A Cooking from the Garden Recipe- Vegetable Egg Foo Young

 This time of year there are lots and lots of fresh veggies available.  Here is a recipe that uses almost any of them in a delicious way.  I first learned how to make Egg Foo Young by watching a You Tube video (yep, everything is on You Tube), where the young woman made it in one patty then divided it up.  Instead I used a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup to scoop out the patties.  Although, you could do it either way.
My family loves Chinese food, so when we don't have any extra money or don't feel like ordering in, I whip this up in no time at all.

 Served with plain steamed rice and topped with gravy it's makes a satisfying meal.  The patties will be thin which means the cook quickly in just a little canola oil in a non stick pan.  If you have leftovers, throw those in, vegetables, meat, even seafood.  Anything goes.





The following recipe is for veggie Egg Foo Young just because that's what I had on hand.  Like I said, you can use just about anything.

To make Egg Foo Young:
Remember you can add whatever veggies you like or meat or seafood. This is really a method more than a recipe.
For 4 adults
2 eggs per person
1 1/2 cup cooked (cooled) veggies such as carrots, cabbage, broccoli, caulilflower/ meat or seafood or a combination

Gravy
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch


For the patties:
In a large bowl whip up eggs lightly.  Add cooked and cooled veggies and meat.  Mix well.
In a preheated skillet (or electric skillet) using a 1/4 cup dry measure scoop out the mixture into patties.  Cook until egg is set, then flip and cook on the other side.
You can pour the entire mixture into the skillet and then cut up and flip.


For the gravy:
In a measuring cup, measure 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup soy sauce.  To this add the cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add to the same pan you cooked the egg foo young in until thickened.
Serve with steamed rice and top with gravy.

Have a favorite chinese recipes you'd like to share?

A Rescue My Recipe - A Healthy Twist on a Traditional Breakfast

Bacon and Home Fries
I'm a sucker for a hearty breakfast, a good old fashioned one with lots of fried meats and greasy piles of fried potatoes, biscuits smothered in gravy and coffee, lots and lots of coffee. I know this isn't the healthiest way to start the day, but it does taste awfully good.  I enjoy a breakfast like this once in awhile but in order to have it a little more often I've come up with a healthier version.  Notice I said "healthier" not healthy.  Although I think a version like this makes a great alternative to a pile of greasy (yet tasty) breakfast favorites.

 It's Fakin'!

My first change to a traditional breakfast is to use turkey bacon.  Back in the late 80's my father had a heart attack and couldn't have full fat bacon anymore.  My mom switched to turkey bacon or as she called it "play bacon".  Since then I think turkey bacon has come a long way.  Its gets crispy, it's lean and yeah... it tastes good! With a little olive oil in the pan (just a couple of teaspoons is all you need) and by cooking it on medium high heat you'll get a crispy, tasty bacon -- trust me- it's good!

Home Fries
That's right I said home fries, and they can be made healthier and lot quicker too.  I take however many potatoes I want to fry and I microwave them first, 4 minutes per potato.  Then they are fully cooked and just need to be crisped up in the skillet you fried the bacon in, of course after you cook some chopped onions in there first.

I chop a couple tablespoons of onion and saute it in the same skillet I cooked the bacon in, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Once the onion is soft then add the pre-cooked potatoes and cook them until crisp, seasoning the potatoes with salt and pepper as they cook.  Remember potatoes can take a lot of salt so be liberal with it.

That's it!  Simplier and healthier.  Low in animal fat, but still very tasty.  If you'd like to try this healthier traditional breakfast this is what you'll need:

Turkey bacon, whatever brand you prefer.
1 medium sized potato
olive oil
chopped onion
skillet
microwave
and of course salt and pepper

Nutrition Info (via sparkpeople.com)

 Total Calories:
359
Total Carbs:
34
Total Fat:
21
Total Protein
11

Cooking from the Garden Recipe-Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

Time for another cooking from the garden recipe!

Our lettuce is growing like crazy, unlike our other veggies in our garden.  So I thought that I would post a way to use up a lot of lettuce and combine it with everyone's favorite -- grilled chicken!
This salad is so simple and can really all be done outside next to the grill.
First of all you need to have your grill ready (don't worry this can be made inside too).  To make it easy I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts seasoned with a little salt and pepper.  While the chicken is grilling throw some bacon on next to it.  I used turkey bacon because that's what I've been eating lately and it's so much better than it used to be.
TIP: Make sure that you cook the bacon fairly crispy that way it won't be greasy in your salad and will be easier to break up.
Once your chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crispy, then set aside for it to cool a bit.
Gather your lettuce and give it a good wash.
TIP: Make sure it's  completely dry so that the dressing will cling to the lettuce.
Now it's time to assemble the salad.
In a large bowl add lettuce, top with chopped grilled chicken and crumbled bacon.

I used a bottle ranch dressing but I'm sure you can make your own.  That's a recipe for another post.
Drizzle the salad with dressing and Enjoy!

If you'd like to make Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad here's what you'll need:

4 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast per person
2-3 pieces of bacon per person (turkey or pork, low sodium works best)
lettuce (leaf lettuce, the fresher the better, can't get much fresher than right from the garden)
ranch dressing (homemade or bottled, it's your choice)

Delicious as light lunch or dinner.
Do you have a way to use the produce from your ever growing garden?
Tried the salad and have a comment?  Let me know!

Double Caramel Peaches

A few weeks ago peaches became available in my local grocery store.  I love peaches but sometimes here in the Northeast they can be less than perfect so I tried to come up with a way to use them in a dessert and try to give them a little extra flavor.  My solution -- caramel-- not just carmel but double caramel.   This can used as a topping for ice cream, pound cake or angel food cake or just by itself!
Before adding the peaches to the caramel I remove the skins but blanching them in simmer water.  Take each peach and cut a small X in the bottom and place them in a pan of simmering water.

Let the peaches sit in the simmering water for 2-3 minutes and then remove and place them in an ice bath.  Once cooled the skin should peel off easily.

While the peaches are cooling it's time to make the (first) caramel.  In a small saute pan heated to medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Once the butter is melted add 1/4 cup of brown sugar, stir and let the sugar melt.  Turn the heat to low and let simmer and thicken while you peel and slice the peaches, but be sure to stir it often so that the caramel doesn't burn.

Add the sliced peaches to the simmering caramel and cook on low uncovered for 5 minutes or until the peaches are soft.  

Now you are ready to serve them however you like.  I chose angel food cake.  Place the angel food cake in a dish and pour peaches and caramel over the cake.

Wait....what's the double part of the double caramel peaches?  Cajeta, a creamy Mexican caramel made from goat's milk.  I used a cajeta that I bought during a trip to Sharon Springs NY when I met the Fabulous Beekman Boys at their store Beekman 1802, but any kind of cajeta will do, I'm just partial to the Beekman's.

Add a dollop of whipped cream and maybe another drizzle of cajeta and ENJOY!

If you'd like to try double caramel peaches here is what you'll need:

4 peaches

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1/4 cup brown sugar

angel food cake, pound cake or ice cream

whipped cream

cajeta sauce for drizzling

This recipe will make 4 adult servings.

This blog along with the ones listed below will be part of Summer Fest on Food Network (FN Dish) 

blog@fooodnetwork.com

More peach recipes from family and friends:

CIA Dropout: Peachy Keen Panna Cotta

What’s Gaby Cooking: Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

In Jennie’s Kitchen: Easy Peach Preserves

Daily Dishin: Fresh Peaches and Cream No-Bake Pie

Cooking with Books: Peaches and Cream Cheesecake

Cooking With My Kid: Peach & Friends Cobbler Pie

White on Rice Couple: Peach Heirloom Tomato Salad

Cooking With Elise: Bruschetta with Grilled Peach Chutney

FN Dish: Summer Fest: Peach Recipes

Taste With The Eyes: Warm White Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

Recipe Girl: Fresh Peach Pie

A Way to Garden: Farm Fresh Peaches Frozen to Perfection

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Fresh Peach Cookies

Sassy Radish: Peach, Apricot and Blueberry Cobbler with a Cornmeal Crust

Sweet Life Bake: Sweet Peach Ancho Chile Salsa

Indian Simmer: Indian Peach Gujiya

Pinch My Salt: Creamy Peach Smoothie

Dixie Chik Cooks: Peach Cobbler

Food2: 5 Killer Peach Flavored Cocktails

Healthy Eats: 8 Ways You Didn’t Know You Could Eat Peaches

Cooking Channel: Peaches on the Grill

Add a Pinch: My Grandmother’s Peach Cobbler

And Love It Too: Pan Seared Salmon with Fresh Peach Salsa

The Sensitive Epicure: A Summer Peach Tart, Gluten-Free

She Wears Many Hats: Peach Wontons

I Am Mommy: Peach Bread

Quebec

Quebec, a set on Flickr.

Three years ago we took a trip to celebrate our anniversary. Here is Quebec in photos. Remember all these photos are available for purchase.
We put one on canvas and it turned out incredible!