Brunch egg sandwich

January 26, 2014Breakfastbacon, breakfast, brunch, eggs, sandwichshannonamorgan

So I’m not the breakfast chef in our family. It’s my husband and he takes it seriously. Pancakes, breakfast burritos, eggs and bacon, potato hashbrowns, whatever it is, he does it well! We love having breakfast together as a family and how could you not when you have a menu like that? So after church yesterday morning, we decided on brunch instead of lunch. And I was so glad!

I am the first to admit, I will screw up eggs. It doesn’t take much to go from fluffy scrambled eggs to crispy bottoms and brown edges. Oops! Plus he has had so much practice making 2 over-easy eggs for his own breakfast for years, that I shouldn’t even try to attempt it! So a sunny side up egg? I don’t even try!

He made these delicious egg sandwiches. We have had them before but man, they were really just so good this time! And fairly easy to whip together, especially since it was just 2 but it would still be easy for a few more. No drive thrus for us this morning!

Here’s how they went down:

2 English muffins
2 eggs
1 TBL butter
2 pieces bacon
1/4 cup shredded cheese
Handful spinach, chopped
1/2 tomato, sliced
1 TBL mayo
1 or 2 dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper

Start by frying the bacon in a large pan. We used one that has a wide surface area and has a lid (to be used later). Remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate. Drain off all but a teaspoon or less of fat. Crack the eggs over the drippings and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat and cover with lid to help cook the egg yolk through. These only need to cook for 1-2 minutes and then the goodness comes!

While the eggs cook, put the English muffins in to toast and stir together the mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl. We also cut up the butter into 4 pieces (1 for each English muffin half) and put on a warm plate to soften.

Next, remove lid and break bacon in 2 pieces. Place on top of egg in x pattern and sprinkle half the cheese on each. Cover with lid again for 1 more minute.

Butter each english muffin half when they are done toasting and spread with mayo mixture. Assemble as follows: Egg and bacon on English muffin, spinach, tomato, then top of bun. Sandwich complete and ready to eat! We baked some sweet potato tater tots (Alexis brand) just to finish it off, yum!

Brunch egg sandwich

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

2 English muffins
2 eggs
1 TBL butter
2 pieces bacon
¼ cup shredded cheese
Handful spinach, chopped
½ tomato, sliced
1 TBL mayo
1 or 2 dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Start by frying the bacon in a large pan. We used one that has a wide surface area and has a lid (to be used later). Remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate. Drain off all but a teaspoon or less of fat.
Crack the eggs over the drippings and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat and cover with lid to help cook the egg yolk through, 1-2 minutes.
While the eggs cook, put the English muffins in to toast and stir together the mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside butter but into 4 pieces (1 for each English muffin half) and put on a warm plate to soften.
Next, remove lid and break bacon in 2 pieces. Place on top of egg in x pattern and sprinkle half the cheese on each. Cover with lid again for 1 more minute.
Butter each english muffin half when they are done toasting and spread with mayo mixture. Assemble as follows: Egg and bacon on English muffin, spinach, tomato, then top of bun. Sandwich complete and ready to eat!

Please let me know what you think about the Brunch Egg Sandwich! I would love to hear your comments.

Strip Steak with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

January 15, 2014Dinnertime1 pound baby spinach, dinner, ipad, mushrooms, spinach, Steak, Sweet potatoshannonamorgan

In an effort to post more efficiently, I tried a new method: iPad photos only. I don’t think it is an “everytime” kind of method but I wanted to see if the process was streamlined at all. My dslr camera is still my preferred photo taker (imagine that!) but sometimes I would like to do something super fast and that way ain’t it! So bear with the less clear photos and know this is not the norm!

So this dinner is something that is slightly more difficult for a 3 and 1 year old to eat so the hubby and I ate this meal after the babies had already eaten. Although both of them did ask to try some bites so maybe I should have just made it for all of us!

I tried to cook and time myself to give an approximate time frame but I had to delay things since we had a later arrival home than what I originally anticipated. That being said, I would guess you could do this whole meal in 60 minutes. I will post the recipes separately to make them easier to follow but none of them really have to be babysat individually for a long length of time.

Regardless, here they are. We really love this kind of meal, colorful, flavorful and not terribly difficult.

NY strip steak with red wine reduction

2-3 Steaks, about 1/2 in. in width, a little less than 2 pounds total
1 TBL olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBL butter
1/2 cup red wine
2 TBL half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take steaks out to rest and start their marinade. Blot dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in plastic zip top bag and drizzle olive oil and soy sauce. Set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat on high heat, a large skillet big enough to hold all the steaks without over crowding. Place in the hot pan the steaks for 2 minutes per side, only turning once.

Remove from heat and place on a sheet pan and finish in oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like your steak’s done-ness. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered for 10 minutes.

We like a medium steak so I believe I had them in a total of 7 minutes. Use a digital thermometer to make sure the inside temperature is exact. Mine read 130 degrees and rested up to about 137. Here is a good table for temperature and done ness: http://www.thestayathomechef.com/2013/02/new-york-strip-steak-topped-with-garlic.html
While steaks are in oven, pour red wine in pan with stuck on bits, scraping up to remove bits from bottom.

Let wine reduce by half and add half and half. Stir to incorporate. Let warm through for another minute and add butter.

Remove from pan and serve along side of steaks

NY strip steak with red wine reduction

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 8 mins

Total time: 53 mins

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

2-3 Steaks, about ½ in. in width,a little less than 2 pounds total
1 TBL olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
2 TBL butter
½ cup red wine
2 TBL half and half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take steaks out to rest and start their marinade. Blot dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in plastic zip top bag and drizzle olive oil and soy sauce. Set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.
When ready to cook, heat on high heat, a large skillet big enough to hold all the steaks without over crowding. Place in the hot pan the steaks for 2 minutes per side, only turning once.
Remove from heat and place on a sheet pan and finish in oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like your steak's done-ness. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
While steaks are in oven, pour red wine in pan with stuck on bits, scraping up to remove bits from bottom.
Let wine reduce by half and add half and half. Stir to incorporate. Let warm through for another minute and add butter.
Remove from pan and serve along side of steaks.

Sweet Potato Mash with Rosemary

Sweet Potatoes (3 Large)
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper
3 TBL butter
1 TBL chopped fresh rosemary

Clean and peel the sweet potatoes.

Cube into 1 inch pieces and steam for 15 minutes on stove, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from heat and mash with half and half, butter, 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper, each and rosemary. (I usually put this in the oven to stay warm while I finish the rest of the meal.)

Sweet Potato Mash with Rosemary

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes (3 Large)
½ cup half and half
Salt and pepper
3 TBL butter
1 TBL chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

Clean and peel the sweet potatoes.
Cube into 1 inch pieces and steam for 15 minutes on stove, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove from heat and mash with half and half, butter, ½ tsp of salt and pepper, each and rosemary. (I usually put this in the oven to stay warm while I finish the rest of the meal.)

Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms and Onions

(I actually adapted this recipe:
http://healthyfortwo.com/2012/01/10/quick-sauted-spinach/)

1 TBL olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 pound baby spinach
salt and pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute the onions and mushrooms until softened, about 6 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add spinach and stir until all leaves are starting to wilt and soften.

This should only take a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms and Onions

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

1 TBL olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 pound baby spinach
salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute the onions and mushrooms until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add spinach and stir until all leaves are starting to wilt and soften.
This should only take a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The finished plate:

I hope if you make even one for these recipes, please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to know what you think!

End of Christmas Break & Breakfast Strata

January 6, 2014Breakfastbreakfast, Cheese, christmas, eggs, ham, potatoes, rosemary, stratashannonamorgan

I hadn’t really intended on taking a month off of posting but things just kept happening (sound familiar?!) So at the end of the year, I thought, I’ll just start things back up when I can make the time again. Sooo that’s what I’ve done!

We had a fabulous Christmas and New Years. It was just awesome! Since we didn’t go home to Dallas this year, everyone came to us and you might think having houseguests for 2 weeks is tough but I really enjoyed it!

I spent a little time on Christmas Eve morning making this Breakfast Strata. We had a ham for dinner a night or two before and I was hoping to use some of the leftovers for this. It cooked while we opened presents and drank coffee (expect the kids!) and played with all the new present. It worked out perfectly!

The beauty of this recipe is if you have a specific ingredient you want to use or don’t have you can make the filling different. If you want to use goat cheese, just swap it out. Combonations that also might work: Sausage and mushrooms; spinach and fontina cheese; or roasted red peppers and parmesan. Whatever you would like! My only suggestion would be to keep it under 3 flavorful ingredients.

Breakfast Strata

1 large loaf of French or Italian Bread (the big fluffy kind), sliced 1/2″ thick
1 stick of unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 lb. red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
salt and pepper
3 shallots or 1/2 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBL fresh rosemary, minced
1 lb ham, diced
1 cup dry white wine
12 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
12 eggs
3 cups half and half
3 TBL minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread out on 2 baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. I switched and turned them halfway through the cooking time.

Let bread cool and spread butter on one side of each slice, using 3-4 TBL of butter.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes in water and 1/2 tsp salt over high heat. Cook until just slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes.

Melt 3 TBL butter in a skillet over medium heat and add potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown about 7 minutes.

Stir in the onion and cook 2 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Transfer to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add ham and stir together.

Add wine to skillet and simmer until very reduced, about 5 minutes, take off of heat to cool.

Butter a 9x13inch pan (I had a slightly larger one)and place half of slices in the bottom in a single layer, with butter side up.

Sprinkle half of the ham and potato mixture and 1/3 of cheese over the bread slices. Repeat with remaining bread slices, ham and potatoes and another 1/3 of cheese.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined then whisk in reduced wine, half and half, parlsey, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Pour egg mixture evenly over all and sprinkle remainder of cheese on top.

Wrap the strata with plastic wrap, very tightly. Weigh the strata down with a few sugar boxes or heavy books. (These beignet mix boxes are the perfect size and pretty heavy.) Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

When ready to cook, unwrap the dish and let sit out on counter for 15-20 minutes. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 20 minutes in 325 degree oven. Strata should puff slightly and pull away from sides. Cool for 5-10 minutes.

Also, this is a great breakfast-for-dinner item as well! Its delicious for either!

End of Christmas Break & Breakfast Strata

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Ingredients

1 large loaf of French or Italian Bread (the big fluffy kind), sliced ½" thick
1 stick of unsalted butter, divided
1½ lb. red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
salt and pepper
3 shallots or ½ onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBL fresh rosemary, minced
1 lb ham, diced
1 cup dry white wine
12 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
12 eggs
3 cups half and half
3 TBL minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread out on 2 baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. I switched and turned them halfway through the cooking time.
Let bread cool and spread butter on one side of each slice, using 3-4 TBL of butter.
Meanwhile, boil potatoes in water and ½ tsp salt over high heat. Cook until just slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
Melt 3 TBL butter in a skillet over medium heat and add potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown about 7 minutes.
Stir in the onion and cook 2 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Transfer to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add ham and stir together.
Add wine to skillet and simmer until very reduced, about 5 minutes, take off of heat to cool.
Butter a 9x13 inch pan (I had a slightly larger one)and place half of slices in the bottom in a single layer, with butter side up.
Sprinkle half of the ham and potato mixture and ⅓ of cheese over the bread slices. Repeat with remaining bread slices, ham and potatoes and another ⅓ of cheese.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined then whisk in reduced wine, half and half, parsley, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
Pour egg mixture evenly over all and sprinkle remainder of cheese on top.
Wrap the strata with plastic wrap, very tightly. Weigh the strata down with a few sugar boxes or heavy books. Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
When ready to cook, unwrap the dish and let sit out on counter for 15-20 minutes. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 20 minutes in 325 degree oven. Strata should puff slightly and pull away from sides. Cool for 5-10 minutes.

Please let me know what you think of the Breakfast Strata (or any other dish!) I would love to know hear your comments!

Black Bean Chicken and Rice

December 13, 2013DinnertimeBell pepper, black beans, cheesy, chicken, chicken broth, creamy, riceshannonamorgan

I’ve been pretty neglectful of my blog the past week but its been a hectic week!

There are some great posts I have waiting for me to write! If only I could blog instead of sleep, I would get everything done I wanted! HA!

This chicken and rice dish has been in my back pocket (not literally…) since we had some good friends over for dinner after Thanksgiving. I wanted to make something that was pretty far removed from stuffing and turkey and the like. This really hit the spot with the fresh peppers and corn and creamy rice. They brought over a really delicious salad to go with and we had a great meal!

Luckily I had an excellent helper to make it more fun!

Black Bean Chicken and Rice

3 TBL butter
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half cream
4-5 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (2 lbs)
1 1/2 cups white rice
8 oz jack cheese, shredded (I used my food processor)
1 can black beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 limes, juiced
Tortilla chips, crushed to crumbs
cooking spray

Melt butter in a large pot (with a lid) over medium high heat.

Add bell peppers, onion, jalapenos and salt. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cumin and warm through, about 30 seconds. Add in flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until slightly browned.

Whisk in broth and cream, stirring slowly to incorporate.

Add the chicken breast, cover and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is cooked completely or thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 15-18 minutes.

Remove chicken to cool and add rice to broth mixture. Stirring often, cover rice and cook until cooked, about 22 minutes.

Shred chicken when cooled enough to handle. Remove pan from heat and stir in following ingredients: shredded chicken, grated cheese, drained black beans, corn and lime juice.

Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 13 x 9 dish. Spread out the crushed tortilla chips on top of mixture. Spray with cooking spray all over top. Cover with foil. Place in 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until bubbling. Remove foil and bake until crumbs are crisp, 15-20 minutes.

This makes a huge amount of food and its really great leftover! If you have a small crowd, I would recommend freezing half or double it and freeze. Just thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and bake as above.

Black Bean Chicken and Rice

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

3 TBL butter
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 tsp cumin
¼ cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half cream
4-5 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (2 lbs)
1½ cups white rice
8 oz jack cheese, shredded (I used my food processor)
1 can black beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1½ cup frozen corn, thawed
2 limes, juiced
Tortilla chips, crushed to crumbs
cooking spray

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot (with a lid) over medium high heat.
Add bell peppers, onion, jalapenos and salt. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cumin and warm through, about 30 seconds. Add in flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until slightly browned.
Whisk in broth and cream, stirring slowly to incorporate.
Add the chicken breasts, cover and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is cooked completely or thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 15-18 minutes.
Remove chicken to cool and add rice to broth mixture. Stirring often, cover rice and cook until cooked, about 22 minutes.
Shred chicken when cooled enough to handle. Remove pan from heat and stir in following ingredients: shredded chicken, grated cheese, drained black beans, corn and lime juice.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 13 x 9 dish. Spread out the crushed tortilla chips on top of mixture. Spray with cooking spray all over top. Cover with foil. Place in 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until bubbling. Remove foil and bake until crumbs are crisp, 15-20 minutes.
This can be frozen and defrosted overnight in the fridge. Bake as above after defrosted.

Please let me know what you think about the Black Bean Chicken and Rice. I would love to hear any and all comments!

Italian Risotto (and more!)

December 5, 2013DinnertimeBroth, Butternut squash, chicken, Italian Sausage, Risottoshannonamorgan

Happy Thursday everyone!

I’m trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Christmas is less than 3 weeks away! Ack! What’s exciting about our December is my husband’s birthday is December 11th, then our wedding anniversary is December 23 and then Christmas comes 2 days later. Gift giving gets real this time of year!

So I will try to keep this short and sweet as I have gifts to buy (some to make!) and then wrap!

Anyways, this is what I made in a rush since I had butternut squash, chicken and sausage to make but struggled with not wanting to put all of them in 1 dish. So I made this: Seared/Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash Mash and Italian Risotto. I call it Italian since 1:it has Italian Sausage in it and 2: its a take on Giada De Laurentiis recipe but I made so many tweaks, I don’t think she would recognize it!

Italian Risotto

3 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used more of my leftover turkey stock)
2 TBL butter
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup arborio rice (I had to use long grain but I recommend the shorter arborio)
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper
2 TBL parsley, chopped

Warm the broth (espcially if its been in the fridge) in a saucepan or in a measuring cup in the microwave. In a large pan or skillet, melt the butter on medium heat and brown the sausage, breaking apart. Once browned, about 5 minutes, remove and set aside.

Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to the same pan. Saute until softened, about 8 minutes. Stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Add the wine and simmer until its been evaporated.

Start adding broth in 1/2 to 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly so that all broth is absorbed before adding the next. This should take 2-3 minutes in between each batch.

When the last 1/2 cup of broth is added, also add the sausage back into the rice.

Stir in the cheese and parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve along with extra parmesan.

I also seared and roasted chicken breasts as well. The easiest way to do this is pat the chicken dry and season. I added salt, pepper and Italian seasoning blend on each chicken breast, flipping over to season other side as well.

Sear on each side 3 minutes, just until color starts to develop.

Move to sheet pan and place in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees. (I love my digital thermometer!)

Butternut squash in the oven is super easy and really simple. Wash squash and cut in half, trimming ends off as well. Scoop out flesh and seeds. Place in large pan and fill with water 1 inch up sides.

Cover with foil and place in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Take out and let cool until able to handle. Scoop out flesh into bowl and mash by hand with fork or masher. Add salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cream or milk and 2 TBL butter.

If you make all of these at once, they can be made simultaniously. Just make sure the little ones are occupied!

This is a snapshot of one of the kids’ bowls and our plates. It was gobbled up!

Please let me know what you thought about the Risotto or any of these dishes!

Mexican Vermicelli (Sopa Seca)

December 2, 2013Dinnertimeblack beans, cheesy, leftovers, pork chops, Sopa Seca, tomatoes, Vermicellishannonamorgan

We had an awesome Thanksgiving! There was so much food but we got to eat leftovers just enough times to make me appreciate it… and now they are gone! Thanks to all the Morgans for sharing a wonderful holiday with us!

Before we had our big Thanksgiving dinner, I planned and cooked and prepared for a few days in advance. At the end of one such afternoon, I had been doing a lot of cooking and I still needed to make dinner. I took some left over porkchops and made this mexican Vermecelli dish. It comes together so easily that even after a day of cooking, it was no sweat! It was so helpful to have the leftover protein to use the next night. I love when things like that work out! I served it right out of my skillet too!

You could really make this with anything leftover: grilled chicken, shredded chicken, pork tenderloin, or turkey! (As if you want more turkey right now!)

Mexican Vermicelli (Sopa Seca)

8 oz vermicelli (or spaghetti)
2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chipotle sauce (more if you want it super spicy!)
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb cooked porkchops, sliced thinly (or chicken or turkey)
3 oz shredded Mexican cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin

Instructions

Break the vermicelli in half. I find it easiest to break when rolled in a paper towel and split by pushing the middle over the edge of the counter.

Toast the vermicelli in 1 TBL of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, until golden brown. Stir often and should take about 5 minutes.

Remove to paper towel lined plate (can use the paper towel from before). Add the remaining oil, onion, garlic, chipotle, salt and pepper to the skillet and cook until onion is softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the whole can of tomatoes and stir.

Add the broth, black beans and vermicelli. Cover and cook over low heat, until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid vermicelli sticking. Season with salt and pepper. (I had to use another pan since my large one doesn’t have a lid!) The mixture is hard to stir at first but when the noodles start to soften, you can really start mixing it all up.

Stir pork, cilantro and green onions into dish and cook until heated through. (Taste test pork as needed.)

Take off of heat and sprinkle on cheese.

Delicioso!

Mexican Vermicelli (Sopa Seca)

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 8 servings

This delicious one-pot dish with a Mexican twist with black beans and tomatoes.

Ingredients

8 oz vermicelli (or spaghetti)
2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chipotle sauce (more if you want it super spicy!)
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb cooked porkchops, sliced thinly (or chicken or turkey)
3 oz shredded Mexican cheese
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin

Instructions

Break the vermicelli in half, rolling it lengthwise in a few paper towels and split by pushing the middle in half over the edge of the counter.
Toast the vermicelli in 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, until golden brown. Stir often, cooking about 5 minutes.
Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Add the remaining oil, onion, garlic, chipotle sauce, salt and pepper to the skillet and cook until onion is softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and stir.
Add the broth, black beans and vermicelli. Cover and cook over low heat, until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid any sticking. Season with salt and pepper. Noodles will be stiff at first but will soften after a few minutes.
Stir pork, cilantro and green onions into dish and cook until heated through.
Take off heat and sprinkle on cheese.

Please feel free to leave a comment and let you know what you think about the Mexican Vermicelli!

Cinnamon Apple Pancake

November 26, 2013Baked Goodies, BreakfastApple, breakfast, cinnamon, dessert, Pancakeshannonamorgan

Another day of Thanksgiving prep, all checked off! Although I have to admit, I really screwed up the mashed potatoes and had to go out and buy some more… oops! I was trying to do too many things at one time and left them in the oven too long. They weren’t burnt or anything but the flesh was so lumpy when I tried to mash them, it was useless! Lesson learned!

Anyways, I found this recipe in an old cookbook and something about it just sounded delicious. However, the instructions left a lot of room for interpretation like: cook until its done. Huh? No estimate whatsoever? Still, I chose to proceed with it for some reason. I didn’t even ruin it! I have since made it a bunch and I just keep thinking of ways to make it that much better! And who doesn’t love a pancake you don’t have stand over a flip? ME!

I made up a new realm of food: breaksert! Combination of breakfast and dessert! Cinnamon Apple Pancake could be either or both!

Cinnamon Apple Pancake

2-3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
dash of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp + 1 TBL cinnamon
5 TBL butter, divided
2 TBL sugar

*I’ve used brown sugar and white sugar interchangeably in this recipe and I wrote it down the way I think works the best: brown sugar in the batter and white sugar sprinkled on top.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together milk, flour, eggs, brown sugar, salt, vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon.

Mix together 2 TBL sugar and 1 TBL cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 3 TBL of butter in skillet and saute apple slices for 5-7 minutes with half of sugar mixture.

Pour apples into a greased pie pan and pour batter directly over top. Place in oven for 15 minutes until pancake has risen.

Remove from oven and dot top of pancake with 2 TBL of butter and sprinkle remainder of sugar mix on butter.

Return to oven until brown, about 5 minutes. *My oven has a hot spot in the back so next time I will rotate to avoid the “leaning tower” effect!

Cut and serve! The final product tastes like cinnamon toast on top of a pancake!

Cinnamon Apple Pancake

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Half dessert, half breakfast! Warm apples and cinnamon are baked into a puffed crust.

Ingredients

2-3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
¾ cup milk
¾ cup flour
2 eggs
1½ tsp. brown sugar
dash of salt
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp + 1 TBL cinnamon
5 TBL butter, divided
2 TBL sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together milk, flour, eggs, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon.
Mix together 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in skillet. Saute apple slices in butter for 5-7 minutes with half of sugar mixture.
Pour apples into a greased pie pan and pour batter directly over top. Place in oven for 15 minutes until pancake has risen.
Remove from oven and dot top of pancake with 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle remainder of sugar mix on butter.
Return to oven until brown, about 5 minutes.
Cool slightly and cut in pie slices to serve.

Please let me know what you think about the Cinnamon Apple Pancake! I’d love to hear!

Thanksgiving Countdown!

November 25, 2013Uncategorizedmenu, Thanksgiving, to do listshannonamorgan

T minus 4 days!

I’ve researched my recipes (old and new!) and written my grocery list and prepartions to-do list. This weekend I made no less than 3 trips to food shop (to 2 different stores!) so I can check that off the to-do list. Yippee! Yesterday, I made the cranberry sauce and my pie crusts (one nut based) and my turkey is in the refrigerator defrosting. Lots of cooking left to do but I’m getting very excited about Thanksgiving 2013!

Here is our menu:

Roast Sage Turkey & Gravy
Stuffing with Sausage and Leeks
Cranberry Sauce (already done!)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Pie (gluten free crust!)
Apple & Pear Fruit Crisp

I have a really yummy breakfast/dessert dish I need to post. Unfortunately, some of my final pictures weren’t great and it gotten completely devoured before I could re-shoot! Here is a preview:

But now I need to figure out our dinner for tonight!

Spicy Tamale Pie

November 20, 2013DinnertimeCayenne Pepper, cheesy, chicken, Chili powder, cornbread, spicy, tamale pie, tomatoshannonamorgan

It has been a few days since I have been able to post. I had a cold (who didn’t have one?!) that really got the best of me this week and just a whole lot on the old to-do list, plus my hubby was out of town last weekend. It doesn’t lend itself to a productive time!

I found this recipe on the wonderful time-suck that is Pinterest. I’ve been making it for a year or so and have tweaked it a bit that makes it even better (IMO). The orginal one I used can be found here: http://pinchofyum.com/chicken-tamale-pie

I started by roasting chicken drumsticks for dinner a few nights ago and last night I was craving something with a little kick to it! Tamale Pie is super easy to throw together and you can tailor the spicy-ness very easily. In fact, I made this one a little TOO spicy and decided not to scar my children by feeding it to them, whoops!

I apologize for the lack of pictures for this post since my camera was acting very funny! I changed the batteries in my external flash and left it alone for a day then everything looked good again! Who knows what happened? Couldn’t have been operator error, of course!

Spicy Tamale Pie

1/3 cup milk
1 egg
seasoning mix: see below (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 TBL taco seasoning)
1 14 oz can cream style corn
1 8.5oz box cornbread mix
1 7oz can chopped green chilies
Enchilada sauce:
1/2 14 oz can tomato sauce
3 TBL flour
1 1/2 cup water
1 TBL chili powder
2-3 cups shredded chicken (I used the chicken drumsticks but a rotisserie chicken would work great here!)
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup cotija cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

I admit, not the best picture I’ve ever taken! I blame my camera…

Seasoning mix:

1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each: oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
1 tsp each: chili powder, ground cumin
Cayenne Pepper: 1/4-1 tsp (depending on your desired level of spicy-ness; I used a heaping 1/2tsp and it had some good kick!)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat together egg, milk, 1/2 of seasoning mix, chilies, cream corn, and cornbread mix to make batter in a medium size bowl.

Pour into a greased pie pan and put into oven for 20-25 min.

While cornbread bakes, make enchilada sauce by mixing flour in water to make smooth paste. Combine in saucepan with chili powder and tomato sauce, adding a tablespoon at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining seasoning mix to shredded chicken.

When cornbread is done (it will be barely set), poke with a fork all over. Pour enchilada sauce over cornbread. I find it helps to drizzle slowly to allow cornbread to soak it up. Top with seasoned chicken and scatter shredded cheese. Place back in oven for 10-15 minutes just for cheese to melt.

Top with cotija cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!

The cotija cheese on top melts from the heat of everything and gets just slightly gooey! Its awesome!

Spicy Tamale Pie

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 8 servings

One of my family's favorites, a spicy cheesy dish that is a little different from the norm.

Ingredients

⅓ cup milk
1 egg
seasoning mix: see below (original recipe calls for 1½ TBL taco seasoning)
1 14 oz can cream style corn
1 8.5oz box cornbread mix
1 7oz can chopped green chilies
Enchilada sauce:
½ 14 oz can tomato sauce
3 TBL flour
1½ cup water
1 TBL chili powder
2-3 cups shredded chicken (I used the chicken drumsticks but a rotisserie chicken would work great here!)
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup cotija cheese
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Seasoning mix:
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp each: oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
1 tsp each: chili powder, ground cumin
Cayenne Pepper: ¼-1 tsp

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together seasoning mix.
Beat together egg, milk, ½ of seasoning mix, chilies, cream corn and cornbread mix to make batter in a medium bowl.
Pour into a greased pie pan and put into oven for 20-25 min.
While cornbread bakes, make enchilada sauce by mixing flour in water to make smooth paste. Combine in saucepan with chili powder and tomato sauce, adding a tablespoon at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining seasoning mix to shredded chicken.
When cornbread is done (barely set), poke all over with a fork. Slowly pour enchilada sauce over cornbread. Top with seasoned chicken and scatter shredded cheese on top. Place back in oven for 10-15 minutes just for cheese to melt.
Top with cotija cheese and cilantro.

Please feel free to leave a comment or question about the Spicy Tamale Pie. I would love to know what you thought!

Pork and Barley Soup

November 14, 2013DinnertimeBarley, Broth, Butternut squash, Celery, Olive oil, porkshannonamorgan

Thank you to all who responded to the Thanksgiving poll! It looks like 2/3 of voters would prefer to have a mixture of both traditional and new. I’m still compiling my recipes to test and narrowing down what we will “break bread” over on Thanksgiving day. Can’t wait!

For now, I’ll keep posting my meals, just the same. I made a pork and barley soup last night that turned out just so yummy and filling. Since the weather has turned cold here in Florida (for the time being!) I love to eat things like this.

Pork and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 lbs thin sliced pork chops, chopped into chunks
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup barley, uncooked (not quick cooking)
1 TBL thyme
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

Salt and pepper pork and heat 2 tsp of oil in large pot on medium high heat. Cook pork for 4-5 minutes.

Remove meat to plate, reserving juices in pan. Set meat aside. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan and saute for 3 minutes over medium low heat.

Add remaining 1 tsp oil, and stir to incorporate. Add barley and thyme, cooking for 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and scrape any bits off of the bottom. Add remaining 4 cups of broth and squash and bring to boil.

Add pork and cover. Turn heat to simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes. Barley will soak up more liquid the longer it sits.

I sometimes add a little broth when reheating the next day to make it the right consistency. A few parmesan shavings are pretty yummy on it as well!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Pork and Barley Soup

Author: momwithagoldenfork

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 8 servings

Rich, filling and hearty, just what a cool, fall day calls for!

Ingredients

1½-2 lbs thin sliced pork chops, chopped into chunks
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup barley, uncooked (not quick cooking)
1 TBL thyme
4½ cups chicken broth
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
Parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

Salt and pepper the pork. Heat 2 tsp of oil in large pot on medium high heat. Cook pork 4-5 minutes until mostly cooked through.
Remove meat to plate, reserving juices in pan. Set meat aside. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan and sauté for 3 minutes over medium low heat.
Add remaining 1 tsp oil and stir to incorporate. Add barley and thyme, cooking for 2 more minutes.
Add ½ cup of chicken broth and scrape any bits off the bottom. Add remaining 4 cups of broth and squash and bring to boil.
Add pork and cover. Turn heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Barley will soak up more liquid the longer it sits.
Additional broth might be necessary when reheating cooled leftovers to achieve correct consistency.

I would love to hear what you thought of my Pork and Barley Soup! Please feel free to leave a comment!

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