Omelette for a Crowd

I haven't posted a new recipe in quite awhile.  It's been about two years.  Not acceptable!  I'm always trying something new and tweaking the favorites.  


This is today's recipe for breakfast: 

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 re-sealable plastic freezer bags

Add-ins (all are optional)

• Shredded Cheddar
• Crumbled feta
• Shredded Mozarella
• Cooked and crumbled bacon
• Cooked and crumbled sausage
• Diced ham
• Chopped bell peppers
• Chopped spinach
• Diced red onion
• Diced tomatoes
• Sauteed sliced mushrooms
• Sliced black olives

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and any of the desired add-ins. Divide and pour the egg mixture into re-sealable plastic bags.

Boil a large pot of water and drop in the sealed omelette bags. Simmer the bags for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bags from the water with tongs and drain them on a paper towel lined plate.
Allow to cool slightly before handling. Open the bags and pour the cooked omelet out onto a plate. 

I found the recipe here: Food Network

Famous Butter Chicken

I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com about a year ago.  Chicken breast is a staple in our freezer.  It's so versatile, tasty and easy to make!  I was looking for something different.  Normally, I will just fry the chicken breast and through it in some alfredo sauce or serve it with beans and mashed potatoes.  I found this on a recipe suggestion board and decided to try it.  I imagined that it would be something like shake-and-bake.  The end result was bland, at best, but the chicken was moist and tender.

I was slightly dissapointed with my first attempt.  The flavor was lacking.  I put the recipe away for awhile, until just recently.  Instead of following the recipe exactly, I made a few modifications of my own.  The end result?  An explosion of flavor!  It was so delicious!  I've since made it again and was equally impressed with the results.  So, I've determined that this is going in my "to keep" recipes.

2 eggs, beathen

1 c. crushed buttery round cracker crumbs

1/2 t. garlic salt

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 c. butter, cut into pieces

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.
3. Arrange coated chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place pieces of butter around the chicken. 
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

The changes that I made: used the roasted vegetable Ritz and added minced garlic to the butter mixture.

Both Travis and Annika loved it.

A labor of love

Something that I never imagined enjoying is cooking.  My mother taught me well, but I had no interest in being creative or trying new recipes.

When I became a single mother, I tried to find foods that were suitable for a two-year-old.  This isn't always easy.  But, I am lucky enough that she would try anything at least once.  Her tastes have changed somewhat now that she is a precocious six-year-old.  And, I've got a "family" to cook for now.  And a spouse who is a great partner in all areas.  We enjoy cooking together.  It's like being in our zone.

The idea for this blog is to share my cooking experiences, disasters and everything in between.

Bon appetit!