Fix and Freeze Breakfast Burritos

For a long time, I didn't care for Mexican food.  Then a friend insisted on going to a Mexican restaurant for lunch.  Hey!  This is good food!  Without realizing it, my distaste for Mexican food stemmed from the fact I had only had fast food Mexican.  Go to a good Mexican restaurant, or a good cook's kitchen and you will be glad you did!

These burritos are easy to put together, freeze, and take out to serve when you like.

1 lb. frozen potato tots

1 lb. ground pork sausage

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced

10 large eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 (12 inch) flour tortillas

12 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese (I often use just cheddar)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the tots according to package directions until crispy (about 10 minutes)

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and cook, stirring until browned, about 6 or 7 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in the skillet. 

Reduce heat to medium.  Add bell pepper and scallions to skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally until softened.  Add eggs, reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly until eggs resemble small curds and are no longer wet, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes. 

Tear 8 (15 x 12 inch) sheets of foil.  Place one tortilla on one sheet.  Sprinkle tortilla with 1/3 cup cheese.  Top 1/3 cup scrambled egg mixture, 1/4 cup scrambled sausage, 6 tots and 1 teaspoon cilantro.  Fold sides of tortilla over filling; roll up.  Wrap burrito in foil.  Repeat this process for the rest of the tortillas.  Freeze, or heat as desired and eat immediately.  Serve with salsa.  Freeze burritos in foil for about 2 hours or until solid.  Place frozen burritos in a zip loc freezer bag.

For thawed burritos:  Remove foil, place thawed burrito on a towel-lined plate.  Microwave on HIGH until heated through, about 2 minutes.

For frozen burritos:  Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway through cook time.

Spiced pork chops with glaze

I found this wonderful recipe in my Weeknights with Giada cookbook.  I love it and so will you.

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed

4 (8 oz) boneless pork chops, about an inch thick

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup honey

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 scallions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 stick butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes at room temperature

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the chops with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the red pepper flakes.  Add the meat to the pan and cook 8 to 10 minutes on each side.  Transfer meat to a platter and cover loosely with foil.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, honey, garlic, scallions and rosemary to a boil over medium high heat.  Stir occasionally until the honey has dissolved.  Lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly reduced.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the pork chops with the glaze and serve.

Linguine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is a delicious and quick prep meal.  Enough for 6 servings.

1 (16 oz) package linguine

1 (7 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 (4 oz) package crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons thin fresh basil strips

Prepare the linguine according to package directions.

Drain the tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons oil.  Cut the tomatoes into thin strips.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute garlic in the reserved tomato oil and olive oil for one minute or until garlic is fragrant.  Stir in tomatoes and remove from heat.

Toss together the tomato mixture, cooked pasta, and feta cheese in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

 

Last minute dinner idea

I never made it to Wegmans today to get something for dinner.  I can only blame that on laziness.  It is a crappy day out and I just didn't feel like getting out in a drizzing "rain and snow mix."

So I scrounged through my pantry to see what I could come up with.  The idea was just to get something worth eating with at least a hint of nutrition.  

Here's what I came up with:

pasta

tuna fish

canned black beans

canned artichoke hearts

salt and pepper

paprika

What a surprise!  It was good!  The paprika definitely added pizazz.

I mixed everything up and found I had enough for another meal.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato

This one comes from my Vegetarian India cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey.  I love this book.  Indian cuisine emphasizes vegetables and grains.  The author visited throughout the country of India to find how everyday home cooks prepare food.  The recipes are delightful, ingredients are readily available in this country, and the preparation time is minimal.

Try this one!

1 lb. slim, tender eggplants

2 medium plum tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped shallots

2 teaspoons finely chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 to 3 teaspoons lime juice

3 teaspoons mustard oil or a good quality extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the broiler until very hot.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

Using a fork, prick the eggplants all over.  Prick the tomatoes in just a few places.  Place both vegetables on the prepared sheet and put under the broiler.  Broil, turning the vegetables a little when one side is charred.  This may not happen evenly so keep checking.  Slim, tender eggplants take about 15 to 20 minutes, about the same as the tomatoes, but larger eggplants will take possibly up to 40 minutes.  The vegetables need to get very brown and become soft inside.  Remove them as they get done and put them in a sieve set over a bowl.

Set the vegetables aside until cool enough to handle, then peel them and remove their pulp.

Chop the vegetable pulp finely and put in a bowl.  Add the salt, pepper, green chilies, shallots, mint, cilantro, lime juice and 2 teaspoons of the mustard oil or EVOO.  Mix and taste for balance of seasonings, adjusting as necessary.

Put in a serving bowl and drizzle the remaining oil over the top.  This can be served cold or at room temperature.

Crockpot Adzuki Bean Soup

3 cups dried adzuki beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger root

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro 

Soak beans overnight, drain, and add to crockpot with olive oil, carrots, ginger, garlic, onion and cumin.  Cover with 2 quarts water.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Add lime juice and cilantro, stir to combine and serve.

Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup

Like most of us, I make a lot of soup recipes during the winter.  Here is a newer one in my collection.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 pounds ground meat

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 16oz. jar marinara sauce

5 cups water

1/2 head cauliflower, finely chopped

1 small head cabbage, sliced

Place in crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours.

Apple Cranberry Bundt Cake

I've mentioned before how I like to make bundt cakes.  They go together quickly, you just have one baking pan to clean, and rather than a frosting, you simply drizzle a confectioners sugar glaze over the top when the cake is completely cool.

 2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup cranberries, cut in half

1 cup apple, peeled and cubed

1 cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

In large bowl, add butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla extract.

Add to large bowl, alternately, flour mixture and buttermilk.

Gently fold in fruit and nuts.

Bake one hour.  Use toothpick test for doneness.  I like to use my Lodge Manufacturing cast iron bundt pan.  Cakes come out in one piece with no sticking.  I spray the pan with Pam spray before putting the cake mix in.  I let the pan cool right out of the oven for 15 minutes or so, then turn out on a cooling rack.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

This one is just delicious!  Using fresh baby spinach is best, rather than frozen.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

11 oz. baby spinach, coarsely chopped

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 oz. gouda cheese, coarsely grated

3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1 cup mayo

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400.  Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add spinach, one handful at a time, allowing each to wilt slightly before adding next.  Cook until wilted and liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat, add cream cheese and stir until melted and combined, about one minute.  Stir in gouda, Parmesan, artichokes, mayo, and pepper.

Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish and smooth top using rubber spatula.

Bake until golden brown and bubbling around edges, about 22 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.  Serve.

 

Apple Crisp

I make this year round, but especially in the fall when apples are plentiful.  I like to use Granny Smith Apples, but with all the different varieties available these days, choose your own favorite.

Preheat oven to 375.  

4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup butter, softened

Arrange the sliced apples in a 9 inch baking pan.  Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle evenly over apples.  Bake for 30 minutes.  YUM!