Taiga Salmon

This is not identical to the Russian dish of the same name, but it's a close recreation that's both tasty and easy.

*note... I used a baking stone because this salmon dish was always served on a hot stone in the restaurants we visited, and it does seem to make a difference in how well everything bakes. But I'm certain this recipe would work with a regular baking dish or jelly roll pan (that's a cookie sheet with sides, just to be clear).

What you need:

Large salmon fillet

Potatoes Au Gratin, boxed instant (I think we used "Idahoan")

---ingredients necessary for boxed potatoes (typically water, milk, butter)

Tomatoes, sliced

Fresh dill, chopped

How to do it:

1. With a baking stone already in oven, preheat oven according to box instructions. Our box indicated 450°.

2. As oven heats, prepare potatoes. When ready, grease stone with light spray of olive oil. Rinse salmon, place on stone and lightly spray salmon with olive oil. Place potato dish on middle rack and salmon stone on rack directly under potatoes.

3. Bake 20 minutes or as indicated by box instructions.

4. When potatoes are finished (ours had five additional minutes after sprinkling parmesan), remove from oven along with salmon stone. Pat up any excess oil from stone with paper towel if necessary. Spoon potatoes onto salmon and garnish with tomatoes and dill. Serve.

Steamed Sticky Rice

The process of sticky rice takes time but not a lot of effort or attention. There are a few steps to it, but don't let that be daunting! There's no special skill involved...unless you're some mad chef who wants to turn it into a special art form. (I'm sure it has happened). But if you just want yummy sticky rice done right? Tada!

I'm no expert on sticky rice (except maybe as a taster?), but I've compiled instructions for steaming sticky rice because there wasn't a satisfactory recipe that answered all my questions. I had to use several sources to put everything together. It worked! So here it is, all in one spot, at least to my preference.

There are different ways to steam rice if you don't have a basket and pot or stacking steamer pots meant for sticky rice, but this is meant to be more informative on the traditional--if not authentic--method. Check this out if you want a very accessible way to steam it! 
Some sites say you can boil the rice, and it may be somewhat sticky...but that's not the way to get the best sticky rice! Steaming is the way to go! :)

What you need: 
sweet thai rice (sanpatong)
steamer basket
steamer pot
cheesecloth (optional; improvise if you want to save yourself the hassle of cleaning your basket)
medium-sized pot lid
water or thin coconut milk
strainer

Time:
soak 3-12 hours at room temperature (not in fridge)
20-40 minutes steaming
5 minutes standing

Store: 
room temperature (authentic bamboo rice keepers are awesome, but I don't have any!)
lightly wrapped (see end of post)

Serve: 
room temperature, warm or hot (but not blisteringly hot)

Now! To business! 
You need the right kind of rice. It should be glutinous rice (don't confuse that with gluten; it just means sticky). Sweet thai rice is what I'm accustomed to, and I like it just fine. Sweet thai rice, sanpatong, looks like this:

 See how it's very white and puffy looking?

I looked specifically for "sweet" and "sanpatong." Beyond that, I really couldn't judge brand name...

You need to soak the rice first for 3-12 hours. I chose to soak mine overnight; the longer the rice soaks, the better! I placed 4 cups of rice in a tupperware covered with 2-3 inches of water above the level of rice. I poured just a little coconut milk in there, too, but since that's so sweet I kept it quite diluted. I couldn't find information about whether to cover the rice while it soaked, so I went by gut instinct and covered it for its overnight bath. We live in Arizona, and even though the nights are chilly this month, I didn't want everything to evaporate! It worked-- so I'd say go ahead and cover it.

UPDATE: Recently made sticky rice again, this time soaking it all night and much of the day (in plain water). Steamed it about 40 minutes, maybe a little more. Like it even better! :)

After soaking, drain the rice. I used a mesh strainer as well as some mesh fabric to drain the rice.
*If you don't have cheesecloth, a very thin dishtowel or even a coffee filter will do. It just needs to be fine enough to allow steam to pass through! Furthermore: if you don't use a cloth, just make sure you soak the bottom of the basket in warm water for a long time to loosen any bits of rice. You might not even have much rice stuck on it to deal with anyway!*
Then I put some water in the steamer pot and set it to boil. Use a few inches of water, enough to last the steaming time and not so much that it touches the basket. Here's the thing-- the water never got bubbly-boily, but there was plenty of hot steam coming up, so I considered that good enough for steaming the rice. That's when I put the rice, in its mesh fabric, into the steamer basket and on top of the steamer pot. I covered it with a pot lid like so:

The fabric is bunched under the lid, not that you have to do that.

The rice can steam for 20-40 minutes. I think it's done when it forms a ball nicely as you pull the fabric and tilt it back and forth a bit. I set my timer for 10 minutes so I could turn the rice halfway through the cooking time. 20 minutes worked great for my rice.
After it was finished steaming, I placed the rice still in its mesh fabric into the strainer on top of a tupperware to catch extra draining.

...I twisted that just for fun...

If you used a bamboo basket, you should rinse it thoroughly and then let it air dry absolutely well. Wiping it dry isn't sufficient, and you've got to avoid mildew or mold. I took advantage of the sun and set mine to dry on the clothesline!

I think that's a pretty sight. :) For some reason.
The rice sat for a few minutes before I couldn't resist nabbing a bit.

It made a little ball perfectly! It's perfectly delicious, too. I have to admit I was worried the coconut milk would make it too sweet, but there's just a subtle hint of the coconut flavor. To store mine until dinner tonight (teriyaki chicken--I know, Japanese and Thai--don't judge me! I'm a Westerner!), I'll loosely wrap the mesh-tied rice in plastic wrap and a thick, clean dish towel. Good enough to keep it warm and still let it breathe a bit.
So I've read that putting the rice in the fridge is far from ideal because it turns the rice into a hard rocky clump. But I've done it before to help it last longer, and you can reheat it in the microwave on medium power with a damp paper towel/dish towel draped over the rice ball (if it's a big ball, break it in half partway through heating, and don't overheat). It works. Otherwise, room temperature will suffice! As for precise storage time? Probably no longer than a day or two at room temperature, and I'd say no longer than 3 or 4 days in the fridge for the best taste. Be aware that that is my guess-by-experience.

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup

This syrup converted my husband to French Toast. It trumps regular syrup any day (even the pure maple stuff). It's amazing on desserts, too--you'll see. It's soooo delicious. 

Buttermilk Syrup
printable version

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick real butter (1/2 cup)
2 TBS corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients but vanilla in a very large pot. 

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low (but adjust as necessary to keep it bubbling). Cook, stirring constantly for 8-9 minutes. 

After all the stirring and bubbling, remove from heat. Give it one last stir, and it will condense into this: 

Makes about 2 cups. Mmmmm!!!

Chocolate Whipped Cream

This stuff is so good I started sneaking finger-dips and spoonfuls. I've never loved whipped cream so much! We ate our with strawberries. I later put a dollop on my hot cocoa, and that was one of the best cocoa-ideas I've ever had. I've been daydreaming of making all these incredible chocolate desserts now that I would top with chocolate whipped cream. Mmmm.

Whipped cream itself is quite easy. You can get all technical and chill the bowl and beaters first, but I've found that it's okay to wing it. (Not the case with meringue, I must add).

Combine 1 cup whipping cream (just use an entire half-pint carton),
2 TBS sugar, 
1/2 tsp vanilla. 
Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Don't beat it to death or you'll have a sort of...butter-cream concoction. Still rather tasty, but not at all what we're aiming for.

Now! For the chocolate!!!
Add 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
and 1 TBS additional sugar.
Beat into delightful fluffiness.

It is so good.

Chocolate Cake

This is...probably the soul of chocolate goodness.

I made it one day as a romantic Just Because surprise for Michael. 

It's dense and moist and perfect. I wouldn't make a chocolate cake if it were even slightly "dry." 

This cake is committed to absolute chocolateyness.

You know how people say the way to a man's heart is through the stomach?

I think there's a definite pathway to my heart labeled Chocolate.

Chocolate Cake

printable version

3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

Now follow the directions carefully. This is homemade cake, and it's slightly particular in its science.

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or bring egg to room temp by letting sit in cup of warm water--it has to be room temp for it to emulsify properly with other ingredients! And don't overheat the butter, make sure it's room temp, too!). 
2. Grease bottoms of two 8x8x2-inch square or 9x1.5-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper (you can trace the pan for the right size). OR grease on 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set pan(s) aside.
3. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350*F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds (yes, count). GRADUALLY add sugar, 1/4 CUP AT A TIME, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes. 
5. Add eggs ONE AT A TIME, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. ALTERNATELY add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more (yes, count again). Spread into prepared pans. 
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes for 8-inch pans and 13x9 pan, 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch pans (until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean). 
7. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Be patient. 
8. Remove layers from pans. Peel off waxed paper. Cool thoroughly on racks-- really. (With 9x13, just let it cool and leave it in the pan, of course). 

For the amazing finish, which is essential to making this cake adventure sinfully chocolate, frost with ganache. 

Yes, mmm, ganache. 

Ganache

As long as I can make ganache, 

I'll maintain pride in my cooking panache.

:) I think chocolate makes me silly. 

Ganache

printable version

1 cup whipping cream (half pint)

12 oz. (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips 

(you can use milk chocolate or bittersweet, but this is the best)

In a medium saucepan, bring whipping cream just to boiling over medium-high heat. 

Remove from heat. Add chocolate but DO NOT STIR. 

Let stand 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Cool 15 minutes. 

This frosts an 8- or 9-inch layer cake (double for thicker amounts of frosting).

Variation: Truffle Frosting

 Prepare Ganache as above, except double ingredients and use milk chocolate pieces only (NOT semisweet or bittersweet). 

Instead of cooling for 15 minutes, transfer to a large mixing bowl, cover and chill overnight. 

Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 30 seconds or until fluffy and of spreading consistency. 

This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

Oaty Muffins

We ate these before I got a picture. I'd say sorry, but that's just how good these are.
These use oat flour, which in this case is just my quick oats blended to a powder. You could use fancier oats (rolled, old fashioned, etc.), but the quick oats are best for making these muffins especially moist.
The difference between types of oats in baking is the resulting texture and moisture. Quick oats make things softer by absorbing wet ingredients better, and rolled oats give you a more grainy, flavorful result. So choose based on whether you want flavor or moisture, but these muffins are amazing because of the moisture. 

Oaty Muffins
printable version

1 cup flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (can sub with butter, but the oil is another part of the moisture in these muffins)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper cups; set aside. I found that this recipe makes 11 muffins. I'm okay with that odd number. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Batter may be smoother than typical muffins. 
4. Spoon batter (I'd say around 2 oz. per cup), filling each about 2/3 full. 
5. Topping- In a small bowl stir together 3 TBS packed brown sugar, 3 TBS oat flour and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Cut in 2 TBS butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spoon over muffins. 
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. 

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I doubt I could get a very pretty picture for this... but it tastes wonderful. It's everything I could want spaghetti sauce to be! We ate ours with spaghetti squash.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
printable version


1 lb. ground beef or sausage (if you'd rather do meatless, just add 1 TBS oil in the first step)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1/2 large onion--you can double if you love onions)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (4 cups) OR two 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
one 6-oz. can tomato paste
2 TBS snipped fresh parsley OR 2 tsp dried parsley, crushed
1 TBS snipped fresh basil OR 1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 TBS snipped fresh oregano OR 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
2 tsp snipped fresh marjoram OR 1/2 tsp dried marjoram, crushed
1/2 tsp cinnamon (that's an Italian secret!)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
shredded mozzarella cheese, one or two handfuls (tip from Marcy Jackson)

1. In a large saucepan cook beef or sausage with the onion, sweet pepper, celery and garlic until meat is brown; drain. 
2. Stir in tomato, tomato paste, 1/3 cup water, parsley, DRIED herbs (if using in place of fresh), sugar, sugar, pepper and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. 
3. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. 
4. Stir in FRESH herbs, if using.
5. (You would cook pasta at this point). 
6. When sauce is done, add mozzarella cheese and stir until cheese has melted. This adds a creamy, thicker flavor to the sauce.

I love topping my spaghetti and sauce with parmesan cheese.
You could leave out the meat and make meatballs to add with the meal.
When I made this, I used all dried herbs--fresh would obviously be better, but the sauce still doesn't disappoint with dried. I also did only 3 tomatoes with 1 can of diced.
You could add mushrooms, if you like. Saute them separately and add for the last 10 to 15 minutes of simmering to avoid overcooking the mushrooms.

Spaghetti Squash

This is spaghetti squash.

It is super good for you (very low-carb), and it is super yummy. 

It isn't really meant to be a replacement for spaghetti as far as taste goes, but you can eat it the same way.

Spaghetti squashes are round and yellow. A 2-lb. squash can easily feed a family of four, depending on how big you like your spaghetti servings. 

They can be cooked in the oven, but it's so fast and easy to do it in the microwave! 

Poke holes with a knife or fork all around the squash (this will allow steam to escape while it cooks-- very important for avoiding explosions). Poke deep. 

Place squash in a bowl or on a plate in the microwave and cook for 4-6 minutes per pound. You may want to turn the squash halfway through. 

When it is done, check the skin for softness. It will still feel like a tough shell, but you will be able to easily push and dent it. 

Let it cool enough for handling, then slice the squash in half. Pick out any seeds you can find (or leave that for last, when you've pulled out all the strands). 

Using a fork, scrape the sides of the squash. The "meat" will come away in strands, much like spaghetti. 

You can scrape all the way to the shell. 

If you only need to use half of the squash, place the other half in a large Ziploc in the fridge. Stores well.

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is incredible. It's more like a bisque with its creamy, rich texture. It's restaurant quality (if we're talking about the best restaurants out there). The first time I had it was years ago when we were invited to the home of a woman who was hosting a Russian pianist. Michael speaks Russian and loves music, so she wanted us there to help welcome him. The entire evening was perfect, but I have especially remembered that soup with great fondness. :)

Butternut Squash Soup
printable version

3 cups peeled, diced butternut squash (about 1 small)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (4 medium)
3/4 cup chopped onion (I used 3/4 tsp onion powder as an emergency sub)
1 TBS butter
2 14-oz cans (that's 3 1/2 cups) reduced-sodium chicken broth (my favorite is Swanson's)
1/4 tsp ground white pepper (black will work)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup half-n-half or light cream (while making pumpkin pie for Christmas, I learned from my niece Autumn that evaporated milk can be a substitute for this)
toasted pumpkin seeds as garnish (optional)

I peeled and diced the squash and carrots the night before. It's not hard, just a little time-consuming. Make sure you peel the squash past the "rind." (If you slice the ends first, it will be easier to see how deep you need to go).
All of these substitutions I've noted on here are what I did. The soup was amazing even so...but I have to say, following the recipe exactly will give you the very best version of this soup. Especially when it comes to white pepper. 

In a large covered saucepan cook squash, carrot and leek in hot butter over medium heat about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 25 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool slightly.

Place one-third of the squash mixture in a food processor or blender. Cover and process or blend until almost smooth. Repeat with remaining squash mixture. Return all of mixture to the saucepan.
Add white pepper and nutmeg; bring just to boiling.
Add half-n-half; heat through.

Serve hot! 

(Optional: garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds).

Apple Cider

Cider is something that should probably be around for the holidays anyway, but I find it so comforting and soothing when I feel sick. After having a barfalicious weekend, the idea of eating anything made me kind of nervous. So I sipped some hot, delicious cider, and the effect was instantaneous: I felt better, my stomach was less rocky.

Apple Cider

printable version

8 cups apple juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 orange

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Stir juice, sugar and spices. Slice orange in half and quarter those halves. Place in juice. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

I let mine simmer almost all day. I've been sick, and it has been so heavenly to pour myself a mug of flavorful cider. It's not the fanciest, but it's just as satisfying for my craving as any cider would be. 

To fancy it up a notch, use real cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, and add some whole cloves. Consider adding honey, lemon, or mint for some experimental fun. You might even use some storebought apple cider in place of the apple juice to pump it up (but I think that's silly). 

PS: This can be made in tea-form by putting all the non-juice items (especially if using cinnamon STICKS and WHOLE allspice/cloves) in a cheesecloth. The benefit? Um....you won't have "dregs" in your mug? 

Little Snippets from my Food Faux Pas History

You may have read my post about Pudding Frosting. Who gets those ideas? It's like "Hey, here's something no one else would think of, therefore I must be genius." Here's some more instances when my brain simply wasn't functioning on all cylinders (heh...I almost wrote "burners," but then I remembered that not everyone gets my humor. It's so dry it's dehydrated. Um..yeah, see?).

*Who needs substitutions? As a poor college student, I set about making box-macaroni and cheese for myself. But partway through, I discovered I had no butter. No big deal, I'd just leave it out. Then I discovered I had no milk. I thought --and who thinks like this?--"well, water will at least get the cheese powder to work on these noodles, right?" And it was so disgusting. Plain noodles would have been worlds better. I gagged it all down, wondering the whole time if starving might actually be a better idea (I soon after rearranged my food budget with my generous parents and ate much better foods).

* Breakfast for a less-than-cheery roommate...Jenn was helping and had to remind me to actually turn on the heat...

"Qait, the eggs won't cook themselves, you know."

"What? I know that. What are you talking about?"

* Buttermilk Brine Chicken for Michael's WHOLE FAMILY. Whoa, nerves.

And maybe this one doesn't count because the family liked it. But I really didn't. It was SO salty. WAY too salty...I just didn't tell anyone that the chicken had been soaking up the brine for...um...maybe a week? I conveniently don't remember.

* My favorite! This one isn't so much a food disaster; the table was set, the chicken looked passable (phewf), and everything was ready. From the kitchen, I asked the guest couple to please turn off the fan over the table so it wouldn't cool the food when I put it out.

The fan broke off the ceiling and crashed into the table. :|

Whoooow...forget breaking the ice, we broke dishes. I LAUGHED! But that poor couple. They never recovered. Conversation over dinner was very shy and quiet, despite our efforts. At least the food was glass-free.

Brown Melvins

These were invented by my brother Isaac during a cookie adventure where he was making all of us sisters laugh by messing with the recipe. If you've got a wickedly wonderful sense of humor, secretly drop a raisin into the mix when no one's looking. (I was Isaac's accomplice in this dastardly deed...but I was the one who ended up biting into that sneaky raisined cookie).
Get ready for amazing deliciousness!


Brown Melvins
printable version


1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp mint flavor (optional)
1/3 large banana
2 1/2 cups flour
~1/4 cup Mint Truffle cocoa drink mix
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 raisin (be secret about it)

Preheat oven to 375*.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
Add baking soda and salt, eggs, vanilla, mint and banana. Mix well.
Stir in flour and cocoa mix.
Stir in chocolate chips (and the raisin).

Bake 8-9 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.
Cookies should be pretty brown-- this doesn't mean they're burned.

You can come up with a prize/chore for whoever finds the raisin! 

Cheesy Pasta

This is an easy emergency dinner or a comforting snack when you need something warm.

Cheesy Pasta

printable version

Cook some noodles (any kind--I used egg noodles). 

Over hot noodles, sprinkle: 

grated mozzarella

parmesan cheese 

garlic salt

Microwave 30 seconds if necessary to melt cheese. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the perfect texture for a cookie; they have a gently crisp outside just right for dipping in milk (the way my husband likes them) and a soft, chewy inside the way I like them. They also reheat well, just 8-10 seconds in the microwave for ~3 cookies, for the comfort of hot cookies with your milk. Mmm.
And I feel less guilty knowing there's oatmeal in them.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

printable version

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups quick oats

1/2 package chocolate chips (or full package for double the fun...that's my style)

Preheat oven to 350*.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and sugar until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

Add flour mixture to sugars and mix well. 

Stir in oats and chocolate chips. 

Drop in little rounds onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes and cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. 

Makes nearly 5 dozen.

(For bar cookies: bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 9x13 metal baking pan) 

No-Bake Cookies

Woops, we ate them all before taking a picture!

No Bake Cookies
printable version


2 cups sugar
3 TBS cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups quick oats
(1 cup chopped nuts optional)

In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa. Mix well. Add milk, mix well on medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well until thickened, and drop cookies by spoonfuls (I use a TBS measure for the perfect size--cookie scoops are the same) onto cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap or tinfoil. For quicker cooling, place in freezer. When completely cooled, store in airtight container.

Egg-in-a-Hole

This hardly needs a recipe to describe what you do or what it is, but I've always thought this was a fun breakfast, and kids tend to love it.

Egg-in-a-Hole
printable version

Using a small-mouthed cup or small biscuit cutter, make a hole in a slice of bread (small enough to keep the crust intact).
Place bread in frying pan or on griddle and make sure edges are flat against surface (to prevent leakage).
Crack an egg into the hole! My kids seem to appreciate it when I whisk the egg first. They have an aversion to fried egg whites.
Fry a couple minutes on each side ora few minutes one side with a lid over the top.

We like to toast the leftover bread circles, too. It's fairly easy to mix up a little french toast egg stuff and do the bread circles that way--on the days that's worth your time/effort. 
You can eat these plain, buttered, with syrup or sprinkled with cheese. 

Roasted Grapefruit

If you're eating half a grapefruit for breakfast, it's probably because you like it. I think grapefruits are okay once in a while, and I don't mind their flavor for the most part, but I have a hard time with super-super-tangy stuff. They're very good for you, though! So this recipe (which cuts the tang just enough) helps me feel more excited about eating them.

Roasted Grapefruit
printable version


Set oven to broil or 350* (either will do fine, I prefer broil).
Slice grapefruit in half between "poles." As in, not from button to button. Am I being weird?
Using a serrated knife or grapefruit knife/spoon, separate wedges inside (leaving in place but creating gaps).
Set grapefruit halves on baking sheet, open half facing up.
Place a thin slice of butter over each half, sprinkle somewhat generously with brown sugar.
Roast in oven anywhere from 1-3 minutes (just go by preference of doneness).
1 minute will yield a hot grapefruit with glazed juiciness, 3 minutes will give you a more toasted look and flavor.

Good with cottage cheese on the side.

Variation: For the more savory approach, you can even sprinkle the grapefruit with parmesan cheese instead of brown sugar. The main idea is that the butter and roasting (you can stop there and forget sprinkling anything!) tone down the tanginess of the grapefruit and make it a warm breakfast dish.

Quick Cooking Chili

This is very easy, and it is very quick. It is perfectly satisfying and makes great leftovers, too, since the flavors just blend even more (as with most soups or chilis). I have a more complicated chili recipe, and there's a reason it's so deluxe, but this one is a great recipe to go to for the regular shortcut.

Quick Cooking Chili
printable version

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 fresh green pepper, diced (optional)
2 cans (10.75 oz each) tomato soup
1 can water
2 cups cooked red beans, rinsed and drained (close to 2 cans, 15 oz. each)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce (or taco seasoning)
1 TBS molasses OR brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in pan. Drain.
Add diced onion and cook until tender.
Add green pepper, soup, water, and cooked red beans.
Add spices to taste.
Cook for 20 minutes on low heat on stovetop, stirring occasionally.

No-Cook Playdoh

Maybe it's just that my pantry is the wrong place for playdoh, but up until I tried this recipe, all my playdoh batches went moldy. And that's annoying, because playdoh should last forever.This stuff does! So besides that, what makes this superior is that it's really easy to make several colors from one batch--you just knead the color in as opposed to coloring the water during cooking.

No-Cook Playdoh
printable version

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 TBS cream of tartar
2 TBS oil
1 cup boiling water

Mix dry ingredients, add wet, stir.
Knead in color. (Separate before kneading for different colored batches).