Breakfast Burritos

Let's get the bad news out of the way first. I got laid off two Fridays ago. I've spent the majority of the past week drinking by the pool. But now it's time to focus, really get serious... and move my afternoons to the beach. HA! Anyways, last week I kept waking up super hungry, and I usually eat breakfast at work, but wanted to make something easy I could grab on my way out the door (TO THE BEACH!). I've been craving a breakfast burrito for awhile and have been wanting to make some so I ran to the store, grabbed some ingredients and whipped a few up! So easy (as always), so fast.

Janie's Breakfast Burritos

• breakfast sausage 
• eggs
• grated cheese
• frozen hashbrowns
• sauce -- you could use salsa, hot sauce, spicy mayo, anything!
• large tortillas

First, brown the sausage. I used half a roll of spicy breakfast sausage, but I think you could probably use the pre-formed sausage links. Then, scramble the eggs (of course I scrambled them in the sausage fat!). I used 5 eggs. Then assemble your burritos!

Put a spoonful of sausage, eggs, cheese and a few hashbrowns in the tortilla. I forgot to put the sauce, but some taco sauce or hot sauce would be super yummy! Save your mayo-based or non-microwave friendly for after you zap these. 

Roll up tight.

Then, roll up in a piece of plastic wrap.

And store in a big plastic zip lock bag in the fridge.

This made SO MANY -- 8 burritos in total! I microwave one for 45 seconds IN the plastic wrap so the tortillas don't dry out. Then, since I forgot sauce, I add a little sauce at every bite. (I actually had some leftover bloomin' onion sauce from a dinner party -- mayo-based -- and put that on as I ate, YUM!) Voila.. easy, quick and tasty breakfast. You could even make these healthier using egg whites, whole wheat tortillas, turkey sausage, and sauteed veggies instead of hashbrowns. 

Coq au Vin Dinner Party

A few weeks ago I had some of my friends in Ft Lauderdale over to help me check-off one of my 2012 goals: making Coq au Vin from scratch. My parents actually had both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (which I have since adopted and brought to Ft Laudy with me), so I had ALL the recipes on hand for my dinner! But I had to do some menu planning  to make my dinner party EXTRA fabulous :)

After menu planning and spending nearly a FORTUNE at Publix, I got to work in the kitchen! To be quite honest, none of Julia Child's recipes (that I've made anyways) are that difficult or take that long. When I made Beef Bourgionon in the spring, it really didn't take ALL afternoon, but there were a lot of steps. The same thing for Coq au Vin. All-in-all, it maybe took 2 hours, but there were a lot of steps. Nothing complex, just a lot of steps. I set a gorg table, and used my favorite plates EVER (still) I got from John & Juan a few Christmases ago.

I decided on an app I made for the Orlando gays awhile ago: Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese & Figs. It's seriously SO easy and so delicious. And I randomly bought honey-flavored goat cheese at Publix that day, and I drizzled a little honey on top instead of the fig jam, and it was AMAZING! The boys LOVED them. (And so did I!)

I also made a delish Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail which was so refreshing on a Saturday afternoon!

We had a green salad, which was easy and delicious. I mixed arugula and spinach, topped with some cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette:

Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinager
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix first 3 ingredients, then stream in olive oil while whisking. Add salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste. (Okay, yes, I went there with the "fresh-ground pepper"... but honestly, it makes a big difference in recipes where the flavors are simple and easy.) This has become my go-to dressing for everything, it's just THAT good.

You can KINDA see the salad in this shot of the table.

Then we had the Coq au Vin, which was simply amazing. Julia Child makes some GOOD FOOD. I made some mashed potatoes (from scratch of course) and bought a few baguettes at the store (I would've made them but didn't plan enough in advance!), and our meal was complete with LOTS of red wine.

For dessert, I made Vanilla Panna Cotta with chocolate whipped cream. The easiest dessert but it tastes amazing and if you put it in classy glasses it looks REALLY fancy!

So that leaves me with ONE item left on my 2012 food hit list: croissants. I have 2 months and I feel pretty good I can find another group of friends to grin and bear it while I make some croissants.

Go out there and have a fun party and cook some good food!!

Pork Vindaloo (aka Pork Curry with Potatoes)

SO.... it's been awhile. There have been some MASSIVE changes in my life. I graduated with my MBA! I'll spare you the gory details of the other changes, but suffice to say, I moved back to Tampa and am turning the page on to a new chapter in my life.

The majority of you know the past month and a half for me, and it's been a struggle to get out of bed in the morning, let alone cook something, and even more, photograph myself while I'm cooking. Needless to say, I've been eating a LOT of crappy take-out. BUT, before I left Orlando, I had my best friends over, and made them my favorite dish in the world: pork vindaloo (basically pork and potato curry). I've been wanting to share this dish with you since I started my blog, because it's one of my kitchen staples. My godmother taught my how to make it, and it's turned into my comfort food. (Don't get my wrong, I still LOVE me some potato salad.) My godmother is my world. And, coincidentally, the past few months have been rough for her too.

So, today, I'll teach you how to make my favorite dish. (I apologize in advance, I forgot to take pictures of some of the steps.) And, I hope that you can serve it to your family with as much love as my godmother has shown to me over the years.

Pork Vindaloo
{Okay, so I'll come clean up front: I don't REALLY have a set recipe for this. It just kind of happens. BUT, I am willing to give ANY of you, one-on-one lessons in MY kitchen if you really want the goods.}


Also, this is pretty much the only recipe I do a complete mise en place for. (I know, judge me now. But I kind of like the adrenaline that comes from doing everything last minute!) "Mise en place" means that before you start cooking, you get all your ingredients cut/diced/washed/prepped and ready to go. So for this that means:

Roughly chop one onion

Chop one pork tenderloin (I take the fat off mine and then chop into bite-sized pieces). If you aren't into pork, you can totally use chicken, beef or lamb. Use whatever you have on hand!

Open one 12 oz. can of diced tomatoes (it's okay if they are flavored, it all comes out in the wash). Don't drain!

Peel & chop 1-2 potatoes (depending how big they are, make sure the chunks are similar in size) Also, with the potatoes, after I chop them, I put them in water to avoid oxidation (what happens when some veggies are cut and left out--aka when apples brown--the same thing happens to potatoes, but if you submerge them in water you are in the clear! And you get a really starchy water that'll come in handy later!)

So, first, saute the onion with some olive oil (just a few swirls around the pan), until the onion is softened and almost translucent. At this point, you can also add in some whole mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. I just started doing this recently, and it really gives the curry a delicious flavor.

Then, you want to add the curry paste. You can get this at Indian Groceries, or I've even found it at Walmart! It might even be in Publix, I haven't checked. You want to get either the kind that says Vindaloo, or just the plain curry paste. I'm sure that the other kinds are TOTALLY fine to use too, I just haven't had to experiment with them yet, because the store I got to always has the kinds I need.

I usually use a mix of mild and spicy. It never turns out super spicy, but if you REALLY want, you can add more (or all) spicy and less (or none) mild, or vice versa if you can't handle the spice. I put a heaping tablespoon of each kind to start with, then adjust depending on who I'm cooking for. Usually for me, I use two large tablespoons of the spicy, and just one of the mild. But like I said, do whatever YOU like. There's no wrong way to do it. If it's too spicy the first time, just adjust the next time.

So, smush the curry paste around with the onions and let cook for a few minutes. By this time, your kitchen will be smelling like an Indian restaurant-YUM!

After letting the paste cook a little, add in the pork and brown. It's okay if it's not cooked all the way through at this point, just make sure all the pink on the outsides are gone.

Next, pour in the can of tomatoes, and let cook for a few more minutes.

Then add in the potatoes without the water. Just grab them from the water with your hands, and save the water. The mixture will be very chunky at this point, so pour in some of the water until the potatoes are covered. It's okay if it's watery, we'll deal with that later!

At this point, cover your pot and let the curry come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until the pork and potatoes are cooked through. (This is when I put on the rice, too.)

While the curry is cooking, I get my slurry ready. (Slurry is just a fancy word for a mixture of water and corn starch.) I use about 1/2 cup of COLD water (it MUST be cold, or else things are gonna get ugly, fast.) and a few generous tablespoons of corn starch. Whisk both together so the mixture is smooth. After the potatoes and pork are cooked, add in the slurry (stir one more time before adding in, it tends to settle a little). Make sure the curry is still boiling. At this point, you'll start to notice the liquid getting thicker. Stir the slurry in through the curry, and the watery curry will turn into a rich thick curry.

Pour over basmati rice and enjoy!!

One pork loin will make about 4-5 generous servings, and this just gets better the day after. I usually make lunch portions and put in the refrigerator for easy lunches. But you can also freeze the curry if you won't be eating it within a few days.

Hope this explanation was sufficient! Please let me know if you have any questions or I missed any important details. :o) I hope you love this as much as I do!!

Potato Salad

Paula Deen once said that there is no excuse for bringing store-bought potato salad to a party.

I totally agree. The store-bought junk doesn't taste fresh. And making potato salad at home is a lot easier and quicker than you think. I love the stuff, so I've perfected the art of making potato salad from scratch in a jiff!

First, start by boiling eggs. I use 1 egg per large potato. (A large potato will make about 2 servings). There's all sorts of ways to hard boil eggs, but I find the easiest way is to start them in cold water.

Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low, and let simmer/boil for 10 minutes covered. After the 10 minutes are up, drain the hot water (just crack the lid of the pot, no need to use a strainer or anything). Then, fill the pot with ice cubes and cold water. Doing this will help you get the shells off easier. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 5-10 minutes, then peel.

While the eggs are boiling, peel the potatoes. I don't think red potatoes work very well for potato salad, so stick with the regular kind. After peeling, cube the potatoes. You want to make sure the cubes are about the same size, so they cook evenly.

Start the potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water. You want to be generous with the salt, since this is the only chance you get to salt the potatoes (like cooking pasta). You can cook the potatoes covered or uncovered, depending on how fast you want them to cook. But keep a close eye, because they will cook fast. Once the water starts boiling, they'll be ready within a few minutes. I like the potatoes in my potato salad a little more undercooked, than overcooked, so I always take them out early. But if you let them cook too long, they'll turn mushy, and won't hold up when you start the mixing. After the potatoes are done, drain them, then turn them out onto a paper towel or clean dish towel. Put them in a single layer, this helps them cool down faster.

Now cut up the eggs. Of course, there's a few different ways to do this. You can simply chop them up with a slap chop or knife. I've seen Paula use a potato masher to get them in small pieces. And I've also seen her squeeze the eggs through her fingers. Usually I just smush them up with a fork against the sides of my bowl.

After the potatoes have cooled down a bit (I like to mix this up when they are still slightly warm), put them in the bowl with the egg. At this time you can add in anything else you want, like onions, pickles, olives, whatever. I like my potato salad plain, so I just use potatoes and eggs (this may be why I don't like the store-bought kind... it's always loaded with stuff I don't like!). Add in a little mayonnaise and mix. For a large potato, you should probably start with maybe 1/4 cup. Remember, you can always add more mayo in if it isn't creamy enough for you, but once you put too much mayo, you can't take it out. You can also add some mustard at this time if you want too, just make it your own!

Sadly, I got a little overzealous and ate all my potato salad before taking a picture. (I told you I love the stuff!!) But here's a picture of what it should resemble. There's a ton of different ways to make potato salad, so get googling if you want something different than what I've described... just get in the kitchen and get cooking!

Broccoli-Mashed Potatoes

Admit it, how many of you have bought those frozen microwavable mashed potatoes? Or even worse, the boxed powdered kind? (Don't be ashamed, I've done the powdered once or twice in my life!) But, tell me how much better mashed potatoes taste when they are made fresh from REAL potatoes. And delicious, fancy, home-made mashed potatoes are as easy as boiling water. Today, I'm going to show you a recipe I got from the Neely's and added my own twists (of course)--Broccoli-Mashed Potatoes.

First start with a few washed potatoes (I had red the day I made this recipe, but like I always say, use whatever kind you have on hand). Scrub them really good, since we aren't going to peel them. (You can peel them if you are a super freak about potato skins, but all the nutrients live in the peels!)