Tex Mex Egg Breakfast

I always chuckle when something is labeled "Tex Mex".  Obviously it is a fusion of Texan and Mexican foods, and it involves some spicy smokiness, but otherwise it just sounds kind of goofy.  Well I done gone and used the spurs-and-mustachioed cowboy term for this delicious meal right here.  I heated leftover turkey taco meat, scrambled in some eggs, topped it with super sharp white cheddar and, viola!  Sides of buttery avocado, chipotle cheese dip, cherry tomatoes, and blue corn chips round out this spicy,  nacho-inspired breakfast.

There's not a whole lot more to know, except how I originally prepared the meat.  I tried out Trader Joe's brand taco seasoning packet and man was it spicy.  I was wincing a little. My kids could not eat it.  (Had to whip out a can of black beans).

What is this meal missing?  Sour cream.  I was out,  and too lazy to walk to the corner store so I suffered through without.  If I were you and I were making this dish, I would seriously consider adding Le Sour Cream to your Ranchero moment.  Maybe some diced fresh green onion to garnish.

Meat:

Saute diced onion and garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat.  Brown salted ground turkey (or beef or tofu) for 8-10 minutes.  Add the seasoning packet and a cup of water.  Cover.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

mama's meatloaf

yo!! I'm just gonna get right to it & say that I make some seriously good meatloaf. Some have said it is the best they've ever had. My man plans to put my meatloaf on the menu at his restaurant. It's THE BOMB. I make it every couple of months and last night I was half watching Paula Deen (yep, that's right, I watch Paula...) and she was making meatloaf, and that was it, I had to have it. It was always a favorite of mine as a kid, and I still love it now. I guess there are those out there who find it incredibly disgusting, the name IS kinda gross, MEAT LOAF...sounds kind of like it could be made out of mysterious, unknown meat products & scraps of some sort. But not mine. I use all organic, all good, all meat meat, and it is dee-lish. This recipe makes 1 small loaf, perfect for 2 people, and usually there is a little bit leftover to make meat loaf sammy's for lunch the next day, yum!

You will need:

1/3 lb ground pork

1/3 lb ground beef

1/3 lb ground turkey

1 small onion or 2 shallots

2 eggs

2/3 cup bread crumbs

3 Tbsp ketchup

2 tsp worcestershire

salt

pepper

garlic powder

Sauce ( if you so choose to make it...)

1 cup fresh tomato, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup any of the following that sound good or that you might have in your fridge:

mushrooms, red or green pepper, zucchini, broccoli, yellow squash, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

Pre-heat the old oven to 350 degrees. Saute your onion or shallot in a bit of oil until soft & translucent. Throw all your ingredients into a large mixing bowl, including the onion once it is ready. It's gonna look gross...

Mix, mix, mix!! I prefer to use clean hands to mix this, it just works the best. If your mix seems a bit too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs. If it feels a bit too dry, add another splash of ketchup or a tiny bit more egg. Once mixed, form the mixture into a loaf shape in the middle of a cookie sheet, or you could pack the whole thing into a loaf pan.

Now we come to my secret ingredient. This might be the reason my loaf is so darn good. This recipe comes by way of my mom & my sister & they both swear by this stuff. My dad does too, as a matter of fact, you won't see him grillin' steaks without it. You might recognize it from your mom or your grandma's pantry in like 1978, but they still make it and I keep some around for meatloaf making. It's the only thing I use it for. I've never made meatloaf without it. What, you ask, could it possibly be? The one, the only....Kitchen Bouquet. "Browning & seasoning sauce". Kinda weird. Mystery sauce.  But it's not all that bad, I mean, it doesn't have high fructose or MSG or any of that stuff. It's basically a blend of caramel and vegetables. All things in moderation. So anyways, that's all I'm gonna say in my defense of Kitchen Bouquet. On with the recipe...

After forming your loaf, paint the whole top of it with Kitchen Bouquet (but only if you want your meatloaf to be THE BEST ever). Paint it, and then toss it in the oven for about 40 minutes. Meat should be not pink, but not dry.

Finally, I like to make a super fresh "sauce" to top my loaf with. It is a nice contrast to this heavier meat meal. My sister gave me the idea and it really makes it awesome...

Put a bit of oil in your saute pan. Throw in your chopped fresh tomatoes and let 'em go on real low heat until they start to break down and release their liquid. Next add any other veggies you have chosen along with your garlic & tomato paste. Saute a few minutes more, until veggies are all good and soft. Top your meatloaf with this delicious little concoction and serve the whole thing with fried potatoes & a green salad. Soooooooo....good!!

Papa is very happy when mama makes meat loaf. It's a good day when it's meat loaf day, no doubt...

Crowns #2

Crowns! Yep, they rule. Make some now! You won't be sorry...

Refrigerator Quiche

Quiche! It's not just for fancy lunching ladies anymore!! Nope. It's dinner at my house, and these days, that ain't fancy. Although I do have these grand visions, for some other life when I'm much more organized and less tired, of having a very fancy quiche party. It's all high heels and aprons and delicious white wine and flowers all over my house. Someday....Right now its flip flops & frozen, not high heels and homemade pie crusts. Why?? BECAUSE I HAVE A BABY!! Ever had one? Well go try it and then get back to me. Now I'm not saying that ladies with babies can't wear high heels, and make everything from scratch, and climb the corporate ladder, and become president, and blah, blah, blah, if they so choose. So don't get all worked up. I'm just telling you that right now I'm in it, DEEP in it, with the getting used to being a mother thing, and homemade pie crust AIN'T HAPPENIN!! But, refrigerator quiche is, so here goes...

I call this refrigerator quiche because I started making it out of anything and everything that I might have in my fridge. I used to have a big problem of buying way too much food, and before I knew it things like lunch meat & spinach were going bad. OH NO! Starving kids everywhere! So I started making a big effort to buy LESS and to use up the odds and ends in various creative ways. Soups, stews, and, you guessed it, quiche! You can seriously put almost anything in quiche ,meats, veggies, herbs, cheese, etc...Tonight mine is made with frozen pie crust, although as previously stated, I have high hopes to someday get back to making my own. For the time being, as far as frozen goes, I really like these...

Here's the "recipe", if you can call it that. It's more just a guideline, and you add whatever you have in your fridge...

You will need...

1 pie crust (frozen or homemade)

8 eggs

Splash of cream or milk

Salt & Pepper

1 clove garlic

1 small shallot (optional)

A "handful" of any of the following (choose 4 or 5 ingredients):

-veggies (mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash)

-cheese, any kind really, crumbled or shredded

-lunchmeat (turkey, ham, chicken) or leftover meat from last night's dinner

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop your veggies and your meat pretty small. If you are using garlic, shallot, mushrooms, squash, or zucchini, I find these work best if you saute them lightly in butter or oil first. If using potatoes or sweet potatoes, fry them up until they are good and crispy before tossing them into the mix. Put all of your prepared ingredients into the pie crust, just throw them in! Whisk together your eggs & milk or cream. Pour eggs evenly over all of your ingredients. Salt & pepper to taste. Top with a little more shredded or crumbled cheese. Pop in the oven & bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The quiche is done when a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Quiche! Perfect with a crisp green salad or fruit salad, and lovely anytime of day...

P.S. Get Creative!! Remember, it's Refrigerator Quiche, so use what you have! Tonight I also threw in some fresh thyme. Last time I used feta & rosemary. You get the idea, have fun, and get fancy with it. Even if you ARE wearing flip flops.

P.P.S. Last thing, I swear! When we do have our very fancy (say that in a raspy, sexy, older woman kind of voice, veeeeeeery fancy) quiche party, you'll be able to recognize me because I'll be wearing these...

The perfect combo of bling & baked goods. Betty Homemaker & Beyonce. Yes!! Because that's how I roll, sometimes.

Peace Out...