Braunschweiger Dip

If you are a fan of pates or braunschweiger sandwiches, you will love this stuff.   I was served it an an appetizer on Thanksgiving and immediately fell in love.   We were spreading it on crackers, but it would good on just about anything.  I am thinking it would be especially good on some of my onion rye bread, sliced thin and toasted crisp, but no matter what you are eating it on, it is addictive.   But this recipe has been around a long time, I have seen it referenced back in the 1960's and may be even older than that.   Whenever it originated, it needs to be brought back! 

1 lb. good quality braunschweiger, removed from casing

8 oz, cream cheese, softened

1 small onion, peeled and chopped (if you prefer milder onion flavor, use 3-4 cleaned green onions instead)

about 1/2 tsp  garlic powder

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce 

Place in the bowl of a food processor and whirl until completely smooth,  scrape into a bowl and chill until ready you are ready to eat it.   Some recipes I have seen call for a couple tablespoons of ketchup and I bet a spoonful of horseradish would be good in it, too.  

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

I have been seeing recipes for this for ages, always looked interesting but just never bought the stuff to try it. I finally did and it was good. All of the recipes were pretty close, so I was able to figure out a basic framework and then changed it to my tastes and you should too.  Lots of ingredients or flavors you cab make your own here.    Very good!

 

1lb ground pork (or use ground meat of choice or even no meat, if you prefer vegetarian)

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 or ????? peeled and chopped cloves of garlic, I used 5 and could have had more, I love garlic

1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded or finely chopped

about 1 cup shredded carrots

(or use a large bag of slaw mix, like I did)

you could use other shredded or chopped vegetables, preferably ones that aren't too juicy or wet

4 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp or more sesame oil (I like lots)

about 1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)

if you like hot stuff, add some chile paste or some crushed red pepper.

In a large skillet or deep wok, lightly brown the ground meat with the onion, when mostly dry, add the garlic and stir fry for a bit, then add the cabbage and carrots/slaw mix, with remaining seasonings. Cook, stirring frequently until the cabbage is willed and tender. if you like, you can add some chopped green onions for pretty. Taste for seasoning, adding more anything you feel is lacking. With the soy sauce it probably won't need an extra salt. With rice it makes a full meal. you could also use it to fill a wrap.

Mario's Mexican Breakfast AKA Migas con Huevos

I have a very good friend in Wichita, by the name of Mario.  He is originallMy from Monterey, NL Mexico.  When I visit him, he sometimes makes this very simple and utterly delicious breakfast dish. I have made it many times and anyone who is a fan of Mexican food loves it too.  It is easy to fix for a crowd and a good way to use up stale corn tortillas.  This recipe is for one serving, just double, triple, etc for more people.

2 tbsp oil or lard

2-4 corn tortillas, torn into medium sized pieces

About ¼ cup chopped onion 

1-2 green chiles, seeded and chopped (optional for those who want some heat)

¼ cup cooked salsa, green or red

3-4 eggs, lightly beaten

In a medium sized skillet, nonstick if possible, heat the oil and then fry the tortilla pieces until the start to crisp a bit, stirring often.  Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add the onion and green chile if using and cook until tender, add the tortilla pieces, the eggs and salsa, cooking until eggs are done, stirring as needed.  Dish up and eat!

You may add some chorizo or diced ham when frying the onion and chiles.  You can top with grated cheese if you like, but I really think that isn't needed.

Huevos motuleños

I first had this breakfast dish at a lovely restaurant in Santa Fe, NM called Cafe Pascuals.  It is lovely little place and at breakfast time packed from wall to wall, but well worth the trouble to get into.   The friends I went with recommended that I try this and I was so very happy that I did.  It is an incredible dish and so very easy to make.  It is also very flexible and quick to make as well.

It is originally from the southern part of Mexico, as you can see from the ingredients and is named from the town where it originated, Motul.  Here is my take on it.  Enjoy!

For each serving:

1 ripe, but firm banana, peeled halved lengthways, then each half halved again crossways.
1/2 cup cooked, drained and reheated beans, black are traditional but pintos work well too
1 cup green sauce, heated or a heated cooked smooth red sauce
2-3 eggs cooked as desired, fried is traditional
1/2 cup diced ham or cooked pork (optional)
3 heated corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or crumbled cotija cheese or some grated monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup cooked green peas (optional, I usually leave out but it is traditional)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1 tbsp. butter

Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet until warm, but still flexible.  Place on serving plate and set aside in a warm place.   Heat the butter in the skillet and gently fry the banana slices until lightly browned on each side, a nonstick skillet is best for this as the sugar in the bananas can make them stick very easily in a regular skillet.   When the bananas are browned assemble your plate:  tortillas, then the heated salsa, scatter the cooked drained beans over the top, then the ham or pork if using, then the eggs, the peas, the pico de gallo, and finally the crumbled cheese, place the fried banana slices around the edges.   I usually don't use the peas, and in place of the pico de gallo, often just smother the whole thing with more green sauce, mainly because I love green sauce!   This is a delicious breakfast dish and easily made as you can have everything except the eggs and bananas prepared ahead of time, just heat, cook the eggs and bananas, assemble and eat.   I like it for lunch and a light supper too.  Pretty healthy as well!

Breakfast (or any time) Casserole

I made a delicious breakfast casserole this morning. I chopped a small onion and a seeded green chile. I took a large non-stick skillet, sprayed with cooking spray and lightly browned the onion and chile. Then I added about a cup of diced ham and browned that as well. Finally, I added 3 cups of cubed, pre-cooked potatoes. When all were lightly browned, I placed them in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan. Then I beat 4 eggs with about a half cup of milk. I seasoned the egg mixture with some garlic powder and paprika. Then I poured the eggs over the potatoes, then sprinkled 1 1/2- 2 cups of grated cheese over the top. I baked it at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or bake until a knife stuck in the center comes out clean and the cheese is lightly browned. I allowed it to cool about 10 minutes, then ate it with some picante sauce on top. It was quite tasty. This recipe can be doubled to feed more people. It is also a very good lunch or supper dish as well.

You can replace with ham with cooked bacon or sausage or use turkey ham, bacon or sausage if you don't eat pork.