Eggs and Rice Omelette

Eggs and rice are delicious together. Here's a simple and satisfying omelette. It can be eaten on it's own or topped with mushrooms, bacon, smoked salmon, cheese or anything you can think of.

I've added chiu chow chili oil as a finishing touch, just to give it a little kick.

Eggs and Rice Omelette

Let's try this as more of a visual recipe this time:

Heat a skillet or saute pan over a high flame. Prepare the following:

4 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup leftover white steamed rice, reheated

4 white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil (like chiu chow chili oil)

Saute the mushrooms until brown in 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil on the hot skillet.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan. Add the rice to the beaten eggs and mix well.

Pour the egg mixture and spread it across the skillet.

Flip the omelette over after two minutes. Try not to break it in two, but if that happens, simply try and patch it back together after flipping it.

Cook for another two minutes, and remove to a plate.

Serve with the mushrooms and chili oil.

Pickled Carrots and Scallions

 I made pickled carrots and scallions, based on the flavors of the veggies included in a Vietnamese Bahn-mi sandwich.

It was so simple, I have no idea why I've never made pickled carrots (or any other kind of pickles) before.

All it took was a handful of ingredients, a bit of boiling and chopping and a nice big jar. The waiting was the hardest part, but well worth it. The pickles were ready to eat about five days after the pickling began.

They are sweet and a bit spicy, due to the peppercorns and scallions. I think next time I'm going to experiment with some red chili peppers thrown into the mix to give it some more kick.

A great first try at pickled carrots!

Pickled Rainbow Carrots and Scallions

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 rainbow carrots, scrubbed, peeled and sliced into thin sticks
• 1 bunch scallions, greens cut down, ends removed
• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 10 whole peppercorns

PREPARATION

1. In a small pan, bring water, sugar and vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Place the carrot sticks and scallions into a large jar, that has a sealable lid.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies in the jar, making sure they veggies are completely submerged.
4. Add the peppercorns, seal the jar and place in the fridge for 5 days.

Baked Eggs with Fennel and Shitake Mushrooms

 The first time I had baked eggs was in Paris. A large Le Creuset-style saucepan showed up at the table, pipping hot, filled with at least 4 eggs, half a pound of bacon, potatoes and lots of cream. It was delicious.

I vowed to make them at home, which I finally got around to this week. In the two years since the baked eggs of Paris, I've stopped eating dairy. I didn't have any bacon in the house (which rarely happens around here), so I had to think of other mix-ins that would elevate my baked eggs to those I had in Paris.

  Instead of creating a cream-based dish, I went for a mix of sautéed shitake mushrooms and grated fennel with sage. The flavors combined perfectly with the egg, and the texture was great.

 Make sure to

Sage added a nice earthy tone to the mix. I was also going to add my much loved black truffle oil to the eggs, but thought that might be going overboard, flavor wise.

As I write this, I've come up with my next version of this dish: baked eggs with mushrooms, bacon, black truffle oil and sage. Anything you'd add into an omelette will work here, too. Just experiment, watch that the eggs don't cook too long and enjoy!

Baked Eggs with Fennel and Shitake Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup shredded fennel
• 8 to 10 shitake mushrooms, tips removed and sliced
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 sage leaves, minced, or 1 twig tarragon, stem removed, leaves minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat a small sauté pan, add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to the pan and the fennel shitake mushrooms and half of the herbs.
3. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat until the fennel softens and the shitake mushrooms brown.
4. Oil two ramekins with the remaining olive oil and crack an egg into each.
5. Split the fennel and mushroom mixture evenly between the ramekins, spooning it over the egg. Add salt, pepper and fresh herbs.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until you see the white hardening around the edge of the ramekin.
7. Serve while still warm.

Serves 2. Prep time, 5 minutes; cook time 12 minutes.

PS: Here's the baked eggs they served me in Paris. Whoa! So awesome....

Baked Camembert with Asian Pears

Make a baked Camembert to impress your guests. They'll never guess how easy this is to prepare.

My sister, here husband and their friends love cheese. I added Asian pears (which I knew as apple-pears growing up) and got a nice walnut baguette to serve it with. It disappeared quickly.

Even though I stay away from gluten and dairy, I did try a few slices of this wonderful treat. Let me tell you, the melted cheese, the sweet Asian pear and the crunch of the walnuts makes a divine combination. I think some good quality salami would be wonderful with this, too.

At my parents' house, there are always many appetizers to chose from. Quite a spread appears, seemingly out of nowhere, as soon as they know someone is on their way over. Not sure how she does it, but Gran Fran usually gets some homemade focaccia bread in the oven, pulls together some roasted hot peppers and an assortment of salami.

Since most of the entertaining I do involves going to friends' houses, I try to bring along a few great side dishes or appetizers. This baked Camembert will go into regular rotation!

Baked Camembert with Asian Pears and Baguette

INGREDIENTS

• 1 wheel good quality Camembert cheese, placed in a baking dish
• 2 Asian pears washed and sliced
• 1 baguette, sliced

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place the baking dish with the cheese in it in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until you see it starting to brown on top and soften.
3. Serve with the Asian pear spread on toasted baguette.