Mushroom and Feta Cheese Scramble

We love eggs for breakfast. But sometimes, the same old, same old style can get really boring. So, rummaging in the fridge one breakfast morning, I looked around to see what I can use with eggs. I saw some mushrooms and I always pair them with eggs. But I have half a tub of feta cheese that still needed to be used. So there goes, instead of the usual cheddar cheese on my omelette and scramble I thought why not feta instead. So here's an easy breakfast scramble that just works so well together! Let's have a great start to our morning!

 Ingredients

A little olive oil (about 2 Tbsp) or non-stick spray

5 large eggs (some eggs have really small yolks so add more if needed)

8 oz mushrooms sliced

2-3 tablespoons low fat crumbled feta (I had the flavored one but it doesn't matter really)

Salt and pepper, to taste

 Procedure

Heat a little oil or use a nonstick oil spray in a medium to large skillet. When the oil is hot enough, saute the mushrooms until tender about 5 minutes.

While you are sauteeing the mushrooms, crack the eggs and then whisk them to combine. Season with salt and pepper.  When the mushrooms are done, move them to one side of the pan and then pour in the eggs. Let them set for a bit.

Scramble until the eggs are almost done. Add half of the crumbled feta cheese and continue to cook until the eggs are fully done.

Serve with the remaining feta cheese on top. Don't forget the rice!

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Lovely Blogs

I  had mixed emotions when I first saw the message of Jen of jenbeansblog in one of my posts telling me that I had been nominated for the lovely blog award. I was both elated, humbled, in fact, a little embarassed, for being bestowed this honor.

Thank you very much Jen! You are so kind to give me such recognition. It will surely inspire me to make my blog even better.

Jen herself has quite a lovely blog. I especially love her bread section. Her posts are not only creative but also inspiring for those who wish to attempt any form of bread-making. I do hope you can check out her blog, too.


I learned that there are certain rules for this award. Once you have been kindly nominated for the award you ought to:

1. Link back to whoever nominated you. (Done that!)
2. Write 11 random facts about yourself. (This is going to be tricky....)
3. Nominate 11 bloggers. (That's easy enough though 11 may not be enough...)


Now for the 11 random things about me:

1. I grew up in an island called Marinduque, one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines. Sadly, I am not a good swimmer despite having been surrounded by water most of my life and nearly drowned once.   

2. I am a lawyer by profession but currently a happy stay-at-home mom.

3. I used to work for the Philippine Senate and the Supreme Court.

4. Before I took up law, I was once a TV producer in one of the local networks in Manila.

5. I met my British husband in London while I was studying at Oxford.

6. By God's grace, I have been able to travel and visit over 130 cities in 26 countries.

7. I love to sing as much as I love to cook. Our neighbors in Manila were both my willing and unwilling audience for the longest time!

8. I've never tasted balut (Boiled duck embryo - a Filipino delicacy) and I don't think I ever will.

9. My scariest experience was when I was robbed at knifepoint in Manila..

10. I  have been involved in at least 3 major car accidents (2x in the US and once in South Africa). Never my fault in any of those. Yes, if things went really bad, I could have died. I am thankful to be alive.

11. But, I am not scared of whatever life may bring for I am a follower of Christ. I know He is in control.

Finally, here's my list of very noteworthy, very lovely blogs, indeed. I learn much from them and think they are all an excellent read. Therefore, I nominate them all for the lovely blog award.

1. http://www.awkwardkitchenette.com/  
2. http://www.agirlandherfood.com/ - 
3. http://www.sandraseasycooking.com/ 
4. http://katefromscratch.com/ 
5. http://esskunst.org/ 
6. http://messmakesfood.blogspot.co.uk/ 
7. http://www.shemakesandbakes.com/
8. http://sistersizzle.com/
9. http://bakerbettie.com/
10. http://www.nillawan.com/
11. http://menubyvicky.com/

Thanks again Jen for the recognition! Looking forward to sharing recipes with all of you!

Spaghetti with Zucchini

I love the Farmer's Market! I can get all my local produce during their peak season. For me fresh is best, indeed. One of the lovely summer veggies is zucchini or courgette, also known as summer squash. Zucchini is very versatile for it is not only great with savory dishes, it's perfect for baking too. Add it to a sweet bread recipe and you're sure to have a yummy moist bread. My favorite is the combo of zucchini and blueberries but I will do that for another post.

Spaghetti with Roasted Peppers and Bacon

It's summer time! That means bell peppers are aplenty. That also means they are cheaper than usual. When this time comes, I load my fridge with bell peppers 'cause they are one of my favorite veggies. Not only are they pretty to look at - love the variety of colors -they are packed with Vitamins A, C, B6 and folate. Very nutritious, indeed. In fact, I read somewhere that those who are trying to lose weight need to include bell peppers in their diet because the vitamins in them provide tremendous health benefits for both fat burning and overall good health. Ok, I am sold!

I especially love to use roasted peppers in pasta. The taste is so subtle and yet quite wonderful.

Here is the recipe, originally from Giada De Laurentiis' book Everyday Pasta, which I have adapted. Her version is meat-free because it was used as a side dish. I wanted to make it more of an entree or a stand-alone meal, hence, I added some bacon to give it a more robust flavor.

Enjoy!


Ingredients

6 large bell peppers, choose your fave color
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
6 strips of bacon (chopped or you may crumble it later after you've cooked it)
1 large onion
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup white wine
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Procedure

Roast the peppers under the broiler or, better yet grill them above the flame, until their skins turn brownish-black and start to pull away. Turn the peppers occasionally and roast/grill for roughly 20-25 mins (broiler method).

Set aside the peppers until they are cool enough to handle. Others place them inside a plastic or paper bag as it helps make the peeling of the skin easier. Remove the skins and seeds and cut them into strips.
Heat a little oil in a large deep pan. Add the bacon. Cook the bacon until brown and crisp. Transfer to another plate and set aside. You will use bacon as topping later. I remove half of the accumulated fat on the pan too but you can use all of it if you wish.

Stir in the chopped onion and saute for about 3 mins. Deglaze the pan with a little wine to remove the brown bits on it.

Add in the pepper strips. Season with salt and pepper and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the wine and chicken broth and simmer on low heat for about 15-20 mins.

While you are simmering the peppers, begin to cook the pasta.

When all's done, check the seasoning on the pepper sauce and mix in the pasta, parsley and some parmesan cheese. It will be a little watery but once you put some cheese, it will thicken. The cheese can sometimes stick to the spatula so I only put a small amount and just add more on my plate.

Don't forget to sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top! Have a fun Italian dinner!

Chicken Paella

This is a simple yet flavorful paella. I was inspired to make this at home in the summer of 2010 after our trip to Barcelona where I tasted what was to me a truly excellent paella. It was seafood paella with jumbo shrimps and mussels. What a gustatory delight!

Below is a photo of the paella we had.

Alas, I do not live near the sea, so making paella using the freshest sea food is not always possible. Also, making a paella dish can be rather intimidating.

Nonetheless, I decided to make this favorite rice dish of mine with ingredients that are at hand. I did not include saffron threads because sometimes they are not readily available and they're quite expensive too! Instead, I used paprika and turmeric to give both flavor and color to the rice. The result is wonderful! Now, I can just reminisce about Barcelona whenever I eat it.

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Ingredients:

4 organic chicken thighs (skin on)
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting (use alternative flour if you want it completely gluten-free)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 ½ cups jasmine rice (uncooked)
3 cups chicken stock
2 plum tomatoes, petite diced
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 Red, yellow or orange sweet peppers, seeded and diced
4 oz Spanish Chorizo sausage, chopped 

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and then dust with flour.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep oven-proof pan or a Dutch oven and then fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray and into the oven for about 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking in the oven, prepare the accompanying vegetables.

Using the same pan where the chicken was cooked, sauté the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the paprika and turmeric. Stir-fry just until aromatic, less than a minute. Add the uncooked rice and chicken stock and mix. Bring to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn off the heat. We will continue cooking it in the oven.

Get the chicken from the oven and place in the pan with the rice and cook in the oven for about 15 mins. The rice should be almost dry at this point. Take the pan out of the oven, remove the chicken pieces to a plate, and then stir in the remaining ingredients except the chorizo. Put the chicken back on top  of the rice. Place the lid on the pan and then bring it back to the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the rice has fully absorbed the stock. During the last few minutes, heat a little oil and fry the chorizos until brown and crispy. Keep warm. 

Remove the pan from the oven and transfer its contents to a deep serving dish, placing the chicken on top. Spread the chorizos around. Serve with a wedge of lemon, if desired.

Note: You may add the chorizo with the other ingredients (bell peppers, tomato, etc.) and let it cook in the oven. However, it may become chewy though it does add more flavor to the rice.

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