My first experience of Machaca con Huevos was less than satisfying, a small amount of tasteless dry grey steak encased with dull rubbery overcooked eggs; the product of a good dish in the hands of a poor cook. When I experience just such a fiasco, I start diagnosing what when wrong and how I could improve it. Starting with the beef, I wanted to concentrate on texture and flavor. Traditionally machaca is made from reconstituted dried beef, and I am not excited with dried meat products. Although drying can concentrate and intensify flavor, I hate to lose the braised texture of the meat. What really sparked my interest is the shredded form of the meat, which led me to think about pulled pork and braised beef short ribs: both which could be infused with Mexican flavors. Then as chance would have it, I pulled out a corned beef brisket that I was going to slow cook. I gently cooked and shredded the corned beef; then crisped it in the oven before adding onions and peppers then served over crispy shredded hash browns with . Topped with your favorite eggs and topped with a little pepper hot sauce resulted in salty, savoury beef; crispy potatoes with spicy eggs with a noticable Irish twist just in time for Saint Patrick's day. This dish shows we can use multiple translation techniques; substitution using corned beef (plus I used some pickled red peppers instead of roasted), using Saint Patrick's day as an inspiration, and slow cooking the brisket and shredding it changing methods. The pulled pork and braised beef versions are waiting for another day when I have suitable leftovers.

Ingredients:

 1 pound corned beef

 1 poblano pepper

 1 large russet potato shredded

 1 red bell pepper (optional)

 2 Roma tomatoes

 1 small sweet onion

 2 cloves garlic

 ½ cup beef stock

 6 Large Eggs

 ½ cup shredded cheese (optional)

 dash favorite hot sauce (optional)

 1 Tbsp. canola oil

 Butter

 Salt and pepper for seasoning

Garnish with cilantro, lime, tomato and some tortillas.


Directions:

Shred the corned beef with fork or hands and reserve. Roast at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes or broil until browned and crispy).

Shred the potatoes and fry in oil until brown and crispy. Keep warm.

Skin, seed and dice the tomato. Roast, skin and dice the peppers. Dice the onion and finely chop garlic. Heat a skillet on medium heat; add butter and a little oil and sauté garlic and the onion for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, add peppers and continue to sauté until soft (about 5 min). Add the tomato, most of the corned beef, beef stock and reduce until most of the liquid is gone. Reserve and keep warm.

Cook your eggs and plate some potatoes first then some beef mixture then a little of the reserved potato and corned beef. Garnish with cilantro, avocado slices, a small wedge of lime and grilled tortillas.

Time to put our New Year's resolutions into action and take a few inches our waistlines by eating healthier. The easiest way I have found to eat healthier is to increase my vegetable intake; not a total diet change that is difficult to maintain but a small step towards eating better. Let's take a traditional American breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes and sausage then add vegetables to make breakfast more healthy. The vegetables can vary based on what looks good at the market but there is something special how the tastes of onion, sweet red and poblano peppers go together. I prefer the taste of the poblanos to regular green pepper and they add some subtle heat that I love. I can add a little browned sausage to bring everything together into one savory dish or leave it out if I want to go meatless. This is a perfect recipe to experiment with, adding whatever you want to satisfy your own individual taste. The vegetables are cooked first then added to your eggs and potatoes with fresh herbs. Experiment also with the size of the cut of the vegetables until you find your preference. I personally like a medium dice for the eggs and a larger dice for the potatoes but you can also do one size and use a single skillet then divide the vegetables between your egg and the potatoes.

Ultimate Home Fries

Ingredients

3 large Red Bliss potatoes
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
One day ahead, quarter 3 large Red Bliss potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain, cool and refrigerate overnight. This will cook and let the starches gell using the same method that gives french fries their fluffy interior with a crisp exterior.

Dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the potatoes. Cook slowly letting each side of the potato brown before flipping. While the potato browns heat a skillet on medium heat and when hot add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to sizzle add the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and toss to combine. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley. Toss to mix and remove from the heat. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Optional – Deep fry the potatoes and toss with the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and finally the parsley.



Pepper and Onion Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients

6 large eggs 
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3-5 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a no stick skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

Clean the skillet and return to the heat and add the remaining butter. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and begin to pull the egg mixture with a spatula from the sides of the pan to the center. As the egg starts to set add some of the fresh herbs and when almost done fold in the vegetable mixture and take off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook so plan for a little carry over cooking. Serve immediately sprinkling more fresh herbs over the top. Serves 4.

And now for something completely different - Ever since Monty Python showed up on the airwaves in the late sixties, I have been a devoted fan. The silly skits still make me smile and laugh. When ever two or more devoted fans come together, you will almost always hear songs or skits recited from memory. Any one for a quick run through of the lumberjack song? For the first time that I know of; a breakfast dish inspired by and dedicated to the lads of Monty Python. What’s next, dead parrot hash, killer rabbit stew or strawberry tart with not too much rat in it? This has to be definitive proof that inspiration can come from anywhere - "Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink, Say no more!" This is simply spam done three ways. We start with scrambled eggs with minced spam, accompanied with spam and potato hash covered with a country spam gravy. I recommend that you use the low sodium spam which still has a considerable amount of salt. Everyone sing, "spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, wonderful spam!"

Ingredients

Eggs with minced Spam

 ½ can of Spam (or use reduced salt Spam)

 4 eggs plus 2 extra yolks

 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

 2 Tbsp. milk or half and half

 1 Tbsp. butter

 salt and pepper for seasoning

Spam Gravy

¼ can of Spam (or use reduced salt Spam)

 1 small white onion or 2 shallots finely diced

 2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

 1 tsp. dijon mustard

 1 Tbsp. chicken base

  4 sprigs thyme



 pinch red pepper flakes

 hot sauce to taste

 salt and pepper for seasoning

Spam Hash

 2 Medium Red Potatoes

¼ can of Spam (or use reduced salt Spam)

 1 - 2 cloves garlic

 1 small white onion

 ½ small green or poblano pepper

 ½ small red pepper

 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs - parsley, oregano, rosemary and chives (or your favorite mix)

 salt and pepper for seasoning

 ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp. butter

Directions

Spam Gravy

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp. butter and the finely diced Spam and finely diced onions or shallots, season with pepper and cook until the Spam is browned. Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for a minute. Whisk in the flour and stir until fully mixed. This is in fact a roux. Stir until the raw flour begins to smell nutty which should only take a minute or two. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk. Increase the heat to medium high continuing to stir until the mixture begins to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the dijon mustard, hot sauce  and the chicken base (I like to use "Better then bullion"). Now is the time to check seasoning, and to add the hot sauce to achieve the heat you want. Pick out any thyme stems and keep warm until needed.

Spam Hash

Peel and dice the potatoes into 3/8 inch cubes and soak in ice water bath. Dice the Spam, onions and peppers to the same size and reserve. Drain and dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the potatoes. Cook slowly letting each side of the potato brown before flipping. While the potato browns heat a skillet on medium heat and when hot add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to sizzle add the garlic and sauté until fragrant then add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm. When the potatoes are almost brown and crispy, add the Spam and continue to cook until both the potatoes and spam are browned and crispy. Add the onion and pepper mixture and toss to combine. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped herbs. Toss to mix and remove from the heat. Serve  immediately.

Eggs with minced Spam

Crack the eggs
and extra yolk into a small bowl and add the half and half or milk
and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs with a fork until they are a
solid color. Do not over-beat to keep the eggs tender. Heat a 10
inch skillet on medium high heat so that when you add 2 Tbsp. of the
butter, it sizzles but does not brown too quickly. Swirl it around the pan
to cover the bottom. Add finely diced Spam and fry until lightly browned. Add
the beaten eggs to the skillet and let heat for 20 to 30 seconds. Using the
spatula gently push the egg mixture from the edge to the middle of the pan.
Continue over the entire surface of the skillet until egg curds start to
form. Reduce the heat to medium low, and start gently folding over the
curds. If you want extra creamy eggs; while the mixture is still runny add small
pieces of butter continuing to fold the mixture over to make the eggs
extra creamy. Pull the eggs off the heat when almost done, stir in chopped
chives and let the residual heat finish cooking the eggs. Serve
immediately. Serves 2.

Hints - I like to use the 25% salt reduced spam to cut back on the salt and taste as I go to ensure the salt doesn't get out of control. Don't skip the fresh herbs, they are my favorite part. If you want to add additional vegetables, go for it; in fact if you want to add a Hawaiian touch you could try a little pineapple in the hash. Try substituting olive oil for the butter to save a few calories and for the vegetarian, substitute mushrooms or a meat replacement product for the Spam.

Here I am on a bright late summer afternoon, sitting at a courtyard table taking in the sights and sounds of Little Italy in San Diego.  The food has been inspiring, eating out breakfast, lunch and dinner while my lovely wife spends time commuting back and forth from a medical conference. I recently had some networking cards printed and have been passing them out to anyone who shows an interest in cooking. I was talking to one of the local restaurants and they seem quite interested in my Bacon Cannoli so I started thinking about other breakfast dishes with an Italian theme. I needed to go no farther then translate my chicken parmesan sandwich I had for lunch and reinvent it for breakfast. I looked at the menu and there was no hash dish so why not make a chicken parmesan hash. The rest is simple; take a brined chicken breast and dice it into cubes then bread the cubes and fry until golden. I previously roasted some red potatoes and let them cool. While I cooked the chicken breast, I started sautéing the potatoes in one pan and some vegetables in the other. When the potatoes were crispy add the veggies and let the flavors merge, then add the chicken, grate some parmesan cheese and drizzle with a little marinara to complete the flavor palette. This is a great example on how to take a bunch of themes; here Little Italy, breakfast and a chicken parmesan, and come up with a dish to fit all three. I just can't wait to get back to my kitchen and work out all the details. Until then here is a photo taken later that night and a preliminary recipe.

I can't wait to get back home and try this out (and add some pictures). I dedicate this to my new friends at Trattoria Fantastica in Little Italy in San Diego. Buon Appetito!

Well I finally made it home and tried out the idea for my Chicken Parmesan Hash making relatively very few changes. I added some sugar and acid to my marinara sauce (my wife's idea) which really perked the flavors up. I decided to use two chicken breasts (both sides of the same bird)

Ingredients:

 4 medium to large red potatoes

 2 chicken breasts boned and skinned (brined overnight if you have the time)

 1 large onion large dice

 1 small red pepper large dice

 1/2  small zucchini  large dice

 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley

 5-6 basil leaves rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)

 6-8 Tbsp. cooking oil

 Salt and Pepper to taste

 3-4 Tbsp. marinara sauce (add sugar if needed and a little white balsamic vinegar)

 Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Standard breading station

 1-2 cups seasoned AP flour (add a little salt and pepper)

 1-2 cups milk mixed with 3 beaten eggs

 1-2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (I used panko with Italian seasoning)

Directions:

One day ahead, halve four red potatoes, sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven until a fork is easily inserted with little resistance. Cool and refrigerate overnight. If you are brining our chicken overnight or even the same day, add one tablespoon of both salt and sugar to a zip-lock bag with about 2 cups of water. Add the chicken breast and if you dare a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce, then close the bag and place in a shallow dish in your refrigerator.

In three small shallow dishes, add the flour to the first and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in the second with the of milk. Add seasoned bread crumbs to the third. Cut the chicken breast lengthwise into half, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Dry off the chicken cubes with paper towels then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg and milk then into the bread crumbs. Let rest on a wire rack for about a half an hour. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a medium skillet, then fry the chicken in the oil in batches, turning until golden brown on all sides. Reserve warm until needed. Clean then reheat the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tbsp. oil heating until it shimmers. Add the diced onion, zucchini, thyme and red peppers, season and cook until the onions are just starting to brown (about 10 minutes). Remove any thyme stems and transfer to a bowl and reserve.

Dice the potato into 1/2 inch dice. Add 2-3 tbsp. of the oil to the pan on medium heat and heat until the oil is hot. Add the potatoes and toss to coat in the oil. If the mixture is dry add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper. The secret is to let the potatoes brown and crisp slowly turning only when brown on the bottom. When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the reserved chicken tossing to combine. Add the reserved vegetable mixture, more thyme and chopped parsley; toss and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with a little marinara sauce and garnish with the basil. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and serve immediately. 

A great Benedict deserves a great side dish. If you remember the scraps from the Southern Style Benedict from my last post; they can be diced, breaded and lightly fried to create chicken fried steak bites. Thus, our scraps from one dish can be used as inspiration to create another great dish. I remember having sweet potato fries with chicken fried steak so why not take two uniquely Southern tastes and combine them to create a hash. Dice some red bell pepper, vibrant green poblano chiles and some Vidalia sweet onion to create a colorful counterpoint to  our Southern Style Benedict.

Ingredients:

 2 medium to large sweet  potatoes
 remaining meat from Southern Benedict (½ inch dice)
 ½ cup milk
 1 egg
 ½ large onion diced
 1 small red pepper diced
 1 small poblano chile diced
 2 sprigs fresh thyme
 2 sprigs fresh parsley
 2-4 Tbsp. cooking oil
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

One day ahead, quarter two sweet potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until a fork is easily inserted with little resistance. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

In two small shallow dishes, add the flour to one and beat an egg in the other. Season the steak with salt and pepper then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg then dredge in the flour again. Let rest on a wire rack. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, then fry in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Reserve warm until needed.

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add half of the oil, heating until it shimmers. Add the diced onion, poblano and red peppers, season and cook until the onions are just starting to brown (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and reserve. Remove the thyme leaves and finely chop with the parsley.

Remove the skin from the potatoes and dice to desired size. Add the rest of the oil to the pan on medium heat and heat until the oil is hot. Add the potatoes tossing to coat in the oil. If the mixture is dry add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper. The secret is to let the potatoes brown and crisp slowly turning only when brown on the bottom. When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the reserved chicken fried steak tossing to combine. Add the reserved vegetable mixture, thyme and chopped parsley; toss and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.