Lets just assume that yesterday was your birthday. (Work with me here) You threw a little party for yourself and you alone somehow managed to polish off two boxes of wine. Well at least you think you did, but you really can’t remember. Boxes? It’s all a foggy blur. All you really do know is that you woke up in the front yard, naked clutching a bag of groceries with your dog growling at you. No? Never happened to you? Well if you ever find yourself in such a state and need to salvage “the day after” for some reason, then here is what you do.

Step one, put on some GD pants for goodness sake! Step two salvage what you can from the bag of groceries, especially the eggs, and make yourself a heaping plate of Eggs in Purgatory. I love the name of this dish, it sounds like the title of a bad “B” movie. The taste rocks as well. There is just something so right about egg yolks running through a sea of marinara or bolognese sauce topped with fresh shaved Pecorino Romano cheese.

I have done these with a roasted red pepper sauce, sausage, artichokes, potatoes and just about anything else I could find but today we are keeping it simple. Remember, you are in no state of mind to be wielding a sharp knife for any prolonged length of time. Oh and rub a few slices of stale bread with a garlic clove, butter them and toast in the oven as an accompaniment an you will be back on your feet in no time. Party over here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flay leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated or shaved Pecorino Romano cheese
• 4 large eggs

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the tablespoon of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat then add the onions and cook until limp, about 5 minutes. Next add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Now add all the other ingredients and the remainder of the oil to the saucepan except for the eggs, cheese, salt and pepper and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes and remove from the heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Next pour the sauce into in a large skillet with a lid (preferably see through) and set heat to medium high. Let the sauce start to bubble just a bit then crack the eggs into the sauce, being careful not to break the yolks. Cover the skillet and cook until the egg whites set. To serve, ladle each egg over a slice if garlic toast along with a portion of the sauce. Then top with the Pecorino Romano. Heaven.

Serves 4

Heat Factor

In a previous post I tried to emulate the migas dish found at Magnolia Cafe in Austin Texas, famously known as “Love Migas”. I truly believe that if God walked the earth for a day he would eat migas for breakfast and most certainly migas from Magnolia Cafe. Provided he could get a table.

This is hands down the favorite weekend breakfast for the Chili family and especially during the holidays. Realizing that not everyone, especially me, has the time on a hectic holiday to prepare much of anything beyond frozen waffles, I thought some refinement and much needed durability was in order. So why not a Migas Quiche? This way you can prep all the way up to step 3 the night before and finish it off in the oven the morning of. Let’s just say that this was a huge hit at this year’s Mothers Day brunch. Huge! And it was easy as most of the work was done the night before. Sneaky.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons butter (salted)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup tortillas chips, crushed
• 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2/3 cup grated jack cheese

PREPARATION:

1. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the water, chili powder and cumin and set aside. Do not over beat the eggs or they will be tough.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla chips and sauté until they start to soften. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and Serrano’s and cook for a couple more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour the egg mixture into a quiche or casserole dish and add the onion and pepper mixture. Stir slightly to incorporate. Bake for 20 minutes, or until eggs are set. Top with cheese, and tomato dices and bake for an additional 5 minutes or so until the cheese melts. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately with warm flour tortillas and prepared black beans. You have got to have the beans.

Serves 4

Heat Factor

I couldn’t imagine visiting New Orleans and not spending at least one mid-morning eating beignets and drinking Cafe au Lait at Cafe du Monde. Thankfully Terry Thompson included recipes for both in her book “New Cajun-Creole Cooking”. Not sure if it is still in print.

As for beignets, I have not met a single soul that didn’t fall in love with these tasty treats. They are sort of like donuts only better and you can’t eat them without getting the powdered sugar all over yourself.

As for the Cafe au Lait, well beignets are just not the same without it. You can drink Cafe au Lait without eating beignets but you can’t eat beignets without drinking Cafe au Lait.

Warning: Both of these can be kind of messy to make at home so be prepared to initiate some help with the clean up. I am sure the recipient(s) of this wonderful combination will gladly oblige. If not, kick em out!

INGREDIENTS:

For the beignets

• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 (1/4 oz) package active dry yeast
• 3 cups or so soft southern wheat flour such as White Lily® brand or sub all-purpose
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• vegetable oil
• powdered sugar

For the Cafe au Lait

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups brewed hot dark roast coffee with chicory

PREPARATION:

For the beignets

1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine the water, the 2 teaspoons sugar and evaporated milk and heat to 110°F. Pour into a glass bowl and stir in the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 – 10 minutes.

2. In a food processor, combine 3 cups flour and the remaining ingredients except the veggie oil and powdered sugar and pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add the yeast mixture and pulse 3 or 4 more times. You should have a fairly smooth, nonsticky dough. If not gradually add more flour until it is. When it looks right, process for about 15 seconds to knead. Deposit the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough and return to the floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter cut 2 inch squares but on a diagonal to form diamond shapes. Place  the completed diamonds onto an ungreased baking sheet about 1/2 apart. Cover with more plastic wrap and let rise for 45 more minutes.

3. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven to 365°F. Carefully slide 3 or 4 beignets into the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry until puffy and golden brown, turning once with tongs, or about 2 – 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Sift the powdered sugar over the hot beignets and serve.

This makes 30 plus beignets which serves 8 – 10

For the Cafe au Lait

In a small pot, bring the milk to a slow boil. Meanwhile place the sugar in a LARGE pot over medium heat. Cook until sugar caramelizes, stirring only once or twice after it begins to dissolve. When caramel is a deep hazelnut color, about 7 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and slowly add the boiling milk. Be careful and this is why the pot needs to be so large because the milk will freak out when it hits the caramel and foam up and spit everywhere. Again use a large pot and go slow to avoid overflow, which can result in serious burns if it gets on you. After all the milk has been added, wait for the foam to subside then stir until blended. Add the coffee and stir.

Serves 4

If you think these ingredients wouldn’t play well together, then you would be wrong.  Not many southern dishes are as delicious as a plate of shrimp and grits. We take it on step further and substitute crawfish for shrimp and chorizo for andouille. I have made this with andouille sausage several times before with good results but for me chorizo seems to work better as it is a bit milder. People who have never tried grits, don’t know what they are and even those that profess to hate them, LOVE this recipe. It is a great breakfast of dinner for grit haters (and lovers) everywhere.

INGREDIENTS:

For the grits

• 2 cups white quick grits
• water (ooohhh)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid crab boil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2/3 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz of chorizo, remove from skin and chopped
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup minced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb crawfish tail meat, drained (Louisiana preferably)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese

PREPARATION:

For the grits

Bring 5 2/3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bay leaf, salt, butter and crab boil and boil for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the grits and cheese and lower the heat to low heat and simmer. Cook the grits for about 8 minutes but you really need to just watch them. They are done when they thick but still a bit runny. Remove from heat and keep covered.

For the sauce

Heat the olive oil in an iron skillet over medium heat then add the chorizo and cook for about 4 minutes or until most of the fat is rendered. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the Tony Chachere’s and cook until the veggies are limp or about 8 – 10 minutes. Next stir in the crawfish meat and heat through for about 2 minutes and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cream starts to thicken. Add the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce and season to taste with more Tony’s if necessary.

To serve, ladle the sauce over a portion of the grits and garnish with the green onions and cotija cheese.

Serves 4 – 6

Heat Factor

Hey I love peanut butter and jam (or jelly) sandwiches and I love French toast. Eureka!

This is more of a pain perdue which is French French toast not English French toast. Confused? The difference is pain perdue, translated “lost bread” in French, is made from day old French bread. It is a very common breakfast served at several New Orleans restaurants. They use the bread left over from the day before when it is not stale but not fresh either. It’s lost!

I have seen many variations but I decided to make a peanut butter and jam version. Let’s just say it was a big hit with the family this past Sunday morning. Give it a try if you like French toast, or if you like PB & J.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 slices of day old French bread sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons butter or non-stick cooking spray
• 5 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons of you r favorite jam, jelly or preservatives (I chose strawberry preserves)
• powdered sugar

PREPARATION:

1. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, 4 tablespoons of the peanut butter, the cream and the vanilla extract with a whisk. Keep whisking; the peanut butter will eventually break down.

2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium low heat.  Dip the slices in the egg mixture and cook until egg sets on both sides. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in the microwave oven for 1 minute. Then heat the jam or preserves in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drizzle the liquefied peanut butter and the liquefied jam over the cooked French toast. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Add crushed peanuts if you dare go crunchy.

Serves 4

Heat Factor

There is a slight problem with the picture above. Can you guess what it is? That’s right, no chorizo. I saw this breakfast item on a menu in Austin Texas. I was ordering lunch but the breakfast menu, plastered on the wall next to the lunch menu, caught my eye. I quickly zeroed in on “Huevos de Chorizo con Chipotle Sauce” (loved that the word sauce was in English). Scrambled eggs with chorizo sausage served with beans and rice, all drizzled with a creamy chipotle sauce. I ended up going for the burritos which were very good but I never got to try the huevos. Well that dish is the inspiration here. I fried my eggs rather than scramble, added Liquid Smoke® and unfortunately didn’t have chorizo in the house. But I know it would be awesome with the eggs. Definitely next time, chorizo and beans and rice will be ridding shotgun on my plate.

I fry my eggs a little differently than most so either give it a try or make them you own way. Also the sauce goes well on salads, burgers, grilled chicken and just about any Tex-Mex or Mexican recipe. Keep what’s left over in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS:

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
• adobo sauce from 11 oz can of chipotles in adobo
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• pinch of salt

For the eggs and chorizo

• 1/4 cup chorizo, removed from skin and browned in a skillet
• 3 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• non-stick spray
• 1 tablespoon of my Desert Dust seasoning mix found here (or your favorite southwestern style mix)

PREPARATION:

For the sauce

Pick the largest chipotle pepper from the can and set aside. Now fish out the remaining peppers and transfer them to a plastic container, shaking off the excess adobo sauce and back into the can. Store the peppers (except for the large one) for future use in the fridge.  Chop the large reserved pepper. Mix all ingredients with the chopped chili and the collected adobo sauce in a food processor until well blended. Adjust with salt if needed. I like to keep mine in a squeeze bottle so it is handy.

For the eggs and chorizo

Like I said, the way I fry my eggs may be a little different. I take a small sauce pan, spray it with Pam®, place it over medium heat, crack the eggs, sprinkle a little salt and Desert Dust on them and cover. I cook them until dry, about 5 minutes or so. I like them this way rather than fries in grease or butter. Normally I like grease and or butter on anything, but these eggs just seem to accept the sauce a bit better. When done, gently slide the eggs out and onto a plate. Add the cooked chorizo, sprinkle on a little more seasoning and drizzle on the chipotle sauce. Serve with refried beans and rice if you like.

Serves 1

Heat Factor

This is what I imagine would be on your typical diner cafe breakfast menu in heaven. A Tex-Mex omelet complete with rib-eye steak, grilled onions and bell peppers, melted sharp cheddar cheese, topped with salsa fresca with a side of home fries. All for just $1.99, it’s the Heaven Slam!

This all came about early this past Sunday morning when I was taking inventory of all of the left over’s in the fridge. I might be wrong, but I think in French omelet means leftovers wrapped in scrambled eggs. Probably not. I took Spanish in high school anyway.

INGREDIENTS:

For the potatoes

• 5 red potatoes, washed and scrubbed then cut into to ½ inch cubes
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb apple wood smoked bacon (or just bacon)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon Angel Dust seasoning found here
• 2 dashes Liquid Smoke®
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper

For the omelet

• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 oz rib-eye steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon Angel Dust seasoning found here
• 1/2 cup salsa fresca found here
• 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 dashes Liquid Smoke®
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. OK here we go so keep up! Chop the potatoes first then in a large pot, blanch them for 4 minutes exactly. Transfer to strainer and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

2. Cook the bacon until crispy in a large skillet. Remove and drain on paper towels. Allow the bacon to cool, then chop into bits and set aside. Sprinkle the steak meat with the Angel Dust seasoning and brown in the bacon fat to almost desired doneness (if that makes any sense). Than add the chopped onions for the omelet, peppers, Liquid Smoke® and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Then add the potatoes, the remaining onions, Angel Dust seasoning and Liquid Smoke® and cook until potatoes are tender and onions are translucent. Then add the bacon bits and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

4. Now to build the omelets. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the beaten eggs. In an omelet pan, pour in the equivalent of 2 eggs of the egg mixture or 1/4. Half way through the cooking process, add a couple of tablespoons or so of the veggie and steak mixture on one side of the omelet. Flip the other side over, sprinkle with cheese and cook until eggs are stiff. I can’t make an omelet to save my life. My wife made these. So if they end up as scrambled eggs, so be it. They will still taste just as good. Serve with a couple of tablespoons of the salsa fresca ladle over the top and a side of the potatoes. Then rejoice in all things that are holly.

Serves 4

Heat Factor

Like most rustic peasant foods I highlight on this blog, Migas (pronounced Mee-yas) can be made thousands of different ways. It is basically a Spanish (Portuguese / Mexican) dish that combines leftovers with eggs for a wonderful breakfast. One of the best I have ever had was at the Magnolia Cafe in Austin, Texas.

My version is a weak attempt to capture the bold flavours but is in no way a replacement for the real thing. But since I live 1,400 miles away, it will have to suffice.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons butter (salted)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2/3 cup grated jack cheese, room temperature (but a good cheese and grate it yourself for better results)

PREPARATION:

1. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the water, chili powder and cumin and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and saute until softened. Add the onions and bell peppers and saute until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and Serrano’s and cook for a couple more minutes.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and scramble until eggs are done. Remove skillet from heat sprinkle with the cheese,  tomato, and cilantro. Cover with lid for a couple more minutes and allow cheese to melt. Serve immediately with all or some of the following. Warm flour tortillas, salsa, prepared black beans and creama (Mexican cream).

Serves 2 – 3 but you can easily double it.

Heat Factor