To Chew or not to Chew? To Peel or not to Peel? Those are the questions.

30 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in Carrots, Cooking Styles, Food Prep, Food Trivia, Fruits, Healthy Eating, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pickles, Plums, Potatoes, Sauces, Special Information, Squash, Tomatoes, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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Carrots, chewing, garden tomatoes, green tomatoes, Healthy Eating, potatoes

So now I am confronted with a dilemma. First, how many times do I chew a bite before I swallow? 5 times? 10 times? 20 times? 30 times?

And the second part of the dilemma is do I peel potatoes, carrots and tomatoes before I use them in a recipe?

My sources for this article are varied and it has taken a while to research the questions. My sources include, but are limited to thekitchn, healthline, intestinal.com and others. Most of the many resources reiterate

the answers, so I have chosen and condensed the articles to create this post. I do hope you find the information helpful and healthy.

Let’s start with chewing.Chewing creates more digestive enzymes in the saliva and are helpful in breaking down food further and to aid in digestion. Chewing also triggers the stomach to produce more hydrochloric acid and regulating the pH to assist in food breakdown. When you chew your food properly, the food gets broken down into smaller pieces and mixes with saliva to extract the greatest amount of nutrients,

If you are not chewing your food thoroughly, you are likely eating to quickly which can lead to over eating. The metabolic syndrome is marked by obesity, high cholesterol levels, blood pressure problems and glucose levels to high. Metabolic Syndrome can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. (Dr. Supriya Rao, MD, Gastroenterology Consultants)

If you don’t chew your food enough, it could lead to bloating, diarrhea, heartburn, acid reflux, cramps, nausea, headaches, skin problems, irritability, malnutrition and a over production of gas. Eating more fermented foods, sauerkraut and pickles for instance, will produce more digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria. They can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance, allergies and asthma.

It is strongly that you chew your foods a minimum of 32 times! When I site in restaurants and around our table at meal time, I count my chews and everyone else. Mine, and my wifes, are right around 30+ chews before we swallow. I can’t say that for the people I am watching. 5 times, 10 times and swallow. So my question is: How can they possibly say they enjoyed their meal? They can’t! It’s your choice. Choose wisely.

Tomatoes, Carrots and Potatoes. To peel or not to peel?

By leaving the peels on the listed vegetables, and there are others too, The peels contain soluble and insoluble fiber, and both are important components of a healthy diet and add to the flavor of most dishes. Those vegetables that should be peeled, the peels are tough and hard to eat, are kabocha ( a sweet squash variety in the Cucurbitaceae family, related to gourds and pumpkins). Professional and home chefs cherish Kabocha for its exceptionally sweet flavor. Kabocha is considered to be even sweeter than butternut squash), red kuri (Red kuri squash is a small or medium sized winter squash with a hard, orange skin that can be used in all kinds of sweet and savory recipes), celery root and kohlrabi. Generally, unpeeled produce contains higher amounts of vitamins, minerals and other useful compounds, whereas peeled vegetables have had these compounds removed. Interesting to know that potatoes that are boiled or cooked with the skin on contain 332% more vitamin K, 142% more potassium, 111% more folate and 110% more magnesium and phosphorus than peeled potatoes. And fruits can contain 328 times more antioxidants in the peels than in the pulp. The peels can increase your intake of these nutrients when eaten with the pulp.

Tomato peels contain flavanols, a plant-based antioxidant and are linked to age related complications, i.e., lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Lycopene, a major source of antioxidants, is found in the tomato skins. If the skins of tomatoes are offensive to you, that is bitter, use a submersible hand blender to completely grind the skins into fine “bits”. The liquid will then be like a passata.

So there you have some information on fruits and vegetables. Use the information as you wish. If you question anything related to this article, please contact me and I will answer your questions. Thanks.

Surprise Meals

04 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Baguette, Bombay Grill, Buy Local, Carrots, Classics, Eggs, Eggs Omelets, Food 0f India, Food Photos, Fruits, Green Peas, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Potatoes, Lamb, Mango, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Shepards Pie, What's For Dinner?

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candied pecans, lamb, Mango, mango lassi, pecans, recipes, shepards pie, shrimp, shrimp omelet

I think this week we really hit the Jackpot with some meals that we made. These are a real surprise and delicious. We liked them all! But then too, Shepard’s Pie is a favorite of every ones. I don’t particularly like yogurt, but the Mango Lassi that I had at a local Indian restaurant, the Bombay Grill in Boise, was absolutely delicious. And the Shrimp Omelet for dinner was a treat. Look at these. Enjoy.

The Breakfast for Dinner was simply a Shrimp Omelet with Campfire Potatoes, Toasted CROW Bread from Acme Bakeshop here in Boise and some Mandarin Orange sections. A standard 2 egg omelet, some 16-20 count shrimp cut into fourths and sauteed in butter with garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning and Eric’s Campfire Potatoes. No particular recipe. Play Chopped of the Kitchen and make do with what you have. I use an 8″ porcelain skillet for mine and clean the pan between omelets. (We have been on 5 cruises and I always watched the Line Chef make omelets to see how it is done. They always used a fresh skillet between omelets!)

I do not like yogurt. But now, I can’t really say that anymore. This was delicious and I was introduced to it at the Bombay Grill, an Indian restaurant, here in Boise. The recipe, Mango Lassi, is really easy and the ingredients are probably available at your local grocery store. You can use either fresh mango or you can use mango pulp. Just remember that mango pulp has sugar added, so taste the pulp before adding sugar in the blender. Chill the drink and enjoy! It’s delicious!.

Celery, Candied Pecan and Apple Spring Mix Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Now this salad is absolutely delicious. The celery is cut super thin on the bias and the apple is sliced thin also. Not a difficult recipe and including getting everything prepped, it it takes about 30 minutes to make. Love the Spring Mix greens. Different flavor levels and textures. The recipe, Celery, Pecan, Apple Salad. And the recipe calls for Candied Pecans, so make your own Candied Pecansf. Not hard to do. You will love this salad. We have pared it with a Classic Shepard’s Pie as pictured above.

And this Classic Shepard’s Pie was fantastic! Here is the recipe Classic Shepard’s Pie Such a classic meal and one that we all like. Easy to do. Traditionally it was made with lamb, but some folks mix 50/50 lamb and beef. They also use 100% beef. But we prefer the traditional lamb way. The potatoes are not peeled and are cut into small chunks to cook. Makes them easier to mash when they are smaller pieces. Just make them creamy smooth so they spread on the top easily.

Enjoy these meals and sides. We did.

Shrimp, Beets and Lamb

28 Friday Jan 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in Asian Food, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Boise Foodie Guild, Brocolli, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Cooking Styles, Dinner At Marnies, Dinner For Robin, Food - Make Your Own Meals, Food Photos, Fruits, Ginger, Greens, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Lamb, Interesting Information, Lamb, Local Markets, Made From Scratch, Main Dish, Meadowlark Farms, Montmorency Sauce, Once & Future Wine, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Seafood, Shrimp, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - California

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kielbasa, lamb, pierogi, shrimp, zinfandel

No. Not all at the same time, except for one dish which is a combination of two items. But first, let’s talk about lamb. Many people don’t like lamb and I can appreciate that. But I’m not so sure that folks are confusing lamb and mutton, which come from the same animal. Here are some differences from masterclass.com. Hope this helps. It’s mostly about time.

Mutton and lamb are two types of meat from sheep at different life cycle stages. Here are the main differences between the two types of red meat:

Age: The key difference between mutton and lamb meats is the animal’s age. While mutton refers to the meat of an older animal (typically around three years old), lamb is the meat of a young animal (often around a year old).

Flavor: Lamb is a younger animal, so the meat hasn’t had time to develop as much flavor—thus, it is milder with a faint, grassy flavor. Alternatively, mutton comes from an older sheep with more fat and muscles, giving it a strong, gamey flavor similar to goat, venison, or wild boar.

Preparation: Due to its toughness, mutton tastes best when cooked slowly, which you can do using a slow cooker, slow-roaster, or meat smoker. In Kentucky, chefs sometimes use the mutton of older sheep for barbecuing. Lamb, however, is a tender cut of meat that benefits from a range of cooking methods, including roasting, grilling, and braising.

Texture: Mutton comes from older sheep that have had more time to develop dense muscles and fat content, resulting in tough meat that can be dry or chewy. Conversely, lamb hasn’t had the time to develop much connective tissue, so the meat is often more tender and moist.

http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Zin-Braised-Lamb-Chops.pdf

This is a wonderful dish which is fruity and a delicious way to prepare lamb chops. Especially thick cut ones. We get our lamb from Meadowlark Farms in Nampa, ID. The beets – home grown -, Harvard Beets, is from a recipe that Robin came up with and they are wonderful. You can find her recipe at Robin’s Harvard Beets. This makes a wonderful dinner and is a great paring. Any good, jammy Zinfandel will pair well with the lamb. We used a Once & Future Zinfandel (Joel Peterson)

http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Panko-Shrimp.pdf

Once again. A delicious Asian type Panko Sesame Shrimp with Broccoli. The photo shows broccolini. That’s all we had so we used it. I think broccoli florets, as the recipe calls for, would be much better. Broccolini tends to be a little “woody” and can be hard to eat. The original recipe called for ginger powder – I changed it to fresh grated ginger and also added some garlic cloves.

The next recipe I want to try is adapted from Rachael Ray, Kielbasa and Pierogi Tray Bake. Problem is, I am having a hard time locating frozen potato pierogis. She used red, yellow and orange peppers, but Robin can not “handle” those peppers, so I have changed it to Poblanos. She has no problem with Poblanos. I also will change the high hot pepper level to 4 drops of Sriracha, which should “tame” the dish, somewhat. We are not particularly fond of hot, spicy foods – Carolina Reapers, habanera or Thai Chilies – so we tend to go light on those hot spices. But you can adjust to your liking when I get the recipe complete.

Enjoy this post and the recipes. Good eating!

Aebleskiver. What?

16 Thursday Jan 2020

Posted by Bob and Robin in Aebleskiver, Apple, Banana, Blueberries, Boise Foodie Guild, Brunch, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Ethnic Foods, Food - Danish, Food - Make Your Own Meals, Food Photos, Fruits, History of Food, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Polenta Roys Calais, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Aebleskiver, idaho polenta, Make Your Own, polenta

OK. What is an Aebleskiver?

Aebleskivers are a type of pancake cooked in a special stove-top pan with half-spherical molds. The center is soft and fluffy, almost creamy. The crust is crisp and browned. In Denmark, aebleskivers are traditionally plated in threes, dusted with powdered sugar, topped or filled with tart jams of Nordic berries and served with mellow Scandinavian coffee. There, aebleskivers ( may be pronounced as “eb-el-ski-ver” , “a-bla-ski-va”, “eb-el-sku-wyr” , “ebb-ull-skee-vers” or “able-skEEvers”) have typically not been served in restaurants or for breakfast, but rather at the family table for afternoon coffee breaks. On long and cold Nordic winter evenings, they are served with glögg. In the wintertime, aebleskivers are often sold by street vendors. A symbol of community and hospitality, they are very popular at Scandinavian charity and open-air events.
There are many recipes for the batter, but they generally fall into two categories: those made with baking soda (or baking powder) as a leavening agent, or those made with yeast. The batters vary in texture and flavor — and yeasted batters take a bit more patience to prepare and will expand more in the pan — and which you prefer is a matter of personal taste … Here’s a little of Aebleskiver history:…. During that time of the Vikings, when they roamed the coastal waters of England and the Atlantic, one band of these rough Vikings was hard hit in battle. As they returned to their ship with dented horn helmets and shields, they made pancakes to regain their strength. They didn’t have proper cookware so they greased their dented shields and poured the batter on them over a fire. The first aebleskivers were born. (So they say:)…) [http://www.aebleskivers.com/history.html]

Cast Iron Aebleskiver Pan and Turners

Aebleskivers in Coeur D’Alene, ID describe these treats as Danish meaning apple slices. These are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Maybe a cross between a Beignet and a Funnel Cake, without all the grease! So maybe all of this will convince you to try these sweet treats. If so, here is the recipe we use. Enjoy! CS Danish Aebleskiver.

Here is our first try. Homemade Huckleberry and Raspberry Jams. Scrambled eggs, too.

And if you want some great polenta recipes – Idaho grows awesome polenta – look here: 17 Polenta Recipes.

Boise Farmers Market Opens!

06 Saturday Apr 2019

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Arugula, Big Lost River Meats, Boise Adventures, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Chef Jake Sandberg, Comfort Food, Crispeats, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Eggs, Ethnic Foods, Fruits, Greens, Hard To Find Foods, Homemade Stock, Idaho Beef, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Pork, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho's Bounty, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Rice Family Farms, Seafood, Snake River AVA, Sourdough Bread, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Plants, Spring Vegies, What's For Dinner?

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Yea! The BFM (Boise Farmers Market) opened today for it’s 2019 season at their new location at Shoreline Drive and Americana in Boise. It was cold. No rain, though. And it was crowded. They did have treats for everyone as pictured here – Ham and Cheese Croissant – and other “goodies”. Dignitaries were there – Head of the Boise Chamber of Commerce, the BFM President and Mayor Dave Bieter. Great to have them all at the Grand Opening. Thank-You!

Head of the Boise Chamber

BFM President

Mayor Dave Bieter opens the market!

The ribbon is cut!

Carrots look awesome

Ham and Cheese Croissant Samples for everyone!

An overcast morning but great to be at The Market – rain or shine!

Good pies!

New eats in Boise! Also at The Market.

Sunday Breakfast and Dinner

15 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Bacon, Baking, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Cast Iron, Cheese, Comfort Food, Corn, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Dinner For Robin, Eggs, Food Photos, Fruits, Heirloom Carrots, Herbs, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Pork, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Local Farmers Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Pork Tenderloin, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, True Roots Produce, What's For Dinner?

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pork medalions, port wine, port wine reduction

These two items are so much fun to make. Somewhat quick. Somewhat involved. Always good. Give them a try. Enjoy!

Breakfast Potato Eggs Line a muffin tin with thinly sliced potato slices. Bake off for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F until potatoes aare slightly crisp. Fill with a mixture of beaten egg, cheese, green onion, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F until eggs are set. Remove an let cool 5 minutes. I used the convection for baking these. Top with Salsa or Pico de Gallo.

Breakfast Potato Cups

Line a muffin tin with thinly sliced potato slices. Bake off for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F until potatoes are slightly crisp. Fill with a mixture of beaten egg, cheese, green onion, rendered bacon pieces, some salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F until eggs are set. Remove and let cool 5 minutes. I used the convection for baking these. Top with Slasa or Pico de Gallo.

Breakfast Potato Cups Plated. They should come right out of the muffin tins as a unit. Serve with fresh fruit.

Heirloom Carrots, Fresh Corn Pork medallions with Port Wine and Herb Reduction

Heirloom Carrots
Fresh Corn
Pork Medalions
with
Port Wine and Herb Reduction

Port reduction – Using the cast iron skillet that the pork was done in, add 1 T Olive Oil, 2 c Port Wine, 1 T fresh Sage chopped, 2 t fresh Thyme and 2 T Heavy Cream. Stir to release the bits of pork that remain in the pan and the wine is reduced to 1 cup and starts to thicken slightly. Place 1 T of the reduction under the pork and 1 T on top of the pork.

Here’s a Different Breakfast

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Brussels Sprouts, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Eggs, Eggs Beurre Blanc, Eggs Sunnyside Up, Fruits, Healthy Eating, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Sauces, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Meadowlark Farms, Mother Sauces, Photos By: Bob Young, Raspberries, Recipes - Sauces, Spinach, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?

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beurre blanc

Last night I made an Icelandic Flounder with Beurre Blanc, a great Mother Sauce for white fish and other delights, and Green Peas and a Brussels Slaw with Heirloom Rainbow Carrots. A super dinner. But I had some sauce left over so here is what I made this morning utilizing the Beurre Blanc.

Eggs Beurre Blanc on Toasted Acme Bakeshop Brioche
on a bed of
Baby Spinach, Baby Arugula and Bean Sprouts

Fresh Raspberries and Blueberries

Janjou Pâtisserie Revisited

17 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Birthdays, Bistro, Bistro - Janjou Patisserie, Brunch, Celebrations, Classic Cuisines, Coffee, Comfort Food, Cookies, Ethnic Foods, Food Photos, French Foods, Fruits, Idaho Chefs, Janjou Pâtisserie, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants To Try, Salads, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

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Today is Robin’s 43rd anniversary of her 29th birthday so when I asked her what she wanted for breakfast, she said a quiche from Janjou Pâtisserie. That sounded good, so off we went. (It’s only 2 blocks away from us!) If anything, it has gotten better. The Quiche Lorraine we had was delicious. The coffee is still excellent – we bought a pound – and the fruit tart we had was scrumptious. You must try it when you are in Boise. Make a special trip. You’ll love it. 5-Stars all the way. Enjoy these photos!

Wonderful fresh made and house made cookies!

Chocolate tarts

Fruit tarts

Raspberry Tart. We had one. Delicious!

Quiche Lorraine. Fresh made and scrumptious.

Robin enjoys her quiche!

32nd Anniversary Dinner

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anniversary, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Classic Cuisines, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Fennel, Food Prep, Fruits, Ginger, Green Peas, Green Salad, Harissa, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Lamb, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Olive Oil, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Raisins, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes -Tagine, Salads, Special Dinners, Special Events, Spices of Morocco, Tagine, Tagine Cooking, Tagine of Lamb, Tomatoes, Traditional Food, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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fennel, lamb tagine, tagine, tajine

A happy 32nd anniversary dinner tonight! Thank-You Robin for all that love and those many years! The gardenia pictured here is on our front porch. Last century, when Robin and I would go to a formal dance, I would get her a corsage of gardenia. This plant is fitting and brings back many fond memories.
The dinner tonight, Tagine of Lamb with Peas and Fennel, is a very traditional Moroccan dish and tonight we prepared it in a traditional way – in a tagine.

A tajine or tagine (Arabic: طاجين‎ tajin from the Arabic: طاج‎) is a historically North African Berber dish that is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. A similar dish known as tavvas is found in Cypriot cuisine. The traditional method of cooking with a tajine is to place it over coals. Use of the tajine can be compared to stewing.

Ceramic tajines.
The traditional tajine pot is made of pottery, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. Tajines can also be cooked in a conventional oven or on a stove top.
Tajine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate space between the coals and the tajine pot to avoid having the temperature rise too fast. Large bricks of charcoal are purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours. Smaller pieces of charcoal are reserved for cooking brochettes (barbecue) and other grilled meats.
Other methods are to use a tajine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser – a circular piece of aluminium placed between the tajine and burner – is used to evenly distribute the stove’s heat. European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.
Tajine cooking may be replicated by using a slow cooker or similar item; but the result will be slightly different. Many ceramic tajines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tajines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes. [Wikipedia]

Using the recipe link above, the vegetables are cut and placed in the tagine along with all spices.

At about 2 hours, or halfway through the cooking process, check to see if more liquid is needed.

The finished product still in the tagine. It could be served from this pot.

Tagine of Lamb with Peas and Fennel

Fresh Spinach and Tomato Salad
with
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Tarragon Vinegar Vinaigrette

Potato Basket Eggs – Idaho Blossoms

14 Thursday May 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Rye, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Acme Bakery, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Eggs, Eggs Baked, Food Photos, Fruits, Ham and Cheese, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Potatoes, Local Farmers Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Breakfast, Sourdough Bread, Whats For Breakfast?

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potato baskets, ramekins

No, it’s not Easter. But this is an interesting way to make eggs.
Idaho Blossoms – Put the egg mixture in a paper thin sliced potato basket and bake them for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Be sure to butter the ramekin before you put the potato slices in and they will not stick.
I used 3 eggs per ramekin and added (all to taste) leaves of fresh thyme, chopped fresh chives, chopped ham and a mixed Mexican cheese. Salt and pepper. Bake them off in the oven in a shallow water bath and you’ve got a different breakfast.
Add some fresh fruit to the plate, and it has eye appeal. Here are some photos of what I did. Enjoy! Here might be a better recipe format to follow Idaho Blossoms Recipe. This recipe has also been corrected. Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.