Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Casserole

All week long I had been wanting a lazy weekend, but I knew it wasn't going to happen.  Saturday morning a guy was coming to cut a tree that was half uprooted during a recent storm.  Then Saturday evening company was coming over for dinner...On Friday night our dinner plans got cancelled.  Then the guy cutting the tree couldn't make it...Yay!  So I get my lazy weekend...and boy did I deserve it...Last week work was rough. 

To kick off my lazy weekend I made this breakfast casserole.  The recipe came from Lizzy (That Skinny Chick Can Bake).  It's delicious and easy to make...and what better way to start your weekend off to the smell of bacon...oh eating it.

Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Casserole
adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

4 cups seasoned croutons, from two 5-oz packages
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, tops only, thinly sliced
4 cups milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a well greased 9 x 13 pan, place the croutons in the bottom and top with the cheddar cheese, diced bell pepper, onions, and crumbles bacon. In a bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over top of the croutons. Bake until the eggs are set, at least an hour. Serve warm.

*This could be made the night before. Prepare the casserole and cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning uncover and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 & 1/2 hours.

Book Review: The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain



The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Author: Lisa Fain

Publisher: Hyperion

Lately it seems that everyone is publishing cookbooks...celebrities...chefs...bloggers...

Many of the cookbooks are not memorable, but that is not the case with The Homesick Texan Cookbook.  I have gone to bed at night dreaming of Lisa's delicious Texas cooking.  There really is something for everyone in this book, Texan or non-Texan.

The Good: Oh boy, there is a lot of good...Around 150 recipes, most of them with beautiful photographs...The recipes are well written and very easy to follow...Most of the ingredients used are easy to attain...An incredible range of recipes, from appetizers to sweets and everything in between.

The Bad: Really there is no bad.  The only thing I noticed was that a couple of the recipes were already available on Lisa's blog...This doesn't bother me, I think I would be more upset if those recipes were left out of the cookbook.

  

Recipes from the book I've already tried:

Pork Tacos, Dallas Gas Station Style

Austin-Style Black Beans

Poblano Macaroni And Cheese

Carne Guisada

Recipes that I bookmarked to make soon: Gorditas with Picadillo, Pork Chops with Salsa Verde Rice, Dr. Pepper Ribs, Coconut Tres Leches Cake, and many more!

Thumbs up or down:  If you could see me right now I am holding both thumbs up! 

 *I received a free copy of the book from the publisher, but the opinions in this review are my own.

**This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.

Cooking From The Homesick Texan Cookbook - Carne Guisada

This week for The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off...We were allowed to cook any recipe from the book we wanted...It was pretty hard to choose...Since there are so many I want to try...but I decided on Carne Guisada...which translates as "stewed meat".  I'd never heard of it before and it just seemed like the kind hearty dish a cowboy would eat. 
 

According to Lisa Fain (author), "Carne Guisada can be a meal in itself, served in a bowl with tortilla chips.  It's also wonderful nestled between refried beans and rice.  I like to wrap it up in flour tortillas for tacos, and the leftovers are a hearty topping on a pile of scrambled eggs."

I chose the in a bowl with tortilla chips...I'm always looking for a reason to eat tortilla chips. 

So about 5 hours from when I started cooking the Carne Guisada was ready...yes it simmered for 4 hours...the meat was so incredibly tender...slightly spicy...but not really chili...more like a bowl of meaty gravy.

Definitely a recipe I will make again.

Carne Guisada

adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tbs bacon grease

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced

2 jalapeno chiles, stems and seeds removed, diced

2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 tbs ground cumin

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 bay leaf

1 bottle of dark Mexican beer (I used Negra Modelo)

2 cups water

salt and black pepper

Season the beef with salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven, brown the beef on medium-high heat in 1 tablespoon bacon grease.  You may need to do this in several batches.  Remove the beef from the pan with a slotted spoon.  Add the final tablespoon of bacon grease.  Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and cook the onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, serrano chiles for about 10 minutes or until the onions start to brown.  Then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the browned beef back to the pot, along with the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cilantro, bay leaf, beer, and the water.  Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Then turn the heat down to low and let simmer uncovered for 2 to 4 hours, depending on how tender you want the meat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.

Shiitake Mushroom Pizzas with Goat Cheese

Now I'm not complaining...but the only down side to growing Shiitake mushrooms is  that when they do produce...you have way more than you could ever want...all at once!  So to use up some of my surplus...Pizza! 

This definitely is one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten...earthy mushrooms...three kinds of cheese...fresh herbs...I could eat this every day!

I did cheat and picked up my pizza dough at the Publix bakery...nothing wrong with cheating...but it's just as good as homemade.

Shiitake Mushroom Pizzas with Goat Cheese

adapted from Bon Appetit June 2007

2- 1 lb balls pizza dough (I bought mine from the Publix bakery)

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup (packed) grated whole milk mozzarella

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

6 oz goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

2 tbs sliced fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Position 1 rack in the bottom third and 1 rack in the top of the oven.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat 3 tbs olive oil.  Add the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper.  Toss in the rosemary and saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.  Roll the dough into two 10-inch rounds and place on two greased cookie sheets.  Brush the dough with oil.  Sprinkle each with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan.  Top each with half the mushrooms and dot with the goat cheese.  Bake 8 minutes; reverse sheets.  Bake until the crusts are brown on the edges, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with chives.

*This recipe makes two pizzas (pizza really turns me into a pig), but it could easily be halved.

Curried Chicken Salad and Growing Shiitake Mushrooms

I've been trying to pack my lunch for work more.  There is a cafeteria where I work, but the food they serve is usually unappetizing...and if I didn't pack a lunch I'd just end up eating junk out of the vending machine.  So I made a big batch of curried chicken salad to pack for lunch this week.

Earlier this summer, Lyndsey(The Tiny Skillet) sent me a little gift...a package of her favorite curry powder and I do love all things curry and this curry powder made some really good chicken salad...So a big thank you to Lyndsey!  I even packed my lunch bento-style...It seem only fitting since Lyndsey was the one who sparked my interest in packing bento lunches.  If you're into bentos...visit her other blog, The Tiny Bento. 

I really love this chicken salad...spicy from the curry powder and sweet from chutney and raisins.  I never add celery to my chicken salad...since I hate raw celery...but if you like it...feel free to add it.

Curried Chicken Salad

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced green onions, green tops only
1/4 cup Major Grey chutney
1 tbs curry powder, preferably Madras
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken on a baking pan and rub with olive oil.  Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Bake the chicken for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Set the chicken aside, until it is cool enough to handle.  Then dice the chicken into small pieces.  In a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, chutney, and curry powder.  Add the chicken and stir until the chicken is well coated.  Then add the slice almonds, raisins, and green onions.  Stir until every thing is evenly distributed.  Refrigerate for at least a couple hours before serving.

Totally changing subjects...
There was another storm Sunday night...We lost three more trees...I'm starting to think Mother Nature is angry at us...Then I saw this huge crop of Shiitake mushrooms...I'm guessing about 10 pounds...I guess something good did come from all the storms.

Now just in case you are wondering...Shiitakes are not native to Alabama, but they do grow perfectly here. 

I have three logs that were seeded with the spores.  The process was pretty simple.  I ordered some plugs that had been Shiitake spores in them...There are several places that sell them online.  Then drilled holes in the logs...inserted the plugs...then waited for mushrooms...This is the second year they have produced.

Cooking From The Homesick Texan Cookbook - In The Dark - Poblano Macaroni And Cheese

If you are a regular...then you know I'm participating in a four week cookbook spotlight and cook-off for Lisa Fain's new book, The Homesick Texan Cookbook.  This is week two...and I have already made my mind up about the book...It is awesome!..and I just love it!..Every recipe I have tried so far is a real winner.  Last week I made those pork tacos and black beans...and this week...Poblano Mac & Cheese...and let me tell you...This is some good mac & cheese...and I even managed to cook it without electricity...Thanks to Tropical Storm Lee!  We got electricity back last night...Yay!  So I'm finally getting to post the recipe.

Actually we made it through fairly well...well everyone, but that tree in the front yard...That took down our power lines with it.  Since there was not electricity that meant no oven...So my mac & cheese was baked on the BBQ grill...It actually worked great. 

The recipe calls Cotija cheese...so that meant another trip to the Mi Pueblo Supermarket...I think I'm becoming a regular there...It's similar to Parmesan...I bet if you couldn't find Cotija it would make a good substitute.

But the star of this mac & cheese was the roasted poblanos...not terribly spicy...just a nice little heat on your tongue.  I roasted mine directly over the stove burner...since the broiler was out of commission.

Now if you are having doubts about whether or not you need a new cookbook...Try this recipe...and I'm sure you will be hunting your own copy of The Homesick Texan cookbook.

Poblano Macaroni And Cheese

adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain

2 poblano chiles
8 oz elbow macaroni
2 tbs unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp lime zest (I left this out...seemed weird to me)
1/2 cup cilantro (oops...forgot to buy any)
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
2 cups grated pepper jack cheese (for milder flavor use all cheddar)
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese, for serving

Roast the poblanos under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes on each side. (I did mine on the gas burner of the stove)  Then place the chiles in a plastic storage bag, seal it, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.  Take the chiles out of the bag, rub off the skin.  Then remove the stems and seeds and chop into 1 inch-long strips.  Cook the pasta according to the package direction and then drain the pasta and drain.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a baking dish or a cast iron skillet (I used a 10 inch skillet), and pour the pasta into the greased dish.  In a pot over low heat melt the butter.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in the flour and cook until it is light brown, about a minute.  Stir until it begins to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro, and chopped poblano chiles.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slowly add half of both the cheddar and pepper jack cheese, stir until well combined.  Pour the sauce over the pasta and top with the remaining half of the cheddar and pepper jack cheese.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. (I baked mine on the BBQ grill.)  Sprinkle with cotija cheese and serve immediately.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and girlichef.