Biscuits

This was a specific request from my mom. I can't have a visit with her without making biscuits at least once. My biscuits were okay before I moved, but nothing special. I decided if I was going to move to the south, I needed to make good biscuits! It took me a dozen tries or so, but I think I make pretty good biscuits now. There's a lot of variations as well, so don't feel like you always have to make plain ol' biscuits!

Biscuits

Biscuits:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 stick butter, cubed

3/4 to 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450. In a large mixing bowl, add all the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder, and stir together. Add your cubed butter, and cut it in with a fork. You want to use other utencils than your hands because you need the butter to stay as cold as you can. You need the butter to be the size of about peas. Then you add your milk, starting at 3/4 of a cup. Mix with a wooden or plastic spoon until all the flour is incorporated. If you need more milk, add it a tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is reached. Sprinkle a cutting board with extra flour and flour your hands. Knead the dough four or five times and press down to about 3/4 of an inch to an inch. Use a floured biscuit cutter and put them on a baking sheet. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top. For extra flavor (which I always do), melt some butter and brush it on the top in the middle of cooking.

Excellent additions include: small amounts if spices (such as chili flake, rosemary, or fresh black pepper). You can also add in shredded cheese when you mix the dry ingredients. A favorite of mine is to add shredded cheddar, and make a melted butter of parsley, a sprinkle of salt, and black pepper. You make them as drop biscuits, and they come out very similar to Red Lobsters biscuits (yummmmm)! Also great with honey butter, jam, and other sweet spreads :)

*Update 10/21/13 - I'm not afraid to admit almost defeat. I made a batch of drop biscuits tonight with thyme, black pepper, red pepper flake (and melted butter on top, of course!), and they weren't looking right. Too wet and I thought they would turn out doughy. I wasn't going to waste them, so I crossed my fingers, hoped like hell, and turned on my broiler after fifteen minutes of regular cooking. After they crisped on one side, I flipped and repeated, and it was delightful! A buttery crunch on the outside, and tender on the inside. Don't give up on your biscuits!!!!

Mexican Lasagna

Leftovers are a specialty of mine, and I just happen to have a bunch of leftover pork and tortillas. I love regular lasagna, but I don't have those ingredients on hand, and I would love to try one of these Mexican lasagnas! It's basically layers of tortillas, some type of meat and sauce combination, and cheese. Other variations have refried beans, or even posole, but I'm going a simpler route. Luckily, to complete this one, I only needed a can of black beans, enchilada sauce, and stewed tomatoes. I think this will be my go to recipe when I'm too lazy to actually roll up enchiladas (you know you have those days, don't lie)  :D

Mexican Lasagna

This picture turned out very similar to mine, except mine had shredded pork, no corn, and lots of cheese on top! You can't have too much cheese! *cough* Jeremy *cough*....

1 1/2 cups leftover shredded beef

1 15 ounce can lightly drained stewed tomatoes 

2 tbsp water 
1 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Finely diced jalapeno with seeds and ribs (1 tsp for mild, up to 1/2 jalapeno for spicy)
Juice of 1/2 small lime 
1 can of enchilada sauce (either color, mild or spicy)
Lots of shredded pepper jack or monterey jack cheese

To bring your meat back to life, put it in a medium sized pot on low heat and add your tomatoes and water. My tomatoes were a little big for my taste, so I simmered it for ten minutes and broke everything into smaller pieces. The water will steam away, but will keep your meat mixture from burning. Then add your black beans, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapeno, and lime. Simmer this for another 15 minutes, and set aside until you're ready for assembly.

I used a glass, round casserole dish for this so I wouldn't have to tear the tortillas to fit (taco size tortillas fit my dish perfectly). Put a tortilla on the bottom, 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce, 1 cup of meat/tomato/bean mixture, a tortilla, 2 tbsp of sauce, a layer of pepper jack, and you repeat this for 3 layers. I chose to omit the last tortilla on top and just top my meat mixture with cheese, but its up to you. I cooked this for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, covered in foil so the cheese wouldn't burn. I took off the foil and let it cook until the cheese was brown around the edges and bubbly. Let it sit AT LEAST ten minutes before cutting so it has a chance to congeal slightly. I topped with fresh tomatoes and sour cream, with a squeeze of lime juice. Lazy enchiladas!!! I mean....Mexican lasagna!!!

Slow Cooker Pork Fajitas

I've said it before, I'll say it again, I am not a fancy pants cook. That being said, I love my slow cooker! If you don't, you should really give it some credit once in a while! To be honest, I want a good dinner, but I don't feel up to babysitting something I'm going to braise for hours and hours. In comes the slow cooker. I don't like making ENTIRE meals in the slow cooker, but I'll do the star of the show and put together a few simple sides or components myself. 

That being said, I'm trying new things, and I never liked fajitas because all the onions and bell peppers. I'm older now, and I'm willing to try it (so is my boyfriend because he doesn't know there's going to be peppers all over it, ssshhhh!). I think some shredded pork is just what we need to overcome this hurtle. I do recommend buying a bigger cut of meat for your slow cooker so it doesn't dry out. Also, they're an investment to begin with (which I don't always have), but when I can get them, big cuts are a money saver. I got a 3 lb pork roast for about 4.50, steal!

 

Pork fajitas

This meal is pretty simple, which was exactly what I needed today. If you don't have the time or the drive to make 6 things to put together one dinner, this is your meal ticket

For the pork:

 3 lb pork roast
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp cumin
2 tsp thyme
1/4 onion, sliced thick
1/2 jalapeno, sliced 
1 can of mild enchilada sauce, green or red works
generous amount of fresh pepper

For the "fajita" part:
1/2 a green bell pepper, cut into slices
1/2 a red bell pepper, cut into slices
1/2 a yellow or red onion, sliced 
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper 

Set a slow cooker to high. Rub seasoning all over pork, and sear until brown in a pre heated cast iron (or heavy bottomed) skillet over medium high heat. While browning, chop onion and put on the bottom of the slow cooker, along with 1/2 a jalapeno, sliced with seeds and ribs (you can remove the seeds and ribs for less heat). Add 1/2 cup water over the vegetables and place your pork roast on top.This is going to cook on high for 5 hours. Halfway through cooking, add 1/4 cup enchilada sauce for flavor. Once it's done, take the roast out on a plate and shred the meat. Fat and juice will accumulate at the bottom of the cooker, drain of most of it (all but maybe 1/4 cup) through a strainer so you don't lose your vegetables. Put your meat back in with 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. You can skip the draining of the juice and just add the enchilada sauce, but you're meat will be much more wet and may tear your tortillia. Your meat is done!

While the meat is cooking, use the same pan you cooked seared your meat in, and heat it too just below medium. Add your butter and chopped veggies, and season with cumin, salt and pepper. How long you cook it, depends on how crisp you want your veggies. If you still want to have some bite, you'll want to cook for about ten minutes. I, however, don't like my veggies pulling out of my fajita, so I cook my down a little more, about twenty minutes. This way, my bell pepper still has some bite on the inside, but it's up to you! To put these together, you put shredded meat, and the peppers and onions on top!

Excellent condiments include: shredded cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, and lime wedges. I personally used leftover pico de gallo, a little sour cream, and lime wedges. Sooooo good!

Rigatoni with roasted Zuchinni and Sausage

I usually never know what I'm making for dinner, and I like to get what's on sale. I happened to see zucchini and sausage on sale. I'm not a big zucchini fan, not because I've tried it so many times, but the couple times I have, it was spongy or slimy. I can't say the same about my mom, so I decided, what's cheaper than pasta? I love any vegetables roasted, so I was going to roast the zucchini with some tomatoes, and make a cream sauce with sausage. The thought of it warmed my stomach...mmmmmm. This one's for you mom

Rigatoni with sausage 

This picture is of a baked rigatoni, so it basically has more cheese on top but the same general notion! Needless to say, I thought it was really good, and it got the boyfriend seal of approval!

For the vegetables:
2 roma tomatoes, cut into 3/4 inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into half moons
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
fresh black pepper

For the sauce and pasta:
8 ounces rigatoni (cooked to package directions)
1/2 lb spicy italian sausage (its not that spicy)
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
1 pint of cream
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425. Spread all your vegetables on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the salt and pepper, and move them around with your hands or tongs to make sure they're evenly coated. Roast them for about 25 minutes.
 
For sauce, brown half pound spicy italian sausage for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside, leaving fat in the pan. Put in one clove of chopped garlic, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp flour and cook together until no longer white. Add one pint of cream, while stirring or whisking to avoid lumps, and cook down until thickened over medium heat, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, I think I started with 1/2 tsp salt, but different brands of sausage have different amounts of salt already in them, so salt wisely. Fold in roasted veggies (including juice) and sausage. Take your precooked rigatoni and stir together in the pan and top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if you like. This dish has as much vegetables as sausage, the cream is the only bad part, talk about delicious! Also, most any seasonal vegetables or ground meat can be substituted, so its very versatile. Have fun!

Cali Burritos

A rare delicacy that few outside of the San Diego area know about. I travel back to my homeland (in my mind anyways), to bring you all this treasure that I fell in love with back in my teenage years. What makes this so special you ask? Well, a lack of a lot of typical burrito ingredients, and the addition of one oh so good one. There's no rice, no beans, no shredded lettuce or cheese. What kind of burrito is this? One filled with steak, guacamole, pico de gallo, and FRENCH FRIES, that's right people, FRENCH FRIES.

This is not for vegetarians, calorie counters, or the feint of appetite. As I've mentioned before, I always use a shortcut. I am scratch making the pico, guacamole, and steak, but I am using frozen french fries that I'm going to season and bake. I have the pico de gallo and guacamole recipe linked below, but if you so choose, use store bought by all means. The steak is the part you want to do yourself here...mmmmmmmm....steak

California burrito photo from yelp 

Some recipes call for shredded cheese amongst other things, but I feel this really takes away from the guacamole and the steak. I may, rarely, use sour cream, but this burrito is damn near perfect without it. If you're not drooling yet, let's put together some steak:

Steak Marinade:
3/4lb boneless chuck steak
2 tbsp canola or any oil blend
Approximately 2 tbsp lime juice (half of a large, or one small lime)
1/2 rounded tsp of cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper flake or cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
Freshly cracked black pepper
One large clove of garlic, chopped

This is a very simple marinade for tougher meat. I am cooking for two, so 3/4 of a pound was enough for us, but feel free to double for a bigger party. Poke holes in the steak with a fork or knife so the marinade can penetrate and tenderize the meat. Any acid (like the lime in this recipe), breaks down the tougher cuts of meat. You're just going to put all the ingredients on the steak in a shallow dish and move everything around with tongs so it's evenly distributed on the steak. Let sit roughly two or three hours, even if you're running late, thirty minutes will still give you great flavor. 

To cook:
I prefer to use a cast iron skillet when searing a steak, the cut I chose is also pretty thin, probably about 1/2 inch or slightly under. I let my cast iron skillet heat for about 15 minutes on medium high heat with a very small amount of oil. You want to make sure all the excessive marinade gets drained or wiped off your steak, including the garlic and herbs, those will burn and get bitter and will deter your sear. That is one of the most important words you will learn, SEAR. It seals in the moisture and gives it a restaurant looking finish. 

The steak pictured is thicker than mine, so for a thinner one, I cooked it roughly two and a half minutes on each side. You can go for three if you don't want it pink at all, but it will be tougher. Tent it with foil and let it rest at least five minutes, but up to ten. When you slice it, look which way the grain is running, and slice very thin slices against it. Now all this work, and we get to make the burrito!

Get a burrito size warm tortilla, and how much of each element you put in depends on how much you like it! Put a layer of guacamole, steak, pico de gallo, and french fries (baked according to the package directions), and do a good burrito wrap! If you like hot sauce, this is the perfect burrito. You'll always wonder why someone never put french fries in a burrito before  :D

Here are the links for my pico de gallo and my guacamole

 

Guacamole

I love guacamole, you can't be from California and not at least like guacamole. My personal favorite uses for guacamole are, of course, for chips, but it is so versatile. From tacos, to paninis, quesadillas, even mixed into chicken salad, it has endless uses. I must say, that I do believe some of my love is hereditary. My mom happens to be a guacamole....rhymes with bore, he he. I loved her guacamole, and now I have a basic go to recipe that is very simple. Yum yum!

 Guacamole

Guacamole:
3 avocados, or 2 large Hass avocados
4 tsp lime juice
1 rounded tbsp finely diced red onion
1 small garlic clove, finely diced
1 serrano pepper, most of the seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

You need ripe avocados for guacamole. They should be darker green, near purple, and should yield when poked, but not be squishy. I prefer Hass avocados for flavor, but damn are they expensive! I got a three pack of mexican avocados on sale. You need to scoop out all the avocado flesh from all three into a bowl. To see how to do that, see here (avocado prep). 

The next step is to take a fork and smush *very technical term, don't laugh at me* the avocado into your desired texture, whether it be chunky or smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir together, and cover in plastic wrap to sit. You will not have leftovers of this...sooooo good

Pico de Gallo

Don't get me wrong, I love a good salsa, and I have nothing against it. However, sometimes I want more texture, and less liquid. A good condiment for almost any meat, it is a raw (uncooked) preparation, that gets its great flavor from letting it marinate. I made this originally for California Burritos, but goes really well with any latin type of recipes, or even just on toasted bread rounds. Enjoy :D

 

Pico de Gallo 

Pico de Gallo: (for two with leftovers)

3 roma tomatoes, diced into chunks

4 tbsp of chopped red or yellow onion

2 tbsp of chopped Italian curly leaf parsley (or cilantro)

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp hot sauce

I use Roma tomatoes for two reasons, one is because they're always the cheapest, and also because you need a tomato that is firm and not too watery. The lime and salt will draw out moisture, and you'll get pico mush (ewwww) if you get a watery tomato. I wouldn't use white onion in this because the flavor is rather harsh, and the focus is the tomatoes here. You can use cilantro, but I happen to be a cilantro hater, and the curly parsley gives a similar texture and more mild flavor, but if you love cilantro, just substitute. Mix together all the ingredients and give it a taste. The lime and salt should be most prominent, and if it seems a little over the top, figure this is going on chips or tacos, which need some "brightening up". Let sit for at least one hour to let flavors marry and mellow. Even better if you can do it the day ahead!

Deviled Eggs with Raspberry and Serrano Compote

I know, I know....I'm not a fancy pants kind of cook. However, this recipe wasn't my idea, blame my "non food snoot" boyfriend. He loves him some deviled eggs, and we were tired of the same old ones. I love spicy, and he loves different jams and preserves of sorts. I wanted to do serrano ones, like a take on jalapeno poppers, but he wanted something sweet. These deviled eggs were the answer. Its basically a normal deviled egg mixture, but this topper makes it unique and special, some sweet and some heat.

Buffalo deviled eggs

I know the caption is slightly confusing, but until my camera gets in, I have to use online pictures. This is the closest I could get, but the compote reduces to a lovely red color and is used sparingly on top like this picture. 

Deviled Eggs:

6 hardboiled eggs 
2 1/2 tbsp mayo
1 rounded tbsp sour cream
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp finely chopped red onion
2 tsp chopped dill pickle
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Compote:
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tsp water
1/2 serrano pepper, diced finely
Pinch of salt and pepper

For the compot, add all ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until is barely bubbles. Take this off the heat and let it cool.

After slicing the eggs in half, empty the yolks into a bowl, add all the other ingredients and smush (very important term) them together with a fork until you reach a smooth consistency. This can also be done with a handheld or stand mixer. Spoon the mixture evenly between the eggs, or if you want to be fancy, you can use a piping bag. For the final touches, add a small amount (a teaspoon or so) of the compote on each egg, a very thin slice of serrano pepper, and a sprinkling of parsley and cajun seasoning for some kick! Super delish

 

Meatballs

What more can I say? Sometimes you see them on a food show, or a pasta commercial, and you just become obsessed can't shake the thought. MEATBALLS. It has been haunting me for at least four days now, and I just can't get them to leave me alone. They're prowling my dreams, that might be because I'm pregnant and when I want something....well enough said. This post will be born because of it!

Whenever I make meatballs, despite my fabulous Italian heritage, they turn out with a ton of flavor but like dense little golf balls. I am aiming for those dreamy meatballs that are super fluffy and moist, and you don't need a chainsaw to get them apart. I am looking at several recipes to doctor to my liking, and my meaty adventure begins :)

I'll be posting an online picture (which looks very similar to mine) until my camera gets in to get you nice and hungry, and I will return with my success.....or perhaps failure :/

 

 

 By the way, this picture was found on http://rozannegold.wordpress.com

*UPDATE* - Success!!! I adapted a recipe from Anne Burrell since I was cooking for two, and I tweaked the amounts of certain things. As it turns out, I never had the appropriate ratio of water and bread crumbs to meat. Be warned, although they may seem rather wet, these worked out fantastic!

Meatballs

Extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 purple onion, small dice
Salt
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¾ lb ground beef
1 large eggs
½ cup finely grated mozarella (you can use parmesan, but I like the texture of a melting cheese, and it helps to keep them together)
2 tsp oregano or rosemary (dried, or 1 round tbsp. fresh)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup water 

Coat a saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Sweat your onions for 5 to 7 minutes, to help with this, salt generously. You're looking for them to be clear with no color, then add your garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook 1 to 2 more minutes and let the mixture cool.  This is important so you don't have the crunchy raw onions you find in a lot of meatballs, and the flavor changes when they get cooked.

Add your meat (I'm sure a different mix of meat would also yield a good meatball, I used what I had), egg, herb(s), cheese, and breadcrumbs. Use your hands to give this a good mix to distribute ingredients before adding the onion mixture with a good pinch of more salt, and continue to mix. Lastly, add your water and do one final mix before making the actual balls (he he)...I would make a tiny little meatball patty and cook it in a pan to test your seasoning. If it doesn't quite taste good enough, its probably just lacking salt or a little red pepper, so adjust before you cook the rest.

Heres where people differ, do you bake them, sear them in a pan and finish in the oven, and do you have to finish them in sauce? Its ALL preference, I used to sear them, but then I got picky because they didn't turn out round, every side I seared turned into a flat surface. If you like really crisp meatballs, you could sear them and finish them in the oven, or I bake them at 425 for about 15 minutes because I finish them in sauce. I ensure some crispness by broiling for about 5 to 7 minutes until they're brown before dropping them in the sauce. If you're just baking, I would go about 20 minutes (for about golf ball sized balls), you can always check with a meat thermometer until they're about 165. 

Lastly (I PROMISE, actually last), what about sauce? I love my meatballs with a good marinara, but a lot of the time, I buy it in the jar and just add my own spices if I have time. You made the meatballs! Buy the sauce! Also goes great with alfredo sauce, or pesto. Have fun!