Eggs and Avocado

on lettuce with shredded carrot and a light drizzle of seasoned rice vinegar and Tabasco's green pepper sauce.  Makes an amazing breakfast.

Breakfast Burritos with Cayenne Pepper

Fresh tomatoes, avocado, creamy scrambled eggs, and Tillamook cheese on a corn burrito sprinkled with cayenne pepper.  What more could you ask in a breakfast burrito?

Breakfast Burritos with Cayenne Pepper
serves 3

6 eggs
1 avocado, sliced thin
1 tomato sliced or diced
6 corn tortillas
1.5 cups grated Tillamook cheese
1 tsp cayenne pepper

The Soft Scrambled Eggs:
There is a special way to make very moist scrambled eggs without the slimy uncooked taste.  The key to this technique is heating the eggs slowly and evenly while stirring continuously.  I heat a cast iron pan on medium heat.  When it is hot enough to sizzle I add a tablespoon of butter then pour in the mixed eggs.  Using a wooden spoon I stir the eggs almost continuously, making sure to get all parts of the pan.  There is an art to this: you want to have the pan temperature hot enough that you aren't standing around stirring the eggs forever.  The heat should be hot enough that the eggs are solidifying visibly each time you stir it and the wet parts touch the heat, but not so fast that you have an egg cake.  The egg should solidify as more of a mashed potato consistency.  Confused yet?  It takes some practice. Salt and pepper to your liking.

Putting the Burrito Together:
Heat corn tortillas in a little butter on medium heat in a cast iron pan adding cheese so that it will melt.  Top with scrambled eggs, chopped fresh tomatoes, avocado, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. 

Specially scrambled eggs

Drunk Mussels in Butter, Basil and Garlic Sauce

It's been a while since I cooked mussels, the kiddos were pretty excited about trying them, and I just bought some lovely purple garlic from the Port Townsend Farmer's Market. A nice convergence, including some inspiration for trying new shellfish recipes after some delicious barbequed oysters last weekend =).  Right here on Whidbey Island we have Penn Cove Shellfish a fresh-from-the-water shellfish growing operation in Coupeville.  Whidbey island is a great place to buy shellfish!

Drunk Mussels in Butter, Basil and Garlic Sauce
Serves 2 to 3 adults

1.5 pounds of mussels
1/2 cup butter
2 large or 4 small/medium garlic cloves, diced
1 cup white wine
2 TBS fresh chopped basil

Clean the mussels in water and pull out their beards.  Toss any that have broken shells.  Melt butter slowly on stove.  Once the butter has melted add garlic and basil, cook for several minutes on low temperature and set aside.  In a pan bring white wine to a simmer, add mussels and cook until the mussel shells open.  Serve with butter sauce drizzled over the mussels. Great served with noodles.  We combined mussels, noodles and edamame beans.  I think next time I would add fresh tomatoes and more fresh basil.

Coconut Rice with Broccoli Stir Fry

Here is a fun trick: replace some of the rice cooking water with coconut milk.  Simple and delicious!  For this recipe I replaced 1 cup of 3 cups rice cooking water with coconut milk.  If you replace too much of the water the taste is too strong.  Especially good with Jasmine rice and jalapenos (spicy is a nice taste to add to the coconut milk flavor).  Serve with stir fry.

Salad and Grilled Cheese on Dave's Killer Bread

I made grilled cheese sandwiches on Dave's Killer Bread (WOW!  Really good!) paired with a salad.  The girls love cukes so we brought some from a local farm for snacking on and for the salad.  Here is the recipe for the salad dressing we made that was great with the meal:

Spicy Garlic and Rice Vinaigrette
2 TBS Seasoned rice vinegar
1 TBS olive oil
1 small clove of garlic, minced
pepper and honey to your taste (the more pepper the spicier)

Mix all ingredients together and toss with salad.

 Stella with the kid version of lunch

Marina enjoys lunch

The free range Amerincana hens were eyeing the food I was taking pictures of... I had to shoo them away!

Adzuki Bean and Tuna Salad with Lemon Pepper and Pink Salt Vinaigrette

I just completed my second 50 mile race and I have been craving healthy food at all hours.  It is almost 11 PM and instead of snacking on something sweet (really doesn't sound good), I threw together a salad using some adzuki beans I slow cooked toady, canned tuna, romaine lettuce, and a white vinegar, sea salt, and lemon pepper dressing.  It is very satisfying and healthy, plus the pup is enjoying the tuna can right now.

Adzuki Bean and Tuna Salad with Lemon Pepper and Sea Salt Vinaigrette
Serves 2

Salad:
Six large romaine leaves, washed and chopped small
1 can of tuna
1 cup of adzuki beans, precooked (preferably at home)

Vinaigrette:
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS white wine vinegar
a few small pinches (or if from a grinder, a few twists) of Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals (or just plain sea salt)
a few generous pinches (better yet, grind it) of lemon pepper
1 teaspoon honey

To make the vinaigrette, mix all dressing ingredients thoroughly in the bottom of your serving bowl.  Place cut romaine on top and mix with the dressing until leaves are saturated.  Serve with tuna and adzuki beans on top and garnish with a little more lemon pepper and pink salt (or sea salt).