We've Moved

I've combined my food blog with my travel blog at https://lotusexplorer.com.

Chorizo and Egg Bake

Johnsonville is now making chorizo.  I had to try it.  I went in a different direction than they suggested.

I browned it in a pan with onions.

Once the sausages were browned on both side, I sliced the sausages and added them back to the pan to cook with the onions a couple more minutes. Then removed the pan from the heat and drained the oil from the pan. Return it to the heat and cook a little longer until the onions are lightly browned.

Open a package of Pillsbury Crescent rolls and lay them out on a baking pan covered with a piece of parchment as shown below then sprinkle your favorite shredded cheese on the dough.

Next I scrambled the eggs in a clean pan (not the same pan used for cooking the chorizo).  Scramble the eggs just enough so they don't run all over the baking pan.  They will continue to cook during the baking process.  Add the eggs, chorizo and onions on top of the crescent dough.

Top with more cheese and fold the dough over the egg and chorizo mixture to create any pattern you'd like.  

Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until the crescent dough is a golden brown.  

We sliced it into four big pieces and served it with a choice of Salsa Verde or Picante.

Chorizo

I love trying different kinds of chorizo.  I'm always up for trying the freshly made chorizo in the local butcher's case.  My favorite was the chorizo I had in Costa Rica.  It was more like the consistency and color of ham.  The blend of spices gave it a nice tingle without burning the taste buds off your tongue.  Flavorful without too much heat.

I have not been able to find this is the USA yet but I'm still looking.

Cucuzza Squash

We found this squash at our local grocery store and couldn't resist trying it.  Yes, it measures over 31 inches long.  

We cut it in half and put the big half (sticker end) in the refridgerator.  The other half was peeled and sliced in preparation for breading and deep frying.

 

Since I've never tried this type of squash before I assumed it would soften like zucchini when cooked so I made the slices thicker.  Plus the centers felt kind of squooshy aiding my assumption that it would break down during cooking.  

I dipped the squash pieces in an egg and milk wash then coated with breadcrumbs.  I fried them in a pan of hot oil until the breading was a golden brown.  I let the cooked pieces rest on a paper towel lined baking sheet before serving.   

They were delicious and nothing like we expected.  The squash was firm unlike zucchini and the taste was very delicate so you can add whatever spices/herbs to the breadcrumbs to enhance the flavor.  

Stay tuned for more adventures in cooking with the other half of this squash. 

Rice with Spinach and Pistachios

I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious!

http://www.oprah.com/food/Rice-with-Spinach-and-Pistachios-Recipe

Chocolate and Pistachio Trifle Dessert

This is easy and great for a picnic or BBQ.  If you use the 9 oz. plactic cups you can prepare these ahead of time and they make is much easier to serve.

The ingredients are simple: 

• 1 box chocolate pudding 
• 1 box pistachio pudding
• pound cake (I used the frozen Sara Lee Pound Cake and by the time we arrived at the picnic it was thawed enough even though it was inside the cooler.)
• 1 8 oz. tub whipped cream (I used cool whip)
• your favorite toppings  (In this case I used chopped up pistachios and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.)

In a 9 oz. plastic cup, add a layer of pudding, then a couple pieces of pound cake, then whipped cream and repeat these layers one more time.  Sprinkle on your toppings. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.  Enjoy! 

Two boxes of instant pudding and one tub of cool whip will make about 12 desserts.

Grilled Potatoes

Wash and slice the potatoes.  Place them on a piece of non-stick aluminum foil.  

Spray with Olive Oil Pam Cooking Spray, then season with Lawry's Fire Roasted Chili and Garlic.

Fold the foil closed.  Like this....

Place the foil package on the grill over medium heat for 15 minutes, then flip over and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.

Carefully remove the potatoes from the foil, serve and enjoy!  

They turned out so good, I forgot to take a photo of the cooked potatoes.