Don’s Egg Bites
Not knowing what to have for breakfast, I stood and stared at the contents of my fridge this morning. And then it hit me…Egg Bites! So in my continuing breakfast series I give you a Broccoli and Cheddar Egg Bite, as well as a Ham, Swiss Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Egg Bite. In a large measuring cup I cracked six eggs, poured in two tablespoons of Half & Half, ground in some black pepper and gave the mix a dusting of garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne. I also added some dried parsley and basil. I blended this with my hand held immersion blender till it was nice and fluffy. I poured half of this into a bowl on the side. To the egg mix in the measuring cup I added some “Broccoli Rice” (I finer-chopped off the crowns of two broccoli florets...
Haddock with Garlic Thyme Beurre Blanc
I started off tonight with the idea to make a Beurre Blanc sauce, generally a ‘white butter’ and vinegar or wine reduction to make a sauce for a pan seared haddock. But I took some liberties, and it still turned out great. So we’ll call this a Garlic Thyme Beurre Blanc, sans shallots. In my cast iron skillet I heated some olive oil, grass-fed butter, some thyme (from my new indoor garden) and some whole garlic (thank you Saara for sous cheffing). Once heated to a shimmer, I added two haddock fillets, dredged in a lightly seasoned flour (salt and pepper). Cook on a medium/high heat for a couple minutes. On the flip, tilt the pan and spoon the butter/olive oil/garlic/thyme wonderfulness onto the fish and cook for another minute or two. Set them...
Breakfast Tacos!
Breakfast Tacos!In my continued breakfast series, I give you one of my favorite morning meals. This originated with my good friend, John Moran. On our canoe trips, I would usually make dinner, and he makes these for breakfast.Building from the bottom to the top…1 Warm flour or corn tacoA Smear of sour cream (or Greek yogurt)A Couple tablespoons of guacamoleA sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese.1 Over-easy fried egg, seasoned with fresh ground black pepper.Half a sliced green onionA sprinkling of hot sauceQuick, easy and full of...
Pad Kra Pao
Pad Kra Pao, or at least my version of it, is one of my favorite meals. Simply put, Thai Basil Chicken. I cook it often, it is an easy meal, and I usually have all the ingredients around the kitchen. It’s good for clearing the sinuses. I threw in every pepper from the garden, including my last Thai chili’s. Thank you Anne Schweitzer Crank. 1 chicken breast, cut into small pieces 5 cloves of garlic 4 Thai chilies (I used a mix of peppers from my garden) 1 tablespoon oil for frying 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce ½ teaspoon light soy sauce ½ teaspoon sugar (I used a tbsp of agave) 1 splash of dark soy sauce 1 handful of basil leaves A cup of fine sliced french green beans Toss in any fine veggie you like, as well. In a hot skillet with high-heat oil, add a...
Italian Beef Stew
My lady friend was still feeling under the weather, so tonight I worked up Comfort Food Dinner #2…Italian Beef Stew, heavy on the veggies. 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast cubed1/4 cup olive oil1 medium onion diced3 medium carrots diced2 large celery ribs diced1 Orange bell pepper8 ounces Bella mushrooms sliced1 cup dry red wine2 cups low sodium beef stockSalt and pepper to taste1 tablespoon fresh rosemaryA few springs of thyme1 large bay leafHandful of parsley Preheat oven to 300f and make room on the middle rack for a large Dutch oven. Heat a large Dutch oven to medium-low heat, then add the olive oil, carrots, celery, bell pepper and onion. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mushrooms, turn heat to medium, and continue to cook stirring frequently. While the veggies...
Don’s Chicken and Dumplings
Tonight: Chicken and Dumplings This was something my mom used to make, and I have never tried to replicate, until tonight. My partner wasn’t feeling 100%, so I decided to lean into a healthy comfort food, either the classic Chicken Noodle Soup, or Chicken and Dumplings. Essentially they are the same. But with a nod to my mom making this recipe, I went the dumpling route. I wanted to make it VeggieCentric, so I made up my own recipe, based off of things I read online. In my crock pot, I placed 3 chicken leg quarters and seasoned them with poultry seasoning. Then I sliced 3 large carrots, 1 red bell pepper, 1 sweet onion, 2 stalks of celery and one very large jalapeno pepper. To this I added a can of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup and about two cups...