Cheesy Grits

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Kathy

It’s Saturday morning and as I hang out at home I am, of course, thinking of breakfast. I think of all things breakfast on the weekends – eggs and homefries, pancakes, scones, and muffins (and whatever else seems relatively breakfast-y, pie anyone?). I like to take the time to make a breakfast that will satisfy BF and I through out most of our weekend days so our breakfast is usually large and late (neither of us even starts to get hungry until 10 am or so, which means the actual breakfast isn’t consumed until around 11). It’s on these late weekend days that I, more often than not, turn to eggs – they are quick and easy and fill me up so completely that they’re always perfect.

Now, down to grits. My big sister (who lived with me from Jan-March of this year) introduced me to grits as hangover food. She would come in late Friday and come Saturday morning when she rolled out of bed BF and I were starting to contemplate our breakfast and Meghan would suggest grits. As one who had never really had grits before I found myself thinking they would be hard to make and not very good. I was wrong about that. The grits big sis made were swoon worthy in every way – creamy, rich and topped with an over easy egg. They were luxurious.

Since my sister moved out I still buy grits by the carton and stock up on cheese and garlic powder. Making grits is so remarkably simple and it hits the spot; especially after a night spent a bit too late at the bar. I am still having trouble with poached eggs, so I won’t try to explain that to you – instead, if you can poach an egg do it because the grits are fantastic with a poached egg, if not then just fry an egg gently until the white sets and use that. Either way it will be a breakfast fit for whoever you want to serve it to.

Cheesy Grits
Adapted from the back of the Quaker Grits box.
Note: I almost always make this with whatever cheese I have on hand but my favorite, by far, is the Cabot Coop Garlic and Herb Cheddar. It made the best grits I have ever eaten and it is what I will recommend here.

2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup grits
6 oz (about 3/4 cup) grated Cabot Coop Garlic and Herb Cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder (use less if you aren’t a garlic fan)
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash of salt

In a medium saucepan combine the water and salt and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling add the grits slowly – I recommend having them in a one cup measure and pouring them in over the course of 30 seconds or so while stirring with the other hand to keep the water moving, otherwise everything gets clumpy and that’s just sad. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and leave the grits alone for 12 minutes. Look at them. If they are thickened nicely after ten minutes they are done. If they still look a bit runny leave them on the heat checking them every minute or so. Remove the grits from the heat and add the garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese. Stir completely. Cover the grits and set them aside for the cheese to melt while you cook your eggs. Split the grits between two bowls (this makes two as a breakfast entree four as a side) and top them with a twist of fresh ground pepper and a pat of butter. Put your over-easy eggs on top and dig-in. Delicious. I find it’s best when the egg yolk is stirred into the cheesy grits. The best. Ever.

Baked Eggs, Simple and Delicious

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Kathy

I love breakfast foods. All of them. Eggs, home fries, French toast, pancakes, cinnamon buns – bring it on. So one day when I was home sick with a cold, I wanted breakfast, and not cereal-and-milk breakfast but homemade breakfast, preferably with veggies and cheese. But I was sick, I had a cold and just didn’t have the energy or desire to make myself an entire omelet for breakfast, so I baked an egg.

I never realized just how simple baked eggs could be and are. The most strenuous part of them is some light chopping to get all of the vegetables to a uniform size. I dug around in the fridge and unearthed some cocktail tomatoes, half a red onion, some red pepper, scallions, sour cream, cheese, and half-and-half I was good to go and eggs were on the menu. I did as much of a jig as my cold ridden self would allow and proceeded to perform some light chopping, I layered everything in an adorable bake-able mug (seriously, isn’t this Cambell’s soup mug awesome? I’ve had it since I was eight!) and baked it. Magical.

At this point I have made these baked eggs in many different forms but my favorite part of them is that they’re still eggs, so they’re versatile and can be made into a whole meal. Also this is great for cleaning out those tail-ends of vegetables that have been lingering in the crisper and need to be used up.

Kathy’s Baked Eggs
Note: The best part about this recipe is that it is so easy to make for more than one or just one person. I make it for BF and when I just don’t want to cook, it’s easy and delicious. I like this a lot with fresh tomatoes but it’s flexible – my recipe below is what I usually add to it, but the important part is to make sure you have a good amount of veggies in the bottom of your mug.

1 12oz bake-able mug or ramekin
1/2-3/4 cup of medium chopped vegetables or meat (I like tomatoes, red peppers, onion/scallions and some ham)
1-2 oz of grated cheese (cheddar is delicious but whatever you have on hand will work; again this is all about cleaning out leftover ingredients)
1 dallop of sour cream or greek yogurt (use whichever you already have/like better; they both work)
Cream, milk, or half and half
1-2eggs (depending on how hungry you are)

Preheat your oven to 350. Lightly grease the inside of the ramekin or mug you plan on using. Layer the vegetables in the bottom of the mug (I like onion, pepper, tomato). Add the cream/milk/half and half until it meets the top edge of the vegetables (this is different depending on the vessel). Then add the sour cream or yogurt. Gently crack the egg or eggs into the mug/ramekin; careful not to break the yolk. Sprinkle the egg with a little salt and pepper and then add the grated cheese. Bake for twenty minutes. Allow the mug/ramekin to cool slightly before eating it. Makes a perfect lazy dinner or brunch dish. Actually I am going to make it right now! Happy Sunday!

Blogger Brunch at Dorado Tacos and Cemitas

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Kathy

I know it’s been almost two weeks since we actually ate this meal, but it was so delicious that I’ve been just reading the recaps (also I didn’t have any of my own photos; all of these are borrowed from other people’s posts, with permission of course).

Photo Courtesy of Brian of http://www.thegringochapin.blogspot.com/

On a bright sunny Sunday after a night of insane thunderstorms, I hitched a ride with the lovely Renee over to Brighton for brunch at Dorado Tacos. We parked and wandered a little bit, Renee introduced me to Kupel’s Bagels (This establishment really should be much closer to my apartment) and then we headed into Dorado. We took our seats and then looked at the menu. A bright little cafe filled with sunshine and energy, I was in love instantly.

Photo Courtesy of Renee of http://www.eatliveblog.com/

I ordered a coffee and doctored it up accordingly (one sugar two creams) and started to drink it. It was perfect coffee, dark and rich without the charaacteristic bitterness that dark roasted coffees can have; this boded so well for my future meal. As the rest of the brunchers trickled in I was excited to see Brian, Amanda, Megan, Lara, and Meesh as well as to meet Kimmy and Jacki (if only briefly).

Photo Courtesy of Renee of http://www.eatliveblog.com/

Once the avengers had assembled, we all collaborated to fight off the bad guys (i.e. eat brunch) and it was PERFECT. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros with Patatas Bravas and there just isn’t anything better than Patatas Bravas. Nothing. They are spicy, crunchy, and all-around spectacularly delicious. I realize I talked about my love of Patatas Bravas before, but these were better. These were spicy enough that I couldn’t finish them and needed backup (thanks Brian!), but in a responsible, I’m-sad-these-won’t-be-good-cold kind of way. And the Huevos – I don’t think there is a better breakfast food. Queso fresco – yes! Perfectly fried eggs – yes! Wonderfully spicy salsa ranchera that kept the whole thing together – absolutely! Perfect company to chat with – you know it. I ended up needing an agua fresca to cool down with; my boring Mainer mouth was just not prepared for that spice, but it was by far, one of the best brunches I’ve had in a while.

Now to go back for lunch… or dinner… or both. Ah the possibilities. Thanks to Renee, as usual, for organizing this shindig. A huge thanks to Dorado Tacos for hosting us so well; opening an hour early to accomodate us while having huge grins and good naturedness about everything. And to the Boston blogger community as a whole – without the awesome community we have here, the oppurtunities for sweet blogger meetups like this would be nil, and that would be very sad. Now, I think I need a taco.

Dorado Tacos is located at 401 Harvard Street in Brookline and is accessible via Green Line or the 66 bus.

Cheddar-Scallion Drop Biscuits

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Kathy

It’s January and I’m in full hibernate mode with soups and stews overloading my stove and palette. I love them creamy, brothy, rich and thick; I’m there. One thing I love even more than a good soup is bread to go with it though (see here for an example). Last year, on an impulse, I bought the Cook’s Illustrated Soups and Stews magazine and found this recipe for drop biscuits. Its simple, it’s delicious and I am obsessed with these biscuits.

I love biscuits and have since I was a small child. Biscuits meant that there was soup or something delicious to eat, usually slathered in butter. Then I was obsessed with some Pillsbury ultra flaky ones that peeled apart into layers (which I may have loved simply by dint of the fact that they looked like pages stacked together and baked). But as I (and my palette) grew up and learned more about baking I grew away from the Pillsbury biscuits in a tube and started to look for a perfect biscuit recipe. My sister obsessively made some from The Joy of Cooking but I found them a bit dry and wasn’t a fan. So I kept searching.

I got this issue of Cooks Illustrated for the ramen recipe (which I still haven’t tried; I really need to get some good miso) but instead found this little gem regarding perfect drop biscuits. I tried it, thinking that at worst it would cost me some flour and buttermilk. These were perfect, flaky and chewy without being messy or crumby. These are flexible; I used them later to make shortcakes by adding some extra sugar and cinnamon and I almost always add a handful of good quality cheddar cheese and a few spices. I love a recipe that is flexible like this and will move to be whatever I want. Also there is none of that classic cutting butter in. An ingenious method involving melted butter and really cold butter milk makes really consistent butter chunks evenly distributed into a simple flour mixture.

Cheddar-Chive Drop Biscuits
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated: Soups & Stews

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup scallions, chopped finely
1/2 cup good quality cheddar cheese (I used Cabot)
1 cup buttermilk (straight from the fridge and v cold)
1 stick (8 Tbs) butter, melted and allowed to cool a little bit

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, scallions, and cheese to a large bowl and whisk them until evenly mixed (5-6) stirs. In a separate bowl, or a 2 cup measuring cup, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk. It will look lumpy and it will not be pretty, that’s ok. It will taste delicious. Add the butter/buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until just mixed, again 5-6 stirs. Scoop out the biscuits onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush some additional melted butter or some milk on top of the biscuits or sprinkle some extra cheese on there. Bake them for 10-12 mins. They will be a light golden brown and totally delicious. Enjoy these biscuits with whatever you want; I like mine at breakfast with an egg and some hollandaise or served with whatever soup I’ve made most recently. Perfect.

Blogger Brunch At East Coast Grill

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Kathy

On Sunday morning, in lieu of nursing the tail end of a cold, I went to Blogger Brunch. Frankly, this was a great decision! Everything at this particular Blogger Brunch had wonderful spice. Also, I got to spend some time with and meet some fantastic people: Robin of Doves and Figs, Karen of Gourmet Recipes for 1, and Elizabeth of Free Food Boston just to name a few! BF and I arrived late to the brunch, so we missed the first round of appetizers (I was way looking forward to that banana-guava ketchup!) But managed to get the second and third rounds which included a Banana Rellena (Muy Caliente!), a Smoked Pork Stuffed Banana with Inner Beauty Hot Sauce:

And wonderful Monterey Jack Grits with molasses-glazed Grilled Banana, Pinapple, Jalapenos, Toasted Pecans and Crispy Smoked Bacon:

Boyfriend and I were both hopelessly in love with these grits and left stating that we would order them as full meals with a poached egg in the future. They were perfect, though neither of us has really had grits [Editor’s note: I have too had them before! In the South even!], so we aren’t true judges of southern cuisine but these were heaven and with a piece of the pineapple, it was love in your mouth.

Then came the entrees:

I got a Breakfast platter “In the Style of the Yucatan” which was cheesy Scrambled eggs, Black Beans n’ Rice, Mango-Avacado-Hearts of Palm Salad, Sweet Fried Plaintains, Salsa Roja and a warm Flour Tortilla. I loved the salad and the Plaintains, but my eggs were a little bit dry.

BF got Cornbread Crusted French Toast With Orange Marmalade, Tropical Fruit and Real Vermont Maple Syrup. Two thumbs way up to ECG for the real syrup here, you just showed a couple of New England kids that we can have real syrup if we just look hard enough. Also the French Toast was delicious (I stole some!).

A big thank you goes out to our servers Robin and Arthur who were accomodating and delightful throughout the whole adventure. You were patient with 20+ foodies who had questions and wanted to photograph everything; Kudos! Also a huge and grateful shout out to Renee who orchestrated this whole event, you are awesome! If you haven’t seen her blog yet, go check it out! This was a great Boston Foodie Outing and I can’t wait to attend some more of them!