Tag: #justlookinthefridge

No Reservation for Mother’s Day?  No Problem! Use 5 ingredients to Make this Fancy and Easy Dish in a Flash!

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It’s certainly nice to go out to restaurants to celebrate special occasions, but when those special occasions are observed by many people at the same time like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc., perhaps a restaurant is not the best choice.  On those special days, restaurants can be overly busy and sometimes restrict your time there and often have reduced menus, and even increased prices. And, maybe you are on a bit of a tight budget at this time of year and still want to do something special for Mother’s Day.  So, why not try making a special brunch at home for your Mom or your spouse? If it sounds daunting, please don’t stop reading because I have a simple idea for you that you can put together very quickly with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Also, this is a very attractive, tasty and healthy dish.  And, although the Moms in your life might appreciate a special meal and some extra attention, they may also be concerned with health and calories and the large portions you often get in restaurants.  So, these Mediterranean Scrambled Eggs are a great alternative. They are fancy enough for special occasions and quick and easy enough for any weekend meal. (I often make these for myself!!)

In just a few minutes, you can turn this…..Scrambled eggs with ham, tomato, greens, kalmata olives ingredients Aug 13, 2017

 

 

Into this….Scrambled eggs with ham, tomato, greens, kalmata olives end product Aug 13, 2017

 

And you will have made the ‘everyday’ into ‘gourmet’.  The “oohs and aahs” are likely to follow!

Here is what you need:

  • Eggs
  • Ham
  • Olives
  • Fresh greens or spinach
  • Grape or Cherry tomatoes

 

Here’s what to do:

  • Melt about 1 tbsp butter in a medium frying pan
  • Scramble 2 eggs per person in a bowl
  • Add chopped ham, olives (whole or sliced lengthwise), coarsely chopped spinach or greens, grape tomatoes (sliced lengthwise) to scrambled eggs, along with a little salt and pepper
  • Gently turn and pull the egg mixture across the pan until soft curds form and eggs are cooked to your liking

 

Serve with:

  • Buttered toast, jam or marmalade on the side
  • Sliced fruit, or a simple yogurt parfait in a small clear dish or glass. (See picture)

    IMG-4341
    Plain yogurt, cinnamon, honey and berries in a simple glass make a lovely parfait
  • Mimosa or mix orange juice and sparkling water for a non-alcoholic version
  • Coffee or tea in her favourite mug or pretty teacup

 

 

Options for Extras:

  • Set a special table using a table cloth, pretty napkin, and a simple flower arrangement or single flower in a bud vase
  • Serve on a tray for breakfast in bed with a pretty napkin and single flower in a bud vase
  • Have her favourite music playing in the background

 

Unlike many fancy dishes you might find when searching for Mother’s Day treats, this one is low prep, quick to make, quick to clean-up, as well as nutritious, filling, and beautiful!  Give it a try and turn the everyday into gourmet. Your Mom or spouse is sure to enjoy it your delicious food and the quiet time at home! Let me know how it goes…Happy Cooking, friends!

Apples and Broccoli – a recipe that emerged from looking in the fridge

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One of the things I like to do best is look in the fridge to see what’s available and try to combine ingredients in a way I haven’t done before.  About a year ago, I had a ton of broccoli on hand and we’d already eaten it a few different ways that week, so I was looking for some way to use up the broccoli and create something new for us.  That was the birth of the Broccoli Apple Salad with red onions and pine nuts.  I love the colours together and the flavours work well too.  Typically, I use red or white wine vinegar in my salad dressings, but I thought the slightly milder, sweet flavour of rice wine would work here and I really like how it comes out.  I’ve done this salad with broccoli that was already steamed and also with raw broccoli.  I prefer the raw version, but I know that some diners would prefer more tender broccoli…so, as always, choose what’s best for you!  I also like leaving the skin on the apple…it adds fibre and nutrients, it looks nice – and, it saves time!

*Drop me a note to let me know about dishes you created with ingredients on hand…I’m always looking for new ideas!  Happy Cooking, Friends!

Broccoli Apple Salad

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

Broccoli, apple, red onion, pine nuts, rice vinegar (1)

I came up with this recipe when I had lots of broccoli and wanted to use it in a different way.  I checked the fridge to see what was there and this is what I created…try it with grilled or roasted meats of any kind, as well as burgers.  It could also be a great accompaniment to a traditional quiche or frittata.

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 cups chopped broccoli
  • 1 apple, skin on, cut into about one-inch pieces
  • about ⅛ cup thinly sliced red onion (the thinner, the better!)
  • about ⅛ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Dressing:

  • a little less than ¼ cup olive oil
  • about ½ cup rice vinegar
  • about ½ tsp salt
  • about ¼ tsp ground pepper

Directions

  1. Toast pine nuts until golden brown, about 4 minutes in pan on the stove on medium.  Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Set aside to cool
  2. Combine broccoli, apples, onions and nuts in a serving bowl
  3. Add oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and combine well
  4. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow dressing to absorb into broccoli, especially if using raw broccoli

Variations:  Use raw or lightly steamed broccoli.  Use walnuts or pecans instead of pine nuts, or make it nut-free.  Keeps nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Egg’s Anytime? Yes, Please!

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What to make?…Where’s the recipe??…Cooking can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be…In today’s world, recipes for anything and everything are at your fingertips and it’s never been easier for home cooks to elevate their dishes to near gourmet levels.  But don’t stress about it! You don’t have to make things complicated to create delicious, healthy and visually pleasing meals in a relatively short amount of time. If you’ve done some thoughtful food shopping, just have a look in the fridge…

To balance your meal, you need:

  • Protein
  • a grain
  • veggies and maybe a fruit…

If you want it to look appetizing, think;

  • colour
  • texture…
  • and flavour, of course!

I’m not a dietician or a chef or a scientist…this is just what our Moms taught us and even with all the micro-information of today, balancing food groups is still a good rule of thumb to get a healthy and nutritious diet.  And, it can also be fun and visually pleasing if you take a minute to think about it!  

Anytime Egg Plate
Anytime Egg Plate

 

One of the easiest, fastest cooking, star ingredients to a meal is eggs.  They can be the jewel of the dish if you make it so. In today’s world eggs are a simple and complicated food.  The simple part is that eggs are quick to cook, versatile and tasty. When I was growing up, eggs and bacon was a common weekend breakfast.  Next came the complicated part…we started to hear about cholesterol being a health issue and the comfort of that eggs and bacon breakfast was disrupted.  Eggs were identified as being potentially harmful because they were high in cholesterol. As time went on, egg whites came on the scene as a readily available food.  I have been using egg whites for my weekend omelettes for over a dozen years. I have learned to love their light flavour and I do not miss the whole eggs at all when I make omelettes.  I have yet to eat scrambled eggs whites, although I know those who do. For me, the colour and texture is all wrong. But, I do find egg whites are great for omelettes. In fact, I now prefer egg white omelettes to whole egg omelettes.  But, for those of you who still prefer the over easy, sunny side up or poached eggs to dip your toast into the creamy yolk, there is good news. There is some recent research to suggest that the problem cholesterol may not be from the eggs after all, but from the fatty bacon and sausages that were typically eaten with the eggs….again, I am not a dietician, so therefore not an expert on this…I am merely offering commentary on things I have read and observed.

Although I did love bacon as a teen and young adult, I found it messy to cook once I was responsible for my own cooking, and once I heard it wasn’t super healthy, I didn’t mind finding ways to leave it out of the weekend breakfast.  I know that eggs have some very healthy benefits, so I didn’t want to give those up completely. In the last 10 years, I have found ways to enjoy eggs for breakfast and lunch without the salty, fatty meat that was the traditional accompaniment.  And, when eggs are on the menu, you don’t need a fancy recipe…just have a look in the fridge and think food groups, colours, and textures and you’ll come up with an eye-pleasing, tasty, balanced meal!

One of my lunches from last week was what I called the Anytime Egg Plate.  I chose that title because as I was eating it, I thought that is would be a lovely meal for any time of the day.  This dish was created when I scanned my fridge and found eggs, veggies and bread and leftover rice. Toast is an easy accompaniment to eggs, but I was making lunch and thought that toast felt more like breakfast.  I haven’t typically served eggs with rice, but then I remembered that my niece, “A”, who is a wonderful cook has made plates with eggs and rice and has eaten rice for breakfast…why not? Brown rice is a delicious and healthy food, that can have a mild flavour or be dressed up with herbs and spices for interest at dinner…So, I opted for the leftover brown Basmati rice instead of the toast.  Here is what I did:   Continue reading “Egg’s Anytime? Yes, Please!”