Shredded Pork Huevos Tostada

I’ve lost track of how many versions of huevos rancheros I’ve posted, but I just don’t think you can have too many options and I never seem to make it the same way twice.  This version used leftover pork roast (will it ever run out?) and eggs cooked over easy.  Very simple and oh, so delicious!

The packages of tostadas I’ve been buying have 36 tostadas in them.  I don’t know how many of these things you eat in a sitting, but I’ve had to get pretty creative with tostadas for breakfast, lunch and dinner in order to use them all before they go stale.  Not that I’m complaining.  I like tostadas.  But still, don’t hate me for the flood of tostada recipes.  I’m working with what I’ve got!

Shredded Pork Huevos Tostada

Shredded Pork Huevos Tostada

Tostada shell or tortilla (1-2 per person)
Pork roast (about 1/2 cup per tostada – see below for basic pork roast recipe)
1-2 eggs per person
Cheddar cheese
Sliced Avocado
Salsa

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Break one or two eggs into the pan.  Add some pork roast on the side.  If you are cooking these for more than one person, you can do these in two separate pans, with the eggs cooking in one and the pork heating up in the other (or heat the pork in the microwave if you prefer).

I just cook everything in the same pan, but you can do them separately if you want.

Cook eggs a couple of minutes until nearly set and then flip and cook briefly on the other side until it’s done to your liking.  Build your tostada starting with pork.  Follow with eggs, a sprinkle of cheese, avocado and salsa.

Basic Pork Roast

Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast
1 onion, sliced or diced
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz. can diced green chiles
Salt & pepper

Rinse pork roast and place fat side up in a dutch oven.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper, top with onion, chopped garlic and green chiles.  Put a lid on and roast at 350˚ for 3-4 hours, until tender and falling apart.  Pull apart with two forks to shred.

Alternatively you can do this in the crock pot (mine was too big this time, so I did it in the oven instead).  When I cook it in the crock pot, I turn it on high for the first hour, then down to low to cook the rest of the day.

Ready to pop into the oven or crock pot.

Asparagus and Shiitake Omelet

With farmer’s markets up and running for the season, as well as my favorite local fruit and veggie supplier, I have more produce than I usually know what to do with.  Everything looks so beautiful that I buy with my eyes instead of following my shopping list.  The wonderful bounty can turn into a trash can full of waste if I’m not careful.  So what I usually do to avoid this is lay everything out when I get home from shopping and plan meals around what I bought.  Large fruits like pineapples and melons get peeled and chopped and put away in the fridge for easy snacking for the kiddos (and me).  Other things get cooked for dinner, with the most perishable things getting used first.  And any leftovers most likely will find their way into my breakfast.

I found the most wonderful tiny shiitake mushrooms at the market this week.  My daughter commented on how delicious they were and how different they taste compared to other mushrooms.  She’s right! Combined with some leftover roasted asparagus, I had the makings for a tasty treat of an omelet.

Asparagus and Shiitake Omelet

Asparagus and Shiitake Omelet

4 stalks of asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2-3 eggs
Salt & pepper

In a small bowl beat the eggs with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Set aside.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and toss in your onion and mushrooms.  Saute for a couple of minutes until veggies are tender.  Add asparagus and cook another minute or two (since my asparagus was already cooked I just added it at the end and tossed it until it was heated through).  Remove veggies to a bowl and set aside.

Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and swirl it around to coat the surface.  Pour eggs into the pan.  Move them around with your spatula, lifting the edges and tilting the pan to move the uncooked egg to the pan surface.  You’ll end up with a lumpy moon crater surface, with all of the egg mostly cooked but still a little glossy on top.  This is how you avoid omelets that are runny in the middle or overcooked on the outside!

Sprinkle cheese all over the egg surface.  Pile all of the veggies on one half.  If needed let it cook a few seconds until the egg is set and the cheese is melted.

Doesn’t that look yummy?

Fold over and slide onto a plate.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Smoky Spinach Quiche

Long before I enjoyed eating spinach on any sort of regular basis, I tasted spinach quiche and fell in love.  The combo of eggs and cheese and spinach that wasn’t the least bit slimy or gooey was a winner for me.  It was definitely a gateway to liking spinach for this girl.  It was also a gateway to getting my kids to eat it later on.

This version combines a little bacon and a combination of smoked cheddar and swiss for a smoky twist on one of my favorites.  It comes together in mere moments, leaving you time to toss a salad and watch an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer while it cooks. Even slayers need to eat their vegetables.

Like quiche but not a spinach fan?  Try one of these other versions:
Pizza Quiche
Roasted Sweet Pepper Quiche
Or for a low-carb version, how about Crustless Mushroom & Feta Quiche?

Veggies, cheese, and BACON! Oh my. Smoky Spinach Quiche

Smoky Spinach Quiche

1 pie crust (I prefer Pillsbury refrigerated crust)
1/2 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and liquid squeezed out)
4 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
3/4 cup grated smoked cheddar or Gruyère cheese (I used a combo of the two)
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half ‘n’ half
Salt & pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Prep all of your ingredients.  In a small bowl beat eggs, half ‘n’ half, nutmeg and salt & pepper.  Set aside.

Chop, shred, squeeze, beat. I do all of my prep ahead of time.

Pre-heat oven to 425˚. Unroll your pie crust and place in a pie pan (I usually dust with a bit of flour on the bottom to prevent sticking).  Smooth out air bubbles and crimp edges.

Start with the crunchiest ingredients.  I put the peppers in first (reserving a few to sprinkle on top).  Then the spinach.  I prefer to use frozen spinach for this.  Thaw it and squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can.  You can use fresh spinach if you prefer, but if you do, cook it first, cool, and squeeze out any liquid.

Layer the ingredients. Veggies first. Be sure to squeeze the liquid out of the spinach so you don’t end up with a soggy quiche.

Continue to layer ingredients, with crumbled bacon and smoky cheese going next.  Sprinkle with the rest of the peppers.

Looking good, almost there!

Pour egg mixture over the top.

Ready to go in the oven, carefully!

Bake at 425˚ for 15 minutes.  Turn down heat to 350˚ and continue to cook for another 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it set for 10 minutes before cutting.

Beautiful! It will be poofed up like this when it first comes out, and will sink down a bit as it cools.

 

 

Creamy Crunchy Berry Bites

This weekend I challenged myself to come up with a creative dessert for Easter dinner.  Okay, okay… I just didn’t want to go to the grocery store so I made up something with the odd collection of ingredients I had on hand.  Same thing!  Sometimes you discover the coolest things when you’re playing in the kitchen.  Like wonton skins!  And how they are not just for wontons!  In fact, they can be transformed to the perfect receptacle for tasty treats.

I was actually really happy with how these delicious little morsels turned out, and two dozen of them disappeared in a flash, so I think others agreed with me.  I’ll definitely be making them again.

Creamy Crunchy Berry Bites (or as my daughter calls them, Creamy Crunchy Strawberry Yummy Thingies)

Creamy Crunchy Berry Bites

2 dozen wonton skins
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
1 pint strawberries, diced

Preheat oven to 375˚.  Lightly spray two mini muffin tins with cooking spray.  Poke one wonton skin into each well.  Kind of fan out the edges making a little bowl shape of sorts so you’ll be able to fill them.

Wonton skins. You can find them in the produce section at most grocery stores.

Bake shells for 5-8 minutes.  Watch closely to make sure they don’t cook too long (my first try was a bit on the crunchy side), you just want them a golden brown and crispy.  Take out and let cool in the pan.

Keep an eye on these so they don’t burn. They don’t take long!

In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla.  Beat until creamy.  Add whipping cream and beat several minutes until thick and fluffy, scraping down the sides once in a while.

Fill a piping bag or ziplock bag with creamy mixture, snip off the corner and pipe cream into the wonton shells.  If you have extra filling, it will keep in the fridge for several days, if it lasts that long.

You could do this with a spoon, but it’s much easier to fill the nooks and crannies with a piping bag. If you don’t have one, a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off works just fine.

Top with strawberries and serve.  Makes 24.

I could eat this whole pan myself.

Broiled Grapefruit

Most people think I’m pretty strange when I tell them I cook grapefruit.  But the truth is, this is absolutely the best way to eat it.  I had this once at a B&B in Taos, NM and I’ve made it like this ever since.  The combination of heat and brown sugar makes for a sweet, juicy treat.  No sour faces.  And it works well with any kind of grapefruit.  This is the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch, and not bad for a yummy snack either.

This hardly qualifies as a recipe since there are only two ingredients, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious.  Make it today.

Broiled Grapefruit and Scrambled Eggs

Broiled Grapefruit

Grapefruit
Brown sugar (about a teaspoon for each grapefruit half)

Preheat broiler.  Slice a bit off each end of the grapefruit so there is a little flat spot for it to sit on so it won’t roll around.  Cut grapefruit in half and set the halves in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the top of each half with a teaspoon or so of brown sugar.

Broil for about 3-5 minutes, until edges begin to brown and the brown sugar has melted over the top.  Remove from oven and eat.

Rice and Mushroom Frittata

I always make too much rice.  I KNOW it will puff up and multiply in size and I’ll have plenty, but when I’m loading up the rice cooker, that tiny bit of rice in the bottom just never looks sufficient and invariably, I throw in another scoop just for good measure.  And then I have leftover rice.  Every time.

Frittatas are my go-to recipe for using up leftovers.  I had actually never made one with rice, but didn’t see any reason it wouldn’t work.  In this case, my leftover rice was a wild rice/brown rice/other stuff blend (called Royal Blend if you care).  I really like it because it’s not boring, lots of great texture and a nutty flavor.  It worked beautifully in my frittata, but I think just plain white or brown rice would be fine too.  Use whatever you’ve got and you’ll be golden.

Rice & Mushroom Frittata

Rice & Mushroom Frittata

1 cup cooked rice
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
5 eggs
Salt & pepper

Heat a medium size skillet (I use a 10 inch skillet for these usually) over medium heat.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the pan.  Add mushrooms, onions and jalapeno and sauté for a couple of minutes.  Add rice and cook one or two minutes more until rice is heated through.

The foundation for the frittata.

Meanwhile in a bowl, beat eggs with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Pour eggs over rice and veggies and swirl around so they are evenly distributed in the pan (no worries if it doesn’t cover the other ingredients completely).  Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese.  Cover with a lid and turn down heat to medium low.  Cook for 5-10 minutes until top is set and eggs are not runny.  Slice into wedges and serve.  Serves 3-4.

 

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

I got a speeding ticket this morning.  And broke a nail.  One might suppose that this was the start to a rough day.  But I’m sitting here munching on a fabulous granola bar, one that transcends most granola bars as we know them.  And drinking a perfect mocha.  And watching a few rays of sun breaking through the clouds as I get ready to head to yoga class.  And I’m thinking life is pretty darn good.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and thought, “oh those look good, and healthy too!”  And then when I was making them I thought, “hey, what if I add a cup of mini chocolate chips to them?” So…maybe mine are a little less healthy.  But you could still do worse.  I made some changes in the original recipe, based mostly on what was in my cupboard and a few flights of fancy.  And was also reminded that you should always read the recipe all the way through before starting.  My mini chocolate chips seemed like an inspired idea until I realized I would be pouring hot liquid on the mixture.  Um. I didn’t really think that through.  My chips melted.  Which really turned out to be wonderful, since the chocolate permeated the bars rather than staying in chip form.  It was unanticipated but quite delicious, and a contributing factor in the “gooey” description to be sure.  The end result is a chewy, gooey, indulgent (and still somewhat healthy) treat.  So take a moment, slow down, and eat one.

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars
(adapted from Chewy Cherry Granola Bars by Canyoustayfordinner.com)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup puffed rice (or Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, which I happened to have)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Heat oven to 350˚.  Spread oats out on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, puffed grain or rice, cranberries, and chocolate chips.  Lower oven temp to 300˚.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt.  Bring to a boil, cook and stir one minute.  Remove from heat and pour over grain and fruit mixture.  Mix well until all ingredients are combined.  Line a 13 x 9 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Put mixture in the pan.  Wet fingers and press evenly and firmly into the pan.  Bake at 300˚ for 20-25 minutes.  Cool at least 2-3 hours (I know!  But seriously, you need to wait) before cutting into bars.  Cut into bars and store in airtight containers, using wax paper to separate the bars so they don’t stick together.  Makes 24 bars.  187 calories per bar.

A giant granola bar (or 24 smaller granola bars)

Cranberry Bliss Creme

Cranberries always make me think of Christmas, because that’s usually when I cook with them.  I have a lovely cranberry chocolate chip bread that is one of my seasonal favorites.  But that post is for another day.  Fresh cranberries are actually available all winter and you can get frozen ones year round (which could easily be substituted in this recipe). I love those tangy little things so I’m trying to take advantage of them a little more often.

This recipe was actually called Cranberry Curd, but whenever I hear the word “curd” my gag reflex immediately reacts.  Not a big fan of curds of any kind.  They make me think of things that are sour and gross.  Which admittedly, is not always the case.  But seriously, I never even knew what a curd was in this context.  I’ve heard of lemon curd but I always avoided it, picturing some cottage cheese-infested lemony concoction.  I was wrong.  A curd is simply a creamy fruit spread made with eggs.  It can be used in place of jam, on toast, on yogurt, for filling in cake…you get the idea.  It was sweet, tangy and wonderful!

Just use instead of jam. I especially liked it on sourdough. Yum!

I made up a bunch of this during the holidays.  It was the perfect item to finish off a gift basket, present to a hostess, or offer as a token gift or thank you.  And we managed to keep and eat quite a bit of it ourselves.  I loved it on toast, but my favorite way to eat it was swirled into greek yogurt.

This is how most of mine ended up. Swirled into thick plain or honey greek yogurt. Delicious and healthy too!

I packaged it in small jam jars, which were great to put in the freezer and take out as needed.  The only drawback to this particular item is that it doesn’t last long!  With an expiration date of 2 weeks or so, you can’t stash it in the fridge and forget about it.  So cook some, and eat up!

Jars of Bliss to give out. And a few to keep for myself.

Cranberry Bliss Creme
(from Cooking Light.  Recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups, but can be easily doubled.  Allow a little extra time for the curd to thicken)

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 (12 oz) package of fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yoks
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)

Combine water, lemon juice and cranberries in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until cranberries pop.  Place cranberry mixture in a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth.  Strain through a fine sieve over a bowl and discard solids.

Combine sugars and butter in a bowl.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined.  Add egg yolks and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch, and salt.  Place mixture in the top of a double boiler.  Cook over simmering water until a thermometer registers 160˚ and mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently.  Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in liqueur.  Cover and refrigerate.  Use within 2 weeks.

Perfect paired with something savory like Individual Mushroom & Feta Quiche.

Chili Huevos Tostada

It occurred to me this morning that I didn’t post anything all week.  I have no good excuse, other than I mostly made things I have made before.  Sometimes you just have to revisit old favorites.  Speaking of old favorites, I recently made a batch of chili and had some left over.  Not feeling like eating chili for breakfast, I invented yet another version of Huevos Rancheros.  And now I may start having to make extra chili every time so I can make this more often.

Chili Huevos Tostada

Tostada shells
Chili (you can use your own recipe or find mine here.  I used about 1/4 cup per tostada)
Cheddar cheese
Eggs (one for each tostada)
Salsa (optional)
Shredded lettuce (optional)

Heat chili.  Heat a small skillet on the stove.  Beat eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Drizzle just a bit of olive oil in the pan.  Scramble eggs.  Build your tostada.  Ladle on a generous spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of chili, top with cheese, then add eggs.  Top with salsa and lettuce if desired.

Beautiful Baked Apples

While feeding my Pinterest addiction the other day I came across a lovely recipe for Pear Pies.  This unique recipe used pear halves wrapped in puff pastry and then filled with a blue cheese concoction of some sort.  I didn’t make it.  I’m not a huge blue cheese fan, but they looked gorgeous and I was inspired.  I didn’t have pears on hand, but I did have apples.  And I didn’t have puff pastry but I had pie crust.  In fact, I don’t think I actually used any of the ingredients in the Pear Pie recipe.  But that didn’t stop me from making the most beautiful and fantastic apple “pies” ever.

I actually made these for breakfast this morning.  Yes, you heard me right.  Apple pie for breakfast.  Don’t look at me like that.  It’s fruit!  It’s baked!  It was amazing!  I might have to try the pears next.

Beautiful Baked Apples. You could eat it just like this if you want.

Or you could dress it up a little.  Yum!

Beautiful Baked Apples

2 granny smith apples
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 beaten egg
4 tsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup walnuts (toasted)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. dried cranberries
Whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚.  Peel apples.  Cut each apple in half and scrape or cut out the core and seeds.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat mat.  Place the apples cut side down.

I used granny smith apples but use whichever kind you like (some hold their shape better than others when cooked).

Unroll the pie crust and cut into fourths.  Cover each apple half with a fourth of the crust, stretching or trimming if necessary.  If you want to get fancy with it, you can cut a few leaf and stem shapes using the scraps.  Stab a few holes all over.  Brush with beaten egg.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

All dressed up and ready to cook.

Using a mortar and pestle or food processor (or chop/crush using whatever method you want), mix brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and cranberries.  Set aside.

I got this mortar and pestle for Christmas from my lovely daughter and this was the test run. I love it!

Remove apples from oven,  gently invert on a plate.  Scoop 1/4 of the brown sugar mixture onto the apple.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream and dig in. Makes 4 servings.