Briques (Brik in Tunisia)

This is a copy cat of sorts from the Gourmet Guys father from his time working in Tunisia.  It is his version of Briques that are served in Tunisia.  It is a family favorite that we only make occasionally because they are deep fried!

Briques

12 inch thin flour tortillas
leftover ham, pork roast,  turkey or chicken, cut into cubes (We prefer Ham)
eggs
green onions, diced finely (optional)

Take a tortilla, place ham in a circle in the center with the green onion, place egg in the center.  With egg white seal the tortilla in half and deep fry until golden brown, drain and cool.( The Gourmet Guy and his father liked them so that the eggs were barely cooked but the rest of us like it done a little more!) Eat it like an upside down Taco.

 

The Gourmet Guys dad was the original Gourmet Guy!  He was the real cook in his family while my Gourmet Guy was growing up.  He traveled a great deal and had a knack for tasting something that he liked and being able to replicate it when he got home.

 

(In Tunisia is made with a sticky lump dough and filled with tuna, or ground meat, and topped with anchovies, capers and cheese.)

Deviled Eggs

Even though our kids are all grown up and out of the house and we don't dye Easter Eggs anymore I still crave them. So before going to one of my daughter's for dinner I decided to make them for a treat.

Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs, shelled and cut in half lengthwise

3 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/4. tsp pepper

Cut eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolk and mix with the ingredients. Place the mixture in the center of the egg and chill.

Frittata

I love frittata's more all of the time! This was our latest.

Eight slices ranch style bacon, fried and crumbled

2-4 baby red potoatoes, sliced thin

2 mushrooms, sliced thin

Assiago cheese, grated

fresh Basil, chopped

4-5 eggs, beaten

1/4 onion, chopped

Fry the bacon until slightly crisp, cool and crumble. With the bacon grease fry the potatoes and the onion until softened. Mix the remaining indredients and cook until soft. Place in a 350 oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Mushroom Omelet- Basil

I love omelets but wanted to stay away from some of the fats that we often put into them like bacon or sausage etc. I had this recipe tucked away and while sorting through some things on my recipe pile it caught my eye.

Fresh mushrooms, basil, and green onions for the main flavors.

Chopped tomato to top the omelet.

2-3 eggs

Blend the eggs with basil, salt and pepper.

In butter (so much for the fat!) saute the mushrooms and garlic until tender.

In a hot skillet add the eggs, stir gently until they start to become set.

Add the mushrooms and the green onion.

Top with the cheese. Fold one edge over to top of the other.

Slide onto a plate.
Top with chopped tomato and basil.

Mushroom Omelets

2-3 c. sliced Crimini mushrooms

3 T. sliced green onions

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

4-6 eggs, slightly mixed (the first time I used three, I will only use two per omelet now)

1T. fresh basil, chopped (1 t. dried)

1 T. olive oil or butter

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 medium Roma tomato, chopped

(Makes two)

Crepe's-Savory

Finely shredded Swiss Cheese and Parmesan Cheese
Diced green onion

Fresh basil chopped

in a 8 inch skillet pour 1/2 - 3/4 c. batter and coat the bottom of the pan and lightly brown. Carefully pull the crepe from the side and bottom of the pan and turn to brown the other side.

Place the onion, basil, and cheese on the crepe to melt.

Fold or roll and serve. Use your imagination for savory fillings. Bacon and or sausage are excellent as well.

Crepes

2 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. milk
2 T. shortening

Combine ingredients. Pour enough batter to fill the bottom of a frying pan, in a thin even coat. Over medium heat cook until slightly brown, flip the crepe over and brown on the other side.

Morning "Glory"

When I bake potatoes I often bake one or two extra to do things with at a later date. One of the things we like to do is "Morning Ray." It is actually from a show that we watched on the food Network Rachel Ray's Travels. Rachel purchased Morning Ray at a place in Park City called Morning Ray and it is one of their specialties. She highlighted it and we decided to try a version of it on our own. Forgetting the name I called it "Morning Glory" and it has been nicknamed that in our family since then.

First we take a potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes.

We also cut up mushrooms, minced garlic onion, and peppers. I like to use the smaller peppers to get a variation in the color. My Home Ec. teacher would be proud!

While cutting up the veggies we brown 3-4 slices of thick cut bacon cut into small pieces.
(I love the bacon from our local grocery store that you get at the butcher's counter. It is thicker and a little more expensive but it doesn't shrink down as much so I feel it more than compensates for the cost.)

After frying the bacon drain it on a paper towel to get rid of the extra grease.

With the remaining bacon grease we brown the potatoes until they are golden on the edges.

The mushrooms take a little extra time so we start them before the rest of the vegetables. They do better if they are easily spread out in the skillet and not touching another.

When the mushrooms are soft and turning brown add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook until they are translucent. In another pan make scrambled eggs. Grate the cheese.

First layer

Add the veggies

Next the bacon top with avocado or guacamole and salsa.

Finish up with the scrambled eggs and cheese. Enjoy. We don't make "Morning Glory' very often but it is sure a treat when we do.

Morning Glory

6 baked potatoes, cooled, peeled, coarse chopped
1-2 bell pepper, coarse chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, coarse chopped
12 mushrooms, sliced
½ pound bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
salsa of your choice
grated cheddar cheese
guacamole

Fry bacon in skillet until done. Drain and set aside. Cook potatoes (hash brown style) in bacon fat until browned and crunchy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In another skillet, heat olive oil and butter and saute the mushrooms until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a third skillet, scramble the eggs.

Place small pile of hash browns on center of plate. Cover with vegetable mixture. Place eggs on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Garnish with guacamole and salsa.

Omelets

Omelets are an easy fix in our house because we have the ingredients on hand almost all of the time.

Omelets:

2 eggs, scrambled
bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, sliced or
1/4 yellow onion, slightly sauteed
fresh basil, chopped
tomato, optional
fresh mushrooms, sliced
diced green chile's, optional
salt and pepper to taste.
cheddar or Swiss cheese, grated

Turn the eggs into a small hot skillet, salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining ingredients, per taste as quickly as possible. When the eggs are set on the bottom turn one half of the omelet onto the other. Top with grated cheese.

Eggs in a Nest

When we lived in Sequim Washington and our oldest daughter was in fifth grade at the middle school she had a unit on cooking. She was so excited to come home and make Eggs in a Nest for us. It was a family hit! Still a favorite for an occasional Saturday or Sunday breakfast!

Brown hash browns in a skillet until golden on one side, flip over.
Salt and pepper to taste, and crack eggs on top of the hash browns.

Cover and steam the eggs until set. Approx three to five minutes.

Top with grated cheese.

Plate and serve.

This is so easy to do and only takes one pan, in a large skillet you can cook up to six eggs at a time.

Potato Salad-the torch has been handed down!

Grandma Smith's Potato Salad

For years this salad was something that my mother was asked to bring to family gatherings, she saw it as a burden but we all loved it so much and no one could make it like her. When she passed away it fell into my hands to try and recreate her salad, at times I come pretty close. Two of my daughters have now also come really close to making "Grandma's Potato Salad" this is Rebecca's latest version. She just made it one day because she was craving it, don't you love it? My mom never used real mayonnaise for this it had to be " Miracle Whip" and she made the dressing by taste rather than by measuring, I have tried to measure it as I have made it so the following recipe reflects that effort.

Grandma Smith’s Potato Salad

16-18 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 ½ c. Miracle Whip
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 ½ T. sugar
1 ½ T. mustard
6-7 hard boiled eggs
paprika
salt

Peel, cube, and boil potatoes in salted water. (Grandma always boiled the potatoes in their “jackets” and then peeled them and cut them up the day before she assembled the salad.) Boil the eggs and cool them. Chop the onion up finely. Mix the vinegar, Miracle Whip, sugar, and mustard. When the potatoes have cooled cover with the dressing and the onions and mix together well. Quarter and slice all but two of the hard boiled eggs and gently mix into the salad, thinly slice the two remaining eggs and layer across the top of the salad, salt to taste, sprinkle the top with paprika.

(Note the dressing for her salad was made with Miracle Whip only, mayonnaise does not give the same flavor for her “two day salad.” This salad was always requested by the family! for special occasions.)

Huevos Rancheros

Bring chile sauce and diced green peppers to boil.
Add eggs to the sauce.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and steam until eggs are desired doneness.
Place eggs on warmed corn tortilla

Add cheese and avocados.

Huevos Rancheros

Corn tortillas, 1 each

eggs, 2 each,

2/3 cup chili sauce (homemade if you have it)
2 heaping tablespoons salsa

1 heaping teaspoon green chilies
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

grated cheddar cheese
Avocado wedges

Heat chili sauce, salsa, and green chilies in a small skillet until mixture begins to boil. Make small indention in center and crack two eggs into it. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until eggs are set to the desired stage.

While eggs are cooking, microwave corn tortilla for 15 seconds. Slide eggs and sauce out onto the corn tortilla, top with grated cheese and 3-4 avocado wedges.

Eggs In a Nest

When our oldest daughter, Jessica, was in fifth grade they did a unit on cooking. She came home and wanted to make dinner for us and proceeded to make Egg In a Nest. It has been a family favorite breakfast for us every since!

You start with frozen Hash Browns, enough to have a layer in the bottom of a skillet. Place 1-2 T. butter in the pan and heat when butter is melted place the hash browns in the pan and salt to taste. Cook until they are brown.

Turn and make an indention in the hash browns and crack the egg into that space. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook the eggs until the yolk is firm.
Turn onto a plate and top with grated cheddar cheese.