I actually went shopping for this one, but it turned out so tasty I decided to post it.
Thai-style hot and sour soup is my go-to meal when I'm not feeling well. There's something magically healing about the chicken, herbs, spices, and general goodness. Hub has a nasty cold, so I thought I would try to make it at home instead of getting take-out for him. I didn't use a recipe, just sort of made it up as I went along. It came out nearly identical to the stuff from our favorite Thai restaurant, so I was pleased!
Ingredients:
3 or 4 chicken thighs, with bones.
1 chicken breast, with bones.
1 onion, sliced thin.
1 carrot, cut into large hunks.
1 or 2 stems lemongrass, cut into sticks and crushed.
a few lime leaves, if you can find them. Remove vein, just use leaves.
Fresh ginger root (about a 3 inch chunk) peeled and sliced thin
1 jalapeno pepper, or a few Thai chilis, sliced thin
Fish sauce
Rice vinegar
1 fresh lime
1 or 2 cans coconut milk (depending on how "coconutty" you want it)
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (if you want it "hot")
Sliced mushrooms (fresh, please!)
Other "Asian" veggies as desired. I used pea pods, but baby corn, bean sprouts, etc. would work, too
Instructions:
Put the chicken in a large pot that has a lid. Add half of the onion, the lemongrass, lime leaves, carrot, half of the sliced chilis, and the ginger. Add about a teaspoon of salt, and about 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Add cayenne or pepper flakes to taste (you can always add more later). I was in a hurry, so I "cheated" and added one of those chicken broth cup thingies, because I didn't have hours to make stock. You can throw in a can of chicken broth, or a bullion cube if you want.
Add water. I didn't measure, but I'd guess about 8 cups.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium, cover and cook until chicken is done and stock has a good flavor.
I don't like fishing lemongrass and leafy things out of my soup, so at this point I strained the stock, put it back in the pan, and stuck the chicken pieces in the fridge to cool off a bit. The carrot chunks need to come out, pieces of carrot mess up the flavor, but the carrot cooked in the broth adds a needed sweetness to the stock.
Return the stock to the pan, over medium-low heat. Add fish sauce (start with about a teaspoon, adjust up by 1/4 teaspoon at a time if needed), rice vinegar (at least 3 tablespoons, then adjust if needed), juice of one fresh lime, the rest of the onion, mushrooms, and any other veggies you want.
Take the chicken meat off the bones, discard bones and skin. Dice or "pull" the chicken into bite-size chunks and add to the soup.
Taste and adjust until the spice/salt/sour blends nicely.
Remove from heat. Add coconut milk. Adjust seasonings again if needed.
It's magical!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Playing "Chopped" in the pantry
Tonight, there was seriously NOTHING to eat. No money to go get even a pound of hamburger. So, I had to open the cupboard and pretend I was on "Chopped."
We got a small haul from the food bank a while back, and I had some odds and ends left over from that. I also tend to freeze and save "leftover" things from meals, like if I have an extra chicken breast piece, or a hunk of fish, etc.
So...after digging around a bit, here's what I found that sounded like it might go together:
Orzo pasta (from the food bank)
Three frozen chicken tenders (left over)
A can of diced tomatoes (food bank)
Some feta cheese (left over, but not green and furry yet)
Half an onion (left over)
Garlic
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice
Hmmm....pseudo-Greek casserole thing? Okay!
I cooked the pasta. While it was cooking, I sauteed the diced onion and some garlic in olive oil, then added the diced-up chicken tenders, about a teaspoon of oregano, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. Once the chicken was cooked, I tossed in the tomatoes and the feta cheese, crumbled coarsely.
Drained the pasta, stirred in the chicken mixture and let it simmer for about ten minutes to blend flavors.
Thumbs-up from both hubby and the 12-year-old! I get to move on to the dessert round!!
We got a small haul from the food bank a while back, and I had some odds and ends left over from that. I also tend to freeze and save "leftover" things from meals, like if I have an extra chicken breast piece, or a hunk of fish, etc.
So...after digging around a bit, here's what I found that sounded like it might go together:
Orzo pasta (from the food bank)
Three frozen chicken tenders (left over)
A can of diced tomatoes (food bank)
Some feta cheese (left over, but not green and furry yet)
Half an onion (left over)
Garlic
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice
Hmmm....pseudo-Greek casserole thing? Okay!
I cooked the pasta. While it was cooking, I sauteed the diced onion and some garlic in olive oil, then added the diced-up chicken tenders, about a teaspoon of oregano, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. Once the chicken was cooked, I tossed in the tomatoes and the feta cheese, crumbled coarsely.
Drained the pasta, stirred in the chicken mixture and let it simmer for about ten minutes to blend flavors.
Thumbs-up from both hubby and the 12-year-old! I get to move on to the dessert round!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Frozen lousy steaks + creativity = deliciousness
I'm sure you're familiar with the "frozen meat guy." You know the one. He knocks on your door, offering a "great discount" on some prime, grade A, superfantastic steaks, chicken or pork because your neighbor was supposed to get a delivery and wasn't home, or the guy two blocks down cancelled his order, or the old lady who ordered 500 pounds of meat died, or whatever? Yeah, you know him.
He's a sleazy character, for sure. But admit it. You've been tempted. Discount on steak? Vacuum-sealed, flash frozen, guaranteed for a full YEAR? Confess. You've thought about it.
So, sleazy meat guy knocked on our door a few days ago. I always send them packing, and usually not very nicely, since I have a very clear "no solicitors" sign, complete with a photo of Jack Bauer looking angry, posted prominently next to my front door. Ignore the sign, and you feel my wrath.
I didn't answer the door. Hub did. Now, Hub hears the word "meat" and turns into a slathering idiot, susceptible to the slightest powers of suggestion. He's addicted to the stuff. He invited sleazy meat man into MY HOUSE, and let him put his frozen dead cow all over my leather couch and launch into his sales pitch.
Glassy-eyed, and clearly under the spell of meat man and his wares, Hub handed over the cash, and suddenly we were the proud owners of a box of "bacon-wrapped fillets," a box of "New York strip steaks," and a box of "Chopped steak patties." Uh huh.
If you've ever succumbed to the charms of sleazy frozen meat man, you know all to well that this stuff is what the butchers throw on the floor. But, to make Hub happy, I cooked up a couple of the New Yorks. HORRIBLE. Is this even meat?
Okay, so the next night, he wanted to try the fillets. Now, for argument's sake, the box doesn't actually say WHAT part of the cow was filleted to make this "steak." And they were wrapped in bacon---fat. Again, completely inedible.
So, stuck with a box of these nightmarish nuggets, I decided I needed to figure out a way to make them useful, palatable, and not waste perfectly good food money by using them to keep people off my lawn (they are the perfect size and shape for throwing at passers-by).
Since the look, cut and texture of the "fillets" was that of a cheap chuck roast, I thought I would try braising them, bacon-on. Digging through the cabinet, I found I had:
4 frozen, bacon-wrapped fillets of doom. (but any cheap beef and a couple slices of bacon will do)
A can of stewed, diced tomatoes
About 2 cups of leftover fusilli pasta, already cooked
Some red wine leftover from New Year's Eve
A dash of Worcestershire
A dash of "Kitchen Bouquet," that lovely brown goo that covers a multitude of culinary sins
Freshly ground pepper
Whole dried oregano leaves
Garlic salt with parsley
Olive oil
I seasoned both sides of the "steaks" with pepper, oregano and garlic salt, and seared them on each side in olive oil over medium-high heat until they were nicely browned.
Once they were browned, I dumped in the tomatoes, about 1/4 cup of wine, the Worcestershire and Kitchen Bouquet. Stirred the whole mess up, reduced the heat to simmer, covered it and let it simmer for about two hours, stirring the sauce a couple of times to keep the bottom from burning.
After two hours, with great trepidation, I tasted the sauce. It was magnificent! Beefy, with a slight tang from the tomatoes, a little sweetness and smokiness from the bacon and seasonings, and a nice acid balance from the wine. It was a beautiful deep reddish brown, just lovely.
I removed the bacon from each fillet, because it was just a gelatinous glob and I didn't want THAT in my food. Then "pulled" the meat with two forks into bite-sized pieces, stirred in the pasta, let it heat through, and served it.
I'm particularly proud of this meal, because honestly, I was considering just throwing out the steaks. They were that bad. It's nice to know I can make yummy goodness out of something so awful! Hub loved it, too!
He's a sleazy character, for sure. But admit it. You've been tempted. Discount on steak? Vacuum-sealed, flash frozen, guaranteed for a full YEAR? Confess. You've thought about it.
So, sleazy meat guy knocked on our door a few days ago. I always send them packing, and usually not very nicely, since I have a very clear "no solicitors" sign, complete with a photo of Jack Bauer looking angry, posted prominently next to my front door. Ignore the sign, and you feel my wrath.
I didn't answer the door. Hub did. Now, Hub hears the word "meat" and turns into a slathering idiot, susceptible to the slightest powers of suggestion. He's addicted to the stuff. He invited sleazy meat man into MY HOUSE, and let him put his frozen dead cow all over my leather couch and launch into his sales pitch.
Glassy-eyed, and clearly under the spell of meat man and his wares, Hub handed over the cash, and suddenly we were the proud owners of a box of "bacon-wrapped fillets," a box of "New York strip steaks," and a box of "Chopped steak patties." Uh huh.
If you've ever succumbed to the charms of sleazy frozen meat man, you know all to well that this stuff is what the butchers throw on the floor. But, to make Hub happy, I cooked up a couple of the New Yorks. HORRIBLE. Is this even meat?
Okay, so the next night, he wanted to try the fillets. Now, for argument's sake, the box doesn't actually say WHAT part of the cow was filleted to make this "steak." And they were wrapped in bacon---fat. Again, completely inedible.
So, stuck with a box of these nightmarish nuggets, I decided I needed to figure out a way to make them useful, palatable, and not waste perfectly good food money by using them to keep people off my lawn (they are the perfect size and shape for throwing at passers-by).
Since the look, cut and texture of the "fillets" was that of a cheap chuck roast, I thought I would try braising them, bacon-on. Digging through the cabinet, I found I had:
4 frozen, bacon-wrapped fillets of doom. (but any cheap beef and a couple slices of bacon will do)
A can of stewed, diced tomatoes
About 2 cups of leftover fusilli pasta, already cooked
Some red wine leftover from New Year's Eve
A dash of Worcestershire
A dash of "Kitchen Bouquet," that lovely brown goo that covers a multitude of culinary sins
Freshly ground pepper
Whole dried oregano leaves
Garlic salt with parsley
Olive oil
I seasoned both sides of the "steaks" with pepper, oregano and garlic salt, and seared them on each side in olive oil over medium-high heat until they were nicely browned.
Once they were browned, I dumped in the tomatoes, about 1/4 cup of wine, the Worcestershire and Kitchen Bouquet. Stirred the whole mess up, reduced the heat to simmer, covered it and let it simmer for about two hours, stirring the sauce a couple of times to keep the bottom from burning.
After two hours, with great trepidation, I tasted the sauce. It was magnificent! Beefy, with a slight tang from the tomatoes, a little sweetness and smokiness from the bacon and seasonings, and a nice acid balance from the wine. It was a beautiful deep reddish brown, just lovely.
I removed the bacon from each fillet, because it was just a gelatinous glob and I didn't want THAT in my food. Then "pulled" the meat with two forks into bite-sized pieces, stirred in the pasta, let it heat through, and served it.
I'm particularly proud of this meal, because honestly, I was considering just throwing out the steaks. They were that bad. It's nice to know I can make yummy goodness out of something so awful! Hub loved it, too!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Midweek leftover breakfast
Christmas leftovers plus two hungry boys equals this:
What I had on hand:
Leftover ham
Leftover sliced mini-baguette
Leftover shredded parmesan (Yep, we had artichoke dip)
Spices, etc.
So...
I diced up about a cup of ham into tiny cubes, stuck it in a frying pan to heat it up.
Scrambled eight eggs (for three servings) with some Johnny's seasoning, parmesan and a splash of water.
Melted a stick of butter, poured it over the baguette slices on a cookie sheet.
Poured the egg mixture over the ham, "scrambled" the mixture.
Sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over the baguette slices and ran them under the broiler just until bubbling and beginning to brown.
Voila'! Breakfast when there is "no food in the house."
What I had on hand:
Leftover ham
Leftover sliced mini-baguette
Leftover shredded parmesan (Yep, we had artichoke dip)
Spices, etc.
So...
I diced up about a cup of ham into tiny cubes, stuck it in a frying pan to heat it up.
Scrambled eight eggs (for three servings) with some Johnny's seasoning, parmesan and a splash of water.
Melted a stick of butter, poured it over the baguette slices on a cookie sheet.
Poured the egg mixture over the ham, "scrambled" the mixture.
Sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over the baguette slices and ran them under the broiler just until bubbling and beginning to brown.
Voila'! Breakfast when there is "no food in the house."
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Naming Your Creations
When my kids were young, they would always wander in with the age-old question: "What's for dinner?" My usual answer was "food." I'm not good at coming up with catchy names for my kitchen experiments, so "food" covered all the bases.
Over the years, the kids named some things just so they knew what to expect. If you have kids, let them come up with names for your creations, because I've found their ideas are much more interesting than anything I would have come up with.
A few that my brood recognize instantly:
Slimy cake. (chocolate cherry cake)
Green stuff. (pistachio-jello salad)
Cat barf. (blueberry cobbler)
Egg stuff. (egg and sausage breakfast casserole)
My daughter-in-law e-mailed me a few days ago, asking for my recipe for "egg stuff" because my son wanted her to make it. Variations on the recipe can be found all over the internet, but if you search for "egg stuff" you come up empty. It's nice to know I'm still needed, if only for translations of the kids' favorite dishes.
Over the years, the kids named some things just so they knew what to expect. If you have kids, let them come up with names for your creations, because I've found their ideas are much more interesting than anything I would have come up with.
A few that my brood recognize instantly:
Slimy cake. (chocolate cherry cake)
Green stuff. (pistachio-jello salad)
Cat barf. (blueberry cobbler)
Egg stuff. (egg and sausage breakfast casserole)
My daughter-in-law e-mailed me a few days ago, asking for my recipe for "egg stuff" because my son wanted her to make it. Variations on the recipe can be found all over the internet, but if you search for "egg stuff" you come up empty. It's nice to know I'm still needed, if only for translations of the kids' favorite dishes.
A Few Words About Soup
Get out your sharpie and a sticky note.
Write, in large, bold letters:
WHEN IN DOUBT, MAKE SOUP
Now, stick that on your fridge or cupboard door.
Seriously, you can make soup out of just about anything.
What you need:
A stock, broth, etc. Some sort of flavored liquid base.
"Stuff" to add to the broth
Spices
Yep, that's it.
Some examples:
1. Stock: A can of chicken broth.
"Stuff:" Leftover chicken, a diced potato, a sliced carrot.
Spices: Salt, pepper, sage, rosemary.
Throw it in a pan, adjust seasonings to taste, bring to a boil, then let simmer for a while until the veggies are tender.
2. Stock: Canned tomato puree (or diced stewed tomatoes), water.
"Stuff:" Ground beef, sliced carrot, sliced celery, diced potato, diced onion.
Spices: Salt, Pepper, oregano.
Brown the ground beef, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients to pan, adjust seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Stock: Water plus seasoning packet from a package of Ramen noodles.
"Stuff:" Ramen noodles, frozen mixed vegetables, leftover chicken, beef, pork, fish, whatever.
Spices: Seasoning packet, plus some ginger, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or whatever your little heart desires.
Boil water, add seasoning packet. Stir to dissolve. Add frozen veggies. Reduce heat to low. Add noodles and meat, and extra spices if desired. Simmer until heated through.
Do you prefer cream soups? Add a little milk or cream after you reduce the heat (not before, or it will curdle, and that's just gross). To thicken, mix a couple spoonfuls of flour or corn starch with cold water, then temper the mixture by adding some of the hot liquid, a little at a time. Whisk into your soup, stir over medium-low heat until thickened. I personally prefer corn starch, because I don't like the floury taste, but either one will work. In a pinch, instant mashed potatoes will also thicken a stock, and they add a nice flavor.
If you want to really be prepared to make soup, I'd suggest always keeping the basic ingredients for mirepoix on hand. Onion, carrot, celery. When I'm feeling particularly industrious, I toss together a big batch of mirepoix in my food processor, then divide it into small batches and freeze in Ziplock-type bags. That way, when there's "nothing to eat" I can always throw together some sort of soup!
A LIST OF SOUP STUFF:
Meats:
Frozen shrimp
Diced chicken
Diced ham
Diced leftover steak
Diced leftover pork roast or chops
BACON (Because everything is better with bacon)
Flaked salmon, cod, tilapia (good use for leftovers)
Ground beef (cook before adding)
Leftover taco meat
Leftover turkey
Hot dogs (seriously, it works. If you eat hot dogs, which I rarely do)
Canned or fresh clams
Veggies:
Carrots
Corn
Broccoli
Cabbage
Potatoes
Green beans
Peas
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Peppers
Onions
**Soft veggies like zucchini don't work very well in soups unless they are added at the very end of cooking. They get soggy and slimy. Same goes for fresh tomatoes.
Just about any frozen veggies.
Other stuff:
Canned or dried beans (pinto, navy, lima, etc.)
A can of chili
Rice (uncooked, or leftover cooked....just allow extra time and extra stock if using uncooked)
Barley
Stock:
Canned broth
Tomato sauce, paste, puree, or diced stewed (add water)
Cooked, pureed squash (add water)
Taco seasoning packet (add water)
Beer (yep! A can of Guinness makes a mean base for beef soup)
So, go forth, use those leftovers, and make some soup!
Write, in large, bold letters:
WHEN IN DOUBT, MAKE SOUP
Now, stick that on your fridge or cupboard door.
Seriously, you can make soup out of just about anything.
What you need:
A stock, broth, etc. Some sort of flavored liquid base.
"Stuff" to add to the broth
Spices
Yep, that's it.
Some examples:
1. Stock: A can of chicken broth.
"Stuff:" Leftover chicken, a diced potato, a sliced carrot.
Spices: Salt, pepper, sage, rosemary.
Throw it in a pan, adjust seasonings to taste, bring to a boil, then let simmer for a while until the veggies are tender.
2. Stock: Canned tomato puree (or diced stewed tomatoes), water.
"Stuff:" Ground beef, sliced carrot, sliced celery, diced potato, diced onion.
Spices: Salt, Pepper, oregano.
Brown the ground beef, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients to pan, adjust seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Stock: Water plus seasoning packet from a package of Ramen noodles.
"Stuff:" Ramen noodles, frozen mixed vegetables, leftover chicken, beef, pork, fish, whatever.
Spices: Seasoning packet, plus some ginger, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or whatever your little heart desires.
Boil water, add seasoning packet. Stir to dissolve. Add frozen veggies. Reduce heat to low. Add noodles and meat, and extra spices if desired. Simmer until heated through.
Do you prefer cream soups? Add a little milk or cream after you reduce the heat (not before, or it will curdle, and that's just gross). To thicken, mix a couple spoonfuls of flour or corn starch with cold water, then temper the mixture by adding some of the hot liquid, a little at a time. Whisk into your soup, stir over medium-low heat until thickened. I personally prefer corn starch, because I don't like the floury taste, but either one will work. In a pinch, instant mashed potatoes will also thicken a stock, and they add a nice flavor.
If you want to really be prepared to make soup, I'd suggest always keeping the basic ingredients for mirepoix on hand. Onion, carrot, celery. When I'm feeling particularly industrious, I toss together a big batch of mirepoix in my food processor, then divide it into small batches and freeze in Ziplock-type bags. That way, when there's "nothing to eat" I can always throw together some sort of soup!
A LIST OF SOUP STUFF:
Meats:
Frozen shrimp
Diced chicken
Diced ham
Diced leftover steak
Diced leftover pork roast or chops
BACON (Because everything is better with bacon)
Flaked salmon, cod, tilapia (good use for leftovers)
Ground beef (cook before adding)
Leftover taco meat
Leftover turkey
Hot dogs (seriously, it works. If you eat hot dogs, which I rarely do)
Canned or fresh clams
Veggies:
Carrots
Corn
Broccoli
Cabbage
Potatoes
Green beans
Peas
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Peppers
Onions
**Soft veggies like zucchini don't work very well in soups unless they are added at the very end of cooking. They get soggy and slimy. Same goes for fresh tomatoes.
Just about any frozen veggies.
Other stuff:
Canned or dried beans (pinto, navy, lima, etc.)
A can of chili
Rice (uncooked, or leftover cooked....just allow extra time and extra stock if using uncooked)
Barley
Stock:
Canned broth
Tomato sauce, paste, puree, or diced stewed (add water)
Cooked, pureed squash (add water)
Taco seasoning packet (add water)
Beer (yep! A can of Guinness makes a mean base for beef soup)
So, go forth, use those leftovers, and make some soup!
An Egg Thing
We had this for breakfast, because if Hubby doesn't get fed every four hours or so he turns into a snarling evil beast. This was before I remembered I had bacon, which made him angry, because he thinks all food must contain some sort of dead animal flesh. Silly man!
It's a very basic concept. Eggs with "stuff" added to them. You can add just about anything to eggs and make a meal. Well, okay, maybe not peanut butter and granola (which I also had on hand), but ALMOST anything.
With Hubby stomping around and whining that he was starving to death, I did the "fridge stance." You know it, you've done it. You open the door and just stand there, staring, hoping something edible will materialize before your eyes. Much like Sean Spencer in Psych, a few ingredients magically glowed with a weird green light, and a dish began to form in my imagination. (Okay, they didn't actually glow. That would be a bad thing for food to do.)
What I had on hand:
Eggs
Fresh kale (I know, weird, but I LOVE the stuff)
Cheese curds
Red onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Butter
The Creation:
Heat a frying pan (yeah, that big ol' cast iron monster) over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and a splash of olive oil.
Dice up about 2 tablespoons of red onion, and one clove of garlic.
Saute until just beginning to brown.
Rinse the kale, and chop coarsely. I used about 2 cups of kale, you may want more or less, depending on your personal relationship with kale.
Add the kale to the pan, and "stir fry" with the onion and garlic until it is wilted and tender. (about 3 minutes)
Move the kale to one side of the pan.
Now, crack a few eggs into a cup, bowl, ziplock bag, or whatever. I used five, which was just right for two people. Whisk them up with a little salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne if you're feeling adventurous. Pour the eggs into the side of the pan not occupied by green leafy things, and scramble until they are beginning to firm up, but not entirely cooked.
Invite the kale to join the eggs. Kale likes eggs, so this shouldn't present a problem.
Toss in a handful of cheese curds, and stir, flip, toss, and mix to your heart's content. Keep it moving or the eggs will get brown and disgusting. Nobody likes brown, disgusting eggs. Once the eggs are cooked through and the cheese begins to get melty, it's ready to serve.
A side of toast is nice, but if you don't have any bread, that's okay.
Hubby gave this one a thumbs-up and a big burp, so I'll call it a success.
Add-ins/substitutions:
You can substitute just about any veggie for the kale. Spinach is delicious. Sliced zucchini would be good, too. Cauliflower? Doesn't sound good to me, but I guess you could try it.
If you don't have cheese curds, never fear. Cubed cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or havarti would be good. Crumbled feta or goat cheese would be divine. I'd steer clear of the "blue" family. Just doesn't sound like a good combination.
If you don't have red onion, you could use shallots, yellow or white onion, scallions, or even dried onion flakes, I suppose. If you're not using kale, you could leave out the onion entirely, but there's just something magical about onions and kale.
Mushrooms would be a tasty add-in, as would crispy bacon chunks or cooked sausage. Leftover ham or chicken would be yummy, too.
Experiment. Use what you have on hand. Eggs are simply the glue that binds together your choice of flavors and textures!
It's a very basic concept. Eggs with "stuff" added to them. You can add just about anything to eggs and make a meal. Well, okay, maybe not peanut butter and granola (which I also had on hand), but ALMOST anything.
With Hubby stomping around and whining that he was starving to death, I did the "fridge stance." You know it, you've done it. You open the door and just stand there, staring, hoping something edible will materialize before your eyes. Much like Sean Spencer in Psych, a few ingredients magically glowed with a weird green light, and a dish began to form in my imagination. (Okay, they didn't actually glow. That would be a bad thing for food to do.)
What I had on hand:
Eggs
Fresh kale (I know, weird, but I LOVE the stuff)
Cheese curds
Red onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Butter
The Creation:
Heat a frying pan (yeah, that big ol' cast iron monster) over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and a splash of olive oil.
Dice up about 2 tablespoons of red onion, and one clove of garlic.
Saute until just beginning to brown.
Rinse the kale, and chop coarsely. I used about 2 cups of kale, you may want more or less, depending on your personal relationship with kale.
Add the kale to the pan, and "stir fry" with the onion and garlic until it is wilted and tender. (about 3 minutes)
Move the kale to one side of the pan.
Now, crack a few eggs into a cup, bowl, ziplock bag, or whatever. I used five, which was just right for two people. Whisk them up with a little salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne if you're feeling adventurous. Pour the eggs into the side of the pan not occupied by green leafy things, and scramble until they are beginning to firm up, but not entirely cooked.
Invite the kale to join the eggs. Kale likes eggs, so this shouldn't present a problem.
Toss in a handful of cheese curds, and stir, flip, toss, and mix to your heart's content. Keep it moving or the eggs will get brown and disgusting. Nobody likes brown, disgusting eggs. Once the eggs are cooked through and the cheese begins to get melty, it's ready to serve.
A side of toast is nice, but if you don't have any bread, that's okay.
Hubby gave this one a thumbs-up and a big burp, so I'll call it a success.
Add-ins/substitutions:
You can substitute just about any veggie for the kale. Spinach is delicious. Sliced zucchini would be good, too. Cauliflower? Doesn't sound good to me, but I guess you could try it.
If you don't have cheese curds, never fear. Cubed cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or havarti would be good. Crumbled feta or goat cheese would be divine. I'd steer clear of the "blue" family. Just doesn't sound like a good combination.
If you don't have red onion, you could use shallots, yellow or white onion, scallions, or even dried onion flakes, I suppose. If you're not using kale, you could leave out the onion entirely, but there's just something magical about onions and kale.
Mushrooms would be a tasty add-in, as would crispy bacon chunks or cooked sausage. Leftover ham or chicken would be yummy, too.
Experiment. Use what you have on hand. Eggs are simply the glue that binds together your choice of flavors and textures!
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