Midnight Snacks and Comebacks

Oh boy. It’s been a really, really long time since I’ve been here. And it almost feels alien to be returning to this space after such a long time has passed. What started off as a couple of months away – to travel and spend time with my folks who were here with me in the summer – turned into this unending, uncertain break.

It wasn’t easy getting back, to be honest, even though the heart really wanted to. There were so many questions – which dish do I make? What about the photography? What about the setup? All that plagued my brain and every time I thought about it, I snuggled deeper and deeper into my couch to surf gazillion online stores or play the umpteen Restaurant/Bakery/Home Design Story games on my phone instead.

But. There is a light at the end of every tunnel. And for me, it came in the form of a midnight snack hunt. Nothing in my snack shelf really looked appetizing and I wanted something quick, fast and finger-licking good. This is where always having a batch of mushrooms in the fridge comes in handy. It took me all of ten minutes to cook, serve, photograph and demolish this snack. Yes, that’s what hunger pangs can do to you.

Sometimes, keeping it simple really does work. It did get me back to my blog. And I’m happy on all counts.

In the spirit of getting back all refreshed and recharged, I’ve decided to give Beetle’s Kitchen Escapades a refresher too. I’m retiring the name and within the next week or few, will be changing its name to – Stir Whisk Bake! I think it’s time to move on from being a beetle in the kitchen. We’ll see how that goes.

Anyway, enough chatter and more food. That should be me my mantra. Though my pants won’t thank me for that. Ah, it feels great to be back and chuckle at my own jokes. Have a lovely weekend!

Stir-fried Mushrooms & Bell peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium-sized red bell pepper, sliced
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese, divided
• 1/2 tablespoon butter (you don’t really need butter, but at midnight I needed a little fix of it – just substitute with oil)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mint leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• A couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce (I used the butt-burning variety that sent me into a coughing fit as soon as I threw it in the frying pan and I loved it)
• Salt and pepper to season

Here’s how you do it:

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Throw in your mushrooms and red bell pepper, giving it a quick stir. Add your pepper powder, garlic powder, dried mint and basil leaves (don’t worry about salt now because the Feta will add enough saltiness later). Saute on high heat till your mushrooms soften and start browning slightly.

Add the balsamic vinegar and hot sauce. Stir for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the Feta cheese and mix it. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper, if you please.

Before serving, top with the reserved feta.

P.S. I ate mine on toast and it satisfied all my midnight cravings.