SAUTE VEGGIE & TUNA WRAP

Saute Veggie & Tuna wrap. 
This quick and easy lunch is great. When we go down town or I'm out and about window painting it quick and satisfying. Now I love eating onions and bell pepper this way cold. If you do not you can heat them up. Either way is good.

INGREDIENTS
1 Can Albacore Tuna or your favorite brand.
1 1/2 Table spoon Mayo.
1 Bell pepper, your favorite color
1 Whole white onion.
Home made Tortillas or your favorite brand.
Olive oil.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

Drain Tuna and mix with mayo. Refrigerate. Next cut onion in half and peel. Slice the onion and pull apart. Slice up the bell pepper. Add olive oil to a pan and turn to Medium high. Add veggies and stir until you see the edges or the onion turn a tad brown on the edges. This is called caramelized.
Your done. All you have to do now is grab a tortilla, spoon in some tuna and veggies and your on your way to fast home made food with no extra hidden ingredients.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SAUSAGE AND CHEESE.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SAUSAGE & CHEESE.

This is a great breakfast to have if you going to go on a long bike ride.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Eggs  (2 per person)
1 1/2 piece of Precooked turkey sausage.  Cut into bite size pieces.
2 Tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese.
1 1/2 Tablespoons of milk
1 small pat of butter.  1/2 of Tablespoon.

Method of Preparation:
In a nonstick pan melt the butter on Medium low until it bubbles.  Remove from heat and turn the burner down to low.   Return the pan to the burner and break all four eggs into the pan.  With a plastic spatula break the yolks and gently stir. Now add the milk.  Eggs like to be cooked on low so keep it on low.   With the spatula move the egg mixture back and forth until the curds start to form.  I like my curds ( or what ever you want to call them) to be nice and fluffy and not wet.  However some people like them very moist.
 Now while your eggs are slowly cooking you can get another small pan and add you sausage to it to cook.  Set the stove on medium High and cook sausage until it is warm or hot all the way through.  And also grate your cheese.
When your eggs are nice and fluffy or just just the way you like them.  What I mean by nice and fluffy is each little curd is moist and hold together and does not stick to the other curds when you stir them around and they are not dried out.
Next add the sausage and sprinkle the cheese over the scrambled eggs.  Stir in and the cheese will melt from the heat of the eggs.

ENJOY 

Note.  Always add the cheese to the eggs after they're done cooking.  If you add the cheese ahead of time in the beginning the cheese will release it's oil and your scrambled eggs will have too much moisture to them.

Trouble shooting: To much milk added.     If you accidently add too much milk keep cooking the eggs the same way.  The excess milk will pool at the bottom of the pan.  Have a plate with some paper towel on it handy.  Only when the curds start to stay together and hold their shape. Very carefully dump the scrambled eggs on the plate. Allowing the paper towel to soak up the excess milk.  Then very carefully dry out the pan with another piece of paper towel.   Next again carefully add the scrambled eggs back to the pan and keep cooking.   If their is still too much excess milk repeat the method above.

SCOTTISH SCONES

SCOTTISH SCONES  

So easy and so good. These are great to make ahead of time and freeze in the freezer. Then all you have to do is, pull a few out and warm them up in the oven or toaster oven. Drizzle them with honey, add some butter and they make a nice side for eggs and bacon.  Or if you need a little bite to eat with your coffee or tea.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cup Self-Rising Flour
2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon of Olive oil
1 Egg.  Large of Med is fine.  Or two small eggs.
3/4 Cup Chilled milk
1 Tablespoon of sugar of

NOTE: As the dough come together you do not knead it.  

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1st. Break the egg into the milk and break the yolk with a fork and add the olive oil.

2nd. Mix self rising flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Stir well.

3rd.  Add about 6 Table spoons of the milk/egg mixture to the flour and cut in with a wooden spoon really good.  

Note:  The Dough should have the consistency of being really moist and it should start clumping together.  And it should stick to the fingers.

 4th.  Next with hands floured compact the dough into a ball the best you can. If their is deep fishers in the dough this is ok.

5th. Set the ball on a floured surface and use your finger tips to spread it out into a rough square about the size of your two hands with fingers spread out. Gently flip it and spread it out. If it's bigger or smaller that ok to.

6th Now you can use a 3 inch cookie cutter or 2 inch or basically what ever you have.  This is up to you.  Cut out as many as you can then bring all the scraps together and cut some more out.
Tip:  What to do with the little of dough left?   Press it into the cutter to make it the same shape.

7th Place all on a sprayed cookie tray or pan.  Turn the oven to 425 and leave them in their for 12 to 14 minutes.  When finished they should have a nice light golden top to them and a nice golden bottom.  (Always check your food in the oven.)

8th   Have ready. Butter, Jam, Honey and any other yummy spread you can think of.  These also make killer egg muffins.  

Again these freeze so well.

Nom Nom Nom.

MARBLED BROWNIES

MARBLED BROWNIES

If your reading this your have crossed over to the evil chocolate brownie side. Because once you've had these you'll never ever what store bought or boxed brownies again.  You'll become one of us. :)    Then you'll find your self making your own brownie sundae's.   

INGREDIENTS: 
For the Brownie bottom:
8oz plain chocolate.  Bakers Chocolate works well.
3 oz Butter. Cut into cubes. Please use butter that come in blocks rather than tub's.
4 Eggs    (4 Large Eggs)  (4 Medium Eggs) or (6 Small eggs)
10 1/2 oz Sugar
5 oz plain flour
1/2 salt  I tend to leave out the salt.
1 Teaspoon baking powder
2 Teaspoon vanilla extract (home made is killer)

For the Marbled top:
2 oz Butter room temp.
2 eggs
6 oz cream cheese
3 1/2 oz sugar
1 oz Plain flour
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

Have a 13 x 9 inch glass dish ready, do not spray.

FIRST:  MELTING THE CHOCOLATE
Note: Have ice cubes in a bigger bowl ready to cool the chocolate.
First of all make sure the pan you are using to put the chocolate in is completely free of water drops, if it is not the chocolate will be ruined. The water make the chocolate seize. So dry the pot really good.  Another thing to keep in mind is that chocolate does not like to be melted on direct heat, because it will burn the chocolate.   Put the cubed butter in the pot then add your baking chocolate to the dry pot, next fill another pot with water less than half way.  Turn the burner on high and very carefully put the other pot on top of the boiling water.  Now I do understand every one out their had different double boilers, but do the best job you can.   As soon as the water is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low.  Stir occasionally till both the chocolate and butter are completely melted.  Put the pot on top of the ice cubes and let cool.

SECOND:
Break the four eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with a egg beater for 3 minutes until they are nice and fluffy.  Next slowly pour in the sugar and beat in and also beat in the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract.  Next when the chocolate mixture is some what cool add it to the egg mixture and beat in then pour into the glass dish, set aside.

THIRD: TOP Layer of brownie.
Break the two eggs in a bowl and beat with a egg beater for 2 to 3 minutes, slowly add sugar as your beating and vanilla and flour, set aside.  In a separate bowl  ( yeah I know a lot of bowls, but it so worth it)   Beat butter and cream cheese until creamed really good.  Now mix both the buttered cream cheese and egg mixture together.  Take this batter and pour it on top of the other batter and spread it out with a spatula.

FOURTH:  MARBLING
Take a very long tooth pick or skewer and holding it at a slight angle move it thought the batter lifting the chocolate from below, move in a loop de loop movement.  Stop when you think that you have enough marbling effect.

FIFTH: BAKING.
Set the oven to 350 and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
When you stick in a skewer into the middle and it comes out clean, your brownies are done.
Let them cool for an hour to firm up.  

Warning: These Brownies will cause you to crave them.  Enjoy and share the fun.

HOT CHOCOLATE

It's so so cold here and what sound really good around this time of year is HOT CHOCOLATE.  mmmmmm Warm and cozy.   This recipe is very simple.    Oh I did I mention this is not a healthy version.

HOT CHOCOLATE:
1 cup of whole milk
1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
2  Tablespoons of good quality chocolate powder.
Tiny Marsh mellows.
3 Three Table spoons sugar.
1Teaspoon of cinnamon.
1/2  Teaspoon of Vanilla extract.  Home made is the best.
Add a peppermint stick for garnish.
Put the both milks into a pot on the stove on High. Add vanilla, chocolate powder, sugar and cinnamon.   Stir it with a whisk,  it will take some time.  Watch for little bubbles around the edges of the milk, when they start to foam and roll.  As soon as you start to see it boil a little turn it off.
Yummy
If their is left overs put in the refrigerator and cover. Then you'll have cold chocolate milk for late.   

HOT CHILI GARLIC SAUCE SALAD.

HOT CHILI GARLIC SAUCE SALAD.        My Hubbys Recipe. :) :)   

Very simple, very yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Apple chopped into cubes.
1 Cucumber chopped into cubes.
1 Bell Pepper chopped.
1/2 teaspoon of Hot Garlic Chili sauce.

Mix all in a bowl add the Hot Garlic chili sauce.
Put all into a plastic container and let sit over night, to have the next day.

Yummy.  

Great for if you have to wake up early and go some where.  :)

PERSIMMON GARLIC CHICKEN STIR FRY.

PERSIMMON GARLIC CHICKEN STIR FRY

When you have lot's of persimmons you need to be creative. :)  So I came up with this one three night ago and it's very yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Flat of boneless chicken cut into little strips.
2 Tablespoon Olive oil
About three tablespoon of soy sauce.
1 scallion chopped
1 inch ginger finely grated
3 to 4 garlic cloves
A good hand full of cilantro
1 Firm Persimmons peeled and chopped into small cubes.
2 stalk celery chopped
About 3/4 cup finely chopped Broccoli
1 Tablespoon Hot chili garlic sauce (optional)
1 Poblano pepper finely diced.
2 Carrots diced.
A good handful of Snow Peas.
3 cups of cooked rice.
1/2 of Mexican zucchini. Cut in half, then chopped thinly.
1/2  of a yellow zucchini. Cut in half, then chopped thinly.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

FIRST: 
Prepare the chicken on a separate cutting board for safety.  Put cut chicken into a large bowl. Set aside and wash knife, and cutting board and your hand very good.
Next, with a clean start. Now peel garlic, peel ginger, wash and dry cilantro.  Place all on a clean cutting board and roughly chop. Now keep chopping until it is very finely minced.  Chop chop chop. Add the minced mixture to raw chicken, also add the three tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 table spoon of Hot chili garlic sauce.  Next peel and dice Persimmon into little cubes also add this to the chicken.   Mix it all very well into the chicken and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.  Your choice.

SECOND: CHOPPING
Chop the carrots, celery, poblano, both zucchini's, broccoli, and scallion in to bite size piece.
But keep the zucchinis separate.

THIRD:  COOKING
THE CHICKEN: After the 30 minutes or hour is up. Take out a large pan and pour about 1 table spoon of Olive oil into it. Turn the burner to medium and let cook until all the pink is gone. As you stir it, keep looking it over to see if theirs any pink.  If all the pink is gone, turn the burner to low and put a lid on it.  It can cook like this until the veggies are done. But just to make sure pick out a big piece cut it in half and check for doneness.   If their is any pink put it back on low for two minutes.

THE VEGGIES:  In another pan add one tablespoon of olive oil and add the carrots, celery, poblano, broccoli and scallions. Turn the burner to high. About 1 mintues into the stir frying add  the zucchini. Taste the veggies often as you stir them. Keep them moving until they are done.
When the carrots are soft but not mussy, turn off the burner and mix in the snow peas, they will steam finished. Do not put the lid back on.  If you do the food will continue to over cook.

FOURTH:  RICE   ( I PUT BOTH RECIPES, SO Pick Which one you want)
HOW TO COOKE RICE OR AROMATIC RICE:
 If you just want to make regular white rice just don't add any extras, it's that simple. But if you do add away.  What I like to do after the aromatic rice is done cooking is add a little cheese to the top and add hot chili garlic sauce, mix it up and yummy.  And if you haven't noticed I like to be very exacting with my rice.

= means equal

1CONVERSION FOR RICE:  1 1/4 CUP = 288 KILO = 8 5/8 Oz = 245 GRAMS = 17 TABLESPOONS.

FOR WATER 32 TABLESPOONS IS EQUAL TO 1 3/4 CUPS


INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 CUP LONG GRAIN RICE

2  CLOVES GARLIC. DICED.

A HAND FULL CILANTRO DICED WITH THE GARLIC.

1 BAY LEAF

1/8 TEASPOON TURMERIC POWDER

1ST WASH STARCH OFF RICE. RINSE ABOUT 3 TIMES AND DRAIN WATER THE BEST YOU CAN.

2ND. ADD 32 TABLESPOONS OR 1 3/4 CUP WATER TO RICE.

3RD. PUT THE POT ON THE STOVE.

4TH. PUT LID ON, AND BRING TO A BOIL. AS SOON AS YOU SEE BUBBLES COME TO THE TOP AND TOUCH THE LID, TURN DOWN TO LOW.

5. AS SOON AS YOU SEE THE RICE IT SELF AND LITTLE TO NO BUBBLES COMING OUT OF THE RICE. SHUT THE BURNER OFF AND REST RICE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTE MORE.

FIFTH: GET A BIG BOWL
Add rice, Add veggies and add chicken.  ENJOY.