Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Quick French Toast
It's always a challenge to cook something that Brandon will eat. French toast usually works. This is what I throw together on the spur of the moment. When I have more time, I like to use a thick egg bread, like challah, or Hawaiian bread sliced thick.
QUICK FRENCH TOAST
6 slices buttermilk or egg bread
6 whole eggs
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
Combine liquid ingredients and seasonings in a pie plate. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat. Place the bread in a baking pan or baking sheet - don't stack. Pour remaining egg mixture evenly over the bread and into the pan.
If you're in a hurry, omit this next step. If not, let the bread soak up the egg mixture. After at least 30 minutes, turn the bread over to soak up some more egg.
Heat a griddle pan over medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray. Cook the bread in a single layer until golden brown, turning to brown the other side. The bread should cook for 10 minutes to thoroughly cook the egg. If it gets too brown, finish the bread in the microwave.
Bob makes a fantastic French toast. One of his secrets is to cook the bread in a skillet with lots of butter. He steams the bread by covering the pan. The bread cooks, puffs, and is delicious.
Slice the bread into triangles or halves. Arrange 4 halves on a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup.
Serves 3
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Cowboy Chili Omelette
This seems to be the boys' favorite omelette. It's simply a cheese omelette with some canned chili con carne added to the filling and over the top.
I'm not going to post a recipe for an omelette; there are several great recipes on RecipeZaar, Allrecipes, Food Network, etc. Here's how to modify a cheese omelette recipe
COWBOY CHILI OMELETTE
2-3 whole eggs
cheese (cheddar, jack, or combination of the two)
canned chili con carne
Pour eggs into an 8-inch buttered non-stick skillet. Cook until partially set. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Spoon on about 1/4 cup of the chili con carne down the middle of the omelette. Cook over medium-low heat until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with salsa, Tabasco, green onion if desired.
Fold omelette in thirds on either side of the strip of chili. Slide out of the pan onto a plate. Spoon more chili over the top. Sprinkle with more cheese, if desired.
Sweet and Sour Pork
I usually make this with chicken breast, or sometimes use pork cubes that have been battered and fried. I tried it with some browned pork cubes, and it turned out okay. I only used half the meat and half the tofu, and it could have used more - next time I'll try 3/4 of a pound of each.
The recipe is adapted from Madame Wu's Art of Chinese Cooking,. Madame Wu's is a famous Chinese restaurant in Santa Monica, California which was frequented by movie stars and the like. The recipes are traditional Cantonese-style.
SWEET AND SOUR PORK
1 pound pork loin, cubed
1 pound firm tofu, cubed and drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 cup catsup. no salt added preferred
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/3 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 carrot, cubed
2/3 cup onion, cubed
1 1/3 cups green bell pepper, cubed
1 1/3 cups canned pineapple chunks (1 large can)
4 teaspoons cornstarch combined with 4 tablespoons water
Stir pork and tofu with cornstarch and soy sauce and let sit for 30 minutes.
Cook carrot in sherry or water until almost cooked. Add peppers and onions, add more liquid, and cover. Steam for 3 minutes until desired doneness is reached. Remove from pan.
Brown pork cubes, half batch at a time, and remove. Do the same with the tofu until browned . Return pork to the pan. Add vegetables and pineapple. Add sauce and heat to a boil.
Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened.
If preferred, create a batter for the pork: Combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 cup of water to make a smooth, thin batter. Dip chunks of pork in batter and deep-fry for 5-10 minutes.
Per Serving (non-battered): 283 Calories; 6g Fat (19.0% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 609mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Jambalaya
Here's another Frugal Gourmet recipe. It's pretty much as printed in "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American". Feel free to use whatever leftover meats are on hand.
"Originally this dish, like so many dishes that have become classics, was designed to use up leftovers. The dish stands in that great tradition of frugal cooks who could not afford to throw anything away, or, in the more profound tradition, that good community of cooks who refused to throw out any edible leftovers. This bit of Cajun ingenuity is now common all over New Orleans, and there are as many variations on this dish as any one I know. I think I love them all!" - Jeff Smith, "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American"
JAMBALAYA
1/2 pound bacon, sliced
1/2 pound cooked shrimp
3 tablespoons oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
28 ounces canned tomatoes, crushed with your hands, then drained, juice reserved
3 cups chicken stock, use a total of 3 1/2 cups liquid including tomato liquid
1/2 pound sausage links, Hot links, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup ham, diced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons thyme
salt and pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice
Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain and set aside.
Pan fry the sliced sausage until it just begins to brown. Remove the sausage. Saute' the rice in the drippings and remove from the pan.
Add a tablespoon of oil. Saute the ham, onion, green peppers, garlic and celery until the vegetables are tender. Add seasonings and liquid and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Add the rice and sausage and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in the bacon, shrimp and green onions and adjust the seasonings.
If using cooked rice, use 4 cups of cooked rice. Heat it in the pan. Use 16 oz tomato sauce and about 1 cup of chicken broth.
Per Serving: 609 Calories; 33g Fat (49.8% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 108mg Cholesterol; 1980mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 5 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
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Here's another use for Buffalo chicken. This is a Rachael Ray recipe. It makes a lot of dressing; you can probably use only half.
BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD
Serves 4
2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
3/4 pound chicken breast or tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.
Combine lettuce, carrots and celery in a salad bowl. Combine ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles in a small bowl.
Add oil and butter to hot pan with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and sear for 2 or 3 minutes, then add hot sauce. Reduce heat a little and cook 5 minutes more.
Top salad with chicken and drizzle on the dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Per Serving: 493 Calories; 32g Fat (57.2% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 99mg Cholesterol; 1136mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 5 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.