Breakfast Poutine

I have called a few dishes "inspired leftovers" before -- but I'm not sure anything has been this fantastic. I even took to Instagram posting this picture with the caption, "What New Year's Resolutions?!"

It received several (hearts) -- including one from a personal trainer friend of mine! I thought that was pretty funny. And I was really impressed that my friend Mike-D (not the Beastie Boy) spotted right away that it was a poutine.

Not to be confused with the bare-chested Russian ruler, "Poutine" is a popular Canadian dish with French fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Sounds amazing, right?  Well there is a local Irish pub near our house called "Rocky O'Briens" that serves a corned beef poutine. I made the mistake of ordering a burger instead a few weeks ago. Then I had some serious order envy when I kept staring at someone's plate who made the right call.  So when I was given a second chance a week later, I didn't hesitate. I didn't even want to look at the menu.

Thankfully they give you a HUGE portion, so I boxed up about half of it to take home. I broke up the corned beef and shredded it thinly, then spread that atop the fries and evenly disbursed the cheese curds. A quick 10 minutes under the toaster oven brought everything to life. Then I fried two eggs, and topped it all with hot sauce, cilantro, and green onions.

Holy cow! Right?!

I know it wasn't good for me. But I called it brunch and didn't eat again until a light snack later in the afternoon. This was so good, so rich, and so fulfilling -- it certainly qualified for two meals. The gravy and the egg yolks add some serious richness. Then you get the salty goodness of corned beef, cheese, and fries. And cut through all that with some floral onions & cilantro, and then acid & heat from hot sauce.  This was really fantastic.

...but now I need to exercise.

Horseradish Cheese Spread

I actually made this dish during the Super Bowl and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. Maybe I was trying to block out the memories from that night.  That was a horror show for me because I am a huge (HUGE) Peyton Manning fan. After several nights of crying myself to sleep, I can finally move past that awful game. The silver lining was this was a great snack.

I got the recipe from www.foodnetwork.com. They had a list of top 25 Super Bowl snack ideas, and this one sounded really good to me. I love a good dip. Hummus, French Onion, Queso, Salsa, you name it! And horseradish is such a grown-up ingredient. I always remember that my dad liked it. He has very little tolerance for spicy foods -- but he loves that horseradish burn. It's totally different. You feel it in your cheeks and your sinuses, rather than scorching your mouth.

It's really quite easy to make. Just mix together 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup dry white wine, 1/3 cup sour cream, 3 Tbsp drained prepared horseradish, and 1/2 tsp paprika.  Pulse, puree, or blend it all together to achieve the consistency you like.

It is great with pretzels or celery sticks, as pictured above. It's also really good on potato chips or spread on some pita or a little toast. It's rich and has a really nice tang to it.   Now I just have to find some other uses for that horseradish I bought.

Blueberry Pancakes

My wife made a request for me to make her blueberry pancakes one Saturday morning.  The only problem was my friend was coming over early to watch an important soccer game. I felt bad, so I bought her a blueberry scone from a coffee shop.  I thought I was being pretty nice -- but a part of me felt guilty. So the next morning I decided to honer her request after all.

I have made waffles and pancakes many times; but I always used an instant mix. Well, we didn't have any in the house. So I got out the old Betty Crocker classic red cookbook.  I figured it couldn't be all that hard, and we had all the ingredients in the pantry.

Combine together 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 3 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt until just barely mixed.  You don't want to overwork the batter. This way it will make sure your pancakes are fluffy.  Carefully fold in 1/4 cup of rinsed blueberries.

Next, heat up a non-stick pan over medium heat (or 375-degrees on an electric griddle). You can test it by flicking a few drops of water. They should dance around.  Then spray some butter-flavored non-stick spray down and pour 1/4 cup of batter.  My dad always told me the way to tell when to flip pancakes is to watch the bubbles. When they stop closing in, and instead stay open little wells, it's time to flip.  (You can also carefully lift up the edge with a thin spatula.)

Here's a little trick my wife taught me:

Heat the oven on the lowest setting and keep the cooked pancakes warm in there on a cookie sheet. That way you won't feel rushed. You can make as many as your house guests require and then serve them all together -- nice & warm.

Real maple syrup is expensive; but my wife and my mother-in-law well tell anyone will to listen that it is well worth it.  Spread a little margarine or butter on top while they're still warm. And then if you're lucky enough to have some home made blackberry jam from a co-worker, you can really amp up the berry flavor.

Yum. I think I earned some serious husband points that morning. And I happened to feel pretty proud of myself for making them from scratch.  The pancakes were light & fluffy -- not too dense.  And those warm blueberries provided little pockets of sweet, juicy, and a little acidic bites to break from all the richness.

Tuna Salad Sandwich

When I was a young, single, college student I didn't know how to cook. I once bought a tuna salad mix. It was in a squeeze bottle like tartar sauce or mayo.  All I had to do was add it to a can of tuna, and I had an easy sandwich.  But surely you can make it yourself almost as easily. Right?

To quote Barack Obama, "Yes you can."

There are a few variations of the classic recipe depending who you ask. But there are some things you'll always use. Mayo, for starters. I only use a little bit. Start with a small amount, mix, and then add more if you need it. You can always add more if you don't like the consistency. But you can't take it back. I like mine to be a little thicker; so I go a little light on the mayo.

Lemon juice is also a key component. That acidic tartness is important. You will miss that dearly if you don't use any.

Celery and onion are important for their aromatic qualities, and also for texture. You will want a nice crunch to break from the soft texture.  Dice/mince both ingredients pretty small.

Pickles are important too. But believe it or not; I didn't have any pickles in the house. So I was counting on the lemon juice and my seasoning to provide that briny quality the pickles provide. I turned to Lowry's seasoning salt for help.

I also added some hot sauce, minced garlic, and chopped almonds. I like nuts in my chicken salad, so I decided to put a little in the tuna salad as well.

Buy tuna packed in water, not oil. Drain the water, and mix the drained tuna in with the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.  You can schmear some mayo on your bun if you want a little more. Some cheese also goes nicely -- Provolone and cheddar are nice choices.

Pile it in thick in a nice soft bun. Brat buns or potato buns are a great choice. Pair it with some classic potato chips and you've got a nice quick lunch.  And it's way more gratifying than squeezing someone else's mix out of a bottle.

Amazing Asian Dipping Sauce

One of my favorite food shows is "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives".  The host looks like a total wreck of a person, that I initially judged really harshly based on his looks. But he is so likable. I got that one way wrong!

And Guy loves potstickers. Well Guy, so do I.

I was watching a pair of Asian sisters make what looked to be really delicious potstickers. Some day I hope to have enough skill (and drive) to make my own pasta and filling. But for now I had to settle for emulating their dipping sauce -- and some frozen potstickers from the grocery store.

I didn't have the ratios they used. But I did get the list of ingredients.

Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, green onions, sugar, garlic, pepper, Thai chili sauce/paste, and copious amounts of cilantro.

I must have watched, and re-watched, about six times to try to get the ratios right. It was hard because she was making such a large batch. But I think I did a pretty good job.  Here is what I used:

4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar (rice, or white)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp sugar (yes, that much)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp diced green onions
2 Tbsp Thai chili sauce or paste
Tons of cilantro.

This is a thick "sauce" that you have to chew.

It's super flavorful. It's got that great rich depth that will make you keep going back for more. The vinegar & heat will help cut through all the salt & sugar.  Then the aromatic qualities of cilantro and green onion complement everything.  This could be great with egg rolls, crab rangoon, or even on some Ramen noodles.

Collard Greens

I had never made collard greens before. I have made Swiss chard, though, which is pretty close. So I looked for a good recipe online. And for whatever Paula Dean doesn't know about political correctness, she does know her collard greens.  I used some tips from her, Guy Fieri, and Tyler Florence for my first attempt.

First, cut the spine out of all the leaves. It is really tough and bitter.

Rinse off each leaf thoroughly to remove any dirt or grit. Then roll them together to slice evenly.

Saute down some bacon in a large saute pan, and then set the bacon aside on a paper towel.  Add diced onions to the pan and cook until softened (8-10 minutes).  Next, add the leaves to the softened onions.

Add 1 Tbsp garlic, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, some red chili flakes, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, and some chicken stock (maybe 1 cup).  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Release the lid and add your bacon back. It should smell pretty fantastic at this point.

It was really flavorful - sweet, rich, tangy, and spicy. I really enjoyed how many different flavor sensation these packed. I ate a big portion and enjoyed every second of getting my leafy greens for the day.  I imagine there are some purists out there who have a very specific method for preparing their greens. But I found this recipe to be pretty fantastic.  You can adjust the heat or sweetness to meet your family's tastes.

Mocha Coffee Cooler

This is another idea I got from a cookbook that has been sitting on our counter for years. One thing I have grown to really love and appreciate in my adult life is coffee. But this is a fun and whimsical way to enjoy some coffee flavor, but with a nod to your childhood. It's sort of like a grown-up milkshake.

Get out your trusty blender and add 1 cup of strong coffee, chilled. Next add 1 cup of half-and-half -- or you can use light cream, or even milk.  Next comes the sweetness: add 3 Tbsp of chocolate syrup and 2 Tbsp sugar.  Blend everything together until combined.

Next add 1 cup of ice cubs and blend it all together until it's smooth.  If you want, you can drizzle/swirl chocolate syrup around the glass. The picture in the cookbook looked a lot fancier than mine. I guess I'll just have to practice. ;-)

And to make it even more adult-like, I made mine in a Smithwick's pint glass my mom brought back from Ireland for me.

It was really rich with the half-and-half, sugar, and chocolate. But I actually used half skim milk to thin it out a little. And the coffee does a nice job of cutting through the sweetness so it isn't overpowering.  I really liked it.

You can use a nice, strong decaf if you don't want the caffeine at night.

Easy Oven Huevos Rancheros

As some of you may know, I have gotten a lot of my latest recipe ideas from our monthly Bon Apetit magazine. I usually flip through it on Sunday morning while I'm planning my grocery list. But this week I decided to go pull one of the many cookbooks I own for inspiration.

I forget just how many possibilities there are hiding within these pages. I came up with several great recipes that I have tried, and I plan to add them to this blog in the upcoming days. This one jumped out at me because I love Mexican food for breakfast.

You start with frozen country potatoes -- the cubed kind. For this smaller size, add half a package to a casserole dish.  Be sure to coat the dish first with non-stick spray.

Add the great Mexican seasonings of oregano, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper to six eggs and beat them together.

Pour that mixture over your potatoes.

Bake it in your oven until the eggs set up and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Set the oven to 375-degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes uncovered.

Top it with a generous amount of shredded Colby-jack cheese and bake for another 3-5 minutes until it is all melted together.  Amazing, right? At this point my salivary glands were going like crazy because it looked & smelled so good.  But you have to exercise a little patience and let it stand for 10 minutes so it doesn't run.

Top it all with  a little salsa, some fresh cilantro & green onions, some hot sauce, and sour cream.  Try to tell me that doesn't look amazing. I dare you.

It was so warm, gooey, rich, and packed with flavor. The eggs & potato will really fill you up too. This is a great dish to make if you have a large group over for breakfast because you don't have to make individual dishes. I was a big fan. And the best news? I have the other half of the bag of frozen potatoes so I can make it all over again!

Super Bowl Chili Cheese Dogs

This was hands-down the best part of The Super Bowl this year. Sadly the game didn't live up to the hype. But I know that the game itself is rarely the thing that gets people excited to celebrate this American tradition. The commercials, the parties, and the food are what most people look forward to. Only two teams get to compete in the game, and only one of them is happy afterward. But everyone can be happy if you serve good food.

There are certain times of the year when I think it's OK to embrace indulgence.  I think we should live a healthy lifestyle, for sure. But you can't make food your enemy. So sometimes it's good to give in and enjoy something like this.  And enjoy it we did!

The best part was that it was my wife's idea. You could easily open a can of chili. But with not much more work, you can make the chili recipe I first tried this fall.  After that, the key comes from an all-beef dog, and a great fresh bun.  I have always loved hot dogs ever since I was a picky kid. I know they aren't a classy food, though. But if you get yourself a nice all-beef hot dog, then it's at least a little bit nicer. And I think they taste a whole lot better.

I had a slightly interesting idea of cooking the hot dogs in the chili. I'm not sure if it really added any extra flavor to them; but it couldn't hurt. So I just tossed them right into my bubbling chili after it had been going for a few hours, but right before we were going to eat. Then it's simply heating up the fresh buns, topping them with some shredded cheese, and maybe some jalapenos or hot sauce.

Holy cow are these fantastic! My friend Karen brought some over for a big football game a few years bag and I thought it was a such a great idea. It's so simple. But it will be a HUGE hit. 

Spicy Scone Breakfast Sandwiches

I told you I had a great breakfast sandwich idea made from my sun-dried tomato & olive scones ... and I wasn't lying.  These were so great, I had to make them twice.

I think there are two types of people: biscuit people, and McMuffin people. I'm a biscuit person. I never, ever order a McMuffin if I find myself at McDonald's for breakfast. There's just something about those dense and buttery biscuits that makes a perfect vessel for salty pork, cheese, and egg.  These scones are no different. And with the added bonus of packing olives and sun-dried tomatoes, they're even more complex in flavor.

I learned a very quick trick back in college. If you crack an egg into a small bowl and mix it thoroughly, you can evenly cook it in the microwave in under 1 minute. I first nuke it for 30 seconds. Then I topped the egg with one slice of ham and some shredded cheddar-jack cheese. Add 30 more seconds in the microwave and it's ready to go.

I added some great Mexican hot sauce (Tapatio or Cholula are great choices), and a nice cool slice of cucumber.  There were so many contrasting sensations going on here. Cool & hot. Sweet & salty. Rich. Hot. And did I say delicious?