Category Archives: Brunch

Sunday Morning Bacon and Swiss Quiche

Posted on January 5, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Quiche bacon-swiss

Prospects are grim for getting breakfast in this house, any day of the week. That’s the reality when the cook of the house is not a breakfast eater, made more difficult when the cook does not really care for the taste of eggs. My poor husband subsists on nuts, berries, and yogurt most of the time, biding his time for lunch to come around. One happy compromise we sometimes make is to go eat at a diner, where he can eat omelets to his hearts content and I can have a pork chop and a salad.

If the spirit moves me, I’ll try to cook something on the weekend with eggs. Fried eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, eggs over easy, and omelets – I take a couple of bites and that is plenty. Quiche, however, is tolerable. Good quiche is nothing more than a custard tart, and I like custard. The addition of cream transforms those eggs into something silky and, well, not so eggy. I don’t always have good luck with quiche recipes. Sometimes they are eggy, or end up dense, flat and soggy. Yuck. This one turned out billowy, like a golden cloud coming out of the oven. It’s a keeper!

This is a back to the basics recipe, modified from Betty Crocker. I think it turned out pretty well – I ate a large piece of it and that is a statement to its goodness. If you want to make your own pie crust, you’re going to have to look elsewhere for a recipe because my pie crust comes pre-made.

Ingredients:

  • One pie crust (of your choice) for a standard 9-inch, 1 1/2 inch deep pie plate
  • 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
  • 6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (I used cave-aged Emmenthaler)
  • 4 large eggs (preferably from pasture-raised chickens)
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated pepper
  • dash of cayenne pepper, dash of nutmeg

Pre-bake the pie crust: Preheat oven to 425F. Place the (thawed) crust in the oven and bake until it just begins to brown (10-15 minutes). If it bubbles up, push the bubbles back in place with a spoon. You may want to put a strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust for part of the cook time to prevent over-browning .

When the crust is done, reduce the oven temperature to 325F.

Prepare the filling: Using about 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon fat, saute the shallots for a couple of minutes to soften (do not brown). Set aside.

In a medium bowl, slightly beat the eggs together. Mix in the cream, salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Beat until well-combined.

Sprinkle about half the bacon in the bottom of the baked crust. Add the cheese, then the remaining bacon and cooked shallots. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the bacon and cheese. Bake at 325F for 45-50 minutes, until knife inserted into center of quiche comes out clean. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

haloI love eggs! There, I said it! And I love these records, too…first up, an older, subtle gem of a record. From the former leader of The Bongos, Richard Barone’s Cool Blue Halo . Released 25 years ago, this live album is a masterpiece of pop, with Barone’s well-crafted songs brought to life in concert with the magical Jane Scarpantoni on cello. Includes a version of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” that seemingly Kurt stole intact for the “Nirvana Unplugged” session. A truly beautiful and haunting record.

Now for something new, one of 2012′s most lauded releases, Boys & Girls by asAlabama Shakes. Raw, Muscle Shoals/Stax sound wrapped around the incredible vocals of Brittany Howard. What a debut!

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Posted on October 14, 2012 by | 14 Comments

Inspiration: Puree of White Bean Soup from Brasserie le Coze

Avoid doing this.

This week I got a blender, a powerful one, something that incredulously was missing from my arsenal of cooking tools.  I could not wait to take it for a spin.  After making a couple of smoothies, I thought I had the hang of it.  Let’s just say there is a learning curve… more on that later!

Years ago there was a French restaurant in one of Atlanta’s Buckhead shopping malls.  It was in a strange location, but Brasserie le Coze had some fantastic dishes.  I’m sure it was the first place I encountered skate wings in browned butter, one of their classics.  Another favorite was a puree of white bean soup, served in a crock with a drizzle of white truffle oil.  That soup is the inspiration for this recipe, in which I’ve replaced the beans with roasted cauliflower, and taken out the dairy.  (To be honest, I meant to add cream to the soup but forgot during the fiasco with the blender.  However the soup absolutely does not need the cream.) The result is a soup lower in carbs, but with all the depth of flavor of the original.

You may be wondering how I managed to make such a soupy kitchen disaster.  Well, when the instructions with the blender say “do not overfill”, they aren’t kidding.  Of particular note, hot liquids tend to steam quite a bit when you enclose them in a jar under turbo-blending conditions, and even with the vents in the lid, that steam will lift the lid right off the jar and erupt like Mauna Loa.  Lesson learned, thankfully without injury.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, white and pale green parts, chopped and rinsed well
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ~1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • ~1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 t fresh thyme)
  •  salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: white truffle oil, bacon bits, to garnish*

* Note: I used ~1/2 teaspoon of truffle salt in the final seasoning, since I did not have any white truffle oil.  Instead I garnished the soup with crumbled bacon bits.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan and toss with enough olive oil to coat the cauliflower and the pan.  Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and tender.  Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat (do not crisp).  Add a glurg of olive oil, and the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic; saute until tender.  Add the roasted cauliflower, chicken broth, rosemary, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 hour.

Puree (carefully!) with a blender, immersion blender, or food processor – in batches, as necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish each serving with a drizzle of truffle oil, or with crispy bacon bits.

Delicious soup needs a delicious soundtrack, yes? Who better than Catherine Irwin, leader of the great, but unknown Freakwater! Her first album in a decade, Little Heater is a sparse but moving set of songs, born by Irwin’s haunting vocals, akin to Hazel Dickens or Hank Sr.

What, you don’t know Freakwater? Perish the thought! They came around in the initial stages of the “alt-country” movement, and their debut album, Feels Like the Third Time is a classic. Take a listen to the first track- “My Old Drunk Friend”, and I guarantee you’ll be sold on their old country with a kick sound. Tremendous!

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Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes (gluten-free and grain-free)

Posted on October 1, 2012 by | 82 Comments

Recipe from Nourishing Days

Mr. “He Cleans” requested pancakes for breakfast this weekend, and I was happy to give them a try. I haven’t made pancakes since we went gluten-free and I wasn’t too sure how they would turn out.  My experience with almond flour is that it holds up pretty good unless you get sauce or syrup on it, whereupon it turns to mush.  Coconut flour is notoriously difficult to work with, since it is a “thirsty” flour that soaks up unbelievable amounts of liquid like a sponge.  So, turning to the internet, I looked for the most reliable looking, tried-and-tested recipe I could find for coconut flour pancakes.  I found this recipe at Nourishing Days, which not only looked really good, but included a highly entertaining commentary by Shannon on the comments she has received about her pancakes.  Be sure to go read it, here!

I followed her directions exactly, except I used 1 cup of half and half instead of milk + cream.  (That really can’t be too different…)  You can also make this a dairy free recipe by using coconut milk, if you wish.  The pancakes were fluffy as advertised, with a faint taste of coconut that made me feel like I was having real cake for breakfast.  In fact, I like these pancakes FAR more than conventional pancakes, and look forward to making them again!

Ingredients: (makes about a dozen very filling, small pancakes)

  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup half & half or coconut milk (full fat)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour (I recommend Coconut Secret brand)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • coconut oil or butter, for frying (optional if using non-stick pan or griddle)

In a small bowl, beat eggs vigorously until frothy, about 2 minutes.  (There’s your exercise.)  Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (coconut flour, baking soda, salt).

Stir the wet mixture into the dry; mix WELL.  There is no need to worry about over-beating with coconut flour.  Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.  Batter should be really thick, like brownie batter.

While batter is thickening, preheat a griddle over medium to medium-low heat.  Add butter or coconut oil, if needed.  Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle, spreading the batter out to 2-3-inches in diameter.  Cook for a few minutes, until the top starts to dry out and the bottom is lightly brown, then flip the pancakes over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup, or with fruit.

UPDATED:  I have adjusted some of the instructions due to problems people were having with their pancakes.  I use Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour.  It may behave differently than other brands.  Here are some more tips for working with coconut flour that you might find useful, from Health, Home & Happiness.

Today music doesn’t have much to do with pancakes…oh well! Ornette Coleman has been a legendary, groundbreaking artist since his debut in 1950s. One of the first players in what became known as “Free Jazz” (after his 1960 album of the same name), he’s not always an easy listen, but once hooked, you’ll want to hear more. First up his latest album, Sound Grammar from 2006. Even at 70 plus years, he still sounds fierce, full of melodic ideas and revved up rhythms. This album won a Pulitzer!

Then, from 1998 with his funk group Prime Time comes Virgin Beauty, featuring Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia on three cuts. Brilliant adventures at the far ends of jazz- but still melodic as heck. So make some pancakes and immerse yourself in Ornette!

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Eggs Caprese

Posted on June 23, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Recipe from Fab Housewife

Eggs with basil, mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes….I’m in! This classic recipe, from Fab Housewife, was perfect for our vacation. It met all my qualifications – which basically included being easy to make with little preparation, while allowing me to use these cute Le Creuset ramekins.

The recipe was so pure and simple, I didn’t change a thing! This link will take you to the original recipe (with some gorgeous photography), so be sure to go visit.

Ingredients (for 4 8-oz ramekins)

  • 8 eggs
  • 16-20 grape tomatoes, halved
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 6-8 basil leaves, chiffonade
  • 4 teaspoons cream or half and half
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • butter for greasing the ramekins

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease 4 ramekins with butter.

Distribute about 2/3 of the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil between the 4 ramekins. Crack two eggs into each ramekin, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon cream over the eggs in each ramekin. (This will help keep the eggs from drying out.) Top with the remaining basil, tomatoes, and cheese.

Place on a cooking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes. Turn on the broiler, and broil for a few minutes to brown (watch carefully to prevent burning). Serve hot!

(Note: I skipped the broiler since the kitchen was already too HOT, and instead baked for about 5 more minutes. You may also want to adjust the times, depending on how done you like your eggs.)

This certainly was a vacation treat…as was finding 2 vinyl shops in Santa Fe! Yes! Found some good stuff, focusing on one artist today…Dr. John. What can you say about him but funky? Amazing songwriter, pianist, live performer, he’s the whole deal. First up, an early masterpiece from the good Dr., Desitively Bonnaroo. Has to be a pretty good album to name a festival after it, this has the riotous “(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away’ and “Quitters Never Win”. Backed by the Meters, and produced by Allen Toussaint, this is a mid-’70s New Orleans funk classic.

John keeps rolling along, as his new release- made with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys- Locked Down shows. You can read my review here, but if not, suffice it to say…this is the bomb. Best album of the year so far, at least to these ears.

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Balsamic Pork Belly

Posted on June 6, 2012 by | 11 Comments

Recipe adapted from Ian Knauer’s Sticky Balsamic Ribs

I hope you are not tired of pork belly, for a couple of reasons.  First, this is the best version yet!  (Yes, I say that every time.)  The second reason is because I still have a few pounds of it in my freezer, so chances are you are going to see more of it.

While looking for a marinade for ribs, I came across what has to be the most highly praised recipe short of when the ancient Mesopotamians recorded the first recipe for beer, as handed down from the god Enki.  Ian Knauer, a former food editor for Gourmet magazine, said “These ribs just might be the best thing I’ve ever come up with.”  Food 52 proclaimed the recipe “Genius”.  Ruth Reichl wrote about them in her journal after making them again and again.  Review after review – serving these ribs made you the most popular person in the world. Well heck, I thought, if this is good enough for ribs, it should be heavenly on pork belly!

Looks heavenly, right?  To use Ms. Reichl’s words – “Smokey, Sweet, Tangy, Sticky”  – that’s all you have to know.

I halved the original recipe since I was marinating a small slab of pork belly vs 8 pounds of ribs.  Also I substituted coconut palm sugar for the brown sugar, to decrease the glycemic load.  We were smoking ribs, so the pork belly went in the Big Green Egg with the ribs.  However, you can also roast it in the oven using these instructions from Jamie Oliver.

The last time we smoked a pork belly, we found that the skin was very tough and ended up cutting it off.  This time I borrowed Jamie Oliver’s technique for crackling the skin before putting the belly in the smoker, which resulted in a crispier, edible rind.

Ingredients:

  • 1 slab of pork belly (1-3 pounds, or whatever you have)
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + 2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

Rinse the pork belly and dry with paper towels.  Using a very sharp knife, cut crosshatches just through the rind (skin).  Place pork belly in a resealable bag.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.  Stir together in a small bowl with rosemary, sugar, vinegar, cayenne, remaining salt, and black pepper. Pour the marinade in the bag with the pork belly.  Seal bag (squeezing the air out) and massage the marinade into the pork belly, coating it thoroughly.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours (go for 24 hours if you can).

To prepare the glaze, bring the vinegar, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Continue to boil (watching carefully) until the mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/2 cup.  Set aside.

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Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Posted on January 6, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Modified from Bon Appétit / Epicurious

Since our wedding anniversary is also New Year’s Eve, we decided to have a pre-anniversary get together with friends to usher in the New Year a day early.  We snacked from a table of nuts, cheese, and bacon-wrapped stuffed dates to help soak up all the alcohol from the champagne we were downing, while we caught up on our families’ goings-on and listened to James’ new vinyl acquisitions.  It was a laid-back kind of evening, with a little guitar-picking and a little zoning out to Brian Eno’s 77 Million Paintings, and a little rocking to a Rolling Stones performance that took place back when we were teenagers.

You know what goes well with that?  Soup!  There’s no rushing about getting it ready to serve, no reason to leave your party or your glass of champagne unattended.  Soup waits until you are ready.

This shrimp chowder is just brimming with corn, so it might not be a good choice if your New Year’s resolution is to limit your carbohydrate intake.  However for an occasional meal, it is warming and filling, with a little heat from the peppers and sweetness from the corn.  If you have bacon drippings, I recommend using them to saute the vegetables to add a hint of smoky flavor.  In the summer, if you have fresh corn, by all means cut it off the cob and use it instead of frozen!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium, sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter and/or rendered bacon fat
  • 2 large poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 2 16-ounce packages of frozen sweet corn, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons (or more) arrowroot flour (or other gluten-free flour)
  • ~28 ounces chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
  • small bunch fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges, for serving

Prepare creamed corn from one package of frozen corn (or fresh corn, if available).  Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized sauce pan.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, for about a minute until the arrowroot is blended in smoothly.  Add one package of corn and a good dollop of heavy cream to almost cover the corn, continuing to stir over medium heat until it thickens up.  Add a little chicken broth, if it is too thick.  Use an immersible blender (or food processor) to puree the corn, leaving small bits of corn kernels intact.  Season with kosher salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

In a stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons bacon fat or butter.  Add onion, celery, and poblano peppers; saute until soft (around 6 minutes).  Add creamed corn, the second package of thawed corn, chicken broth, the remaining cream, and cayenne pepper.  Add honey, if needed (some corn is sweeter than other corn and may not need sweetening).  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least 15 minutes.

NOTE:  When adding cayenne pepper to a simmering pot of liquid, DO NOT stick your face over the pot when you tap out the pepper.  The pepper may catch on the warm current of air and go right into your eyes.  It hurts and you will not even be able to see to switch off the burner as you blindly make your way to a sink to flush your eyes with cold water.  Nor will flushing your eyes stop the pain.  Immersing your face in a bowl of water with your eyes open eventually helps.  Plan on at least ten minutes out of your day….ouch!

If you would like the chowder to be thicker, remove about 1/4 cup of liquid from the pot and mix with 1-2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour to make a smooth paste.  Whisk back into the simmering soup and continue to cook until desired consistency is reached.

Add shrimp and cilantro; simmer gently until shrimp are cooked through (about 5 minutes).  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve hot, with a good squeeze of lime juice.

Zoning out indeed! 77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno is a feast for the eyes and the ears! Random images mix to form at least 77 million pictures, and the soundtrack is the same way- Eno’s ambient musings that are perfect for the visuals. He’s mounted this exhibit all around the world, and now you can have in your home. If I had an extra TV set up, I’d run non-stop!

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Sausage Cheese Balls (gluten-free)

Posted on December 24, 2011 by | 12 Comments

One of my favorite holiday food memories is from spending the night at my cousin LuAnn’s house every year.  Her mother, Norma, always had plenty of delicious, homemade treats in the house around Christmas, and we thought we were so clever sneaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night to gorge on fudge, chex mix, candy and sausage balls – and we probably washed it down with Pepsi.  I’m sure no one ever noticed two giggling girls tiptoeing around at 1 am, or the missing layer of fudge the next morning.  Amazingly, this did not make us sick, although I doubt we got much sleep all hyped up on sugar!

This year I decided we needed sausage balls to help get us in the spirit of the season.  This is the basic “Bisquick” recipe, without the Bisquick.  There is a gluten-free version of Bisquick available, but if you check out the ingredients, you’ll find sugar as the 2nd listed ingredient, as well as leavening that contains aluminum phosphate.  I think I will avoid using that!

Recently I bought some fancy pants, gluten-free flour that was developed by Chef Thomas Keller for Williams Sonoma (Cup4Cup).  It is highly acclaimed as an excellent flour, and I am anxious to try it out soon to make a real dough for bread or pizza.  However, at $20 for 3 pounds of it, I want to be careful what I use it for.  Making substitute Bisquick is probably not the intended use for this flour, but hey, it’s Christmas.  To stretch it out as much as possible, I mixed it in with blanched almond flour.  Since these sausage balls were already off to a highfalutin start, I decided to use locally made bulk sausage from Whole Foods, and a mixture of 3 cheeses.

If you, understandably, do not want to use fancy pants gluten-free flour for your sausage balls, you can substitute another brand (such as Bob’s Red Mill) or other type of gluten-free flour, such as rice flour.

Making sausage balls is a bit messy-  you have to get your hands in it and it takes some hard kneading to get it well mixed, but I think it is worth it!  They make nice snacks, and great memories.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
  • 1 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1 pound raw breakfast sausage
  • 10 ounces grated cheese (I used a mixture of sharp cheddar, monterey jack, and mild hoop cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, mix together the flours, salt, and baking powder.  Add the cheese and toss well to coat the cheese with the flour.  Add the sausage, and using your hands, work it into the cheese and flour mixture by breaking up the sausage and kneading it all together to form a ball.  It may help to put the bowl on a low surface, such as a chair, so that you can “lean into it” while kneading.  If the mixture seems too dry to stick together, add a small amount of milk or cream.  (This can vary due to differing moisture content of the cheese and sausage used.)

Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.  Break off bits of the sausage mixture and roll in your hands to make balls that are approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Place them on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.  Be careful not to overcook, or they will become tough when they cool off.

Transfer the sausage balls to paper towels to cool slightly before eating.  They are best served warm or at room temperature.  Happy Holidays!

Now you know I have some Christmas classics to share! First off, the one, the only John Fahey with The New Possibility.  One of many holiday albums he did, but this is my favorite. His sparse arrangements and beautiful technique changed the way we heard six string guitar music, and this is a stellar example.

What would Christmas be without the The Charlie Byrd Christmas Album? It just wouldn’t be Christmas to my ears! Byrd’s lovely nylon string guitar captures the holiday classics on this album, now with extra cuts. Enjoy!

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Baked Cheese Grits with Sausage

Posted on October 15, 2011 by | 3 Comments

If it seems like we’re getting a little corny around here, it’s because we’re out here in the Southwest and corn is hard to avoid.  Corn tortillas, polenta, corn in the salsa, grilled corn – - all yummy, but more carbohydrates than we intended to consume.  Well, heck, we can abstain when we get back to Georgia.  Today’s motto is “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!”

This recipe is great for a crowd.  This morning we made another attempt at being social, and attended one of the local “breakfast clubs” where you can get together with your neighbors, look at their fabulous homes, and share a potluck meal.  We would never dream of doing anything like this in Atlanta – - but getting to know the people that live around you in rural New Mexico is as much a necessity as a pleasure.  How else would you know who to call about the cows that wandered in your yard, who installs the best solar power systems, and how to keep pack rats out of the vents in your truck?  (The answer to the last question involved urinating on the tires.)

Ahem…. Back to the recipe.  This casserole is really rich with eggs, cream, and cheese, and the sausage adds a nice zip to it.  If you’re not taking it to a pot luck, serve it with a selection of fresh fruits for breakfast or brunch.  The leftovers are pretty good too, any time of the day or night!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup stone ground corn grits (also known as polenta)
  • 3 cups water and/or broth
  • 4 tablespoons butter (pastured)
  • 1 pound gluten-free breakfast sausage (raw)
  • a couple shakes of red pepper flakes (if you’re not using hot sausage)
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup half and half, or whole milk
  • 3 ounces cheese (I used a combo of Monterey Jack and mild Cheddar)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • sprinkling of sweet paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a medium-sized baking dish with butter.  Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring the 3 cups of water/broth and the butter to a boil.  Whisk in the corn grits and stir until completely combined; reduce heat to low and simmer for around 15-20 minutes until the grits are creamy and thickened.  Stir frequently to keep the grits from sticking.

While the grits are cooking, cook the sausage, onion, and red pepper flakes in a skillet, breaking up the sausage as it cooks, until the sausage is browned and the onion is tender.  Drain excess fat.

Whisk the eggs in with the half and half. (I whisk it together in a measuring cup.)

When the grits are done, remove from heat.  Slowly pour in the egg/milk mixture, whisking vigorously while you pour so that you don’t cook the eggs.  Stir in the remaining ingredients, including the cooked sausage and onion.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Pour mixture into the casserole dish.  Place in oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until set and lightly browned on top.  Serve warm.  (Who am I kidding, we ate some of this stone cold and it was still yummy!)

Enjoy!

Corn? I got yer corn right here! First up is Classic Songs of Spike Jones & His City Slickers. I grew up on this stuff…which might explain a few things. Spike Jones “fractures” popular music, and once you hear “The Sheik of Araby” or “Clink Clink, Another Drink” you’ll never be the same!

Although they were extremely talented musicians–Jethro Burns was one of the world’s premier mandolin players– Homer and Jethro made their claim to fame with “country cutups” as collected on America’s Song Butchers: The Weird World Of Homer & Jethro. “Let Me Go, Blubber” or their classic take on Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya” is comedy gold.

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Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Posted on September 17, 2011 by | 18 Comments

Roasted Broccoli Soup

This soup is really “Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheddar and Jack Cheese”, but that title isn’t very catchy.  Whatever you call it, it is hearty and delicious, and will warm up your belly on a chilly day.

There’s no flour thickener in this soup!  Hand-blending the roasted vegetables in the pan thickened the soup, then cream and cheese were stirred in to finish it up.  This makes a great lunch!  I like the extra flavor from roasting the vegetables, and the extra kick of heat from crushed red pepper flakes.  I used a combination of about 70% broccoli and 30% cauliflower, because that was what I had on hand, but I’m pretty sure any combination would work.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of broccoli and cauliflower florets (combined weight)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ~1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 10-12 ounces shredded cheddar and/or jack cheese (raw, grass-fed if you can get it)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the broccoli and cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan and toss with just enough olive oil to coat the vegetables and the pan.  Cover with foil and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and roast uncovered for 10-15 minutes longer, shaking the pan a couple of times so the vegetables are more evenly browned.  Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy sauce pan (large enough for 2 quarts of liquid), heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for about a minute.  Stir in the roasted cauliflower and broccoli.  Add the broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Using a hand-held blender, blend the soup until smooth and all the vegetables have been puréed.  (If you don’t have a hand-held blender, you could also transfer the soup to a food processor to blend.  Then transfer the soup back to the pot. Add “buy a hand-blender” to your To Do list.)

Stir in the cream and continue to cook over low heat until the soup is hot, but not boiling.  Stir in the shredded cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve it hot!

Anyone say uke? No? Well, bet I can convince you. Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder put out a solo record this year, entitled Ukulele Songs, and as the title says, it’s completely done on a ukulele- but don’t think of it as any less passionate than his more high decibel output. It fact, Vedder seems to be channeling his inter Pete Townshend, for several songs are reminiscent of The Who. Check it out!

Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole has been called the Bob Marley of Hawaii, and he certainly was beloved. His most famous album, Facing Future features the most lovely “Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” you ever heard, and the rest of the record is buoyed by IZ charm and style. So go uke!


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Primal Sandwich Bread 2.0

Posted on September 9, 2011 by | 42 Comments
Paleo Sandwich Bread 2.0 from She Cooks, He Cleans

Chicken Salad on Grain-free Bread

Like a cat with a new (catnip) toy, I had to play around some with the new bread recipe.  I wanted to stick with the quick microwave method, but wanted the bread to be a little larger in diameter and have more flavor.  I think this modification to the original recipe accomplishes that…give it a try and let me know!  I tripled the recipe to make 2 slightly larger portions.  Instead of butter, I added walnut oil – which also eliminates dairy for people that are avoiding dairy products.  The biggest change was adding toasted sunflower seeds, which gave the bread a nice nutty, toasty flavor -  a taste more familiar to people that enjoyed nutty breads in the past.  Other nuts would work just as well (walnuts, pecans…mmm).

This recipe makes two individual “breads”.  Microwave in two 5 1/2-inch ramekins.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 4 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds (or other toasted nuts)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
  • 3 eggs
  • ~1 teaspoon honey (optional)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons walnut oil (or oil of choice)

Butter or oil the ramekins.

Crush the sunflower seeds or nuts with a rolling pin (or other heavy object), but not so thoroughly crushed as to be unrecognizable.  Bits of seeds/nuts will add texture to the bread.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the walnut oil.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.  Divide between the 2 ramekins.

Cook one at a time in the microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds.  (My microwave would not hold but one at a time, and I have no idea of how long it would take to cook 2 together.)

If making sandwiches, it’s a good idea to trim off the rounded, top part of the bread so the slices will be flat.  Save the trimmings in the freezer to make grain-free breadcrumbs for other dishes (mmmm, like meatloaf or crumb toppings).

UPDATE 04/23/12:  I just made this recipe in a buttered 8×8 glass baking dish; microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  Turn it out on a cutting board a let it cool.  When cool, cut into 4 squares, and split each square to make sandwich slices.  They are a little on the thin side, but work fine.  I recommend grilling or toasting them.  Mmmm, grilled cheese….

Other ideas yet to happen:  “focaccia bread” with chopped rosemary and parmesan cheese, or olives, or sundried tomatoes…. <drool>

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