moved!

I’ve packed up and moved!

You can find me (old posts + new posts) now at http://recipesremembered.net.

huevos rancheros, my way

I realize this isn’t exactly “huevos rancheros” in the literal sense that it doesn’t start with lightly fried corn tortillas and there aren’t refried beans anywhere to be found.  The truth of the matter is that I couldn’t think of a better name for something that needed a good name.
You see, this dish was born out of leftovers (from taco night and I promise I’ll share those recipes soon).  ”Eggs with leftovers” just wasn’t going to cut it as a title to this recipe that is so much more than leftovers.

Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, salsa, greek yogurt (or mexican crema, if you’ve got that left over) and fresh sliced avocado is a delightfully bright, spicy and cool combination.  Perfect for guests.  Perfect for dinner.  Perfect way to use up all those left over condiments from taco night.

huevos rancheros, my way
yield: 1 serving

recipe notes:  The first time I made this it was for three of us and I used 2 eggs per person, mixed in the cheese, and served the big bowl of scrambled eggs in the middle with lots of little bowls of the various toppings.  This is also a great way to use up anything else you have leftover.  Peppers, mushrooms, spinach, left over black beans – if it’s sitting in your fridge, sauté it and add it to the mix!  To complete out breakfast, we also had bacon, home fries, fresh grapefruit, yogurt and granola.  It was a great breakfast and quite easy to do.  I had one person lay out the bacon and put it in the oven, another get drinks for everyone and lay out the condiments and I made the eggs and home fries.  The granola had been made earlier in the week and the yogurt just needed to be set out on the counter, alongside the halved grapefruits and grapefruit spoons.  Hosting breakfast can be that easy.  

2 eggs
1/4 avocado, sliced
1 Tbsp shredded cheese, any kind you like
1 Tbsp salsa
1 Tsbp greek yogurt or mexican crema
salt & pepper
hot sauce, if you like it

1.  Combine the eggs, a pinch of salt and few grinds of black pepper in a cup or bowl.  Whisk together (a fork works well).

2.  Cook the scrambled eggs (I like Deb’s method, although I leave out the milk).  When they are almost done, sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and fold them over each other, covering the cheese with the warm eggs.  Turn off the heat, cover the skillet with a lid or plate to trap a bit of the heat & melt the cheese (it only takes about 30 seconds or even less).

3.  Transfer eggs to a plate, top with everything.  Enjoy.

source: scrambled eggs from smitten kitchen

links this week

I hope you all had as relaxing as a weekend as I did.  When a weekend comes along when I have both Saturday and Sunday off work, it’s a treasured occasion and I made the most of it.  I’ve got lots of good things coming your way later this week, but in the meantime, here’s some things from around the web I’ve post-marked recently.

- Loved thekitchn’s weekend meditation this week.

- Which leads me to the latest addition to my kitchen wish-list.

- And speaking of a couple cooks, I’m super excited for this new project.

- Made this popcorn for a girls night on Saturday and didn’t really want to share it.

- Discovered this gluten-free blog last week and am pretty much in love.

- Finally caught up on this show Friday night.  Are you kidding me?

- Checked out another book from the library.  Is it weird that I’m enjoying reading what is essentially a dictionary?

That’s all from me for now.  Wishing you a happy, happy week.  Spring is coming soon, friends!

 

brownies, blues & a birthday

I’ve been slow to tackle gluten-free baked goods.  The lemon & coconut bars were the first gluten-free baked good to come out of my kitchen, but I can’t really take responsibility for making them.  I simply watched them be made, took pictures of them and then ate too many over the next few days.  But then last week when my brother announced he was coming to visit, the weekend before his birthday, along with his lovely girlfriend, baked goods were in order.  (And so were tacos, but we’ll save that for another post).

Fortunately, one of my awesome co-workers had brought these brownies into work a week before.  So, I knew they were good.  And since the boy loves chocolate (we’ve been through this before), these were the perfect pick.  I toyed with the idea of mixing in some soft of peanut butter swirl but opted against it because I was worried about texture.

In the end, it didn’t matter.  The brownies were amazing on their own, and (per the birthday boy) slathered with a big scoop of crunchy peanut butter.  All in all, the brownies, the blues and the pre-birthday weekend was a success.

Happy birthday, Joe.  Come visit again soon (and please bring Kate).

this birthday, last year:  chocolate peanut butter cake (not gluten-free)

gluten-free brownies
yield: 9-12 brownies

recipe notes:  I followed the directions exactly as they are written in David’s post.  The part about the batter pulling away from the sides of the bowl in step 4 is important.  I set my timer when beating to one minute and didn’t see the sides pulling away.  After beating another 30 seconds, it started to.  Mine crumbled a tiny bit, but only the ones from the very edge of the pan that got a little more done that the middle ones (which is probably because I baked them in a small toaster oven).  Otherwise, the texture was spot on – fudgy and delicious.

6 tablespoons (85g) butter, salted or unsalted (see headnote)
8 ounces (225g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch process
3 tablespoons (30g) corn starch

1. Line the inside of an 8-inch (23 cm) square pan with foil so that it goes up the sides to the rim. Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350º (180ºC).

2. Melt the butter and chocolate (and salt, if using) in a medium saucepan over very low heat on the stove top, stirring constantly until smooth.

3. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, then the eggs, one at a time.

4. Sift together the cocoa powder and corn starch in a small bowl then stir them into the chocolate mixture. Beat the batter vigorously for at least one minute, until the batter is no longer grainy and nearly smooth. It will pull away from the sides of the pan a bit.

5. Add the nuts, if using, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake for thirty minutes, or until the brownies feel just set in the center. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.

storing: The brownies can be stored at room temperature up to 4 days and in the freezer up to 1 month.

source:  David Lebovitz

variations:
- Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
- Salted Caramel Brownies

lemon & coconut bars

Ah, lemon.  Oh, coconut.  What a lovely pair you are.  These delicious gluten-free bars were the part 2 of the skillet jambalaya dinner date.  Emily worked on these while I was busy with the skillet jambalaya.  They were baked while the skillet jambalaya cooked, cooled on the counter while we ate and enjoyed promptly thereafter.

All in all, these get a major thumbs up as the first gluten-free baked good to come from my kitchen (even though I wasn’t the one making them).  The custard was super delicious – creamy, lemon-y and just the right amount of sweetness.  The crust was equally good – less sweet, a little more dense, but with a lovely almond/coconut flavor.  Whether you’re gluten-free or not, these are definitely a worthy treat.

lemon & coconut bars
yield: about 20 2×2 inch bars

recipe notes:  The original recipe calls for baking these in a 12×8 inch baking pan.  We used a smaller one – a little 2 quart rectangular pyrex dish I have that is more 10×8-ish.  So, I think these were a little thicker.  If you want super thin, you could probably do a large pan, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Crust
5 tbsp (75 g) coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups/480 ml (200 g) shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup/240 ml (100 g) almond flour
1 pinch sea salt
2 egg whites (save the yolks for the lemon curd)

Filling
3 eggs + 2 egg yolks
6 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup / 80 ml lemon juice + 1 tbsp zest (around 2 lemons)
1/3 cup / 80 ml  (35 g) almond flour

Dusting
Coconut flour or powdered sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2.  Melt coconut oil in a sauce pan on low/medium heat. Add maple syrup, shredded coconut, almond flour and salt. Stir around until everything is combined. Remove from the heat. Crack two eggs, save the egg yolks for later and add the whites to the sauce pan while stirring. Keep stirring for about a minute. The mixture should be quite sticky now. Line a 12×8 inch (30×20 cm baking dish with baking paper and pour the coconut mixture into it. Use your hands, a spatula or the backside of a spoon to flatten it out. Press it down firmly so it becomes quite compact. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then remove it from the oven. Meanwhile, start preparing the filling.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs + the 2 egg yolks with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Beat for two more minutes. Pour the mixture over the baked crust in the baking dish. Bake for around 16-19 minutes or until edges are light brown and center is set. Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing up the bars. You always want to dig in immediately, but it is much easier to eat after it is set. Cut into roughly 1 x 2-inch (3 x 6 cm) rectangles. Dust with coconut flour or powdered sugar.

source: green kitchen stories

orange & olive salad

I checked out another cookbook at the library.  I paged through it, bookmarked this recipe and then couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The next time I went to the grocery store I picked out the juiciest oranges I could find, grabbed a jar of greek kalamata olives and assembled the salad immediately upon returning home.

It makes four servings.  I ate one immediately, one before dinner, another for breakfast the next morning and then again for dessert that evening.  Weird?  Maybe, but once you try this salad, don’t be surprised if you obsess, as well.  It is that good.

orange & olive salad
yield: 4 servings

recipe notes:  When I first made this I kept the dressing separate and only dressed it when eating it (the first two times).  The next two I just combined everything, left it in the fridge, and pulled it out.  The olive oil will solidify a little bit when cold so if you’re serving to guests then I’d keep them separate, let the dressing come to room temperature, whisk again, then dress the salad just before serving.  If it’s just you, do whatever you like.

Waters notes that blood oranges would be great in this salad.  I think grapefruit could be great mixed in, as well.  Also, the thought of making little skewers of these could be really delicious served as an appetizer.  To do this, I would separate the little segments of oranges, cut the onion/shallot into larger/broader chunks and skewer them just like a kabob.

3 medium or 4 small oranges
1 small red onion (or shallot, if that’s what you have on hand)
2 Tablespoons orange juice (you can squeeze a good amount of pulp from the peeled oranges)
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and fresh-ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Small black olives (4-5 per person)

1.  Trim away the peel and pith of the oranges, exposing the juicy flesh.  Slice into 1/4-inch thick round pinwheels and arrange them on a plate.

2.  Cut the red onion (or shallot) in half lengthwise, peel and slice thin.  If the onions are particularly strong, soak them in ice water for 5 -10 minutes.  Drain well before adding to the salad.

3.  Make the vinaigrette by mixing together orange juice, red wine vinegar, a little salt & fresh-ground black pepper.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Taste and adjust with more salt and vinegar as needed.

4.  Scatter the onion slices over the oranges and spoon the vinaigrette over all of it.  Garnish with olives.

source: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

skillet jambalaya

Cooking dates are the best kind of dates.  All you need is a recipe, some groceries, a bottle of wine, music and a friend and you’ve got yourself a great evening.  Last weekend, when my friend Emily and I realized we both had a Friday night off, we got together for some cooking.  And let me tell you, folks, at the end of a long week at work, an evening at home with wine, a good friend, and a skillet-full of jambalaya is just what the doctor ordered.  (ahem…pun intended…)

Now – the best part about cooking with a friend instead of for a friend, especially a new recipe you both want to try, is that if it doesn’t work out, well, it wasn’t totally your fault.  This recipe worked out.  As in we both had seconds.  Not only was it a simple recipe to make (miss en place is key here!), it was super delicious.  Rice cooked in spicy andouille sausage, sweet red peppers, onions, garlic and a little tomato paste provided a hearty base for the delicious shrimp steamed on top at the end.  Served family style for two (three, or four), this is sure to please.

skillet jambalaya
yield: 4 servings (I would argue a little more)

recipe notes: This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated’s The Best 30-Minute Recipe and is designed to be a 30 minute recipe if you use instant rice.  I opted for long-grain white rice so it took about 45.  I have copied the recipe as I made it.  However, if you want this fast, substitute the long-grain white rice for instant white rice, decrease the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups and cook rice for only 5 minutes in step 3, as opposed to 20.

I bought my andoulli sausage and peeled & deveined shrimp at Whole Foods.  If you can’t find andouille, tasso, chorizo or linguica sausage will work.  I had trouble halving and slicing the andouille so I just squeezed it out of its casing onto the hot pan and broke it up with a wooden spoon as it browned.   

Old Bay Seasoning I also found at Whole Foods.  If you can’t find it, use your favorite Creole spice blend instead.

Finally, to make your minutes count, I would recommend prepping everything before you start cooking.  The garlic and parsley can be minced while the andoille and vegetables cook.

1 pound extra-large (21/25) shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt & ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved & sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1.  Season Shrimp:  Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.

2.  Saute sausage, aromatics, and rice:  Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add andouille, onion, bell pepper, Old Bay, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in rice, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3.  Add broth and cook rice:  Stir in broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits.  Cover a cook over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

4.  Cook shrimp:  Scatter shrimp over rice and continue to cook, covered, until rice is tender and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Of heat, let rice sit for 2 minutes.  Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with plenty of Tabasco on the side.

Source: The Best 30-Minute Recipe via The Chicago Public Library

Cooking Dates, elsewhere: Entertaining with Erin of Apartment 24