CHEESE, MUSHROOM, SAUSAGE, & ONION OMELETTE

Hello again!  I really like omelettes.  They are my favourite menu item to order when I am in a restaurant for breakfast. Omelettes are so versatile.  You can have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  When I make them it is usually for that night's dinner.  What is also good with omelettes is the vast array of fillings that one can put into one.  The fillings I chose for this blog entry are cheddar cheese, mushrooms, sausages and onions.  I have to give credit to my dad for giving me great tips and pointers many years ago on how to make delicious omelettes.  Thanks dad!  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need to make this omelette are:

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggs
• yellow onion, chopped, to taste
• 4 pork sausages, sliced
• 5 white button mushrooms, sliced
• Grated cheddar cheese, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe Yield:  2 omelettes

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat eggs in bowl. 

 2.  Pre-heat and coat large frying pan with oil or cooking spray.  Add onions and saute over low-medium heat until cooked.  Push to the side.  Add sliced sausages until browned and cooked.  Push to side of pan.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft and browned.  Remove from heat, cover (to retain heat) and set aside.

3. Coat a small frying pan with oil or cooking spray and preheat to low or medium heat.  Ladle half of the beaten eggs into pan.  Watch closely until eggs have cooked on the underside but are still a bit liquidy on top.  Then gently flip over to cook other side.  Be careful not to overcook eggs.

4.  Sprinkle half of the grated cheddar cheese onto eggs and allow to melt slightly.  Spoon half of remaining filling ingredients onto the eggs and allow cheese to melt more.  If desired cover frying pan to until cheese is fully melted.  Season to taste.  Using a flipper gently fold the omelette onto itself and place on plate.  Repeat steps with second omelette and serve immediately.

Some suggested side dishes include:  Sliced fruit, sliced tomatoes, hash browns, toast, bagel, English muffin, etc.

Recipe variations:   Some examples of other fillings you can use in omelettes are: cooked ham, cooked bacon, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, monterrey jack cheese, feta cheese, tomatoes, green onion, red onion, salsa, green, yellow or red peppers. 

Enjoy!

CHICKEN TACO SOUP

A few years ago, I was invited to a friend's place for dinner and she served this soup.  I had never had it before but I really liked it.  I have adapted the recipe she gave me and personalized it to better suit my tastes.  I hope you like it too.  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need to make this soup are:

INGREDIENTS
 

• 1 package of chicken breast fillets (tenders)
• 1 1/2 cups mild salsa (or your favourite type)
• 1 341 ml (11.53 fl oz) can of corn
• 1 231 ml (7.8 fl oz) small can of tomato sauce
• 1 398 ml (14 fl oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 340 ml (11.49 oz) can of dark red kidney beans
• 1 340 ml (19 fl oz) can of black beans
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of hot water  (Note:  You may not need to use all of the water)

***Optional Recipe Variations:  Add small can of black olives, grated mozzarella cheese.

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place chicken fillets (tenders) in crock with salsa.  Stir.  Cook on low for 2.5 - 3 hours.  Check chicken at 2.5 hours to see if it is done.  If not turn temperature to high and finish cooking chicken.

2.  Once cooked shred chicken and stir with salsa until fully incorporated again.

 
3.  Rinse and drain corn, kidney beans, and black beans.  (I did this to remove excess salt and because I did not want an overly watery soup.  I like thicker soups).  Pour in the cans of corn, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and taco seasoning packet.  * If desired to thin out the soup add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of hot water.   Again you may not need all the water.  Gently stir in water until it is incorporated and you have reached the desired consistency.  Cook on high for one hour more.

4. Serve immediately and garnish with your favourite "Scoops" tortilla or corn chips, sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Enjoy your soup!

CHEESEY "CREAM" OF BROCCOLI SOUP

I like soups.  One of my favourite soups is Cheesey Cream of Broccoli!  I had the ingredients so I decided to make this soup for dinner and thought I would also include it on my blog.  It's pretty fast and easy to make.  I originally found the recipe on www.cooks.com.  However, I have made a few changes to the original recipe and this is a variation of it.  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need are:

 

• 1/2 half of large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dried roasted garlic or 1-2 minced garlic cloves
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 2 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Recipe Yield:  Approximately 4-6 servings

DIRECTIONS

1.  Spray a large pot with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot.

2.  Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until tender.

 

3.  Add broccoli and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Remove 1/3 of broccoli/broth mixture into a deep measuring cup or other container and blend with an immersion (stick) hand blender or food processor.

 

5.  Return pureed mixture to soup pot.
 

6.  Combine milk, flour and pepper and mix well with a wire whisk.

 

7.  Slowly add milk and flour mixture to soup and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes or until thickened.  Stirring constantly to avoid burning.  

8.  Remove from heat and add grated cheese, stirring until cheese has melted.

 

9.  Serve immediately with crackers, toast, sandwich or salad, etc.  Refrigerate any leftovers in fridge safe container.   

Enjoy your soup! 

FLOUR TORTILLAS

I love Mexican food!  I think it is so very tasty!  However, one of the key items needed to make Mexican food is the tortilla.  Recently I decided to make tacos for dinner but did not have any tortillas so I decided to make my own.  I adapted the recipe from a cookbook called "How To Make It in Korea." I acquired the cookbook when I lived in Korea for a little less than a year and half.  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need are:

 

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 tsp Sugar (Optional)
  
• 1/2 cup war/hot Milk
• 1 TBSP Oil
• 1/2 salt
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla (Optional)

Recipe Yield:  Approximately 6 small tortillas.  Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for bigger families or groups.
 

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a mixing bowl combine together the flour, baking powder, and sugar (Optional).

2.  In a second bowl combine the milk, oil, salt and vanilla (Optional).  Side note:  I like the flavour of vanilla so that so why I add it to the recipe.

 

3.  Add flour mixture to the milk mixture and blend together to make a soft dough.  If necessary, add a little bit more liquid (water or milk) to fully incorporate flour but have it remain a soft dough.

4.  Divide dough into equal sized parts of desired size.  Using a rolling pin roll dough ball flat and into a circular shape.

5.  Spray frying pan with cooking spray and cook over low to medium heat.  Check often and flip tortilla once small light brown spots appear and cook on the other side.  Be careful not to burn.  Repeat process until all tortillas are cooked.  Keep warm until ready to eat.

 

6.  Serve tortillas warm with your favourite fillings of choice.  I chose taco meat, refried beans, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa.   Side dish suggestions:  Spanish Rice,  Refried Beans, Chips & Salsa.  Yum!

7.  Wrap any leftovers with plastic wrap and store in fridge.  Warm up in microwave for a few seconds when ready to eat.

Enjoy!