinach to pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour egg and potato mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Sprinkle with parsley.

Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and cut into 6 servings. Serve immediately.

The restaurant is also teaming up with Hickman's Eggs for the Over Easy Breakfast Challenge. The winner gets a year's supply of eggs.
Here's how it works:

Cook It -Create your favorite breakfast recipe
Photograph It -Take a picture of your masterpiece
Write It-Show off your easy steps
Bring It -Visit Over Easy Arcadia with your picture and recipe
Receive a FREE dozen Hickman's eggs! You get them just for participating.

You can visit Over Easy at 4730 East Indian School Road in Phoenix or at their website, www.EatAtOverEasy.com.