We have had a really snowy week here in the Valley. The roads have been really impassable, so I have not been able to get out to the shops to get in any groceries. I am really lucky that I always keep in a healthy store cupboard of basic ingredients.
I think I could probably pull together a meal very quickly without a lot of effort.
Today I decided to make myself some eggs for breakfast. I also had a few bits and bobs which needed using up. Some baby plum tomatoes, a few limp spring onions, a slice of deli ham and a portion of a green pepper.
I also had some lovely farm eggs and flour tortillas left from earlier this week that I wanted to use up.
I decided to make myself a Tortilla Omelet. I had seen a video on Pinterest. It looked really simple to do. I decided to expand upon it. The original one used a whole slice of ham and some cheese.
I added some chopped peppers, onions and tomatoes, which I kept really small for ease of rolling. This was hearty and very filling. It would make a fabulous breakfast for two, especially if you added some hashbrowns on the side.
It would also make a great portable breakfast that you could make for those times when you are on the go. You could use a smaller tortilla and pan and make it into two lots, one for each person.
Quick and easy to make. Totally adaptable. Delicious. You can't ask for much more than that!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BREAKFAST OMELET TORTILLA
Just a few simple ingredients that are totally adaptable to your own taste and with whatever you have in the house to use!
- 2 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
- 3 TBS finely chopped peppers
- 3 TBS finely chopped tomatoes
- 3 TBS finely chopped ham
- salt and black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large flour tortilla
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- butter to grease the skillet
You don't have to use spring onions, but I do like their milder flavor and the color that they add. Red onions would also be nice.
You can use a mix of colored peppers if you wish. I only happened to have a green pepper in the house.
My tomatoes were baby plum tomatoes. I cut them into quarters and then into eighths. This was about the right size. Not a fan of tomatoes? Leave them out!
I used ham as that is what I had, but you could use sausage, hotdogs, bacon, salami, etc. or even leave out the meat altogether!
You could add olives, or hot peppers, mushrooms, pickled jalapenos, green chilies, etc. Whatever you enjoy just so long as it is chopped small.
My tortilla was 12 inches in diameter. This worked very well. Mine was a white flour tortilla, but whole wheat or grainy would also work.
I used grated strong cheddar cheese, but you could use any other good melting cheese that you have on hand or that you enjoy. Swiss would be very nice as would gouda or Jack cheese. Pepper Jack if you like it spicy!
HOW TO MAKE BREAKFAST OMELET TORTILLA
This is really not hard at all. Just follow the photographs if in doubt.
Prepare all of your vegetables. You can use what I have suggested or add your own tasty combination. I used what I had in the house. Chop them into 1/4-inch dice.
Place into a bowl.
Finely chop your ham. You don't need to use ham. You can use salami, bacon, etc. or leave out the meat altogether. Place into a bowl with the veggies and give it all a good stir together.
Add the eggs to the bowl and beat everything together with a fork. Set aside.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Butter lightly.
Pour in the egg mixture. Immediately place the tortilla on top, covering the eggs.
Cook over medium high heat until the eggs have completely set. Carefully turn over with a large flexible spatula so that the eggs are on top and the tortilla is on the bottom.
Season the eggs as desired with salt and black pepper.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over top, concentrating most of it in the center. Using your spatula, bring one side up over the middle of the omelet.
Repeat with the other side and slide out onto a place. Cut in half on the diagonal to serve.
I was very pleased with how simple and easy this omelet was to make. It went together very quickly and was really delicious when it was done. No need for toast, this is an all-in-one breakfast, lunch or light supper! It would also make a great portable breakfast on the go!
You could totally adapt this to whatever omelet fillings you enjoy and whatever you have to hand. Use your taste and your imagination to cater it to your own individual tastes!
Eggs make a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. I often make myself some eggs when I am in a hurry or feeling uninspired, or even lazy. They are totally nutritious and quite adaptable! Here are a few other ways I enjoy preparing them!
BAKED FRENCH EGGS - The French know what they are doing when it comes to eggs. These are very simple to make and delicious. Simple ingredients put together in the easiest way with the most delicious results! Good farm fresh eggs. Cream. Cheese. Seasoning. Some crisp toast points for dipping into those glorious yolks.
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH CHEESE AND CHIVES - Again, simple ingredients put together in a really delicious way. Even leaving out the cheese and the chives you will still have some delicious eggs. This is how you scramble eggs with perfection. A well scrambled egg . . . with soft and moist, folded curds . . . along with some hot buttered toast, is bliss . . . pure and utter bliss.
Yield: Two servings
Breakfast Omelet Tortilla
Prep time: 8 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 16 Min
This is a quick and easy breakfast wrap that uses only a few ingredients. Perfectly adaptable to whatever you have in your larder. My suggestions for fillings are only that. Suggestions. It's delicious! If you are a hearty eater this may only serve one person.
Ingredients
You will need:
- 2 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
- 3 TBS finely chopped peppers
- 3 TBS finely chopped tomatoes
- 3 TBS finely chopped ham
- salt and black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large flour tortilla
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- butter to grease the skillet
Instructions
- Prepare all of your vegetables. You can use what I have suggested or add your own tasty combination. I used what I had in the house. Chop them into 1/4-inch dice.
- Place into a bowl.
- Finely chop your ham. You don't need to use ham. You can use salami, bacon, etc. or leave out the meat altogether. Place into a bowl with the veggies and give it all a good stir together.
- Add the eggs to the bowl and beat everything together with a fork. Set aside.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Butter lightly.
- Pour in the egg mixture. Immediately place the tortilla on top, covering the eggs.
- Cook over medium high heat until the eggs have completely set. Carefully turn over with a large flexible spatula so that the eggs are on top and the tortilla is on the bottom.
- Season the eggs as desired with salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over top, concentrating most of it in the center. Using your spatula, bring one side up over the middle of the omelet.
- Repeat with the other side and slide out onto a place. Cut in half on the diagonal to serve.
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I had some steak which needed using up and I had picked up a bag of stir fry veggies the other day and so I decided to make myself a quick stir fry for my supper one day this week. I like stir fries. They are a great way of using up bits and bobs, and go together very quickly.
As a person who lives on their own, unless I already have all of the veggies in the house, buying a bag of the stir fry mix is the most economical way to go. It all gets used and nothing is wasted. It works well for me.
I had seen a recipe for a quick and easy stir fry sauce on a page called Whitney Bond. It looked quick and easy to make, and I already had everything in my house to make it so I decided to give it a go. It also didn't make a huge amount of sauce, which was a bonus!
Five simple ingredients and five minutes was all it took to throw together the sauce and it was delicious. It ended up being the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, salty flavors that I so enjoy in a stir fry.
I marinated the steak in some of it first to really infuse it with the flavors and then stir fried it and added the veg. A bit more at the end and I had a really delicious stir fry to enjoy.
It also didn't make a huge amount which was a real bonus for me. I don't eat a stir fry very often, so this was just the right size for me. I also loved that it used things that I already had in the house. I think this will be my go-to stir fry sauce from now on!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FIVE MINUTE STIR FRY SAUCE
A few simple Asian ingredients.
- 1/4 cup (62g) hoisin sauce
- 2 TBS dark soy sauce or tamari
- 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce (Can add more if you like things spicier)
I stirred all of my ingredients together in a small half pint jar. It was very easily done.
I love hoisin sauce. It has a lovely sweet, salty and spicy quality and helps to thicken this sauce without the use of cornstarch.
I used dark soy sauce. My favorite brand is Kikkoman.
Rice Wine vinegar is easily found in the oriental section at the grocery store.
The original recipe did not specify toasted sesame oil, but I felt it had more flavor than regular and wanted to make a rich and flavorful sauce.
I used the smaller amount of sriracha sauce because I don't like things really spicy these days. My days of handling too much spice are long gone! I would not leave it out altogether, however, as it does add a nice flavor to the sauce.
MY ASIAN STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS
I like to keep a few Asian ingredients in my store cupboard and refrigerator so that I can whip up an oriental meal any time I want to. Here are some of my favorites and recommendations. I am by no means an expert. I only know what I like and what I use.
Hoisin Sauce -This is a thick sauce made with a combination of sugar, miso, soy sauce, garlic and spices. I use it in quite a few things and often use it just on its own as a dipping sauce.
Soy Sauce - I keep several different kinds on hand. Dark and light as well as low sodium.
Ketjap Manis - This is a sweet soy sauce. I tend to make my own from scratch. You can find my recipe here. I love it's flavor as a condiment or as an addition to a stir fry, fried rice, etc.
Oyster Sauce- This is a rich and syrupy sauce used in Chinese cuisine. It is made from oyster extract, but actually doesn't tasty fishy at all.
Sesame Oil - I keep regular and toasted sesame oils. I use the regular for stir frying and the toasted as a flavor addition.
Chinese Five Spice - This all-purpose seasoning is a great addition to sauces, and also makes a great rub for chicken, beef or pork.
White Rice Vinegar - Light in color and much milder than European vinegars. It is usually seasoned and is not as sweet as Japanese rice vinegar which is called Mirin. I actually keep both.
Sriracha Sauce - I am not sure if this is technically Oriental or not, but it makes a great addition to many dishes. It is hot and garlicky.
A selection of egg and rice noodles - Great for when you want to make a simple stir fry, or for making chow mein, etc. I also keep in the dried packet noodles.
Corn Starch or Corn Flour - An essential thickening agent, also comes in very handy when wanting to velvet proteins such as chicken, pork, or beef.
HOW TO MAKE FIVE MINUTE STIR-FRY SAUCE
This is a real doddle.
Measure all of the ingredients into a half pint mason jar. Place the lid on top and give the jar a good shake to combine everything. Alternately you can place the ingredients into a small bowl and give them a good whisk with a wire whisk.
Use this sauce in your favorite stir fry recipe. You can use some of it to marinate your protein prior to stir frying it and then add more when you go to stir fry any vegetables you are using, or at the end to bring everything together.
This will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to two weeks. It's delicious!
To make my stir fry, I cut some quick fry steak into thin strips and then marinated it in a bowl with 1 TBS of the sauce for about half an hour.
I had a bag of prepared stir fry veggies in the fridge, the kale mixture. I find where I am a person who lives on their own, buying a bag of already prepared veggies works well for me. It is much cheaper in the long run than buying every vegetable individually, and nothing goes to waste.
This sauce was very simple and quick to make and tasted delicious. I marinated some steak strips in some of it for about half an hour prior to stir frying them along with a bag of mixed stir fry veggies, stirring in a bit more sauce at the end for a quick, easy and delicious supper which I enjoyed with some steamed rice.
If you are looking for a simple sauce to use in a stir fry and want to know exactly what is in it, this sauce is for you!
Are you like me? Do you enjoy making your own sauces for things rather than buying in something ready-made? It's not hard to make your own sauces. Here are a few other favorites of mine.
SIX DELICIOUS DIPPING SAUCES FOR CHICKEN TENDERS - Six different and delicious, easy to make sauces to enjoy with chicken tenders. Sweet and Sour, Ranch, Alabama White, Spicy Chipotle, Honey Mustard and Bang Bang Sauce. All delicious. All easy to make. All a real treat!
SWEET AND SOUR PEANUT SAUCE - This tasty sauce is a wonderful mix of flavors and textures . . . sweet, tangy, creamy, spicy, rich and sour. In short perfect! It goes wonderfully with chicken, pork or fish. A very easy sauce to make as well.
Yield: Approximately 1/2 cup/4 ounces
Five Minute Stir Fry Sauce
Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min
With only five simple ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you can have a really delicious stir fry sauce ready to use in creating a delicious main or side dish. I always have these ingredients on hand in my refrigerator.
Ingredients
You Will Need:
- 1/4 cup (62g) hoisin sauce
- 2 TBS dark soy sauce or tamari
- 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce (Can add more if you like things spicier)
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a half pint mason jar. Place the lid on top and give the jar a good shake to combine everything. Alternately you can place the ingredients into a small bowl and give them a good whisk with a wire whisk.
- Use this sauce in your favorite stir fry recipe. You can use some of it to marinate your protein prior to stir frying it and then add more when you go to stir fry any vegetables you are using, or at the end to bring everything together.
- This will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to two weeks. It's delicious!
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated! Thank you so much! It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!
When it comes to favorite flavors, lemon would be right there at the top for me. I have never been a person who can resist "lemon" anything. Not in main dishes. Not in desserts. Not in drinks.
That's why when I saw this recipe for Lemon Pudding Cakes on the New England Yankee website, I was instantly attracted to it.
Oh, I have made lemon pudding cake (s) before and have loved them all. But, really, is there such a thing as too many lemon pudding cake recipes? I think not.
They are the perfect dessert with a light and fluffy lemon cake on top and a lush lemon pudding on the bottom. What's not to love about that?
I did not need a full recipe however as I am a person who lives all on her own. I decided to cut the recipe back to make only two servings which I was able to do successfully!
My reward was two deliciously individual servings of a very lush lemon dessert. One that I could enjoy on the day and the other to either refrigerate and have at another time, or to share with my next-door neighbor. Not a problem either way.
These little lemon pudding cakes were fabulous. I could have perhaps presented them better I know. Presentation has never been my forte. Don't let that put you off, however. This is one very delicious dessert!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LEMON PUDDING CAKES FOR TWO
Simple ingredients. Put together in the most delicious way. Sized just for two people to enjoy. What more could a person ask for!
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk (2 fluid ounces)
- 1/8 cup (30ml) heavy cream (1 fluid ounce)
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
- the juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp salted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (63g) granulated sugar (castor sugar)
- 2 TBS plain all-purpose plain flour (1/8 cup/16g)
- icing sugar to dust
I always keep whole milk in my house and that is what I use for all of my cooking needs. I also like to keep a pint of whipping/heavy cream. That is what I used for this recipe.
I buy my eggs up the mountain on a farm which has free range hens. They are excellent eggs. We got a chicken from them at Christmas. That was also excellent.
The lemon zest is approximately half of the zest from a lemon. I scrub my lemons really well and dry them before I zest them. In fact, this is citrus season. Why not load up on citrus while it is at its cheapest. You can freeze the juice in ice cube containers and the zest can be frozen as well.
Or you can dry the zest in a dehydrator. Or use it to make candied peel. Always a nice thing to have on hand.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON PUDDING CAKES FOR TWO
This is really not that hard to do. Just follow the instructions to the letter and you will be rewarded with a really delicious dessert that you both can enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. You will need two ramekins that are heat and oven proof and that will hold 6-ounces (170grams.)
Bring some water to the boil and keep it on the simmer while you make the remainder of the recipe. You will also need a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the two ramekins comfortably.
Butter the two ramekins generously and place into the baking dish.
Combine the milk and the cream in a beaker and set it aside.
Whisk the egg yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl until well combined. Whisk half of the milk/cream into this along with half of the flour. Repeat with the remainder just to combine.
Using a clean whisk, beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Stir half of this into the batter to combine, then fold in the remaining half gently.
Spoon into the buttered ramekins. They will be quite full. Place the baking dish with the ramekins in it into the oven and pour boiling water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are set and a very light golden brown in spots.
Remove from the oven. Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish using a pair of tongs. Set on a cooling rack.
Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then dust with icing sugar and serve.
If you love lemon desserts, then you are going to really love this lush lemon pudding that is sized perfectly for two people.
The cake part on top is light and fluffy, almost souffle-like and the lemon pudding on the bottom is rich and loaded with bright lemon flavors. Altogether this is a very nice dessert. I hope you will give it a go.
A dollop of whipped cream on top would not go amiss! (Just saying.)
Here are a few more small batch dessert recipes that you might also enjoy!
SMALL BATCH CHERRY CHEESECAKE - This cheesecake is quick, easy and delicious. Sized perfectly for the smaller family you will get four thin slices. Rich and creamy, a baked cheesecake, swirled with a lovely cherry filling, and cookie crust.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE FOR TWO - I had thought I would never be able to enjoy angel food cake again. I was wrong. This version bakes in a loaf tin and is the perfect size for the smaller family. It is every bit as delicious and light as the full-sized version. It is beautiful served sliced with some fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream.
Yield: 2 servings
Lemon Pudding Cakes for two
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 20 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
Part pudding and part cake, this easy dessert works like magic coming from the oven as two desserts. A beautiful souffle-like cake sitting atop a rich and delicious lemon pudding. Sized perfectly for just two people.
Ingredients
You will need:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk (2 fluid ounces)
- 1/8 cup (30ml) heavy cream (1 fluid ounce)
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
- the juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp salted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (63g) granulated sugar (castor sugar)
- 2 TBS plain all-purpose plain flour (1/8 cup/16g)
- icing sugar to dust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. You will need two ramekins that are heat and oven proof and that will hold 6-ounces (170grams.) Bring some water to the boil and keep it on the simmer while you make the remainder of the recipe. You will also need a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the two ramekins comfortably.
- Butter the two ramekins generously and place into the baking dish.
- Combine the milk and the cream in a beaker and set it aside.
- Whisk the egg yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl until well combined. Whisk half of the milk/cream into this along with half of the flour. Repeat with the remainder just to combine.
- Using a clean whisk, beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Stir half of this into the batter to combine, then fold in the remaining half gently.
- Spoon into the buttered ramekins. They will be quite full. Place the baking dish with the ramekins in it into the oven and pour boiling water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are set and a very light golden brown in spots.
- Remove from the oven. Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish using a pair of tongs. Set on a cooling rack.
- Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then dust with icing sugar and serve.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated! Thank you so much! It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!
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