..this was wild and beautiful, unlike the beaches of Florida we were accustomed to seeing. We drove down lanes covered with sand, past groves of orange trees in sunny fields, then our pathway would wind back under the shade of trees covered with moss. I was amazed to see beautiful palmetto palms and ferns growing wild everywhere I looked. The writer within me loved the mystic appeal and charm of it all.
Our summer days are always so busy, I never seem to get a chance to write on my blog until the new school year has begun. Today, before I can embrace September and begin writing about all things autumn, I’m writing about our summer. Wanderlust and floating on the lake days…watermelon and homemade ice cream days…lots of red, white, and blue days…hammock and firework days…sandy toes and sunburned nose days. Summer days that were forged in a blaze of heat that faded into sultry evenings and the beautiful blue of twilight would descend upon the lake and the fireflies would flick on, one by one.
Ah, but after sundown, that’s when those brilliant flirts, the fireflies come out.
Here is a quick and easy side dish that “dresses up” any meal! It’s especially delicious with grilled steaks and chicken and it makes a wonderful filler when you’re making frittata’s, fajitas, omelettes or quesadillas!
*BELL PEPPER, ONION AND MUSHROOM MEDLEY
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons steak sauce (I used A1 steak sauce)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
1- 4 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, drained (or fresh)
Directions:
Add olive oil, soy sauce, your favorite steak sauce, and garlic powder to a medium frying pan; begin heating mixture on medium heat.
Cut 1 medium onion and 1 bell pepper into thin strips and add to skillet
Add mushrooms to the onions and bell pepper in skillet
Stir vegetables in the skillet, incorporating all the vegetables into the sauce
Sauté until peppers and mushrooms are tender and onions are translucent
Serve warm; delicious with grilled steaks, chicken or as a filler for frittata’s, quesadillas, fajitas, omelette’s …
This past week Richard and I headed down to the Texas coast to the romantic seaside town of Rockport to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary. Since we were going to be travelling on our anniversary, I decided to surprise Richard the day before we left, with breakfast served “out of bed.” (; I made a breakfast Frittata using the veggie medley above.
Breakfast frittata and mixed berries
Though a frittata sounds fancy and hard to make, it’s a simple Italian dish that is made with eggs and enhanced with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, and vegetables. It is similar to an omelette or crustless quiche. Just about anything can be added to your egg base, but to reduce excess moisture and baking time that makes your eggs dry or spongy, your ingredients should already be cooked. Below is the recipe I created for the frittata I made, using the *bell pepper, onion and mushroom vegetable medley from above.
Breakfast Frittata
6 eggs, beaten slightly to blend whites and yolks
1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
pepper “to taste”
1 1/2 cups *bell pepper, onion, and mushroom medley
6 strips of bacon cooked and cut into bite size pieces (I used pre-cooked)
1 cup grated Colby/Monterrey Jack cheese + additional 1/2 cup cheese for topping frittata when it comes out of the oven
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a cast iron skillet for a traditional frittata
Place cast iron skillet on burner turned on medium heat
Add already cooked *bell pepper, onion, and mushroom medley (recipe above) to skillet or baking dish
Stir together eggs, milk, chicken bouillon, and pepper
Add cooked bacon and 1 cup grated cheese to egg mixture
Stir egg mixture, meat, and cheese together gently and add to vegetable medley in the skillet or in your baking dish
Cook mixture without stirring, just until the edges begin to”set”
Place skillet or baking dish in oven
Cook for 15- 20 minutes (in cast iron skillet) watching closely the last 5 minutes.
Cook only until knife inserted in the middle of the frittata comes out clean, but center still has a glossy appearance
Sprinkle additional 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the frittata
“until edges are set”
While the frittata was cooking, I filled a diamond shaped antique dish with a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and gave them a sprinkling of sugar. Then came the fun of finding a cozy corner in the bedroom. This seemed the perfect spot … like sitting in a treehouse that overlooked the lake with a low table waiting for setting, a rustic little bear lamp for a little glow, and seating with lots of pillows. You’ve heard of breakfast “in bed.” This was breakfast served “out of bed” … just for two. ❤
A whole lot of cozy.
I love combining rustic and elegant pieces. Crystal, china, and crocheted lace napkins mixed well with my rugged cast iron skillet, miniature braided fish rug, and frayed patchwork napkins circled with wooden napkin rings.
Villeroy & Boch china Design Naif
Even though we cooks are usually our own worst critics, the frittata was delicious, and the setting was perfect.
We had a wonderful time on our anniversary. Here are just a few pictures of the picturesque seaside towns of Rockport and Port Aransus on the Texas Coast.
Beach cottages in Rockport, Texas
Beach at Rockport, Texas
Port Aransus Ferry, Harbor and Beach
Then the rugged beauty of the Texas Hill Country we traveled through on our way back home AND the awesome and incredible “Jacob’s Well” an artesian spring with an underground cave system and crystal clear waters that allow you to see the layers of bedrock and strata in the depths of the water in Wimberly, Texas near New Braunfels. Look it up; my pictures don’t do it justice and Richard was getting nervous I was getting so close to the edge! (:
Hope you are enjoying some adventures on these dog days of summer! Try the Breakfast Frittata and set a cozy table in a “new spot” to enjoy it in. You’ll be surprised at the sense of adventure and the fun it adds having your meal in a different place!
