So here’s the gods honest truth: I used to boil the ever-loving crap out of eggs. To be fair, Easter was about the only time we ever boiled them growing up. After we’d dyed them, peeled them to reveal the tie-dyed ellipses beneath, and mixed the yolks with a generous amount of mustard and Miracle Whip (an ingredient I’ll defend to the death when making Deviled Eggs), the gray-green, sulfury halo around the yolks didn’t really seem to matter much.

On the rare occasions that I ate straight-up, un-deviled hard boiled eggs, I only ate the whites. And small wonder! I was, however, flummoxed: how come the yolks in some store-bought eggs looked so, well, appetizing I decided to actually look up a recipe, and what do you know: other people have already figured this out. But since I was TWENTY-NINE before I actually learned to do this right, I thought you guys might want some tips too. The big secret Hard boiled eggs don’t actually need to boil for more than a moment.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Get some eggs. Fresh eggs are the hardest to peel, so this is a great way to use up the end of an older batch.

2. Place the eggs in a single layer in a pot large enough to accommodate them. Cover the eggs with at least an inch of water.

3. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. (You’re probably won’t be as foamy as this… one of my eggs broke early in the process, which makes a big ugly foamy mess.)

4. Once the water comes to a full boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Leave the pot on the burner (I have a glasstop stove, so I put the pot half off the burner since those suckers NEVER cool down) and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your eggs and how hard you want the yolk. I want my yolks to be solid, and I generally use large to extra large eggs, so the full 15 minutes works for me. If you are nervous about going to far, boil an extra egg so you can check one after 10 or 12 minutes. I can think of worse things to do with 70 calories.

5. Drain the hot water off the eggs and add cold water to the pot, along with a big handful of ice cubes. You’ll want to wait until the eggs are completely cool before peeling.

6. Peel the eggs. Eat the eggs. Love the eggs!

It’s funny how things change from when you’re little. As a child, I had a very uncomfortable relationship with eggs. With breakfast in general, actually. At the risk of sounding gross, on school days, I frankly couldn’t eat eggs for breakfast without the risk of them coming back up. Perhaps it was the 30 minute car drive on windy mountain roads. Perhaps it was the vestige of the tendency for nausea that I experienced as an infant. Either way, it took YEARS before I started eating eggs for breakfast on a regular basis.

Now, of course, it’s almost laughable how much I love eggs. For breakfast, as a mid-morning snack, as a burst of protein at lunch, baked or custard-y in desserts. But I especially like them in frittatas.

Frittatas provide most of the benefits of a quiche. Sure, you don’t get a flaky, golden crust to cradle the eggs, but you can also make a frittata in like, 20 minutes. Quiches are great, but they are not quick.

I also like that frittatas hold up well as leftovers. A frittata made on Sunday will feed me a warm, savory breakfast for most of the coming work week. Alternately, they feed a brunch crowd with minimal effort.

The one key challenge Not burning it to a crisp. I broil my frittatas so they have a nice, golden-brown top, but a few minutes distraction is enough to ruin your breakfast and, frankly, your day. I literally sit on the floor and watch mine cook to make sure they don’t burn.

The result Wedges of fluffy eggs, studded with ham and onion, beneath a crispy layer of hot cheese. Mm. I think I’ll go make another.

Ham, Cheddar, & Onion Frittata

1 1/2 T unsalted butter
4 oz diced ham
3 oz diced yellow onion
2 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
3-4 cranks of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven on the broiler setting. Dice ham and onion and grate the cheddar cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper for 3-4 minutes.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch oven-safe frying pan over medium heat. Add the ham and onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes until the onions have softened and are beginning to brown. Spread the ham and onions evenly across the pan. Pour the egg mixture over the ham and onions and quickly stir so they are evenly distributed. From this point on, do not stir the mixture. Sprinkle the cheddar evenly over the top.

Once the edges of the frittata are cooked (they’ll be lighter in color and look solid), place the frying pan on a middle rack in the oven. Broil for 6-10 minutes, watching it VERY closely. Stay focused: the frittata will quickly burn if left under the broiler for too long. Once the top is golden-brown, solid at the center, and fairly puffy, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. The frittata may flatten a bit during this time.

Cut the frittata into six wedges and serve immediately. This also holds up very well as leftovers.

And it’s not just for dinner! I’ve now become quite obsessed with using corn in breakfast. In this particular one, it joints a few other mid-summer veggies (also bacon) as a really, really good hash.

The corn, green onions, and bacon provide a nice crunch against tender new potatoes, and a soft-cooked egg truly make this a meal worth eating.

So pretty, so tasty, and so much excellent summer flavor!

Le sigh. I just want every morning to be a slow summer morning that starts with this.

Corn & Bacon Hash
Adapted, just a smidge, from Smitten Kitchen

6 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound red potatoes, cut into small cubes
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the corn
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until the fat is rendered. Once it is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan and add the potatoes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Sprinkle potatoes with half of the salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork and are golden-brown on the the outside.

Add the corn to the skillet and bump the heat up just a bit. Cook the potatoes and corn together for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the corn browns a bit.

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter and crack an egg into the skillet, taking care not to break the yolk. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip the egg to cook the other side. Cook for a minute more for an over-medium egg. Remove to a small plate and repeat with the second egg.

While the eggs finish cooking, add the drained bacon and the green onions to the corn and potatoes and mix well. Turn off the heat and season to taste with the remaining salt and pepper.

Serve a couple scoops of hash and top with one of the eggs.

For lots of reasons, I was the lucky winner to set my clock earlier and use the shower first. I like to pack my lunch in the morning, I blow-dry my hair, I could daudle around a bit. And one day, for a treat, I made us a hot, freshly-cooked breakfast. It wasn’t a major affair: there were no biscuits, no gravy, no French toast or quiches. But it was hot, it was savory, and it was DELICIOUS.

It was this breakfast burrito. Don’t be afraid! These take about 10 minutes to make, start to finish, and they take fairly basic ingredients. Sure, you can gussy up a breakfast burrito with sausage, bacon, peppers and onions, all kinds of things: but the basics are utterly delightful and allow for quick, weekday breakfasting.

Can I ask you to do something DON’T BEAT THE EGGS. I like my scrambled eggs with some texture and variety of color, so I add them to the pans straight out of the shell and let the whites cook up a bit before scrambling. I also ask you to put your cheese right in with the eggs rather than lining the tortilla with it. It’s so good!

Salsa is something I require in basically all scrambled eggs, so that comes next. Add this last so it doesn’t destroy the texture of your eggs as they are cooking early on. Use whatever dang salsa you like, but USE IT.

Once the eggs are cooked, they are split up and added to two gently-warmed tortillas. I warm mine in a second frying pan on the stove, but you can also microwave them, though it really doesn’t save much time.

And there you have it! Two little burritos that will give you a warm, flavorful breakfast that’s not a total gut-bomb. And because this is a one-egg-per-serving recipe, you can make it just for you or you can feed a crowd. I usually eat mine right after it’s rolled, whereas Brad’s gets wrapped in foil so he can eat in the car on the way to work. Both methods make for a lovely breakfast – hooray for flexibility!

Workday Breakfast Burritos

Makes 2 burritos

2 medium-sized flour tortillas (I use Mission Soft Taco size)
1/2 T unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/3 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated or roughly sliced
seasoned salt and black pepper to taste
2 heaping T chunky salsa

Heat a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat and an 8-inch frying pan over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the 10-inch frying pan. While you cook the eggs, flip over the tortilla so it warms on the other side. Then, repeat with the second tortilla.

Melt the butter in the 8-inch frying pan. Once it begins to sizzle slightly, add the eggs and cheese. Season lightly with seasoned salt and black pepper. Scramble the eggs and cheese with a wooden spoon or a spatula until mostly cooked. Add the salsa and mix well. Allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes until some of the liquid has cooked down (if you add the eggs when they are too runny, your burrito will be very drippy).

Once the eggs are cooked and both tortillas are warmed, add half the eggs to each tortilla and roll them up. Serve immediately, or, if you’re taking yours to go, wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm.

But on super-special mornings, I’ll buy a precious avocado and smear it across toast to a beautiful, green canvas for a gently fried egg.

I’ve loved avocados for a long time, but I was previously skeptical of their ability to translate to breakfast. Lord, I was so wrong. The flavor and texture of the avocado and the egg together are fantastic. The avocado needs no additions, though admittedly, I did try mixing in salsa one day, and while it was delightful, I still preferred it all by itself.

The eggs, while you’re smashing avocado, fry gently with their yolks unbroken. If you’re not a fan of runny eggs, don’t worry, just break the yolks with a fork and cook them a bit longer on the second side for a firm yellow center.

This simple breakfast is super-quick for rushed weekday mornings when you want to pretend, just for a minute, that it’s already the weekend. And it’s fancy enough even for the weekend. Why go out for breakfast when you can stay in your pajamas and have this?

Egg & Avocado on Toast

Makes 2 servings

1/2 an avocado
1/2 T butter
2 eggs
seasoned salt
black pepper
2 slices of bread

Scoop the avocado out of the skin into a bowl. Crush the avocado with the back of a fork until it is mostly crushed. Heat a frying pan  over medium heat. Once warm, add the butter to the pan and coat the bottom of the pan as it melts. Crack the eggs into the pan without breaking the yolks, keeping the eggs separate. Sprinkle lightly with seasoned salt and black pepper.

While the eggs cook, toast the bread and smear avocado evenly over both pieces. After eggs have cooked for about two minutes, flip carefully with a spatula and sprinkle the opposite side lightly with black pepper. After about 30 seconds, gently lift the eggs onto the toasts, placing them on the avocado.

Serve and enjoy immediately.

It’s entirely possible that I’m the last person to arrive at this party, but these days I find I really, really like soft-cooked eggs. Growing up I thought I only liked scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and deviled eggs (who doesn’t?) but recently, I’ve discovered the pleasure of the slightly runny yolk.

And THIS, it turns out, is the best way I’ve found to enjoy it. I feel a little generous even calling this a recipe because it’s SO quick, SO easy, and amazingly, deliciously good.

I’ve seen this recipe with a number of different names. Egg in a Hole, Frog in a Hole, Egg in the Middle… but the principle remains the same. You take a piece of bread. And you punch a hole in it. And then you put an egg in the middle and cook. Simple!

I like using a round cookie cutter for this, but you could get cutesy and use a heart, a square, or whatever shape you want. The important thing is to not make it too small. Trust me, if there isn’t enough hole, the egg will just overflow and not cook and you won’t be able to flip it and all will be ugly for your breakfast.

Another tip: as you can see, this was a one-serving situation for me this morning. But you can make it just as quickly for two! You might even be able to make more servings, I just haven’t tried more than two at a time. The bread can’t slope up the sides of the pan or the egg will escape, and you must leave room to flip the bread!

Once you have flipped it over, you can determine how runny or not runny your yolk shall be. The firmer the egg is when you press it gently with a fork, the firmer the yolk will be. You’ll want to aim for something between jiggly and rock-solid. Which is probably no help at all, but in truth, that’s part of the joyous mystery.

Because there’s only one way to find out what your yolk will look like… dive on in! And whatever happens, you’re in for a crisp piece of grilled, buttered toast surrounding a gently-fried egg. Add this to  your breakfast routine STAT.

Egg in a Hole
Adapted just a smidge from The Pioneer Woman

Note: Obviously, this recipe can be adapted for as many servings as you want. Just make sure you leave enough space in the pan between pieces that you can flip the bread easily.

1 T salted butter
1 piece of whole wheat bread
1 large egg
salt & pepper

Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Use a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut a hole out of the bread. Once butter has fully melted and has begun to bubble slightly, place the bread into the skillet and the center piece to the side.

Carefully crack the egg into the hole in the bread. Sprinkle a TINY bit of salt and also some pepper on the egg. Cook for about two minutes, then carefully slide a spatula under the bread and flip. Sprinkle a bit more pepper on the second side, then flip the cut-out circle to grill the other side. For a runny yolk, you’ll only need to cook the second side for about 30-45 seconds. Use a fork to gently press on the cooked side of the egg: it should be soft but not jiggly.

Lift the bread onto a plate and eat. Use your little center circle to soak up the warm, luscious yolk!

I have a really bad habit of planning my weekends too much. I always make a list full of more than I can possibly do, gradually shifting things to later in the week as the impossibility of my plans becomes clear.

But every once in a while, one of the items on those lists turns into a relaxing, inspiring, reflective endeavor with delicious results. As with this frittata.

My initial impulse to make this crowd-worthy breakfast came from a delightful alliance of ingredients currently in season. “Egg season” (yes, there is one) has begun here in the Carolinas, and every week I see more and more vendors with teetering piles of egg crates on the corners of their tables.

In addition to the chickens laying more eggs, spring greens are everywhere. I picked up a bag of deep green spinach leaves and a bunch of green onions to play along with the eggs. And a block of brined feta completed the set.

Frittata is, basically, a thin quiche that cooks quickly and has no crust. There are endless variations to this lovely breakfast. The key is to make sure you have a frying pan that can be used stove-top and in the oven.

First, the spinach and onions are sautéed until the spinach has wilted, but not to the point that it’s a stringy goopy mess. Only a few minutes go by before it’s time to add the eggs.

As you pour the eggs into the hot pan, those that hit the bottom first will immediately begin to cook. As that process starts, the feta is sprinkled on top. After a few minutes, the edges will start to firm and lighten in color as they cook, and into the oven it goes.

Now I’ve talked about broiling on this site before: it doesn’t take much to burn the hell out of something under 500°F. Though this dish spent about eight minutes in the oven, I still spent the majority of that time staring at it through the oven window. It was cool to watch, as at that heat I could actually watch the egg cooking, but it also made sure that I didn’t get distracted doing something else and open the oven to blackened eggs. Those minutes of inaction, sitting on my kitchen floor watching eggs cook, were worth it.

This frittata is fluffy and filling, and the union of flavors from the spicy onions and creamy eta is truly lovely.

I wish more mornings could be so satisfying. Cooking breakfast, listening to music, and watching the snow fall during a surprising bout of winter weather. I almost didn’t want to cross this one off my list.

Spinach, Scallion, & Feta Frittata

1 T butter
3 oz fresh spinach leaves, washed & patted dry
4 scallions
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
6 eggs
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch sea salt

Preheat oven on the broiler setting. Roughly chop spinach leaves and remove large, stiff stems. Chop the whites & greens of the scallions. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk for 3-4 minutes. Add the black pepper and salt to the eggs and whisk a minute or so more.

Heat a 10-inch oven-safe frying pan over medium heat. Add butter and tilt the pan until butter coats the bottom. Cook spinach for 2-3 minutes until it has wilted and collapsed in size. Add scallions and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Pour in egg mixture and quickly stir so the spinach and scallions are evenly distributed. From this point on, do not stir the mixture. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the top of the eggs.

Once the edges of the frittata are cooked (they’ll be lighter in color and look solid), place the frying pan on a middle rack in the oven. Broil for 6-10 minutes, watching it VERY closely. Stay focused: the frittata will quickly burn if left under the broiler for too long. Once the frittata is starting to turn golden-brown and is puffing up, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. The frittata will flatten a bit during this time. Cut the frittata into six wedges and serve immediately.

Rice, too, was always part of these week-night stir fries. And it was the rice that yielded the best leftovers, because the following morning, dad would make rice cakes.

Rice cakes, as I grew up with them, are not comparable to the puffy, crunchy discs of rice you can buy at the store. These rice cakes are rather more like pancakes, cooked in a frying pan and slathered with butter and maple syrup to make a scrumptious breakfast.

Whether you make your rice for stir fry, curry, or something like this, make a little extra and you can set yourself up for a week’s worth of awesome breakfasts.

Aside from the rice, all you need to get cookin’ are a few eggs, some salt, and oil for pan-frying. What’s great about this recipe is that it can be expanded or reduced to almost any quantity of leftover rice: 1 1/2 cups rice needs one egg and a pinch of salt.

Then, as with pancakes, the mixture is gently shaped into discs to pan-fry until golden brown on each side.

This breakfast is filling but light, savory but sweet, and definitely the most delicious way I can imagine using up leftover rice. You could even cook a batch of rice with the sole purpose of making these rice cakes. But I suppose they would not officially be leftover rice cakes… scandalous!

Leftover-Rice Cakes
Inspired by childhood breakfasts from Dad

Makes 9-10 four-inch rice cakes

Note: This recipe can be expanded or reduced based on the quantity of rice you have on hand. The basic ratio is 1 1/2 cups of rice to one egg to 1/8 tsp salt.

3 cups cooked white rice
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
canola oil for frying

Add enough oil to a large frying pan to coat the bottom and place over medium heat. While the pan is warming, use a fork to break of any clumps of rice. Then, add the eggs and salt to the rice and mix well until rice grains are fully coated.

Once oil is glistening, spoon the rice mixture into clumps in the pan and gently flatten and shape until each is about 1/2″ thick and 4″ in diameter. I was able to cook four cakes at a time in a 12″ frying pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, undisturbed, until edges are beginning to brown. Use a spatula to carefully flip each rice cake and cook the second side for 3-5 minutes. Once both sides of the cakes are golden-brown, remove the rice cakes to a plate lined in paper towels. If needed, add more oil to the pan and continue making rice cakes until all of the mixture has been used.

Serve rice cakes as you would pancakes, with butter and maple syrup.

This is, I think, the first Easter for which I have not dyed any eggs. Not one cup of pigment-stained vinegar has graced my kitchen counter, nor one hard-boiled egg.

But this quiche?

Possibly my new favorite way to celebrate the humble egg.

Previously, I’ve really only eaten quiche in miniature form at catered gatherings and parties, but had never really considered the possibility of making them myself. Or if I had, I became rapidly intimated by the idea of a homemade crust (I’d never actually made one before this). But oh! What a new world lies ahead now that I have quiche AND pie crust in my culinary arsenal!

This crust, as it turns out, is not quite the deep mystery I had created in my mind. Some really cold butter, some flour, salt and sugar, and (and this one has an egg yolk) and a little time in the fridge made this dough, well, downright easy.

The dough has to chill in the fridge for a bit, which is a perfect time to start the filling. This one kicks off with asparagus.

I’ve never been a huge fan of asparagus, but the more I focus on eating fresh, seasonal food, it becomes difficult to resist the excitement when this first herald of spring produce makes an entrance on farmers market tables. It’s like watching a bank run as eager customers line up for the coveted green stalks after months of seeing only sweet potatoes, chard, and carrots for sale.

The asparagus plays nicely with mushrooms and spring onions, so those get chopped up and tossed into the mix as well.

For good measure, some cheese. White cheddar is delightfully tangy in this quiche, but you can use a yellow cheddar if you prefer it.

And then the eggs! Eggs are mixed with a little milk, a little cream, and a little salt & pepper.

The dough has chilled, the veggies are chopped and sautéed, and the egg mixture is thoroughly mixed. Time for assembly!

Don’t be scared of rolling out the dough. Just flour the heck out of the counter and all will be well. You can do it!

And now the most agonizing part… this quiche bakes for an hour and THEN cools for about an hour. Alternately, it can be made the night before as it reheats nicely and can be served cold.

These pretty little slices would make an awesome Easter brunch, or anytime-brunch, really. Brad ate some for dinners, I ate mine for breakfast, and I’m pretty sure it’s a winner anywhere in between.

So if you also haven’t had time to dye your eggs yet either, celebrate Easter this year with a creamy, dreamy, springy quiche!

Asparagus Mushroom Quiche
Adapted from Joy the Baker

Crust
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
3 T milk
1 T heavy cream

Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter and work quickly into flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Stop mixing when buttery bits are about pea-sized.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, milk, and cream. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in liquid. Using a fork, combine the liquid into the flour, making sure that all flour bits get moistened. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle generously with more flour. Dough will be quite sticky. Press dough into a disc about 1 1/2″ thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling
1/2 T unsalted butter
1 c asparagus, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1/2 c green onions, chopped into 1/2″ pieces (starting with the white end)
1/2 c mushrooms, roughly chopped
6 large eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c heavy cream
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1 c sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add asparagus, green onions, and mushrooms and sauté until asparagus is bright green and mushrooms have softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mix well. Grate cheese and set aside.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 °F. Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap disc onto a well-floured surface. Flour a rolling pin and gently roll dough into a circle about 11″ in diameter, flipping once and re-flouring the surface as needed throughout the rolling process. Carefully lift dough into a 9″ pie plate. Trim dough so that about 1/2″ hangs over the edge. Tuck this 1/2″ of dough under and shape edges with your fingers into scallops.

Pour vegetables into the crust and spread out evenly. Sprinkle about half of the cheese into the crust. Then, pour the egg mixture into the crust and add the remaining cheese.

Carefully place quiche into the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until crust has browned, quiche has puffed up, and only a slight jiggle remains when pie plate is gently shaken. Remove quiche from oven and allow to cool for at least an hour.

You can serve this hot or cold, but I greatly prefer it hot.

Weekend!

This is one of those rare weekends when I have not a single show to work. I love working in performing arts, but oooooh how I do relish these weekends with minimal events.

I feel like a superhero the Friday before a full weekend. So many potential things to do… elaborate cooking projects! Sleeping in! Planting seeds! Reading on the porch!

And of course, the opportunity to make fancy breakfasts. Or at least something fancier than a poached egg and an apple, my normal morning fare.

This breakfast was the result of two major factors: my parents were in town and I had the day off, and I also had a baguette making attempts to petrify before my eyes. What better for breakfast (okay, it was brunch, let’s be honest) than something to use it up before it died?

This dish is really, really easy and can support endless variations. You can use any breakfast meat you like, or none at all. Different cheese, add peppers & onions, whatever. This batch features eggs, some country cured ham (a rare sighting at the farmers market, I had to try it!), fresh spinach, yellow onion, and big ol’ crumbles of chèvre.

I’m sure we could have eaten these just like this, but what is a crostini without a quick blast under the broiler Two-three minutes is all it takes, just enough to slightly melt and brown the cheese and let some juices sink into the bread.

And tada! Breakfast worthy of a weekend off.

Breakfast Crostinis

Serves 3-4
Note: Obviously, this recipe can be expanded or reduced to whatever size you need. The ratio of topping-to-bread may also be affected by the size of baguette you are using. Just a heads up.

1/2 baguette, sliced into about 16 pieces, each just under 1/2″ thick
1 T butter, plus additional for spreading on bread
3/4 c onion, diced
4 oz country ham, roughly chopped
3 eggs
1 1/2 c fresh spinach, roughly chopped
seasoned salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c chèvre, crumbled

Slice baguette and spread each piece with a thin layer of butter. Place butter side up on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add butter and onion and sauté until onions just begin to soften. Add ham and cook for 4-5 minutes until ham is cooked through and beginning to brown. Move onions and ham to one side of the pan and add eggs to the other. Add salt and pepper to taste and scramble eggs, trying to keep the ham and onions out until eggs are mostly scrambled.

When eggs have scrambled enough to hold their shape but are not quite done, mix them together with the ham and onions. Add spinach and mix thoroughly. Cook 3-4 more minutes until spinach has wilted. Taste to check seasoning and adjust as needed.

Heat oven on broiler setting (I have an option for low or high… I use high) while you assemble the crostinis. Carefully spoon as much of the egg mixture onto each slice of bread as you can without it falling off the sides. Once all mixture has been distributed, add chèvre crumbles to the top of each.

Cook under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until cheese has begun to brown, watching VERY closely. Even an extra 30 seconds can blacken your little creations.

Serve immediately.