Cabbage and Kale Omelet

Here is an omelet that is healthy for you and the kids. Hearty, and bold with flavor, cabbage and kale really change the omelet's taste and texture. This is also very easy to make. (If you can purchase the Omelet pan from Greenware, I highly recommend it.)

Ingredients

2-3 eggs scrambled

Finely chopped kale and cabbage

(Extra) Finely chopped carrot.

1 small diced yellow pepper

Garlic (Crushed)

Cracked Salt

Cracked Pepper

Coconut oil

On a medium heat, cook of the ingredients in a bout 1 tsp of coconut oil. After about 4-5 minutes the Kale and Cabbage should be tender. In a separate bowl, scramble the eggs with 1/4 cup of milk. Add the mixture into the cabbage. After 2 mins, flip the omelet over to the other side. Wait another few minutes and empty into your cooking plate. That's it! Rich in nutrients and flavor, eat and be happy.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Tomato Cucumber Salad is a great summer time treat. Refreshing and light, it is a nice break from salad greens. You can eat them all year round, however a fresh cucumber with garden tomatoes is hard to beat.

Ingredients

Tomatoes (Small, large, or multiple blends of cherry)

Paper thin tomato slices

Oregano

Parsley

Crushed Sea Salt
Crushed Pepper/Garlic Seasoning
Cracked Pepper
Red Wine Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh minced/sliced garlic

Cut the tomatoes in smaller slices. Romas can be sliced, larger tomatoes quartered, or cherry tomatoes cut in half. You want to have a hearty slice of tomato. Do not dice. You will however dice the paper thin cucumbers. You want them to stick to the tomato brine once finished. Add the rest of the ingredients, and be sure to immerse everything repeatedly with a spoon. You was the flavors to immerse themselves from top to bottom. Cover and refrigerate for about 1-2 hrs before serving. This allows the flavors to soak in the tomatoes and cucumber.

I serve mine with toasted sunflower seed bread. Sooo Good!

Cold Bath - Cherry Peppers

I am going to provide a few cold bath recipes for our readers to enjoy. First, let me explain a cold bath. Most people can their vegetables for the winter. (Warm Bath) A cold bath is an easy alternative to warm bath vegetables. The shelf life is considerably less, however if you eat what you can, you should be just fine.

Basic cold baths consist of vinegar (Apple or White) and Canning Salt. The brine will keep vegetables fresh and crisp for months as long as they are refrigerated. I am conservative, and only recommend a month for storage, however I have relatives that have eaten cold bath cherry peppers that are a year old, and swear that they taste as fresh as the day they canned them.

Ingredients

Cherry peppers sliced

Apple Cider Vinegar

Canning Salt.

(Garlic Diced For Flavor)

You will poor the apple cider vinegar inside a small canning jar. (Or larger if you like)

Next, you will add a few teaspoons of canning salt.

With some saran wrap, cover the jar and then place the seal and lid. Tighten and place in the refrigerator. I love cherry peppers on a deli sandwich and have gone crazy over the years. They rarely last. They are also a great addition to chicken riggies.

I will provide further pickling recipes that include oil and seasonings in future posts.

Summer Series - Sausage Zuchinni Lasagna

Sausage Zucchini lasagna is one of my favorite garden treats. It is delicious. This will be one of the most time consuming recipes on the blog to date, as you will fry the zucchini in smaller 1/8 inch size slices. However, it is worth the work. Here is what you will need:

3 zuchinnis

2 eggs

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup of flour

Cracked Pepper and Salt to Flavor

1 lb of Hot or Sweet Italian Sausage (Crumbles)

2 cups of sauce

Fresh sliced garlic

Oregano

Basil

Choice of Oil to Fry - Olive or Coconut

1 lb. of grated mozzarella cheese

(You can vary your choice of Italian cheeses)

You will need 2 bowls. One for the eggs and milk (scrambled) One of the flour bread crumbs cracked pepper, salt, oregano, and basil. Next, slice the zucchini in 1/8th inch slices. Precut the 3 zucchinis so that you can cook them all at once. Frying is pretty basic. Dip the slices in the egg and then coat them with the batter mixture on both sides. Lightly brown each side until the center is completely tender. Set aside the fried zucchini. Next fry the sausage as crumbles not slices. Set aside. Grate the cheese and prepare the sauce.

Layer the bottom row with zucchini and layer on top of zucchini with the sauce, sausage, cheese and additional seasoning and garlic. Continue this pattern with multiple layers until you reach the top of the pan. 

Preheat the oven for 350. Bake the casserole dish for 30 - 40 minutes. Take out and let cool for 10 mins. Next, manga!

Summer Series - Salt Potatoes Omelet

Salt Potatoes are a regional delicacy. Summer time would not be the same without them in Upstate New York. Here is a great recipe for the left over salt potatoes that is a great breakfast omelet.

Ingredients

Salt Potatoes Largely Diced

8 eggs

1/4 milk

Bleu Cheese Dressing

Bacon Bits (Fresh)

Shredded Cabbage and Carrots

Green Onions Chopped

Italian Seasoning

Cajun Seasoning

Cracked Pepper

In a skillet coated with a cooking oil (Preheated Medium Heat) fry the cabbage, potatoes carrots green onions until lightly browned. (Salt potatoes are cooked so frying should be about 7-9 minutes over a medium heat) In a separate bowl, scramble the eggs and milk add the rest of the ingredients together. Scramble the eggs in your mixture and you have an amazing omelet that is refreshing and a great use of left over salt potatoes.

.

Summer Series - Pizza On The Grill

Pizza on the grill is as close as your going to get to Wood Fired Pizza. Quick and easy, it is a great summer treat. The most common pizza I enjoy is a white sauce pizza with mushrooms. I will provide this for our friends and family to enjoy. However, you can fire up any pizza on the grill. Generally, just like a wood fire grill, the pizza will cook in 3 - 5 minutes. Gas Grills as like convection ovens and your pizza cooks evenly as long as you keep the grill cover shut.

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

Olive Oil (Regular)

Garlic (Fresh)

Mozzarella (Grated) 

Asiago Cheese (Grated)

Wild or Domestic Mushrooms (Roland Abalone Are Excellent If Pre Cooked)

Italian Seasoning

Cracked Pepper

Cracked Salt

Second Recipe - Basil Mozzie

Same as above for the Pizza Dough

Use a red sauce as a base

Mozzarella slices

Fresh Basil from the garden

Roll your dough to a Sicilian thin crust consistency. A random oval shape is pretty typical. Spread a nice base of olive oil and crushed garlic as a base. Add the grated cheese mix on top of your base and your precooked mushrooms. (Precooked recipe on the blog) 

Prior to heating the grill, prepare the cooking surface with an oil based brushing to ensure your pizza will not stick to the grill. Some people use a spray, however I like to use a brushed on oil and I am not sure what the propellant sprays have for chemicals. Set the temperature for a medium high heat and ensure that it is a peak temperature prior to grilling your pizza. Place the pizza on the grill and cover immediately. Check the pizza at a 2 minute and 3 minute interval. Most pizzas will take about 3-5 minutes. Until you get use to cooking pizza on the grill, check in one minute intervals. It is okay if you get a wood fired crust that is a bit burnt on the bottom. Your first attempt allows you to adjust as your learn.

Tip: You can get wood for your gas grill at most stores that sell accessories. This adds to the experience.

Summer Series - Fried Zucchini Flowers

Oh my, we love Fried Zucchini Flowers. If you have a garden, this is such a treat as it is only available during the summer months in most northern climates. My mom taught me how to make them. If you live in an Italian/European community, you might be able to find them at a Farmer's Market. You can also request a local farmer to consider a trial run at selling them. We just love them in our family. You can use any time of flower from a squash or pumpkin that is similar. They all taste great.

Ingredients

Flowers (Lightly washed)

Bisquick 

Bread Crumbs

3 Eggs whisked in a separate dish

Garlic Salt and Pepper mix

Cracked Pepper

Italian herb mix

Olive Oil

Add all the ingredients minus the eggs in a large platter for dipping.

Warm a skillet to medium heat on a stove top. The skillet should be lived with an 1/8 inch of olive oil. Choose the consistency you think you need for frying. Dip the flowers in egg then roll them into the base you made of breading. The flowers will fry quickly. You probably will turn them over minute or so as they turn a light brown. In a separate plate of papers towels, let then cool and then serve.

You can replace the bisquick with flower in a pinch. As with all recipes, try different herbs and spices. You have a base to get started. Your kids will love this Italian Delicacy.