Scotch Eggs

This is the simplest recipe and one of my families favorites. Make these for breakfast this weekend.


Buy a roll of your favorite brand of sage sausage. Hard boil 6 eggs. Divide the sausage into 6 pieces. Flatten each piece out and mold it around a peeled hard boiled egg. Notice I pointed out that you actually should peel the egg. Just sayin'!


Roll each one in breadcrumbs. I used panko.


Bake them in a 375 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until the sausage is cooked through. Let them sit for about 15 minutes and then cut them in half and serve. Some people deep fry them but I think they taste better baked. You can also make these with hot sausage and serve them with some marinara sauce.


If you want to make these as appetizers, use quail eggs!

Asian Cod with Sticky Rice and Broccoli

This is a really good way to prepare cod for something different than the common broiled cod.


Cut 2 pounds of cod into fillets and place them in a baking pan.


In a small bowl, mix 6 T. honey, 6 T. soy sauce, 6 T. rice vinegar, 2 T. fresh lemon juice, 4 tsp. sesame oil and 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger. Whisk this together and pour over the fish. Let the fish marinate in this for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

After 30 minutes, remove the fish and reserve the marinate. In a non stick skillet, cook the fish on both sides until browned and cooked through.



Cook the marinate over medium high heat until it thickens.


The cooked fish.


I steamed some broccoli and made some sticky rice. Serve the fish over the rice and drizzle it with the sauce.


Sprinkle it with sliced green onions. This is easy, fast and delicious!

Tapsilog and Kisir

This is a cross cultural dish and a really good breakfast. Try something different! Tapsilog is a typical Philippine breakfast and kisir is a Turkish tabbouleh.


The day before you make this, prepare the meat. You can use chicken, beef, pork or whatever you wish. I had a tray of pork chops so that is what I used for my tapsilog.

In a bowl, mix together 2 1/2 T.sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 6 T. lime juice and 4 diced garlic cloves.


Trim the fat off of the meat.

Cover it with wax paper.


Pound it until you have a very thin piece.


Place it in a bowl or dish and brush it with the marinate. Layer all the pieces of meat, brushing as you go. Pour remaining marinate over the meat, cover it with plastic and refrigerate it overnight.




This is the first time I made kisir and I now prefer it to regular tabbouleh. This version is very flavorful. Place 2 cups of bulgar in a bowl.


Measure 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.



Add 2 cups of boiling water to the tomato paste.


Pour it on the bulgar. Let it sit until it absorbs all of the water and then fluff up the bulgar.


Add some diced cucumber, tomatoes, red peppers and green onions.


Chop a bunch of parsley and add it too. Add some chopped olives. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste. If you have sumac powder, sprinkle it over the top of the salad.

Tapsilog is almost always served with garlic rice. Prepare your rice according to package directions and add 6 diced garlic cloves to the pot. I used brown rice.


Heat a heavy skillet to prepare the meat. A cast iron skillet works very well. Add a bit of olive oil to the skillet and brown the meat over high heat.


Doesn't this look good? The flavor is wonderful! I think this is a great way to prepare meat in general. This would be wonderful sliced into strips and added to a salad. It also would make a very flavorful sandwich.


Sorry for the bad photo! Serve the meat with the rice along with a fried egg. Usually this is served with a tomato salad but I served it with the kisir. This sure beats regular old bacon and eggs.

Lamb Chops with Roasted Root Vegetables and Israeli Couscous

This is a wonderful combination for dinner. Teddy had lamb for the first time and it is her new favorite! I bought these lamb chops at Costco and they were some of the best chops I've ever had. So, if you are near a Costco, check them out.


It is so simple to roast root vegetables. As they roast, their natural sugars caramelize and they develop a rich intense flavor. Cut up any combination of vegetables you like. I used carrots, turnips, parsnips, new potatoes and sweet potatoes. Toss them in a bowl with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread them on a cookie sheet and roast them at 425 until their edges begin to brown.


Now for the lamb chops.


Brush them with olive oil.


Crush some rosemary.


Sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt and pepper, granulated garlic and the crushed rosemary. Let them sit until they come to room temperature.


Follow the directions for your couscous. I like to use Israeli couscous because it is larger.


Add some chopped oven roasted tomatoes with a bit of their oil, some crumbled feta and sliced green onions.



In a heavy skillet, brown the chops on each side over high heat. It will take about 4 minutes on each side.

They should have a nice crispy golden crust.


A very flavorful simple meal.


Teddy hopes I make these again soon.

Play With Your Food

What a fun thing to do with your rolls. And great for St. Patrick's Day!


Pour 3/4 C. water into your mixer bowl. Add 2 tsp. rapid rise yeast, 2 T. sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 T. olive oil and 1 tsp. salt.


Gradually add 2 1/2 C. of flour. Knead until you have a smooth ball of dough.


Let rise until doubled.


While it is rising, enjoy your snow!


Mine has melted already.


What a winter!


Form the risen dough into rolls. Let them rise about 30 minutes. Brush the top of each roll with a mixture made by whisking one egg with 1 tsp. of water. Press some flat leaf parsley on the top of each roll and brush it again with the egg mixture.


Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the rolls turn golden.