A Life, Lived

Proverb

Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole

This is one of those recipes you hang on to - it is easy, can feed a crowd, and tastes amazing. Even better, you can prepare it in advance if that works for your schedule.

As an aside - don't feel you have to relegate this casserole to breakfast or brunch. This is one of those things that would be awesome if you are a fan of 'breakfast for dinner' . . . which we certainly are. LOL

This is also a good recipe to modify for the crowd you are feeding. We cut in half and had plenty of leftovers to pop into the freezer for quick hot breakfasts on those days when we are out shovelling the driveway early in the morning.

Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole

1 lb bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 yellow onion diced
1 red bell pepper seeds removed and diced
3 garlic minced
12 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups frozen diced potatoes you don't have to thaw or cook the potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions chopped

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until it is a nice crispy brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Add the onion and red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the milk. Stir in the cooked vegetables, potatoes, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Set ¾ cup of bacon aside and stir in the rest. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top remaining cheese and green onions. Bake for 20 minutes so the eggs start to set up. Carefully add the remaining bacon to the top of the casserole. Bake for an additional 20 tot 30 minutes or until the eggs are firm and the top is slightly golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

ote: This casserole can be made in advance. Pour the mixture in the pan and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake when ready to eat. You can also reheat the casserole.

Travel Tuesdays - San Francisco

A few years ago we were in San Francisco having breakfast. I received a call from a colleague - apparently I hadn't rearranged by work schedule properly and I was expected to be working on that day. She offered to help me out and take over.

Thank goodness for helpful colleagues.

After things got sorted Paul and I hopped on transit and headed to the museum area of the Golden Gate Park. Later in the day we went to the Slanted Door for dinner.

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

This is one of those 'keepers' - a quick 20-minute chicken dinner that’s simple enough for midweek but elegant enough for company. The creamy mushroom sauce is served with a lightly crusted chicken breast. It’s as tasty as it looks and is very, very, very good!

Chicken breasts can be boring on the plate with little flavour in the lean meat. The sauce brings richness, flavour and in fact, a real WOW factor. It’s a notch above the usual basic mushroom sauce recipes, thanks to a splash of white wine, parmesan and chicken stock/broth.

Because the sauce is so delicious you want a vehicle to gather up the flavour - mashed potatoes, butter noodles or rice. Of course, some warm bread would serve you well in this regard.

A crisp salad or green vegetable would round out the plate.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts, large (boneless skinless, ~600-700g / 1.2 – 1.4 lb total)
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Mushroom Sauce:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
10 oz mushrooms, sliced (button or Swiss brown)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
1 cup heavy cream, full fat (light cream or milk will curdle)
1/2 cup parmesan, finely and freshly grated

For serving:

2 tbsp chives, finely sliced (optional) – sub parsley, green onions, or omit

Cut each breast in half horizontally to form 4 thin steaks in total<

Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with flour and use your fingers to spread it all over the surface.

Melt 15g butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook each side for 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown and just cooked through. Remove from pan, cover and keep warm.

In the same frying pan, add remaining butter and increase heat to high. Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown on the edges.

Then add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another minute until both garlic and mushrooms are golden.

Add white wine. Cook for 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pan, until wine is mostly evaporated and the alcohol smell is gone.

Add chicken stock, cook vigorously for 1 minute so it mostly evaporates. Then add cream, lower heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly.

Stir in parmesan, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Return chicken to sauce for 30 seconds (to warm through slightly.) Garnish with chives and serve as-is in the pan, for people to help themselves (or transfer to serving platter, if you prefer). Alternatively, serve a portion of chicken onto each plate, spoon sauce over and garnish with more chives.

Blueberry Almond Granola

Granola is so simple to make at home. I have no idea why I ever bought it from the store. It’s overpriced, the ingredient lists are usually odd, and it’s likely full of refined sugar and unnecessary fats. Granola is one of the easiest, practically-no-work-involved healthy snacks and you don’t need 27 different weird ingredients to throw it together.

I like to keep some on hand to toss on cereal or yogurt for a quick pick me up.

Enjoy

Blueberry Almond Granola

3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss together oats, almonds, blueberries, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine oil, honey, and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour liquid over oat mixture and use to a wooden spoon to evenly coat oat mixture. Make sure all of the oat are moistened – use your hands if necessary.

Spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and use the back of wooden spatula to press down on granola to form on large granola clump. (This will give you big granola clusters after it cools!!)

Let granola cool completely – the air will help the granola obtain a crunchy texture. After completely cool, break up granola and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Peaceful Protests

Something to think about when you compare the January 6th protest of the US election results being finalized vs. another protest . . .

Travel Tuesdays - Bermuda

We're supposed to get between 20 and 35 cm of snow in the next 24 hours.

I'm done with winter.

This is as close to warm and tropical as I will get right now.

Happy Valentine's Day

Mr. Beckett

I haven't done a Beckett update for a bit. With two young and rambunctious cats in the house the quite senior is often not the feature of pics and stuff.

Beckett will soon be 17. He is the cat who has had the most health issues but he still keeps on going.

His life consists of a lot of sleeping, trying to beg food, eating (if successful with the previous point), and cuddles.

Every now and then he will surprise us with his behaviour.

Like yesterday when I found him sitting up on a windowsill.

He appears to be saying 'I may be old but I still have it . . .'.

There is a part of every day when he seems to want to be near me. If I am working up in the den he will jump up on the old sofa and sleep for a bit.

and yes, after almost 3.5 years he seems to be coming to grips with the fact that Jake (the younger, rambunctious cat who looks like a mini-Beckett) isn't going away and perhaps some level of friendship is developing.

Of course, it might just be that it was - 15 outside, the house was cold, and he was chilly. :-)

A Certain Age

I think I was this age about 20 years ago . . .

I am sure that many in the 50 - 60 range can relate. :-)