Tag Archives: brunch

Spring Rolls with “No-Peanut” Sauce

Posted on February 28, 2013 by | 5 Comments

Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Sauce 1 (1)

Are there foods that you suddenly have an powerful desire for?  I’m sure this happens to us all, whether it is for chocolate fudge or Chex Mix (ahem).  I wonder what drives those cravings.  Is it simply the power of suggestion, or is there some physical or psychological need that is begging to be filled?

I started craving fresh spring rolls – with enough intensity to send me to the crowded Dekalb International Farmers Market for rice paper wrappers and Thai basil.  It started with a suggestion – photos found on Pinterest.  I have avoided browsing that time-pit up to now, but two friends kept posting recipes there and made me look.  (Thanks LGO and TFM!) Once I got there, it was non-stop pinning of things I wanted to make – including these spring rolls from Chaos in the Kitchen.  There were other inviting recipes, but the idea of spring rolls would not let me go.  After being on vacation and eating indulgently, perhaps my body was telling me some crispy, raw vegetables would be a nice change.  Or maybe my soul needed the promise of freshness and spring after returning to dreary, damp, cold weather.

Whatever the reason, these colorful spring rolls brightened my day and made my taste buds simply ecstatic.  I was intimidated with the prospect of working with the fragile rice paper, but this photo tutorial from White on Rice Couple made it really easy.  You don’t really need a recipe – just gather ingredients that you like and roll them up!  If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a start! I’m looking forward to also trying cucumber, jicama, avocado, and cabbage in the rolls.

Ingredients (for 8 rolls):

  • 8 rice paper wrappers (spring roll skins)
  • Lettuce leaves (Boston or butter lettuce, hard spines removed)
  • Several sprigs of Thai basil (about 24 leaves).  Other varieties of basil will also work.
  • Small bunch of cilantro, large stems removed
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 2 carrots, julienned (I use this wonderful kitchen tool)
  • Small, cooked pink shrimp (4 or 5 per roll)

“No Peanut” Sauce ingredients:

Okay, before you get started make sure you look at these wonderfully photographed instructions.  Right here!

Prepare sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir well to combine.  Adjust to taste (more hot sauce, etc.).  Adjust consistency of the sauce by adding water, a tablespoon at a time.  Set aside.  Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, but you may want to warm it up to room temperature for serving. (A few seconds in the microwave will help.)

Have all the spring roll filling ingredients washed and prepped before starting.

Add hot water (bath-like temperature) to a large bowl.  Take one rice paper wrapper and dip it completely in the hot water for 10 seconds (or less).  The paper should be wet, but still stiff.  Place the paper flat on a non-porous surface.

Starting layering the other ingredients on the lower third of the rice paper.  I started with the shrimp because they look nice through the paper, once rolled.  Add lettuce leaves, 2 or 3 basil leaves, carrots, bell pepper, a couple sprigs of cilantro, etc.  Try not to overfill the wrapper because it will be difficult to roll.  (After a little practice, you’ll be able to figure out the right amount of filling.  You can eat your “mistakes” right away.)

Carefully pull up the rice paper from the bottom (nearest you) and pull it over the filling.  Use your fingers to tuck the filling in toward you, to make the roll tighter.  Start rolling away from you.  After one rotation, fold in the rice paper on the left and right sides to enclose the filling.  Continue to roll until the rice paper meets at the top – it will seal itself.  Set the roll aside, and cover lightly with cellophane and a damp towel.

Continue making the rest of the rolls and set them aside with the others.  The wrappers will stick to each other and tear if they touch each other at first, so space them out or place cellophane between them.

They are best served immediately or within a couple of hours, while fresh.  The rice paper will start getting stiff and dry pretty quickly, especially in the refrigerator.  If you want to have them for a later time (within 24 hours or so), wrap each roll individually in cellophane and place in a resealable plastic bag with a dampened paper towel.  I kept a few rolls overnight this way, and while not as delicate as fresh, the rice paper was still relatively soft.

Enjoy!Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Sauce 2 (1)

sonvoltJay Farrar has been one of the leading figures in the roots music scene since he days heading up Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. To my ears, he’s rarely sounded as good and as open as on the new Son Volt release Honky Tonk. Created as an homage to the great Bakersfield country sound of the ’60s, this record is a winner, full of fiddles and pedal steel guitar. Glorious!

fastmoveFarrar and Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard teamed up to do the soundtrack to a documentary to one of my favorite books, Jack Kerouac’s Big Sur entitled One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Music From Kerouac’s Big Sur. Low-key and intriguing, it captures the book and it’s time well. Recommended.

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Chicken Tamale Casserole (with Roasted Tomatillo, Cilantro and Green Chile Sauce)

Posted on February 21, 2013 by | 4 Comments

Chicken Tamale Casserole with Roasted Tomatillos

When we are in Santa Fe, I like to attempt at least one Southwestern-inspired dish, and with that, hopefully add an ingredient that is new to me.  This recipe for Chicken Tamales sounded interesting and included tomatillos – a tart little tomato-like fruit that I have not cooked with before.  However, I didn’t want to expend the energy to actually try making tamales, so I decided on making a casserole with a cornmeal topping, using this recipe as a base to get started.

Even though this is not as complex as making tamales, there are quite a few parts to this recipe that can be time consuming.  The good news is it can be separated into sections, and prepared ahead of time.

As always, I recommend seeking out non-GMO, organic corn.  I found frozen sweet white corn at Whole Foods (WF 365 Everyday Brand, organic and certified non-GMO).  Bob’s Red Mill carries organic corn meal and flours.

[Here's a small disclaimer - I've made a few, untested changes in the recipe from what I prepared.  First, I was cooking at a high altitude (around 6000 feet), so I had to modify ingredients and cooking times to compensate.  The instructions and ingredients I listed here are my approximations of what would work for cooking at a lower altitude.  Next, after eating the casserole, we decided it needed a little more of this and less of that, so I also made those adjustments.  Please send me feedback on how it works for you!]

Ingredients  (serves 6-8):

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, mashed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried, Mexican oregano
  • 8 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 small can fire-roasted Hatch Green Chiles, drained (3 chiles)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ~ 1 cup cilantro (leaves and small stems)
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 cup sweet white corn kernels (organic)
  • 4 ounce log of soft goat cheese
  • 4 ounces cotija (whole milk), grated (or Monterey Jack cheese can be substituted)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup organic corn meal or flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth (reserved from cooking chicken)

Cooking the chicken:  Place the chicken in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and oregano.  Add enough water to cover the chicken well, and bring to a boil.  Simmer, partially covered, for about 35 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool in the broth.  When cool enough to handle, transfer the chicken to a bowl, and shred to bite-sized pieces using your fingers.  Strain the broth into another container and reserve for making the corn meal crust.  Refrigerate chicken and broth until ready to assemble the casserole.

tomatillos

Preparing the tomatillo, cilantro, and green chile sauce:  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the tomatillos, onion, and garlic in a baking dish large enough to hold everything in one layer.  (Note: you can use the same baking dish, unwashed, to assemble the casserole later.  Less cleaning!)  Toss with enough EVOO to coat the dish and the ingredients.  Roast at 400F for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and starting to caramelize around the edges.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool somewhat.  Transfer to a blender or food processor.  Add the green chiles, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro.  Process until well-blended.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan.  Add the shredded chicken, corn and cheeses.  Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted.  Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.  (The cotija is pretty salty, so you may not need much, if any, salt.)  Spread the mixture evenly in an oiled casserole dish (such as the one you just used to roast the tomatillos).

chicken tamale casserole

Preparing the corn meal crust:  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the corn flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the cold butter pieces, and using your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until there aren’t any large pieces of butter left.  (You do this by rolling the butter and flour between your fingers, squeezing to break up the butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Alternatively you can melt the butter and stir it in, but cutting cold butter into the flour makes a better crust.)

Add the beaten egg and broth to the mixture, and stir until everything is just moistened (do not overmix).  Spread the corn meal crust mixture evenly over the chicken mixture in the pan, taking care not to disturb the chicken layer too much.

Bake at 400F for about 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and crispy.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and dig in!  Serve with avocado, limes, and/or a dollop of sour cream on the side, if desired.

birdAnother good find in Santa Fe, this time at a Goodwill store…Andrew Bird! I’ve been a fan of his from way back. A dazzling instrumentalist, a quirky, beguiling songwriter, he makes a world all his own. Found Noble Beast, and it was a hit here at the Rockin’ Frog. Some folks call it “chamber pop” and that will do as well as anything. Bird’s violin starts the mood, and his sophisticated and witty looks at love and life are spellbinding.

His latest release, the 2012 Break It Yourself continues his masterful way of making music his own. Try Andrew Bird…you won’t be sorry!bird2

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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 | 80 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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Peppers Stuffed with Curried Beef

Posted on September 28, 2012 by | 7 Comments

I am overly fond of martabak, a savory, meat-stuffed pancake that one of our nearby Thai restaurants has on the appetizer menu.  It is meaty and a little spicy, with curry, minced onions, and garlic… and wholly addictive.  I’m not sure where this treat originates – according to Wikipedia it can be commonly found in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei.  I am trying to cut down on ordering martabak because I really want to avoid eating gluten, and the pancake most likely is not gluten-free.  To try to compensate, I invented these meat-stuffed peppers.  Although this is not an authentic recipe, the mixture of spices is reminiscent of the martabak filling.

As you can see from the photo, the meat filling in the peppers is pretty dense – it turned out almost like a small meatloaf.  That is because I added too much egg to the filling.  As a result, I reduced the amount of egg in the recipe that I have posted below – although there was nothing wrong with meatloaf-stuffed peppers! Another idea that might improve the presentation would be to mix some cooked rice in with the meat, to lighten the texture and add more color.

These stuffed peppers were great for a weeknight meal, with leftovers for lunch.  The recipe makes enough to stuff 3 bell peppers (6 “boats”).  If you choose to add about 3/4 cup of rice, you should have enough for 4 peppers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons oil (I recommend coconut oil or olive oil)
  • 1 pound ground grass-fed beef
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (grated or minced)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon hot curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup chopped dates or raisins
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 3 red or yellow bell peppers

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute until softened.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  (Note: Do not drain the fat from the meat unless it is really excessively greasy, as the fat is needed to provide moisture to the meat, spices, and peppers.)

Stir in the ginger, coriander, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, and salt until well-mixed.  Add the chopped dates and walnuts.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the beaten egg and set aside.

Prepare the peppers for stuffing.  I find it easier to split the pepper lengthwise, but you may want to just slice the tops off to make the pepper more of a “cup” than a “boat”.  A vegetable peeler is useful for scraping out the ribs of the pepper from the inside.  If making pepper “cups”, you may need to shave some pepper from the bottoms so they will sit upright.

Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish or tagine.  Fill each pepper with the meat filling, and place upright in the baking dish.  Cover baking dish; bake for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender.  Serve hot!

Two new releases today, one a newcomer of sorts, the other longtime veterans. First up, trumpeter Christian Scott’s new one, Christian aTunde Adjuah. Born in New Orleans, Scott sounds like spent his entire life listening to Miles Davis…and Radiohead. One of the best CD’s I’ve heard in a while.

35 years along, Oregon never stops being amazing, and their new album, Family Tree, continues their unique blend of world music, jazz and folk. No one sounds like them- they’re in a class by themselves.

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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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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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Primal Sandwich Bread 2.0

Posted on September 9, 2011 by | 40 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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BLT Salad

Posted on July 5, 2011 by | 10 Comments

BLT Salad / She Cooks, He Cleans

Every summer for as long as I remember, my favorite use of home-grown tomatoes was a bacon and tomato sandwich.  I never was too big on the idea of putting lettuce on it, because tomatoes and bacon seemed to be enough!  There was great anticipation for the first sandwich.  Two slices of bread, a slathering of mayonnaise (or even better, Miracle Whip), thick juicy slices of ripe tomatoes, crispy bacon, a grinding of black pepper….the memory itself makes me want to swoon.  As long as the tomatoes lasted, I’d have one delicious, drippy sandwich after another.

Sigh – - this is my first summer of No Grains!  I can do it!  This salad is loaded with bacon and perfectly ripe tomatoes, and I put together a mayonnaise-based dressing with a little feta cheese thrown in for good measure.  I can’t wait for the next one, and the next one….

Ingredients:

  • Vine-ripened tomato
  • Bacon strips, cut into ~2-inch pieces
  • Lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (I used romaine)
  • 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
  • splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar
  • several generous grinds of black pepper
  • touch of honey
  • feta cheese (optional)

Fry up the bacon pieces in a skillet over medium heat.  Set aside on a paper towel.

Mix the mayonnaise, to taste, with vinegar, pepper, and honey.  If adding feta, mash the cheese into the mayonnaise mixture to break up any large clumps.

Assemble the salad by placing lettuce in bowl, slice the tomato into bite-sized pieces and add to the lettuce.  Top with bacon and mayonnaise dressing.  Eat and Enjoy!

One of the perks (other than the lavish salary…ha!) of being a music reviewer is getting to hear new music before it hits the streets. I’d heard the buzz about Field Songs from William Elliott Whitmore for a while, and boy, was the buzz warranted. Whitmore sings his tales of everyman backed by solo banjo or guitar, but no mere strum/strum folkie here- unless you consider Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger the same. Powerful songs about a nation off track, and how it effects real people. Great stuff!

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