Stuffing Frittata

This is a repost of my favorite “Thanksgiving Leftover” recipe. This stuffing frittata is SO easy to make for a post-holiday breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients 

Cooking spray
2 cups leftover stuffing

1 cup of diced leftover turkey
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400

Coat an ovenproof nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Place over medium heat (on stovetop).

Mix stuffing and turkey in a bowl, then put mixture in the bottom of pan to warm through.

Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon of parsley (save the rest for later), red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste… it depends on how much seasoning was used in the stuffing.

Pour egg mixture over stuffing and cheese to cover stuffing. Sprinkle Parmesan over top.

Carefully transfer to preheated oven.

Bake until the eggs are set and the sides have puffed up a little bit and cheese is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool before cutting.

Sprinkle with remaining fresh parsley.

Remember: This isn’t just for “Thanksgiving Leftovers”. I’ve made it with good old Stovetop stuffing on a lovely Spring day. It’s fun, easy and super tasty!

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PHOTOS: Chef Ludo’s Confit Pork Belly

Last week I made Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s Confit Pork Belly, in celebration of his new cooking show, The Taste (on ABC).

Prepping and cooking the pork was almost a three-day process, but SO worth the time and effort.

Best of all? I got to share it with Ludo, his wife Krissy and a small group of friends, who gathered at the Lefebvre’s home for the premiere. If you haven’t seen The Taste yet, you can view it online here.

I purchased the pork belly at Lindy & Grundy. Erte was kind enough to score the skin for me!

The first step is to make a brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. Chef Ludo’s recipe is on page 228 of his book, LudoBites.

Remove the pork from the brine, then confit in lard in the oven on a low temperature. The lard was also purchased from Lindy & Grundy.

After it’s cooked low and slow, the belly must be cold-pressed in the refrigerator overnight. I used two glass casserole pans and foil-covered bricks to compress the pork.

After cold-pressing the pork belly, gently cut pieces, transfer to a new pan and cook until golden brown and heated through.

Make the Glaze
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1/3 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 teaspoons water

Instructions:
Combine the honey, vinegar, soy sauce and five-spice powder in a heavy small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk the cornstarch mixture, then whisk into the glaze to blend and return the glaze to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cover to keep warm.

I finished the pork belly at Ludo’s home and was thrilled that he (and all the guests) enjoyed it!

My Pork Belly Confit finished.

The recipe is from LudoBites, available on Amazon or iTunes. I’ve cooked several recipes from the book, and have loved every bite!

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Go #TeamLudo!

Pressed Belly Of Pork

How to make Gordon Ramsay’s Pressed Belly of Pork.

Watch this video (a short clip from his show, the F Word).

Shop for the ingredients (per video recipe)
Pork Belly
Thyme
Garlic
White Wine (1 bottle)
Chicken Stock (1 cup)
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Then follow these next steps:

Beautiful Pork Belly from Lindy & Grundy

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Score the pork belly, season with salt & pepper then drizzle with olive oil
Add garlic & thyme to pan, resting the scored pork belly on top
Pour about 1/2 bottle of wine around the belly
Cover with foil
Cook for 2 hours in oven

Remove pork from baking pan

Make the gravy by first deglazing with the rest of the white wine
Reduce, add chicken stock, reduce again then sieve into bowl
Cover and put gravy in fridge

Get two trays (I used two glass pans) and press together

Weigh down with heavy cans, or use foil-covered bricks
Cold-press in fridge for at least 6 hours

Remove weights and top pan (carefully)

Cut into portions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees

Cook for 10 minutes or until crisped to your liking
Warm the gravy

Gordon Ramsay’s Pressed Belly of Pork… DONE!

About Gordon Ramsay’s F Word

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Lindy and Grundy Butchers

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Chimichurri Butter

I’ve been putting in on everything lately…

Chimichurri Butter On Corn

Chimichurri Butter On Baked Chicken Thighs

Fritatta Made With Chimichurri Butter

And OF COURSE on Skirt Steak!

There are endless ideas for this compound butter… slather it on a crusty baguette, or on mashed potatoes, hash browns, fried rice, steamed spinach, grilled onions, sautéed shrimp, grits, pan-fried tilapia, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese steaks, pork chops, pasta, roasted tomatoes …

Chimichurri Butter Recipe by Ingrid Hoffmann

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
Salt

Directions
Place the vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a piece of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and wring out the excess liquid. Place the mixture in a small bowl and stir in the butter.

Transfer the chimichurri butter to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it has hardened.

Note: I just placed in plastic container then scooped out with small ice cream scoop.

I also love Chimichurri with TUNA aka my “ChimiTuna” 

About Chimichurri

Squash Habañero Chutney Recipe

Some like it hot. I like it fiery hot.

Squash Habañero Chutney Recipe

Whenever I mix up a big batch of my homemade habañero chutney, I’m usually the only one who ends up enjoying it. So when I’m cooking for a crowd, I make a version that includes apple and squash, which temper the heat of the habañero. I’ve used it on burgers, steak, chicken, fish, quesadillas, and even topped on an omelet. And just in case a fellow fire-eater sits down at my table, I always have some freshly, chopped habañero on the side.

Squash Habañero Chutney Recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup fresh squash, cleaned and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium granny smith green apple, cored peeled and diced
1 medium red onion, diced
3 small habañero chiles: 2 seeded and diced (save 1 portion for later, plus 1 whole for garnish)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
8 cloves garlic, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprig for garnish
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
Water

Directions

Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, apple, pumpkin, chili, garlic, ginger and gently saute for about ten minutes.

Add enough water to cover contents and mix. Make sure to scrape bottom of pot to pick up any tasty brown bits.

Add allspice, thyme, vinegar then cover and cook until the mixture is just tender (stirring occasionally) for about 5 minutes.

Add brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring gently until the sugar is dissolved.

Simmer gently, stirring often, for about 30-45 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates and chutney is thick, with chunks remaining.

Stir in salt and mix well, gently smashing pieces of pumpkin. But don’t smash too much, a few chunky pieces are good. If mixture is not soft enough, add 1/4 cup of water and continue cooking on low heat. Continue adding water until the texture feels like a thick jam, then remove from heat.

Let chutney cool and prepare your steak (or whatever you decided to cook).

Serve chutney chilled or at room temperature.

Originally posted on “Tastespotting This Summer”, Patrón Social Club website 8/28/2010

Queso Fresco Salsa [Recipe]

If you like your salsa chunky and cheesy, here’s an easy one that’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo. This recipe is one that I make regularly for parties and family gatherings (and was featured on Saveur.com last year). I don’t remember where I first got the basic salsa recipe, but I pretty much just combined that with a classic chimichurri mix, and added crumbled queso fresco cheese at the end.

Ingredients:
4 cups cherry tomatoes (or any small)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Jalapeño Chiles, de-seeded (if needed) & sliced thin
2 limes, juiced
1 medium jicama, peeled and diced
4 ripe tomatillos, husked, rinsed and diced
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 pound queso fresco cheese, chopped or crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat up the broiler.

Put the tomatoes (make sure they are dried) onto a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil and rub all over tomatoes, then add a bit of salt and pepper.

Broil until the tomatoes just burst, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Remove tomatoes from oven and let them cool.

Combine garlic, jalapeno and lime juice into a large bowl, then whisk in vinegar and olive oil.

Depending on if you like your salsa chunky or smooth, you can either place ingredients in food processor or mix into same bowl.

For the salsa we made (in photos), we blended all the broiled tomatoes, as well as half the remaining ingredients in food processor. We then blended in the remaining ingredients and the cheese at the end.

If you want the salsa chunky, then add all ingredients into bowl and mix by hand. If you like it super smooth and juicy, then blend in food processor (or blender) until you get the consistency you want.

Taste and season the salsa with salt or pepper if needed.

You can eat right away, but it will taste better if given time in fridge. Make sure to cover tightly.

Enjoy!

Featured on Saveur.com

Many more recipe photos on Flickr!

Originally posted 2/5/10

Guinness Float (with spicy chocolate)

Here’s a super easy Guinness float recipe that we make every year on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s super fatty, super bold and super delicious. Which is why we only enjoy it on March 17th!

What you need:

1 bottle of 11.2 oz Guinness Draught
1 pint of vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup of heavy cream (optional)
1 tablespoon of malted milk
Dark chocolate shavings (I like Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate with infused premium red chili)
Blender

How to make it:

1. Scoop Ice Cream into blender
2. Poor Guinness on top
3. Add dry malted milk powder
4. Gently hand mix together
5. Use blender to finish mixing
6. If too thick, add heavy cream to dilute
7. Zest chocolate on top before serving
8. Smile!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

About Guinness

Guinness Steak Pie

Jamie Oliver’s
Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie with a Puff Pastry Lid

If you’re searching for a St. Patrick’s Day supper recipe (or a hearty meal to warm your spirits), this is a delicious alternative to the traditional pot of corned beef and cabbage, especially if you’re a “meat pie” lover like me.

The recipe is from Jamie Oliver’s terrific cookbook “Jamie at Home”, which coincides with his show on Food Network. The episode with this recipe is called “Pastry”, in case you haven’t seen it yet.

This dish is now a St. Paddy’s Day tradition in our house, and it’s always a hit with friends and family.

My changes to the original recipe are noted in orange.

Ingredients

Olive oil
3 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
1 oz butter plus extra for greasing
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery trimmed and chopped
4 field mushrooms peeled and sliced
2 1/2 pound brisket or stewing beef cut in to 1 inch cubes
a few sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can of Guinness beer
(Instead I used 2 bottles ofGuinness Draught, 11.2 oz size bottles)
2 heaped tablespoons of flour
7 oz freshly grated cheddar cheese
2 sheets of ready made good quality all butter puff pastry
1 large organic free range egg, beaten
(I also added 1 chopped Jalapeno for heat)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large ovenproof pan, heat a glug of olive oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry them gently for about ten minutes – try not to color them too much.

Turn up the heat add the garlic, butter, carrots, celery, jalapenos and scatter in the mushrooms. Mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, a pinch of slat and a level teaspoon of pepper.

Fry fast for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in one bottle of Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about one (1) and 1/2 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and give the stew a stir. Put it back in to the oven and continue to cook it for another hour or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich dark and thick. (I added another half bottle of Guinness at this point).

Jamie notes: “A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the hob (stove top) and reduce until the sauce thickens.”

Remove it from the heat and stir in half of the cheese, then season carefully and leave it to cool slightly.

Cut about a third of the pastry from the block. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll both pieces of pastry out evenly with a floured rolling pin to the thickness of a pound coin.

Butter an appropriately sized pie dish then line with the larger sheet, leaving the edges dangling over the sides.

Tip (pour or spoon) the stew into your pastry lined dish and even it out before sprinkling the remaining cheese over it.

Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.

Cut the other rolled sheet of pastry to fit the top of the pie dish and criss-cross lightly with a sharp knife. Place it over the top of the pie and fold the overhanging pastry on to the pastry lid to make it look nice and rustic.

Brush the top with beaten egg then bake the pie directly on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes until the pastry is cooked puffed and golden.

Serves 4 to 6

Jamie Oliver’s Official Website

“Jamie at Home” on Food Network

If you have the U.K. version of the book “Jamie Oliver at Home”, it’s on page 342.

I use this Gram Conversion Calculator

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Originally posted Mar 13, 2009

Our Family Salsa

Wednesday night is absolutely my favorite night of the week. It’s the one evening that I get to cook for my niece and nephews, but more importantly it’s the one night a week that I sit down at a family dinner table. If Peter and I aren’t dining out, we’re usually eating in front of our computers. Bad, I know… but it’s the truth.

I’m VERY close with my sister Janet’s kids, and if I didn’t have them around, I’m certain I’d feel an emptiness in my life. Peter and our rowdy band of pups are great (totally our “kids”), but there’s nothing that makes me happier than being “Aunt Jo”.

Chace & Kindal (twins, 14) love to help me in the kitchen and big brother Cody is always the first to clean up the dishes, which makes it a terrific group effort.

There’s nothing better than the kids serenading me with guitars (or ukulele!) while I’m getting dinner ready. I taught them how to play them years ago, and of course they’re both better than me now! Cooking and playing music together is a weekly ritual that I hate to miss, and never ever take for granted.

Recently, the twins wanted to learn how to make my “Queso Fresco” salsa. It’s one that I’ve made over and over again for parties and family gatherings. I don’t remember where I first got the basic salsa recipe, but I pretty much just combined that with a classic chimichurri mix, which made it my own.

Now, it’s our family salsa recipe, and the twins made it together last night. It’s so good that my sister eats it like gazpacho soup!

Ingredients:
4 cups cherry tomatoes (or any small)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Jalapeño Chiles, de-seeded (if needed) & sliced thin
2 limes, juiced
1 medium jicama, peeled and diced
4 ripe tomatillos, husked, rinsed and diced
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 pound queso fresco cheese, chopped or crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat up the broiler.

Put the tomatoes (make sure they are dried) onto a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil and rub all over tomatoes, then add a bit of salt and pepper.

Broil until the tomatoes just burst, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Remove tomatoes from oven and let them cool.

Combine garlic, jalapeno and lime juice into a large bowl, then whisk in vinegar and olive oil.

Depending on if you like your salsa chunky or smooth, you can either place ingredients in food processor or mix into same bowl.

For the salsa we made (in photos), we blended all the broiled tomatoes, as well as half the remaining ingredients in food processor. We then blended in the remaining ingredients and the cheese at the end.

If you want the salsa chunky, then add all ingredients into bowl and mix by hand. If you like it super smooth and juicy, then blend in food processor (or blender) until you get the consistency you want.

Taste and season the salsa with salt or pepper if needed.

You can eat right away, but it will taste better if given time in fridge. Make sure to cover tightly.

Enjoy!

Many more recipe photos on Flickr!

4th of July Recipe – Bacon Wrapped Baby Potatoes

These bacon wrapped baby potatoes are an easy side dish that I make over and over again, simply because they’re requested over and over again! A tasty and comforting addition to any Fourth of July get-together. Enjoy!

The Recipe:

4 lbs. of baby potatoes, washed & patted dry

1 pack of regular bacon (not thick)

1 package of fried, crispy onion bits: the kind you find in the produce section (optional)

1 tablespoon of chives (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Toothpicks. Soak in water first to prevent burning.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.

Depending on the size of the potato, cut and wrap the bacon around the potatoes and secure with a toothpick.

Place potatoes in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and bacon is cooked to your liking.

Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

Optional: Top with fried crispy onion bits, chives and sour cream.

 

Note: This is was originally posted on 12/3/08

Recipe adapted from Australian About.com