I'm still basking in the glow of a relaxing trip to Mexico with my friend Jaden (www.SteamyKitchen.com) .  It was a perfect girlfriend's getaway ... we ate, we lounged at the beach, we spa'd, we ate some more.  The first twit-pic I posted of the amazing blue water and my boyfriend was texting back that he wished he would have hid himself in my luggage! The fact that the photo came from my phone is further proof that it's difficult to take a bad picture in paradise ... because ... well ... it's paradise!

We indulged in a couple of days of luxury and pampering at the Royal Hideaway Playacar.  And Royal it is.  They treat you like a queen (or king).  Our check-in involved cool scented towels to freshen up and a glass of champagne.  Nothing like a little bubbly to start your vacation of right!

We enjoyed quite a culinary journey during our trip, but my focus today is on breakfast.  Some travelers might have a good time seeing all the sites ... the museums ... the tourist spots.  Instead, whenever possible, on a trip you'll find me at the local grocery store being memorized my labels in foreign languages, deciphering what's inside by looking at photos and checking out the local produce.  It's Disney to me.  Pure fun and entertainment.  But I digress ... cause on this trip we never did find a grocery store.  Thankfully I didn't need to in order to get my fix.  The Royal Playacar not only dazzled us with internationally inspired cuisine at their fine restaurants, but bestowed a variety local produce as well.

Imagine how giggly and happy I became when I was able to have pink for breakfast.  Seriously!  A whole plate of pink.  And not a pale, pepto or Barbie pink.  A bright and bold adventurous magenta!  The white fleshed fruit with the hot pink skin and little green spikies is known as Dragon Fruit. I' m in love with it for it's funky colors, sweet flavor and cool name. Locals also call it pitaya and I would describe the texture as that of a kiwi, but less tangy.

The orange in my plate is just for a contrasting garnish.  Papaya.  As much as I want to love papaya, I just don't like the flavor.  Each time I have the opportunity to taste it, I try it again, but it's just a bit too musky for me.  Bring on more of the pink!

The other bold pink item on my plate also has a light green twin next to the dragon fruit and is called prickly pear or tuna.  When I tweeted this, I had tons of replies from people looking for the fish on my plate.  No, no, no.   While I might try ceviche for a late brunch (and we did), fish for breakfast doesn't sound like my cup of tea.  (Of course, now I've just challenged myself to find a fish breakfast recipe) Tuna, in this instance, is a fruit.  It has a ton of seeds which makes it a challenge to eat, but it is a refreshing flavor combination of cucumber and melon.  Both are from a cactus.  Who would have thought something prickly and unsightly would produce fashionable fruit like this!  But I should have known.  We have a lot of moon flowers, or night blooming cereus, in our neighborhood.  For most of the year it looks like a half dead cactus stick growing on a tree.   But once a year it blooms at night and like magic we have these huge cloud like flowers in the trees emitting a potent sweet fragrance.  I guess it just goes to show you can't judge a fruit by it's plant.

This has to be the easiest and healthiest breakfast I've made in a long time.  Simple ingredients, fabulous flavor. It was given to me by the Grandison Inn located in Oklahoma City and it is their most requested breakfast dish among guests.

Once you make it for the first time, it's the kind of recipe that stays in your head that you can whip up quickly without even thinking twice about it.  Don't ya just love those?

All you need is 2 small ramekins, eggs, diced ham, cheese, and salsa.

I don't know about you, but anything with cheese is divine in my book.

I contemplated just layering the ham into the bottom of the ramekin whole, it just fit so nicely.  But it's much easier to eat and mix with the other flavors if you slice it.

Layer your ham first, then salsa, then crack your eggs and add them whole without breaking the yolk.

Yes, I said whole eggs, not scrambled.  I have to admit, when I read this part on the recipe I thought it was a little strange.  I had to resist the urge to scramble them and mix all the ingredients together. But the end result is yummy, trust me.

Place your ramekins on a cookie sheet or baking dish in case of spillage, and then bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

When the eggs have just started to turn white, remove from the oven and sprinkle on the cheese.

This is me ... making a funny face ... because I nearly forgot an ingredient.

I'm notorious for this.  I could have a "Where's Waldo" contest of finding the missing item in all of my ingredient shots.  But I have a good excuse for this one.

This is something I added that was not in the original recipe ...

hence ...

it wasn't written down.

It's a cup of fresh cut green peppers, tomatoes and onions to add a little color and crunchiness to the dish.

Add back to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.  Watch closely ...

don't walk away to check email ... this happens quick.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

Doesn't it look delish?  Happy little healthy breakfast ...

--Rachelle

Grandison Signature Eggs & Salsa

Ingredients

(per bowl or ramekin)

1-2 eggs

1 - 2 tbs mild salsa

1/4 cup diced ham

grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Preheat over to 400 degrees and coat ramekin dish with cooking spray.

2) Line the bottom of the dish with ham and spoon salsa on top of ham.

3) Break open the eggs to go over salsa.  DO NOT stir the mixture together.

4) Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the white of the egg is beginning to set.  Start watching closely after 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

5) Layer the grated cheddar over the egg dish and return  to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and a light golden brown on some places.

6) Let cool for 3 to 5 minutes and then serve.

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Yesterday we headed over to the Mount Dora Historic Inn to learn how to make ... quite possibly... the best omelet I've EVER had. Seriously. First of all, the salty scent of frying bacon got the best of my empty belly when we first stepped in the door. But when Chef/Innkeeper Jim Tuttle walked out with a bottle of chardonnay and said, "we're going to need some wine to make this breakfast," I knew it was going to be a fabulous day.

Chef Jim shared with us his secret to making the best omelet, cooking asparagus, and even a little dance that makes water boil faster. The recipe of the day was his Bacon Asparagus Stuffed Omelet with Buerre Blanc sauce. It's the perfect gourmet breakfast for two.

****Now, there are so many different methods for making an omelet. Some add water, some add milk, some cook with butter, some with oil, there really is no "wrong" way ******

Want to make your own awesome omelet? Here's what you'll need

Freshly cooked bacon and asparagus, eggs, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 Cup fresh grated cheese, dried mustard powder, salt, freshly ground pepper, a dash or two of Tabasco

First, start off by taking a look at my side notes for creating the buerre blanc sauce and perfectly cooked asparagus.

Now, let's get started on the perfect omelet. Chef Jim has a couple of secret ingredients I've never added to my omelet mix ... Tabasco and mustard powder. The first step is an easy and familiar one ... just break your eggs into a deep mixing bowl and whisk together.

Then sift your mustard powder through a sieve to break up any clumps and add about 5 "dashes" of Tabasco to taste. Personally, I usually don't like hot sauce, especially on my breakfast. But adding the Tabasco at this stage gives it a little more flavor without the kick. Also add just a dash of water (Chef Jim's not known for measuring things) and whisk together again. You're about ready to start your omelet.

Bacon. Bacon. Bacon. I hear the voice of that pooch in the bacon strips commercial chattering on in my head.  I'm just as crazy about bacon as he is ... except ... of course ... this is the real thing.

Prepare the bacon as you normally would. The TIP here is, after you've finished cooking it stove top, sandwich between paper towels and microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds to further absorb the extra grease. This tip makes for extra crispy bacon.

Chef Jim likes to use butter AND olive oil to coat his frying pan. So, just in case the olive oil and asparagus threw you for a loop and gave you the impression that this is a "healthy breakfast" ...  let me just say that the taste is worth EVERY calorie. Especially the buerre blanc sauce. Mmm. On with the omelet .

Chef Jim quoted Julia Child as saying, "an omelet contains a hard outer shell of eggs containing a soft scramble." Here's his tip on how to get an evenly cooked omelet. Lift up the cooked edge and allow the uncooked egg to flow around it. This creates layers of cooked egg. See the sequence below ...

At this point, you want to flip your omelet and layer with the goodies you've pre-prepared such as the bacon, asparagus and sprinkle with cheese.

Here's another extra step I had never considered. Jim pops his omelets in the oven for 3 minutes at 375 degrees in order to bring everything to the same temperature. Note, if you are going to do this, you need to make sure you have oven-safe frying pans (without any plastic parts) and remember to use oven mitts to remove them!

Flip them onto your serving plate ... drizzle with buerre blanc sauce ... savor the moment ... sprinkle with paprika ...

Bacon & Asparagus Stuffed Omelet

Ingredients

Bacon
Asparagus
7 Eggs
1/2 stick of Butter
1 Cup Fresh Grated Cheese (we used muenster and cheddar)
Dried Mustard Powder
Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Tabasco

Directions

1) Create your buerre blanc sauce and perfectly cooked asparagus.

2) Break your eggs into a deep mixing bowl and whisk together.

3) Sift your mustard powder through a sieve to break up any clumps and add about 5 "dashes" of Tabasco to whisked eggs.

4) Prepare the bacon as you normally would. The TIP here is, after you've finished cooking it stove top, sandwich between paper towels and microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds to further absorb the extra grease. This tip makes for extra crispy bacon.

5) Add butter and olive oil to coat frying pan.  Bring heat to medium high.

6) As egg is cooking, lift up the edge and allow the uncooked egg to flow around it. This creates layers of cooked egg.

7) When omelet is firm,  flip and layer with the goodies you've pre-prepared such as the bacon, asparagus and sprinkle with cheese.

8 ) Add omelets to the oven for 3 minutes at 375 degrees in order to bring everything to the same temperature.

9) After baking for 3 minutes, slide omelet onto your serving plate ... drizzle with buerre blanc sauce ... savor the moment ... sprinkle with paprika ... and enjoy!

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I love asparagus. I love even more that it's actually proper etiquette to eat it with your fingers. One of the things that I never mastered,  was how to properly cook asparagus. That is, until I met Chef Jim with the Mount Dora Historic Inn.

You see, before learning these little tricks he gave me below, my asparagus would come out soggy, limp and stringy. Not the firm, crisp, veggie taste I was used to experiencing in a restaurant. Alas ... here's the secret ...

FIRST ... it's all in how you cut it. Snapping a single asparagus will show you where the "woody" and "stringy" part starts. After you snap one, use that as your guide for cutting the rest of the bunch.

SECOND ... boil the asparagus in a shallow pan (not a big ole deep pot like I used to use) and then prepare an ice bath to stop it from cooking. I know, this sounded a little strange to me too. And the goal is NOT to make it cold, it is to flash stop the cooking process so it doesn't end up a mushy pale green vegetable.

And in the end, you've got perfectly cooked asparagus!  Now, add it to your stuffed omelet!

This citrus icing is finger-licking-good.  It's sweet zestiness will ... as my Mom says ... knock you into next week.

The ingredients are dangerously simple.  I say dangerous because anything that tastes this good and is so quick to make can't be good for your diet.

The ingredients ... just three.  A 1lb bag of powdered sugar,  an orange (for zest and juice) and orange extract.

Pour the sugar into a mixing bowl.

Zest your orange and add to the sugar.

Next, cut the orange in half and juice. Add the juice to your powdered sugar and zest.

Now for some zing.

The zest and juice add some flavor,

but the orange extract turns the citrus up about 10 notches.

Try it out on the blueberry citrus scones.  Then lick the bowl.

Mmm.

--Rachelle

Chef Jim, with the Mount Dora Historic Inn, shared with us this recipe to accompany his Bacon and Asparagus Stuffed Omelet. So, what exactly is Buerre Blanc Sauce? Literally, buerre blanc translates to "white butter." Now, add to that butter a little wine. And in this recipe, add a little cream. Sounds sinful and naughty, does it not? Buerre blanc sauce is a rich and savory French sauce that will make a flavorful addition to any dish, from eggs to fish. There are many different variations such as citrus, lemon, shallot, wasabi and more, but today we're going to stick with simplicity.

There are only 4 basic Ingredients: Wine, Heavy Cream, Butter & Salt.

You'll love how it starts ...

Open up a bottle of chardonnay or your favorite unfinished white wine from the night before.

Add a half cup of wine to a medium sauce pan over medium heat.

Stir wine until it becomes a little syrupy and the volume is reduced by half.

See how there is a line on the pan from the initial pour of wine?

Pick a spot as your "half way" point to measure when it's reduced by half.

The wine will also thicken and become a little syrupy.

At first it's going to smell a little weird ... like vinegar.  But don't fret.

That's normal.  And the butter and cream that's added will cut down on the acidity.

Next, add in 1 Cup of Heavy Cream and whisk together with the wine.

Also add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor.

After the wine and heavy cream are whisked together, add a full stick of butter.

Most recipes call for "chunks" of butter to be added.

This little tid bit was Chef Jim's secret for easy whisking.

As the butter melts, you can more easily blend it with the wine and cream

without getting clumps of butter stuck to your whisk.

Let it simmer until it's bubbly.

And Chef Jim says, "when you think it's bubbly enough, let it go just a little longer.

Voila! Serve over your Bacon & Asparagus Stuffed Omelet.

Basic Buerre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup of white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 stick of butter

pinch of salt

Directions

1)  Add a half cup of wine to a medium sauce pan over medium heat.

2)  Stir wine until it becomes a little syrupy and the volume is reduced by half.

3)  Add heavy cream, pinch of salt and whisk together.

4)  Add whole stick of butter, and whisk butter into wine and cream reduction as it melts.

5)  Let it get a little bubbly and simmer.  Then serve!

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Okay.  I didn't actually get these from an Inn.  I made them up.  Seriously!

Once upon a time there was a very hot day in Florida.  And, on that very hot day my air conditioner decided to stick it's tongue out at me and quit.  And it's 90.  And the a/c guy can't make it out until tomorrow.  Are you playing a violin for me yet?

But my friends would call me optimistic in the midst of adversity and sweltery heat.  I'm a glass is half-full kind of girl.  Literally!  I googled fresh frozen drinks and about 5 recipes for Watermelon Coolers came up.  I took my favorite bits out of each one and created my own.

Champagne is optional.

Here it goes ...

Simple ingredients.  A quarter of a watermelon, a cup of juice (I used cranberry),

a cup of sugar (that looks like a little more than a cup, no?), and some ice.  Easy!

Watermelon so refreshing.  Cool, sweet and full of juice!

Perfect for my hot summer day.  I bought a "seedless" watermelon ...

and as you can see ... it's not exactly seedless.  We'll deal with that later.

You can cut your melon into cubes.

I have a melon ball scooper that I used that makes em all fancy schmancy.

Really ... it's easy.  And you can pick up one in most local supermarkets.

Make sure to not waste a single drop of juice.  Just tilt it over into your bowl.

Ideally you'd freeze these overnight making nice little watermelon ice cubes ...

but I can't wait that long to cool off.  So I'm just going to add some ice.

Again, get every last drop of juice.

Add a few melon balls to a bamboo skewer for garnish.

Pop them into the freezer to make them ice cold.

If you have time, you can freeze them over night

and create a nice little swizzle stick to keep your drink cold.

I'm sweating ... or rather ... my forehead is getting all sparkly ...

so I'm just going to use these to make my cooler pretty.

This is the the thing that makes the coolers uber delish.  Without it, it's kind of bland.

Add 2 cups of water to pot and bring to a boil.  You're gonna add sugar to this later.

Add your melon to a blender.  We're gonna get rid of the pulp and stray seeds.

Now, isn't that niiiice.

Weeeeeeeee!

By now your water should be boiling.  Add sugar, stir, and remove from heat.

And since "seedless" watermelon still has a few seeds ...

strain your juice and then add it back to the blender.

If you're impatient like me, add some ice.

Pour in your sugar water.

Add the juice.

Blend again!

You're done!  You can drink these straight up.

Or, for an extra little kick, fill the glass half way with champagne and

then add the juice.  Sort of like a melon mimosa.

Oooooh yeaaaah!  AC guy can take his time now.  I'm chillin.

--Rachelle

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Watermelon Coolers

Ingredients

2 cups chopped watermelon

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 cup juice

1 cup ice (optional if melon is not frozen)

Directions

1)  Chop or scoop watermelon and blend.

2)  Strain juice to remove stray seeds and add juice back to blender.

3)  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add sugar.  Remove from heat, stir and set aside.

4)  Add one cup of ice, juice and sugar water to watermelon juice in blender.  Power it up and blend again.

5) Serve as is, or add champagne to taste.  Enjoy!