Scotch Eggs Anyone?

Scotch Eggs, portable & quintessentially  British

What is a Scotch Egg many might ask? I've been a fan of this British food item since I was a student & traveled to the UK many years ago. I remember the puzzled looks on my American travel companions faces. My first Scotch Egg was crisp on the outside, it had a well cooked egg at the center & was altogether delicious. Back then it was a typical fare for corner pubs, well known food halls such as Selfridge's or Harrod's & small corner grocers across England. Jump forward to 4 years ago when my daughter & I attended the Celtic Festival in Austin Texas. My daughter was turned off when I purchased a Scotch Egg from a pseudo British food tent. I do admit the same food tent sold "Gator on a stick".... however it was every bit as tasty as I remembered eating across the pond in my youth. She refused to partake in the tasty bit of Celtic fare & made jabs at what odd bits of meats may have been inside the tasty tidbit. Who can blame her when the establishment sold other odd meats?


The Scotch egg has quite the history though. Fortnum & Mason’s archives show that it invented the Scotch Egg first. Back in the 1730s, Fortnum’s was hard at work creating foods to suit its well-heeled customers, whose far-flung families could only be reached by long-distance carriage rides. Mind you, the ultra portable Sandwich wasn't on the foodie scene till 1762 and food to travel with were in demand. Fortnum’s came up with a number of ideas, including wrapping a hard-boiled egg; which in those days was probably a pullet’s egg in sausage meat with a coating of breadcrumbs. Substantial, tasty and full of protein, it was an excellent way to stave off hunger pangs. The name, by the way, has nothing to do with Scotland; "scotched" was merely another word for processed. In the 21st century the Scotch Egg has come into a more accepted & even regaled status. In Japan "skotchi eggu" are a staple of Japanese new year. As is typical when a simple food spends centuries on the culinary journey, the newer versions take some exciting detours. The British foodies now report the use of vegan sausage, exotic ostrich meat & venison as well as foi gras wrapped around Scotch Egg. However you may enjoy this portable protein, it's worth a taste even if for the first time! I made mine without the use bread crumbs though the substitution of almond meal makes the outer crust quite crisp & gives a very nice texture. 

Scotch Eggs


4 boiled eggs, shelled & chilled
1 lb turkey or pork sausage *see below recipe if you don't buy prepared sausage
2 cups Almond meal
1 raw egg for the wash


Dip the shelled boiled eggs in water then lightly coat in almond meal. Wrap the entire Egg up inside 1/4 of the sausage meat. I flattened the sausage with my palm then wrapped the egg up in the sausage smoothing the meat around the egg evenly.  Once all 4 eggs are covered in the sausage meat, beat the raw egg, use a brush to coat the outside of the sausage wrapped eggs & then roll them in the almond meal.  Fry in medium sized skillet over medium heat in about 1/2 inch grape seed oil till browned on the outside (10-15 min).  Transfer to plate with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.  When all scotch eggs are warmed they are delicious but they are just as tasty when they are chilled. I enjoy mine with mustard but I've seen them eaten with Siracha sauce, 

Wrap sausage around the boiled egg, then roll in almond meal.

*For making your own sausage or mince:
1 lb ground lean pork or 1 lb ground turkey
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon red pepper
½ teaspoon thyme

Finding my Sunny Side Up!

Jello no matter what the flavor gets old in a hurry!

 I had unexpected surgery 2 weeks ago & it has truly made me reinvent my meals so I can tolerate some of my favorite foods.  My doctor told me next to nothing about post surgery diet and I've been on my own with figuring out what works for me right now. I've had oceans of Jello & yards of saltine crackers so I'm just trying to hit my stride on the culinary side. I guess I'm searching for my sunny side up as it were! Still sore & dealing with stitches I'm getting the hang of what works & what still has meal appeal to me as well as my family. I had already pared down my dietary meanderings omitting foods such as bread, all dairy foods, red-meat etc. Having said that I'm sticking pretty close to the straight & narrow when it comes to eating fruits, veggies & lean proteins. I hate people who preach about the new blah, blah, blah diet that they love which really made them who they are, Zzzzz....  Having said that though I'm feeling pretty good about a few new recipes I've added & thanks to a couple of good blogs I'm finding that many of the best things are still in the que for meal preps. I found Sarah Fragroso's Everyday Paleo to be very helpful. I'm not saying I will stick to a strict Paleo diet but she has some great recipes & I think a Texas to Mexico kitchen can only improve with a little Paleo restructure.

Egg Muffins are a good choice for weekend brunches.

Egg Muffins
1lb Ground Turkey or turkey/chicken sausage
3 cups fresh Spinach (packed), cleaned & chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
mushrooms, sliced
32 oz carton Egg Whites*
1 tsp. cayenne
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Cook Turkey, season with cayenne, salt & pepper to taste. Set aside turkey, wilt spinach in skillet. Try not to over cook, I just toss spinach in skillet till barely wilted & remove from heat. Into the bottom of muffin cups (you may use silicon muffin liners or just use a vegetable oil spray in the muffin pan) I spooned a Tbsp of meat into each muffin tin, layer in veggies then pour in egg whites leaving 1/3 inch space at top so egg muffins can rise as they bake. Bake at 375* for 25 min or till they are slightly browned & spring back when touched. Cool slightly & serve. These are good stored & I've even frozen them & heated them in the microwave for a quick breakfast.*I did not use the entire carton of Egg whites & you can also use 12-14 whole eggs in place.  Experiment with different veggies & type of egg product. ie: egg beaters, whites or whole eggs.

Any favorite Veggies can be used. I've used Asparagus & Broccoli

This recipe is easy to bake for the work week ahead.

Tortilla Espanola, in Spain it's a Spanish Omelette~

In Mexico Tortillas are disks of either corn or flour flat bread to be served with food tucked into them.  In Spain a Tortilla is an entirely different matter. The Espanola is an egg dish filled with potatoes & served either hot or cold.  It may be served as an appetizer in a Tapas bar or a main dish at home.  My first education about the Spanish Tortilla was in a Miami Beach Tapas restaurant believe it or not. (at last count Miami has at least 8 Tapas restaurants) My husband had lived in Spain & was thrilled to find a Tapas restaurant & introduce the family to one of his favorite foods.  Since then I have been captivated by this easy mainstream dish from Spain. Tales of this dish differ on where the Tortilla Espanola originated however all seem to agree that it dates back to the early 1800's. Historically speaking it was said to gain popularity during wartime as a way to feed a crowd with few handy & wholesome ingredients. The dish is both easy & quick to put on the table.

Tortilla Espanola ~ Spanish Tortilla
6-7 medium potatoes, peeled
1 whole yellow onion, sliced
5-6 large eggs
1 cup Spanish Chorizo, sliced into rounds
3  cups loosely chopped Swiss Chard
2-3 cups of olive oil for pan frying
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. Then, with the flat side on the cutting surface, slice the potato in pieces approximately 1/8" thick. If you slice them a bit thick, don’t worry – it will simply take a bit longer for them to cook.

Peel and chop the onion into 1/4" pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture.

In a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading them evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. You may need to turn down the heat slightly, so the potatoes do not burn, next add chorizo slices & cook 3-4 more minutes or till sausage browns slightly.

Leave in pan until the potatoes are cooked. If you can poke a piece of potato with a spatula and it easily breaks in two, your potatoes are done. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and allow oil to drain.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Pour in the potato onion mixture. Mix together with a large spoon.

Pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil into a medium, frying pan (aprox. 9-10”) and heat on medium heat. When hot, stir the potato onion mixture once more and “pour” into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges. Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly “browned.” The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.

When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate (12”) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will “fall” onto the plate. Place the frying pan back on the range and put just enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Let the pan warm for 30 seconds or so. Now slide the omelet into the frying pan. Add chopped swiss chard & use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Let the omelet cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the tortilla sit in the pan for 2 minutes. If chard needs wilting more broil it for 1-2 minutes or till nicely wilted.

Slide the omelet onto a plate to serve. If eating as a main course, cut the omelet into 6-8 pieces like a pie. Serve a wedge of the Tortilla with sliced pickle, marinated mushrooms, fruit or a piece of crusty bread & a glass of wine.

Breakfast for dinner, Day 4

Day 4 of the Hunger Awareness Blogger Project. Some of the comfort meals I remember most from childhood were those meals which my mother made which were designed to stretch the budget. As kids we loved the entire concept of breakfast for dinner. Never realizing that it was a great way to be economical & fill the belly at the same time. Generally speaking we begged for something like pancakes or biscuits. When our family moved from San Antonio Texas to Alaska in 1969 a loaf of bread in Texas was .10-.20 cents a loaf. When my mother realized a loaf of bread in Alaska was over $1.00 a loaf then she began stretching her food budget & getting creative. Moose meat & wild berries made it into our meals & she also became an excellent bread baker. Kids do not realize the budget is tight when the meals are creative. As an adult I still enjoy a simple meal of an omelet or an otherwise "breakfastie" type meal when I am needing comfort food. This Frittata is really an Italian style Omelet. Easy & inexpensive, it is fabulous for any meal.

For very little money anyone can make this simple Frittata. Any veggie will do & day old pasta is fine.

The Capital Area Food Bank has seen a 60 percent increase in usage compared to a year ago. Wonder how you can help fight Hunger? Contact Capital Area Food Bank here:

















**If the Days seem out of sequence the rest of Hunger Awareness week is here*** at Bytes from Texas.

Zucchini Frittata
6 eggs
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. water
3 Zucchini squash, trimmed & sliced
1 small onion, halved & sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups whole grain pasta, cooked, (leftover best)
2 Tbsp. Butter
Cooking Spray
1 green onion, sliced & reserved for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place eggs in a bowl with the flour, water & beat well till smooth. Spray skillet with cooking spray, melt butter. Saute onion, garlic & zucchini 2 minutes. To the vegetables add the pasta. Stir the pasta/vegetable mixture blending all ingredients well. Over this pour the egg mixture tilting the skillet so it covers the base & is around all veggie pasta blend. Once the bottom is set & edges of frittata are lifting from the edge of the skillet well gently make certain that the bottom will lift out of the skillet in once piece. Briefly remove skillet from heat, place a dinner plate over the top of the skillet & invert the frittata onto the plate. Then gently slide the frittata (Uncooked side down) back into the skillet & cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat & place onto clean platter & slice into wedges. Garnish with green onion tops & shredded cheese.
Serves 4

**This meal uses the Pasta from our Food Blogger Hunger Awareness provisions. Fresh eggs & produce from the Austin Farmer's Market. Eggs are a wonderful protein packed value which are packed with vitamins & high in lecithin--the emulsifier that keeps fats and cholesterol from clumping together in the blood.

If it's Fat Tuesday we must have Gumbo & plenty of Seafood.

Whether you call it Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, the same day seems to mean one last culinary celebratory event leading up the the date Lent begins on the Christian calendar. Festival season in many cultures encompasses the period between Epiphany & Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is the celebration of & end of Mardi Gras as we know it in the South. In our family whether we are in New Orleans, Mexico or Texas it is cause for Gumbo, stews, etoufee or jambalaya. Wherever you find yourself this day let the good times roll & make it hot, hot, hot!!


















Start your Fat Tuesday off with Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico over Poached eggs. A quick 10 minute breakfast. In the words of my Cajun friends; "Talk about good, Cher, nes pa?"
Poached Eggs & Shrimp for two
2 large eggs
2 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
Lemon wedges
2 tbsp. white wine
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic
salt, pepper & red pepper flakes
2 slices Roma tomato
fresh baby spinach leaves
2 whole grain English muffins, sliced & toasted

Poach the 2 eggs at the same time you are sauteing the shrimp for this dish. If you have never poached an egg, here is a quick how to Poach guide.
In small pan saute garlic in butter, add shrimp, quickly sautee shrimp till opaque. Add seasoning & white wine. Remove from heat. Place toasted English muffins the serving plate, add 3 to 4 fresh baby spinach leaves over the bottom half, ease the poached egg onto the spinach (as you can tell from the photo I enjoy my eggs soft), garnish with 1 slice of tomato, carefully set the jumbo shrimp onto the tomato & serve with lemon wedge on each plate.

“Gumbo, of all other products of the New Orleans cuisine, represents a most distinctive type of the evolution of good cookery under the hands of the famous Creole Cuisinieres of old New Orleans.”
The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book (1901)

My friend Vickie Thibodeaux said years ago as she taught me to make Gumbo..."the Roux is all important but the onion, celery & bell pepper are the holy triumvirate!" She taught me to make the roux & get it nice & dark like a cup of Cajun coffee. Roux is equal parts oil & flour which is browned & used as thickening in many South Louisiana & French style dishes. A roux makes or breaks a pot of gumbo. Anytime I have tried to rush that process I have been truly disappointed. If I do not have a full 20 minutes to make a good roux then I'd better not bother. This seafood gumbo is based on a recipe I have used for years from one of my favorite Louisiana cookbooks. A book called "Cajun Cooking" has recipes compiled from kitchens across South Louisiana & like any community or church cookbook the tidbits are endless & the flavors superb. The cover has a great photo of a sweet Cajun Grandmother peeling shrimp which puts a smile on my face each time I see it.
















Seafood Gumbo
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
2 lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined
4 oz. Wild Caught Crab claw meat
4 oz. Oysters, *Gulf coast oysters
2 Quarts Water
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs. okra, fresh or frozen
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt, Pepper & Cayenne Pepper to taste
Parsley chopped
Cooked Rice
File, a seasoning made from ground Sassafras root used to garnish Gumbo when served.

Saute Shrimp & crab meat with 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pot, add water & set aside.
In remaining oil make the Roux: Mix oil & flour together in a large cast iron skillet, stir every few minutes, at first roux will be light brown (coffee with cream color), continue stirring for several minutes longer till the roux is a dark brown or rich brown coffee color. The roux will be very hot, then add the onion, bell pepper, celery & cook vegetables slightly. Add in the garlic & okra. Continue sauteing till slightly browned.
Add the sauteed vegetables & oysters to the seafood, along with the can of diced tomatoes, stir well. Add seasonings, Worcestershire sauce & cook slowly for about 1 hour.
Finally add parsley & serve over mound of cooked rice. In our home we always serve gumbo with File. A light sprinkle at the edge of the bowl is nice & adds a certain: "Je ne sais quoi!" (a certain "something")

*Anytime I use fresh Gulf Coast Oysters in my gumbo I use the liquid the oysters have along with the water or stock for my gumbo.

Quiche, the language of love~

Love means Quiche this Valentine's Day.



















Quiche has a history of being feminine or ...not for men! I first learned how to make Quiche when I visited my Grandmother one summer. My Grandmother had been a home economics teacher for years & told my sister & I we could cook anything we wanted that Summer. My sister & I tried our best to cook things which sounded different or exotic to our impressionable palettes. We chopped, sauteed & cooked our way through my Grandmother's vast library of cookbooks. Our endeavors were not limited either. Grandmother told us to choose recipes & would then purchase any ingredients she could locate in Greenville Texas in the mid 1970's. We used the old Royal typewriter to type out the recipes we wanted to replicate in the future. My sister & I felt like the reigning Cooking Queens that summer long ago. We certainly thought so anyway. Several years later when I was engaged to my husband I asked the future Mr. Texas to Mexico if he liked Quiche? He replied yes. I then told him "Great, I know how to make 4 things, Chili, Gumbo, Spaghetti Sauce & Quiche!" He was a man in love & very patient. I made those few things many times the first year we were married.

Considered part of French cuisine, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which under French rule was later renamed Lorraine. The word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake. Quiche is great for lunch, dinner or my family has enjoyed it for breakfast on occasion. I ran across my time worn, type written copy of Quiche Lorraine not too long ago. I thought fondly about the summer my sister & I were the cooking Queens in my Grandmother's kitchen.

Spanish Mushroom & Spring Onion Quiche
1/2 recipe Simple Pastry Dough
8 large eggs
2 cups plain low fat yogurt**
1 cup fat free half & half
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
8 oz. Chorizo, Mexican or Spanish
1 cup Crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 medium sized *Spring onions, tops & bulbs sliced
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese or Queso Chihuahua, shredded

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. Brush off any excess flour; fit dough into a 2-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing it into the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough evenly with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 20 minutes. (for my heart shaped pans I used 1 recipe cut into quarters, following the same instructions.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line the pastry dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1 egg and flour on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining 7 eggs and continue mixing until well blended.
In skillet, saute mushrooms & Spring onions till slightly tender, set aside & the use the same skillet to cook the chorizo till browned. Cut chorizo into bites if it is in sausage link form, otherwise cook & then drain well onto paper towels.
Place plain yogurt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; add half & half and continue whisking until well combined. Add to mixer along with salt, pepper, and thyme; mix until well combined.
Place chorizo, mushrooms, onions & cheese in prepared tart shell. Pour over egg mixture until tart shell is full (you may not need to use all of the egg mixture). Bake 20 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees, and continue baking until filling is slightly firm, rather than liquid, and crust is a deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer quiche to a wire rack to cool until set, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, cover quiche with aluminum foil and bake in an oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Simple Pastry Dough
recipe for two 9 or 10 inch pie shells

1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup ice water
3 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup(2 sticks)plus 5 Tbsp. very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a small bowl, mix together salt and water. Keep very cold until ready to use.
Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly until mixture forms large crumbs. Add the salt water mixture and continue pulsing until a dough has just formed but is not smooth.
On a lightly floured surface, evenly divide dough. Form each piece of dough into a round about 1 inch thick. Wrap each pastry round with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours and up to overnight. I have even frozen these prepped pie crusts for a few weeks in a Ziploc bag.

*Spring Onions are the onions which look like very large Green Onions. They have nice plump round bulbs & a very mild flavor.
**I began using plain yogurt when we lived in Mexico & creme fraiche was difficult to come by.

Going home~Who says we can't go home?

The Spirit of Mexico may never leave us but we are certainly going to do just that & leaving Mexico to head back home...


















As we leave Mexico & return home I reflect on all the ways Mexico touches our lives. While it is true Texas is never far from Mexico both in distance & cultural connections. During the time we have both lived here & traveled to and from Mexico it has touched our lives in ways one cannot describe or even try to tell someone else. The friends we made in Mexico will be ours for a lifetime & the experiences we had will stay with us even longer. Texas will always be my home & birthplace but Mexico will always have a piece of my heart. **Besides all of the sentiment, I knew it was time to head home to Texas when my husband wanted ice cream & I paid 130.00 pesos for a carton of Blue Bell ice cream. Somethings are just sacred!





I spent last week running around visiting my friends, saying my goodbyes & having a few last cups of coffee. I was able to visit a Festival de Artesanias from Oaxaca which came to town just before we left Monterrey. The festival featured handmade products from across the state of Oaxaca. I was impressed as always by the quality of goods & the skills of the artist from that region. Most of the artist were very friendly & eager to show the wares they had made but one in particular impressed me when she gave me a demonstration of weaving with a traditional back strap loom. Alicia Gomez Navarro showed us several of the weavings she had made several of which depicted animals woven into the patterns. We of course bought some of her beautiful woven pieces, which are true treasures. Many of the typical Artesanias we saw from Oaxaca have been made for generations & the ancient traditions have been handed down from Nahua or Aztec heritage.




















A Typical Tex-Mex Breakfast good enough for a meal at any time.
More than once during our moving time period I made up Migas for a meal. When moving easy meals featuring whatever was on hand & didn't require making a run to the "Super" was the comida del día.
"Migas" means crumbs, in Spain the migas or crumbs are actual breadcrumbs mixed into the eggs & scambled. In Texas or Northern Mexico it's Tortillas which are the "crumbs" in the eggs.


Huevos con migas Omlette
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. Poblano Chili Pepper, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into small strips
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 roma tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
crema or sour cream

In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, and set aside.

Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped Poblano chiles, tomato.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" gently eggs are done or set. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the cilantro and cheese into the eggs, fold Omelette over carefully making certain the cheese is in the center as you would with a regular omelette. the Tortillas add density to folding it over may require both a spatula & silicon spatula. Top with Crema & serve avocado to the side. This omelette serves 2. Serve at once with warm flour or corn tortillas & favorite salsa.

Egg~zactly!

An Asian friend years ago showed me how to make her version of a Rice Omlette. This is my Tex~Mex version which is a nice light dinner alternative. This is egg~zactly the lighter summer fare we need in the heat of the summer here in Mexico.



















Tex~Mex Rice Omlette

1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or spray
1 cup brown or white rice
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh spinach
1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup Soy Chorizo, or favorite chorizo or chicken, etc.
1 tablespoon soy sauce

*2 Large Egg for each Omlette, this filling makes enough for 2 Rice Omlettes, it can be stretched to make 3.

Saute all ingredients, seasoning with soy sauce & heat through, set aside. In large skillet sprayed with pam or cooking spray, fry one beaten egg in bottom of skillet, turning the skillet to cover the bottom of pan or skillet. Cook egg as you would crepe, turning over gently to cook on both sides. Gently slide onto serving plate & empty skillet of rice mixture onto this egg & wrap over the filling as shown above. Serve topped with Salsa & salt & pepper. Enjoy!

Weekend Storms, No Internet ~ Staying Busy South of the Border

We had wild weekend weather here which threw things off line & sent things helter skelter at our house for a few days. The long awaited rain finally arrived at the end of a week of heat. The combination of heat & rain storms from the north combined to make a wild night of weather. We had a direct hit of lightening to the house which blew out our Internet as well as phone. We had no water till mid day Saturday. The comforts we take for granted seem very important when we don't have them. During the heaviest of rain we hung close to the house, read, cooked, slept... (*avoided the crazy rain soaked drivers!!) & only ventured out Sunday afternoon to see an exhibit at the Marco, Museum of Modern Art. We viewed works by Diego Rivera, Maria Izquierdo, Frida Kahlo & others. There was also a concert at the Marco for Dia del Nino. Being performed was the well known Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf. All in all a very nice diversion from the rainy stormy weekend. It goes without saying that I was thrilled when the Telmex guys replaced our fried Internet router this morning. With a phone & online capabilities we are connected to the rest of the world once again!!!

Rain, Fog & more rain...



















Brunch with a French twist~
We had eggs baked in ramekins, a recipe from James Peterson's Glorious French Food.
A nice change from the norm.
Eggs are baked @ 375, in well buttered ramekins with 1-2 Tbsp. Creme drizzled over as well as the addition of 1 Tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated. Bake for 10-`12 minutes, testing for firmness before serving.



Dia del Nino is a holiday which recognizes the children as a part of Mexican society, the holiday endorses well being, happiness & has been a national holiday since 1925.