After getting pampered on Mother's Day and feeling refreshed and ready to go for the week, I thought I'd start off this week with something a little different, yet easy and quick to prepare. I know that we are just coming off of our Cinco de Mayo celebrations, but hey - everyone needs something new and different at least once or twice a week.
I find myself in those grocery store ruts every so often. I will ask the family, "what sounds good for dinner this week?" I get a blank stare and then after a short pause the standard response, "I don't care, whatever sounds good to you." Now really ... if I was asking just to ask, I just simply would avoid asking in the first place. I look for ways in which to keep things different and fun rather than the same recipies week after week. Maybe I get this response because my family simply really doesn't get excited about mealtimes like I do. Or, perhaps I get this lame response because they know I will just cook what I want ultimately. No matter which way you go, you still run the risk of them saying, "I don't like this." I keep my handy, dandy response tucked and ready to go, "well I gave you a chance to tell me what you wanted for dinner." Usually this will leave them with the 'crap' look on their face. Still, it doesn't change their answers the next week I ask. I still chalk it up to a WIN in my column.
This past Mother's Day weekend I was allowed to sit back, sleep in and relax and watch all my DVR'd cooking shows that I usually have to quickly watch in between episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny. I could sit and watch my shows without interuption and for the first time in awhile I was able to enjoy them. I had so many different and new ideas after this weekend that I just started jotting them down on a legal pad ... hopefully this week I'll actually get to put them into my personal recipe book, (in between episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny of course).
My Monday night recipe is starting off a little south of the border -- this will be the last one for a little while since we just celebrated cinco, so simply bear with me while I indulge for one last moment.
Chorizo is mexican sausage and deep red in color. It gets that beautiful color from dried, smoked red peppers that are used in the blend to make the sausage. In mexican cooking chorizo is used a variety of different recipies ranging from breakfast to lunch to dinner. Even though it is made with peppers, chorizo is not spicy, though it does have a unique and distinctive flavor. Most grocery stores sell chroizo in either the specialty meat counter or with the other, more tradional sausages. It can come in or out of the casing -- either way is fine and both have the same properties in a dish.
My chorizo quesadillas start out by cooking the chorizo in a skillet. You don't need to add a lot of oil to the pan, as chorizo has fat in it that it will produce during the cooking process. Cook the chorizo until you get a nice brown color and then set aside on some paper towels to drain any extra fat. Using the same skillet, simply take a paper towl and wipe it clean. Add a small spoon of butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Lay a flour tortilla on the skillet and a small handful of cheese and chorizo ... spread the mixture equally over the tortilla. Add another small amount of cheese to the top and then place another tortilla on top. Allow the quesadilla to cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook until the tortilla is cooked on both sides and the cheese is melted. Remove from skillet and slice to serve.
For garnish, add some pico de gallo, sour cream or guacamole. A quick, easy and different meal from the rest of week. Another variation on this would be to cook 2 eggs in with your chorizo when you are on that step. Eggs and chorizo are a beautiful combination in mexican cooking. For a great breakfast burrito, cook your chorizo with eggs, scrambling together. Take a warmed flour tortilla, fill with your chorizo and egg mixture and top with cheese. Add some small, diced skillet cooked potatoes and roll into your burrito. Line your burritos in a greased glass baking dish. Coat with a little salsa and top with more cheese. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 - 10 minutes until your cheese is nice and golden brown. Serve along side pico, sour cream or guacamole.
The ideas are endless with chorizo. If you've never tried it, I encourage you to.
Happy Monday!
Cheers!
I find myself in those grocery store ruts every so often. I will ask the family, "what sounds good for dinner this week?" I get a blank stare and then after a short pause the standard response, "I don't care, whatever sounds good to you." Now really ... if I was asking just to ask, I just simply would avoid asking in the first place. I look for ways in which to keep things different and fun rather than the same recipies week after week. Maybe I get this response because my family simply really doesn't get excited about mealtimes like I do. Or, perhaps I get this lame response because they know I will just cook what I want ultimately. No matter which way you go, you still run the risk of them saying, "I don't like this." I keep my handy, dandy response tucked and ready to go, "well I gave you a chance to tell me what you wanted for dinner." Usually this will leave them with the 'crap' look on their face. Still, it doesn't change their answers the next week I ask. I still chalk it up to a WIN in my column.
This past Mother's Day weekend I was allowed to sit back, sleep in and relax and watch all my DVR'd cooking shows that I usually have to quickly watch in between episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny. I could sit and watch my shows without interuption and for the first time in awhile I was able to enjoy them. I had so many different and new ideas after this weekend that I just started jotting them down on a legal pad ... hopefully this week I'll actually get to put them into my personal recipe book, (in between episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny of course).
My Monday night recipe is starting off a little south of the border -- this will be the last one for a little while since we just celebrated cinco, so simply bear with me while I indulge for one last moment.
Chorizo is mexican sausage and deep red in color. It gets that beautiful color from dried, smoked red peppers that are used in the blend to make the sausage. In mexican cooking chorizo is used a variety of different recipies ranging from breakfast to lunch to dinner. Even though it is made with peppers, chorizo is not spicy, though it does have a unique and distinctive flavor. Most grocery stores sell chroizo in either the specialty meat counter or with the other, more tradional sausages. It can come in or out of the casing -- either way is fine and both have the same properties in a dish.
My chorizo quesadillas start out by cooking the chorizo in a skillet. You don't need to add a lot of oil to the pan, as chorizo has fat in it that it will produce during the cooking process. Cook the chorizo until you get a nice brown color and then set aside on some paper towels to drain any extra fat. Using the same skillet, simply take a paper towl and wipe it clean. Add a small spoon of butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Lay a flour tortilla on the skillet and a small handful of cheese and chorizo ... spread the mixture equally over the tortilla. Add another small amount of cheese to the top and then place another tortilla on top. Allow the quesadilla to cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook until the tortilla is cooked on both sides and the cheese is melted. Remove from skillet and slice to serve.
For garnish, add some pico de gallo, sour cream or guacamole. A quick, easy and different meal from the rest of week. Another variation on this would be to cook 2 eggs in with your chorizo when you are on that step. Eggs and chorizo are a beautiful combination in mexican cooking. For a great breakfast burrito, cook your chorizo with eggs, scrambling together. Take a warmed flour tortilla, fill with your chorizo and egg mixture and top with cheese. Add some small, diced skillet cooked potatoes and roll into your burrito. Line your burritos in a greased glass baking dish. Coat with a little salsa and top with more cheese. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 - 10 minutes until your cheese is nice and golden brown. Serve along side pico, sour cream or guacamole.
The ideas are endless with chorizo. If you've never tried it, I encourage you to.
Happy Monday!
Cheers!
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