Saturday Morning Breakfast - YUMMM!!!!!!

3 eggs
1/4 cup milk (I use 1%)
Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
1 Pink Lady apple
1 slice Honeydew melon
2 pieces favorite bread, toasted
Butter
Paprika (garnish)

1 large glass freshly squeezed orang juice
Slice of lime (garnish)

Directions:

Heat a medium-sized frying pan to medium-low. (With cooking eggs you never want a very high heat, so make sure your pan never gets to where you feel like it's hot.) Once it's starting to feel warm to medium warm, put 1 Tbsp. butter in to pan, let it melt and swirl. (If your butter sizzles and browns on the edges when you put it in the pan, your heat is too high.)

As your pan starts to heat, crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk. (I like it when it's not completely whisked to a homogenous mixture, but do as you wish/prefer.) Add in milk, salt and pepper. Whisk lightly to mix.

Once your pan is ready, pour in egg mixture. Let it sit and cook till you start to see a layer of cooked egg start to form. Stir. To get fluffy large pieces in the final stage be sure to not over stir or break up the pieces forming to much. Repeat these two steps until you see that the eggs are cooked. If any egg creeps up the sides of the pan make sure to pull these down back into your eggs before it starts to brown or form a tough crust.

As your eggs are cooking, pop your toast in, slice your melon and apple. As soon as your eggs are done, plate them, sprinkle them with a touch of paprika for color, butter your toast (as desired), place melon and apple artistically on your plate. Serve with a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice garnished with a slice of fresh lime. And enjoy! It's such a fresh, lovely start to any kind of day!!!

Persian Rice With Blackeyed Peas

Amazing recipe originally made by my friend Soha. Yummmmm!!!!

3-4 cups cooked basmati rice (I used chelow made the day before)
1 can blackeyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 sweet onion, diced
3 tsp dried dill
1 tsp marjoram
Water
Salt & Freshly cracked Pepper
1 baking potatoe, washed and diced into fairly small cubes
Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Plain yogurt

Directions:

In a large frying pan heat 2 Tbsp. EVOO & saute the potatoes over medium heat until soft and golden brown (might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water and a lid near the end to help soften). Once cooked, turn heat up to med-high, add in diced onion and saute onions are soft and browning. Add in margoram and dill, stir, then add in blackeyed peas. Add about 1/2 tsp. salt and some freshly cracked pepper, stir then add in cooked rice. Add 1-2 Tbsp. butter. Stir all ingredients till fully mixed and then add in about a cup of water. Reduce heat to med-low, cover and let heat through. Stir and taste. Add more water, salt and pepper if needed. Don't add too much water though - it could get mushy!!!
Once fully heated and seasoned to taste, serve hot with some fresh plain yogurt and enjoy!!!

BROCCOLI AND FETA WITH WHOLE WHEAT ROTELLE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound whole wheat rotelle pasta
1/2 pound (or more) broccoli florettes
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

*Ingredients can be adjusted - more cheese, less garlic, vice versa, as desired.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil in pan. When heated, but not smoking, add minced garlic and saute for about one minute. Add broccoli florettes and saute for about one more minute. Add water to let broccoli steam slightly as it cooks. Before the broccoli gets too soft, lower the heat on the stove and add the feta cheese. Stir to mix well. Remove from heat and serve immediately over pasta.

Makes two or three servings.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

EASY, FANCY TOMATO SALAD

1 package Trader Joe's Heirloom tomatoes
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 or 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cut tomatoes in half and place them in a bowl.
Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt.
Mix well.
Serve.

Amazing Tuna Salad

Serves 2

2 cans solid white tuna, fully drained (dry as possible)
2-3 tsp. dried dill (can use fresh, but amount may need adjustment)
3 Tbsp. finely diced onion
Juice of 1 baby lemon (small)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt (or to taste)
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced right before serving

Garnish:
Paprika
Sprig of fresh Dill, Basil or Parsley

Directions:

Flake tuna with a fork into mixing bowl. Add dill, onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and Lawry's. Mix fully. Divide into two parts. Pack a small bowl or cup with one part.

On your salad plate place 5 thin slices of tomato in a ring. Invert tuna bowl over center of tomato ring, and carefully shake loose.

Sprinkle top with Paprika and garnish with fresh avocado slices - be sure to slice avocado immediately before serving to prevent browning.

Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium butternut squash
1 leek, washed & roughly chopped
1 medium-sized white onion, diced
1 head of fresh garlic
5 fresh bay leaves
4-5 fresh sage leaves
1 box chicken stock
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream, plus a bit for garnish
1/4 cup lite sour cream
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, loosely packed
Salt & Cracked pepper to taste
Olive oil

Tools:
Immersion (Stick) Blender
Cookie Sheet
Large cooking pot

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and cut the squash in half, removing and discarding the seeds. Sprinkle salt and freshly cracked pepper on the cut face of the squash.
Sprinkle olive oil on cookie sheet, and place squash face down, spreading them out to allow for even baking. Bake for 30-45 min until soft and easily scooped out of the skin.

While the squash is baking, prepare, clean and chop your leek and onion. Also remove around 3/4 of the cloves garlic, peel and roughly chop them. Heat a large cooking pot over medium heat, add around 2 Tbsp. olive oil when the pot is still cold, then once heated add in the bay and sage leaves. Saute for 2-4 minutes until bay leaves are brighter green and sage has begun to wilt. Toss in the leek and onion and saute until onions are getting transparent and leeks are soft, then add garlic. Be sure to stir often to prevent the garlic from burning. Once you start to see some caramelization pour in the chicken stock and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until your squash is fully cooked (very soft).

Once squash is cooked scoop out pulp and add into the soup mixture. Add sour cream. Using your immersion blender (or a regular blender or food processor) blend the mixture until smooth and creamy with not chunks. Add cream and mix. Taste the soup, then salt and pepper to taste. Also add in the brown sugar at this stage, but do it in stages and taste after each amount - you don't want it to get too sweet!

Serve into large soup bowls, drizzle the top with a little cream from a spoon (to keep neat). Serve with a piece of multi-grain toast, and with a fresh, simple salad such as arugula with mixed tomatoes and basil, and enjoy!!