South Meets Southwest

Biscuits and gravy is probably my favorite breakfast food of all time. I almost always order it when trying out a new breakfast spot, but I just can't seem to find anywhere that makes it as good as I can at home! It's usually bland and the gravy tastes more like raw flour than a rich cream sauce. Well, I decided to turn up the volume on my old stand by recipe. This is a fusion of traditional southern biscuits and gravy with some tex-mex flair. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how this was going to work out, but was very pleasantly surprised! The pico de gallo on top gives a bit of freshness and helps to lighten this heavy dish. You will never make regular biscuits and gravy again!

Tex-Mex Biscuits and Gravy

What you will need:

1/2 lb fresh chorizo sausage ( I found this at my local Fresh Market)
4 c. whole milk, warmed
1/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Pillsbury Simply Biscuits (almost as good as homemade and have no extra junk in them)

Preheat over and bake the biscuits according to package directions. Brown the chorizo sausage over medium heat in a high sided skillet. Season with the chipotle powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the flour and mix. Let the flour cook for one minute. Then whisk in the warm milk. Let the mixture cook until thick. Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper.
When everything is ready, split the biscuits, top with the gravy and then the pico de gallo. Serve with a lime wedge for garnish. Enjoy it, I know you will!!

Warm Summer Corn Salad

Everyone knows that corn is best during the summer. I just love corn, and I am always looking for new ways to use it. I was making a tex-mex inspired dinner the other night and decided to spice up my usual side dish. It's absolutely delicious and I have already made it a second time this week! Enjoy!!

What you will need:

4 ears of corn
4 Tbsp. butter
2 red bell peppers, chopped
6 scallions, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1) Taken the corn off the husk with a sharp knife. Scrape the husk with the knife to get out any of the milk left in the husk, as this will help make the corn creamier.
2) Melt the butter over medium heat and add in the corn and bell pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
3) Add in the chipotle, salt, & pepper and saute another 5 minutes. Then add in the scallions and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

Serves: 4

Bangkok Kitchen

I was feeling inspired by the flavors of Thailand last night and whipped up a curry coconut dish. It was tasty and my hubby just loved it! We both really enjoy curry. I mean, what's not to love? It is sweet, spicy, salty, goodness. This dish is super easy and is ready in about 20 minutes.

Curry Coconut Chicken

What you will need: 

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chunked

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/4 lb carrots, diced into bite size pieces

1 8 oz can coconut milk

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1/4 c. red curry paste

1 tsp. sriracha

zest of one lemon

3 scallions, diced

2 c. jasmine rice, cooked

Instructions: 

1. Mix the coconut milk, mustard, soy sauce, curry paste, and sriracha in a bowl. 

2. In a large, high sided skillet, add the chicken onion, and carrots. Pour over the sauce. 

3. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. 

4. Serve with cooked rice and garnish with lemon zest and scallions. 

Servings: 4

Homemade Take-Out

I love Asian take out, but always feel guilty when I see that pool of grease at the bottom of my styrofoam box. Recently, I have made it my mission to create this guilty pleasure at home, minus the guilt. Not only am I in control of how much fat is used, but I also am sure of the freshness of my ingredients! My most successful creation is this asian inspired noodle bowl. I always have ground beef in my freezer. It is cheap, quick to defrost, and yummy. Ground beef, however is not usually seen in asian dishes. So, I got cookin and came up with these yummy, beefy Dan Dan Noodles.

Dan Dan Noodles

What you will need:

1lb ground beef (I used 90/10)
1 Tbs. Sesame oil
1/4 c. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs chile garlic sauce
1 tsp, sriracha sauce
1 tsp, fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. soy sauce
3 scallion stalks, chopped
1 c. beef broth mixed with 1 c. water
1 lb fresh egg noodles

Heat a skillet over medium heat with the sesame oil. Add the ground beef in when the oil begins to ripple (thats how you know its hot). When the beef begins to brown, add the garlic and ginger. Cook until beef is fully browned. Then, add the rest of the ingredients through the soy sauce. Simmer this mixture until it reduces, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according package instructions while the beef is cooking. If you cannot find fresh egg noodles (in the produce section of the grocery store) you can substitute linguine. In a small saucepan, heat the broth and water mixture until it just begins to boil. Then turn off the heat. When everything is ready, add the noodles to your bowls, top with the hot broth, then the beef mixture. Garnish with the chopped scallions. Enjoy your guilt free take out!!