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BREAKFAST FOR DINNER by Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth ($3.99)

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / IBOOKSTORE (ENHANCED EDITION!) / INDIEBOUND

(image via flickr)

It’s funny how most of my favorite camping memories are about food. Like the time, two days into a camping trip in Big Sur, friends pulled profiteroles from deep inside their cooler like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. They warmed rich, creamy chocolate sauce on the fire and drizzled it over the ice-cream-filled pastry puffs. We devoured the unexpected treat around the campfire, licking every last bit of gooey, rich chocolate goodness from our fingers. Decadent, delicious, unforgettable.

If you’re so busy with life that you forgot about dinner, yet long for something homemade, then this is the perfect dish for you. Omelets are great go-to when you’re out of ideas (or ingredients!) and I discovered that leeks, especially the organic ones, are at their best (and most affordable!) in the spring season. Even better, leeks are bursting with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. With an armful of fragrant leeks and a bundle of fresh jumbo shrimps, I knew I had a great thing going for a quick meal.

In the sizzling skillet filled with butter and olive oil, the ringlets of leeks let out a mellow, sweet onion aroma. The shrimps and bright yellow whisked eggs added a glorious gleam to the mix, and best of all, it only takes a few swift minutes to prep. Pull up a seat, pour some wine, and forget all the day’s cares with tasty slice of omelet!

Sauteed Shrimps and Leeks Jumbo Omelet

Servings: 2 to 3

½ pound fresh jumbo shrimps, washed, peeled, tails removed
1 can ginger ale, for pre-cooking shrimps
Juice from 1 lemon, save rinds, for cooking shrimps
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 large stalks of organic leeks, well rinsed and roots trimmed (see notes) and sliced in thing ringlets (use white and pale green parts only)
½ cup slice roasted red bell pepper, drained (in jars)
6 whole large eggs
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Good bread, for serving

1. In a small pot, over medium high heat, combine the shrimps with the ginger ale and lemon. Throw in the lemon rinds. Boil, then simmer till shrimps cook, about 8 minutes. When cooked, drain shrimps and set aside.

2. Separately, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream till frothy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, add the butter and extra virgin olive oil. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the sliced leeks. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes till leeks soften.

4. Add the pre-boiled shrimps to the leeks in the skillet. Mix in the sliced roasted red bell peppers. Cook and stir ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.

5. Pour the beaten egg mixture over the shrimp mixture. Tilt the pan around to spread the eggs completely and evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Cover, and cook the omelet for 5 minutes or till no more liquid is visible. Turn off the heat. Serve hot with a good loaf of bread.

Recipe Notes: Leeks are abundant in the spring season but are available year round. To prepare, remove the outer greens on top by hand and trim the lower roots at the end of the white parts with a knife. To clean, put the whole bundle in a bowl of water and swirl it like a brush to remove residue and grits. Pat dry with paper towels. Aside from this recipe, leeks are good raw on salads, and are sweeter and less pungent than regular onions.

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Elizabeth Quirino believes that “food brings the world together.” She loves to cook, develop recipes, photograph & write about her culinary adventures on her 2 blogs Asian in America. Outside the kitchen, Elizabeth paints watercolors, reads everything and ends every week with ballroom dancing. For great food stories find her on Facebook and follow Mango_Queen on Twitter.

Philly Cheesesteak, Photo by Mikey Il

Philadelphia may be the City of Brotherly Love, but when it comes to its signature sandwiches, the hoagie and cheesesteak, it’s more like a Civil War battleground.

This simple chicken dish is enhanced with wine and combined with cream sauces. It’s good for the family or great for company.

Simply layer the ingredients casserole-style. Cook this in a crock pot or else cover and bake it in the oven. Cook it low and slow and go about your regular routine of activities. Come back to it and uncover an amazing dish filled with savory, succulent chicken simmered in wine, mushrooms, potatoes and a luscious sauce base. Serve this on a bed of egg noodles, paired with a green salad and great wine.

Take a bow and accept the applause.

With National Pretzel Day (April 26) fast approaching, I have no choice but to celebrate; the Philadelphian in me requires it! I’m clearly not alone: Philly loves their pretzels so much that we apparently eat 12 times the national average.

Pretzels have a long history in Pennsylvania, dating back to the 18^th century when the Pennsylvania Dutch introduced soft pretzels to the region. National Pretzel Day was actually instituted in 2003 by none other than Ed Rendell to celebrate the importance of pretzels in Pennsylvania. Although the area is better known for their soft pretzels, legend has it that a Pennsylvania baker “invented” hard pretzels when he accidently left the pretzels in too long. Hard pretzels were also first commercially available from Pennsylvania’s own Sturgis Pretzel House in 1851.

So what better way to celebrate National Pretzel Day than to incorporate them into a delicious dinner recipe? I used Sourdough pretzels in this recipe adapted from Country Living to make another Philadelphia favorite: Fried Chicken! This Pretzel-Crusted “Fried” Chicken is actually baked, but the pretzel crust gives the chicken a nice crunch without deep frying.