Mexican Egg Bake

Our neighbors Barb and George inspired me to make this recipe.  When I told Wanetta's daughter Denise, I would be making it again, she asked for the recipe.  Hmmm.  No real recipe.  So just for Denise I had to document this recipe and decided to share it on my blog. 

Barb and George were just returning from a sojurn in Florida and I decided to surprise them with my favorite Mexican Egg Bake waiting on their kitchen counter for them!  They've had this before and always love and appreciate it!

I started making this about 10 years ago.  But the original recipe was a strata, a wonderful egg and bread dish that is a great use of stale bread!  You can refrigerate the strata mixture over night and then bake in the morning, in time for company for breakfast or brunch! 

But one day I had some corn tortilla chips that were just getting crushed in the bag and some left over salsa.  Why not try them in the egg mixture I thought! 

I started with the usual egg custard type mixture of 2 c milk and 4 eggs.  But this recipe doesn't call for cornstarch (which you don't really need for a custard anyway).  I've found this recipe and the strata to be so adaptable you can use just about any leftovers for it.

Grease or use Pam on an 8"x x 8" baking pan, or aluminum foil pan. 

Crush up enough corn tortilla chips to measure about 1 1/2 c.

Beat together 4 eggs, then add 4 c milk (I use whole milk, but you can use 2%).

Spread the chips in the bottom of the pan. 

Have on hand your favorite salsa and some sort of Mexican cheese blend (shredded).

For this recipe I had a left over mixture of chicken, onions and manchego cheese from making enchiladas a few weeks before.  I had put the chicken mixture in the freezer.  So I just thawed it out and spred in it the pan on top of the chips. 

We love spicy salsas.  Sometimes I make my own, but sometimes I just pick up a good hot salsa or a good chipotle salsa at Sam's Club, Costco or BJs.  In this case I had two kinds of salsa on hand. 

Then I put about 6 big soup spoon fulls of salsa over the the mixture. 

Next I poured the milk and egg mixture.  I then took a fork and gently mixed it all up in the pan.  On other occassions I have mixed all the ingredients except the chips in a big bowl and then poured it in the pans.  It really does not matter how you do it. 

NOTE:  At this point you can put this in the refrigerator overnight, and then go to the next step in the morning. 

Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees F.  Check the egg bake by inserting a clean knife.  If it comes out clean, it's ready for the final step.  If it doesn't come out clean, bake for another 10 minutes, check again, etc until done. 

Sprinkle a 3 or four blend of shredded Mexican Cheese (jack cheese, sharp cheddar, manchego, etc) on the top and bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.  This recipe can be easily doubled or quatrupled for a large crowd.  You can serve this with a side of sour cream, a green salad, beans and rice, or just the egg bake. 

I served the Mexican Egg Bake to Ken, my husband, for breakfast with a side of papaya. 

Great way to start the day! 

Rack of Lamb smothered in Nut Brown Ale mustard and fresh from the garden Rosemary

As I have said before I am a big fan of Sam's club, Costco and BJ's.  One of the biggest reasons is at Costco and Sam's club you can get rack of lamb and lamb chops (from Australia) for a mere pittance of what it costs at the local grocery store.  Oh sure, if I was able to buy a whole lamb and have it butchered it might be cheaper...but for that I would need a bigger freezer which I don't have. 

Anyhow, recently I broke down and bought a package of two racks of lamb at the local Sam's club.  I decided that this would make a fabulous Shabbas dinner for Ken and I.

But I have to tell you that rack of lamb or lamb chops always reminds me of my friends Janet and Vivian.  Both are adventurous travelers and a real kick to join!  We're always laughing and having the best time together. 

Viv on the left, Janet on the right

Janet retired about 10 years ago, after 30 years of working for the city of Anchorage.  She wasn't about to sit around in a rocking chair, she was much too young for that.  So she took a summer job working for Princess Cruises.  Thank you Janet!  We have reaped so many rewards of her job as her friends over the years.  Vivian's been on several cruises with her.  I went on a cruise with her back in the spring of 2001, during which we visited Puerto Rico, went through the Panama Canal and up to Costa Rica on the Pacific side.  Janet, Viv and I, have also had many fun trips to some of the Princess lodges in Alaska.

One of my fondest memories was a weekend we took a room at the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge.  See it here at http://www.princess.com/learn/destinations/alaska/highlights/wilderness_lodges/kenai/index.html

Janet arranged it so we had a cabin right next to the hot tub.  This was a real bonus as it was mid-January, the temp was -5F,  and we couldn't think of a better time to go hot-tubbing!  After chasing out some raucious kids by playing Dean Martin music on OUR little boombox, we laughed and joked about our frozen hair as steam rose around us in that marvelous outdoor hot tub!  If you've never hot tubbed in minus farenheit weather then you haven't lived a full life!  What a time we had!  After a good long soak we ran back to our cabin and dressed for dinner. 

On the menu that night was a lamb chop smothered in mustard and rosemary.  Well, that was something I had never had, so of course I had to be adventurous and order it.  Oh, what a delightful dish that was!  I was over the moon for the rich aroma of the lamb joining the fresh resiness from the rosemary.  The heat of the mustard hit my tongue and made a wonderful unforgettable combination! 

The rest of the weekend we ate in the cabin, having brought all manner of goodies with us.  I'm glad we did, because I kept savoring that meal in my mind and developing the recipe based on what the waiter said, and what my tastebuds told me about the ingredients.  We also couldn't afford to eat at the restaurant every nite of our visit! 

So this past Friday I made sure I had plenty of my latest batch of Nut Brown Ale mustard, picked a few big branches of rosemary from my herb patch out back and started. 

Click here for the recipe for the mustard: http://brewmaven.blogspot.com/2009/11/nut-brown-mustard.html.  If you don't want to make your own mustard you can use any mustard you like, but a nice whole grain, or a brown mustard goes very well! 

Make sure the lamb is dry. 

Strip several branches of rosemary of their leaves and chop very fine.  I had about a 1/2 cup of chopped rosemary. 

Rub about 3 or 4 tablespoons of mustard on the lamb, making sure you get the ends if doing a rack of lamb.  If doing chops, rub the mustard on both sides.  If you are using a good whole grain mustard you just put a thin layer on because the whole grain mustard is usually much spicier and has more heat.

Roll the lamb in rosemary leaves, coating evenly all around.  Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. 

I baked these racks in my convection oven at 350 degrees and used a Accurite probe thermometer to cook them to a temperature of 155 degrees.  Lamb should be cooked to 160 degrees for rare, but remember that meats continue to cook once removed from the oven.  According to Emeril Lagasse the meat will cook another 5 degrees after being removed from the oven. 

Ken's plate

We had our rack with boiled turnips, corn, salad, and homemade challah (egg bread).  The challah had been in the freezer for a few months, but because I bake using the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" method...it still tasted fresh as the day I baked it when I warmed it up.  I added cantalope for dessert. 

My plate

What a fabulous way to bring in Shabbas!  If we had gone out to a restaurant for this dinner it would have cost us $75-100 for two dinners.  I paid less than $19.00 for the rack of lamb, which carved into 8 lambchops each.  All totalled our dinner cost less than $22.00 for the two of us!  Although I will say, at a restaurant we wouldn't have to do our own cleanup! LOL!

Thanks Janet and Viv for the added great memories! 

March 15th Bread Braid with HBin5 Part Doce (II)

Assignment: 1/2 recipe of Avocado-Guacamole Bread, pgs 160-161
1/2 recipe Pesto Pine Nut Bread, pgs 98-99,
We can make substitutions, but share what and how we substituted with the group in our blogs.
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Pesto Pine Nut Bread
Substitutions:
4c AP, 1 c WWW (white whole wheat for whole wheat)
2c Spelt flour
1½ Tbsp kosher salt
Did NOT add ½ c pine nuts (not at the price they are right now!)

For the first version of this dough I used my homemade pesto which had pine nuts in it, and the in the second batch I used a commercially made pesto (Classico Pesto) which contained pine nuts.

As I’ve said in the previous post, I did a full recipe of the dough for the Pesto dough which calls for spelt flour as well as whole wheat and all purpose. After mixing the dough, I then split it apart, in ½ I added the pesto and in the other I added the guacamole which I made by mashing an avocado and adding a cup of chipotle salsa I bought at Sam’s. I was very surprised that the avocado stayed bright green. Yet, the pesto (homemade last summer from basil I grew) turned brown due to oxidation.

With that 1/2 batch of Pesto dough I made pita pockets. It took a bit of practice to get them just right, and the first three ended up way to thin and stretched out. So I only got 3 usable pita pockets out of the first batch.

But I decided to give this dough another try and made a full batch this time. I have a question for you readers…does your dough talk to you? Does it tell you WHAT it WANTS to be? Well, mine do. This one though was acting like a person with multiple personalities! It wanted to be this, it wanted to be that!

So I listened and here’s what I made:

Chicken Pesto rollups:
I deboned the thigh and leg of a roasted chicken, chopped the meat up and added a few ounces of some smoked turkey that a friend had given me. I mixed that up with the last of pesto in the jar (the pesto for this full batch was a commercial pesto). After flattening out a section of dough, I cut it into 4” wide strips, and put about 3 heaping soup spoonfuls of the chicken mixture on the dough. I folded the short ends inward, then carefully pulled the long ends toward the center and pinched them shut. Then I carefully picked it up and turn it over and placed it on the oiled cookie sheet. I repeated this process until I had used up all of the filling. But the last one I formed more like a Stromboli, or pocket sandwich or empanada…whatever you want to call it. Then I set those aside to rise for about 30 minutes.

 

Personal Pizza:
Next I rolled out about 5 ounces of dough into a personal pan pizza size. Using my Misto, I misted the dough with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), and sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese. Thinly sliced tomatoes and sliced black olives went on next and I finished with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt. That went into a 500 degree oven for 25 minutes or so. It made a delicious breakfast for me and brought back wonderful memories of my time in Seattle!

I used to order pizza from Pagliacci’s and it was delicious! During Pesach, many of us Jews do not eat anything that is leavened, so no bread, no pasta, etc.  At the end of Pesach (Passover), I think every Jew was calling Pagliacci's for rapid delivery! We’d practically yank the pizza out of the poor delivery person’s hands when he/she showed up at the door! LOL.

http://www.pagliacci.com/index.shtml

Ciabatta:
Finally, I decided to wrap mozzarella with dough, making a healthy snack, but the last section of dough spoke to me…it REALLY wanted to be ciabatta! So I rolled out a big rectangle, and placed it on the last oiled cookie sheet. But I wanted a few sandwich buns so made four of those as well! Since I ran out of room on the cookie sheet, I pulled out two of my large muffin size silicone forms and put the last of the dough in them. I set those aside to rise also for about 30 minutes. I flattened all four sandwich rolls down to spread them out more and make them more sandwich roll shape instead of dinner roll shape.

By now it was time to pop the Chicken Pesto rollups in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. First I brushed them with beaten egg. I’ve had this type of treat at Sam’s and Costco for lunch before and felt that I could do better, and frankly, I did! LOL. The rollups and the Stromboli came out wonderful!

Next it was time to prepare the Ciabatta for the oven. I again spritzed the ciabatta with EVOO, then taking just my fingertips I quickly and forcefully poked indentations in the dough. This time I did not put anything else on top, no salt, no olives, no rosemary. The four rolls I brushed with beaten egg and then using a scissors, I cut into the dough for an area for it to bloom. I often use scissors like this if the dough is not high enough for me to slash with a serrated knife.

The ciabatta and sandwich rolls came out great!

While I like this dough, I think I would be more inclined to make the guacamole and salsa dough on a regular basis. The guac-salsa dough delivers more of the flavor.

But the sandwich rolls I made with the Pesto dough will make a delicious sandwich with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and thin slices of tomatoes…which is one of my favorite summer sandwiches!

Since Pesach is rapidly approaching...it's time for me to switch gears and work with a libation. 

Watch for my next post on making Pesach Mead, a great substitute for beer during Pesach.

Easy Recipes using Roasted Chicken from grocery stores

Part I

One of my favorite meals is to buy a roasted chicken from Wegman’s, Sam’s, Costco (all are usually just under $5.00) or even from our local grocery stores (usually less than $9.00).

I swear they must be putting something addictive in these chickens! The flavor is delicious, the skin is crispy and one chicken will last Ken and I through 3 or even 4 meals. 

The price, if I buy it from Wegman’s, Sam’s, or Costco is less than if I bought a whole raw chicken and baked t myself. I’m also now in the habit of calling my neighbor’s Wayne and Wanetta to see if they need me to pick up one for them. I brought them home one about 6 months ago and that was all it took! Now they usually want me to pick them up one when I buy for Ken and I.

Wegman’s is my favorite place to buy them since they have them in a variety of flavors including lemon, and barbeque! But alas, it’s a longer drive than I want to do at the end of a busy work day. I usually buy one a week at Sam’s.  But Wegman's also has Kosher roasted chickens!   They are a bit more expensive but even better!  

I stopped in on Sam’s on Wednesday night to pick up a prescription and decided to pick up a chicken for us due to the big storm coming in. It was a party while more than a dozen of us waited for the chickens to be taken out of the roasters! Conversations buzzed with, not the impending storm, but how good the chickens are and what we do with them! LOL.

Here are two examples of my favorite uses for the roasted chickens. First let me say that in my house these chickens get divided perfectly. Ken loves breast meat, and I love the dark meat. Ken eats ½ chicken breast for a sandwich or just with some steamed veggies for dinner. I’ll warm up a thigh or leg and do up a wrap for lunch.

After about the second day I start picking the meat off the bone for the recipes below. Oh, by the way, I cook up the bones and make extra broth and use it in soups.

Enchilada Suizzas

We first had this recipe in Acapulco, Mexico. We were stuck in the bay on our sailboat waiting out the storm season after a very scary aborted attempt to get to Hualtulco, Mexico, which is below the hurricane belt. 

After a full day’s attempt, during which we ran into a very bad storm, and lost the ability to use our rudder, we ended up back in Acapulco Bay looking for repairs. Also at my insistence, we were looking for another person, with sailing experience, to travel with us for a bit. This is when we met Jon, an Acapulco University student who wanted to learn English. I talked about him in an earlier post.

We had to put Cadenza up on the hard, (positioned on stands on land) for repairs at the Acapulco Yacht Club. In search of an inexpensive meal one day we stumbled on Mama Mia’s just a few blocks from the Yacht club. 

What a find it turned out to be! For $2.99 a person we got a soup of the day, an entrée, and a beverage! So the three of us could eat for under $10.00. What made it even better and more worthwhile was that the food was cooked fresh, was very tasty, and served on the patio of the owner’s home. We were shaded by trees, had just enough of a breeze and the gals who cooked and served were always a delight to talk to!

Their enchilada suizzas were new to us and we quickly learned the best day of the week to find them on the menu. As is usually the way with us, we analyzed what was in the dish so I could recreate it when we were no longer in Acapulco.

The main ingredient is salsa verde made with tomatillos. 

If you are not familiar with the name tomatillos, you probably have seen them near the tomatoes or in the exotic fruits and vegetables section of your grocery store. Tomatillos are in the shape of tomatoes but are green with a papery husk around them. You peel off the husk and there is a bit of a sticky substance on the skin. Wash that off and you have a wonderfully citrusy vegetable that looks likes a green tomato.

I’ve often made my own salsa verde because most of the commercials versions have so much vinegar and lack any other flavor that I can’t stand them. So when I can find tomatillos at a good price, less than $2.00 a pound, I’ll buy a couple of pounds and make the salsa and then can or freeze it.

But I’ve also learned that there is one brand that is excellent. It’s imported from Texas to Brown’s Orchard, here in York and Loganville, PA. Bless this store! It’s expensive at $6.99 a jar, but great to have as a backup when I don’t have any homemade on the shelf or in the freezer!

I haven’t written down the recipe at this point, so will have to do that soon. In the meantime, buy or order a few jars of D.L. Jardines Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. It is worth the price! http://jardinefoods.elsstore.com/view/product/?id=35719&cid=2871

Let’s finally get started with this recipe!

8’x8’ cake pan coated with Pam on the inside

1 jar of D.L. Jardines Roasted Tomatillo Salsa or 2 c of your homemade Salsa Verde

Shredded 4 blend Mexican cheese (variety of brands in the stores) or a blend of shredded jalapeno jack cheese and cheddar cheese and Queso Mexican cheese

Shredded roasted chicken with skin removed

½ chopped white or Spanish onion

6 corn or flour tortillas

Warm up the salsa in the microwave on the stove. If using corn tortillas you want it very warm. Pour the salsa onto a plate of pie pan.

Put a tortilla into the salsa to coat it on both sides. Lay into the cake pan and put in a Tblsp or two of chicken, onion, and then cheeses. Roll up enchilada style. Push over to the corner. 

Repeat for all 6 tortillas. Pour left over salsa over the rolled up and stuffed tortillas. Sprinkle the leftover cheeses on the salsa and left over onions.

Bake for 20 or 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or microwave at 70% for 10 minutes or so.

Let sit for a few minutes. Serve with a salad on the side, chips and any salsa you want.  This is just as good reheated as well!