Simple Frittata

This frittata, really a glorified omelette, is based off of a recipe I found on The Sensitive Epicure and it is super tasty! It makes a nice and quick breakfast or light dinner. Also, it is a handy way to dispose of veggies that need to be used up. I put spinach in this one because I had half a bag sitting in my fridge and wanted to make sure it was used up before it went bad, but any number of veggies would go well in this frittata.

You can easily make this into a meatless dish by leaving out the sausage and adding in some other vegetable or some tofu.

Simple Frittata

9 Eggs beaten
1 1/2 cup Jalapeno or Habanero Cheese shredded
1/4 cup Milk
3 cups fresh Spinach coarsely chopped
5 Jalapenos chopped
1 Onion minced
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
2 Tomatoes sliced
3 Colombian Sausage links
Salt
Pepper
Oil

In a large cast iron frying pan saute the onions, garlic, and jalapenos in a bit of oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the sausage, chopping it up as it cooks.

chopping up the sausage

Once sausage is cooked through add in the spinach and saute for about a minute then add in the eggs, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper and mix together thoroughly.

everything all mixed in

Cook on medium low for about 7-9 minutes then top with tomato slices and put in the oven to broil for about 5 minutes, until the top gets puffy and lightly browned (also eggs should be completely cooked). Let set for a few minutes then serve.

Classic Wet Burritos

These burritos were inspired by memories of really tasty burritos a friend of mine back in Michigan would make, also I had a bunch of pinto beans I had made a while ago sitting in the fridge and I needed to use them up. I totally didn't write down how I made the pinto beans but they are pretty simple, soak them overnight in water, drain the next day. Put in just enough water to cover and add in some garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and whatever else suits your fancy and let them simmer for about 3 hours until they are cooked down. The most important thing is to cook them until they are in a very thick broth made from the beans partially breaking down, this is what makes homemade pinto beans so different and so much better than canned ones.

Anyway, on to the burritos. These are really easy to make and make good leftovers. Enjoy!

Classic Wet Burritos
1 lb Ground Turkey
2-3 cups cooked Pinto Beans
2-3 Jalapeno Peppers seeded and diced
2 Red Chili Peppers seeded and diced
2 Onions chopped
3-4 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
2 10 oz cans Enchilada Sauce
1 1/2 cups Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
10 Tortilla Shells (soft taco sized)
Olive Oil
Spice amounts are approximate I just dumped stuff in for this recipe
Saute peppers and onions in a large skillet in a little oil for about 5 minutes then add in the ground turkey and spices and cook until turkey is browned. Add in the pinto beans and stir, then turn off heat. Put about a 1/4 cup of the filling onto a tortilla shell and sprinkle on a little cheese then roll up and put in a 13x9 inch pan that has  been lightly greased. Repeat until filling is used up. Pour Enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled up burritos and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350 or until heated through.

Spicy Shredded Chicken

Chicken on a tortilla cause I didn't get a good pic of it by itself

I have been craving mexican food lately and I also had bunch of chicken in my freezer so I decided to make a big pot of chicken that I could use in various mexican recipes. Or just as a quick add in to a burrito, I eat burritos all the time because they are a super quick and tasty way to have lunch - its like a sandwich but yummier.

This makes a large amount of chicken, perfect for freezing and using later on in a casserole or whatever you want. I decided to make enchiladas with the chicken and they were delicious. (Recipe for those to follow this one).

This chicken actually wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, which will be good for all of you who are less inclined to eat food that makes you cry. It does taste absolutely delicious though, juicy and slightly tangy from the tomatoes with the added smoky flavors of the roasted peppers.

Peppers, yum!

Here is the recipe, enjoy!

Spicy Shredded Chicken

6 Chicken Breasts (boneless)

2 cans Rotel (I used one spicy and one regular)

Assorted hot peppers (I used 4 Jalapeños, and 3 Poblanos)

2 teaspoons Cumin

2-3 teaspoons Chili Powder

Salt to taste

Put whole chicken breasts and rotel into a crock-pot and turn onto high setting. Meanwhile dry fry (i.e. don’t use any oil, just use a dry skillet) the peppers in a frying pan over high-medium heat, turning as the skin blackens (this should take a few minutes on each side).

this is what the blackened peppers should look like

Immediately put the peppers into a plastic bag and seal.

the steam makes it easier to remove the skin

Once peppers have cooled peal (and scrape) off as much of the outer skin (the part that has blackened and blistered) as possible. Then cut the peppers in half and take out the seeds. Chop into small pieces and put in the crock-pot. Add seasonings to the crock-pot. Stir the chicken mixture periodically and start to break up the chicken (the goal is for the chicken to be completely shredded by the end of cooking). The chicken should be done is 4-5 hours. If you want to cook on low it will probably take a couple of hours longer. However, this can cook for a while after it is technically done without any ill affects, so don’t worry about the time too much. 

Chili

Yesterday I made a huge pot of chili in preparation for the group of friends about to descend upon my apartment. They are all coming down from the great white north (Michigan, where I and my partner are from) for New Years and I am so excited! However, they are all guys and they eat like pigs, hence the chili.

I love chili, it is probably my favorite food with meat in it. It is so spicy and complex, perfect for a cold day. I have been making chili forever and continually tweaking my process - I won't say recipe, since the closest thing I have to that is a list of spices I always put in to it. When I made chili yesterday, I thought about trying to write down the amounts of everything for this blog but in the end I just couldn't. It is one thing I am really not sure how to write a recipe for. It is the kind of food where you start with the base ingredients and then you just add shit in from there. Tasting along the way until its right.

So, I am going to give a partial recipe and let you explore the rest (i.e. the spices) until you find a combination you are happy with. That is pretty much what I do with everything I cook and I really encourage you to do it with any recipe of mine you try because everyone's tastes are different - you may discover you have a favorite spice that you like to see in your cooking that i don't use or something.

Chili
3 lb Lean Ground Beef
2 15 oz cans Kidney Beans
3 15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
6 (or more) Jalapeno Peppers diced
3 Onions diced
1 tablespoon chopped Garlic
1 bottle Chili Sauce (should be in the isle with ketchup and such)
2 packets Chili seasoning (Consider going with the name brand for this as it usually has less filler)
1-2 teaspoons powdered Mustard (can use prepared mustard instead)
1-2 tablespoons Cumin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Couple shakes of Tabasco Sauce
1-2 tablespoons Brown Sugar (it balances the spiciness)
All spice measurements are approximate
Put kidney beans, diced tomatoes and chili sauce in a large pot and put on medium heat. Meanwhile brown ground beef and add chili spice packets to it along with the chili powder, cumin, and mustard. While beef is browning chop up the onions and peppers. Once beef has browned add to the pot then saute the onions, peppers, and garlic until clear and browned; add to the pot. Put in brown sugar, tabasco sauce, and worcestershire sauce into the pot. Taste and modify to your liking. Continue cooking for at least an hour, preferably two or more as the cooking really enhances the flavors and makes a thick chili. FYI, if you decide not to use the spice packets you should add salt, but if you use the packets you don't need any salt as they have plenty.