When mistakes turn into something interesting: Tamale Spoon Bread

I had this great idea! A breakfast tamale pie. All the joys of a breakfast casserole with tamale dough on top. Well, the implementation was not exactly what I planned but turned out interesting and pretty good. So first you may ask, what is spoon bread? It's a southern classic using cornmeal basically like a cornmeal souffle that you eat with you guessed it a spoon!

The ingredients:

Corn kernels 

Can of black beans drained and rinsed

Can of green chiles

Chorizo cooked and drained

1/2 to 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese

6 eggs beaten

1 tsp of taco seasoning

1 tsp black lime

1/2 C of milk

Combine the corn, beans, green chiles, and chorizo and place in a greased baking dish.

Beat eggs with seasoning and milk and pour over the meat mixture. 

Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 C masa harina flour

1 TBSP baking powder 

3/4 tsp salt

4 TBSP melted butter, cooled

1.5 C milk

1 egg 

Combine all the above ingredients until a dough is formed. 

Drop the dough by spoonfuls into the egg mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees until the dough is done mine took about 1 hour. Check to make sure top is not getting burnt. If it starts to get too brown cover with foil. 

Mistakes happen but sometimes when you make them you stumble onto something pretty good. 

Don't let mistakes discourage you. I'm sure a lot of popular recipes were created by accident somehow. 

In order to make this more like my original thought. I need to cook the casserole for a bit first until it is set up then add the dough to the top until the dough it done. 

The Soup Kitchen: An Apey's Kitchen original Coq Au Vin Blanc Soup

 Sometimes a recipe can inspire you to try something slightly different. For me it was a Coq Au Vin Blanc recipe from Half Baked Harvest. It was amazing and I loved the flavors. I thought it could make a pretty good soup and I was right! Building a soup recipe has 5 main components: fat, base, meat, veggies, and seasonings. 

The ingredients:

1 TBSP oil

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove

1 onion diced

1/2 C of crumbled bacon

Meatballs (see below for recipe)

3 C of veggies (mushrooms, potatoes, peas, carrots) or mushroom better than bouillon (2TBSP)

1 tsp shallot powder

1 TBSP of Herbes de Provence

2 TBSP Dijon mustard

4 C chicken broth

1.5 to 2 C of dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)

3/4 C milk

The recipe:

First cook bacon and crumble and set aside.

Sauté oil with garlic and onion. 

Add bacon and garlic and onion to slow cooker. 

Add veggies and spices. 

Add the broth and wine.

Add the meatballs.

Simmer on Low for 2 hours 

Add the milk/cream. 

Increase to Hi and cook another hour. 

Baked Chicken Meatballs

1lb ground chicken

1 medium onion diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 egg

1 tsp Herbes de Provence

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 C panko breadcrumbs

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

olive spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl combine all ingredients except the olive oil.

Mix together until combined do not over work the meat. 

Using small spoon or scoop portion out meatballs.

Spray olive oil on hands and roll the meatballs and place on baking sheet 1 in apart. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes until start to brown. 

Cool and store in fridge or freezer or add to meal. 

The Healthy Kitchen: Quinoa Beef and Broccoli

 For anyone that knows me, I have hated broccoli my whole life, until recently. My first time having it where I didn't hate it was at a hibachi restaurant. I discovered that if it is covered in some sauce and cut up small that I can tolerate it, even dare I say like it. As a result, I have found myself buying it more and cooking with it. I decided to try a twist on an Asian classic beef and broccoli. 

First, I thawed out a steak, this one was a top sirloin. I trimmed off the bone and fat, then cut it into strips. 

Then I placed it in a ziploc bag to marinate in an Asian steak marinade. 

Asian Steak Marinade
1/3 C basalmic vinegar
1/3 C soy sauce

1/3 vegetable oil

1 TBSP worcestershire sauce

2 TBSP maple syrup

1/4 C coconut sugar

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Whisk all together and once combined add to ziploc bag with the steak. I marinated it for a few hours. 

Once marinated, I added the whole bag including all the marinade into a covered skillet. I cooked on medium high until the beef was cooked. Then I added the broccoli I had already chopped up. I cut up a head of broccoli and only used the florets in small pieces. I cooked for a few minutes until softened then added a cornstarch flurry (1:3 ratio cornstarch to water) to thicken the sauce. 

The quinoa was cooked in the rice cooker with beef bone broth. This took the longest of the whole meal! Then once the quinoa was done, I dished up some quinoa with the beef and broccoli and sauce and topped with some sriracha sauce. I was able to get 4 servings out of this meal. 

To make this meal healthier, I replaced the brown sugar with the coconut sugar which does not spike my blood sugar. Also, I used 1 steak for the beef strips. It was a larger steak but not thick, but I split that one steak into 4 meals. I also replaced what most people would use as a base, rice, with quinoa. 

This was not made with a traditional beef and broccoli sauce just with the marinade listed above. 

New ingredient I am in love with: Masa Harina

 If you are a fan of Mexican food, you may be familiar with Masa flour or Masa Harina. If not, you may be familiar with what it is made into. It is the main ingredient in corn tortillas and tamales. I learned about it by watching the Pioneer Woman but have always loved tamales. Then I found a bag of it at the store and just had to try it. I have cooked with it so much already!

What is Masa Harina? It is dried corn dough or flour. It is used to make fresh tortillas. It originated in Mexico. It is actually made from hominy and that is where it gets its distinct flavor. 

Masa is gluten free. It is a good source of fiber and protein. Although it is higher in carbs so if that is a concern just make sure you are aware. 

I have been cooking with it a lot and it has been really good. If you like the taste of corn tortillas, you will love it. It also is a great thickener for things like soups especially chili (this is how the Pioneer Woman uses it).

Masa Cheddar Puffs are the first thing I made and I liked it so much I made it again!

These look like drop bisquits but they do not really rise so they stay in the form they are placed on the baking sheet. They also are filled with eggs and cheese so are very high in protein. 

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

1 C water 

1tsp salt

1 C masa

4 large eggs

1 C shredded cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder or taco seasoning

2 TBSP sugar

pinch of black pepper

Recipe:

To a saucepan, add butter, water, and salt. Heat to melt the butter and bring to a quick boil. 

Reduce heat to medium and stir in the masa. Stir quickly to incorporate and form a buttery dough and cook for another minute more. 

Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Add the eggs one by one and mix quickly until combined. 

Add the cheese, and seasonings plus sugar and mix well until combined. 

Heat oven to 425. 

Use TBSP to scoop out balls onto lightly oiled baking sheet, I find parchment paper works well. 

Keep them spaced 1 in apart. 

Bake for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 degrees and bake another 12-15 minutes until cooked through and golden. 

Remove from heat and cool slightly and serve. 

The other recipe I have made is a Tamale Pie (see previous blog post). This has been a very good recipe and the masa really shines in it!

I am really excited to try this in some soups and chilis and would love to try some empanadas too. 

The Healthy Kitchen: Storing Herbs

 Fresh herbs are always better than dried. However, I find a lot of times if I buy fresh herbs at the store, they go bad before I can use them up. If you can grow them that is great, but I have cats that like to chew on them and I a lot of times use the herbs up before they can grow back. So, what's the alternative? Dried is an option for some but for others not. My favorite herb is cilantro and dried cilantro just is not great. It does not have the same taste when dried. 

There are some things you can try to make your herbs last longer. Some are in the fridge, and some involve freezing herbs. Below are different ways you can try to make your herbs last longer. 

1. Store in the fridge

This is best if the herbs will be used up quickly. If left too long they will either dry out or mold. 

You can use an herb keeper, but make sure you get a good one. I had one I could never open, so my herbs went bad. 

You can also place them like a bouquet in a glass or water or use a mason jar and cover them with plastic (like a Ziploc bag).

Tips when refrigerating:

Do not wash before putting them in the refrigerator.

Wrap them loosely in plastic wrap.

Store in the warmest part of the refrigerator. 

Use them within 1 week for best flavor. 

2. Preserve in the freezer

This is super easy and doesn't take up a lot of space. Frozen herbs retain their flavor better than dried herbs. 

Most herbs freeze well including parsley, cilantro, chives, rosemary, sage, and basil. You can use whole leaves or chop them up first. 

The methods used are flash-freezing, putting them in ice cube trays, or using an herb freezer tray. 

Store them in a freezer-safe container or bag and they will be ready for use when needed. 

To freeze in ice cube trays, you will chop the herbs and place in the cubes (1 TBSP per cube) and add water or olive oil the rest of the way in the cube. Freeze the tray. Once frozen store in a freezer bag. Herbs will last 12 months or more in the freezer. This is a great way to use herbs in recipes that you would already be adding oil to. 

3. Dried herbs

This is the easiest way to preserve your herbs but they do lose some of their flavor when dried. 

You can use a food dehydrator, hang bundles upside down, or use a drying rack. 

Some of the best herbs to dry are basil, rosemary, mint, sage, lavender, and oregano. 

Once dry, store in baggies, mason jars, paper bags, or any other container. 

4. Preserve in Vinegar

Herb-infused vinegar is tasty but looks beautiful on the shelf. It also has a great shelf-life. 

It's best to use white vinegar because it really brings out the flavor of the herbs. 

There are two methods:

-mix fresh herbs with room temperature vinegar and wait a couple weeks prior to use.

-dry the herbs first then mix with vinegar and heat it up to infuse the flavor. 

Store infused vinegars in a glass bottle in a cool, dark place or in the fridge. You can use in any recipe that calls for vinegar. 

5. Preserve in Oil

Making your own infused oils is a great way to save herbs. There are a lot of ways to infuse oils. One of the easiest is freezing them as mentioned earlier. 

Oil infused herbs on the shelf is another way. You will dehydrate the herbs and place in a jar and add olive oil. You will need to store it for two weeks in a warm place. You will then strain the oil like in an oil jar. This is good for 3 months after the infusion date. 

The Family Kitchen: Double Cinnamon bread pudding inspired by my Aunt Ida's bread pudding recipe

 I have wanted to make bread pudding forever. I felt like it was fate when I found a recipe of my Aunt Ida's for Cinnamon Bread Pudding. I used her recipe as inspiration and made some adjustments to make it my own. I am calling this a Double Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Bourbon sauce. It was a huge hit at our July 4th meal and even those who have not been big fans of bread pudding in the past liked it. 

The Ingredients:

1 loaf of cinnamon bread cubed (see notes)

5 TBSP butter

8 beaten eggs

4 C milk

1 C sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

The Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use 1 TBSP of butter to coat the inside of a 9x13 baking dish.

Cut bread into cubes. If using stale bread go ahead and place in the buttered dish. If not see notes regarding how to treat bread to dry it. 

Melt the remaining 4 TBSP of butter and drizzle over the bread pieces. 

In a bowl, add eggs and beat, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. 

Pour this mixture over the bread and make sure to evenly coat each piece. 

Bake for 1 hour or until the top of the bread pudding springs back after lightly touching it with a fork. 

Notes:

If you use stale bread you can just place into the baking dish once cubed but if you have a fresh loaf, you can dry out the bread by placing the cubes on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven a cook for 5-10 minutes until bread is dry but do not toast. For bread pudding it is important to use dried out bread so the bread will soak up all the egg mixture instead of it sinking to the bottom of the dish. 

Borbon Sauce

1/3 C butter

1/2 C brown sugar

2/3 C heavy whipping cream

2-3 TBSP bourbon

In a medium saucepan over low heat combine all ingredients. Constantly stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes and remove from the heat

Store in a glass container like a mason jar for easily being able to reheat. 

Vanilla Sauce

1/2 C butter

1/2 C heavy whipping cream

1 C granulated sugar

1 1/2-2 tsp vanilla extract

A sprinkle of additional vanilla powder if desired. 

In a saucepan over medium low heat melt the butter with all other ingredients. 

Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and has a syrup like consistency. It should coat the back of a teaspoon. The sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Like the Bourbon sauce store in a glass container for easy reheating in the microwave. 

Both of these sauces were amazing. I was partial to the bourbon sauce. Keep in mind. It will smell very strong, but the alcohol was cooked out, so it does not taste strong. It is sweeter. The vanilla has a lot of sugar, so it was a bit sweet for me. Both of these sauces would be great on other desserts as well. 

The Tex-Mex Kitchen: Tamale Pie

 Tamale pie is a casserole or pie created in the southwest in the early 1900's. It is created with a cornmeal or masa crust and ingredients traditionally used in tamales. The dish is believed to have been created in Texas and the first known published recipe was in 1911.

It is traditionally made with ground beef, pork, chorizo, or chicken. It also can include beans, cheese, corn, black olives, onion, garlic, tomato, bell pepper, or green chiles. The dish is typically baked in the oven. 

Ingredients:

1lb ground meat (beef,pork,chicken,chorizo)

salt and pepper to taste

1 TBSP olive oil

2 large cloves garlic minced

1 TBSP flour

1/2 C beef broth or stock

1 8oz can of tomato sauce

1 1/2 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander 

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp mexican oregano

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1 4oz can green chiles

1 1/2 C shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, pepperjack)

For topping:

2 C masa flour

1 TBSP baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

4 TBSP melted and cooled butter

1 1/2 C milk room temperature

1 egg room temperature

The Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease casserole dish.

In a large skillet brown ground beef and season with salt and pepper and set aside in a bowl or plate.

In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium. Add olive oil and garlic stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Whisk in flour and stir continuously for 1 min. Slowly whisk in broth and tomato sauce followed by the rest of the seasoning (chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic salt, onion powder, oregano, and chipotle).

Bring the sauce to simmer. Reduce to low stirring occasionally for a couple minutes until thickened. 

Turn off the heat and stir in the ground meat and green chiles and 1 C of the cheese. Transfer to the baking dish and set aside. 

In medium bowl, whisk together the masa, baking powder, and salt. 

Stir in the melted butter, milk, egg, and remaining cheese until just combined. It will be very thick.

Dollop the masa mixture over the beef mixture and spready to the edges (if you can). Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and tester comes out clean.

 

Tips: 

For the coriander I used one of my frozen cubes with avocado oil and it worked really well. 

I was out of tomato sauce but was able to make some with some tomato paste and water. 

I was out of green chiles so I used a can of rotel instead. 

The masa mixture is very thick. You have to use quite a bit of elbow grease to mix it and I found it very hard to spread. I used my fingers and spread as well as I could. This means some parts are very doughy instead of it being like a crust on the top. 

I garnished with cilantro. You could also use sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, diced tomatoes, or diced onion.

This yields 4-6 servings.