Brinner time!

Breakfast for dinner
Makes 4 servings


You know, some days you just feel like having breakfast for dinner and that's OK. Instead of hoppin' on over to an IHOP, why not make an easy dinner with some pre-made materials. If you've got access to a microwave, oven, and a stovetop, get ready for brinner!

Ingredients:

• 8 pre-made biscuits (I bought a bag of 20 frozen "Southern Style" biscuits)
• 8 eggs
• 1 tbsp water or milk
  
• a sheet of cut turkey bacon, or normal, pork bacon will do just fine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bake the biscuits per the directions on the back. While the biscuits are baking, beat your eggs in a bowl, add water or milk, and salt and pepper to taste. In a hot skillet, carefully add the olive oil, then the eggs. Make scrambled eggs as usual. If you don't know how to make scrambled eggs, I suggest you learn, unless of course you're a vegan or vegetarian and don't eat eggs. :)

Basically, to make scrambled eggs, you want to pour your eggs into your skillet so it covers the bottom. While the eggs cook, scrap the eggs from the edge to the center, all around the pan, while tilting the skillet so the uncooked egg cooks, until you've got a nice cooked egg "pattie" in the center. Then scramble them up with your spatula.

If you still don't understand this, watch this guy:


I make mine a bit differently, but the technique's the same.

After you've cooked the eggs, place 8 pieces of bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, two or three sheets thick, and cover them with another sheet of paper towel. (This will help make the bacon crispy and wick away the fat.) Microwave for about 5-8 minutes, or until crispy. I would do this in 90 second intervals, so the bacon doesn't burn. If you want to put the bacon in the oven while the biscuits cook, by all means do so, or cook them in a pan, but the microwave is the quickest and easiest way.

When your biscuits are ready, it's time to assemble! Cut the biscuits in half, load on a bit of egg, break the bacon pieces in half, using two half pieces per biscuit. As I love brown ales, especially Newcastle, I figure breakfast and beer make a great combo, especially after a long week. Eat up!



Enjoy,

the cooking herb

Not Your Daddy's Steak and Potatoes

Not Your Daddy's Steak and Potatoes
Makes 4 servings



Now your daddy probably likes a nice thick cut of steak with some white potatoes on the side, but how about a healthier alternative? Try sweet potatoes and some other vegetables that we often lack in our diets! This is filling and lighter, without the heart attack on the side, plus it comes with a side of toast!

Ingredients:

Steak

• 1 piece of flat iron steak - this is an incredibly tender cut of beef that is inexpensive! About $8 a piece and is enough for four people, that's totally a bargain.
• salt and pepper

Sweet potatoes

• 3 to 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Broccoli

• 1 bag of frozen broccoli

Toast

• 1 loaf of ciabatta bread, sliced into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 large piece of fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly
• black pepper

Directions:

Steak

1. Generously salt and pepper, more pepper than salt, both sides of the steak, making sure to press the pepper into it.
2. Cook on the range in a large skillet with some olive oil or on a grill, approximately 5-6 minutes on each side, depending on how you like your steak cooked. 5-6 minutes will give you a perfect medium, but cook times will vary based on your cookware.
   
3. Remove the steak from heat, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Slice into 1/4 inch slices on a bias.

Sweet potatoes

1. Peel the potatoes and dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Place into a pot and add enough water to cover the pieces by at least one (1) inch.
   
2. Boil the sweet potatoes until they are tender and a fork can go all the way through the pieces. Remove the from water and set aside.

Broccoli

1. Rather than draining the sweet potatoes, you can use a slotted spoon and remove the pieces, then add the frozen broccoli to the boiling water. Cook the broccoli until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Be sure not to over-cook your broccoli!!

Toast

1. Place the sliced ciabatta bread onto a baking sheet and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on both sides. Bake the bread on both sides for about 4 minutes on each side at 325 F, or until crisp.
2. Take the garlic clove, slice off the end so you get a flat surface. Rub both sides of the toast with the garlic to add some garlic flavor.
3. Add the thinly sliced mozzarella to each slice of toast and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and golden. About 3-4 minutes. Add some black pepper on top and serve.

Plate all of the components together and you've got a great meal!



Enjoy,

the cooking herb

A Filling Frittata

Filling Frittata
Makes ~6 servings



Want something quick, filling, healthy, and delicious? A frittata is the answer for you!

Ingredients:

• 7 oz turkey ham, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces (you can use whatever type of meat you like, sausage, ham, chicken, tofu, etc.)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 small onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 scallion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 8 large eggs, *note - I used 6 egg whites and 2 whole eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt - I only used a little bit of salt, because the ham was already salty
  
• black pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.
2. In a large skillet**, add the olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add the egg mixture and cooking for approximately 7 minutes, or until the eggs look nearly done.
3. Remove the skillet from the range and place it under the broiler for another 7 minutes, or until the frittata is cooked all the way through and firm; the eggs should look golden on top.

**Note: use an oven-safe skillet and remember to use oven mitts, because the skillet will be hot!!

You can eat the frittata alone or with a side salad.



Enjoy,

the cooking herb

Taco salad, the semi-homemade way!

Taco Salad
Makes 4-6 servings



After our last class of the semester, my friend Kathryn and I decided to hang out. We ended up watching Far and Away, which is a great movie to watch when you haven't slept in two months. Honestly, it's a good movie, if you like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, with Irish accents. Anyway, Kathryn made us taco salads for dinner, so I was inspired to write a quick recipe.

If you love Mexican food and simple recipes, this one's for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag yellow corn tortilla chips
• 1 bag corn tortilla chips with chili and lime seasoning (optional)
• 1 pound ground turkey (or your favorite meat or tofu crumbles)
• 1 box (4 serving-sized) Spanish pilaf
• Note: you can use whatever rice you have and a packet of taco seasoning instead.
  
• 1 - 5.3 oz container of FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)
  
• 1 scallion, chopped into small pieces
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
• salt and pepper
• cheese, whatever kind you like - I used a blend of cheddar and Monterey, shredded
  

Directions:

1. In a shallow pan or skillet, brown the turkey, meat, or tofu, on medium high heat, until it is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add red chili flakes if you like. Set aside.
   
2. If you opt to use Spanish pilaf, cook it according to its directions or mix the rice with the taco seasoning packet and set aside. (You can opt to not use rice entirely and add the taco seasoning mix directly to the meat instead, depending on what you want to eat.)
3. Assemble your taco salad by adding chips to your (microwaveable) bowl, then add a scoop of rice, then a scoop of meat, add some tomatoes, and sprinkle on some cheese. Place bowl in microwave for 30 - 60 seconds until your cheese is melted. Then add a dollop of FAGE or sour cream and top with a few slices of scallion.
4. Enjoy deliciousness.
   

Here's a close up:



Enjoy,

the cooking herb

Easy Ginger Shrimp Pasta

Easy Ginger Shrimp Pasta
Makes 5 servings




This recipe was supposed to be a garlic shrimp, but I didn't have garlic. I sent my little brother out to get me garlic, but he brought home more ginger, which I already had. So for those who don't know...

This is garlic:


and this is ginger:


Please don't make the same mistake. :)


On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 20 medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 box of gluten-free pasta (or any type of pasta you like)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of ginger, julienned (cut into small thin strips)
• 4 cups of baby arugula
• 1 small lemon
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, boil water, add a small handful of salt, then cook pasta until al dente, approximately 7-8 minutes. Drain the pasta and place into a large bowl. (I suggest using a large bowl that you can toss/mix easily in.)


2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Carefully add julienned ginger and let the pieces cook until a light brown color. Remove ginger from oil and set aside for later.


3. Lightly salt the shrimp and carefully add a few to the now ginger-infused oil and cook the shrimp, on medium heat, until orangey-pink, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove shrimp from the oil and set aside for later. (***Do not overcook, or the shrimp will taste rubbery! Simply cook the shrimp on both sides for 2-3 minutes and let the carry-over finish cooking the shrimp.)
   
4. Slice 1/3 of the lemon off, for juicing use later, and slice the remaining lemon into 1/4 inch slices.
   
5. In the large bowl that you've placed your pasta in, add the cooked shrimp, baby arugula, and some of the fried ginger. Add approximately two tablespoons of lemon juice and the lemon slices, salt and pepper to taste, and toss the mix. Finally add the remaining fried ginger to the top for a decorative touch.
   

Here are some close-ups of the final product:




Enjoy!


- the cooking herb

First, delicious, recipe post!

Don't let the title fool you. All of my recipes will be delicious, otherwise I wouldn't post them!

3 Spice Chicken

Makes 4 servings

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos (or your favorite soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons Tamari (I like to use San-J's Organic Wheat Free Tamari - Gold Label, you don't have to use Tamari, but I like the smoother sweet flavor, so if you don't have Tamari, just use more soy sauce. If you opt to use just soy sauce, I suggest adding a teaspoon of sugar to balance out the flavor.)
• 5 cloves of garlics, chopped finely
• 1 scallion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 4 whole star anise, ground*
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves, ground*
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups water

*A note about whole spices - if you have a spice grinder, I highly recommend grinding your own spices, because to me the flavors are much richer. If it's more convenient, use 2 teaspoons of ground star anise and 1 teaspoon of ground clove from the store.

Also, you should not add salt to this recipe. I repeat, do not be tempted to add salt! There is plenty of salt already in the soy sauce/tamari!

Other ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken breast, divided into two pieces and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Directions:

1. Place the sliced chicken into the marinade and mix well. Marinate for at least one (1) hour.
2. Transfer chicken and marinating liquid to a sauteuse, or any deep skillet and cook the chicken on medium-high heat for approximately 7 minutes using a "shallow poaching" method on the cooktop.

The marinating liquid should only cover the chicken halfway and keep the lid on the sauteuse for about 5 minutes of the cooking time. Uncover and cook the chicken for the remaining time, until the chicken is cooked through.

As a finishing touch, you can add a chiffonade of basil; it goes gorgeously with the spice flavors. I served this chicken on top of a bed of hearts of romaine, with a side of rice and steamed broccoli.

Check out the product below:

Please try out the recipe and let me know how it turns out for you!

Enjoy! :)

- the cooking herb