Comfort Food 002: French Toast

The weekend always brings out the breakfast chef in me.  A few weeks ago a friend handed me several slices of her grandma's infamous homemade bread.  My immediate first thoughts, oooh I am making some french toast!  I left the bread on the counter for a few days to dry out.  Additionally, I have recently acquired some Sangster's Rum Cream from a quick vacation to Jamaica, I decided that the flavor would be a perfect add on this very traditional meal.

Necessary Ingredients:

3 eggs

2/3 cup of milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp of cinnamon

4 slices of stale bread

Butter

Maple Syrup

Optional:

1/4 cup rum cream

Fresh berries

Powdered sugar

 In a bowl beat eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla together. If using, rum cream. Whisk until well blended, pour into a shallow bowl.

Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, allowing bread to soak up some of the mixture. Melt some butter (or use vegetable oil or pam spray) over a large skillet on medium high.  Add as many slices of bread onto the skillet as will fit at a time.  Fry until brown on both sides, flipping bread when necessary.

Plate and serve hot with butter and maple syrup, if available, fresh berries.

French Kisses :-*

The Home Griddle: Soy Ginger Chicken

So ever since I bought my griddle I probably have used it all of three times. Last time which was a little over a month ago here, the first week I bought it which was six months ago, and for this very post. Not getting my moneys worth, yet.

However, my cousins fiance came over a right after hurricane Sandy and put my griddle to werk! I mean he griddle up some chicken and steak and had my apartment full of the sweet aroma of garlic and onions. Straight up upstaged me in my own, quaint little kitchen!  After I engulfed the chicken he grilled, sauced, and grilled again I made a special note to self " utilize griddle at least once per month."  Well I am averaging about 45 days at this rate but hey it is getting put to use!

Necessary Ingredients:
1 lbs (approximately) chicken breast
1 cup soy ginger vinaigrette
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bundle of asparagus
1 cup chopped mushrooms
Salt and Pepper

I thinly sliced the chicken breast , placed it a ziplock bag, added in the garlic and the soy ginger vinaigrette  I let it marinate for 24 hours.

Excellent salad dressing and marinade.

After marinating overnight, I placed chicken over a medium-high heat lightly greased with EVOO, cooking about 5-7 minutes on each sides or until done.  I also placed asparagus on the griddle around the chicken on the untouched areas, rotating every 2-3 minutes.

In a separate skillet, I simultaneously sauteed the mushrooms in light EVOO, over medium heat seasoned with salt, pepper, and teaspoon of balsamic glaze for about 5 minutes, stirring to ensure it cooks evenly. 

Once it was all done, plate mushrooms, then asparagus, then chicken. After plating, I drizzled fresh soy ginger vinaigrette over chicken and add along the plate for the restaurant flare at home! Bon Apetit!  

Winter Comforts:Soup 004: Five Spice Chili

Well, well, well meet my favorite comfort meal, Mista Chili. He is so hot and spicy and always filling to the my tummy. If your mind went else where shame on you, but then again this blog is about food porn right?!

Necessary Ingredients:
1 lb of ground meat
1 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce
1 15 oz can of Red Kidney Beans, strained and rinsed off
1 tbsp Cumin
1/4 cup Chili Powder
2 Bay Leaves
Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbsp Paprika
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped white/spanish onion
1/2 cup of chopped green pepper
1/2 of jalapeno, diced
 Salt and Pepper

In one pot add about two table spoons of EVOO, to coat the bottom, over medium-high heat. Add in garlic, green pepper, and onion. Let saute until soften, add in jalapeno, let simmer for another two minutes. After the vegetables have softened and sent your sensory nerves into overload, add in the ground meat. I prefer ground turkey but you can opt to use ground beef (chuck) if that is your preference.

 Cook meat until it is brown and done, it will chunk up so breaking it up with a wooden a spoon or whatever cooking utensil you are using. While cooking the meat I like to season it with salt and pepper. Once the meat is done I add in the tomato sauce and kidney beans. 

After adding the tomato sauce and kidney beans, I then add in  all of the dry spices. Note the spice level in this recipe is rather high, but I like it that way. To scale back the heat, eliminate the jalepeno pepper and or the crushed red pepper. Turn the eye to low-medium heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. I stir the pot every 15-20 minutes to ensure that it is not sticking to the pot and all the flavors get a chance to fold together. 

Spoon into bowls.

 Garnished with avocado slices, dollop of plain greek yogurt (great substitute for sour cream) and red onion.

Comfort Food Pizza 001: Breakfast Pizza

breakfast pizza

randomly i had whole wheat pizza dough in the kitchen, i had probably planned to make some kind of no red sauce pizza but i never got around to it. so one Saturday morning I perused the fridge and found some pretty typical breakfast ingredients sausage, potatoes, eggs, and cheese. then out of nowhere I had the bright idea for me and my house guest to have pizza for breakfast. note this is not available at the local pizza shop, but because sharing is caring you can make it for yourself! **this was a little labor intensive as i made the potato hash from scratch

necessary ingredients:

1 pie of pre-baked pizza pie
2 pieces Italian chicken sausage, chopped/sliced
1 red skin potato hash
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
EVOO

first things first, red skin potato hash:

wash and scrub potato clean. shred potato into pieces, dry with a paper towel, potatoes hold water, a lot of it.  in a skillet with EVOO, one clove of fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper, saute the shredded potato until tender.

Pre-heat oven to 425

cook sliced sausage in a skillet for about 5 minutes each side or until brown.

pizza pie, drizzle with EVOO a top the pie, place topping across the entire pie. in a bowl scramble two eggs and pour on top of pie. sprinkle mozzarella cheese atop. place on pizza pan and bake pizza for about 30 minutes...watch it closely so that it does not burn. remove, slice and serve.

Do The Wok: Shrimp Fried Rice

shrimp fried rice

sometimes i too want to eat greasy local Chinese food. but since my grandfather never allowed us to have anything beyond shrimp fried rice from them and he & I dining time was one of the most exciting things we did together my undying love for shrimp fried rice is simply tireless.  what makes it even more amazing is that Ikea sells Wok's for $4.99 and you too should invest like I did.

necessary ingredients:

1 lbs large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 cup of snow peas

1 cup chopped bok choy

1/2 green scallions

2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup of white onion

1 scrambled egg

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 very very teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp of EVOO


in a sauce pan, boil and prepare rice as printed instructions direct. oil wok with EVOO, drop in garlic, white onion,  bok choy, and soy sauce.  cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. add in snow peas, scallions, and shrimp cook until shrimp is done.

while the first round of vegetables are cooking, in a  separate bowl crack and scramble egg. prepare scrambled egg in a separate skillet.

add brown rice and cooked egg to shrimp and vegetables combo in wok. add in the teriyaki sauce, toss and cook for 3 minutes. plate and serve.