Weekend Breakfast

Spinach Florentine Sandwich with Bacon and Fried Egg

• Publix Multi Grain Bread
• Organic Eggs
• No Nitrate Bacon
• Fresh Spinach
• Fresh Rosemary
• Salsa (optional)
• Sour Cream (optional)

1. Fry bacon, set aside
2. Sautee spinach with sprig of rosemary, set aside
3. Toast Bread
4. Fry eggs
5. Assemble sandwich and serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.
6. Enjoy a power breakfast!!
   

Fried Catfish and Okra-and-Corn Maque Choux

I have been in a bit of a food rut as of late. Eating by my lonesome most nights means heating up a frozen burrito or mixing turkey slices with whatever I have on hand. Enter, Andy with a recipe of which we cannot pronounce!

Andy was flipping through Southern Living (ha!!) poolside post 4th decompression zone and came across the Okra Maque Choux recipe. This inspired a trip to YDFM where he picked up the following ingredients as well as 1 lb of skinned, boneless catfish filets and a package of Louisiana Fish Fry.

Okra Maque Choux Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound spicy smoked sausage, diced (We used YDFM Hot Chicken Sausage and added a pad of butter to make up for the lack in fat)

· 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

· 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

· garlic cloves, minced

· cups fresh corn kernels

· cup sliced fresh okra

· cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomato (1/2 lb.)

· cups Pink Lady Peas

· Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fried Catfish Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Catfish Filets, skinned and de boned

• 1 package, Louisiana Fish Fry

• 2 cups Cold Milk

• 2 cups of Vegetable Oil for frying

Get to chopping the ingredients for the Maque Choux.

Set up your frying station (fish, shallow bowl of milk, and half package of Fish Fry)

Brown your sausage, then add garlic, onions and peppers and let simmer for 5 minutes. Next, add the rest of your ingredients for the Maque Choux and let simmer under a covered pot for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bread and batter your fish as you fry. Andy Tip: Don't do this ahead of time, as it will leave your fish without its fry.

Get your oil nice and hot. Andy Tip: Test your oil with sprinkle of cold water. The oil should be angry when you test it, lots of bubbling within micro seconds of each other.

Fry your fish being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Set aside on a plate with paper towels.

I whipped up a last minute sauce, recipe follows:

• 2 Tablespoons Duke Mayo
• 2 Tablespoons Light Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic

Cabbage rolls and tofu vegetable soup

So we got a big ol' head of Chinese cabbage in our CSA a few weeks ago and we had a good bit of pulled chicken left over from Lowcountry BBQ. Yorke decided to make some wraps with the cabbage and chicken and a sesame/soy sauce. I'm not sure if I'm 100% right on what went into everything...

We had a hot and sour soup with tofu and some of the cabbage, kale, onions, garlic, red pepper and lime juice.




She sauteed the chicken with onions, cabbage, carrots, sesame oil and cayenne. It retained some of the smoky bbq flavor the chicken already had, but it really gave it more of an Asian flavor with the sesame oil. We added some strips of basil as well.


The chef in action. The sauce was soy and sesame oil with toasted sesame seeds, cayanne and lime juice.



Finished product. Absolutely full of nom.



What went into the compost.

Meatless Monday ~ Summer Vegetable Lasagna

Last night, not wanting to go to the grocery store, I was forced to use what I had on hand in the kitchen.

Haves: Squash, Zuchini, Red Pepper, Spinach, Mozzarella, Bread Crumbs, Eggs, Marinara Sauce.

That turned into Veggie Lasagna wonderfulness. Meatless (and Minimal Carb) Monday.

Start by roasting your red pepper over an open flame until charred and placing in a brown bag.
Meanwhile, start slicing your veggies lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick.
Set up your batter station: 1 bowl - egg wash and 1 bowl - panko bread crumbs with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.
Start frying!!!

Place veggies on paper towels to absorb excess grease.

Next, start layering. I used a cross hatched method (vertical for the first layer, horizontal for the second layer and so on).

Layer sauce, veggies, chopped spinach, more sauce, cheese, veggies, repeat.

For the very top layer, the roasted red pepper was sliced and placed on top in the center, covered with more sauce and cheese and fresh herbs.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and insides are bubbling.

Blackberry Jalapeno Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Corn

One of my favorite things to do to ease into my Saturday/Sunday morning is grab a big cup of coffee and park it in front of the TV to watch Food Network. This particular Sunday, Guy Fieri was whipping up an awesome looking pork dish. It having been exactly 12 hours since my last pork intake, I decided that this was for dinner tonight. I picked up the last Berkshire pork tenderloin from YDFM and headed back to prepare my feast.

The recipe called for brining. I am pretty sure this helped my pork to be extra juicy and delicious.

Recipe thanks to foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 3 cups water, warm
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
• Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in the warm water. Add the vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, ice cubes and the pork. Brine for exactly 20 minutes. The pork becomes mealy if it s brined longer.

Meanwhile, prepare the Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze.

Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Rub the pork with the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Add the pork tenderloin and cook for 6 minutes on each side, browning evenly and the internal temperature registers 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. At this point, evenly spread 1/4 cup of the glaze over the pork. Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pork from heat to a cutting board and keep it warm tented with aluminum foil.

Slice the pork, arrange the slices on a serving platter and serve with remaining warm glaze.

Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 roasted jalapenos, seeded, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves
• 1 cup wine, preferably Merlot
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the jalapenos and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the blackberry preserves and wine and combine well. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the cornstarch to the red wine vinegar in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more. Keep the glaze warm until serving.

Chicken on a Bun

This was a great substitution for the burger I was craving.

I marinated a bone-in chicken breast in Stubb's BBQ Sauce.

Threw on the grill for 2 minutes per side on the Searing side of the grill and then an additional 20 minutes on the Regular side of the grill.

I sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and red peppers lengthwise.

Brushed wit olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, and threw on the grill for the last 7 minutes the chicken breast was cooking.

Once grilling was complete, I brought everything inside.

I placed panko bread crumbs in a sauce pan over medium heat, added chopped garlic, and stirred until browned about 6 minutes.

I then stirred in fresh parsley and dried oregano and topped the vegetables with this mixture.

Removing the chicken breast from the bone and placed on a bun (broiled with cheddar) and topped with chopped spinach.

I had previously cooked off a package of Nitrate free bacon.

Bacon + More BBQ Sauce + Chicken + Cheese + Spinach + Wheat Bun = AMAZING Sandwich.

Low country boil and shrimpin' grits

Low country our first night at the beach and the S and G's made two nights later with the leftover shrimp and sausage. Low country was made with 3 different types of sausage, lotsa shrimp, yellow and white corn and a whole mess o' potatoes. Old bay and Zatarains were applied liberally before and after.