This is another fast lunch for us. It is a throw-it-together-from-all-the-leftovers-in-the-fridge special at our house. Somehow, when you put the eggs over the top, it makes it taste like something exciting and new :-).
Potato and Egg Hash
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add and melt:
1-2 Tablespoons butter
Add and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are softened:
1 potato, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes (if I made too many baked potatoes, I use that here. It cooks a little faster then)
1/4 chopped onion
Add:
1/2 cup or so of ham or leftover chicken, pork or beef, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans (or a leftover vegetables or any other frozen veggie you like)
Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Whisk:
2 eggs
Pour evenly over the mixture in the pan and cover. Cook until the eggs are set - usually 5 minutes (It's a little guess-work for me on the time here, since I'm usually tending to kids and trying not to let it burn...)
This should be a fairly hearty meal for one.
-Jennifer
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Fried Rice
I thought of you today when I made this for my kids for lunch. It's a great way to use leftover rice and it's such a quick meal to put together that it makes regular appearances on our table.
There are much fancier ways to do it, but this is a basic recipe. I usually add a frozen or leftover vegetable (the favorite here is peas, which is why they are in the recipe, but put in whatever you want). If I have a little leftover chicken or pork, I'll chop it up very small and put it in, too. Just add it when you add the vegetable.
Fried Rice
In a small bowl, whip together:
2 eggs
a dash of salt
In a large, flat-bottomed skillet, heat over medium-high heat:
1 Tablespoon oil (I usually use canola)
Pour the eggs in all at once and tilt the pan to spread them out. You want a big, flat, egg pancake. Cook them until they are set. If you need to, pick up a corner of the eggs and tip some of the liquid onto the pan to get them all set. They should be dry-looking. Chop them up with a spatula and put in a bowl off to the side.
In the same skillet, heat:
1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you can use another oil in a pinch, but it will lose some of that unique flavor)
Add:
2 cups leftover rice (or whatever you have that's close to 2 cups. It's a very forgiving recipe!)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/4 of an onion, really finely chopped (you can skip this and add scallions-green onions at the end, but I don't always have green onions on hand and I rarely am without a regular onion)
Cook, stirring, until very hot. Add:
1/2 cup frozen peas (or vegetable/leftover meat of your choice)
Heat until the vegetable is warmed. Then add back in the eggs and 1 sliced scallion(green onion), if you don't use regular onion in the recipe.
You're done! The whole thing usually takes me 10 minutes.
Serve it with soy-sauce.
If you want to get fancy with your fried rice, you can use this recipe. It is delicious, but not as quick or easy
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southeast-asian-fried-rice-10000001949703/
-Jennifer
There are much fancier ways to do it, but this is a basic recipe. I usually add a frozen or leftover vegetable (the favorite here is peas, which is why they are in the recipe, but put in whatever you want). If I have a little leftover chicken or pork, I'll chop it up very small and put it in, too. Just add it when you add the vegetable.
Fried Rice
In a small bowl, whip together:
2 eggs
a dash of salt
In a large, flat-bottomed skillet, heat over medium-high heat:
1 Tablespoon oil (I usually use canola)
Pour the eggs in all at once and tilt the pan to spread them out. You want a big, flat, egg pancake. Cook them until they are set. If you need to, pick up a corner of the eggs and tip some of the liquid onto the pan to get them all set. They should be dry-looking. Chop them up with a spatula and put in a bowl off to the side.
In the same skillet, heat:
1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you can use another oil in a pinch, but it will lose some of that unique flavor)
Add:
2 cups leftover rice (or whatever you have that's close to 2 cups. It's a very forgiving recipe!)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/4 of an onion, really finely chopped (you can skip this and add scallions-green onions at the end, but I don't always have green onions on hand and I rarely am without a regular onion)
Cook, stirring, until very hot. Add:
1/2 cup frozen peas (or vegetable/leftover meat of your choice)
Heat until the vegetable is warmed. Then add back in the eggs and 1 sliced scallion(green onion), if you don't use regular onion in the recipe.
You're done! The whole thing usually takes me 10 minutes.
Serve it with soy-sauce.
If you want to get fancy with your fried rice, you can use this recipe. It is delicious, but not as quick or easy
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southeast-asian-fried-rice-10000001949703/
-Jennifer
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Cornmeal "Dutch Baby"
This is a Dutch pancake. When you make it with flour, it puffs up and can be run to the table for dramatic effect. We serve it for special breakfasts and brunches with berry preserves or jam or even just powdered sugar.
There's a whole story about Pannekoekan in my family. We took a trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. My parents drove until late in the night on Wednesday night and slept in a hotel with all six of us kids. This was in the time before refrigerators and microwaves were in all of the hotel rooms, so they couldn't just pack breakfast for us. They planned to have us eat a quick, small breakfast at some place like McDonald's. Since it was Thanksgiving Day, though, none of those were open. The only restaurant in the town was a Pannekoekan House. We kids were all impressed with the waitstaff at the restaurant who would run across in wooden shoes yelling "Pannekoekan! Pannekoekan!" so that they could get to your table while the cake was still puffed up. It was, I'm sure, far more expensive than they'd intended and far more filling. We all arrived at my aunt's house still full from breakfast and did not do justice to the very full Thanksgiving table she had prepared for us. We never heard the end of it!
I was quite excited to see this recipe and it's been a favorite with our kids.
This version, made with cornmeal, doesn't puff up as well. However, it tastes great.
Cornmeal Dutch Baby
Preheat your oven to 425.
If you have a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet, you start this on the stove top. If not, use a large pie plate or 8x8 baking pan (or if you're cooking for more than 2 people, double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan) and just put it in the oven.
Put in your pan
3-4 Tablespoons butter
If you are starting on the stove top, melt it over medium heat. If you are starting in the oven, just put the butter in the pan and pop it in the oven to melt.
while its melting, whisk together:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal (finer grind is better than stone ground for this, but both are good)
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Pour the batter into the pan and let heat for 1 minute on the stove top (skip this step, obviously, if you are not using a stove top proof pan).
Put the pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the middle is set (not jiggly).
Serve as soon as possible with a dusting of powdered sugar or a spoonful of jam.
-Jennifer
There's a whole story about Pannekoekan in my family. We took a trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. My parents drove until late in the night on Wednesday night and slept in a hotel with all six of us kids. This was in the time before refrigerators and microwaves were in all of the hotel rooms, so they couldn't just pack breakfast for us. They planned to have us eat a quick, small breakfast at some place like McDonald's. Since it was Thanksgiving Day, though, none of those were open. The only restaurant in the town was a Pannekoekan House. We kids were all impressed with the waitstaff at the restaurant who would run across in wooden shoes yelling "Pannekoekan! Pannekoekan!" so that they could get to your table while the cake was still puffed up. It was, I'm sure, far more expensive than they'd intended and far more filling. We all arrived at my aunt's house still full from breakfast and did not do justice to the very full Thanksgiving table she had prepared for us. We never heard the end of it!
I was quite excited to see this recipe and it's been a favorite with our kids.
This version, made with cornmeal, doesn't puff up as well. However, it tastes great.
Cornmeal Dutch Baby
Preheat your oven to 425.
If you have a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet, you start this on the stove top. If not, use a large pie plate or 8x8 baking pan (or if you're cooking for more than 2 people, double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan) and just put it in the oven.
Put in your pan
3-4 Tablespoons butter
If you are starting on the stove top, melt it over medium heat. If you are starting in the oven, just put the butter in the pan and pop it in the oven to melt.
while its melting, whisk together:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal (finer grind is better than stone ground for this, but both are good)
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Pour the batter into the pan and let heat for 1 minute on the stove top (skip this step, obviously, if you are not using a stove top proof pan).
Put the pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the middle is set (not jiggly).
Serve as soon as possible with a dusting of powdered sugar or a spoonful of jam.
-Jennifer
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