Strawberries and Yogurt - Video Recipe

Fresh fruit and yogurt go well together in my latest recipe video, Strawberries and Yogurt.

Pre-mixed yogurt with fruit is too sweet for me. It is easy enough to mix a handful of sliced strawberries into yogurt. Of course, remove the bitter green stems.

This fruit and yogurt mix will keep a couple of days in the refrigerator -- if you can resist finishing it off in one sitting! This isn't so much an original recipe as a recipe reminder of how easy and nutritious it is to add fresh fruit to yogurt.

Anytime I find fruit on sale at my local 99c only Store, I immediately think of a light breakfast. My most common homemade yogurt with fruit includes strawberries, pineapple, sliced mango, blackberries and blueberries.

Fresh frozen fruit mixes nicely into yogurt, although the texture is mushy when defrosted. Some canned fruit works well, I like canned pineapple and peaches in natural juice.

As for yogurt I just use plain. Vanilla and other flavors are usually too strong and often have added sugar. But, if you like a certain type on sale then use it.

Sometimes an unusual brand will show up on sale like this creamy French-style yogurt called "oui" made by Yoplait. It was so good I got half a dozen jars. They also had a lemon-flavored that held up well with the addition of raspberries.

"Oui" is advertised as "French Style," whatever that means. But it is milder tasting - less sour than typical yogurt, with a slight almond flavor. And the glass jars are collectible too.

As with any new find at a 99c only Store, I will try it in the car parking lot, and if it's good then I will go back and get a whole bunch more. I've learned you gotta be impulsive there or it may be gone an hour later -- snooze you lose!

So do check out my latest stop-motion animated video. There's really nothing to this recipe and anyone can make it. Sometimes less is more, for a perfectly delicious recipe.

Strawberries & Yogurt - Video

Play it here. The video runs 42 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Kiwi & Yogurt Recipe

Fresh fruit and yogurt go well together in my latest recipe video,  Kiwi and Yogurt.

Pre-mixed yogurt with fruit is too sweet for me. It is easy enough to slice and peel kiwi to mix into yogurt. You can even leave the fuzzy kiwi skin on if you like. It takes some getting used to, but it's not bad, really.

Anytime I find fruit on sale at my local 99c only Store, I immediately think of a light breakfast. My most common homemade yogurt with fruit uses: strawberries, pineapple, mango, blackberries or blueberries.

As for yogurt I just use plain. Vanilla and other flavors are usually too strong and often have sugar too. But if you like a certain type on sale then use it.

Sometime an unusual brand will show up like this creamy French-style yogurt called "oui" made by Yoplait. It was so good I got half a dozen jars. They also had a lemon-flavored that held up well with the addition of sliced kiwi.

As with any new find at a 99c only Store, I will try it in the car parking lot, and if it's good then I will go back and get a whole bunch more. I've learned you gotta be impulsive there or it may be gone an hour later -- snooze you lose!

So do check out my latest stop-motion animated video. There's really nothing to this recipe and anyone can make it. Sometimes less is more, for a perfectly delicious recipe.

Kiwi & Yogurt - Video

Play it here. video runs 49 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Scrambled Eggs & Mushrooms - Video Recipe

It's the Golden Age of cheap fungi and I'm taking advantage of it especially in the morning, with my earthy and pungent Scrambled Eggs and Mushrooms.

All kinds of small packages of fresh mushrooms have been showing up in my local 99c only Stores. Everything from shitake to portabella, and oyster to regular white or brown button.

Baby Bella Crimini & White Button

Champignon

Oyster & Portabella Mushrooms

I mainly like to cook them one way, sauteed for a few minutes in butter. So tender and woodsy in flavor with a slightly salty/sweet rich buttery taste. I will inhale sauteed mushrooms in butter on their own, like scooping peanut butter from a jar.



I like Cheese and Mushroom Omelets like this, but for ease and quickness I'll saute mushrooms in butter and go right to adding a couple eggs for a scramble. It's a no fuss, no muss way to start the day.

And use your favorite scrambled eggs recipe. Do you whip the eggs first or just crack them right into an oiled pan? Do you like a splash of milk in your whipped eggs, too? Hey, go for any way you like it.

You can use any packaged mushrooms on sale, or if none are available discounted, then buy 2 or 3 loose button mushrooms per scramble - that's all you'll need for my cheap$kate recipe.

Click on any photo to see larger.

I've been picking up 8-packs of medium size eggs at my local Dollar Tree lately. For this recipe I use 3 eggs per Mushroom Scramble. Of course it's okay to make a quickie one or two egg scramble.

My Scrambled Eggs and Mushrooms recipe is simply delicious and I know you will return to this recipe often....once you give it a go.

Scrambled Eggs & Mushrooms - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minute 47 seconds

 My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (1 serving)
2-3 eggs - I used 3 medium sized eggs for this recipe, but okay to use as little or as many as you like.
2-4 button mushrooms - sliced. Amount of mushroom is up to you. Okay to use any type of favorite mushroom.
Butter or cooking oil - about a tablespoon total. Just enough to saute mushroom and scramble eggs.
Salt and pepper to taste - If I use salted butter, then all I add is a little black pepper.

Directions
Brush off dirt on mushrooms, if needed. Slice or break apart mushrooms into bite-sizes so they will cook faster and evenly.

Add mushrooms to a heated pan with butter or oil. Saute until mushrooms are soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add a little more butter or oil if necessary, before you mix in eggs.

Make an egg scramble any way you like. You can blend raw eggs in a bowl, or just crack eggs right into sauteed mushrooms.

Scramble eggs to desired doneness. Depending on heat of pan, it takes a couple of minutes, or so.

DIG IN!

Best Spinach & Cheese Omelet - Video Recipe

Veggies wrapped in creamy scrambled eggs is a great way to start the day. And adding your fave cheese is over-the-top decadence. A Spinach and Cheese Omelet is one of my favorite breakfasts. Go ahead and dig in below.

Play it here. Video runs 1 minute 39 seconds.

It comes together quickly, as fresh spinach sauteed in a hot pan only takes a minute to become tender.

Click on any photo to see larger.

You can use thawed frozen spinach or spinach from a can, too. Just make sure to drain any packaged or canned cooked spinach, or the omelet will be too soggy.

Any cheese you have on hand can go into this omelet. I used a mild soft white French cheese, but go ahead and fill the omelet with good old American cheese, or even pungent Swiss or feta cheese.

For the eggs, I like to scramble them first in a bowl, then pour into a low to medium-hot pan. Not too hot because I want to catch the eggs while they are slightly moist before I fold the omelet over the sauteed spinach and cheese.

Of course, cook the omelet the way you like it; old-school truckstop or diner-style with a slight crusty brown on the outside and solid on the inside. It's all deliciously good!

I went all out and topped the omelet with a pat of butter, and chopped chives from my small garden.

All the ingredients are the right price for this penny-pinching egg-flipper. Lately, I get an eight-pack of eggs from my local Dollar Tree and fresh spinach from the 99c only Store. I get cheese from both budget stores.

This is an omelet filled with greens made quickly while the coffee is still percolating. So go ahead and start the day with this cheap$kate breakfast, a 99 Cent Chef Spinach and Cheese Omelet.

Ingredients (one large omelet)

• 3 eggs - okay to make it a 2 egg omelet. I used medium size eggs.
• Spinach leaves - about a handful or a packed cup. Okay to use frozen or canned spinach, just make sure to drain the spinach or your omelet will be very soggy. 
• Cheese - about a slice, but add as much or little as you like. Okay to use any favorite cheese, like: mozzarella, Swiss, Jack, string, cheddar, or plain American.
• Butter - about 1 teaspoon. Okay to use a favorite cooking oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste. I find that cheese is salty enough for me, so I just sprinkle on some pepper.
• I finished omelet with some fresh chopped chives - optional.

Directions

Prepare cheese if necessary. Slice or crumble cheese.

I just saute and stir spinach leaves in a medium-hot pan until tender. The leaves will collapse and moisten. As soon as the spinach is soft remove from pan. Wipe the pan clean if necessary.

Add 2 to 3 eggs to a bowl, I made mine with 3 medium-sized eggs. Whisk eggs to blend well.

Over medium heat, add a teaspoon of butter or fave oil to omelet pan. Spread oil or butter over bottom of pan.

Pour in beaten eggs into medium/hot pan. Lightly scramble eggs. Let the omelet cook until eggs are starting to firm up, but still wet. It takes a minute or two, depending on heat of pan and how many eggs you used.

Spread out eggs to cover bottom of omelet pan as eggs firm up.

Add cheese first so it will melt quicker, and lay on the cooked (and, if necessary, drained) spinach.

Gently roll the omelet to cover cheese and spinach. If you are cooking old school, just fold it in half. Cook omelet to desired doneness, about another 30 seconds to a minute. It's up to you how well done the omelet turns out.

Just slice into the thickest part of the omelet to check for preferred doneness. Of course, you can cook the omelet any way you like. A hot omelet will continue to cook until eaten.

I finish the Spinach & Cheese Omelet with a little black pepper, a pat of butter and fresh sliced green chives (optional.)

It's okay to use your fave omelet cooking technique, like just letting egg firm in the pan without scrambling. Adding cheese and spinach when the egg is firm, then folding it in half. Click here to see my truck stop diner-style omelet.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.