Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs [the EASY way]

I've searched the Internet so many times for a simple way to get perfect hard-boiled eggs. I've read a lot of articles that included several complicated steps and dishes, and I thought, "Surely, there's a better way."

I'm not going to lie, I never attempted any of the complicated methods. My grandma taught me how to boil eggs, so I do it her way. Three simple steps, one dish.

1. Place eggs in a pot and cover with water (make sure no part of any egg is out of the water).

2. Bring water to a boil, and let boil for 10 minutes.

3. Cool the eggs (THIS is the most important step). I've found that the best way is to cool it down with water first (pour out hot water & fill pot with cold water & ice). Transport the eggs to the fridge & let sit in fridge for at least half an hour.

If your eggs are cooled enough, the shells will come off easily without damaging the egg white at all. To crack the shell (another trick my grandma taught me) - wrap the egg in a paper bowl or napkin, roll on a hard countertop until the egg is softly cracked all over, then peel - the shell will come off easily.

Bomb-Diggity Bacon Salsa

The other day I was watching the Food Network (shocker), and saw that my old friend Trisha Yearwood now has a cooking show (coincidentally, she also does Zumba). I already had an appreciation for Trisha, but this knowledge brought it to a whole new level. Turns out she's a pretty bomb cook too, and makes her salsa with...

wait for it...

bacon.

I've been dying to try the recipe ever since. Needless to say, I finished off my bag of chips (I'm going to need to start looking for something else to put this salsa on).

Below is a slightly modified version of her "Salsa Ranchera" (see original recipe here). Salsa Ranchera just didn't quite capture the greatness of the recipe... so I also modified the title.

Bomb-Diggity Bacon Salsa

6 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into strips

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 serrano pepper (see note below), de-stemmed, de-seeded, and finely diced

1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp salt

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until it gets brown, but before it gets crispy. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes. Serve warm or cold. Probably warm, since you're not going to want to wait (I prefer it warm anyway).

Note: I know everyone's spiciness preference is different, so you will want to adjust this recipe to your taste. I thought two peppers made it just a little too spicy (my lips were burning). If you don't like any heat at all, I would probably just replace the serrano pepper with a green bell pepper. If you're not as much of a pansy as I am, go for two. 

Chicken & Veggie Omelet

Ingredients:
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 c cooked chicken, shredded
1 T red pepper, chopped
1 T green pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
2 T milk
1 1/2 t butter
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Sauté the mushrooms, broccoli, cooked chicken, red pepper, green pepper, and green onions in half the butter until somewhat browned (approximately five minutes). Remove from pan. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Heat remaining butter in pan until just melted, and pour the egg mixture in the pan so that it spreads evenly. Continually tilt pan back and forth to make sure the egg cooks evenly. Once the egg looks fairly cooked through, add cooked toppings and cheese. Fold in half, and allow to continue cooking until the cheese is melted. Slide onto a plate, and enjoy!