Mini Mommy Brunch

Hi guys.  As you know, Mother’s Day is this Sunday.  I have been subtly dropping hints for the last few weeks to my family that I need a new 12 inch skillet.  Pretty sure nobody has heard me yet.  They don’t do subtle.  I will actually have to take them to the store and show them which one I want.  Oh well, as long as I get a new skillet.  I don’t ask for much….Just a skillet that won’t insist that everything stick to it like glue.

Are you planning on cooking anything special this weekend for your mom?  Do you need your family to cook you something special?  I have a menu that I will be sharing today and Thursday that is so easy, even your kids could handle it.  I call it my “Mini Mommy Brunch”.  It isn’t for mini moms; although my sister and mom are mini….it just means that the food is mini.  You all know I like to shrink things and call it finger food;) 

My menu is:

Turkey Sausage Frittata Sliders

Mini Peach Pancake Cups

Teacup Fruit Salad

And

Mini Bagels with “Everything” Dip

And if I have time, I might even throw in a cocktail recipe;)

Today I am going to show you how I made my Pancake Cups and my Frittata Sliders.  Both are super easy, and super delicious!

First….the Frittata Sliders:

A frittata is basically a crustless quiche or a heavier omelet.  It is Italian in origin.  It can be served at room temperature so it is great to make for a crowd.  You can pop it out of the pan and slice it like a pizza to eat, or you can put it on a sandwich….like I am doing here.

I used turkey breakfast sausage, chopped onion, chopped mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and eggs.  I also used a splash of milk which somehow didn’t end up in the picture.

Are you ready to see how I make this?  You will be amazed at how easy it is to make.

I started by browning my sausage in my skillet.  I used a bit of oil since turkey sausage doesn’t have much fat.  And remember, I told you how my current skillet sticks like nobody’s business.

Once the sausage was done, I took it out of the pan and set it aside.  I threw in my mushrooms and onions and sautéed those until soft.  I also threw in some salt and pepper. 

Have you ever seen Rachel Ray cook?  Have you noticed that she always throws salt over her shoulder for luck?  Doesn’t it seem like she would always be crunching on salt when she walks?  That would drive me crazy.

Then, I added back in my sausage and tossed the tomatoes in.  I must sound so haphazard with all of this “throwing” and “tossing” that I am doing.

Now it’s time for the eggs.  I broke a dozen eggs into a bowl and added about ¼ cup of milk.  I beat this all up and added it to the pan full of sausage and veggies.  If you pan is also an ass and likes to stick, add some oil.

Now comes the fun part.  You start as if you are going to scramble the eggs.  You want to gently stir the eggs until they start to set, by pushing the cooked part towards the middle and letting the runny stuff run to the edges.  You want to keep doing this until the majority is cooked, and the bottom is set.  Then, pop the whole sucker under the broiler until the middle is set and the top is golden brown…..like so:

One important thing…make sure your pan is completely oven proof.  Handles too.

My frittata broiled for about 4 minutes.

Once it was cooled, I flipped it out of the pan.  Ok, no I didn’t.  But I wanted to.  But my pan sticks!  So instead, I used a round cookie cutter to poke out perfect circles to put on my sliders.

I served my sliders on little slider buns with extra sharp cheddar cheese and avocado.

Remember, frittatas can be served at room temperature, and they actually are better at room temp.

So cute!  And so much easier than omelets, and better for you than a quiche.  You can even make your frittata with egg substitute and make it totally healthy!

This recipe easily makes a dozen.  You can feed a lot of mamas.

Onto the pancake cups:

My kids act like they love pancakes.  But the fact of the matter is….they like the idea of pancakes a whole lot more than they like pancakes.  I usually buy pancake mix and then slave over the stove flipping pancakes to have them eat ½ of a pancake.  I end up with a lot of leftover pancake mix.  I created this recipe a couple of years ago to use up pancake mix.  The pancake cups are cooked in mini muffin tins and are topped with fruit and syrup.  Yum!

I used pancake mix that just needs water…..which I actually don’t use in this recipe.  What I mean, is use the “complete” mix that just requires water if you were to make pancakes.

I also used Gourmet Rooster County Fair Peach Spread and butter.

In a mixing bowl, I stirred together ¾ cup of the pancake mix, 2/3 cup peach spread and 2 tablespoons of melted butter until smooth.

I scooped the batter into mini muffin tins that had been sprayed with cooking spray.  This will make 16 mini muffins.

I baked these at 400 degrees for about 9 or 10 minutes.

When these come out of the oven, they have a tendency to sink in the middle.  They don’t have a whole lot of leavener in them (baking soda/powder).  This is a good thing.  This is what you will use to put your fruit in!  If they don’t collapse in the middle enough…poke them in a bit with your finger while they are still warm.

I topped my pancake cups with diced strawberries.  I think that strawberries go so well with peaches, don’t you?  I also drizzled syrup all over the tops.

Totes adorbs, right?;)

I will see you on Thursday with the rest of my Mini Mommy Brunch!

Turkey Frittata Sliders

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

16 ounces ground turkey sausage

½ cup red onion, chopped

½ cup mushrooms, chopped

½ cup tomatoes, chopped

1 and ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

12 eggs

¼ cup milk

Slider rolls, sliced cheese and avocado for sliders

Pre-heat oven to broil.

In a 12 inch skillet, add oil and brown turkey sausage over medium heat.  Remove sausage and set aside.  Sauté onions and mushrooms in skillet over medium heat, until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.

Add sausage and tomatoes back into pan.  Add eggs, which have been beaten with milk.  Over medium heat, cook eggs by gently stirring and pushing cooked parts to the middle of the pan so that the uncooked parts can cook at edges.  When bottom is cooked, about 5 minutes, put pan under broiler for about 4 minutes, or until frittata is set and top is golden brown.

Let frittata cool for about 15 minutes.  Using a round cookie cutter, cut pieces of frittata to fit your rolls.  Top with cheese and avocado.

Makes 12 sandwiches

Mini Peach Pancake Cups

¾ cup Hungry Jack “Complete” Buttermilk Pancake mix

2/3 cup Gourmet Rooster County Fair peach Spread

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¾ cup strawberries, diced

Syrup for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, stir together pancake mix, peach spread and butter.  Scoop batter into mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Bake and 400 degrees for about 9 or 10 minutes.  If pancakes haven’t collapsed in the middle, give them a little push with your thumb.

Once pancakes have cooled a couple of minutes, remove them from pan and fill each cup with strawberries.  Drizzle with syrup.

Makes 16.

Churros and Beans...But Not Together

Hi all!  Today is part dos of my Cinco de Mayo fiesta!  For you non Espanol speakers….I said part “two”.  Did you take French or German in high school?  I took Spanish, and I’ve gotta admit….not a whole lot stuck with me.  I don’t have an “ear” for languages.  I do, however, have an ear for accents.  I feel like I can imitate any accent.  Perhaps I have crank called and you have heard.  Perhaps I will soon.  I’ll see how I feel.

Anyhow, today I will be showing you a great side to go with all those tacos I showed you on Tuesday.  I am going to show you how to make homemade refried beans.  I am obsessed with refried beans from Mexican restaurants.  Not so much canned beans, only the restaurant variety.  It is probably because they are cooked in lard…..but man, I sure love those beans.  I don’t cook mine in lard, in case you were getting nervous.  I cook mine in bacon fat, so actually…..that may not be much better.  But they are so crazy good, and since you won’t be eating them daily, I think you can overlook the bacon fat.

Again, fair warning….I am not claiming that any of these recipes are authentic.  FYI.

I use dried beans for this recipe.  I get a bag of beans, and I soak them overnight.  Before I soak them, I pick through them really quickly to make sure there is nothing weird in them….like rocks or something.  I covered the beans in water and let them soak overnight.  Easy peasy.

I know the picture above is hard to see, but that is a whole onion, diced, and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Then, I add the beans, which have been drained.  I cover the beans with new, fresh water and cook these bad boys on low for about 5 hours.

Oh yea, beans need a crap load of salt.  I salt them every step of the way….so throw in a teaspoon of garlic salt now.

Those are my beans….cooking.

Once the beans are cooked, I drain the water again.  Then, I slice up some bacon…remember, my beans are going to fry in bacon fat.  If you already have bacon fat….you can skip this step.  And know that I love you for having bacon fat on hand.

I fried up my bacon in a large skillet.  Once it was browned, I removed it with a slotted spoon so I could keep that yummy bacon fat in the pan.  You can either eat your bacon now, or stir it into your beans later.  My bacon rarely makes it to the beans.

One final step before I fry my beans.  I throw them in the food processor to puree them.  You can go as smooth or as chunky as you want.  I go somewhere in between.

I also add more garlic salt, some cumin and a smidge of chili powder.

Now comes the fryin’.  I added my beans to the bacon fat, and I sautéed it for a few minutes.  It won’t actually “fry” as in turn golden brown since it is a liquidish substance.  But it will soak up all the bacon fat, and it will get yummy.

Taste it at this point.  It still might need more salt.

Done.  And so much better than canned refried beans.  The bacon fat makes the beans smoky, salty and all together delicious.

I top my beans with queso fresco cheese.  Hot sauce is a good addition too.

Ok, on to the best part of this blog…..Churros.  Or rather, my shortcut churros.  Are you wondering what I use?  How do I make a short cut?  Ok, here you go.

I used canned breadsticks.  Yep, canned breadsticks.  They fry up golden, puffy and crispy….just like a churro.  These are so good….seriously, I could start a churro business with these.

I deep fry the churros in canola oil.  Peanut oil would be good too.  You need a tasteless oil with a high smoke point.  So no olive oil.

I fry these for about 5 minutes per side, over medium heat.  These take longer to cook then you would think.  You don’t want the oil too hot, so be patient.

Once the churros come out of the oil, I drain them on paper towels for a minute, and then I dredge them in cinnamon sugar.  The cinnamon sugar will stick to the hot churros wonderfully.

I serve my churros with a warm Mexican chocolate dip.  I make this with semi-sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, cinnamon and almond extract.

This chocolate sauce is super easy to make.  I warm the cream in the microwave, then I whisk in the chocolate chips.  Once the chocolate is smooth, I stir in the cinnamon and extract.  Then, I drink it.  Ok, I don’t do that….but I easily could.  I love this stuff.

Yum.  I would celebrate Cinco de Mayo every day if it meant I could eat churros and Mexican chocolate daily.  And then I would weigh a million pounds….but I would be happy;)

I think you will be surprised how much these taste like real churros.  I honestly can’t taste a difference.  They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and covered in cinnamon sugar.  This recipe is a must try.  Seriously, you have to make these.

Have a great weekend and if you are in the Reno area…come see us at Food Truck Fridays at 4^th and Center.  If you are in the Clayton, CA area…go see Mama Rooster at the Clayton Art and Wine Festival.  She will be sampling inside The Royal Rooster.

Refried Beans

16 ounces dried pinto beans

1 White onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 ½ teaspoons garlic salt, divided

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

4 slices bacon, cooked and drained with fat reserved

Soak beans in water overnight.  Drain and discard water.

Place chopped onion, minced garlic and 1 teaspoon garlic salt into slow cooker.  Add drained beans.  Cover with water.  Cook for 5 hours on low.

Place bean mixture in food processor.  Add remaining garlic salt, cumin and chili powder.  Blend until you reach desired consistency.

Heat bacon fat in large skillet. (Discard bacon or add to bean mixture) Add beans and “fry” for about 5 minutes over medium high heat.  Check for seasonings before serving.

Serves at least 10

Shortcut Churros with Mexican Chocolate

1 can refrigerated breadsticks

Oil to fill deep pot

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon Cinnamon, divided

4 ounces heavy cream

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon almond extract

Heat oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees over medium heat.  Deep fry separated breadsticks in hot oil, but do not crowd pot.  Fry in batches.  Fry breadsticks for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side.  Drain on paper towels.

Stir together sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon.  Dredge hot “churros” in cinnamon sugar.

For Mexican Chocolate:

Heat cream in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds.  Whisk in chocolate chips.  When chocolate is smooth, whisk in remaining cinnamon and almond extract.  Keep sauce warm and serve with churros.

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos!

Hi guys!  Do you know what this Saturday is?  It is Cinco De Mayo!  A great day for all of us gringos to eat Mexican food and drink margaritas!  Did you know that Cinco De Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day?  It is a day to celebrate a victory for Mexico….specifically a victory at The Battle of Puebla.  They beat the French.  It really isn’t even celebrated in Mexico.  They celebrate it in Puebla…but really….it is a totally American thing. 

I am a fan of Cinco De Mayo because I love Mexican food.  Love it.  Any chance I get to stuff my face with tacos is a great day in my book.  To help you celebrate this year, I will be showing you how to make three different kinds of tacos.  Not your typical ground beef tacos, but special tacos.  Yummy tacos.  I am going to show you how to make slow cooker chicken mole tacos, chorizo and shrimp tacos and margarita fish tacos.  Ole.

Let’s start with the fish tacos.  Actually tostadas if you want to get technical.  You can use this fish however you want….tacos, tostadas, etc.

I love fish tacos.  I enjoy them fried, but today’s recipe is for grilled fish.  Not only is it healthier, it is also crazy good.  I love a good margarita, and fish marinated in a margarita is even better.  Fish really goes well with limes, salt, and tequila.  The flavors all really blend.

I used margarita mix, tequila, garlic salt, hot sauce and halibut.  I chose halibut because it is a heartier white fish that will hold up well on the grill.  Sea bass, tilapia and snapper are also good choices. 

You could assemble all the ingredients that go in a margarita and use that….but using a bottled mix is so much easier.  Fewer ingredients is always easier.

I poured the margarita mix, tequila, hot sauce and garlic salt into a bowl.  I added the fish to marinate.  I only marinated the fish for about 15 minutes.  You cannot go longer.  The alcohol and lime juice will start to cook the fish.  You will end up with ceviche, which is good, but not what we are going for here.

Next, I drained the marinade off the fish and put it on the grill.  I used my indoor grill which cooks both sides at the same time when it closes.  My fish was done in less than four minutes.  If you are using an outdoor grill, you might need about 3 minutes per side.

Oil your grill because this fish will stick.

I like to make a lime crema to serve with my fish tacos.  It is essentially sour cream, lime zest, lime juice and hot sauce. 

I start by zesting a whole lime into a cup of sour cream.  The sour limey flavor is really strong in the zest.  That is where all the oils live.

Next, I stir in the juice of that lime and some hot sauce.  This will make the sour cream thin enough to drizzle over your tacos.  You can also sprinkle in some garlic salt if you want.  That would play up the whole “margarita” thing even more.

I served my grilled fish on a corn tostada.  I also added shredded cabbage which every fish taco has to have.  I added some chopped tomato and sliced avocado too.  And cilantro.  To finish off the whole thing, I drizzled on my lime crema.

I served my tostadas with extra limes on the side.  An extra squeeze of lime really finishes off these tostadas.  They are sour, a bit salty, and totally delicious.  And not fried!  Look at me being all healthy.

My next recipe is for a super easy mole chicken that is actually made in the slow cooker.  Now, please….remember that I am a complete gringa just trying my best.  This mole sauce is in no way authentic.  Real mole sauce has like 1032 ingredients.  This is a mole short cut.  It is yummy, but so not authentic.

Before I go on….do you know what mole sauce is?  It is a rich Mexican sauce that contains chilies, spices, nuts, and even unsweetened chocolate to name just a few of the ingredients.  It is often seen on enchiladas at Mexican restaurants.

For my shortcut mole sauce, I used a can of mild red enchilada sauce, peanut butter, unsweetened chocolate baking squares, a can of green chilies, salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar.

I keep cinnamon and sugar pre-mixed so I have it ready to use for toast, waffles, oatmeal, etc.  So if you are counting ingredients in my picture for some reason, know that my cinnamon and sugar are in the same bowl.  I don’t know why that would be a concern, I just thought I would throw that out there.

I put all my ingredients into the slow cooker.  I also added about a pound of chicken thighs, which you all know by now I prefer over chicken breasts.

I cooked my chicken mole on low for four hours.  My slow cooker is freakishly hot for some reason.  I think that 8 hours on low would work on a non-possessed slow cooker.

When you take your chicken out of the slow cooker, it will literally fall apart when you touch it.  I shredded all of my chicken by poking it with tongs.  It was that tender.

You will be left with a steaming pot of rich, thick mole sauce.  It will need the fat skimmed off of it, but that is easy enough to do.  If you are using the chicken for tacos, you will have a whole lot of sauce left over.  Freeze it and use it the next time you make enchiladas.  Or just make chicken enchiladas right now.  Your choice.

I build my taco on two corn tortillas that I steamed in the microwave to make them more pliable.  I put the tortillas between damp paper towels and popped them in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

I added my mole chicken, some chopped white onion, cilantro and queso fresco cheese.  Yum.  I pretend that this is just like a little Mexican street taco.  I have never had one, so pretending is the best I can do.

My final taco is my favorite.  This has been my favorite taco filling for a long time.  The best part…..this is the easiest one to make. 

This taco filling is just pork chorizo and shrimp.  If you are feeling fancy, you can also add chopped potatoes.  Then it will be “con papas”.

I sautéed my chorizo in a large skillet to start.  Do you know what chorizo is?  If not, do yourself a favor and don’t read the package.  Just know that it is spicy and delicious.

I cooked this for about 10 minutes over medium heat.  It is SUPER greasy.  That grease will kind of just go away once the chorizo is cooked.  It will be crumbly and slightly crispy once it is cooked.

Once it is cooked, throw in the cooked shrimp and stir the mixture around until the shrimp is heated through.  Don’t actually throw it because that chorizo will splatter like nobody’s business.

I built the shrimp and chorizo taco by steaming two more corn tortillas.  I added my shrimp and chorizo mixture, more cilantro, chopped onion and queso fresco.

For the love of Pete, you must try these tacos.  They are so good, and so easy to make.  Don’t you want to celebrate your Cinco De Mayo with these tacos??  They are spicy, cheesy and so, so good.

On Thursday, I will show you how to make my shortcut churros and homemade refried beans!  Look at this gringa go!

Margarita Fish Tacos

1 cup margarita mix

¼ cup tequila

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

12 ounces halibut

Tortillas, cilantro, shredded cabbage, avocado, diced tomato for serving

Pour margarita mix, tequila, hot sauce and garlic salt into a shallow dish.  Add fish.  Marinate for 15 minutes.  Remove fish and discard marinade.

Grill fish for 3 minutes per side.

Serve on tortillas with toppings.

Lime Crema

1 cup sour cream

The zest one lime

The juice of one lime

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Mole

28 ounce can red enchilada sauce, mild

1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

4 ounces diced green chilies

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 pound boneless chicken thighs

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.  Cook for 8 hours on low.

Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks.

Chorizo and Shrimp Tacos

10 ounces pork chorizo

12 ounces shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

Sauté chorizo in a large skillet over medium heat.  When chorizo is cooked, add defrosted shrimp.  Cook until shrimp is warmed through.

Pulled Pork Extravaganza, Part Two

Hi guys!  I am so excited to show you tonight’s recipe because it is so crazy good.  I am not normally one for homemade pizza.  It is usually something that I actually prefer to come from a restaurant instead of being homemade.  I love pizza, pizza delivery, eating at a pizza place, etc.  We usually have to go out to get pizza because nobody delivers to where I live.  I only live about 10 or 15 minutes from town, but the pizza delivery guys must think I live in Bum$%^&, Egypt.  When we moved here, and I found out that I couldn’t get pizza delivered…..I think I cried myself to sleep for the first two weeks. 

So as you may have gathered, smarty pants, I am showing you a great pizza recipe tonight.  And you also may remember that I am still knee deep in amazing BBQ pulled pork. If you are remembering correctly, I cooked a HUGE pork butt in my slow cooker so I would have plenty of pork for the week.   I promised you another great idea, starring pulled pork, plus lots of other ideas.  I shall deliver.  Before I show you the fantastic pizza…let me remind you how I made the pulled pork.

And by remind you, I mean I will post the link and the rest is up to you.

http://gourmetrooster.blogspot.com/2012/04/pulled-pork-extravaganza.html

And now…here is a partial list of what you can do with the aforementioned pulled pork.  “Partial” because I am sure there are a million that I am not thinking of;)

-Pulled Pork Spaghetti (replace your usual sauce with saucy pulled pork)

-Pulled Pork topped baked potatoes

-Pulled Pork topped French fries

-Pulled Pork Quesadillas

-Pulled Pork Nachos

-Top a salad with Pulled Pork

-Layer Pulled Pork with cream cheese and cheddar cheese and bake, serve with corn chips for dipping

-Pulled Pork omelets

-Pulled Pork on biscuits

Ok, I am sure there are plenty more….but I bet this gives you some ideas!

Onto my pizza…..

I have always loved California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ Chicken Pizza, so it makes complete sense that I would love a pulled pork pizza.  The BBQ sauce goes so well with a yummy crust and lots of cheese.  Of course, it is best when you use Gourmet Rooster BBQ Sauce….right?

I used a premade pizza crust….You know, the kind you buy in a package that is not from the refrigerated section?  Normally, I buy a bag of pizza dough from Raley’s, but they didn’t have any today.  It was a vicious plot against me, I am sure.

I chose the thin crust variety, but you can use whatever your little heart desires.

I also used leftover pulled pork (duh), a little more Gourmet Rooster Whiskey Apple BBQ Sauce, extra sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, red onion, chopped tomato and chopped green onions.  You know what else would be phenomenal on this pizza?  Bacon.  And that is because bacon is good on anything.

Instead of pizza sauce, I spread BBQ sauce on the crust.  I only used a little bit because the pork is really saucy.  I don’t want this pizza to loaded down because then it may not ever cook through….it could stay soggy.

Then, I put on some of my leftover pork and some sliced red onion.

Remember to leave a border.

I could totally get a job at Round Table.

Now the best part….cheese, beautiful cheese.

I like the mix of cheddar and mozzarella.  I think that BBQ goes well with cheddar, but I like the stretchiness of mozzarella.

Now, I bake this bad boy.  I like to add the green onions and tomatoes after the pizza cooks.  That choice is up to you too.

I followed the directions on the pizza crust package.  My package told me to bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.  I baked mine a smidge longer to make sure that it really was cooked in the middle.

Once the pizza was done, I sprinkled on the green onions and tomatoes.

I couldn’t wait to cut into this.  I am totally the one that eats pizza before it cools and totally burns her mouth.  Every time.  I am 35 years old, and I have yet to learn that hot pizza burns mouths.  Oh wait, I mean I am 26, and I have yet to learn that hot pizza burns mouths.

Oh man…this pizza is good.  The BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy, the pork is moist and tender, and the cheese is creamy and delicious.  Isn’t this a great use of leftover pulled pork?  I think so.  I think this pizza makes me 50% less sad that nobody will deliver pizza here.

I will see you next week….Shall we celebrate Cinco De Mayo?

BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza

One pizza crust, About 12 inches in diameter

1/3 cup BBQ Sauce

1 cup Pulled Pork with sauce

1/3 cup red onion, sliced

½ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup green onions, chopped

1/3 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place pizza crust onto baking pan.  Spread BBQ sauce over crust, leaving a border around the edge.  Top sauce with pork, red onion and cheeses.  Bake according to package directions.  Top cooked pizza with green onions and tomatoes.