Yesterday was one of those days I was really floundering around trying to decide what to make for dinner. As I mentioned earlier, taking meat off our diet for 21 days has really thrown a kink in my meal ideas. I casually picked up a cook book I had borrowed from the library, and then…. IT HAPPENED! Dinner hit me right across my face, in form of a mouth watering picture. Now we really had a problem. It was only 3.30, but I was ready to have dinner! What was I going to do for the next two and a half hours? After I wiped the drool of my face and talked myself out of adjusting all my clocks a couple hours forward and making my family eat a REALLY early dinner, I settled down and twiddled my thumbs till 5 PM.
The cook book I had picked up from the library is one that I have been waiting on for over a month, and I am so excited to have my hands on it. It is the new cookbook: the Smitten Kitchen cookbook by Deb Perelman from the Smitten Kitchen blog. She has a fantastic blog, and I could not wait to see what the book had to offer. I quickly went to work putting sticky notes on all the must try recipes. Conclusion: Her book did not disappoint! I’m not big into buying cookbooks, especially ones that I can borrow from the library. I find that I usually will borrow a book, but can only find 2 or 3 recipes that are compelling enough for me to try. This one is totally different. I have at least 10 sticky notes. I am going to HAVE to buy this book. The pictures are beautiful, and the ingredients are easily accessible, and the combinations fun and exciting, yet unfussy. I highly recommend it.
Back to dinner. I’m really loving the idea of breakfast for dinner these days. I used to be all hard core against doing that, but truth be told, I love brunch. Now I can get away with having brunch food for dinner, which works great for my kids, who never met an egg they didn’t like. I tried to stay pretty true to Deb’s recipe, but I did make a couple substitutions based on what I had on hand. I used pickled jalapeno, which are much milder, since that was all I had. I also used colby-jack cheese instead of all jack. The last thing I did different was to mix my lime and sour cream with a smashed avocado, since I had one on hand that I wanted to use up. It all came together without a hitch, and dinner was delicious. We used 9 eggs, which was enough for dinner, and packed lunches. Please don’t let the break down of the cooking steps discourage you. Start to finish, it took me no more than 35 minutes.
Enjoy. I can’t wait to blog about some of the other recipes in the book.
Recipe from The Smitten Kitchen cookbook by Deb Perelman
- Ranchero sauce:
- 1 Jalapeño
- 3 cups (28 OZ can) whole Tomatoes- I used 2 14 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed and peeled
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 15 oz can ( or 1¾ cups) cooked black beans (optional)
- Crispy Tortilla Strips:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Salt, to taste
- 12 large eggs
- 1¼ cup shredded Jack cheese - I used a Colby-Jack mix
- Garnishes
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 Avocado (my addition. She used a 1 cup sour cream in original recipe)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 Tablespoons green onions
- Make the ranchero sauce:
- Preheat oven to 450 Degrees F. Taste your jalapeño for heat. Some are hotter than others. Based on that, determine what amount to put in your sauce.
- Toss the jalapeno, tomatoes, onion, garlic, some salt and pepper in the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a 12-inch oven proof skillet and add beans (if using them). Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until it has reduced slightly.
- Make the tortilla strips:
- While the sauce simmers. brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the tortillas into ½ inch wide strips, and arrange them on the oiled tray. Brush the tops of the strips with the other tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 3-6 minutes, or until they are brown and crisp, turning over once if needed. Remove the strips from oven.
- Turn the oven dial to broil to preheat.
- (Please don't be like me.. I totally forgot about my strips, thus the charred deep brown).
- Make the cream:
- Mash up an avocado. Add half cup of sour cream, and the lime juice. Add salt to taste.
- Cook eggs:
- Once the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from the heat, and break the eggs across the surface of the sauce. distributing them as evenly as possible. Return to the heat, cover the pan, and simmer eggs gently in the sauce for about 10-12 minutes, until the whites are nearly but not completely opaque (you will finish cooking them in the oven). Sprinkle the surface of the tomato-egg mixture with cheese, and broil until the cheese is bubbly and a bit blistered- just a few minutes.
- To serve:
- Garnish with a dollop of the avocado-lime cream, broken-up pieces of tortilla strips, and cilantro (I threw in green onions too). Serve immediately.
Devotion For The Day:
Reading from Proverbs this morning made me think of this verse. 2nd Timothy 3:16 says “all scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking and training in righteousness“. I can’t help but think of Proverbs as a book written by my loving coach to instruct me on how to live a free, fulfilling, purpose driven life. My Heavenly Father and Coach is trying to teach me how to avoid the common pit falls that lie waiting ahead of me. I think of it as a loving instruction letter, and boy is it packed with wisdom as practical today as it was the very day that it was penned. Thousands of years later, this advice is solid, having been tested by many before me. God’s word is alive, and active. I truly believe that.
Here was my Proverb for the Day. It was Proverbs 19. I would recommend that you read them all if you have time, but this were the ones that really stood out for me today.
Proverbs 19:23 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
Proverbs 19:19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
rags
Yummy!
journeyofjoy
Wow!! Kari… there you are!! It’s Marlene. Been meaning to look you up on WordPress… so impressed. Great job!!
I wanna try the Lentils–I heard from Carol you were serious, didn’t realize just how serious 🙂 I’ll keep popping in from time to time especially when I’m stuck on what to make. Big hi to the girls and your hubby!