Asian style quinoa breakfast bowl

I love it when kitchen experiments actually turn out! I was starving this morning after playing a tough ultimate frisbee double header last night and was craving something satisfying yet healthy for breakfast. I took a few extra things I had in my veggie bin, threw it together, put an egg on it and it actually turned out amazing. So happy with it! Hope you try it and like it too :-) Breakfast with an asian twist

Quinoa Breakfast Bento Bowl

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped

2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

3 scallions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 slices of bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 inch ginger, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

1 cup quinoa

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)

3-4 eggs for poaching

Garnishes: more chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, soy sauce, oh and SRIRACHA...!

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the chicken broth and the red curry paste and bring to a simmer until well mixed. You will use two cups of this to cook the quinoa and 1 cup for the greens braising liquid.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions, using the broth instead of water. 

In a dutchoven or large stock pot, crisp up the bacon over medium heat and set aside. Add the sesame oil and turn the heat up to medium high. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, ginger, scallions and red pepper flakes. Fry, stirring constantly for 2-3 min. Deglaze the pan with the mirin, scraping bottom of the pan to loosen all the crunchies from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining broth and let reduce by approximately half.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in a separate pan and set aside. Poach or fry eggs, as desired. I would definitely recommend poaching or frying over easy to get that nice creamy texture!

When the broth is reduced, add the kale, lid the dutchoven or pot and let the kale wilt (a few minutes). Add in the mushrooms and turn off the heat. 

In a bowl, add a scoop of quinoa and the greens mixture, topping with some of the leftover mirin braising liquid. Sprinkle with some bacon bits and top with egg(s). Garnish with sriracha, cilantro, green onions, chopped peanuts as desired. DIG IN. 

Cranberry Crunch Salad

My first post in a while! I thought Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to dust off the ole laptop and share some yummy recipes. We all love the traditional holiday recipes that we grew up with but sometimes it's nice to mix it up a little. So.... what's up with the weird jello fruit salads that our moms always make? Don't get me wrong, I love my Mom's "Coronado Fruit Salad" (despite it's opaque mint green color and questionable mixture of heavy cream, pineapple chunks and horseradish) and gobble it up every year but it's time for an update!

This salad is a healthier, refreshing combination of fresh cranberries, apples and nuts that offers the palate-cleansing we crave... without being a scary gelatinous blob :-) Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Cranberry Crunch Salad

Ingredients

• 1 package (12 oz) fresh cranberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 small apple, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

1. Wash cranberries and drain. Chop coarsely in food processor. 
2. In a large bowl, combine cranberries and sugar. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Chop the celery, apple and nuts.
4. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice in small saucepan. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir over medium heat until gelatin is completely dissolved (about 1 minute).
5. Add gelatin mixture, apple, celery, and nuts to cranberries. Mix well.
6. Turn combined ingredients into a 1 quart mold or 9x9 casserole dish. Refrigerate until firm or overnight.

Makes 8 servings.

Chicken and dumplings

In spite of the fact that even at 11 pm, it's still 90 degrees in mid-September in this balmy oasis, I was in the mood for comfort food last night.  I've made this twice already, and it's so quick and easy, creamy and yummy.  It's basically Rachel Ray's recipe - I think I changed a few minor things, but don't remember what they were.  I know I left out the frozen peas - those have no business in chicken and dumplings, in my opinion.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-and-dumplings-recipe.html

Here goes:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb chicken (breast, thighs, tenders... whatever you like)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (1 turn of the pan)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 small or one baking-size russet potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 Medium carrots, peeled and cubed or sliced
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning (1/3 palm full)
• 2 Tbsp flour (a handful)
• 1 quart chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container
• 2 Cups biscuit mix
• 2/3 Cup Milk
• 2 Handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Dice chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.
2. Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables, one handful chopped parsley and bay leaves and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.
3. Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 2/3 cup milk and remaining handful chopped parsley. Drop large tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover pot tightly and steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Remove from heat, garnish with chopped parsley and serve in shallow bowls.

And, it goes great with a cold glass of rose on a plastic TV tray!

Keep your clothes on....

Last weekend, I made these incredible brownies - chocolate, of course, with a caramel center, and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.  Incredible.  The recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, and they are called "Knock-You-Naked Brownies."  I won't copy her recipe, but here is a link to it on her website - they are a-MAZ-ing!!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/05/knock-you-naked-brownies/

Skew-symmetric Deliciousness

... a little engineering humor for ya! I made these on a whim for a friends BBQ last week and wow. Let me just say, there were a huge hit and were gone in like 5 minutes!! They are SUPER easy to make and are bursting with summer flavor. Perfect warm weather appie!

Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

• 1 pint red grape tomatoes
• 1 pint yellow grape tomatoes
• ~4oz fresh basil leaves, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 8 oz ciliegine (small mozzarella balls)
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• sea salt/ ground black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes
• skewers (I found that bamboo cocktail picks worked well, or you could cut down some wood BBQ skewers to ~4" long)

Directions

1. Heat balsamic vinegar in a medium sized pan on med-high heat til *just* boiling, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Continue stirring until reduced by about half. Take it off heat and pour into a heat proof bowl when it is a tad runnier than you would want it for a drizzle... because by the time it cools down it will become more viscous and be just the right consistency. Yes, more engineering terms!

2. While the reduction is cooling, construct the skewers. I used the following order:
                     - red tomato
                     - piece of basil, folded if needed
                     - mozzarella
                     - piece of basil
                     - yellow tomato

2. Garnish to your hearts desire! Drizzle olive oil, season with salt/ pepper/ red pepper and then finish off with a drizzle of reduction. YUM!

Tamales

This is my favorite thing to make out of my leftovers from pulled pork tacos.  It's very time-consuming, but I love tamales.  It's worth the effort!

Equipment:

--large pot (typical stock pot)

--steamer basket

(or you can use a steamer appliance, whatever)

Ingredients:

--About 3 cups of filling (I use the pulled pork but you can use whatever you want)

--3 cups masa harina (regular or the stuff specifically for tamales - both work well)**

--1 tbsp ground oregano

--2 tbsp chicken bouillon

--2 tsp cumin

--1 tsp garlic salt

--1 tsp cayenne pepper

--1/2 tsp chili powder

--1-1.5 cups oil

--2-4 cups of water, as needed

--1 pkg corn husks

**This amount of masa harina will generally make enough tamales to cook one batch in the stock pot, about 30 tamales, give or take.

1.  Soak the corn husks in warm water for long enough to soften them up.  (They're impossible to work with if you don't soak them well.  Chop the filling up so there aren't large pieces of meat.  Place the steamer basket in the stock pot and fill with water to just below the steamer basket. 

2.  In a large bowl, combine the masa harina and all the seasonings (oregano through chili powder).  Mix this well with a fork.  Add the oil and mix well.  The mixture should be sort of crumbly.  Add water about a cup at a time and mix it with your hands.  This is the tricky part - getting the right consistency - the dough should not really stick to your hands much, but you want it to be thick like peanut butter.  So creamy sort of, but not too wet and sticky...

3.  Tear a few corn husks into thin strips; you'll use these to tie up the tamales, so be sure they are long enough to wrap around. 

4.  Lay down two corn husks, overlapping them by an inch or so at the widest point.  Take about a golf ball sized amount of dough and press it onto the husks, making a thin layer in the shape of a rectangle.  (This should leave a few inches of husk on the ends, enough to fold over.)  I like a thin layer (as opposed to a thick layer) because you can taste more meat, so press it as thinly as you like.  I use the heel of my hand and my fingers to get it in the shape and depth I prefer.

5.  Layer the filling along the center of the dough, leaving a little space on either end (to close up the masa). 

6.  Take the husks and fold up the top and bottom to close the masa around the filling.  (Make sure you have enough masa to cover it all; if not, take out some filling.)  Pinch the husks just above the masa and roll it up, fold the ends of the tamale across it, and tie it with a husk strip.

***This is hard to explain without pictures!***

7.  Heat the water in the stock pot to boiling; while it's heating, place the tamales in the steamer basket, standing upright.  

8.  Turn the heat down to medium-low.  (Just low enough to keep making steam, like maybe around a 4 setting.)  Cook the tamales for at least 2 hours and 15 minutes; I usually check one around 2 hours and see how the masa is cooking.  If it's not done, keep cooking it.

There are tricks to the masa, too - I don't really use them, but you can try to float a ball of masa in a cup of water to make sure you have enough oil in the dough.  If you have trouble with the dough and it won't cook, then you can finish them off in the oven; that will help dry the masa out.  They don't taste as good, but it does dry the dough out so they stick together.



Hashing it Out!

This recipe is so perfect for those chilly winter months -- healthy and hearty. It's great for breakfast but we've made it for dinner too! You can basically roast any kind of winter veggies you want but here's the way I made it. Fennel bulb, carrots, turnips, other types of squash and yukon gold potatoes make good substitutions as well.

Winter Veggie Hash

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cubed
1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
1 bunch kale, stems removed and cut into bite sized pieces
3 parsnips, sliced into chunks
3 shallots, quartered
8 eggs (for poaching)
white vinegar (for poaching)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
8 sage leaves, roughly chopped
safflower oil (or other oil with high smoke point -- can also use grapeseed)
olive oil
salt & pepper for seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil a medium pot of water to cover parsnips and parboil them for 15 min. Enough to where they are softened a little bit. Drain water.

2. Combine parsnips, squash, shallots, sprouts, thyme and sage in a large bowl. Toss with enough safflower oil to coat and season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread squash/veggie mixture onto 2 large baking sheets and bake in 400 deg oven for 30-35 minutes, until squash is cooked through.

4. While veggie mixture is roasting, prepare the eggs for poaching. You can do this 4 at a time using this method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMiCy8EH1go

5. Toss kale with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. When veggies are roasted, remove them from the oven and into a covered casserole dish or pot to keep warm. Spread the kale onto one of the baking sheets and flash broil kale for 3 min or until edges are slightly crispy. *watch this closely because kale can burn pretty fast!! 

6. Poach eggs and toss kale in with remaining veggies.

7. Arrange mound of roasted veggies on plate, top with 2 poached eggs and freshly ground pepper. Serves 4!

Pulled Pork Tacos

A twist on my favorite carnitas recipe!  You can use either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker (or a pot, if you want) for this recipe.

Two main components - the pulled pork and the slaw with dressing.  I'll break them down separately:

For the pulled pork:
--2-3 lbs of pork (I use tenderloin because it's lean and easy to cut, but shoulder/roasts work fine)
--28-oz can of tomatillos (similar to canned tomatoes)*
--28-oz can of Rotel*
--1/2 a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 3-4 oz)
--Cumin
--Chile powder
--Garlic powder or salt
--~2 tbsp Mexican oregano
--Black pepper
--3 tbsp cooking oil
*If you can't find this stuff, improvise - use fresh ingredients, or just use the same amounts of red and green enchilada sauce.

1.  Cut the pork into large chunks, approximately 3" square.  Season all sides of the pork with the spices (cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, pepper).  Take liberty to add what you want here (cayenne, etc.).  I don't over-coat the meat, but put enough because then you don't have to add much seasoning later on.

2.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium-med. high heat.  When oil is ready, brown the pork on all sides; set aside.  (Pork will still be raw in the middle.)

3.  Place the tomatillos, Rotel, and chipotles in a food processor.  Blend until well-mixed.

4.  Place the browned pork on the bottom of the cooker; then pour the tomato mixture over the top.  Add the oregano.  If using a slow cooker, cook on high for about 6 hours or until the meat starts to come apart.  For a pressure cooker, I used the high pressure setting for 1 hour, then quick release.

5.  After the meat has cooked, shred it with a fork (just tear it all apart).  Leave it in the juice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Slaw Topping:
--Bag of cole slaw (undressed) or make your own shredded cabbage, about 5-6 cups
--1 cup milk
--1 cup sour cream
--1 package ranch dressing mix
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (adjust as you like)
--1/2 cup pickled jalapenos (adjust as you like)

1.  Place everything but cabbage into a blender and mix well. 

2.  Toss this dressing with the cabbage; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assembly Ingredients:
--Refried black beans, heated
--Quesa fresca, crumbled
--Avocado, cubed

I served them as follows:
--Start with Laurel's homemade corn tortillas
--Spread some warm refried black beans on the tortilla
--Layer the pulled pork in the center
--Top the pork with the cabbage mixture
--Crumble some quesa fresca on top

This can make a pretty thick taco, so you may need to make those tortillas a tad larger!

This amount of pork will feed about 4-6 people.

Blackened Salmon Tostadas

Another wedding recipe... this was the recipe I asked the lodge to make as a passed appetizer. This is one of our household favs -- inspired by the great Ivar's Salmonhouse here in Seattle. You can get the larger sized tostada shells and make them more meal-sized. Sometimes I top them with a spicy cilantro aioli that I will add to the blog whenever I make it next. Something about the spice of the blackened seasoning combined with the cooling creamy cilantro flavors... so delicious. Pic coming soon!

Mini Blackened Salmon Tostadas

Ingredients

12 oz wild salmon fillet
1 15oz can refried black beans
1 medium sized avocado, cubed & divided
1 cup pico de gallo salsa (or any red salsa)
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro
12 3-inch mini tostada shells
12 lime wedges, for serving
Cajun blackening seasoning

Directions

• Heat beans over med-low heat until creamy.
• Coat flesh side of salmon fillet with blackening seasoning.
• On either a hot grill or a heated cast iron skillet with 3-4 tbsps canola oil (medium heat)
• Flash cook salmon, flesh side down for 2-3 minutes. Turn salmon over and grill/cook until skin gets crispy, about 5-6 minutes.
• To assemble tostadas, spread black beans over each tostada. Top with 1 oz salmon, avocado chunks and about a tablespoon of salsa. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Makes 12 tostadas.

Wild Blackberry Margaritas

If this isn't West-meets-South I don't know what is! This beverage was the signature cocktail of the Selby-Coulter wedding and I (the bride) wanted to choose something that featured an indigenous Pacific Northwest fruit with a Tex-Mex flair to pay homage to the two parts of the country we grew up in. Perfect summer (or end of summer!) cocktail. 

Wild Blackberry Margaritas

Ingredients
2 parts Sauza Hornitos
2 parts Stirrings margarita mix
1 part Cointreau
1 part Real Lime Juice (avoid Rose's Lime juice, it is too sweet.)
3-4 Blackberries
Splash of Sprite or other lemon-lime soda
Lime Wedges

Directions
• Lightly muddle ice and blackberries together in cocktail shaker.
• Add ingredients 1-4.
• Shake and pour into salted rim glass or mason jar.
• Add Sprite.
• Stir, garnish with lime wedge and serve (makes one serving).

Homemade Corn Tortillas

I know its been a while since I have posted so I am making it up to you all by coming back with a vengeance and passing along my #1 go-to recipe these days... corn tortillas. Once you make these once, I promise you won't want to ever buy the papery, tasteless store-bought version ever again. Not only are they delicious, making them is also quick and easy. The number one required piece of equipment is a metal tortilla press. If you don't have one, get one. I have tried these with a plastic one and it was kind of a failure... each tortilla was too small and super thick so I had to roll each one out with a rolling pin. Yeah.. NOT fun. So save yourself the trouble and get yourself a metal one!

Corn Tortillas

Ingredients
1 c masa harina (I recommend the brand Maseca)
2/3 cup warm water
sea salt (about 1 tsp)

Equipment

• metal tortilla press (I bought mine in a tienda up here in Seattle for $20 and it's the bomb)

• double griddle (not %100 necessary but makes things go a little quicker)
• 1 gallon-sized zip lock bag (cling wrap will do if you don't have one on hand)
• tortilla warmer or basket w/ kitchen towel

Instructions

1. Combine masa, water and salt in a bowl with a spatula. Form into a ball with your hands. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to press.

2. Heat griddle to med-high

3. Cut a gallon size zip-lock bag into two halves for both sides of the press.

3. Form dough into 1 inch balls (or whatever size you want really)

4. Take one ball at a time between the two sheets of plastic and press out each tortilla

5. After pressing out tortilla, flop it out on the griddle and heat for 1 min each side (should see some golden brown on each side)

6. Place each tortilla in warmer or basket with kitchen towel to keep warm until you're ready to fill them with your fav Tex-Mex goodies! (makes about 8 tortillas)

Breakfast Chilaquiles

I don't have a picture of this, but we all know this is my favorite, go-to breakfast recipe when I want to impress.  You can cheat and buy salsa and chips from the store, but what fun is that? 

Breakfast Chilaquiles

Ingredients:
--1 batch of red or green salsa (either works well!)
--1 batch of homemade chips (found on same link as salsa recipes); probably need the medium package of tortillas to have the right amount
--2 dozen eggs (obviously you can adjust all these amounts for your target audience)
--1 package of quesa fresca (maybe about 16 oz)
--1 container of sour cream***
--1-2 bunches cilantro

Prepare the salsa and chips according to the recipes on the link.  (If you make the salsa in advance, reheat it on the stove prior to assembling the chilaquiles.  It needs to be warm.)

1.  While the salsa is still warm, mix in the chips.  Watch the ratio - I just eyeball it, but you want the chips to be lightly coated with salsa.  Don't drown them in salsa, but make sure they are all coated on all sides.  Too much, they get soggy; too little, they don't have the right flavor.
2.  Start frying the eggs; the timing is important as well so the chips don't get soggy.  Make sure the eggs are fried as desired.  I like to have the salsa already warm, the chips prepared, and then I mix the salsa/chips at the same time I start frying eggs. 
3.  Spread a thin layer of the salsa/chip mixture on a plate.  Top the mixture as follows:  fried egg (or two), a dollop of sour cream, a tablespoon of crumbled quesa fresca, and a sprinkling of cilantro.  Serve immediately (with a mimosa or a spicy bloody mary!).

This typically involves the cook being a short-order cook, taking orders for how the eggs should be fried for each person and serving it as soon as it's assembled.  For large crowds, you'll need a helper that can keep the fried eggs coming!

***Note:  some people don't like sour cream.  TOO BAD!  That makes this dish taste as it should, so do whatever you can to persuade them to at least TRY it.  It adds a creamy texture as the egg yolk mixes with the salsa, and it is incredible.  I WON'T eat it without sour cream!  Fat free is fine :)  And although I always substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, I will not in this dish because it really does make a difference.

Cucumber Bites

These are one of my favorite snacks; low-carb, lots of veggies, and mimics a Greek salad (which I LOVE).  You can make the tomato garnish at any time and use it in so many things, not just for this!

Ingredients:
--1 cucumber, about 1-1.5" in diameter, sliced to 1/3" thick or so (they look better with the peel, but I don't like the peel, so that's up to you!)
--4 oz fat-free feta cheese
--2 large tomatoes
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--Salt/pepper
--Olive oil
--Thyme, basil, oregano (whatever you have)

Tomato Garnish:
1.  Preheat the oven to 450F (you can use broil or bake). 
2.  Slice the tomatoes in half and trim off the junk; place them on a pan.
3.  Drizzle or brush the tomatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4.  Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until they wrinkle and caramelize.
5.  Put the tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and chop coarsely.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, place the cucumber slices on a serving tray.  Add a spoonful of the tomato garnish to the slices, and top it off with some feta crumbles.

Grilled Scallops

A quick, easy, healthy, delicious dinner. 

Ingredients:
--1 lb fresh scallops
--8-10 slices of prosciutto
--Olive oil
--Salt/pepper

1.  Preheat the grill with a medium-hot fire.  Spread the coals out to distribute heat evenly.  (If you're on a gas grill, you obviously don't have to do that, but I love the flavor that charcoal imparts.)
2.  Sprinkle both sides of the scallops with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
3.  Take the prosciutto and halve the strip lengthwise with a very sharp knife, leaving you with strips about 1.5" wide and 6-8" long.  (I lay out a whole slice on the cutting board, then roll the knive over it to cut it lengthwise; if you move the knife, it sticks and will bunch up the prosciutto.)
4.  Wrap the scallop with the proscuitto (as seen in picture). 
5.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto each scallop, both sides.
6.  Place the scallops on the grill; cook on one side for 2 minutes or so, then flip them over. The scallops will be done by the time the proscuitto cooks and shrinks around the scallop.

 I served this with a zucchini salad, recipe here:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shaved-Zucchini-Salad-with-Parmesan-Pine-Nuts-360251

This makes enough scallops for 2-3 people.

Cajun Breakfast Skillet

I've made this a time or two but never committed it to the blog, but it is one of my favorite breakfast splurges. Reminds me of this wonderful place in Denver called Lucile's that serves the best Cajun breakfast you'll ever have. 

Ingredients:
--1 russet potato, in 1/2" cubes
--1 tbsp coconut oil
--2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (Tony Chacheres or Slap Yo Mama)
--8 eggs
--1 med tomato, coarsely chopped
--1 med bell pepper, coarsely chopped
--1 med onion, coarsely chopped
--1 jar pickled jalapenos, coarsely chopped
--6 oz Jimmy Dean reduced fat breakfast sausage (uncooked)
--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
--1 pkg white gravy, prepared

1. Preheat oven to 350F; arrange potato cubes on a pan in a single layer. Bake until golden brown. (You CAN fry them in the skillet if you want - that's the point of the skillet - but much less healthy.)

While potatoes are cooking:
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Add coconut oil and heat until melted.
3. Add bell pepper and onion; saute for 1-2 minutes (so they're still firm).
4. Add Jimmy Dean and cook until still slightly pink.
5. Add tomato, jalapeno, and all eggs. Scramble until eggs and sausage are fully cooked. Kill the burner, add cheese and stir well.

When you have about 3 minutes left:
6. Prepare gravy according to package, adding about 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning to mixture.

To serve, layer potatoes on bottom of a soup bowl, then egg/sausage mixture, and top with gravy. This should serve about 4 people.

You could also use turkey crumbles instead of Jimmy Dean pork, but I can only find those already cooked, so you lose some flavor by not getting the juices in the pan while cooking. And you can make gravy from scratch, but that takes more time. Or you could make sausage gravy and omit the sausage from the skillet...too many options to list.  Enjoy!

Plat du Jour

I modeled this recipe after a shrimp & grits dish I had at this amazing Cajun restaurant recently -- in Seattle of all places. Thankfully my years of waiting tables at Pappadeaux in Texas served me well because this turned out amazing. I was really happy with it. Anyways, here it is, hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cajun-style Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients

Shrimp Mixture

½ lb gulf shrimp

1 link Cajun andouille sausage (pre-cooked), sliced diagonally

5 garlic cloves, minced finely

1 tbs fresh thyme leaves

½ onion, chopped

Handful of finely chopped fresh parsley

½ cup chopped green onion (white & green parts)

½ cup dry white wine

2 tbs olive oil

juice of 1 lemon  + lemon wedges for garnish

Cajun seasoning

Grits

¾ cup stone-ground grits

2 ½ cups water

½ cup skim milk

1 cup sharp aged cheddar cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 tbs butter

sea salt + fresh ground pepper

Directions

Shrimp Mixture

1.     Throw shrimp in a zip lock bag and squeeze half of lemon’s worth of juice over shrimp. Season with your favorite Cajun seasoning or essence. Store in fridge while you prepare the rest.

2.     Caramelize onions in olive oil in a large skillet (medium heat) for about 20 minutes or until they barely start turning brown. While onions are caramelizing, start grits.

3.     Add thyme, garlic, sausage, and wine to onions and sauté for another 10 min or so, until sausage is heated through/ slightly browned on edges and some of the wine is cooked off. 

4.     Add shrimp, remaining lemon juice (sprinkling with a little more Cajun seasoning) and sauté for 3 min, or until just turned opaque. Take off heat and season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with green onion.

Grits

1.     Pour milk and water into saucepan and boil. Slowly add grits and stir so they do not clump.

2.     Cook about 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring every now and then.

3.     Add butter, stir until melted. Add cheese and stir until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take off heat and cover until ready to serve.

To serve:

Spoon grits into medium sized bowls and top with shrimp mixture. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

"Smashing, Basil!"

If you didn't enjoy my gratuitous Austin Powers quote then you WILL enjoy this Basil Pesto recipe! I've tried pesto many times and it never turns out quite right but I finally honed it to perfection with my newly acquired food processor. It's fresh-tasting and delicious. And so convenient to whip out as an easy pasta sauce or risotto base. I just freeze what I don't use and then whenever I need a quick pasta sauce I just spoon a tablespoon or two out of the freezer container straight onto the cooked pasta. The pasta is usually hot enough to melt it down. So easy! Almost easy as "Twins, Basil... Twins!"

My Kicked-Up Basil Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil (one of those big plastic cartons should do it)

1/3 cup dry-toasted pinenuts

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (I love that garlic kick so use more like 2 if you want it more subtle)

½ cup olive oil

few pinches Italian seasoning*

pinch of crushed red pepper (or more if you’re feeling bold)

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

1.    Combine basil, garlic cloves and pinenuts in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour in olive oil and remaining ingredients. Continue to process until desired pesto consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if needed.

2.    Serve with your favorite pasta and sprinkled Parmesan -- for example, gnocchi as seen in above photo (see gnocchi recipe from March 2011)

*If you don’t have a so-aptly-named jar of dried  “Italian Seasoning” on hand just use a combination of dried rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano.

Mr. Sprouts

My brother Russ has never been able to escape his nickname of Mr. Sprouts, even to this day so this recipe is dedicated to him! (get it... Russell Sprouts...)

Anyhoo, this recipe have very quickly become my favorite veggie side dish. I fell in love with them when I had them at Shane's moms house when she had us over for family dinners. I never liked them growing up but somehow the flash frying of the brussels sprouts creates this amazing char-grilled flavor. Plus this dish is served warm so it's more satisfying than a salad during the winter months. Super easy too. Cheers to you, Mr. Sprouts!

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

12 oz fresh Brussels sprouts

½ of a lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

1.    Place Brussels sprouts in a large skillet and cover with ½ cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and heat over medium until most of water is evaporated and sprouts are almost done but not quite. This takes about 8 minutes. Add more water if pan becomes dry before sprouts are ready. I usually have to taste test sprouts for desired crispness.

2.    Uncover, crank up heat to medium high and pour olive oil over sprouts. Do not stir. Cook for another 5-7 min until sprouts are golden brown on underside. Monitor to make sure they don’t overcook.

3.    Remove from heat. And place in serving dish. Season again with salt and pepper and squeeze lemon juice over sprouts. Serve with lemon wedges.