All Eggs Are Not Fried Equal

Not too wet, not too dry... the most indulgent eggs! (And some banana bread.)

Okay... this is important. I have always thought, "a fried egg is a fried egg". Apparently it's not. I've been seeing a lot of articles around the Internet lately about the best way(s) to fry an egg, what to do, what not to do etc. I thought it was silly, and probably not worth the effort but decided I'd try anyway. No harm in trying. Basically, today I had the best scrambled eggs I have ever had in my life, and I still took shortcuts! If you just search it, you will find endless articles about how to treat your eggs right! Just find one that you trust. If you do, I assure you, it will be worth it.
My method is low and slow... cook the eggs on low heat, stirring constantly; it will cook slowly and the end result is velvety and delicious!

Meatless Monday: Mushroom-Barley Risotto

Continuing my quest to eat a little healthier, I decided to make this incredibly indulgent meal into a little more healthy, still-indulgent dinner. Risotto is not among my most favourite dishes but every now and again, I get a bit of a hankering for it. This time, I put a bit of a spin on it by using pearl barley instead of rice, omitted the cheese and used olive oil at the beginning instead of butter. It turned out quite good, I must admit. Little swaps in everyday meals can turn out to make a huge difference. Now if only I could give up pasta for zucchini noodles!

Saturday Market Trips

I haven't been to the market in a very long time. This Saturday, I decided to take a trip there with my sister and found the market (this one was in San Juan) to be an inspiring place. It's also a bit of a creepy place. It's weird to see animals' heads and body parts everywhere, but lovely to see all the fresh fruit and vegetables, and the scent of fresh herbs is something every cook loves!

When last have you been to the market? They say everything is fresher and cheaper!

Meatless Monday: Peanut Butter Stir Fry with Black Bean Tofu

It's Meatless Monday again and I'm trying my hand at tofu again! I recently made a simple buffalo tofu and it was quite good! But, like I've said before, you can put Frank's on anything and it'll taste great! I've been trying tofu in many different ways to see if I can develop a taste for it but like for most things, the way in which something is prepared is most important. Fried or grilled eggplant tastes significantly different from "baigan choka", for example.
So, for dinner tonight, I prepared a peanut butter noodle stir fry with tofu in black bean sauce. Black bean sauce is sold in most supermarkets; it's quite inexpensive and tastes great. It can be used by itself or in combination with other Asian flavours. I tried peanut butter sauce for pasta a while ago, and while I was skeptical, I was pleasantly surprised. It's not overwhelming; the peanut adds a great nutty flavour, and the addition of a little sriracha gives it a bit of a kick.

The thing about cooking is that sometimes we just throw things together and hope for the best. So while a recipe is not always possible, sharing an idea and key ingredients is helpful. A stir fry is simple, but there are so many different ways in which it can be prepared, based on what you like, and what's available. You don't always have to worry so much about a recipe when you're cooking (baking is more precise, however), we all know what we like. Touch, smell, taste... you'll know when it's right!

Lemon Butter Escargot

What a great sister I am. Kidding (somewhat)! Why am I good sister absolutely no-one asks? Well, I'll tell you anyway. I like making people happy. A lot of times it might be through food, because it's what I know. We have to eat or at least we're supposed to, three times a day, every day. So it's a good option to gift food, always. My sister had a craving for escargot yesterday so I decided to make her happy. While sharing this dish, I'll also share my thoughts (a mini-review if you will) on canned escargot, Roland's, in particular.

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It's the only brand of escargot that was available in the supermarket. I was a bit nervous at first because canned always has a particular "metallic" taste and also quite process. A lot of it tastes like its brine. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture of these. With the addition of lemon, you could hardly (or not at all) tell it was from a can!

Lemon-Butter Escargot

• 2 dozens large escargot
• 2 Tbsp. softened butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 small limes or lemons
• Parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix escargots together with butter, minced garlic, thyme leaves, lime zest and juice of one lime. Season with salt and pepper to taste. A pinch of red pepper flakes would also add a lovely spiciness. Top with grated Parmesan as desired. Broil on high for a few minutes until bubbly and brown. Serve with toasted garlic bread and lime slices.

Meatless Monday: Breakfast Burrito

This Meatless Monday, I decided to share a tasty (healthy) breakfast meal. Breakfast tends to become quite boring for us, but we forget how many different options there really are.

Breakfast burritos or wraps in general are extremely versatile. You can fill them with anything you like, and there are also a lot of different types of wraps, and flavoured wraps. For this one, I made a tofu scramble with cheese and black beans, and served it with a side of homemade salsa. I scrambled the tofu just as I would eggs, seasoning it well. I've never been a big fan of tofu so I'd probably prefer eggs, but I tried mixing it up and trying something healthy and new. It wasn't bad though, it just needs to be properly seasoned and cooked because tofu tends to be bland. The limey salsa was a really good addition too. The salsa was just tomatoes, onions, garlic, a little pickled jalapeno, chadon beni, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Lemon/Lime Water

My first mug of warm lemon/lime water.

As we get one year older and we reflect on our lives, we realize... I'm one year older! I'm no longer a teenager, and I can't keep acting like one. Birthdays are great for self reflection and like New Year's Day, it's a day when we make resolutions. Some health resolutions maybe?

Lemon water is something we've read about or at least seen around the Internet, on TV etc. People talk about the numerous health benefits and why it's a great alternative to so many beverages. I can't vouch for it until I have used it for a while, but why not try it out? It can't hurt and it's a small step toward living a healthier life. And yes, I will incorporate diet and exercise too. 

Read the hundreds of articles and testimonials for lemon water, then try it yourself! Don't forget to read the precautions too!

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Made a great healthy breakfast as well, same ingredients, two ways: fruit and yogurt cups and a fruit and yogurt breakfast smoothie. And I decided to stock up on some ingredients as well!