Salmon Croquettes - A Southern Tradition (and Treat!)

I have to brag a little, y'all.  I am incredibly lucky to have such such caring, wonderful friends.  My 28th birthday was a few weeks ago, and in celebration, one of my dearest college friends (who is, by the way, a badass triathlete) Anna sent me the bible of Texas home cooking.  Yes, that's right, y'all...she sent me "The Homesick Texan" cookbook.  Now, for those of you who are not familiar with Lisa Fain, she is a seventh generation Texan who moved to New York and has been missing the big, open sky and Texan tradition ever since.  Her nostalgia became so strong that she began writing a blog documenting her culinary explorations, which later resulted in a fabulous cookbook.  What I found so unique about her blog was not just the intricate photos she took of her foods, or the memories that her recipes of such regional classic dishes as Texas-style barbeque, stuffed avocados, or chicken/beef fajitas evoked, but her simple, anecdotal writing style.  Each entry had a perfect dash of personal touch -- just enough to connect with any reader, regardless of his/her background.  Then, when Anna sent me the cookbook, I became HOOKED.  Unfortunately, I caught a terrible cold the morning of my birthday, but I spent all day reading in bed about different recipes and marking my favorites to try later.  Not a bad way to spend a sick day, if I say so myself. :)

One of the most striking recipes I found in the book was one for salmon croquettes.  Now, salmon croquettes are a traditional Southern dish, but they also bring me back to my days living at home because they remind me of Bengali maacher chop (essentially, fried fish patties, or croquettes).  My mom would whip up a batch for dinner parties or when we came home from college from scratch pretty easily.  They would be served with a homemade (of course) spicy mint or cilantro chutney, as well as a sweeter, tangier tamarind sauce.  Anyway, I decided to finally make them a few days ago and they turned out pretty tasty, I think.  I have to say, though, I have a new appreciation for my mother's quick and efficient skills in the kitchen.  She'd make these things in no time at all, and I spent nearly four hours preparing my batch!

So, here's to you, Ma -- this is the first and last time I'll likely ever make these from scratch, but at least I've documented the experience and checked it off my bucket list.  Now for the deets...

I did change Lisa's recipe a little (because, let's face it...you know by now that I can never follow recipes exactly...), and the final details below reflect those changes.  Instead of using Panko or breadcrumbs to coat the patties, I rolled them in a plate of finely crushed cheddar and sour cream chips (!!). I also served the croquettes aside 2 sauces; the first was a creamy cilantro sauce (reminiscent of my mom's cilantro chutney, but a little different recipe), while the other was a yogurt-based dip reminiscent of tzatziki, but with cilantro and lime.  I served the delectable pan-fried salmon patties with a Southwestern-style salad packed with creamy avocados, succulent tomatoes, freshly boiled black beans (not from the can, y'all), and a healthy dose of lime, salt, cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco.  If you do try the recipe below, feel free to use instant potatoes and canned salmon to cut down on preparation time.  I made everything from scratch just to try it once (plus I found an incredible sale on salmon last week and had some extra fish leftover in my freezer!).  Bon appetit!

Salmon croquettes served with creamy cilantro and yogurt-based sauces, and
a refreshing Southwestern-style salad.

Ingredients:

-1 lb salmon fillet
-1/4 lb Yukon gold potatoes
-1 serrano (or your favorite) pepper
-red pepper flakes
-6 cloves of garlic
-1 onion
-3 limes
-1 large egg
-1 small bag of cheddar and sour cream (or your favorite) chips
-1 bunch cilantro
-1 cup yogurt
-salt/pepper to taste
-1-2 tbsp butter (to fry the patties)

Preparation:

Croquettes:

-Lightly season the salmon with salt and garlic (garlic often kills the 'fishy' smell if it's not the freshest batch in the seafood aisle) and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees (*Note: Cook time will vary by oven)
-Remove salmon from oven after cooked completely and let cool.  After it has cooled, remove the skin on the back of the fillet.
-Boil potatoes on the stove until they seem soft enough to mash (*Note: Usually takes less time if you halve or quarter the potatoes), then drain and let potatoes cool.
-Mash the potatoes and salmon in a large mixing bowl (it's more fun to do it with your hands!) and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, a handful of chopped cilantro, and the juice of one lime.
-Finely chop half an onion and four cloves of garlic, then sautee for 1-2 minutes until they begin to 'sweat.'
-Remove onions and garlic from stove and add to the salmon and potato mix, along with 1 large egg.
-Mix/mash thoroughly and form tennis ball sized spheres from the mixture.  Flatten the patties onto a separate plate.
-Coat the patties in the crushed chips and fry in a large pan, 3 minutes on each side.  Serve warm with 2 sauces (or your own concoction) described below.
*Note: Remember, you can store fried croquettes on a cookie sheet in the oven at 170 degrees, to keep your food warm.

Creamy Cilantro Sauce:
-Combine 1 bunch of washed cilantro (stems and all), two tablespoons yogurt, half an onion, 1 raw serrano (or your favorite) pepper (stem removed), the juice of one lime, a generous amount of salt, and a splash of water into a food processor.
-Pulverize the mixture until it becomes a creamy sauce.  Adjust seasonings as needed.

A Southwestern Tzatziki Sauce:
-Strain half a cup of yogurt into the sink or a large bowl using a cheese cloth (if you don't have cheese cloth, which I never do, then you can always use an old cotton rag or t-shirt, as long as it's clean).  Most of the liquid should drain within 10-20 minutes.
-Remove the strained yogurt from the cloth and pour into a small bowl.
-Add 2 cloves of FINELY chopped garlic, the squeeze of half a lime, 1 handful of chopped cilantro, and a generous amount of salt.
-Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.

When life gets you down, put things in perspective...

Today's post only peripherally involves food.  Don't worry, I'll still provide a recipe by the end of this spiel, but this post mostly focuses on the importance of putting things in perspective.  And running.

I've had numerous people ask me why I run.  WHAT possesses you to get up every morning and run before work? WHY do you feel the need to put extra miles in on the weekends?  HOW do you motivate yourself to run these long distance races?  Or simply, WHY do you run?

I do it because running represents a microcosm of my life.  Most people think I'm crazy because I love training in hilly areas.  But to be honest, I absolutely crave the feeling of accomplishment after tackling a big one -- the pain, the blood, sweat, and tears that go into trudging up a mountain (or what appears to be a mountain 10 miles into a run, ha!), all well worth it when I get to the top.  Forgive me for being hokey, but when I run uphill, I picture my climb to represent adversity, life's deepest fears, the things we feel we'll never overcome.  Trust me, when you see a large hill in front of you during a race, your immediate thought probably isn't, "Let's do this shit!!"  It's more than likely something like, "Jesus, this is a big hill. Am I going to make it?  Everyone else is walking or stopping around me, maybe I should give myself a break, too."  That's all the negative talk your head, dictating what you can and cannot do.  All that negative talking can really limit your abilities, you know, if you really let it.  And while it's important to listen to your body and understand your limitations (I'm getting to that next), it's vital to be able to tell the difference between your mind trying to talk you down and your body giving you warning signs to play it cool.  If I decide that it's just negative banter in my head, I redirect my mind towards my only goal for the next 15 seconds to 5 minutes (yeah, some hills are big) -- climb to the top.  And don't stop.  I did try to stop once during a long distance race, actually.  I was at mile 11 of a half marathon in Austin, Texas and I was just plain exhausted from the heat.  I started to walk uphill, when I heard a guy on the sideline yell, "NO!  Don't walk! You can do this! Just run it!  You know you have it in you!" The guy was near screaming in my face, and boy did I listen to him.  "OKAYYYYYY," I yelled back and nodded my head vigorously.  I then ran up that hill with every fiber in my being, and suddenly, a second wind kicked in.  I conquered that hill, the one that I wasn't sure if I could climb.  The one I was sure I would walk up because I was just too damn tired.  I did it because someone encouraged me and I shut that negative talk away so I could see my path very clearly (I'm suddenly reminded of the Bad Idea Bears from Avenue Q).  And similarly, when I get to a point in my life when I feel like I just can't deal with what's in front of me (it's happened before, and it's bound to happen again), I know I can overcome.  As long as I know my clear path to the finish line, I just need to put things in perspective, shut down those Bad Idea Bears, and keep on keepin' on.  We can all do it.

Now, getting to knowing one's limitations.  Life is sometimes hard.  Life sometimes throws us curveballs.  Life never turns out the way we plan it to be, no matter how hard we try.  And what do we do when things don't go our way?  We figure out a new plan. We improvise.  We find a solution to the problem and move on, knowing that, even though life threw us off a little bit, we still have our loved ones around us.  Last Thursday (on my 28th birthday, no less), I woke up with a terrible cold and I panicked.  I had, just 48 hours earlier, purchased an entry ticket for the Atlanta Publix Half Marathon on Sunday.  I HAD to be at that race!  I decided to take action.  I would take ibuprofen three times a day, I would drug myself with pseudoephedrine twice a day. I'd make myself lemon, ginger, and honey tea and drink it every hour.  I'd keep myself hydrated and stay off my feet.  I was going to play this game right if I was going to make this race!  I went the entire weekend thinking I was going to make that race, guys.  I was super determined.  I even went out and bought myself energy gus, picked up my race packet, and signed up for a pace group.  I was NOT going to let a silly little rhinovirus get the best of me!  (*Note: 3 years ago, while working at the CDC Influenza Division, I was hit by, no less, the influenza virus 4 days before another long distance race.  Talk about bad luck!)  But, by Saturday evening, I began to realize the limitations of my own body.  I had been running on crazy adrenaline the last three days; or, maybe it was the 100+ fever talking, who knows.  Regardless, I finally understood that if I ran this race on Sunday morning, I would set back my recovery another week.  Plus, the temperatures were so high on Sunday that my fever probably would have spiked mid-race.  BUT I COULDN'T GIVE UP YET!  Perhaps there was a solution!  Perhaps I could take preemptive measures to drug myself and keep my fever down!  I decided to look for Runner's World articles and blogs on 'rules of thumb' for running races with a cold.  "So, if your symptoms are from the neck up, you're okay to run! That's me! Wait, except for fevers? And body aches?  Ah, nuts.  Maybe this other website will tell me otherwise." Yeah, that's what I was doing for about an hour.  Ridiculous.  This was the Bad Idea Bears started planting ideas in my head.  I eventually returned to reality, confirmed with a few friends (thanks, Katie and Helen) that if I ran the exact race course the following weekend by myself, I could still justify wearing my race shirt, and finally relaxed and gave up fighting my body the rest of the night.  :)

I slept soundly for the most part that night, but I kept having vivid dreams of waking up at 4 AM, feeling 100%, and deciding to run the race anyway at the last minute.  TWICE I had the same dream!  Anyway, to ameliorate these feelings of guilt and defeat, Joe and I cheered race participants on from the 20 mile marker the next day. I'd like to think our high fives and words of encouragement to "just push through that wall" helped at least a few people.  It was the least I could do to help out the running community of Atlanta, right? (Joe and I are both too familiar with that terrible, stubborn, lonely wall around miles 18-20.  It's a doosey to get through.)

That cheered me up a little, but I still felt a little glum.  Joe kept reminding me that if I had indeed run this race, I would have ended up like Allie (of Hyperbole and a Half).  [**Note: If you have not experienced the awesomeness that is Hyperbole and a Half, you MUST read this blog.  It is a fantastic time waster.  And hilarious.  You might be crying and falling out of your chair due to intense belly-aching laughs.]  To cheer me up, we decided to cook together a simple, yet hearty, chicken fiesta soup (similar to a chicken tortilla soup, but with potatoes added to it).  It was a fantastic meal, topped with an avocado and tomato pico de gallo and crushed tortilla chips.

Here's the recipe below...enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 whole chicken, with skin
-1 pot full of water
-3 small tomatoes, or 2 large ones
-2 avocados
-1 large red onion
-2 handfuls of red potatoes
-1 cup corn
-1 cup black beans
-1 bunch of cilantro
-Salt/pepper to taste
-1 whole lime
-tortilla chips (as a topper)
-shredded cheddar cheese (as a topper)

Preparation:

Chicken broth:
-Place whole chicken, with skin, into a pot full of water with some salt, and heat until boiling.  Let simmer and continue to heat on low for about an hour.
*Note: You can also add things like carrots, celery, and bay leaves to the pot of water when making the broth.  We kept it simple, though.

Avocado and tomato pico de gallo:
-Dice 2 avocados, 2 small tomatoes (or 1 large tomato), and a fourth of a red onion into small cubes.
-Slice a handful of cilantro into the pico de gallo.
-Salt and pepper generously.
-Add the squeeze of about half a lime.
-Adjust seasonings as needed.

Chicken Fiesta Soup:
-In a pot full of chicken broth, add diced potatoes, 1 diced tomato, 3/4 diced onion, 1 cup of black beans (pre-washed), 1 cup of corn (pre-washed), half of a chicken (shredded), salt/pepper, and the squeeze of half a lime.
-Cook on high heat until boiling, then let simmer for 2+ hours.
-Remove from heat, ladle in a healthy serving of the chicken fiesta soup, and top with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo, if desired.
-ENJOY!

A Surprisingly Pleasant Visit to The Waffle House // Umami, Dearest

Alas, I return from another blog hiatus.  I hope you are ready for a blog-tastic time.  Err, um (oom)-tastic time. Ah, pun-tastic time.  Oh boy.  We all know how much I love cheesy puns and play on words.  (Feel free to roll your eyes at this point)

All right, did we get that all out of our system yet?  Okay!  Well, I have a lot to tell you all, folks.  In fact, too much to fit into one tiny post.  Regardless, I'll try to catch you all up on the juicy, delect-acular details (see what I mean??).

A SURPRISINGLY PLEASANT VISIT TO THE WAFFLE HOUSE

A few weeks ago, Joe and I went on a longer run with Sasha.  We took full advantage of the gorgeous weather and tackled a beautiful 9 mile route that we had carved out earlier in the day.  We were well aware, of course, that our stomachs would be begging for delicious, hearty meal and I generally like to plan my post-run meal ahead of time so I have something to look forward to.  "Where do you want to go for lunch today?  It has to be something DELICIOUS," I declare.  "Well, how about Waffle House?  We NEVER go to Waffle House," he replies.  GROAN.  WAFFLE HOUSE?!  I was skeptical.  (*Note: Joe has always wanted to visit the Waffle House Museum in Decatur, but unfortunately -- and maybe rather fortunately -- it is only open once a month.)  Anyway, I obliged and we headed to the nearest Waffle House after an invigorating jog in the sunshine together.  I ended up getting the pecan waffles with a side of bacon, while Joe ventured into the meaty entrees by ordering the fiesta omelet (which contained cheese, onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos).  I have to say, aside from the painstakingly slow service and the somewhat unclean kitchen floors, I was pleasantly surprised with our experience at the local Wa-Ho (as they call it here in Georgia).  Pecans were a perfect sweet and nutty addition to my waffles, which I topped with a thick slab of butter and a healthy dose of maple syrup.  Of course, one can never go wrong with a side of bacon, either.  Joe's fiesta omelet was a perfect, hearty post-run meal, packed with tons of protein.  So, while Waffle House was not my first choice in restaurants, it was a cheap way to re-energize after a long workout (I think our meal was a total of $15, and we got a TON of sides!).  Three cheers for Waffle House!

UMAMI, DEAREST

I read the most fascinating New York Times article a few days ago about the umami flavor.  As you'll recall, I've mentioned and described umami in some detail in a previous post, but this article highlights the most distinctive characteristics of the umami flavor and features them in a few fabulous recipes.  I plan on trying some of them over the next few weeks, but the miso butter seems particularly appealing (and the simplest) to me. I imagine the rich, nutty, salty flavors of the butter likely go well with just about anything, but I may try it with a medley of different types of mushrooms.  So, here's what I'm thinking -- a combination of shiitake, button, oyster, and enoki (or other) mushrooms sauteed in garlic, chives, and miso butter.  OR, a flaky fish, like tilapia or catfish, topped with miso butter, garlic, fresh ginger, and leeks, baked in a covered dish for 20-25 minutes.  I'll try these recipes (or others, if you all have suggestions) and report back the results.  Please do the same if you have any creative ideas or fantastic recipes in mind!  Something else that intrigued me on this page was the miso spice.  While it seems like it can be used as a topper or dry rub for various different dishes, the preparation of the spice appears to be somewhat onerous and time-consuming, so I may not try it after all.  Unless, of course, I happen to have 8 hours of spare time; but I may use that time to do other things, like eat foods involving miso butter!  (insert evil laugh)


My apologies for the silliness of this post.  I am in a silly mood, I'll be honest.  Tomorrow (or soon), I will post something about a trip I took to Houston a few weeks ago.  The entire weekend was a feast!

Hearty salad topped with smoked salmon and crushed chips

*Warning: Today's post will be short and simple.  Hope you still enjoy!

Y'all, I had the best salad yesterday.  All I wanted to do at the end of the day was come home and eat a comforting, filling dinner and watch some mindless TV with my sweet Sasha.  I remembered having some leftover smoked salmon from lunch and some irresistible loaded baked potato potato chips with ridges (best chips in the world, next to smoky barbeque chips.  Oh, and the ridges are key - chips taste better with that thick texture!) laying around.  So, I decided to make a large salad with whatever I had laying around the pantry and top it off with the salmon and crushed chips.  I think you can use literally whatever is in your fridge, but I happen to cut some lettuce, tomato, carrots, radishes, red onion, strawberries, and sliced almonds into my salad.  After topping it with thinly sliced salmon, I added a tangy, garlicky dressing and crushed a handful of deeeeeeeeee-lectable chips into the bowl.  (*Note: The chips should always go in last to maintain maximum crunchiness!)

Every bite was filled with the smokiness of the salmon, crunchiness of the radishes, chips, and almonds, and juiciness of the various sliced fruit in the salad.  Mmmm-mmm!  What a perfect way to end the day.

Here's the recipe for the dressing I made:

Garlicky balsamic vinaigrette (this is for a small jar-full):

Ingredients:

-1 part balsamic vinegar, 4 parts olive oil
-sea salt, cracked pepper
-1 large clove of garlic

Preparation:

-Combine vinegar, oil, and salt/pepper (to taste)
-Crush and finely chop the garlic and add to dressing (Note: It is important to crush the garlic first!  I usually do so with a meat tenderizer.  It helps release the delicious juices into the dressing.)
-Mix well and serve with salad

Creamy black bean soup

This post is dedicated to my friend Angela, who is the star baker of the Epi PhD program at Emory.  She sent me a delicious recipe for spicy chipotle black bean soup that we both ended up being immediately drawn to.  Everyone knows that croutons go well in soups, but little did I realize until late last week, that you can 'crouton' a lot of different things aside from bread.  This particular recipe called for sweet potato croutons, which were just as easy to make as regular old bread croutons, and a lot healthier.

Last Saturday evening, Joe and I got together with some old friends for dinner.  We cooked a fantastic 6 course meal (8 if you count the different types of desserts!) together, including 2 different types of roasted cornish hens.  (Aside: These are the same friends who came over for dinner when I had the cornish hen disaster of 2011.  They were sweet and decided to take another chance on me.)  I thought it would be perfect to start the crisp, cool evening off with a hearty and spicy black bean soup, so I made it as a sort of appetizer or starter, if you will.  As you all know by now, I never read through recipes thoroughly during the cooking process because I always end up changing things up anyway (hence why I have been discouraged by a few to bake homemade cookies ever again).  So, after a quick skim, I followed the general recipe while making a few improvisations along the way.  Generally speaking, it turned out pretty well.  I loved that the recipe had a refreshing Southwestern flair -- it called for fire-roasted tomatoes, which really added a smoky flavor to the dish, as well as creamy avocado slices, citrusy cilantro, and freshly-squeezed lime juice.  Main modifications I would make to the recipe include adding queso fresco as a topping (adds an additional level of creaminess and texture, plus cheese makes everything better) and baking/broiling the sweet potatoes to make them a little healthier with a similar crunchy texture.  Oh, and I nixed the greek yogurt topping.  I don't think the soup needs it, to be honest.  As usual, see below for the final recipe with final modifications:

Ingredients:

-2 cans of black beans
-1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes
-4 cups of chicken broth, or enough bullion to make the equivalent amount
-5 cloves of garlic
-1 medium onion
-1-2 serrano peppers, or whatever other peppers you have lying around the house
-1 fresh lime
-Handful of cilantro
-Salt/pepper to taste
-1 sweet potato
-Queso fresco
-1 avocado

Soup Preparation:

-Wash and drain the black beans
-Peel and roughly chop the garlic and onion
-Roughly chop the peppers and cilantro
-Slice the lime into quarters for ease in squeezing
-Fry the onions and garlic in a large pot on medium-high heat for a few minutes until they begin to brown
-Add the beans, canned tomatoes, broth, and peppers and cover the pot
-Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and let simmer
-Add cilantro, lime, salt and pepper to taste, and heat for another 10-15 minutes while covered
-Turn heat off and remove pot from stove.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
-Pour mixture into blender and puree until smooth.  Serve with toppings (see below).

Sweet Potato Crouton Preparation:

-Dice sweet potato into 1"x1" cubes.
-Place cubes into a baking pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt.
-Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
-When sweet potatoes look like they are beginning to brown, broil for 2-3 minutes.

Serving the soup:

-Serve piping hot (can place the blended, pureed soup back on the stove if need be) with queso fresco, diced avocado, and crunchy sweet potato croutons.
-Enjoy!

This picture is not mine but from the website with the original recipe.
I forgot to take pictures again!

Beer-braised pork with purple potatoes and carrots, and spicy sweet potato soup

Well, I have to say, I'd been waiting to try this beer-braised pork recipe for a few weeks now.  My partner-in-crime and culinary guinea pig had been out of the country for a week and a half and I was itching to try this with him!  I finally got my opportunity over a Valentine's Day dinner on Tuesday evening; overall, I'd say it was a success.  The key was marinating the pork chops in beer for a couple of hours (and no more!) and braising the meat until it literally fell off the bone.  Alcohol (amongst other things) is a natural meat tenderizer; when added to a marinade, it naturally penetrates and breaks down meat tissue.  One must be careful with tenderizing meat in this fashion for too long, however, since it can actually make the meat slimy and mushy.  And nobody wants mushy meat for dinner.  Ew.

I wanted to make this a finger-lickin' good platter (!), so I decided to braise the meat in the oven with some sliced purple potatoes so the starchiness of the potato could absorb some of the juices from the meat.  I thought maybe a lighter, sweeter dish would be an appropriate accompaniment to a hearty, gravy-filled pork entree so, inspired by the Homesick Texan (thank you for the recommendation, AP), I concocted a version of the chipotle sweet potato soup presented here.  And, of course you can't go wrong with roasted potatoes of any kind, so both of these were served with a side of garlic-roasted purple potatoes.

If I had to evaluate the meal, I'd give the pork entree about an 7.7.  I could have definitely made improvements to it.  In particular, if I had to make this dish again, I would use Russet potatoes because they are much starchier than other types of potatoes and would therefore absorb more of the pork juiciness.  Further, I would ACTUALLY braise the pork.  That's right, folks, I fibbed right on my blog!  I actually just baked the pork in a covered pot for 3 hours.  If you recall, braising involves both high and low heat (slow) cooking.  Typically it involves some sort of meat, which is first seared on the stove; after the surface of the meat is cooked, the dish is slow cooked on low, either in the oven or on the stove, often after additional liquid is added.  The intention is for the added liquid to then mix with the fats released during the high heat cooking process to create a warm, hearty, comforting gravy sauce that perfectly complements your oh-so-tender-fall-off-the-bone meat.  Anyway, in bypassing the initial high heat process, I may have failed to burn off some of the beer taste.  Don't worry, it's not like this dish was swimming in alcohol, guys.  The alcohol had long burned off.  But I do wonder if the SLIGHT ale-y taste I got in the gravy was due to not cooking the meat uncovered on high heat first.  Anyone have thoughts on that?

With that being said, I probably should have used less of the beer in the marinade to begin with.  I used an entire bottle, but half a bottle probably would have been sufficient.  That is not to say that this dish wasn't still good!  The meat was certainly tender and fell off the bone.  It was hearty and comforting.  Each bite was filled with tender meat, seasoned with wintry rosemary, garlic, shallots, and gravy-saturated carrots and potatoes.  So, with a few tweaks and adjustments, my final recommended recipe is below.

The spicy sweet potato soup deserves a rating of 9.3...no, 9.6.  I have to say, this dish really made our night.  Lighty and creamy, the sweetness of the potato seemed to be perfectly balanced with a hint of serrano pepper (sorry, folks -- didn't have any peppers on me, and besides, I hate following recipes to a "tee"...I usually just glance and go).  I have to give a lot of credit to Lisa Fain, who just has some really amazing recipes on her blog which make me nostalgic for Texas and its unique, varied cuisine.  This particular recipe really caught my eye, though, and I'm glad it turned out well.  I also have to say that adding nutty parmesan cheese and fresh basil to the soup really brought out the sweetness of the potatoes and spicy kick from the peppers.  It really brought the whole dish together, guys.  Don't leave them out!!

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for (or maybe just my parents and Joe, who MIGHT be the only people who read this on a regular basis...because they feel obligated to) -- the final products:

Juicy, tender, deliciously 'braised' pork chops with carrots and potatoes.  

Spicy sweet potato soup, served with a side of roasted garlic purple
potatoes.  I forgot to take a picture of the soup with the chopped basil
and parmesan cheese on top!  I can't stress to you how essential these
two "condiments" are to this soup!

THE RECIPES (dun-dun-dun):

Beer-Braised Pork Atop Purple Potatoes and Carrots:

Ingredients:

-2-ish pounds of pork (I used mixed chops, but you can use whatever)
-2 shallots
-4-5 cloves of garlic
-1 cup cream
-1 cup of chicken broth (or you can just use the appropriate amount of bullion for 1 cup of broth)
-1/2 bottle of beer
-2 large sprigs of rosemary
-salt/pepper to taste
-2 Russet potatoes
-2 large carrots
-1 serrano pepper

Preparation:
-Marinate pork in a large plastic bag or bowl with beer, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic, shallots, rosemary, and serrano pepper(s) for 4-8 hours.  Do NOT marinate for more than 8 hours to avoid slimy texture in the meat; the thinner your meat cut, the shorter your marinate time should be.
-Sear the pork on both sides (if you have chops, I'd say 3 minutes on each side?) in a large pot until mostly done.
-Cube the potatoes (into 2 inches x 2 inch blocks?) and add them, along with sliced carrots, 1 cup of cream and another cup of chicken broth (if you so desire, and if you feel you want more liquid in the gravy), to the pot and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours WITH THE COVER ON (this prevents the gravy liquid from escaping the pot so you don't end up roasting your pig).
-At this point, preparation should be relatively low maintenance.  Pull that sucker out when you think it's ready (likely in 2-3 hours) and take a taste test.  You'll know when it's good to go!


Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

-2 large sweet potatoes
-1 shallot
-2 cloves garlic
-ground cinnamon
-salt/pepper
-4 cups chicken broth
-1/2 cup milk
-1 (or more, depending on your heat tolerance) serrano (or other) pepper(s)
-1 tablespoon ghee/butter
-fresh basil leaves
-parmesan cheese

Preparation:

-Roughly chop the shallot, garlic, and sweet potatoes.
-Sautee the chopped shallot, garlic, and serrano pepper with ghee or butter until they begin to brown.
-Add the sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
-Add chicken broth, milk, appropriate amounts of salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon in a covered pot on medium for about 20-30 minutes (or until the sweet potatoes are tender and done).
-Remove from stove to cool for about 10 minutes.  (Note: It should start smelling delicious at this point!)
-Add soup mixture to blender and puree/pulse blend until it becomes incredibly creamy.
-Serve while hot and topped with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.  It makes ALL the difference in the world, guys.  Trust me.

Enjoy, y'all!  

A Hearty Breakfast For the Weary and Cold -- Challah Soy French Toast with Creamy Cinnamon Sauce and a Mixed Berry Compote + Italian Tofu Scramble

Guys, it's pretty cold here for Atlanta.  I mean, it feels pretty frigid, considering we've had less than 10 cold days this entire winter season.  And what better to do on a cold day than to eat hearty, comforting foods with friends? :)  Regretfully, I forgot to take pictures of our meal, but I'll try to make do in words and provide pictures of what I THINK the food looked like, courtesy of Google images (thank you, once again, oh mighty Google!).

I had some buddies from the PhD program come over yesterday morning for a late brunch / lunch.  I had some killer french toast last weekend at The Flying Biscuit, so I decided to make a lactose-intolerant-friendly version of it with a few dipping sauces.  I actually think making french toast with soy milk makes it more decadent -- soy milk has a natural sweet creaminess that goes well with this dish, in my opinion.  I also think it's crucial to choose thick slices of a bread that is naturally sweet and delicious on its own -- this is why I went with fresh-baked challah from the local bakery.  Oh, and what REALLY makes the difference between an 'eh, ok' french toast and a 'WOW!!  DELICIOUS!!" french toast is letting the pieces of sliced challah sit in the egg mixture for an hour or so before pan-frying.  This allows the bread to soak up as much flavor and moisture from the batter as it can before cooking.  Personally, I think dipping or topping french toast with a sweet sauce or syrup makes it over-the-top hearty and delicious on a crisp winter morning, so I made two sides to go with it -- a warm, comforting mixed berry compote and a creamy cinnamon sauce.

I also decided to attempt an Italian tofu scramble, which was inspired by some friends who invited me over for dinner last week.  They just had another baby 7 weeks ago, so they had me over for dinner so I could get a chance to hold baby Elijah, and play with their older son, two year old Benjamin (both cuties, by the way).  They've been experimenting with a lot of new recipes lately and mentioned that we would be having kale, cauliflower, and tofu scramble that night.  My eyebrows furrowed and I scratched my head curiously.  "TOFU scramble?!  I.e. a vegan take on scrambled eggs??  Never thought about trying that!"  And indeed, it turned out to be fantastic, especially with the contrast in textures between the cauliflower and tofu.  And the tofu was surprisingly not slimy when scrambled; it eventually dries into a moist crumble after sautee-ing for a few minutes and readily soaks up the delightful flavors in the pan around it like a sponge.  Not only was this an easy, cheap recipe that was full of protein and fiber, it is also a great vegan-friendly option for any guests with dietary restrictions!  I had to try a variation of it at home!  So I decided to go with an Italian theme; a combination of baby portabello mushrooms, roma tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil would surely spice up the tofu scramble and make it a comforting winter dish on a Saturday morning.  I was a little worried about things getting too watery because mushrooms and tomatoes retain so much moisture, but it surprisingly turned out great.

Of course, I had to balance these two heavy dishes with something light and sweet, so I made a simple fruit salad with sweet kiwis, strawberries, and grapes.  Enjoy the recipes for all three dishes below!  Bon apetite!

Ok, so I think the french toast looked like something like this.
Plus, I have theseexact Corelle plates at home.  Hooray!

The mushroom, tomato, and basil tofu scramble probably looked a little
less dry than this, but you get the general idea.  Got to compromise a
little if you're getting your pictures from Google images!!

Ok, so the salad didn't look EXACTLY like this, but it was still delicious. :)

RECIPES:

FRENCH TOAST:

Ingredients:

-1 loaf of challah bread

-3 eggs

-1 cup soy milk

-1 tbsp vanilla extract

-4 tablespoons brown sugar

-1 tbsp of ground cinnamon

**Note: As always, the above measurements are rough approximations.  I never measure anything when I cook.  Just use your best judgment as you add ingredients.  

Preparation:

-Slice the challah bread into roughly 1 1/2 inch thick slices (I ultimately used 6 slices for the mixture below)

-Combine eggs, soy milk, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a LARGE bowl with a wide mouth (this is key, since you have to let the bread soak in the mixture) and whisk until well-mixed.  

-Dip the challah pieces in the bowl and make sure both sides have been exposed and covered in the egg mixture.  Let the mixture sit with the slices of challah for at least an hour in the fridge.

-Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees and place a baking dish lined with aluminum foil in it -- this is an underutilized technique used to keep foods warm that require a long time to make a whole batch (e.g. pancakes, waffles, french toast, etc.).  

-Pan-fry each piece of bread for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on each side; when golden brown, slide the toast onto the baking sheet in the oven to keep it warm.  

FRENCH TOAST DIPPING SAUCES:

1. CREAMY CINNAMON SAUCE:

Ingredients:

-1-1.5 cups heavy cream

-maple syrup

-brown sugar

-2 tablespoons vanilla extract

-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

-2 tablespoons flour (as a thickener)

**Note: maple syrup and brown sugar measurements were purposefully not given because I just poured stuff in without thinking about it.  Use your best judgment.  I prefer more maple syrup than brown sugar because of its unique, comforting, wintry flavor, but that is personal preference.  

Preparation:

-Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan on stovetop at medium heat until it starts to boil.  Immediately reduce heat to low and continue to cook until mixture retains the desired thickness.  

**Note: If I had to make this again, I might add crushed pecans to the creamy mixture; it would add some texture, plus pecans have a sweetness that makes it such a unique nut.  

2.  MIXED BERRY COMPOTE

Ingredients:

-2 small container (or 1 large container) of fresh blueberries

-1/2 container of fresh strawberries

-2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

-1 fresh cinnamon stick

-brown sugar

-1 cup of water

Preparation:

-Combine all ingredients into medium-sized saucepan.  

-Stir mixture every few minutes (and squish the fruit using a large spoon or fork) on medium-low heat for about 1.5-2 hours.  It's one of those things that just has to sit and meld together.  

-Remove from stovetop when compote has reached desired thickness.  

**Note: This makes enough for an entire jar of berry compote; you can re-use for other things, or it makes a great homemade gift!

ITALIAN TOFU SCRAMBLE:

Ingredients:

-1 block tofu

-4 baby portabello mushrooms (or use any other mushrooms that you like; I just got whatever was on sale)

-1 bunch of fresh basil

-2 small roma tomatoes

-Salt/pepper to taste

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-3-4 cloves of fresh garlic

Preparation:

-Crumble a block of tofu with your hands (this is the fuuuuuuun part!) into a large bowl

-Mix in thinly diced tomatoes and mushrooms, thinly sliced basil (about a handful) and garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  

-Pan-fry the tofu mixture (lid off!!) for about 20 minutes with olive oil until the scramble loses most of the moisture from the mushrooms and tomatoes.  

-Voila!  Enjoy!