Chouriço and Egg Sandwich

I have always been fascinated and humbled listening to my mother's childhood stories; it almost feels like she comes from another planet. She grew up in the back woods village of Bragada, located in the Northern province of Trasmontes, Portugal. Even though she immigrated to the United States as a teenager, she raised my brother and I with the same basic principles and food of her roots.

This chouriço (sausage) and egg sandwich is one of our childhood classics. Mom would make this in a pinch for lunch or as a snack to share. Everybody loved it because it was so simple yet filled with tons of flavor. I can easily see this being served in my grandparents home overseas because it's basic farm fare and filling.

The ingredient list is very short: chouriço, eggs, parsley, pepper, olive oil, and a hunk of good bread. Let's face it, chouriço, much like bacon, makes anything tasty! The one pictured in this post comes from European Foods located in Arlington, VA. My only qualm was the one I procured had a lot of fat in it- you can tell by the white spots. Fat equals flavor but I like mine with a little less. If you cannot find any chouriço, the closest substitute in terms of flavor is Spanish chorizo or andouille sausage.

Hope you enjoy this little slice of nostalgia.

Thanks again mom for coming over and making it for us!

Chouriço and Egg Sandwich 

6 eggs
1 chouriço, sliced into half inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
splash of olive oil
black pepper, red pepper, and salt for seasoning
sturdy bread (i.e. French baguette)

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until well combined and a few bubbles appear on top. Stir in the parsley and generous amount of black pepper and a pinch (1/8 teaspoon- the meat has plenty of sodium) of salt. Red pepper flakes optional. Set aside.

Lightly coat a large skillet with olive oil and set to medium heat. Add the sliced chouriço and cook until the juices start coming out, about a 3 minutes, then flip. Make sure that they are evenly distributed in the pan.

Keep the heat at medium low and poor in the egg/ parsley mixture. Continue cook until the eggs firm. If your a G like my mother, flip it on a plate and immediately slide it back into the pan to cook the other side. If you're less confident like me, throw it under the broiler like a frittata for a few minutes, until the top has cooked.

Serve between bread (mom likes to butter hers) or as a stand alone omelette.

Gingerbread, Cinnamon, or Chocolate Biscotti- Oh my!

It was a calm, chilly Monday morning in Northern Virginia when I strolled into our usual Starbucks. My eyes darted across the counter, scouring for a precious pick-me-up biscotti to kick-off the work week. None were in sight so when I made it to the cashier, I sweetly inquired about the confection. The barista cackled and said that he had taken the last two for himself... there were no more.

An overwhelming power seized the usually pleasant patron: "what the h*** do you MEAN you're OUT of biscottis?!? I'll harm you and anybody that looks like you! GIVE ME A BISCOTTI!" Insert fire and brimstone. At least that's what was going on in my head; I'm sure my eyes were filled with all sorts of cray. Steady girl- it's only Monday. It was a sign to act and mitigate this biscotti shortage risk from ever happening again.

The target: Gingerbread Biscottis. A quick Google search for a copy cat recipe of the Starbucks version yielded a mix of results. Honestly, I picked the simplest recipe of the bunch and ran with it. Much to my delight, it yielded a lovely biscotti that was easy to make and spot-on in flavor. Don't let the white chocolate deter you (I usually hate the stuff)- dipped in a warm up of cafe, it melts smoothly and adds a touch of sweetness.



Now does it taste just like the one at Starbucks? Negative. However.  I prefer this version because the texture is firmer and the spices are fresh. The flavor is subtle and would make a great DIY holiday present! Maybe it's psychological- but there's something to be said for knowing what's in the food that you're eating.

The best part about this recipe is it's incredibly flexible. I tinkered around with substitutes and found that it can adapt to darn near anything. So far I have made a cinnamon as well as chocolate version by simply swapping out a few ingredients here and there. How great is that? I'm sure there's some Italian grandmother shaking her fist at me for making it up but hey- it works!

PS. Much love to the husband to whipping up this cute chalk art! Thanks babe!

Gingerbread Biscotti

from SheKnows
yields 8-12 biscottis- depending on how they're cut

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 egg, room temperature
1-1/2 tablespoons molasses
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
White chocolate chips (for glaze)
Chopped pecans for garnish

Cinnamon Biscotti

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 egg, room temperature
1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
semi-sweet chocolate chips (for glaze)

Chocolate Biscotti

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1-1/2 tablespoons milk (soy/almond/regular)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons MINI semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 . Grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg, and milk together until creamed. Stir in vanilla extract. In another bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder together. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring well to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Once mixed, move the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead. Roll the dough out to about 12 inches and then cut in half. Shape into a log and place on the greased cookie sheet. Flatten the logs slightly with the back of a spatula.

Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and slice each log in half diagonally with a serrated knife. Then cut in half so they are about the length of a traditional biscotti cookie.

Place the cookies cut side down onto the baking sheet. Reduce temperature in the oven to 325 and bake about 9 more minutes. Flip the cookies and bake an additional 7 minutes, or until dry.

If you're making a glaze: melt chocolate chips over a double boiler (or carefully in the microwave) until completely melted. Once cookies have cooled slightly, drizzle with chocolate and let harden slightly. Sprinkle with pecans, etc.

Apple Cider Cream Pie

One of my favorite pies is a good old fashioned, mile high apple pie. I love the natural sweetness of the fruit paired with the bite of cinnamon; it's a match made in heaven. Per the previous post, I was tasked with making an apple pie for round two of Thanksgiving. My thoughts drifted to recipes past, like the awesome Cranberry Ribbon Apple pie, when it hit me. 

Apple Cider Cream Pie. I had the recipe marked on my "to make" board on Pinterest and this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. The idea was pitched to Mike for quality control and passed inspection as a "technical" apple pie. Game on!

After reading reviews for this recipe via Lottie + Doof as well as its originator, Food & Wine, I was a little apprehensive of the crust. Either you love this crust or you hate it. I was not a fan of working with the dough because it was stubborn and refused to bake pretty. As it came out of the oven, I growled at the loss of the pretty crimped edges.Should you make this, I recommend using a fork to crimp and leaving it at that.  In terms of taste, however, the crust had the husband swooning! It's flakey and light- the poster child of flavor. 

The filling is sort of like a custard. Take two cups of apple cider reduced to half a cup and mix in some sour cream, eggs, and sugar. The key ingredient here is the cider! The brand that I selected, Martinelli's, was very mild in flavor and was a light gold shade. For this recipe, go for the dark ciders- you can even sneak a pinch of applie pie spice into the mix.

And of course, the cherry to the figurative sundae is a layer of freshly made whipped cream with just a touch of cinnamon. That little bit of spice goes a long way and Mike was highly pleased with the subtle nuisance it provided. It's amazing how such minor details make a difference. This was the Thanksgiving winner for the hubby and, in this case, I'm pretty sure he actually did eat half of the pie!

Apple Cider Cream Pie 

by Allison Kave via Food & Wine, November 2011

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice and chilled
3 tablespoons cold milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Filling and Topping
2 cups apple cider- the dark variety, not juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If you don't have a food processor (mines too small), the good old fashioned way with a pastry cutter works! Combine the milk and vinegar and drizzle it on top of the flour mixture. Pulse in 1-second bursts until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

On a floured work surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch round, a scant 1/4 inch thick; ease it into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Trim the overhanging dough to 1 inch and fold it under itself. Crimp decoratively and chill the crust until firm, about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the crust is barely set. Remove the parchment and pie weights. Cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil and bake for about 10- 15 minutes longer, until the crust is just set but not browned. Remove from oven. Press the bottom of the crust lightly to deflate it as it puffs; let cool. 

Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

In a medium saucepan, boil the cider until it’s reduced to only 1/2 cup, about 10-20minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Whisk in 3/4 cup of the sugar, the sour cream and salt, then whisk in the eggs.

Pour the custard into the pie shell without removing the foil strips. Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is set around the edge but the center is slightly jiggly. Let the pie cool completely.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the cinnamon until firmly whipped. Mound the whipped cream on the pie, cut into wedges and serve.

The pie is best eaten the day it is made, but it will keep for up to two days in the fridge. If you plan on making it in advance, do not top with the whipped cream until you are ready to serve.

Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie

This past Thanksgiving was filled with family and food- just the way I like it! My culinary assignment was pie on pie on pie: pumpkin pie for my mom's house and apple pie for the in-laws (post to follow). As much as I like cooking, I do appreciate being in the dessert category for the holidays. Things can get rowdy with too many chefs in the kitchen and being the Pie Person enables one to bake in the comfort and familiarity of their own kitchen. The plan of attack was simple. 

Step 1: pick a recipe and read the directions all the way through to avoid any last minute surprises. For example, planning to leave the house as soon as the pie is fresh out of the oven when it needs to cool completely. Trust, it's no fun trying to keep a hot pie stabilized in the car when you're, inevitably, running late. 

Step 2: buy all the ingredients the week prior to the event (pending expiration) and take inventory. There is nothing worse than putting on the final touches for dinner and oh woopsy- the recipe says thyme but you bought rosemary (this happened recently- can you tell?). 

Step 3: prep work is your best friend. If it can be done the day before, heck yes make it. The time formula goes, "expected time needed + 30 minutes = time to completion." In this instance, I made the pumpkin pie the night prior as well as the pie crust for the apple pie. The directions on the apple pie stated best served the day made so I wanted to hold off on making the filling. 

Step 4: have fun and relax. If baking or cooking gets stressful then you're better off ordering take out. I hate being rushed and have learned to stop myself before diving into a project that's going to simply piss me off. 

Much to my excitement, there were two pies that I had been itching to make! First up is this awesome Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie courtesy of Bon Appetit. What intrigued me about this recipe was the chocolate crust. I've seen chocolate paired with sweet potato and it was delish- bets were it would go well with pumpkin too. We enjoyed this crust so much, Mike and I were actually eating it raw. That's a first!

The filling is pumpkin laced with maple syrup. The recipe calls for "grade B" maple syrup, which I had no idea existed and required a trip to Trader Joe's. Apparently the flavor is more potent in this version and adds a slightly caramel dimension. Either way, maple syrup in and of itself is a winner. Oh! And don't forget there's a mild shot of bourbon in the filling to help balance the sweetness.

Finally, there's the brûléed top- a generous sprinkling of sugar that is torched! I don't own a brûlée torch and ghetto rigged it using the oven broiler. It's not necessary but it does add a visual dynamic with a touch of texture to the pie. Left to my own devices, I could have easily eaten this entire pie solo. It was deceivingly not sweet so you could just keep going. Gobble to you wobble!

For the Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie recipe, check out Bon Appétit's post on their site! It's a delightful and welcome twist to tradition. 

Salmon with Chraimeh Sauce

This post is going to be short and sweet! It's been a hectic schedule with the holidays. This poor blog is backed up like 95 South on a Sunday afternoon in Northern VA. 

Before bed, I wanted to share this quick snap shot of tonight's dinner: Salmon coated in delicious Chraimeh. Chraimeh is a combination of garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin, caraway seeds, and sweet paprika blended together into a thick paste. Simply heat the paste in a sauce pan with lemon juice and tomato paste with a touch of black pepper and sugar. 

This sauce can be served with many main dishes and even as a dip for appetizers. We were expecting utter punishment in terms of the level of spice- the color of the sauce is a vibrant red and was beautifully intimidating. We were delightfully surprised at the restrained spice. It is full of flavor and a mature refinement; the hubby and I were cleaning the plate with bread. Fortunately, I doubled the amount of recipe in anticipation of such a situation! 

Best of all, this is a quick and easy recipe- perfect for a Monday. Spice up your night!

For the full recipe, I strongly encourage you to check out Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's book, "Jerusalem: A Cookbook."