Why I don't get paid to do this

Getting straight to the point, when i finally get back into a nice blogging flow, my other computer dies. wtf! not only that, my husband and I believes my daughter threw my iphone in the trash. it was bought new from the states so no plan yet. We were still waiting on a new SIM card. Gosh. I am typing this post from my husband's blackberry playbook in fact. So if you haven't already, I sometimes post random tidbits on my facebook page. The like button is on the sidebar. Hopefully I will be up again soon. I also am trying to read your posts (for blogger friends) too. I've been using my husband's tablet to plan trips mainly. This playbook is my husband's baby so there is an understandable lack of trust of it being in my hands :) 

 Til then, tschuess! 

Cheeseburger Bacon and Mushroom Frittata

I've seen frittatas in cookbooks and all over many food bloggers blog posts. I've been intrigued, but at the same time a bit sick. Why? Because I hate eggs. Yes, people I am not big on eggs.


Ever since I was a little girl I've hated eggs. In my baby book, under least liked foods, my mother put eggs.


Don't get me wrong, I love eggs in most food. Like salads, in most to all Asian dishes featuring them. When they play the starring roll I can't do it. WHich why I don't make omelettes, spanish omelettes, basically anything where egg is the main ingredient. Some desserts I can't eat. I have to omit the egg whites because I read it's where the 'eggy' taste comes from. Where the yolk is rich, buttery, a lil salty, just damn perfect.

 Yes, I am eggist.

I can appreciate fresh farmed eggs. This summer, I ate a soft boiled egg and did not rush to the bathroom. That was because the egg was laid that morning. I thought that I found a solution my egg-hate. So I only bought eggs fresh farm the local turkish/farmer's markets and the yolks so beautifully gold made me smile. Cookies, muffins, and any thing I cooked with eggs became 100% more fantastic.


Then I got cocky and thought I'd finally make a frittata when I saw the recipe for Cheeseburger Frittata on the beautiful site She Wears Many Hats. I quickly added it to my Cozi weekly meal plan to try immediately. I am happy I did because it was delicious! Cheesy, mushoomy, bacony, and eggy goodness. My mind was getting the better of me and I realized, the next time (yes, there will be a next time), I will use half whole eggs and the rest just egg yolks!

This recipe is so easy, and you don't have to use mushrooms if you don't want to! Just load on the cheese and bacon for this easy one 'pot' dinner! It's low cab, and has an amazing amount of protein to get those muscle growing and very filling!


Cheeseburger  Bacon and Mushroom Frittata
Adapted from She Wears Many Hats
Makes one 10" pie pan.
She says aa 9" will work, adjust cooking times if using different size. I used my quiche pan....no I've never made a quiche :)

Ingredients
8-12 ounces ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more, divided
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, plus more, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, plus more, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-large onion, chopped
10 large eggs OR 5 whole eggs, 5 egg yolks if that's how you want to roll
3 tablespoons milk (1/4 cup if you split eggs)
4 ounces (about 2 cups) cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
8 slices of bacon
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced


Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Butter or coat with cooking spray pie pan. (I used a 10" pie pan for this recipe, but a 9" deep dish should work as well.)
Brown hamburger with a few pinches/dashes of chili powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion with a pinch of salt and pepper until translucent. Do this in a non stick skillet if you can.
Beat together eggs, milk, 1/2 of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon of each: chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Evenly distribute the browned hamburger on the bottom of the pie/quiche pan, then top with sautéed onions.
Pour the egg mixture over the top of hamburger and onion. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake in 400°F oven for 18-20 minutes until set.



Enjoy!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Spicie Foodie's Apple Chai Muffins

I ordered Spicie Foodie's Cookbook, "Epiphany of the Spices" from Lulu last month and received my copy last week. Just in time as I ready to do my weekly menu plan. This gorgeous cookbook is full of flavorful, healthy, delicious, foods for the soul! So happy to have received my copy.

Yesterday after doing a bit of shopping in the freezing, "ig'nant" cold, I couldn't have picked a better time to make her Apple Chai Muffins with Chai glaze. These slight sweet, popping with flavor, and bit "spicie" were a big hit with my whole family!  And I enjoyed the first muffin while my little ones slept with a warm cup of black tea (i added some of the chai cream cheese glaze to it, mmmmmmm!).

Pesto Mashed Potatoes

Last Autumn I made an amazing potato soup with pesto and chorizo. It was so flavorful and well, slurped down in seconds.

I don't think I made enough.

So while reminiscing about that lovely, butter-rific potato soup, I thought, how can I slightly lighten this dish up? I could eat this soup everyday, and my thighs will hang on to it for far too long. And the already brutal lunges would be even more unbearable! Anyone do those? They hurt so good.

So while brainstorming, I came up with something I've never seen, but I am sure the genius foodies who reads my blog (rolling their eyes perhaps?): Pesto Mashed Potatoes! I am a pesto fiend. I make a batch at least once a week. It's an amazing on sandwiches, burgers, salads, dressings, the uses are endless!


This dish is so quick to put together  and even quicker if you're using store-bought pesto. It's gorgeous on a plate and you can tell kids it's radioactive mashed potatoes...ok, don't. If they're anything like mine anyway!
I made this incredibly flavored mashed potatoes with cowboy steaks, and it was a perfect pairing. Try this new (to me) take on mashed potatoes! Hope you enjoy!

Pesto Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
2 to 2 1/2 lbs russet or yukon gold potatoes (or whatever potatoes you use for mashing!)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temp *
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk, warmed (add more or less depending on what consistency you prefer!)

* you can add butter to milk when you warm it in the microwave or stove-top
For Pesto
You can use store-bought pesto or homemade!
Recipe:
2 cups of fresh parsley or basil loosely packed, chopped
1/4 or 1/3 cup of Parmigiano- Reggiano or Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds (toasted optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to your taste

Directions
Peel potato and chop however you prefer. Place in pot and cover with salted water and bring to boil. This took me about 10 minutes, yours may vary so watch! After it's been brought to a boil, turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for  about 10 minutes or until tender!

Drain potatoes, then add back to pot. Turn your burner up to high and stir constantly for 30 seconds to minute to allow potatoes to dry!  You don't want watery mash potatoes, do you?

Now place potatoes in a bowl. Mash to the consistency you like, then add milk and butter and mix- do not add salt. At this point, you can separate un-pestoed and pesto mashed potatoes for those who do not want green potatoes on their plate.

To the potatoes you want pestoed (that's a word on this post, k?), add about 3 tablespoons of pesto. Mix, and done! To the potatoes you don't want pesto, add salt and pepper to your taste. Voila! Everyone's happy. And if you want the whole pot pesto, add 1/4 cup of pesto! I hope you enjoy as much as we did!