Farfalle with Chorizo and Cream

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Texarchivist

Here’s an easy, ridiculously satisfying dinner for any budget: a simple, quick pasta dish that’s creamy and comforting while delivering a little kick of spice.

Adding some diced cremini mushrooms, onions, or fresh chopped basil would also be great!

1 lb. dried farfalle (bowtie) pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil, halved
15 oz. Mexican chorizo
1 tsp garlic powder
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 Tbsp Cholula sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
~15 black olives, sliced
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil and add pasta. Boil for about ten minutes, or until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, warm half the olive oil in a large frying pan. Squeeze chorizo out of its casing into the pan and break up with a spatula or fork. Cook over medium high heat for about ten minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low.

3. Add garlic powder, tomato sauce, and Cholula and stir. Allow chorizo to simmer until the liquid is well mixed and absorbed, about another seven minutes. Add heavy cream and olives, stir thoroughly, and reduce heat to simmer.

4. Drain pasta, return to pot, and then stir in the remaining olive oil and the black pepper. Add cheese and turn over repeatedly with a large wooden spoon until the cheese has fully melted into the pasta.

5. Spoon pasta out onto your serving plates and top with creamy chorizo. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

I like to make a big pot of this, have it for dinner with the boy, and then put the rest in Pyrex leftover bowls in the fridge, for workday leftovers or a lazy weeknight dinner.

Old Bay Baked Fries

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Texarchivist

You may’ve seen my salmon burger a couple of weeks back, in a This Week’s Eats post. The burger was a frozen salmon patty, leftover Stella’s Spicy Fish Sauce, and red onion on toasted bagel thins (I love these things! A regular bagel is just too much bread for me).

Well, here’s the easy-peasy recipe for the baked Old Bay French fries I served on the side. This is one you won’t even need to refer to, after making it once! So quick and tasty. Obviously, the Old Bay flavor goes really well with fish, so this is my go-to side for salmon burgers and salmon croquettes!

4 large Idaho or Russet potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
~1 heaping Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Meanwhile, rinse the potatoes and cut them into 1/4″ strips (as below.; You can also use a mandolin, but I find that for a small to moderate batch, it’s just as fast to cut by hand.

2. Drizzle the olive oil in a large baking dish or cookie sheet. Add the fries and Old Bay and mix thoroughly by hand.

3. Smooth out fries so that they are as close as possible to a single layer. This will help them cook evenly and turn out nice and crunchy. Bake for 25 or 30 minutes, or until browned and crispy. I usually stir them up and turn them over once during baking, halfway through.

4. Remove and serve immediately.

Serves 2-4.

Sunday Morning Migas

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Texarchivist

I throw some migas together at least once a week, usually for a weekend brunch. Since I don’t like tomatoes, I usually don’t have any on hand, but you might want to include some diced tomatoes for a more standard result. Instead, I focus on an assortment of peppers and making the scrambled eggs perfect.

Traditional Tex-Mex migas not only include diced tomatoes, but also strips of corn tortilla, diced chiles, onion, cheese, and salsa. They’re usually served with refried beans and warm tortillas on the side. Sometimes, they’re served with fried potatoes.

I serve mine with whatever I have on hand. I try to make my Frijoles Negros Refritos at least twice a month, and they’re a perfect complement. If you eat meat, you can also throw in some sausage, bacon, or chorizo!

Without further ado, here’s the easy recipe!

1 heaping tsp bacon fat (or butter)
4 regular-sized corn tortillas, cut intro 1/4″ strips
6 large eggs
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 finely diced chiles (hot or sweet or a mix, to taste!)
1/2 white onion, finely diced (sometimes I use red)
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced (optional)
1 cup grated cheese (Monterey Jack is best, or try Pepper Jack)
jar of salsa, to garnish
sour cream (optional)

1. Melt bacon fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortilla strips and fry until just crispy, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes). Remove strips to a paper towel to drain. Turn stovetop heat to low.

2. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk lightly until yolks are broken, then drizzle in cream, continuing to whisk. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin, and whisk lightly to mix. Then add chiles, onions, and tomatoes (if using). Stir lightly and set aside.

3. Using the leftover bacon grease still in the pan, you will now scramble the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Allow to sit for just about one minute, then begin to stir. The mixture will quickly begin to firm up. Continue to lightly fold the eggs over repeatedly until they reach the perfect consistency (about three minutes).

4. Here, you can either add the tortilla strips back into the pan and mix them in with the eggs (traditional), or you can plate the strips and serve the eggs on top (deconstructed). I usually do the latter, because I like really crispy tortilla strips, but you may prefer them mixed. Try both and see!

5. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the eggs. Then add a generous dollop of salsa to the top of the migas (and sour cream, if using). Serve immediately, while still hot.

Serves 2.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you these migas are also great for dinner.

Green Monster Tacos

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Texarchivist

I told you the lime and cilantro trend would continue, and here’s another easy and scrumptious recipe—this time with chicken!

2 chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

six corn tortillas
2 Tbsp bacon grease, halved
1/3 yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
salsa verde of your choice, to taste (y’all know which one I use!)
handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken in a roasting tin or oven-safe pan, and rub both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper over it. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until cooked throughout (the internal temperature should be 160°, with no pinkness).

2. For tacos: In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon grease over medium heat. Fry each tortilla briefly, 1-2 minutes, until it begins to soften and then brown. Set each tortilla aside on paper towels, while still soft and malleable, to drain. Repeat with each tortilla. If using a large skillet, you should be able to fry two at once. After doing the first few, your bacon grease will probably be burned and dark. Pour it out, wipe out the skillet, and start afresh with the other half of the grease.

For tostadas: Melt half the bacon grease over medium heat. Fry each tortilla just until crisp and lightly browned, then set aside on paper towels to drain. If using a large skillet, you should be able to fry two at once. After doing the first few, your bacon grease will probably be burned and dark. Pour it out, wipe out the skillet, and start afresh with the other half of the grease.

3. Once your chicken is done, it’s time to assemble the tacos! Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for about ten minutes. Then shred the chicken with your hands. It’s pretty easy to pull the meat apart into nice, bite-sized pieces.

4. Place the tortillas on serving plates and top with shredded chicken, chopped onion, grated cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Top with some salsa verde and serve immediately.

Other recommended optional garnishes includes sour cream and raw jalapeño slices!

Enjoy!

Paleo Pumpkin Pudding

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Texarchivist

While browsing the Paleo in Portland blog, I came across this tempting butternut squash pudding, which she, in turn, had adapted from paleOMG’s Sugar Detox Carrot Cake Pudding.

Having neither carrots nor butternut squash on hand, I decided to take it up another notch and make pumpkin pudding. This recipe is adapted from both Paleo in Portland and paleOMG.

15 oz. puréed pumpkin (1 can) – or use fresh!
2 Tbsp coconut milk
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp honey (optional*)

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and purée to desired smoothness. For a silkier finish, drizzle in more coconut milk, a tiny bit at a time.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Serves 2-4.

Of course, I made this non-paleo by adding whipped cream to the top! But it’s pretty wonderful on its own, too. If I’d had any grated coconut, I would’ve used it.