Easy Creamy Tuna and Mushroom Pasta

by Justine C. Tajonera

Easy Creamy Tuna and Mushroom Pasta

What you'll need:

• Half a pack of spaghetti (I used whole wheat pasta. We used a whole pack but discovered that we only needed half so we set aside the other half for another pasta day).
  
• a little canola oil and salt (for the pasta)
• 1/4 clove of garlic, chopped
  
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 can button mushroom or shitake mushroom (I used shitake mushrooms), sliced into 1/4 pieces
• 250 ml cream
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 can of tuna in water (drained), spread out if in chunks
  
• a pinch or two of dried basil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
  

Procedure:

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water (with a little canola oil, a little salt) until al dente. Set aside.

2. Saute the garlic and the onions. Wait until onions are a little transparent.

3. Add in the mushrooms.

4. Pour the cream and let simmer slightly. Keep stirring so that cream doesn't burn.

5. Fold in 1/4 cup grated cheese. Set aside the rest for topping.

6. Once the cheese has melted, add in the tuna. Make sure it's not in chunks, anymore. Spread out.

7. Add the pinch or two of dried basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. You can opt to cook in the pasta together with the sauce (which is what I did). Or you can just serve the sauce separately.

9. Optional: Serve with buttered garlic toast. We used whole wheat bread.

Serves 3-4 people.

Pasta Loving Badger

This was the only dish, so far, that my son absolutely loved. I could tell that he loved it because he kept eating without letting up and he kept asking for more servings even when he hadn't finished the serving on his plate. Of course, he ate one mushroom and decided it wasn't for him (so more mushrooms for mommy and daddy). But overall, he finished two helpings and a half.

Badger really loves pasta to begin with. However, because this time I cooked the dish, I felt really happy and content to see him shoveling the pasta into his mouth. There's an undeniable sense of satisfaction when a cook sees her loved ones genuinely appreciating the food (by eating it without pause).

I'm excited to make my next pasta dish (since the other half of the spaghetti is still in the fridge)!

Easy French Toast

by Justine C. Tajonera

Easy French Toast

What you'll need:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk (I used the low-fat variety)
• 1/3 tsp salt (or less)
  
• 1/3 tsp sugar
• 4 pieces of bread (I used the whole wheat variety)
• a little butter

Procedure:

• Pre-heat the pan and spread a little butter over it.
  
• Beat the eggs and add the milk, the salt (I used a little under 1/3 tsp) and the sugar. Mix.
  
• Pour the mixture on a flattish pan so that when you dip the bread, it can thoroughly soak up the egg mixture.
  
• Dip the bread into the pan with the egg mixture.
  
• Fry the bread over the pan until both sides are golden brown.
  
• Serve with butter and honey or maple syrup. I also fried some lean bacon to go with our French toast.
  

Butter and Brunch Love

I love butter. I know it's bad for me because of all the fat. But I just love it. I love the smell of it, especially when it's cooking. So, when I was making the French toast, I was in butter and milk heaven. I over-soaked some of the pieces of bread and ended up with a not-so-soaked last bread piece. But overall our French toast was yummy and the bacon went well with it.

I love morning treats like these. Pancakes, French toast... one of these days I might make some toaster oven scones (if there's even such a thing). I think I'm a brunch type of person. That's why I love breakfast places like Pancake House, Heaven & Eggs and Flap Jacks. I associate it with family time and lots of happy conversation around the table.

Here's to more of them (butter and brunch)... in moderation. :-)

5 Egg Omelet with Ham and Cheese

By Justine C. Tajonera

5 Egg Omelet with Ham and Cheese

What you'll need:

• 5 eggs
• 2-3 slices of cooked ham
• 1/4 cup of diced cheddar cheese
• a dash of salt (since the ham and cheddar cheese can be salty)
• a little butter

Procedure:

• Pre-heat your skillet on medium-high heat. Put a little butter, enough to cover the surface of the pan.
  
• Slice the cooked ham into little squares and prepare the diced cheddar cheese.
  
• Beat the eggs in a bowl and add a dash of salt.
  
• When the skillet is hot enough, pour the egg mixture onto the pan and leave alone for a few seconds.
  
• When the sides of the omelet start getting cooked, carefully drop the pieces of ham onto the omelet until you've strategically covered most of it.
  
• Then add the cheese after.
  
• Carefully fold the omelet. Turn off the heat and remove from pan.
  
• Serve with whole wheat toast.

Serves 2-3 people.

It's All About the Pan

I never realized how uninspired I was because I had the wrong frying pan. We were making do with an old, cheap frying pan (the thin type that burns most of the food that you put on it while the heat is high). Everything stuck to that pan and I dreaded washing it.

Why did I have to suffer?

Vier and I recently decided to get a proper pan because we had to cook (no household help). We got ourselves a Sunnex skillet on sale: double coated Teflon, thick stainless steel base, built for electric ovens (which is the one we have at home, no gasul allowed in our building). It's in an apple green color.

Boy, I'm happy. It's the first time I've been able to make lovely, perfect pancakes. And now, a lovely folded omelet. When it folded over perfectly I wanted to melt with joy. So, apparently, that's part of the secret of cooking. If you don't have the right instruments, you might not also get the results you were looking for.