When I first met the colonel, he had the refined palate of a fussy toddler. If it didn't involve meat, cheese, bread, or pasta, he'd turn his nose right up. Now I'll admit, he's gotten a whole lot better over the years, but I still go to some lengths to get more vegetables down his gullet.
For example, I've learned to sneak in extra veggies with these simple Denver scrambled eggs. This dish uses the principles of Denver omelets, without the pressure.
There's a lot to love about them. First, you can make a huge amount if you have a big group to feed. Second, they're fast: With a little prep work up front, you can go from plan to plate in roughly 15 minutes. Third, they're a fantastic use for leftover ham from high dining holidays.
What's that you say? Easter was like a month ago? Not to worry, our favorite grocery sells these boneless ham steaks, which I totally spaced on photographing. But whatever your source of delicious pork, cutting it into cubes is the sum total of the aforementioned prep work.
So you start with a hot skillet and add olive oil. Then toss in the diced ham, like so:
While that's getting a bit brown, go ahead and crack some eggs and milk into a mixing bowl. For the two of us, I usually use either four medium eggs or three large ones. Season to taste. I mean, even I'm not so pedantic as to walk y'all through scrambling eggs.
Anyway, now here's my secret weapon.
I prefer the Whole Foods 365 southwest blend, but this will work just fine in a pinch. (Where "in a pinch" is defined as, "out of stock at Whole Foods for months." Grr.)
Now don't let the package lie to you; frozen peppers are actually rubbish for fajitas. They sweat so much they make the fajita filling runny and gross. But they're awesome for dishes like this, where that moisture has someplace to go. They're also a go-to topping for my homemade pizza.
Straight outta the freezer and into the skillet.
You don't really want to cook these vegetables; they have a tendency to get mushy on the heat too long. Just stir gently until they're good and thawed. You might want to use your spatula to break down the bigger chunks.
Next, pour in your beaten egg mixture. Be sure to go slowly so you don't wash all the fillings toward one section of the pan.
Here's where I drop bread into the toaster. Your timing on this will vary based on, well, your toaster. Give the eggs a few minutes to stiffen and give them a stir.
Once you don't see anymore shiny bits, pile up the deliciousness and cover with cheddar cheese.
Cut the heat, and give the cheese a little time to melt while you butter the toast.
To give it an authentic Denver flair, serve with sliced tomatoes and a shot of sour cream. Salsa also makes a tasty topping, as does Tabasco. Just depends what you're into.
I swear it took me 10 times longer to write this post than it did to cook these eggs.
Showing posts with label Cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheese. Show all posts
May 22, 2014
May 07, 2010
Poor, neglected Popcorn
I am struggling with this blog. I've pretty well run through my cooking comfort zone, and I'm only so brave when it comes to experiments. I had this brilliant idea that the KitchenAid would spark a whole series of baking posts. Really? Right at the start of a Hotlanta summer? I'm a doofus. Already the A/C has reached its limits; our place is hitting 80° in the afternoon. Without any cooking. And it's May. So, yeah... The oven and I are on a break.
But what of my road trip? Happily I didn't have to eat crappy food the whole time. My dear friend Dan invited me to chill at his place for a few days, and Dan has a Magic Kitchen. Counter space. Dishwasher. Pots and pans that heat evenly. It's on.
I hit the grocery store and bought supplies for some dishes faithful readers will recognize. Pork chops, green beans, fried chicken, assorted salads. Then came the day before I would leave. I had a random mess of remaining ingredients.
I set out to fix myself...
What I used:
I started by putting salted water on to boil, and coarsely chopping the broccoli, onion, and garlic. And, as many garlic cloves as I've chopped in my life, I have never witnessed this:
I seriously dry heaved. When I recovered, I melted about 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.
Then I sweated down the onion and garlic before dumping in everything else. I let that simmer on low while the noodles cooked. As with any pasta bound for the oven, I parboiled, reducing the recommended cooking time by about 1/3. Then I mixed in half the noodles.
Finally I dumped it all in a casserole, and baked it uncovered at 400° for probably 30-40 minutes.
Only when I set the dish on the counter did I realize: This was no mac and cheese. It was macaroni and butter.
Mercifully I still had some broccoli left. I steamed that up real quick and used it as a bed for the pasta. So I guess this was technically macaroni and broccoli in a cheesy butter sauce. Not something I'd serve at a party, but just for me, totally tasty.
Oh. And what became of the other half of that box of pasta shells? I let it finish cooking and mixed it with some lettuce, Italian dressing, and the remains of a deli chicken salad.
I was all set here to beg for forgiveness, but I've got a better idea. Instead I am begging my readers for help! Got a favorite recipe you'd like to see featured here? Please, please, PLEASE share! Comments or emails, I'll take 'em all. Just no ovens. Deal?
But what of my road trip? Happily I didn't have to eat crappy food the whole time. My dear friend Dan invited me to chill at his place for a few days, and Dan has a Magic Kitchen. Counter space. Dishwasher. Pots and pans that heat evenly. It's on.
I hit the grocery store and bought supplies for some dishes faithful readers will recognize. Pork chops, green beans, fried chicken, assorted salads. Then came the day before I would leave. I had a random mess of remaining ingredients.
What on Earth will I do with this?
I know! Pasta!
I set out to fix myself...
Loaded Mac and Cheese
What I used:
- Shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
- Extra sharp cheddar
- Buttermilk
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cooked bacon
- Butter
- Pasta shells
I started by putting salted water on to boil, and coarsely chopping the broccoli, onion, and garlic. And, as many garlic cloves as I've chopped in my life, I have never witnessed this:
Rare blood garlic? Or just a massive grossout?
I seriously dry heaved. When I recovered, I melted about 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.
I don't know who invented butter, but bless 'em anyway.
Then I sweated down the onion and garlic before dumping in everything else. I let that simmer on low while the noodles cooked. As with any pasta bound for the oven, I parboiled, reducing the recommended cooking time by about 1/3. Then I mixed in half the noodles.
Say, this is lookin delicious!
Finally I dumped it all in a casserole, and baked it uncovered at 400° for probably 30-40 minutes.
Ah yes. A brown dish in a black stove. My camera hates me.
Only when I set the dish on the counter did I realize: This was no mac and cheese. It was macaroni and butter.
Oops.
Mercifully I still had some broccoli left. I steamed that up real quick and used it as a bed for the pasta. So I guess this was technically macaroni and broccoli in a cheesy butter sauce. Not something I'd serve at a party, but just for me, totally tasty.
Oh. And what became of the other half of that box of pasta shells? I let it finish cooking and mixed it with some lettuce, Italian dressing, and the remains of a deli chicken salad.
Now this... Was DELICIOUS.
I was all set here to beg for forgiveness, but I've got a better idea. Instead I am begging my readers for help! Got a favorite recipe you'd like to see featured here? Please, please, PLEASE share! Comments or emails, I'll take 'em all. Just no ovens. Deal?
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