Eggs and Strawberries

Recipe: Omelet with Strrawberries
Source: Giada De Laurentis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/omelet-with-strawberries-recipe/index.html
Time: 30 minutes
Ease: 3
Taste: 7
Leftover Value: No leftovers
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer--with some modifications.

Omelets have never been my thing.  I love eggs; I love meats and cheeses and veggies.  But eggs as the base for my meal has never peaked my interest.

Watching Giada cook this unusual omelet made me excited for eggs.

Perhaps this is because something new or out of sorts with normality is often up my alley.  Wendy's is serving pretzel burgers now?  I want one.  Mars Chocolate released a pumpkin spice flavored M&M? I need it!  Let's face it, a new treat could come out titled, "Candy Flavored Rocks" and I would want to try it.  At least once.

Thank goodness that in this recipe the only unusual thing was to add strawberries to eggs.

I cut everything in half, so I was constantly having to do complicated math in my head.

Okay, not so complicated.  But for a summer brain, very complicated.

Take a few strawberries, chop them up, and toss them with sugar and vinegar.  They are delicious this way, I promise!

The strawberry mixture needs to stand for 15 minutes.  While it sits mix together your eggs with....dare I say it...a little sugar and heavy cream.

You won't be sorry.  This creates the most delicious egg I have ever eaten.

Then stir in a little mint.  I was fortunate that my friend, Anita, gave me a mint plant at the beginning of summer.  I love being able to walk into my backyard and pick off a few fresh herbs for a meal.

It certainly beats scrambling around my spice containers looking to see if I have something somewhat similar to the recipe's listed ingredient.

Heat butter and oil in a skillet (and since I didn't take any pictures of the last dozen steps you have to go to your special place and picture it with me), then pour the egg mixture in.

The recipe doesn't say to do this, but when I watched this cooked on her show Giada had her mom on with her.  Her mother told her the eggs should be covered with a lid.  It definitely helps the eggs cook faster and more through.

This is after only a few minutes.  It's almost ready for the best part!

To prepare your strawberries for omelet assembly, strain the liquid.

When the eggs are almost completely cooked and there is very little liquid left on top, spoon the strawberries down the center of the omelet.  Fold the edges over the strawberries so that the omelet looks like an omelet.

Cook for a few more minutes, until the mixture has completely set.

I made this about a month ago and now I'm wishing I could have it right now.

The eggs were unlike any eggs I have ever eaten.  They gave off more of a pancake taste than an egg taste, which is never a bad thing.  The strawberries added a perfect edge of sugary sweetness.  The only thing I would have adjusted is to have lessened the amount of mint and to have chopped it up even finer.  It was a little too overpowering.

Don't be like me and wait until your omelet is finished cooking to decide that yes, you do want to have some fresh whipped cream to go on the side.

Thank goodness for my Kitchen Aide mixer.  Toss in a quarter cup of heavy cream, a little powdered sugar, a little vanilla, throw the mixer on and minutes later: whipped cream!  I love it.

And I love this too.

Watermelon Strawberry Smoothies

Recipe: Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

Source: Canadian Living

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/watermelon_strawberry_smoothie.php

Time: 50 minutes total (include 30 minute watermelon freezing time)

Ease: 2

Taste: 5

Leftover Value: 5

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer, with substitutions

You might wonder, "A recipe from Canadian Living?  How did that happen?".  Then, you might think that perhaps I picked up a copy of said magazine during my recent trip to Niagara Falls, Canada, but you would be wrong.

Coincidentally, while I was over a friend's house I noticed the recent issue of Canadian Living sitting by itself, screaming out to me, "Read me, read me!".  

I love magazines.

And I love watermelon.

When I saw in the magazine this recipe for watermelon smoothies, I'm pretty sure I heard angels sing. 

I bought an incredibly sweet watermelon.  This made me very happy.  Watermelons can some time be a toss up, especially depending where you choose to purchase yours from.  I wish I could tell you I grabbed mine at my local farmer's market, but sadly, no.  I got it at Bottom Dollar Food.  I used probably only a quarter of the watermelon for the smoothies, so there was lots left over for me to snack on all day long.

The only real step aside from pureeing all the ingredients was to freeze the watermelon cubes for 30 minutes. Next time I think I would freeze them a little longer.

Something pretty cool about the Canadian Living website where this recipe can be found is that if you decide you want more servings of the recipe, you can plug the number of servings into this little calculator that will then change the measurements of each item you need.

It's the little things in life that make me happy.

Of course, I didn't need to use this function, but it's nice to know it is there.

Yogurt.  I have this strange relationship with yogurt.  I don't like it.  The only way I choose to eat it is if it is loaded with an equal fruit to yogurt or cookie to yogurt ratio.

Or if it is in a smoothie.  

Put the watermelon, strawberries, and plain yogurt in a blender.

Add 2 tsp of lime juice.

I felt a little creative so I added about 2 tsp of orange juice as well.

Puree it all together until it is smooth and pink.

This was a nontraditional smoothie.  It was very watery.  Hmm, perhaps that is because it has a lot of watermelon in it.

I only make that comment so that you don't make this thinking you are going to have a thick smoothie.  It's not exactly the type of smoothie you can drink as a meal substitute.  My suggestion, and thought for next time I make this, is to throw the watermelon and strawberries in the freezer overnight (just to make sure they are overly frozen).  Then, add an extra cup or so of yogurt.

I'm sure it will be awesome.

Patriotic Pastries

Recipe: Easy Cheese Danish

Source: The Orange Strainer

Time: 45 minutes total

Ease: 2

Taste: 8

Leftover Value: 6

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer:  Keep it in the Strainer!

I love pastries.  Especially ones that involve cheese and/or fruit.  The instant fruit is added into the equation the pastry becomes healthy and good for you.  Good enough that it's okay to eat three or four pieces.

I promise.

This recipe is so easy and involves so little ingredients, you'll feel like there should be more to it.

All you need is:
-1 cup powdered sugar
-A box of pie crusts
-8oz cream cheese
-Strawberries
-Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 450.

Lay out the pie crust on a clean surface.

Cut it in half and then into quarters.

Then cut a line straight through the middle.

With each piece fold down the corners and crimp the edges with your fingers.

The curved pieces are the hardest, they won't conform.  They're rebels without a cause.

Lay out the pastry pieces on a pan.  Put in the oven for nine minutes.

While the pastry pieces are in oven cut up your strawberries.  I cut mine into eighths.  But if you want honkin' huge strawberry pieces, go bigger.

Put cream cheese in the mixer and soften it up a little.

This would look better if I was making a larger batch.  One 8oz block of cream cheese isn't much for my super duper Kitchen Aid mixer.

Add 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Don't run out like me and have to drive over to your mother's to borrow some.

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until they are smooth and creamy.
(This cream cheese mixture comes from my good friend Anita's Cherry Cheesecake recipe.  It is to die for.  I could eat a whole pie in one sitting.  Delicious).

After your pastry pieces have finished cooking, allow them to cool for about 5 minutes.  Then, spread the cream cheese mixture on top.

Do not top with fruit until every pastry has a thick coating of cream cheese spread.  

I like to be fair to all pastry pieces.

Top with the cut up strawberries and blueberries.

Sigh at the beauty and ease of making this delicious treat.  Then tell all your friends and family how difficult it was while they sing your praises.