30 minute meals

One Skillet Spicy Eggs & Potatoes

January 19, 2016 4 Comments

I am FINALLY able to post my skillet spicy eggs and potatoes recipe! I make these eggs ALL THE TIME and I always start out saying “Today’s the day. I’m going to take pictures and I’m definitely going to post it.” Then, as I’m licking the plate clean, I say out loud “Oh mannnnnnn! I meant to take pictures!” Lather, rinse, repeat.

And you know what else? I’ve made this for company more times than I can remember and I always get requests for a recipe. Last time, I served it alongside this baked chocolate chunk panettone french toast. It was the perfect brunch. No wonder brunch is my favorite meal. I could live on brunch. And perfect eggs.

These are PERFECT eggs. And they cook perfectly in a cast iron skillet. Remember that ole think your mom gave you for your birthday one year and you just looked at her with confusion? Yesssss, that one. It’s time to bring it out from storage, rub it down with some oil and cook this. No really, cook this with it’s golden, runny yolks and melty goat cheese atop beautiful, fingerling potatoes. And if you really want to go all the way, use some nice, crusty bread to sop up all that spicy sauce. I like to eat mine with grilled pieces of pita, if I’m feeling the love for extra carbs. Let’s be honest, when have I ever not wanted extra carbs?!

I can’t help it. The fiery tomato sauce with tender pieces of potatoes, pillow eggs, and tangy goat cheese call my name as I get them ready. This time was no exception; I had to channel all my willpower to hold off eating this yumminess for as long as I did. I think I deserve an extra serving for my herculean efforts.

Just look at it. No, I mean LOOK at it. Don’t you wish this was your breakfast today?! That’s the thing. My skillet spicy eggs and potatoes are so versatile that you can have them for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, snack, dessert or whenever you want! I would eat these for every meal if I could. I don’t think the Mister would mine either. My five year old insisted on 2 entire loaves of pita and refuses to eat the eggs if the yolk isn’t runny. She makes me a proud mama!

We start with beautiful, delicate fingerling potatoes. Sometimes I use the gold ones and other times I use red ones. It just depends on what I have on hand. Because it’s a one pot meal, the potatoes soak up the stuck on bits of tomato sauce as it adheres to the potatoes and caramelizes, giving it that nice, deep brown crust. Behold, the glorious potato!

Once the potatoes are cooked, they are reacquainted with their good friend, the tomato sauce. Then you dig little wells in the lovely cast iron pan (or regular pan) you dug up, and add an egg inside each well. And THEN you top with tangy, crumbly goat cheese, stick a lid on and cook until the whites cook and the yolks set. I’ll confess, breaking the center and watching the sunny yolk ooze out of the egg is my absolute favorite part of eating these eggs. Then as it mixes with the tomato, it forms a rich, creamy sauce. Oh be still my heart!

There are many variations of this dish. I first had as a traditional middle eastern dish called shakshusha which is just a eggs cooked in a tomato sauce. It can also be called eggs in purgatory. The first time I saw the addition of eggs was in this New York Times recipe. Since then I’ve experimented and added my own touches until it became what I present to you as skillet spicy eggs and potatoes.

Helpful tips:

The less starchy the potato, the better it’ll hold up. If you use a Russet or Idaho potato, chances are, because of the high starch content, the potatoes will fall apart, leaving a mushy mess. If you can’t find fingerlings, red potatoes or new potatoes work well too. Leaving the skin on helps keep the potato together, especially if it’s a thin-skinned potato. Plus the skin is loaded with nutritious goodness.
Dry the potatoes thoroughly before adding them to the hot oil, otherwise the water will cause the oil to splatter. The best way to dry them is to blot them with a paper towel or a dry dish towel.
To see if the eggs are cooked, gently shake the pan. If the eggs jiggle a lot, they aren’t cooked. A little jiggle is perfect. That means the yolks are still runny. Covering the pan is essential to this process. The lid traps the steam into the pan and uses that heat to gently steam the eggs. In the end, they eggs will look like they’re cooked over-easy. You can cook the eggs until the yolks are completely cooked, if you really want but I strongly discourage it. You want the runny yolk to flavor the sauce. Trust me.
while cooking the tomato sauce, use a potato masher, or the back of a wooden spoon, lightly mash the tomatoes to release some of the liquid. Do not puree it, otherwise you will lose the chunky texture that makes this sauce hearty.
When making wells for the eggs, try to surround each well with pieces of the potatoes so that the eggs aren’t fully mixed with the sauce and can cook in small circles. The potatoes will create a barrier between eggs and tomato sauce and prevent them from mixing too much.
If you’re looking for a really spicy kick, like I do, add a little bit of your favorite hot sauce. I’ve used sirarcha with a lot of success. Mix it into the tomato sauce after the sauce is cooked so the depth of the sirarcha will stand up to the acidity of the tomatoes.
Serve with crusty bread, crostinis, or simply grilled pita triangles. The potatoes have enough texture that you don’t have to have another carb but if you like to dip bread into sauces, this sauce is perfect for that purpose.

Skillet Spicy Eggs & Potatoes

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Yield: 4 1x

Scale

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ garam masala
½ tsp paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp chili powder or to taste
2 oz goat cheese
4 whole eggs
2 cans 15.5 oz diced tomatoes
10 oz fingerling or baby red potatoes, quartered (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp cilantro for garnish
black pepper if desired
4 pieces of crusty bread or pita triangles

Instructions

Heat a 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add garam masala and salt. Add tomatoes and once they start to simmer, add paprika, and chili powder. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher, gently mash the tomato mixture to release the liquid. Add mint, cover again and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove tomato sauce into a separate bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to high heat and add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add potatoes and stir to coat potatoes with whatever tomato sauce remains in the pan. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, until the potatoes become crispy. Turn the potatoes to cook the other side, until they become tender.
Reduce heat to low and add the tomato sauce on top of the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Create 4 wells and crack an into each well. Crumble goat cheese evenly top of the eggs and tomato sauce. Cover with lid and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to desired doneness.
Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot, with bread.

20 Minute Southwest Chicken Skillet

December 30, 2015 2 Comments

This is it: the last post of 2015. I wanted to get one last post up before I sign off for a week, while my family and I have some much needed relaxation time!

With the kids being home for winter break and getting ready for holiday travel, things have been quite hectic here. When the kids are home, I don’t have as much time to luxuriate while cooking so I need quick meals I can pull together in a flash. My 20 minute southwest chicken skillet is PERFECT for days like these, where everything comes together in one pan with a ton of veggies and very little clean up.

I love making this 20 minute southwest chicken skillet almost as much as much as my family loves eating it. So much so that it’s now a part of our regular rotation. In fact, my sister-in-law loved it so much that she started making it too. It all started when I really couldn’t stand cooking, or doing anything that didn’t have sleeping involved, while pregnant with my youngest. With the threat of dinner looming overhead and chicken breasts in the fridge, I knew I had to work fast.

Fun fact: I perform extremely well under pressure. I think it’s the procrastinator in me. There is a thrill of racing against the clock to see if you actually make it.

I pulled out my cast iron skillet, one of the most useful gifts anyone has ever given me (thank you, dear mother-in-law!). I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love my cast iron skillet. It heats up beautifully and sears meat to perfection. I also use it to make another favorite, guiltless eggroll in a bowl. I mean, I’m sitting here thinking about the countless steaks I’ve cooked in this bad boy, and I have this big, goofy grin on my face. Yes, that is how much I adore my cast iron skillet. I heated olive oil, tossed in some vegetables and listened to the melodic hiss of the vegetables as they danced around the pan, their sugars caramelizing.

Toss in the chicken and I have the symphony right here! As they sizzle and hiss to perfection, I heat up some tortillas and sometimes, if I’m feeling especially ambitious, I put together a pot of cilantro lime rice.

Normally I plan ahead and try to limit using canned foods in my cooking but some things are unavoidable, like tomatoes. I mean really, who has the time (or patience) to stand there, scoring a tomato, flash cooking it, and plunging it into an ice water bath and then peeling it? Not me. So tomatoes are my exception for things like my 30 minute marinara sauce. I will occasionally use canned beans, if I’m racing the clock and didn’t think far ahead. In those times of desperation, I toss in a can of black beans. On this particular day, I had leftover black beans in the fridge so I used those.

Back to the accompaniments. I’m more of a use-what’s-in-the-fridge type of girl so this time, I ended up using sour cream because that’s what was in the fridge. Other times, when avocados are in season, I serve the skillet with a healthy serving of avocado. Other times, it’s pico de gallo and other times still it’s even more cheese on top.

Who can say no to cheese?! Uh, not me! My absolute FAVORITE part about the 20-minute southwest chicken skillet is that it tastes even better the next day!

And with that, my friends, I bid you adieu and a happy new year with more to come in the next year!

20 Minute Southwest Chicken Skillet

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Yield: 6 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 cups frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 15.5 oz can black beans
1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus 1 tbsp for garnish
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

Instructions

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add peppers and cook until peppers begin to soften. Sprinkle in salt and cumin.
Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add chicken and chili powder. Cook until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Add tomatoes, corn, and black beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
Stir in 1/2 the cheese and cilantro and let cheese melt. Top with remaining cheese and green onions. Cover for 2 minutes until cheese is melted. Garnish with remaining cilantro.
Serve with warm tortillas and/or rice, chopped avocados, pico de gallo, sour cream etc.

Guiltless Eggroll in a Bowl

November 8, 2015 7 Comments

I love eggrolls. If they weren’t so calorie heavy, I would eat them by the dozen. The heart of it all is the filling, though. The ribbons of cooked, shredded vegetables that are still slightly crisp. The tender morsels of meat that are so well hidden only to be discovered by your mouth. The slightly salty flavor that lingers on your tongue, long after you’ve devoured that eggroll. Eating an eggroll is a culinary experience for me.

onion edit 1

Guiltless eggroll in a bowl brings the best parts of the eggroll, without the fat and the carbs. I first made it when we had an over abundance of green cabbage and carrots in our CSA box. Now, it is one of the most requested dinner items in my house. The recipe itself is very forgiving so you can easily omit the meat and still have a very filling meal.

I like to use fresh vegetables whenever possible, but in a pinch, you can just easily used a bagged coleslaw mix without compromising the flavor. One of the most appealing aspects of this dish for me was that it went from stovetop to dinner table in 30 minutes. That’s my kind of healthy, weeknight meal!

chicken

Guiltless Eggroll in a Bowl

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 4-6 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 lb. ground chicken (breast, thigh, or combo)
3 cups shredded cabbage*
2 cups shredded carrots*
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium is best)
1 tsp Srirarcha sauce (optional)
cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Mix together soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and Sriracha and set aside.
In wok or a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil on high heat.
Add onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add chicken and sauté, while breaking up any chunks that may form, about 5 minutes.
Add cabbage and carrots, cooking until the vegetables are tender but still crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Fold in the vegetables and meat as the vegetables wilt. Scrape the sides of the pan to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
Add soy sauce mixture and fold into vegetables until well incorporated. Cook for 1 minute.
Take off heat

Notes

*can be substituted with 1 bag coleslaw mix