Southwest Migas Breakfast

Quick and easy, Migas are a super way to use up last night's taco leftovers. Fry them up with 2 eggs 'omelet style' and leave a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on the side for dipping each delicious bite! Your mouth will thank you.

Here below are the ingredients for my own original Southwest Migas in the above photograph (but you can change it up to suit your own taste). Migas (a Texas favorite) are meant to use up leftover tortillas and are as unique as you are - never the same twice!

INGREDIENTS
Leftover corn, roasted pablano, and red onion salsa from last night's chicken tacos
Leftover cut cilantro from last night's chicken tacos
2 Leftover corn tortillas from last night's tacos (cut into small strips)
2 scrambled eggs
2 tblsp butter
salt
Hungarian hot paprika to taste
Leftover salsa from breakfast tacos out at our favorite restaurant
Leftover sour cream from last night's tacos
Leftover guacamole from dinner last night

See what I mean? The only thing new to the meal was the eggs and spices!

INSTRUCTIONS
Scramble the eggs in a small bowl, heat the skillet to medium high, melt the butter and pour the eggs on - flat across the pan. While still wet, toss in your leftover veggies and tortilla strips. Season the Migas with salt and hot paprika (and pepper if you want). You can use more seasoning if your veggies are fresh (mine already had seasoning from last night's taco meal). Flip when browned on the bottom. Curve over in half-circle when done and place on plate with dipping sauces. Serve with refried beans (if you have them leftover, too), fruit and tea. MMMMMmmmm! A Tex-Mex breakfast. The best way to start your day.


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Technorati Tags: Migas, Breakfast, Eggs, Texas, Cooking, Food, Life, Mexican, Cilantro, Leftovers, Frugal

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice is my very favorite food in the world. I usually play around with it and never measure when I cook it (because it was one of the first things I ever learned to cook and I've been making it so long now). My family jokes that each time we sit down to eat Mexican, my rice is a surprise - you never know what changes I've made to it "THIS TIME". There have been some times I have made it too hot, some times too mild, but it ALWAYS gets eaten. If not at dinner, the next day out of the refrigerator! I absolutely love it. I used to always try to make my grandma's version (Jessie's Spanish Rice)... but I have yet to copy it exactly (although it was wonderful and the reason I fell in love with it so long ago)! Maybe I'll share HER recipe some time in here also. I still keep her hand-written recipe she gave me when I was in my 20's in my recipe binder. Everyone loved her Spanish Rice.

Let me tell you what I don't like in Spanish Rice, and we'll start from there:

1. lots of tomato paste - GROSS!
2. most boxed Spanish Rice mixes (not good for you, and usually not the flavor I'm looking for)
3. bland rice (sorry, I like some spice)
4. too hot to eat (I have made this mistake a few times, and it is better to go a little light and add your spice at the table than end up with a pot of tongue-melting rice that no-one can eat... what a WASTE!)

Next, I'll tell you my recipe, and then we'll discuss some additional variations/ingredients you might try. Remember that my Spanish rice is always morphing and changing... but this is the recipe for last night's batch, and I FORCED myself to measure it for you! You are so lucky that I'm sharing this! You should feel so special!

Sprittibee's 2006 Spanish Rice Recipe

• 1.5 cups rice (or a touch less... last night I used par-boiled because it was on hand)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 5-6 twists of black pepper grinder
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp garlic powder (my grandma always said this was the key ingredient)
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/8 tsp coriander powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (or you could use hot Hungarian paprika)
• 1 tsp Knorr Caldo de Tomate (Tomato Bouillon)
• 1/4-1 tsp chili powder
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh tomato
• pinch saffron
• dash Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp ketchup
• large frying pan with high sides and a tight-fitting lid

Note to chef: It is best to start your recipe with hot oil and your veggies already cut up. I like to go ahead and prepare my water also, so that you can prevent any loss of time when you need to add it and keep the rice from burning. This recipe, despite it's long list of ingredients, moves rather quickly! If you gather all of these spices and a few sets of measuring spoons on the counter near the pan, you can throw them in quickly and save yourself from allowing the rice to get too browned (or burnt).

Instructions:

Heat oil in pan. Add rice, pepper, onion, and garlic powder. Stir rice to coat and fry on medium-high, keeping the rice moving so it will brown evenly. As you are stirring, start adding spices (cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, garlic salt, paprika, chili powder). When rice is browned a bit (some of it may not be browned - it is hard to get it totally even in color) and before it starts to burn, add your water. Stir well. Add tomato bouillon and tomato. Add your pinch of saffron and turn heat up to high. Add your dash of oregano (very small amount) and ketchup. Allow rice to come to a rolling boil while stirring (won't take long). Turn heat to low and place lid on pan to seal. Cook for around 20 minutes (see note below)...

Note to chef: Depending on your stove and the type of rice you use, you may need to add additional water and/or turn up the heat some. You may also need to stir it once in-between sealing the pot and it being completely done. Par-boiled rice takes less time to cook (about 15 minutes), while longer grains like basmati takes up to 35 or 40 minutes to cook. Adjust your cooking time depending on your rice and stove and watch it closely for the first few times you make it.

Variations:

I have been doing different things to my Spanish Rice since I've been cooking. It is hard to really mess it up unless you accidentally burn it or add too much spice that is HOT. Other ingredients I have used in the past include:

• 1/2 to a full chopped jalapeno pepper
• dash of red pepper flakes
• spoonful of your favorite hot sauce
• handful of kernel corn
• handful of chopped fresh red bell pepper (fried along with onions & rice in the beginning stages of the dish to soften it) OR spoonful of red pemintos from a jar (added at the end)
• fresh garlic
• bit of shredded carrot
• handful of fresh chopped cilantro leaves sprinkled on top before serving (mmm!)
• ... my favorite addition is vermicelli (similar to the long pasta "grains" in Rice-a-Roni, and you only add about a fourth cup per 2 cups rice)

Warning: The tomato bouillon has MSG and other things bad for you. I was told to use it by a Spanish woman in Houston, Texas who cooked for many people and sold her rice at a food stand. After trying it, I have had a hard time giving it up... so I figure a little bad won't kill me, right? I eat healthy for the most part.

Please drop a note in my comments section if you try my rice and let me know what you think!


Technorati Tags: Food, Texas, Mexican, Meals, Spanish Rice, wonderful, Southwest, Recipe, Delicious, Side-Dish, Eat, Rice, Cook, Cooking, Tex-Mex

I made that Paella again.

I made Rachel Ray's Perfect Paella again tonight for the kids and myself, since I had the meat thawed out (we never cooked it this weekend - too busy with the realtor's chores). I ended up having my friend over from my co-op who is helping me make curtains, and she stayed to eat a bite. She said she really liked it... and that she would have to cook it for her husband. So, I wanted to share a little tip about what made it better this time than last....

Do NOT drain the grease off of the Chorizo! I know it looks gross, but pour every drop into the rice and mix it up good before you serve the dish. Oh, it is lovely!

Perfect Paella

I have to tell you about my newest favorite dish. I was graciously invited over for dinner the other night at a friend's house, and she introduced me to Rachel Ray's Paella recipe. Let me tell you that I've had withdrawal ever since. I actually made a mock version of this tonight for dinner for just me and my two children... and despite the fact that we had quite a few ingredients missing; it was still good enough to be eaten by an 8 and 6 year old! I'm going to cook it again Saturday night! I leave out the mussels and add cilantro instead of parsley... and my friend also used cilantro, and left off the mussels for us! The shrimp don't give this a fishy taste, and were excellent - even though we aren't big shrimp people. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes !!!
Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups enriched white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 quart chicken broth or stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into thirds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound chorizo, casing removed and sliced on an angle
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, 24 shrimp
• 18 green lipped mussels, cleaned
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 lemons zested

Garnish:

• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Lemon wedges
• Crusty, bread for passing

In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and saute 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.

In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add chorizo to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

After about 13 minutes, add shellfish to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley and scallions. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.

Also, on her 30 min. cooking show, she suggests serving this with Spanish cheeses (cheese spreads work fine) and nutty bread crackers/sticks and Greek olives. She also suggests serving Sangria as a drink. My friend made a non-alcoholic Sangria that was excellent.

PLEASE READ THIS POST FOR UPDATES ON THIS RECIPE:

http://gatheringmanna.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-made-that-paella-again.html


Episode#: TM1B74
Courtesy of Rachel Ray
Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved