Asparagus and Shiitake Omelet

With farmer’s markets up and running for the season, as well as my favorite local fruit and veggie supplier, I have more produce than I usually know what to do with.  Everything looks so beautiful that I buy with my eyes instead of following my shopping list.  The wonderful bounty can turn into a trash can full of waste if I’m not careful.  So what I usually do to avoid this is lay everything out when I get home from shopping and plan meals around what I bought.  Large fruits like pineapples and melons get peeled and chopped and put away in the fridge for easy snacking for the kiddos (and me).  Other things get cooked for dinner, with the most perishable things getting used first.  And any leftovers most likely will find their way into my breakfast.

I found the most wonderful tiny shiitake mushrooms at the market this week.  My daughter commented on how delicious they were and how different they taste compared to other mushrooms.  She’s right! Combined with some leftover roasted asparagus, I had the makings for a tasty treat of an omelet.

Asparagus and Shiitake Omelet

Asparagus and Shiitake Omelet

4 stalks of asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2-3 eggs
Salt & pepper

In a small bowl beat the eggs with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Set aside.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and toss in your onion and mushrooms.  Saute for a couple of minutes until veggies are tender.  Add asparagus and cook another minute or two (since my asparagus was already cooked I just added it at the end and tossed it until it was heated through).  Remove veggies to a bowl and set aside.

Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and swirl it around to coat the surface.  Pour eggs into the pan.  Move them around with your spatula, lifting the edges and tilting the pan to move the uncooked egg to the pan surface.  You’ll end up with a lumpy moon crater surface, with all of the egg mostly cooked but still a little glossy on top.  This is how you avoid omelets that are runny in the middle or overcooked on the outside!

Sprinkle cheese all over the egg surface.  Pile all of the veggies on one half.  If needed let it cook a few seconds until the egg is set and the cheese is melted.

Doesn’t that look yummy?

Fold over and slide onto a plate.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

The Sleepover Solution: Build Your Own Pizza Bar

The giggling still echoes in my ears.  Four thirteen-year-old girls can make a lot of noise.  And apparently require almost no sleep.  In any case I know one thing:  A key element of a successful sleepover is the food.  The build your own pizza bar is one we’ve done a couple times and it’s always a rousing success.  Not only is it delicious, but it’s also a fun activity for the kids, no matter what age they are.

While this is perfect kid food, I’ve been known to do this with my grown up friends too.  Everybody gets just what they like, and it’s great if you have a group that includes vegetarians, or others on a special diet.  I love to use the little ciabatta rolls, or a french baguette cut into pieces. If you have gluten-free or low-carb folks in your group you can use gluten free buns, stuff toppings in a pepper half or toss with salad greens for a pizza salad.

We followed up with Frost Your Own Cupcakes for dessert. Yum!

Our masterpieces!

Build Your Own Pizzas

Ciabatta rolls or French baguette, cut into 3-4″ pieces.
Pizza sauce
Pesto (I like to offer an alternative to tomato sauce in case of allergies, etc.)
Mozzarella
Assorted pizza toppings of your choice.  We used:
Banana pepper rings
Sliced red & yellow peppers
Pepperoni
Olives

The pizza bar. It can be simple or elaborate. Basic or gourmet. It’s up to you!

Put all the ingredients out, make sure you have plenty of utensils for spreading and scooping ingredients.  Have everybody wash their hands first and then make their own pizzas.  Preheat the oven to 400˚.  Lay out a baking sheet or two on which to place the finished masterpieces.  I always recommend they put some sort of marker on their pizzas so they will know which ones are theirs, or just remember where they put it.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.  Remove from oven and let cool a minute or so.  Clear out while the hungry horde descends.

 

Fried Egg and Avocado Sandwich

Fried egg sandwiches are one of my favorite foods.  Not only are they delicious, but they have great sentimental value for me.  My Grandma and Grandad both made them for me when I was young.  My mom made them for me (and occasionally still does).  It was one (if not THE) first foods I cooked for myself. And now, whether I’m dieting or not dieting, sad or happy, it’s one of my favorite things to make.  Breakfast, lunch or dinner.  I don’t eat them every day, but when I do, I enjoy every single bite.

At my favorite fruit stand today, I discovered a new thing, a Bacon Avocado!  Now you, like me, may be all excited about the seeming hybrid of bacon and avocado, but alas, that is not the case (although that would be awesome). They are just named after somebody named Bacon who discovered them.  But, although they have nothing to do with actual bacon, they are really, really delicious!  Very creamy and good.  And more importantly, they paired beautifully with a fried egg on my sandwich.

My mom might be appalled that I’m messing with the traditional fried egg sandwich, but then again, she’s an avocado fan, so she may go for this one.

Fried Egg and Avocado Sandwich

Fried Egg and Avocado Sandwich

2 pieces good bread (I prefer rye or sourdough)
1-2 large eggs
1 tsp. mayonnaise (optional)
1/2 avocado
Salt & pepper

Heat small skillet over medium heat.  When pan is hot, rub the surface with a bit of olive oil or butter.  Break egg(s) into pan.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  Cook a minute or two on each side, until they are done to your liking. I like mine over easy, still yolky in the middle.

While the eggs are cooking, smear a little mayo on the bread if you like that sort of thing.  Slice up the avocado and spread out on one side.

Yummy avocado!

Gently place the egg on top of the avocado, top with the other piece of bread and dive into bliss!

Lemony Avocado Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

Pinterest has been both good and bad for my waistline.  So many good recipes, so little time.  But more than the exact recipes, I love it for the inspiration.   I saw a photo of egg salad made with avocados and just had to make it.  That being said, beyond the egg and avocado I veered off and did my own thing.

You can always put this on bread or roll it in a tortilla or wrap instead, but I loved it wrapped in leafy lettuce with some fruit on the side.  Light but very satisfying – and very low on the carbs!

Lemony Avocado Egg Salad

Lemony Avocado Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

4 eggs
2 small avocados
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
Zest from half a lemon
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt & pepper
Leaf Lettuce or Boston lettuce leaves for wrapping

Boil eggs. You can use whatever method you prefer.  Here’s the way I do it:  I put a half dozen eggs in a pan, cover with water, turn the burner on high and set the timer for 15 minutes (time may vary depending on altitude).  When it goes off, I rinse with cold water, and when they are cool enough to handle, I peel the ones I want to use, and stick the rest in the fridge for salads or whatever the next day.

Score avocados (see pic) and spoon out into a bowl.

Cut in half, remove pit (if you whack it with the blade of the knife and twist, it pops right out). Score with a knife like this, then just use a spoon to scoop out perfectly diced avocado.

Dice up eggs and add to bowl (you want about equal amounts of eggs and avocados).  Use a knife to slice and stab through the mixture until it’s all chopped as fine as you like it (nice high-tech method, huh?).  I like a little texture so this is how I left mine.

Use a knife to cut through chunks to make them smaller.  It also combines everything really well.

Add mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice (I didn’t measure it, I just cut off a wedge and squeezed it in there) plus a pinch of salt & pepper. Mix well.  Layer two or three big leaves, plop some egg salad in there and wrap up.  Eat.

Lunch.

Broiled Grapefruit

Most people think I’m pretty strange when I tell them I cook grapefruit.  But the truth is, this is absolutely the best way to eat it.  I had this once at a B&B in Taos, NM and I’ve made it like this ever since.  The combination of heat and brown sugar makes for a sweet, juicy treat.  No sour faces.  And it works well with any kind of grapefruit.  This is the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch, and not bad for a yummy snack either.

This hardly qualifies as a recipe since there are only two ingredients, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious.  Make it today.

Broiled Grapefruit and Scrambled Eggs

Broiled Grapefruit

Grapefruit
Brown sugar (about a teaspoon for each grapefruit half)

Preheat broiler.  Slice a bit off each end of the grapefruit so there is a little flat spot for it to sit on so it won’t roll around.  Cut grapefruit in half and set the halves in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the top of each half with a teaspoon or so of brown sugar.

Broil for about 3-5 minutes, until edges begin to brown and the brown sugar has melted over the top.  Remove from oven and eat.

Rice and Mushroom Frittata

I always make too much rice.  I KNOW it will puff up and multiply in size and I’ll have plenty, but when I’m loading up the rice cooker, that tiny bit of rice in the bottom just never looks sufficient and invariably, I throw in another scoop just for good measure.  And then I have leftover rice.  Every time.

Frittatas are my go-to recipe for using up leftovers.  I had actually never made one with rice, but didn’t see any reason it wouldn’t work.  In this case, my leftover rice was a wild rice/brown rice/other stuff blend (called Royal Blend if you care).  I really like it because it’s not boring, lots of great texture and a nutty flavor.  It worked beautifully in my frittata, but I think just plain white or brown rice would be fine too.  Use whatever you’ve got and you’ll be golden.

Rice & Mushroom Frittata

Rice & Mushroom Frittata

1 cup cooked rice
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
5 eggs
Salt & pepper

Heat a medium size skillet (I use a 10 inch skillet for these usually) over medium heat.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the pan.  Add mushrooms, onions and jalapeno and sauté for a couple of minutes.  Add rice and cook one or two minutes more until rice is heated through.

The foundation for the frittata.

Meanwhile in a bowl, beat eggs with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Pour eggs over rice and veggies and swirl around so they are evenly distributed in the pan (no worries if it doesn’t cover the other ingredients completely).  Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese.  Cover with a lid and turn down heat to medium low.  Cook for 5-10 minutes until top is set and eggs are not runny.  Slice into wedges and serve.  Serves 3-4.

 

Tomato Feta Spaghetti

Sometimes you have days where you don’t want to cook.  But you still want real food.  For those days, I have dishes like this.  This is a ten minute dinner, folks.  It only takes a couple of minutes longer than making a PBJ and you will not regret the tiny bit of effort.  Simple, healthy ingredients come together in minutes and burst with flavor.

I usually make this (or something like it) when I have produce that needs to be used and I’m not feeling terribly creative about it.  If your grape tomatoes are starting to wrinkle, don’t worry!  A little toss in the pan will plump them right up again.  In summertime, I sometimes don’t even cook the tomatoes and spinach for this, but just toss them with the hot pasta.  In winter, when I want it a little more saucy, I cook them just for a minute or two, so they are warm but still bright and juicy.

Tomato Feta Spaghetti

Tomato Feta Spaghetti

1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup feta cheese
Salt & pepper
1 package thin spaghetti (or any noodle you like)

Do your chopping and slicing first so everything is ready, as this dish comes together very quickly!

Spinach and Tomatoes ready to roll!

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta until tender but not mushy.  While pasta cooks, drizzle a bit of olive oil in a skillet and saute onion.  When onion is tender add garlic and cook one minute.  Add spinach, tomatoes, and a pinch of salt & pepper.  Saute 1-2 minutes, and then turn heat off.

Veggies in the pan for a quick sauté.  Note that I have not cooked these things to a pulp. For a fresh burst of flavor, they just need a little heat for a minute or two.

Drain pasta and toss with veggies and feta.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  Serve by itself or with a protein or salad.

This worked well as a side dish for Asian-Inspired Pork Loin (or is the pork the side dish?), but it’s also great just by itself.

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

I got a speeding ticket this morning.  And broke a nail.  One might suppose that this was the start to a rough day.  But I’m sitting here munching on a fabulous granola bar, one that transcends most granola bars as we know them.  And drinking a perfect mocha.  And watching a few rays of sun breaking through the clouds as I get ready to head to yoga class.  And I’m thinking life is pretty darn good.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and thought, “oh those look good, and healthy too!”  And then when I was making them I thought, “hey, what if I add a cup of mini chocolate chips to them?” So…maybe mine are a little less healthy.  But you could still do worse.  I made some changes in the original recipe, based mostly on what was in my cupboard and a few flights of fancy.  And was also reminded that you should always read the recipe all the way through before starting.  My mini chocolate chips seemed like an inspired idea until I realized I would be pouring hot liquid on the mixture.  Um. I didn’t really think that through.  My chips melted.  Which really turned out to be wonderful, since the chocolate permeated the bars rather than staying in chip form.  It was unanticipated but quite delicious, and a contributing factor in the “gooey” description to be sure.  The end result is a chewy, gooey, indulgent (and still somewhat healthy) treat.  So take a moment, slow down, and eat one.

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars
(adapted from Chewy Cherry Granola Bars by Canyoustayfordinner.com)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup puffed rice (or Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, which I happened to have)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Heat oven to 350˚.  Spread oats out on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, puffed grain or rice, cranberries, and chocolate chips.  Lower oven temp to 300˚.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt.  Bring to a boil, cook and stir one minute.  Remove from heat and pour over grain and fruit mixture.  Mix well until all ingredients are combined.  Line a 13 x 9 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Put mixture in the pan.  Wet fingers and press evenly and firmly into the pan.  Bake at 300˚ for 20-25 minutes.  Cool at least 2-3 hours (I know!  But seriously, you need to wait) before cutting into bars.  Cut into bars and store in airtight containers, using wax paper to separate the bars so they don’t stick together.  Makes 24 bars.  187 calories per bar.

A giant granola bar (or 24 smaller granola bars)

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

I rarely eat leftovers in the same form as they were first presented as dinner.  I don’t know if this is some sort of culinary ADD or what, but I just get bored eating the same thing over and over again.  Does anybody else experience this?

Leftover baked potatoes were staring at me and I had eaten baked potatoes the night before, so I decided to do something different with them.  Following the path of many a leftover in my house, they became soup.  But not just any soup.  Wonderful, creamy, delightful baked potato soup.  It will take the chill off, it will cure what ails you, it will just make your tummy happy.  And best of all, since the potatoes are already cooked, it’s a snap to throw together.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced or chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2-3 giant baked potatoes (3-4 cups cubed potato)
4 cups milk (I used 1% but any kind will do)
2 oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1 tsp. dill
Salt & pepper (start with 1 tsp. of each and add more if needed)
For garnish – crispy bacon, grated cheese and/or minced parsley

In a soup pot, sauté onion, carrots, and red pepper in a little oil or butter until tender.  Add potatoes and milk.  Heat until it just barely starts to boil, then immediately turn down to a simmer.  Add cream cheese, butter, dill and salt & pepper. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make sure veggies are all cooked through and to let flavors blend.  Using a stick blender or potato masher, mash up or puree the soup, leaving some chunks (you can skip this if you want a chunkier soup).  I leave mine a little chunky but mashing some of it gives a nice texture and thickness that I personally like.  Do a little at a time and stop when it looks good to you.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.  Top with your favorite garnish and eat.

 

Cranberry Bliss Creme

Cranberries always make me think of Christmas, because that’s usually when I cook with them.  I have a lovely cranberry chocolate chip bread that is one of my seasonal favorites.  But that post is for another day.  Fresh cranberries are actually available all winter and you can get frozen ones year round (which could easily be substituted in this recipe). I love those tangy little things so I’m trying to take advantage of them a little more often.

This recipe was actually called Cranberry Curd, but whenever I hear the word “curd” my gag reflex immediately reacts.  Not a big fan of curds of any kind.  They make me think of things that are sour and gross.  Which admittedly, is not always the case.  But seriously, I never even knew what a curd was in this context.  I’ve heard of lemon curd but I always avoided it, picturing some cottage cheese-infested lemony concoction.  I was wrong.  A curd is simply a creamy fruit spread made with eggs.  It can be used in place of jam, on toast, on yogurt, for filling in cake…you get the idea.  It was sweet, tangy and wonderful!

Just use instead of jam. I especially liked it on sourdough. Yum!

I made up a bunch of this during the holidays.  It was the perfect item to finish off a gift basket, present to a hostess, or offer as a token gift or thank you.  And we managed to keep and eat quite a bit of it ourselves.  I loved it on toast, but my favorite way to eat it was swirled into greek yogurt.

This is how most of mine ended up. Swirled into thick plain or honey greek yogurt. Delicious and healthy too!

I packaged it in small jam jars, which were great to put in the freezer and take out as needed.  The only drawback to this particular item is that it doesn’t last long!  With an expiration date of 2 weeks or so, you can’t stash it in the fridge and forget about it.  So cook some, and eat up!

Jars of Bliss to give out. And a few to keep for myself.

Cranberry Bliss Creme
(from Cooking Light.  Recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups, but can be easily doubled.  Allow a little extra time for the curd to thicken)

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 (12 oz) package of fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yoks
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)

Combine water, lemon juice and cranberries in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until cranberries pop.  Place cranberry mixture in a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth.  Strain through a fine sieve over a bowl and discard solids.

Combine sugars and butter in a bowl.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined.  Add egg yolks and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch, and salt.  Place mixture in the top of a double boiler.  Cook over simmering water until a thermometer registers 160˚ and mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently.  Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in liqueur.  Cover and refrigerate.  Use within 2 weeks.

Perfect paired with something savory like Individual Mushroom & Feta Quiche.