Brunch at the Continental in Philly

A few weekends ago my roommate calls me at work on Saturday and asks if I want to high tail it to Philly for the night?

Random, but of course I said yes!

So we got in the car, and drove 2 and a half hours.  We went out, and we drank and stayed at some little hotel called "The Rodeway Inn" (which actually was a lot nicer than it sounded.....LOL)

Sunday morning we awoke, hungry and hungover, and well what's better to do in that situation than BRUNCH?!  And so we bruncheddd, and it was GOOD :)

Nicole's friend took us to this little joint called "The Continental" which turned out to have one of the coolest menus I've ever seen. 

Please Please PLEASE check out this menu :)

The Continental-Midtown

It was simple, but developed. Familiar but with surprises!  It's everything would want from a "diner" type setting, but with a little twist.  It was perfect. 

With choices like "The Healthy Elvis" a sandwich composed of peanut-butter, nutella, and bananas on whole wheat bread, or "Lobster Mac and Cheese" which has Orzo pasta, Gruyere and Fontina cheese, French Onion soup dumplings, Tiramasu Waffles with marscapone cream and burbon syrup, Banana Fritters with butterscotch sauce, they even had a Chicken Biscut with onion bacon marmalade and sharp cheddar cheese!!!

Ok, I am seriously hungry now after revisiting this menu....I might have to drive to Philly.....


But wait, there's more......The small section at the bottom, the DRINK MENU, well THAT was my favorite!!


and that's what I want to talk about, Mainly the "Wake and Bacon Mary"
*Spicy bloody mary with BACON INFUSED tomato vodka, a lemon, a lime and a skewer full of big fat olives :)

what?!, how??!?!? bacon? vodka???!!!! bloody mary.....well I am hungover, so I'M SOLD.

it was amazing, it was perfection, it tasted like a BLT in a glass, but BETTER.



and as we ordered our round of wake and bacon's, we had to ask the waiter how they made this glass of wonderfulness?!
(the waiter by the way was the cutest, gayest lil' thang, skinny as a bean pole, and polite as a peach.  We offered to take him home with us to NY and he blushed LOL )
He told us in a twangy, mid western sounding accent that they infuse the vodka themselves and" all u need is some tomato vodka, a lil cooked bacon and a few days, and there ya go!"



I'm surprised that I have not tried this ye since I've been home, but I ASSURE you that I will soon.....







TO BE CONTINUED.....

Cold Quinoa Salad

yup, again with the quinoa......LOL, well if i keep posting recipes for fettuccine Alfredo, and vodka sauce baked ziti, i have to balance it out with something healthy or I'd just be giving you "the fat"
so here's the skinny:


We all TRY and bring lunch to work during the week so we don't senselessly spend $ on food that could better made at home.  Homemade lunch is usually healthier for you and MUUUCHHHHH cheaper, but as we all know, it's hard to please the palate when exploring the options of what to fill that lunch bag with. Sandwiches, leftovers, yogurts, fruits and veggies usually make the cut, but there are lots of other options to explore for your mid-day munch....

The other night I was in the pantry staring at what my possibilities were and I saw that bag of red quinoa that I had purchased about a month earlier from Table Local Market in Bedford.  I hadn't cracked it open yet and seeing it inspired me to put together a nice little cold salad for lunch for the next day

Here's what I came up with:

To make this salad you will need:
- 6 Tablespoons of olive oil
-1 Red onion diced
- 2 cloves of Garlic Minced
- 2 cups of cooked quinoa (I used red quinoa in this dish)
- 3 baby cucumbers diced (or you can use one regular, or a half an english cucumber)
-2 cups of quartered grape tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
- Cracked black pepper, salt, and Lawry's season salt or Adobe


In a pan add two tablespoons of olive oil and sautee half the red onion until golden brown, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Add the Quinoa and cook until heated through and add a little salt and pepper. 
Remove from the pan,  and let cool.

asemble the vinagrette while the quinoa is cooling:

add remaining olive oil and the two tablespoons of rice wine vinegar to a small bowl and the lawrys season salt & cracked black pepper, whisk to emulsify and set aside


Now to the cooled quinoa add the quartered grape tomatoes, remaining diced red onion and diced baby cucumbers, a little more salt and pepper to taste if needed and the rice wine vinagrette.



Chill until the next day and now you have a delicious healthy lunch option :)








BTW these are the baby cucumbers I used for this dish, they make an awesome snack on their own and how cute are they!!!!!

BRAND FIND: Vermont Bread Company

Now a days everyone is definitely becoming more and more concerned with eating healthy.  We are now more conscious of things like whether our food is "processed" or "organically grown", avoiding products  containing things like trans fat or high fructose corn syrup. 

Some of us even opt to shop at local farmers markets or heath food stores, and places like Mrs. Greens, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods where we know that extra care is taken into carrying produce, meats, poultry, fish and packaged items that are better for you, or clearly stating where the food has come from, letting the consumer make a more informed decision.

While these items may be more pricey on our wallets, they are definitely worth the extra $$ in the long run when thinking of the impact it may have on our health.

Now some of you may be thinking this all sounds a little funny coming from my mouth, being i am FAR from a health nut or a health conscious person.  Well you're right, i am far from that, BUT I do know a thing or two about food, and what is good for the body and what is not.....

One thing I've found is that when trying to make a better BREAD purchase, people are still purchasing breads with all sorts of hidden bad ingredients in them.


Read this article by WEBMD for a little more of what I'm talking about:Tips for buying BETTER BREAD

And now that you're a little more informed, I'd like to share with you my new favorite bread brand :)


Vermont Bread Company

I first found this in the bread aisle at the local A&P while browsing for a better loaf of wheat bread.  I stumbled on it amoungst the rows and rows of bread choices and gave it a once over.  Looked about right to me! It pretty much met all the criteria for a better bread purchase so I brought it home and gave it a go.  I even purchased the English Muffins they had as well.  In the link above you can check out all the different types that they sell and try em for yourself, they have quite a variety and it's good stuff! :)

Uses for Vodka Sauce: a twist on baked ziti and margarita pizza

Tired of the same old pizza or boring baked ziti?  I know,i know,  how dare i call baked ziti boring, it's one of the most beloved meals in my house and to me (being Italian and all) it has most of the major food groups cheese, pasta, MORE CHEESE and marinara sauce! what is better than that?!
But we can all admit that from time to time you do try and spice it up a little bit and add some different ingredients, like spinach,sweet peppers, breaded eggplant, leftover meats like sausage or meatballs.  One of my new twists that I like to do with a nice cheesy, filling tray of baked ziti is swap out the traditional marinara or red sauce for VODKA SAUCE :) sound good? You bet it is

I also have done this swap with some homemade margarita pizzas ( i cannot claim this idea as my own, i have to give credit to the pizzeria down the street from my apartment).  I went in one day and they had some slices on display and I inquired about one of the margarita slices that the sauce looked a little more pink than usual....
"what's the deal with this one?" i asked.
and that's when they laid it on me.....instead of the traditional fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato sauce they swapped out the dollops of marinara for vodka sauce!
I had to try it, and it was as good as it sounded!

So tonight i tried both, baked ziti and homemade pizzas making vodka sauce the star of the show. It ain't just for penne anymore!


To make vodka sauce at home you will need:

 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups of diced panchetta (i have found it whole and rolled in the A&P, but most of the time you find it pre-packaged already thinly sliced)
 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
 1/4 cup vodka
 1 tablespoon tomato paste
 1large Can of crushed tomatoes  (either a 35 ounce can or 4.5 cups of tomatoes)
 4 leaves of Basil, chopped
 Salt and freshly ground pepper
 1/4 cup heavy cream

-in a large saute pan add olive oil and panchetta, and cook until fat renders out and panchetta becomes crisp.  Remove crisp panchetta, but leave the fat in the pan.
-Add onions and shallots, cook until translucent
-Add garlic, cook until golden
-Add the red pepper flake letting the dried flakes come back to life in the hot oil
-De-glaze the pan with the vodka
-Add Tomato paste and cook down and stir for about an minute
-Now add the crushed tomatoes, basil, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil then reduce heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until sauce reduces by one cup.
-Add the cream and simmer for another 5 minutes
-Now add the reserved panchetta pieces and stir in


Now that you have your very own homemade vodka sauce you can add it to just about anything that you would use marinara to, for a nice little change in flavor :)



try it on your pizza:

Or in your baked ziti:

I also added caramelized onions to this batch of ziti, so delish :)





try these new ideas out!

eat and enjoy :)

*Chicken Chorizo Soup*

Chicken Chorizo Soup

You will Need:
1 Package of chorizo (usually a pork sausage, today I'm using Smoked Chicken Chorizo that I purchased from Table Local Market)- chopped into small bite size cubes
1 lb of boneless chicken breast and thighs  *optional
2 quarts of chicken stock
2 small cans of diced tomatoes with chilies
1 cans of diced tomatoes and juice
1 large Spanish onion- diced
1 red bell pepper- diced
1 green bell pepper- diced
5 cloves of garlic- minced
2 cups of baby Yukon gold potatoes- diced
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed, we don't want the addd juice from the can in this soup)
1 tablespoon of Cholula hot sauce (adjust amount to desired spiciness)
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flake *optional
1 cup of tomatillo sauce/salsa verde *optional
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano or 1 tablespoon of  fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme or 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried cumin
2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lime- zested and juiced
Salt and Pepper

Optional Toppings:
*Diced jalapeno
*Lime wedge
*Tortilla Strips (store bought or make your own by brushing corn tortilla rounds with vegetable oil and bake until crispy :)
*Crema/Sour Cream
*Queso Fresco, Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese, Cheddar Cheese
*More Chorizo (if you save some to the side or make extra, the crispy pieces make a nice soup topper)
*Diced or Sliced Avocado
*Fresh Cilantro
*Diced Onions (white, yellow or red)
*Chopped Scallions

(you can pretty much top this soup with whatever your little heart desires! )


-in a nice large stock/soup pot heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil  on medium heat.
-*if using, Brown Chicken thighs and when cooked remove and set aside. 
-Then brown chorizo until pieces become dark golden brown and crispy, remove and set aside. 
-Add red pepper flake to oil in the bottom of the pan to let the heat bloom out of the dried flakes
-Add diced bell peppers and a pinch of salt -and begin to cook down for a few minutes. 
-Add chopped onion stir to mix for a few minutes
-Add minced garlic and another pinch of salt and cook down for about 5 minutes
-Add diced potatoes
-Add hot sauce and mix to combine and coat
-Add spices: oregano, thyme, cumin and stir
-Add all cans of diced tomatoes and keeeeeeep stirring
-If using leftover tomatillo sauce/salsa verde/or fresh red salsa you can also add that now (about 1.5 cups tops)
-Add lime zest and juice
-Add 2 quarts of chicken stock
-Add can of drained and rinsed black beans
-Shredded pieces of chicken that have been set aside and add back into the soup, also add pieces of chorizo as well
-Simmer on medium to medium low for 25-35 minutes or until potatoes have softened and the flavor in the soup has developed.

-While soup is simmering oil the corn tortilla rounds, cut into skinny strips and bake until crispy :)

When serving top individual bowls with optional toppings for added flavor :)

Finally Visited Table Local Market in Bedford Hills New York

So as some of you know, I recently moved from Ossining up to Bedford Hills New York.  It's a stones throw from the bustling Mount Kisco, and at first seemed a little too north for my taste.  I'm now starting to explore and have found myself "making friend"s with the area, and one of my most recent finds has made me fall a little more in love with my new residence.

I first came across Table Local Market on a web search of "food shopping Bedford Hills" on Google.

After Shoprite, "Table" was the second "hit" on the list, but I didn't go visit right away and then forgot about it for a couple of days until I came across it again on another food blog.

Check out this blog:   Westchester Eats: Table Local Market – - Fresh and Locally Innovative.

After arriving to Table Market, though small, I felt overwhelmed....I actually looked the store over a total of 4 times before picking out my purchases.


"You took four passes???" 


Yes, yes I did......
The place isn't even that big, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything!

I settled on these items:
Some fresh Smoked Chicken Chorizo, 2 Bell Peppers, and Red Quinoa.  (I know, I know, there goes that quinoa again, I'm a little bit obsessed)

And my plans for these purchases? 

The Chorizo & Bell Peppers will be for a chorizo chicken soup, which I'll use some of my tomatillo sauce in the base so it doesn't go bad and to waste in my fridge.

and the Red Quinoa, well I'm sure I'll find another use for my new found friend.


To be continued..........

Quinoa and Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers

There's this quinoa again sneaking it's way into more of my recipes.....So the other day when I made quinoa for the first time, I made THE ENTIRE BOX.  I don't really know why, but it seemed like good idea at the time.  Well it was, because I've been finding many delicious uses for it. 

After enjoying a few Bud Light Limes on the Patio with my roommate this evening, I became hungry.  So I look in the fridge at the MANY leftovers that have accumulated over the past few days of cooking and blogging and I decide I want NONE OF IT.  Been there, done that, I want something new....

So I look over at a bowl on the kitchen counter full of some sweet peppers I bought the other day and I have the urge to make more stuffed peppers. 

This recipe re-uses two of my lunch ingredients, more quinoa and some more of that sliced Finlandia Swiss.  But like I said earlier I needed to use up all that quinoa!  And as for the Swiss, well I'm just a sucker for Swiss cheese ;)

They were REALLLLLLLLLLLY good, So please try this one :)

You will need:

6-8 sweet peppers (I had enough filling for about 7 peppers, some of the yellow & oranges run smaller than the reds, so try an assortment of peppers that are all about the same size)
2 Cups cooked quinoa
1 pound of ground beef
6 cloves of garlic- Minced
1 yellow onion- Diced
1/2 small red onion- Diced
1 to 2 cups of sweet peppers-Diced (You will get these from the tops that you cut off the sweet peppers, as to not waste any usable/cook-able peice of food, and to add more flavor, u'll wanna dice up these tops and throw them into the the stuffing mix)
4 Thick Slices (or 6-8 thin slices) of Swiss cheese- Diced
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
5 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Cups of stock (vegetable, chicken or beef, whatever u have on hand)
Salt & Pepper


And try this spicy mixture to top them:

4 Tablespoons of Ketchup
1 Tablespoon of sriracha hot sauce (try this stuff it's awesome! if you don't have it or don't want to buy it any hot sauce will do, Cholula or Tabasco.  And also adjust this amount if you prefer it more or less spicy)
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce


now for the HOW TO:

Prepare the peppers:
take the tops off the peppers with a serrated knife and cut about a quarter inch from the top.  Then flip the peppers over and CAREFULLY take a sliver off the bottom, so that the peppers will stand on their own in the pan.  Reserve the tops and bottoms to dice for the stuffing.  Remove all ribs and seeds and put to the side while you prepare the stuffing.


Prepare the stuffing:
In a saute pan, on medium-high heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil.  When olive oil is heated add the onions, and you wanna hear them sizzle!, you want them almost to caramelize. After about 3-5 minutes of cooking and sizzling and stirring, u can lower the heat to medium, add the garlic, and nice a big pinch of salt.  Cook for a few minutes and then add the diced sweet peppers and continue to cook, stirring every couple of minutes. When all the vegetables have softened, then you can add the cooked quinoa, stir until heated through, remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the ground beef, onion and garlic powder, a nice pinch of salt and 6-8 grinds of fresh cracked pepper.   When beef is browned then add the onion, garlic, pepper, and quinoa mixture back to the pan.  Stir and combine until reheated through and flavors mix.

Remove from heat, set aside and let cool.  You can also pre-heat the oven at this time to 375 degrees.

Prepare the topping:
In a small/medium bowl add ketchup, Worcestershire, and hot sauce and whisk to combine




*Before stuffing the peppers, take the cooled mixture and add the diced Swiss cheese making sure it becomes evenly distributed throughout the stuffing and at this time taste again for seasoning (if needed add more s&p)


Now you can assemble the peppers :)

Take a large spoon and fill each pepper, don't pack them too tightly or they might cause the peppers to tear while cooking but add enough so that they are filled to the top.

Add a half a tablespoonful of olive oil to each filled pepper so that they don't dry out while cooking.

Then cover each pepper with the ketchup mixture (this topping is similar to what you would top a savory meatloaf with but just with some kick)

When peppers are filled and topped you can assemble them in a roasting or casserole pan.  When peppers are assembled in the pan, you can add the stock to the bottom of the pan, this will help the peppers steam while in the oven. 

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and pop 'em in the oven :)
Set the timer for 1 hour and when the time gets to 30 minutes take the foil off and continue to bake uncovered and raise the temperature to 415 degrees. 


You will know peppers are done when they are fork tender, but you still want them to have a little firmness to them, well at least I do, I don't like a soggy pepper, LOL.


These peppers are very filling and a great option for lunch, especially if your trying to covert from ordering out at work.  They're healthy and pretty much a meal in themselves, and they travels well in Tupperware.

Try this recipe, eat & enjoy! ;)

Need a Salad Idea?

I have the day off today and as per my usual bad habit, I skipped breakfast .....
As most of us have heard skipping breakfast is a big no-no, and well, I'm guilty, again.

I did however make a nice healthy lunch!


Soup and a salad :)

I  love making homemade chopped salads, and you can have a field day mixing and matching different fresh ingredients that most of us have already in our refrigerators.

Today I found some chopped romaine, tomato, spring onion, Swiss cheese, and quinoa salad, and made a super simple homemade rice wine vinaigrette.



For the Salad:
1 Head of Romaine lettuce- Chopped
2 "on the vine" tomatoes- Sliced
4 tips of spring onion tips (just the whites and light green ends)- Minced
2 Slices of Swiss Cheese- Diced
2 Cups of cooked Quinoa

For the simple Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon of Rice Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 shake of Lawrys Seasoned Salt
A few grinds of Fresh Black Pepper
(after combining these ingredients into a small bowl and quickly whisk together, or put into a salad dressing bottle and shake until it makes a nice emulsion)

The Quinoa, which is high in protein, is a very filling component of this salad.  Unfarmiliar with Quinoa?
Check out this link from the Whole Foods website and you'll quickly learn why you should add it into your favorite recipes:

Whole Foods: Quinoa 
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

Better Than TAKE OUT Fettuchini Alfredo!

Now we all love good old fashion Italian comfort food, I know I do! One dish that has always been close to my heart, and my stomach, is Fettuccine Alfredo.  This is a dish I can always remember my father ordering and my mother duplicating at home.  The funny thing about it though is as i got older NO ONE COULD EVER REMEMBER HOW TO MAKE IT?!

Did u melt the butter in the microwave? 

When did u put the parmigian cheese in?????

Was there an egg yolk involved????

UGH! 

In my adult years I decided I would once in for all find a recipe that was easy and delicious, and would remain in my culinary arsenal for the rest of my life.

I made this recipe for my sister after she passed her Registered Nurse State Boards, and the base of the recipe came from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network website.  

You will Need:

1lb Fettuccine (this time I used spinach fettuccine)

1 stick of butter (I like salted, but use what you like!)
1 small onion- Diced

1 cup and 1 quarter of Heavy Cream

1 Egg Yolk

(Take Egg yolk and 1/4 cup of heavy cream and set aside)

1 cup of Parmigiana Reggiano Cheese

2 Cloves of Garlic- Minced

1Tbs olive oil
salt & cracked black pepper

I used the ingredients I had on hand at my house, I usually omit the Onion and use a SHALLOT instead (shallots are like a garlicy onion, they're great, you should try them if you haven't!)

One thing I did not have on hand tonight while putting this together, was FRESH PARSLEY......very important at the end of this dish!!!!

Ok, so now you've preped, time to assemble :)

in a sauce pan drizzle some olive oil

Throw in Garlic and onions and sautee for a few minutes, (you do not want to brown the garlic for this white sauce)

Then throw in a few cubes of the butter, about half, melt and continue to "sweat" out the onions and garlic


'

When Onions and Garlic have softened then add the cup of the EGGLESS (without the egg!!!!!) cup of cream and remaining butter, a little pepper, whisk to melt and combine, and reduce at low heat

then whisk together the reserved egg and cream you set aside earlier

Slowly pour in the whisked egg/cream mixture into the hot cream/butter/garlic mixture carful not to curdle the egg!

Add the boiled and fully drained pasta to the sauce pan, if pan isn't big enough then use the empty pasta pot

Now toss to combine using two large forks and shut heat or remover from burner.

Add the parmigiano reggiano cheese and toss again, sauce will begin to coagulate, creating the creamy coating we are all too familiar with, with this dish :)

Now this is the point where you will taste for salt and pepper and add the fresh parsley (I had to add dried tonight :( booo) But it was still delicious!

I added these little roasted potatoes and carrots as my side dish, but we will leave that recipe for another blog!

Roasted Mini Stuffed Peppers

Roasted Mini Stuffed Peppers

You Will need:

Peppers:
10-15 assorted mini sweet peppers
1 Box instant Cous Cous (flavored: roasted garlic and olive oil or plain)
1+1/2 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
1/2 small red onion, minced
3 small cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola or mild/creamy blue cheese
2  tablespoons of extra virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
*1/4 teaspoon of salt
*1/2 cup of water (optional)
(if using flavored cous cous, less salt may be needed so always taste before adding salt)

Breadcrumb Topping:
1 cup seasoned Italian, or plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese
 *salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of finely crushed pignoli nuts

-Prepare cous cous according to package directions, set aside
-In a saute pan heat two tablespoons of olive oil and saute onions for three minutes
-Then add minced garlic and saute until softened
-Add chopped spinach and stir to combine flavors
-Add prepared cous cous, stir and heat through
-Add pepper, and *salt if needed
-Remove mixture and set aside in a bowl to cool.
-When cooled, add 1 package or 8oz of Gorgonzola or mild Blu Cheese
-Pre-heat oven to 350.

-Prepare mini peppers by cutting off top and removing ribs and seeds. Because peppers are too small to fill whole, cut in half and serve as "boats", or with really small peppers, lengthwise, cut off top eighth of pepper to create a boat with more room for filling.

-With a small spoon or your fingers, fill pepper "boats" and pack tightly with mixture.
-Arrange on a baking sheet large enough for at least a 1/4'' or more around each pepper.
-*You may want to add a half cup of water to the bottom of the baking pan, if it has sides, to help steam/cook the peppers

Bake for 15 minutes at 350

While peppers are baking assemble topping:
-Combine breadcrumbs, oil, cheese, and pignoli nuts.
-Mix well.

After 15 minutes of cooking remove baking sheet with peppers and top each one with breadcrumb mixture. Put back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs become crispy and brown :)

Baked Ravioli with Baby Spinach ;)

Now let me preface this recipe with the fact that I'm Italian and I usually in no way endorse using a "jar sauce" BUT I was out if commission today and didn't have the time to put together even a simple marinara. But this "cheat" sauce turned out amazing!

You will need:
•1 bag Frozen or fresh mini ravioli
•1/2 to 3/4 jar of traditional marinara (acceptable brands: Mario Batali, Cucina Antiqua's tomato basil or whatever organic/minimally processed jar sauce that is accessible)
•1/2 bag or more of baby spinach
•1 cup shredded mozzarella
•1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano divide into two uses (not Romano or Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano only, very important!)
•3 cloves of fresh garlic minced
•6-10 fresh basil leaves chopped
•3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt


Directions:
Boil water, when reached a rolling boil add rav's and a pinch of salt.

While rav's are cooking, to a sauce pan, heat oil and sauté garlic for a few minutes, be careful not to over brown or burn

Add sauce based on "desired sauciness" and warm through ( half a jar was perfect for me, not to dry, not to wet. But sauce them to your preference.)

Add basil

Add baby spinach and stir until wilted.

Assemble baking pan, toss in cooked ravioli, spinachy sauce and half a cup of Reggiano cheese

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of rav's

Sprinkle remaining half of Reggiano cheese on top of mozzarella so it browns

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for up to 20 minutes or until cheese melts.
Broil for a few minutes at end for desired crispiness ;)

A Hangover Cure from Mexico: Breakfast Chilaquiles with Homemade Tomatillo Sauce

I don't remember exactly where I saw this dish first, be it on the food network or the other cooking shows I watch on PBS or WLIW Create, but I know it HAD to be on TV.

Southwestern Breakfast is a culmination of all that is good about the world of food, it has all the elements of "awesome".  There are the eggs of course, which puts this dish in the breakfast category, then all kinds of veggies, familiar and foreign, then you add the dairy.....CHEESE!, in my dish I'm using Casique, crema, and Monterrey jack (need i say more?!), some carbs in the form of tortillas, some spices via hot sauce, peppers and fresh herbs, and in this specific recipe i diced leftover roasted potatoes to add to the mix....OK enough gab, lets get to the good stuff!!!!!

First the Tomatillo or Green Sauce:

You will Need:

1 + 1/2 to 2lbs of Tomatillo- cubed

2 Jalapenos or Serano chiles (OR BOTH!)- Halved

2 Cloves of Garlic- Smashed

1 can of green chiles

1 +1/2-2 cups Cilantro (or as much/little as your heart desires, but please use at LEAST 1 cup)- Chopped

1 Spanish or White Onion- Diced

1/2 Fresh Lime juice

1/4 teaspoon of white sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Now there are many ways to prepare this "green" sauce....I used to ROASTING method

Take tomatillos, Jalapenos,garlic and onion on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and pop into an oven at 425degrees. It took me about 20 minutes for the toms' to get a char on them....You don't necessarily need the char, and you do NOT want to burn the garlic, so watch your veggies carefully!!! Roasting will add another dimension of flavor to your sauce but mainly all you want to cook and break them down a little.(if roasting isn't for you there are other methods of cooking the veggies that you can look up on the web.

Once ingredients have reached desired softness remove and let cool for a few, then pop EVERYTHING into a blender and let her rip!

consistency is everything with this sauce, you want it loose enough to work with, but also to hold together like a "salsa" so give it a good buzz at first and then dial it down to a pulse.

Ok now for the actual dish:

You will need:

TWO frying pans for simultaneous cooking :)

One package of corn tortillas and or Torlilla chips, it all depends on what kind of textures you like in your Chilaquiles

Bowl of WARM Tomatillo Sauce

Eggs (usually I like at least two per serving)

Diced Potatoes (I used leftovers from the week that I had roasted, u can use something similar to what you would make home fries with or you can omit them all together)

Casique Cheese (a"queso blanco"; part skim semi soft spanish cheese, if you can't find queso blanco or add Oaxaca use  Mozzarella or just the Monterrey)- crumbled

Crema or Sour Cream- for drizzling

Monterrey Jack Cheese- shredded

Green Hot Sauce or whatever hot sauce you prefer or have laying around

Lime Wedges

Tablespoon or so of Corn oil per Tortilla, or Pam spray

Extra Chopped Cilantro and Fresh Chopped Oregano for garnish

GET READY, your about to make your new favorite breakfast dish......

In one pan add eggs and cook sunny side up over medium heat

While eggs are frying, in a small to medium frying pan spray a little Pam or a small amount of  corn oil

add potatoes, a HEAVY dose of hot sauce, toss and reheat until crispy or until desired done-ness

Remove and set aside

Re-oil the pan and add one corn tortilla, flip after one minute or as it begins to soften

Add one to two heaping spoonfuls of Tomatillo sauce to soak and saturate the tortilla round

Keep this pan going until the contents of the pan warm through, you may raise the temperature of the pan now if needed

On a single serving plate:

add soaked tortilla round

add potatoes

add a squeeze of lime if desired

add crumbled Casique/Queso Blanco cheese, and shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

add if desired more Green sauce

add the fried eggs and top with more green sauce, more cheese, drizzle with the crema/sour cream, top with cilantro, oregano and salt/pepper to taste......pretty much do it however you want!!!!!!

Now ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, dig in, and ENJOY :) this is sure to cure any ailment you might have! Especially hunger!

The nice thing about this dish is you can make it however you want!!!! Add re-fried bean, black beans, chicken or ground beef, heck, add em all!

Master this dish and you'll definitely be popular with whoever you plan on feeding, because you cannot find this dish that often in NEW YORK.....