Monday, November 24, 2014

Quick n Easy Brunch

It was around 2pm and I was just starting my day (don't judge me yo!). I wasn't really feeling like a typical breakfast but I wasn't ready for a full meal either.

So... I came up with sort of a frittata. I dug through left-overs in the fridge and came up with this.

You could probably use whatever left-overs you like and come up with something just as delicious.

Here's what I used: 
2 eggs
Oven roasted sweet potatoes/yams
Cooked spinach
Breakfast sausage
Caesar dressing (odd but delish)

What to do:
Place a skillet on the stove top on medium heat
Whisk eggs and caesar dressing in a bowl
Chop potatoes into bit size and add to heated pan sprayed with cooking spray
Saute for about a minute then add chopped up breakfast sausage
Saute for about a minute and add cooked spinach
After about another minute add whisked eggs
Cook until the bottom is done and flip - no worries if it breaks up. You can sort of put it back together.
Once fully done, slide onto a plate and grab a fork.

Crave worthy and satisfying!

Semi-homemade Dark Chocolate Pecan Cookies

Inspired by half a box of left-over dark chocolate brownie mix and a family member fixing for a snack, I came up with this.

I am not sure why I was convinced I could make cookies from brownie mix, maybe I had seen it on one of the many cookie shows I'd watched and really what is the real difference between cakes, brownies (blondies) and cookies!

I did a little internet search, tweaked a bit to suit my taste and ingredients I had at home and voila!

What you need:

1/2 a box of brownie mix (Pillsbury 18.4oz)
1 egg
1 Tbsp of water
3 Tbsps of canola oil
1/4 cup of flour
Handful of chopped pecans

Preparation:

Mix egg, water and canola oil in a bowl
Add flour and brownie mix
Add chopped pecans
Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are fully combined
(Add 1 more Tbsp of water if needed)
Scoop onto a cookie sheet/baking pan and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 - 15 minutes
Allow to cool and enjoy!

I made these cookie along with my oatmeal cookies (see recipe on blog) and they went a whole lot faster.

Simple, a little healthier than the brownies if made according to directions and much more delicious!!!


Sunday, November 16, 2014

Beans with a twist

Today folks, I have two delicious beans recipes for you.

First, the one in the picture on the left - kidney beans and shrimp and a little later, black-eyed peas/beans with hot dogs (sort of a play on pork and beans).

Each can be served alone or eaten with rice; or bread like I love to do. I make sort of a bread sandwich lol.

Kidney Beans and Shrimp

Ingredients

Uncooked kidney beans
Raw shrimp
Tomatoes
Onions
Cooking oil - olive or canola is excellent
Your favorite spice combo - e,g. adobo, salt, pepper (black and cayenne), shrimp bullion cube/seasoning

Preparation

Soak the beans in cold water for a few hours
Boil over medium heat in a pot until soft

In a separate pan, sautée sliced onions and sliced tomatoes in cooking oil
Add softened kidney beans raw shrimp and spice mixture
Simmer on low heat for about 10-15mins

Enjoy in a bowl over brown rice. Delicious!!

 

Black-eyed peas and Hot dogs

Ingredients

Uncooked black eyed peas
Hot dogs
Tomatoes
Onions
Cooking oil - olive, canola, vegetable or palm oil
Your favorite spice combo - e,g. curry powder, thyme, pepper (black and cayenne), bullion cube/seasoning

Preparation

Soak the beans in cold water for a few hours
Boil over medium heat in a pot until soft

In a separate pan, sautée sliced onions and sliced tomatoes in cooking oil
Add softened kidney beans, sliced hot dogs and spice mixture
Simmer on low heat for about 10-15mins


As you can see, both recipes are essentially the same - just substitute the type of beans you use and choice of meat (or processed meat :-)) I'm thinking I'll try these out with black or pinto beans and see how they turn out.

Beans are already an excellent source of protein. Adding the extra protein simply gives it a pleasant & delicious twist.