Thursday, May 27, 2010

#92 :: Eggs in Purgatory

Jamie is working nights this week, so I planned some breakfast/brunch meals for us to have together. This one turns leftover mashed potatoes into a delicious and light brunch. This recipe definitely makes my list of favorites so far on our cooking journey!




Ingredients
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 cups mashed potatoes, chilled
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Stir 1 egg in a large bowl to blend. Mix in the potatoes, then the flour. Using a generous 1/2 cup of potato mixture for each, form the potato mixture into 4 (4 1/2-inch) diameter pancakes.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Fry the pancakes until they are golden brown and heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pancakes to paper towels to drain. Keep the pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Pour off the excess oil from the pan.

Heat the pan over medium-low heat. Crack the remaining 4 eggs into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the white is firm, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the eggs over and cook for 30 seconds longer.

Spoon the sauce onto 4 plates. Place a pancake atop the sauce. Top each pancake with a fried egg. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.



Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Everyday Italian on Food Network

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sunday, May 23, 2010

#91 :: Pork & Peppers Mexican-Style

Wow, it's been a long few weeks since we cooked! Jamie and I have both been super busy with work and other activities, so cooking dinner together has been on the back burner for a while. But, last night we were both home and decided to get back on track! This is a recipe Jamie found online and it turned out wonderful. I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today!



Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 3/4 pound lean pork, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 each red, yellow and green bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper (optional)
  • 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add green onions; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add pork; cook and stir 5 minutes or until browned. Add bell peppers and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until bell peppers begin to soften.

Season mixture in skillet with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms, cumin, chili powder and chipotle pepper, if desired. Cook and stir 10 to 15 minutes until pork is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Top each serving with shredded cheese and sour cream and roll it up in a tortilla, burrito-style.



Makes 4 servings

Recipe from TLC Cooking

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

#90 :: Cinco de Mayo! :: Shredded Pork Tacos

We had quite the fiesta for Cinco de Mayo! We started with some fresh guacamole and fresh warm tortilla chips, then we had Tortilla Soup (which we made before during our Mexican cuisine week). Finally, we had Shredded Pork Tacos! Oh, and we can't forget the margaritas and Dos Equis!

These Shredded Pork Tacos were absolutely delicious, but they were also a bit spicier than I expected. I only put one chile in, just like the recipe said, but these little guys are apparently hot enough to spice up the whole pot! Be wary if you're sensitive to spicy foods....this is a spicy one! (Though I'm sure you could remove the chipotle chile and make a non-spicy version.)



Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice
  • 1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from a small can), minced (about 4 teaspoons)
  • 16 (6-inch) toasted corn tortillas
  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

  1. In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add pork, tomatoes (breaking them up) and their juice, chipotle, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves.
  2. Using tongs, transfer meat to a large bowl; shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Return meat to pan, and simmer until sauce is thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Proceed to next step, or cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.
  3. Spoon pork and sauce into toasted tortillas, using 2 tortillas for each serving; top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes , if desired.







Makes 8 servings

Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

#89 :: Spaghetti w/ Meatballs

I needed a quick fix dinner last night. Does it count if you cook dinner, but not from scratch? :) I took the shortcut route tonight and made spaghetti and meatballs.



I used thin spaghetti noodles, boiled in heavily salted water for 8 minutes. I used a jarred tomato sauce (cooked in a sauce pan on the stove top) and frozen meatballs from a bag (cooked in the oven on a sheet tray). *Gasp* Shame! It was quite delicious though. I also bought a small loaf of Italian bread to go with the spaghetti. A little butter, garlic salt and parmesan on each slice, and a few minutes in the broiler is all it takes!

So did I cheat a little? Maybe. But it wasn't a hamburger from some greasy fast food drive-thru, so it's still a winner in my book!

#88 :: Lemon Pepper Parmesan Baked Chicken

Baked chicken is more of a process than a recipe. Once you learn it, it comes out great every time! Then all you have to do is change up the seasonings. Today we used lemon pepper and Parmesan, but the possibilities are endless!



Dry the chicken (for crispy skin), lay the pieces out on a baking sheet, season with salt & pepper or other spices (this time we used lemon pepper, salt & pepper, fresh lemon juice and Parmesan - YUM!). Then bake it at 375 for about 30-40 minutes until the skin is browned. Fall-off-the-bone-delicious every time!

We also cracked open one of my old favorites -- a can of ranch style beans from Texas. :)

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Vegetable Quiche

This recipe doesn't count towards our # because I've made it before and it's already on the blog (find the recipe here: Mixed Vegetable Quiche), but I got a little creative with it this time so I had to share my photo! I made an N out of the extra crust, and I piped sour cream on the top. Gourmet breakfast for the hubby today! :)

#87 :: London Broil

We still had half of our top round left after the Chicken Fried Steak, so Jamie wanted to try cooking a traditional London Broil. I left him in charge of dinner and stayed out of the kitchen. After we ate I said "That was good, where'd you get the recipe?" and he rambled about some little restaurant in South Carolina. I said, "So did you find the recipe online?" and he said, "No, I ate at the restaurant." So, I have no recipe to share really....just Jamie's scattered notes from memory.



Ingredients

* 1 lb. top round
* Juice of 2 oranges
* 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tsp black pepper


Directions

Combine ingredients in a plastic bag and marinate the top round overnight. Remove from the marinade and broil on high for 6 minutes on each side. Let it rest for 10 minutes, slice thinly and serve.


Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (only because it was cold by the time I got to eat it!)