Monthly Archives: March 2014

Garden Omelet

breakfast

omeletwhitetablesmall

This yummy omelet is our go-to porch brunch almost every weekend.  Warm or cold weather, James and I like to have a meal on the porch. Brunch is the best time to sit, eat, and listen to the birds. I love to try different combinations vegetables, and for the sides, I always try an assortment of fruit.I’ve never had a disappointment yet.  Our favorite is the spinach, tomato, and pepper garden omelet with blood oranges and strawberries.  And it was what we had today.  Here is how I prepare it:

eggsomeletsmall

I start with the best eggs, free-range and usually hatched by chickens I know. HeeHee!  Okay, not really.  But, I am really picky with what I eat so I do make sure to buy quality, and if possible, I buy from local farmers.  Also, I don’t really use this many in my omelet…it just looked better in the pictures.

spinachomeletetcsmallThen, you need an assortment of vegetables and a little cheese. I buy organic vegetables, but whatever you have will do. I love, love, love spinach! Asparagus and broccoli really taste good, too.  Oh, and don’t forget the avocado. It makes it so creamy and filling.

omeletzoom2small

Put it all together and this is what you get: Yum, Yum, Yum. 

Garden Omelet

Author: Dana Garner

Print
Garden Omelet
Author: 
Recipe type: breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3
 
Ingredients
  • ½ small sweet onion, finely chopped
  • ¼ yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ fresh jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped. (a few slices for garnish)
  • 1-cup fresh spinach
  • 5 large eggs
  • ½ avocado, sliced in mini-bite size pieces
  • ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced thin
  • ½ cup cheese: blended with part skim mozzarella and cheddar
  • Feta cheese (sprinkle on top according to taste)
Instructions
  1. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet. Add onions, yellow peppers, and jalapeños. Cook until tender. In the meantime, whip eggs in a bowl.
  2. When the onions are translucent, add the spinach and cook until wilted.
  3. Pour eggs over vegetables and swirl around until the vegetables are covered with the egg. Cook until eggs are no longer liquid, but be careful not to overcook.
  4. Add cheese and avocado.
  5. When cheese melts, add sliced tomatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste. Fold over with a spatula.
  6. Slice into three servings. To make it pretty, don’t forget to garnish with the sliced peppers and tomatoes. Finally, add the Feta according to your taste.

Veggie Chili

soup and chili

Veggie Chili

I know, I know it’s almost April and this is cold weather food, but it was rather chilly yesterday so it just felt right to throw together a huge pot of vegetarian chili.  This healthy dish is our favorite comfort food on cold days. Absolutely delicious!

Gather some spice and fresh vegetables and get started on a pot of yum.

onion

The chopping is the hardest part: chop, chop, chop onions that make you cry and peppers that make you burn.  Of course, you could use frozen, but I think fresh is best.

garlic and peppers

This recipes makes a lot so if you are single or just a couple, you may want to share with friends or cut all ingredients in half.  We have a large family, and we still have leftovers. I like to freeze what’s left  in quart size bags for later use.  This works out great when there’s no time to prepare a meal.  Thaw a bag in warm water for just a minute, remove and pop into the microwave.  Make sure to date your bags to guarantee freshness.

Note: This recipe was inspired by Dr. Fuhrman’s,  Eat to Live.  We have tried many variations of this recipe, depending what we have in the kitchen.  Once I was missing garlic and jalapeno peppers so I added a package of ranch dressing mix (recommended by my brother, Eddie).  It added a different twist to the taste but not as spicy.  It’s fun to experiment so give it a try and let me know what you create.

Veggie Chili

Print
Veggie Chili
Author: 
Recipe type: chili
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12+
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 6 tablespoons chili powder
  • A dash of Cajun, or blackening seasoning (can be omitted, but we like it spicy)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 pack firm tofu, dry with a towel and cube
  • 2 cups fresh onions, finely chopped (approximately 4 medium onions)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups frozen broccoli, chopped
  • 2 cups frozen cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 fresh jalapeno, finely diced, seeds removed
  • 2 adobe peppers (the ones in a can), chopped
  • 1 can green chilies
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (tends to be sweeter)
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can red kidney beans
  • 1 can white beans or any bean of your choice
Instructions
  1. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a stock pot to brown the tofu. Sprinkle with cumin, and chili power. Saute tofu gently so as not to tear the tofu apart. The tofu needs to absorb as much of the seasoning as possible before adding any other ingredients.
  2. When tofu is lightly browned, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute until onions are translucent.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and stir until paste has dissolved and ingredients are well blended. Allow this to simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 20 minutes.
  4. Before serving add salt and pepper to satisfy your taste buds. This is where I sprinkle a little Cajun seasoning to appease my Louisiana roots.