MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - SCALLION PANCAKES FROM TRADER JOE’S

 

Definitely nothing fancy today. There were no new recipes as colds, sore throats and coughs were running rampant through the house last week, plus walk-in appointments at the local medical center.

So, after making sure the dear man had all he needed, I fixed myself an easy and fast meal as he didn’t feel like eating. We both normally enjoy green onion pancakes from Trader Joe’s and more often than not keep a packet in the freezer. There are four to a packet, 210 calories for one, very tasty. They make a great snack on their own, or with additions if you want more of a meal. TJ’s also sells Taiwanese pancakes, and one called green onion pancakes. As green onion and scallion are the same thing, I wonder what the list of ingredients is in all three. 

I found that these were in the scallion pancakes. 

I will eventually try the others but right now these are my go-to-fast-on-the-table meal, for ease and yumminess. As at the time of writing this post, they retail in price from $2.49 to about $4.50, depending on the location. We buy ours for $4.50, which is still a reasonable price considering we only eat one at a time. We get ours from the actual TJ store, and although it’s only our once-in-a-while shopping place (our local supermarket is closer), it isn’t that much further away.

This was a late breakfast/early lunch so I thawed the pancake a bit (they are already cooked).  All that needs to be done is to finish it off in a preheated frying pan until a nice golden brown on each side. A few minutes is all. In the same pan I sautéed the sliced tomato. (I coated the pan with a spray of avocado oil first and did the same in a small frying pan just big enough to cook the egg.) Flipped both pancake and sliced tomatoes over to brown. If you had an even bigger frying pan you could include the egg and sautée all three to serve up at the same time. I put the pancake in a few minutes before, and then when I turned it over, I added the other ingredients.  Just keep checking so they don’t burn. I enjoyed this combination for a quick brunch, and thought a poached egg would be nice another time.

The possibilities for your own favorite combination idea would be fun to know if you care to share.  We have placed a spoonful of sour cream on top when we had the pancake on its own and that was delicious.

There is a blog I found who does a copy cat version here. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s on my list. It doesn’t seem to have every ingredient mentioned above but I expect it is still an excellent version and additions could be added..

Thanks for stopping by 

and I wish you all a great week!

MONDAY RECIPE POST - BAKED TOMATOES - SERVES 4

 

I was looking for a side dish for tomatoes.  I saw this at "cook2eatwell" hosted by Elizabeth.  I didn't want to fuss much and this was just what I was looking for.  A simple combination of tomatoes, cheese and herbs.  You can find the original recipe here.

Baked Tomatoes 

Serves 4

4 Medium Tomatoes 

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon dried oregano plus a pinch to top each tomato half

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, grated

1½ to 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, add salt, garlic powder, oregano and black pepper.  Mix well. 

Cut each tomato in half.  Cut a thin slice off at each end, making sure you don't cut through to the inside.  This is so that the tomato doesn't wabble on the baking dish.

Cut in half and gently scoop out the seeds, using a small spoon.  

Pat the tomatoes dry and place them (scooped side up) on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Place a little space between each tomato half.   

Brush the tops and inside of the tomato with olive oil.

Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly inside and over the tomatoes.

Add ½ teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese to each half.

Add about 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese to each half.

Top each with a pinch of parmesan cheese and a pinch of dried oregano.

Bake the tomatoes for 10 minutes until the cheese melts and the tomatoes soften.

Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler.  Broil for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, to brown the cheese.  Make sure you keep an eye on them so they don't burn.  

You can serve them as an appetizer or a side dish to your favorite meal.

Note from the host:

Choose tomatoes that are ripe, but not too ripe so that they hold up to scooping and baking.

This was a very tasty side dish, and we didn't change any of the ingredients.  We will definitely be making it again.  

The tomatoes are a nice accompaniment to roast chicken with a piece of cornbread, and a mixed green salad. 

Here is the full address if you would rather cut and paste it into your search box.

https://www.cook2eatwell.com/baked-tomatoes/

Thank you for visiting, 

have a great week 

and

Bon Appétit!

MONDAY RECIPE POST - BREAKFAST TOMATOES FILLED WITH EGGS AND CHEESE, PLUS

Our recipe is thanks to Gregg who saw it online.  I don't have a link but if you know of one with this recipe, please let me know and I will add it later.  We basically winged it from memory and had nothing written down.  A nice short one!

Per person you need:

1 tomato

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Grated Cheddar Cheese (amount to your own taste)

Chopped Cilantro (amount to your own taste)

Chopped onion (amount to your own taste)

2 teaspoons of flour

Avocado or Olive Oil for cooking the tomatoes (or you can use cooking spray)

To a small mixing bowl add the eggs with salt and pepper to taste, and whisk.  Next add the Cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped onion and the flour.  Whisk until well combined.

Wash and dry the tomato.  Slice into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.  It really depends on how big your tomatoes are.

If you don't have a cutter to fit, use the top edge of a small glass to cut out the center of each tomato slice.  The size of the glass depends on how big your tomatoes are.  I used a narrow orange juice glass.  Go carefully as we don't want to press down too hard, safety first.  

On a chopping board, dice the tomato centers and put into the mixing bowl with all the other ingredients.  Mix until well combined. 

Heat a frying pan with your choice of oil on medium high heat.  When it is hot, carefully place your tomato slices into the pan.  Next get a small ladle and use to pour the amount needed to fill the inside of the tomato.  You certainly don't need much.

Cook long enough, a few minutes, to start setting the egg mixture.  If you find it getting too brown, turn the heat down a tad.

This is the tricky part.  Carefully turn the slices over and cook the other side until nicely browned and the egg is set.

Another ten out of ten and enjoyed very much.  I doubled up on the ingredients for the two of us, and it would be easy to add more servings.

The flour was a surprise addition as I never would have thought of using it before.  It gave it a little more body.

A mixed green salad went very nicely as a side, and a tablespoon of Branston's Chutney on the plate next to the tomatoes.  We also thought salsa might be nice, and maybe guacamole.

I have since tried this mixture served up as an omelet, not bothering with it as a filling for the sliced tomatoes.  It has a wonderful taste with everything added.  However, it is worth making the stuffed tomatoes as it really is a fun dish.

If you don't like Cilantro you can choose another herb, or not.

A sprinkle of chives as a garnish would make it look pretty also.

    That's it for today’s recipe.  

    Have a great week!

MONDAY RECIPE POST - CRUSTLESS TOMATO PIE

I have made a similar tomato pie but it has been a while.  At one time Quiche Lorraine was always a favorite of ours. This is a similar idea without the crust. I found it at Biscuits & Burlap hosted by mother and daughter, Sara and Pam. The original recipe is at this link.  I like looking at their pretty food photos which helps me decide which dish to try.  I look for a recipe we both like, and more often than not hubs does all the prep work, while I read the instructions at the kitchen table.  

Crustless Tomato Pie - 8 servings

4 tomatoes, sliced

1-2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup onion chopped

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped 

6-7 leaves basil chopped

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded, plus extra for sprinkling over top

2 eggs, beaten

Slice tomatoes and lay sliced on plates. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit at least 10-20 minutes, and up to 30 minutes.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add onion and garlic.  Sauté until onions are soft (about 8 minutes). Transfer to a medium-sized bowl.

Add cheese, eggs, herbs, and pepper to bowl. Stir to combine. 

Drain water off the plate with tomatoes.  With a paper towel gently blot tomatoes to soak up excess moisture.

Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on a greased pie pan.

Top with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture.

Repeat until all ingredients have been used, finishing with a layer of tomatoes.

Top this layer with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. 

Allow to sit 5-7 minutes before serving.

In my first picture at the start of this recipe, for a side I fixed a simple green salad using butter lettuce and diced avocado.  The pie fell apart when I transferred a slice to the plate.  It didn't look as pretty as the one in the photos on the website, but it was delicious none the less.  

The next night we made our tried and true Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin, which you can find here.  It is our favorite potato dish at the moment and we found it paired very nicely with the tomato pie.  

I also put a tablespoon of chutney on the side.  That went very well with the pie. The photo below is the kind we always get.  This was a staple in my family when growing up. We both love it and it is found in the British aisle at our local supermarket.  

This was a "it is time to use up what we have in the fridge and vegetable/fruit bowl" meal, before the next grocery run.  I didn't have any fresh herbs and some overly-industrious (where did all that energy come from?) person (me) cleaned her kitchen from top to bottom, which included the herb cupboard because when she looked at the expiration dates she realized many were way past time.  Just salt and pepper in this dish.  

I added the last two green onions to the sweet yellow onions.  

There was no mozzarella cheese.  It was replaced with cheddar.

Even without the original ingredients this was a very tasty dish.

My thanks to the hosts of Biscuits and Burlap, another great food blog with lots of excellent recipes.