Candied Winter Melon and Orange Peel over Greek Yogurt

Baida had given us our second winter melon, organically grown in his Denton, Texas garden.  The first one I gave to my sister to use in her cooking.  Winter melon is delightful in soups but a melon is just so big you have to find creative ways of using them so I wanted to make candied winter melon. While growing up we ate them as snacks or in baked buns. Have you ever tried them?  Candied winter melon is white as snow, hard outside but soft inside, very sweet and addictive.  

We always bought them from the store and I had no experience making them. I looked for recipes but most required soaking the winter melon in alum.  It took me a while to find the alum ( found it in the Asian store) so the winter melon lay untouched for a long time.  Alum is supposed to make the texture less mushy when cooked and keep them white in color. 

On Monday I had a chance to finally try out a recipe that called for soaking the sliced fruit in 5 c water and 1 t alum for 2-5 hours.  I  did this late in the evening but it was a long day at work and I had fallen asleep. The next morning, in my rush  to get to work and I completely forgot about the winter melon slices.  They were soaking for more than 24 hours by the time I remembered.  After repeatedly washing the slices in cool water they were a still a little bitter.  I went ahead and cooked them in syrup. The winter melon slices were odorless so I added orange peel to impart a pleasant, citrusy aroma.  The syrup had turned amber in color and with the orange peel in it the winter melon slices turned yellowish and had a citrus flavor.  I dried them overnight in my food dehydrator but they did not turn hard as I expected.  They were absolutely delicious but they remained tacky even after 7 hours in the dehydrator.    Not the candied winter melon I expected but even better.  They were very sweet, had a pleasant texture and flavor so I decided to put them as topping over Greek yogurt. Perfection.

Weight Watcher Banana Bread

I absolutely love Banana Bread for breakfast! I remember having a 7:30 a.m. class most of my college days so I'd rush to school without eating. Often, a thick slice (or two!!) of Banana Bread from a little kiosk across the classroom building was breakfast. It was very sweet, moist and buttery. Lots of calories but I was skinnier then.
Fast forward to the present, now I'm looking for a Weight Watcher version ! Found one at Recipezaar that's healthier but still yummy. The original recipe calls for 1 cup Splenda but I did not have any so I used 3/4 cup brown sugar. For leavening, I used 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda in place of 1-1/2 tsp baking soda. I also add banana extract that makes the bread smell so good while baking! The applesauce makes the bread so very moist!

Here's my modified WW Banana Bread recipe:

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp banana extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, mash the bananas and mix with brown sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lightly coated with canola oil cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes or till bamboo skewer inserted into cake comes out clean when done. It's one of the best breads I've made.

Breakfast Potato Turkey Bacon Hash

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I was thinking of a hearty breakfast for Teen when I remembered I had leftover fries in the freezer so I made this breakfast hash/omelet full of his favorite things. The fries were from a huge order of Chicken Strip Meal Teen ordered at Dairy Queen. The service was so slow, it took forever for his order to come. Teen was due to play in a basketball game at 2:00 p.m. and it was already 1:50 p.m. by the time it was brought to him. Teen barely scarfed down two of the chicken strips and then we had to rush to the courts. He did not even touch the fries and I was reluctant to throw them away so we brought them home. The next morning, to make the frozen fries more appealing, I diced and tossed them in a pan with some canola oil to make them crispy. What a huge difference it made to the texture of the hash! It is nothing fancy but this breakfast hits the spot! You can also make this recipe with frozen potato hash from the store.

Here's the recipe for Breakfast Potato and Turkey Bacon Hash.

1 cup frozen fries, diced
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup shredded fiesta cheese
2 Tbsp chopped bell peppers
1 stalk green onions
2 strips Turkey bacon, diced
2 beaten eggs
1 fresh tomato, diced
black pepper to taste

In an iron skillet, toss the diced frozen fries in the oil and when the fries become very crispy, take them out and set aside. Add the diced turkey bacon into the pan and let it crisp up a bit (not too much or it will dry out). Add back the potatoes to the pan, then the beaten eggs, diced bell peppers, green onions and black pepper. Top with the diced tomatoes and cheese. Serve right away with toast or steamed rice. Either way, it's good.

Texas Waffle

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Over the weekend, we headed to Big Sandy/Gladewater for the East Texas Basketball Weekend. Teen and friends were going against a Houston basketball team on Sunday. There was a dance on Saturday evening after church potluck so we stayed the night at Quality Inn in Longview, TX. In the morning, we decided to eat breakfast at their restaurant. Their free continental breakfast offering was surprisingly varied and fresh. There was oatmeal, fruits, hardboiled eggs, yoghurt, danish pastries, mini cupcakes, doughnuts and bagels. There was also a hot breakfast option consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage and biscuits but I was drawn to the Belgian waffles because it was so unique! See for yourself----it's in the shape of Texas! I dabbed grape jelly to mark the spot where you can find East Texas!

Caffe Baci Veggie Fusion

Last week we drove up to Chicago. It was just 6:30 a.m. and we were eager to get some breakfast. Across the Millenium Park, Caffe Baci was the only place that was open at that hour. We walked in and the welcoming smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen. They had all sorts of wonderful goodies (muffins, cookies, cinnamon rolls, pizzettes, gelato and a variety of pastries) in the display counters by the entrance. They also had all types of Italian and local fruit juices and bottled beverages to choose from.

We were too early for the Gourmet salads, Italian and Grilled Panini, Baci Wraps and Specialty Soups. So, we settled for made to order freshly cooked breakfast from the Colazione (Breakfast) Menu. We had Veggie Fusion and Belgian Waffles for about $5 each and Strawberry Smoothie for less than $4. The Veggie Fusion was an egg white omelet with sauted, low cal cheese, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms and was served with whole wheat toast and fresh fruit salad. The Belgian Waffles was warm and crispy, served with maple syrup, whipped cream and fresh strawberries...it was delicious! I can't wait to try their soups and paninis next time!

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

This smoothie is an easy to prepare breakfast---packed with vitamins and minerals, high fiber and refreshing too. Come to think of it, it's good any time of the day. Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup frozen whole strawberries
1/2 cup milk or strawberry yogurt
1 ripe banana
4 Tbsp sugar (or according to taste)
1 tsp milled flax seed

Place everything in a blender and puree till smooth. Enjoy!

Banana-Date Muffins

This morning, breakfast for teen son was Banana-Date muffins and Strawberry-banana smoothie. I had very ripe bananas waiting to be made into banana bread but decided at the last minute to bake the batter in silicone muffin cups. It turned out very moist when I added molasses to the brown sugar. Here is the recipe for Banana-Date Muffins:

2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
2/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp bead molasses
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350 F. Puree banana, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Set aside.
Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Slowly add banana mixture and blend at medium speed till fully mixed. Fold in chopped dates.
Pour batter into silicone muffin cups and bake until muffins are done. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yum!

Yummy One Minute Breakfast "Egg in a Cup"

Breakfasts used to be too stressful for me. Everyone's just rushing to get ready to leave for school or work. My son's favorite breakfast is sunny side-up with turkey bacon and rice. When I'm running late, breakfast is cereal, toaster strudel, poptarts, breakfast bars, granola or packaged instant oatmeal --very convenient but most of the time, too sweet! Lately, I've also been making these Yummy One Minute Breakfast "Egg in a Cup". I do this in the microwave and it's quick, flavorful, pretty and clean-up is a breeze--you can even serve this as part of a brunch buffet! Depending on your microwave settings, it can turn out almost like poached egg/"over easy" to "over well". Eggs are cheap and packed with nutrients (proteins; vitamins A, D,E,K; minerals and carotenoids). Yolks have both omega-3 fatty acids and cholesterol so a maximum of 2 yolks per week is recommended for those with high cholesterol.

If possible, don't let your child skip this important meal of the day! There are studies that show kids perfom significantly better in school when they eat breakfast. Kids are more alert and score better in math, reading, and other standardized test scores. They behave better in class and are less prone to discipline problems. You might wish to look at the impact of school breakfast on health and learning at Sodex Foundation.

Please take note: when you make this recipe just make sure you prick the egg yolk with a fork before microwaving. Otherwise, you'll have a really, messy microwave!

Here's the recipe for Yummy One Minute Breakfast "Egg in a Cup":

1 egg

a sprinkle of Montreal seasoning or salt and pepper to taste

any finely diced veggies or herbs of choice (I used red bell pepper and green onions)

any kind of cheese (optional)

Crack an egg into a silicon baking cup. PRICK THE EGG YOLK with a fork. Add whatever seasoning, diced veggies and herbs and/or cheese of your choice (you can also add the cheese later after microwaving) --- get creative, make it as simple or as complex as you wish! Microwave for 1 minute to 1.5 minutes depending on your microwave power settings which vary according to model/manufacturer. You may have to test what works for you. We personally prefer eggs with yolk slightly runny but the white almost fully set like the consistency of soft tofu.