Bagel and Creamy Egg Breakfast Sandwich

We have a bagel shop that does a Baker's dozen (13 pieces instead of 12) every Wednesday, so often we wait until Wednesday to buy our Bagels as they are on sale and so much cheaper. Normally, my kids are happy with just Bagel and Cream Cheese for breakfast, perhaps with a teaspoon or two of jam added for good measure. But sometimes,  I get tired of that same old, same old bagel and cream cheese combo so occasionally I will cook some eggs and have them with bagels instead. When I am feeling indulgent, I spread a little mayo or add a slice of cheese on a toasted and buttered bagel with this creamy egg. A few sprinkles of chopped chives perfectly round-up this delicious and filling breakfast sandwich. Enjoy!

Boeuf a la Bourguignonne

The first challenge is to try to say the name of the dish correctly! J

I have been wanting to cook this traditional French beef stew for the longest time. For some reason, I always end up doing a steak casserole. I suppose because the casserole is easier to do and is pretty straightforward in terms of methodology. This dish, not only has  a pretty intimidating name, a real tongue-twister; I also often thought it was quite complicated. But I set my fears aside and decided, I will try it once and for all. And, am I glad I did! This is now my favorite beef stew recipe. Hands-down winner for me. It is so good, I promise, you'll want to lick your bowl clean. J

Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup (Yummy Recipe to help cure the Flu)

So my dear hubby has the flu.....I feel so sorry for him. I don't like it when he is unwell as it not only makes me sad, I don't like to see him suffer and look sick. But this is one of the hazards of winter that cannot always be prevented.

Being the resourceful person that he is, hubby researched for a more natural remedy to help cure the flu or at least hasten his recovery. He showed me this cooking video from a nutritionist who suggested that this is a wonderful cure for flu. I was skeptical but indulged my honey and watched the video anyway. I was of course intrigued. I like that all the ingredients are natural and for me has the potential of something flavorful.   Sweet potato, ginger, chili pepper and mushrooms to name a few - this concoction must at least taste nice and if it helps cure the flu, even better!

Hubby says, he did feel better after having some. He felt boosted though he's not completely recovered yet. Well, it's only been day 1 so perhaps tomorrow and the next day and a few more cups of this yummy soup then he'll be back to his full healthy self. At any rate, I am sharing this because I actually loved this soup, yes, I had some already - quite a thick one, almost like a puree - it's so flavorful and I agree with the nutritionist, this is a perfect curry base! I will definitely use this recipe for a curry next time. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 inch-ginger, finely chopped*
1 red chili pepper, with seeds*
1 large red Onion, chopped
1 large Sweet Potato, chopped
Shiitake Mushrooms (fresh - 4 oz / dry 1 oz), chopped*
Vegetable Stock or broth (32 oz)

*If you don't want it too gingery, you can just use the 2-inch one. That's how I measure my ginger, by it's length and not by tablespoons.

*Hubby only got 1 hot cherry pepper so that's all that I used but feel free to use your favorite hot pepper and adjust the heat to your taste.

*If using the dried Shiitake mushrooms, make sure to rehydrate them first. Just add them towards the end of cooking.

Procedure

Please watch the short video for the full instruction on how to make this flavorful soup. Hope you all feel healthy this winter!

Valentine Desserts

Wondering what to make for Valentine's Day? Look no more, here's a fantastic line-up of fabulous Valentine's desserts! Make any of these and you're sure to please your loved ones! Enjoy

Heart Healthy Yummy Granola

I am not very keen on cold breakfast. If it was possible, I'll always have a hot cooked breakfast. I think it's because this is what I am used to. I grew up having a hot cooked breakfast ready and prepared when I woke up. That's just the way it was. My mom or our help would make it for me and my siblings and we were expected to eat and finish it all. Often it would be rice, naturally, with either eggs and some meat or fish dish. I really loved it and to this day, I wish I can have a daily Filipino breakfast.

However, the story changed after I got married. I don't have my Mom here and I certainly cannot afford a maid so while I often still make a hot breakfast, there are days when I am thankful for a box of cereals or granola that I can quickly grab and prepare instantly. Nonetheless, since I know that many of the store-bought cereals are pumped full of ingredients that are not always wholesome, not to mention sugar-loaded, I have decided to make my own homemade granola mix. With this, even though it's a cold breakfast, I can be assured I know what's in it and can take comfort that it is actually quite healthy and good for the heart because of its naturally nutrient rich ingredients.

This recipe was handed to me by a friend that we visited a few years ago in New Jersey. I am thankful to her for sharing this as my family truly loves this. I only made very minor tweaking to it. For those who have wheat sensitivity, just replace the wheat with ground flax seed. Enjoy.

Ingredients

8 cups old-fashioned rolled Oats
1/4 cup brown Sugar
1 cup shredded Coconut
1 cup Wheat Germ (or ground flax seed)
1 cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts/Almonds (or a mix)
2/3 cup Coconut Oil*
2/3 cup Honey
Dried fruits (optional)

*If you don't have or don't like Coconut Oil, you can replace it with a good quality neutral-tasting vegetable oil.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Mix the oats, sugar, coconut, wheat germ (or flax seed) and nuts. Set aside. Mix the oil and honey. Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread the mixture evenly in a lightly greased deep pan (like a 9x13 pan) and bake for 30 minutes.

Stir the mixture after baking and then let cool completely. Add some dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc. if you like. Store in an airtight container and enjoy with some fresh milk.

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print-friendly icon at the end of the post. Click on the "remove images box" for easy and convenient printing.

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