It's been an insanely busy time for me at work, just as it is for many music teachers this time of year, or "festival season" as we call it. But that does not keep me from the kitchen. I just needed to get a bit creative this week in order to fit cooking into my schedule. The two secrets - make ahead meals and quick meals. Over the past few days, I created three new recipes that not only worked with my schedule, but were so good that I'm literally obsessed with all three! One was quick and one was make ahead.
First up, this morning was my new take on Huevos Rancheros. First I made a homemade salsa consisting of diced tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, red onions, fresh cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cumin. After I let it sit for a little while to marry the flavors, I took half of it and puréed it to make a homemade ranchero sauce. I sautéed some sliced red onions in olive oil, added the purée, dried oregano, and some fresh black beans. Once it was heated through, it was done in 3 minutes. Then to assemble, I laid down some warm corn tortillas, spread some ranchero sauce, topped with sunny side up eggs, and then finished with more fresh salsa, sliced chile peppers, fresh avocado, crumbled fresco, fresh cilantro, some hot sauce, and a lime wedge. Sounds like a lot, but the whole thing took less than 20 minutes!
Nothing beats homemade salsa! And homemade salsa is great for homemade ranchero sauce!
My plate - sans avocado thanks to my avocado allergy. :( But still pretty! And tasty!
Friday night I decided to try several kitchen experiments - both with resounding success. I LOVE caprese salad (tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, and balsamic vinegar - what's not to love?) and I LOVE a good turkey meatloaf. So I thought to myself, I should combine the two into a Caprese Meatloaf! I took ground turkey and combined it with sautéed onions and celery, stuffing mix, salt, pepper, and then it was time to add the caprese elements. I made a glaze of ketchup and balsamic vinegar and added half to the meat (the other half poured over the top when the meatloaf was ready to bake). The I added a jar of pesto and a cup of sun dried tomatoes. I took half of the mixture and formed into the bottom half of the loaf, spread some fresh mozzarella all over, and then used the other half of the mixture to finish and seal the loaf. Once it was finished, I drizzled with balsamic glaze and fresh basil. Amazing!
To go with the meatloaf, I created an amazing Garlic Herb Mac and Cheese. I used a different method this time and did not make a bechamel sauce. Instead, I made a garlic herb butter which I poured all over the cooked macaroni. Then I added half of it to a baking dish, spread a thick layer of cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, white cheddar), then more macaroni, more cheese, and finished with panko breadcrumbs. The best part was that due to my busy schedule, I was able to make this fully in advance (the night before). All I needed to do was bring it to room temperature before baking and it was perfect.
More make ahead recipes happening this evening in the kitchen, but those will be in the next blog entry! Have a great week!
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