Published by mel on September 23, 2008 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
If asked to choose my favorite condiment, I may just have to go with hot sauce. Though mustard — especially the spicy, grainy kind of mustard — would be a very close second. When you’ve got the right hot sauce, it can add subtle and delicious flavor, as well as heat. When you’ve got the wrong kind of hot sauce, it can taste vinegar-y or so overpoweringly spicy that you can’t taste anything else.
This homemade hot sauce has 4 ingredients: dried chiles de arbol, a touch of honey, a dash of apple cider vinegar and water. The chiles de arbol are spicy and smokey and give this hot sauce a unique flavor that has some of the chipotle’s smokiness, but isn’t as overpowering.
And if asked to choose my favorite dish to dress with hot sauce, it would be eggs. Without a doubt, eggs and hot sauce are best friends. Last night, I made corn tostadas with refried beans and cheese, baked until crisp then topped with fried eggs, avocado, cilantro and hot sauce. Delicious and wholesome, it was a great way to kick off the week with a little spice.
Apologies for the ugly picture. I had the wrong lens on my camera and was too hungry to notice.
Continue reading ‘Easiest Homemade Hot Sauce’
Published by mel on June 20, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
You know those days when you open your fridge and find that there isn’t much in there. Or, there’s plenty of food, but you’re not in the mood for any of it. Steak? Nah. Sausages? Nope. Pasta? Not again…
So you turn to your pantry and start poking around for something, anything, that seems appetizing. Last night, that happened to be a can of chickpeas, some bulgur and a bag of greens. Ah, a perfect summer salad. But I didn’t want a simple salad - that wouldn’t do. I wanted a salad that felt like a meal. Something hearty, but also refreshing.
The result was a chickpea and bulgur salad topped with a soft boiled egg and fresh, homemade breadcrumbs. I mashed half the can of chickpeas so that they’d hold together with the bulgur. Otherwise, those little suckers are impossible to get on your fork unless you chase them around your plate. Too much effort for a weeknight, really.
The breadcrumbs were a sort of ode to croutons. For some reason, whenever I try to make homemade croutons, I cut enormous chunks of bread and the salad ends up more like a panzanella. These breadcrumbs added a much more subtle crunch. And the soft boiled egg was perfect, coating everything with a glossy yellow richness that made the salad feel substantial and just a bit indulgent.
Cilantro and a lemony shallot vinaigrette brightened it all up for a delicious summer dinner.
Continue reading ‘chickpea & bulgur salad w/soft boiled egg & breadcrumbs’
Published by mel on May 30, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Nothing says comfort food like a big bowl of slurpy noodles. Surprisingly, I don’t miss living in New York as much as I thought I would. I’ve adjusted well to the tropical weather and the beach across the street from my home. And the flip flops. But one of the things I really miss is the delicious and plentiful Asian food. It’s sorely lacking here in Miami, so I’ve taken to making much more of it at home than I ever did in New York.
Lately, the craving has been for a big bowl of Udon noodles with pork, dumplings, fish cakes (they’re delicious - I swear!), shrimp tempura and a poached egg. A bit weird since it’s full-blown summer here and that’s definitely a winter meal. But I craved it nonetheless. And it’s nowhere to be found. (If anyone has a recommendation, please please please leave a comment!)
Where was I? Oh yeah - so I made some Udon soup to calm the craving. It’s not really authentic, and doesn’t have the shrimp tempura or the fish cakes, but it’s still a big comfy bowl of noodle soup. And it’s delicious!
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Published by mel on May 8, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Back in college, Saturdays in the Fall used to be all about football. And football started first thing in the morning. It’s very important to get a few hours of tailgating in before the noon kick-off. So that means kegs and eggs. Yep, beer and breakfast. I’ll admit the first beer doesn’t go down so easily, but you get used to it after the first one, and you’re definitely enjoying it by the second or third. Some girls started with mimosas, but I’m a beer girl.
Last night I was cooking the potatoes and onions for my frittata when they began sticking to the pan. I didn’t want to add more oil and I didn’t have any chicken stock handy. Water is flavorless, and I needed something to help the potatoes and onions soften. Then that Corona in the fridge caught my eye. I promptly poured 1/3 of the bottle over the potatoes. The pan deglazed, the potatoes softened and a nice beer-y smell filled the air. Kegs and eggs anyone? Yes, please.
The roasted tomato salsa was a perfect match for the Corona-spiked frittata. It would also be darn tasty with some tortilla chips. I encourage you all to regress to those college days and try some kegs with your eggs.
Continue reading ‘potato & spinach frittata w/ roasted golden tomato salsa’
Published by mel on May 1, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I bookmarked this potato salad a few weeks ago and finally got around to making it for lunch. Potatoes, green beans, salmon and hard boiled eggs with a sharp Dijon-y dressing. I’m usually tempted to add all manner of exotic spices or unexpected ingredients to recipes, but I didn’t want to mess with this salad much. I only tweaked the dressing and omitted the capers.
It’s a nice balance of starch, vegetables and protein that filled me up but didn’t feel too heavy. Honestly, it’s a perfect lunch since it doesn’t even require that strenuous trip down a flight of stairs to the microwave. So glad I’ve got leftovers for tomorrow!
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Published by mel on March 25, 2008 in breakfast, entree and recipe.
Monday nights are always late ones. I always do my weekly shopping after work and usually get home pretty late. That’s why Monday dinners must take 20 minutes or less, start to finish. That usually means we’re having eggs in one form or another. I wish I would have made this a bit sooner as it would have made a lovely Easter brunch dish, but I’m sure you all have leftover eggs from the weekend that need some cooking.
Leftover polenta, roasted asparagus, Manchego cheese and poached eggs are all neatly stacked for this simple meal. I love the play of textures between the coarse polenta, crisp asparagus and rich egg yolk.
While you could certainly use the polenta that comes in a tube if you’re pressed for time, real slow-cooked and coarse polenta is healthier and more interesting if you’ve got the time. I would also encourage you to experiment with the ingredients. I’m a firm believer that everything tastes better with an egg on top, so switch the asparagus for watercress, ham or sausage - whatever’s in your fridge will probably taste amazing topped by an egg.
Continue reading ‘asparagus & polenta poached eggs’
Published by mel on March 13, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I was in Austin the past few days for the SxSW Interactive Festival and I’m exhausted! I had 5 days of panels and networking and 5 nights of beer and parties. I learned a ton, met a billion people and ate a whole lot of delicious food, but I was so glad to be home last night. I really missed home-cooked meals and my big, soft bed.
Since we got home at 9pm last night, I wanted to make something quick and healthy. I sauteed some peppered turkey bacon and sliced brussel sprouts with a bit of Shoyu and maple syrup and topped them off with a couple of poached eggs. It was slightly sweet and savory and so satisfying after week straight of eating out. A lovely weeknight meal.
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Published by mel on January 24, 2008 in breakfast and recipe.
Half a Cibatta roll, a slice of Canadian Bacon, a poached egg, curry hot sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. A cup of coffee and the perfect way to wake up on Sunday.
Published by mel on September 27, 2007 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
This is the best I can do when I get home after 8:30—Prosciutto, tomato, Havarti, watercress & fried egg on five-grain sourdough bread. I served these sandwiches with polenta fries, which I made by using the pre-made polenta in a tube (cheating, I know!) and slicing into fry-size pieces, lightly covering in parmesan cheese and broiling for about 20 minutes. The polenta fries are just about perfect for mopping up any drippy yolk.
Published by mel on March 13, 2007 in breakfast, entree and recipe.
There’s nothing better than having breakfast for dinner. Or, dinner for breakfast. Honestly, what’s better than a cold slice of pizza at 7AM? Do we feel a bit rebellious eating waffles with syrup when we should be eating steamed fish and veggies? I don’t know, but yesterday when the meal I started making quickly went into the garbage (due to some funky sausages), breakfast was the only thing my growling tummy had the patience wait for. (Yes, I am aware that I should not be ending my sentence with a preposition, but there it is.)
Back to breakfast. I had been trying to make potato pancakes, but the attachment on the food processor wasn’t being very cooperative. Mondays are the worst. Seeing as I had already massacred the potatoes, I decided to make my version of patatas bravas, or Spanish-style home fries.
I finished chopping up the potatoes and an onion and threw them into a hot pan with some olive oil. After they had begun to brown, or stick, as the case may be, I added some tomato paste, water, salt, pepper and some read chili flakes. I covered the pot and let them simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the taters were tender.
In the meantime, I whipped up my frittata. In keeping with my Iberian theme, I used some Linguica sausage, along with some non-Iberian torn basil leaves and ricotta.
recipe after the jump.
Continue reading ‘breakfast for dinner’
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