The 2 Spoons

The Best Sausage And Hatch Green Chile Breakfast Casserole.

August 26, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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This Sausage and Hatch Green Chile Breakfast Casserole was delicious. I had just roasted fresh Hatch Green Chile so decided I’d use some in a breakfast casserole. It is the season to harvest these magnificent chile’s from New Mexico after all.

If you can only find canned green chile at your local store, these are what I have used canned. I like the Hatch Green Chile brand: https://amzn.to/3PPruHQ

If you click on the link the price is for 12 – 4 ounce cans which I think is a good price. I use these also, especially if I need a large amount and don’t have my usual from New Mexico. I also use this brand on occasion because I can get it from my local HEB. https://amzn.to/3PU6iRf.

What you need for this delicious recipe:

What ingredients do you need to make this Hatch Green Chile Breakfast Casserole.

French bread preferably, but other bread would work

butter
breakfast sausage
large to extra large eggs
salt
black pepper
onion powder
dash of garlic powder
heavy cream
Hatch Green Chile
green onions
cheddar, Colby. or Monterrey Jack

What breads would work?

Crusty sourdough
Ciabatta bread
stale white sandwich bread
French Bread
Italian Loaf

Assorted fresh breads on a white isolate background.

Tips for making this casserole:

Normally I would make this recipe the day before and refrigerate over night uncooked. You can do that when you make your, but because I decided I wanted this for breakfast, I made it the same morning and I think I liked it’s better.

Maybe it seemed fluffier? I’m not sure, but the bread was still defined; well, it was just delicious. Maybe it was a little like bread pudding? Savory Bread Pudding? BTW, bread pudding is one of my all time favorite desserts.

The recipe calls for one and a half cups of heavy cream. You can use half whole milk and cream.

If you use one of the more crusted breads I would add 3/4 to 1 more cup of liquid. That crusty bread will definitely soak up your liquid.

I add my seasonings to my milk before I add the eggs. This will insure you have enough salt and pepper and your desired seasonings without having to taste raw eggs.

What Do I cook these in?

I love these casserole dishes. They are Staub I found on sale, but what I like about them is they are the perfect casserole for one or two people. https://amzn.to/3sR0GuG.

I also like these multi-purpose lasagna pans. They are perfect for this dish.https://amzn.to/3PRadhB

the best sausage and hatch green chile breakfast casserole.

I made some homemade hash browns to have along side this Hatch Green Chile Breakfast Casserole. I had one fresh out of the garden tomato left. This was just a delicious meal. For the hash browns, I placed a medium potato in the microwave on the “potato” mode. When it ended, even though it was still a little firm, I grated it being really careful because It was still hot!

I heated a non-stick skillet to medium high with just a little oil in the bottom. I added the shredded potatoes, sprinkled with a pinch of salt and pepper and allowed them to brown on the first side without moving. Then I flipped them over, breaking them up a little so all of them will brown, continuing to flip until they are golden brown.

Need another breakfast casserole?

Here’s another breakfastreEasy – Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole for 2

Easy – Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole for 2

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Course Breakfast, brunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, breakfast casserole, brunch, casserole, sausage

so easy, ben & jerry’s recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream

August 26, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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Ben & Jerry's Recipe for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream — Ben & Jerry’s Recipe for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

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This Ben & Jerry’s homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is not only beyond delicious, but it’s so easy. I did add extra strawberries, but I did make their recipe and just added my tweaks. Mainly I added a strawberry puree into the cream base, then added sliced strawberries in the last few minutes of freezing it. The extra puree is that I absolutely love fresh strawberries that I sprinkle with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. After they sit for maybe 30 minutes, or come to room temperature, I use an emulsion blender to roughly puree them because I still want some chunks even in the puree.

Just look at the lusciousness! I love to make homemade ice cream. I use my Kitchenaid mixer that has an ice cream attachment. I keep looking for counter top ice cream makers but haven’t ran across one I’ve wanted to purchase yet. This is a link for my attachment which has been my standby for so many years. https://amzn.to/2WtC3bF.

Then I use this attachment for making ice cream. https://amzn.to/3gE7gzE

so easy, ben & jerry’s recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream

The base of this ice cream can be used to make other fresh fruit ice creams. I made peach ice cream the other day and it was so good. Peach and strawberry are my favorite fruit ice creams. I do have a chocolate ice cream recipe on the blog, here is that recipe: awesome homemade ben and jerry’s chocolate ice cream.

The sweet cream base for this recipe is 4 ingre4dients:

Eggs
Sugar
Heavy Cream
Milk

so easy, ben & jerry’s recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream

I think you’ll love this ice cream as much as I did!

so easy, ben & jerry’s recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2/3 cup sugar
tablespoon lemon juice

For the Sweet Cream Base

2 large eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk

Instructions

Combine 1/2 pint of the sliced strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the Sweet Cream Base

Puree the remaining 1 pint strawberries with 1/3 cup sugar. I use an immersion blender. You want your puree to be a little chunky so the hand held blender works well, If you use a blender or food processor, just pulse them.
Whisk the eggs in a stand mixer or mixer until light and fluffy, a couple of minutes. Whisk in the sugar a little at a time. Continue whisking until completely blended. Pour in the cream, milk and the strawberry puree. I cover and allow the mixture to chill completely in the refrigerator.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the ice cream maker instructions. Remove the remaining 1/2 pint strawberries and mash them a little leaving them chunky. When the ice cream is almost frozen, add the remaining strawberries and continue to freeze.
Store in the freezer in am airtight container! Enjoy!

Keyword homemade, homemade ice cream, homemade strawberry ice cream, ice cream, strawberry

a Texas favorite, famous chicken fried steak sandwich!

August 21, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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When I was choosing the right photo of this Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich as the header photo, I just couldn’t make up mind. Don’t the photo look amazing?

This sandwich is without a doubt a Texas favorite. Whether on a sandwich or served topped with gravy and fries or mashed potato, the chicken fried steak is served at almost every cafe, diner, mom and pops, even TexMex restaurants in Texas will have a chicken fried steak on the menu. Just the name, chicken….fried….steak….just denotes it is going to be amazing!

Today we use cube steak, the official cut you buy for chicken fried steak. My mom would use round steak that she would tenderize by beating it with the sides of a plate. It’s been around for a long time. I have another post of chicken fried steak that has a little history of the cfs and how it came about with the chuckwagon on trail rides. Best Texas Chicken Fried Steak Fingers

a Texas favorite, chicken fried steak sandwich!

So the sandwich starts with the chicken fried steak which is made by breading the cubed steak and frying it in hot oil until golden brown on all sides. The breading is key! Seasoned flour, egg mixture, back into the flour, repeat if you like, throw into the hot oil, well, not literally, but place in the oil, turning until golden brown. I like to use Peanut Oil; however, you could use vegetable oil. I also like to fry in a cast iron dutch oven. Mine is very old, it was my Grandmother’s, but you can get some really nice Lodge cast iron pieces. This is like the one I used: https://amzn.to/3D95Erh

So much for the “chicken fried steak” let’s talk about the sandwich! It starts with a buttered and toasted bun. Then it is slathered with a good mayonnaise. Add a layer of lettuce to the bottom, then the steak and last but not least top with fresh salt and peppered tomatoes and thinly sliced onions. You could add pickles, but I really don’t like pickles on this sandwich, but do what you like!

If you have leftover chicken fried steak, you have to have it for breakfast on to a homemade biscuit and then topped with gravy! Here’s my favorite buttermilk biscuit recipe:

wonderful – flaky buttermilk biscuits.

Here’s the recipe or this wonderful sandwith! Enjoy!

chicken fried steak sandwich!

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Course Breakfast, brunch, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 lb cube steak or tenderized round steak
2 cups plus if needed all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 eggs beaten plus a splash of water
peanut oil for frying (up to about 1/3 in the pan you are using)

To Build the Sandwich

Cooked Chicken Fried Steak
2-4 hamburger buns
butter for toasting the buns
good mayonnaise
lettuce leaves
sliced tomatoes
thinly sliced onions (I used Purple)
pickles (optional)

Instructions

For the Chicken Fried Steak

Place the flour in a container. Add the seasonings and whisk. Add your eggs, a splash of water and a big pinch of flour in another pan and whisk until the egg and flour are combined completely.
Cut your cube steak or tenderized round steak into bun size pieces. They will enlarge as you bread them. Lightly salt and pepper. Place one steak in the flour pressing down to help the flour adhere, turn over and do the same.
Then put the steak in the egg mixture turning to completely coat, then back in the flour, pressing down, to completely cover with the flour. You can dredge again, add back to eggs and back in flour, or you can just do the one dredge. Either way you want to make sure they are completely covered and the flour is adhering to the steak. Set your dredged steaks on a sheet pan or plate until ready to fry.
Heat your oil in a large skillet to medium high. When the oil is heated add your first few pieces of steak, single layer, not crowding and cook until lightly browned. When done remove and drain on a rack over a sheet pan. Draining on paper towel will make them soggy. If you are frying many keep the already cooked pieces in the oven on the wire rack on warm. Continue until all have been cooked.

To Build the Sandwich

Heat a griddle or skillet to medium high. spread each bun with butter. Place on the hot griddle and cook until they start to brown a little. Flip and leave on the other side for just a minute.
Slather each side of the bun with a good mayonnaise. Top each bottom with lettuce, then add you steak, tomatoes, onions, more lettuce if you like.
Place the lid on and enjoy! You'll need lots of napkins!

Keyword chicken fried, chicken fried steak sandwich, cube steak, sandwich, steak, Texas Chicken Fried Steak

i love these – chorizo, potato and eggs fried burritos with red sauce.

August 18, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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I’m not sure when I ate the first wet burrito, but these chorizo, potato and eggs fried burritos with red sauce became a favorite after that. Likely we were in Ruidoso and I came home and duplicated them. I’ve made these with many different fillings. Why not make a breakfast wet burrito and stuff it with potato, chorizo and eggs? Well, of course! Perfection.

I had Hatch red chile sauce already made from enchiladas. Of course, I didn’t want that to go to waste so I thought the other day that I’d love that for breakfast. Decided if I could make breakfast enchiladas with eggs in them, that this burrito should work also and wow did it every. So delicious!

i love these chorizo, potato and egg fried burritos with red sauce.

Of course a key component in this dish is the Hatch red chile sauce. I make this sauce form Hatch dried chile and once you start making this sauce I think it will become your favorite enchilada sauce. You may be able to find them at your local grocery store or there’s different websites you can order them. I’ve actually ordered these online from Amazon https://amzn.to/3xTm0k1.

If I’m in New Mexico, I’ll load up on them. When I run out, I order them online to get the real thing. Here’s my recipe for red chile sauce. It’s kind of a process at first, but the original paste makes a lot of sauce. We Love New Mexico Hatch Red Chile Beef Enchiladas Too!

If you don’t want to make the sauce from scratch most grocery stores have canned Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce. https://amzn.to/37PwGWi.

New Mexico Hatch Red Chile Beef Enchiladas

i love these – chorizo, potato and eggs fried burritos with red sauce

This deliciousness for breakfast is crazy. You can make these up to the point of frying them and store in the refrigerator over night. Next morning fry them, heat the sauce and you’re set. You will not regret this recipe. Let me know if you make this!!

i love these – chorizo, potato and eggs fried burritos with red sauce.

I'm not sure when I ate the first wet burrito, but these chorizo, potato and eggs fried burritos with red sauce became a favorite after that.

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Hatch Red Chile Sauce

8 oz (about 20 to 25) dried whole red New Mexican chile pods, mild, medium or hot, or a combination
2-4 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
heaping tablespoon flour
1 tsp crushed Mexican oregano
water or chicken stock
1 tsp salt, or more to taste

For the Burritos

1-2 cups Hatch Red Sauce (a can of Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce can be substituted)
1 medium potato, diced
8 oz chorizo
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp butter for cooking the eggs
cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, grated
2 large burrito size flour tortillas
peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
salt and pepper
Mexican Crema for serving

Instructions

For the Red Chile Sauce

This will make much more chile paste than you'll need for just this recipe. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile pods. Toast the chile pods in a heavy skillet over medium heat until they are warm and release their fragrance, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Remove the chile pieces and place into a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chile is soft.
Remove the chile from the liquid and place into a blender or food processor. Add the onion and the garlic. Blend until a smooth paste. Strain the paste, pushing through with the back of a spoon. This takes a few minutes. You just want to keep straining, pushing the puree through leaving behind any skin or seeds, adding a little water if you need to. Discard the skins or seeds.
Warm the oil in a skillet. Add the flour and cook for a minute or 2, stirring. Add enough water or chicken stock to make a pretty thin gravy. Add the chile mixture a little at a time, tasting until you reach the desired chile taste you want. If you have some left, you can freeze until you need later. Add the crushed oregano and salt to taste. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, adding water if needed. You want a pourable sauce, not a thick sauce. When ready the sauce will coat the back of a spoon but still be pourable. At this point I always strain again, pushing through the sauce, leaving behind any solids. This is not mandatory, but if I'm making enchiladas I want a very smooth sauce.

For the Burritos

Heat enough oil in a non stick skillet to cover the bottom and heat to medium high. Add the potatoes and a little salt and pepper. Brown the potatoes on both sides, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are tender. Remove the lid, increase the heat and crisp up the potatoes. Remove and set aside.
Add the chorizo and cook it for a few minutes until cooked through. Drain on paper towels and add to the potatoes.
Wipe the skillet out and add the butter. When melted add the beaten eggs, folding over until done, but not dry. You want them to be soft.
Add the eggs to the potato and chorizo and add some cheese. Add a tablespoon or 2 of the red chile sauce.
Heat a griddle or large skillet and heat the flour tortillas until they have puffed and have softened, Place on a flat surface and divide the mixture among each tortilla. Place in the middle of the tortilla. Fold the sides over, then roll from the end closest to you, trying to make as tight as possible, but not breaking so the filling will not come out when you fry.
Add enough oil, about an inch, to a skillet to hold both burritos. Het to medium high. You don't want the oil smoking. Place the burrito into the skillet, seam side down. Cook until browned, then turn so that all sides have browned. When done, place on a wire rack to drain.
Heat the broiler. Pour some of the red chile sauce into a bowl or on a plate. Place the burrito on top, then ladle more sauce over the burrito. Top with more cheese. Place in the broiler and allow the cheese to quickly melt. Remove from the oven, add some Mexican crema if you like and serve! Enjoy!

Keyword breakfast, burritos, fried burritos, Hatch red chile sauce, homemade chorizo, New Mexico, wet burritos

love this shrimp scampi pasta.

August 17, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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This is a classic shrimp scampi pasta dish. It is a simple garlic, white wine and butter sauce. So, so delicious and satisfying.

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines). Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names. Thus the dish was born, along with inevitable variations. Scampi makes a wonderful appetizer or a fabulous hearty meal if you add the pasta and delicious garlic bread.

love this shrimp scampi pasta.

I love shrimp cooked anyway or cooked in lime juice like ceviche! I made shrimp and grits the other day and I had this shrimp leftover. I’d been wanting scampi, so it worked out well. I usually buy head on-shell on shrimp because I like to use the heads and shells for basic shrimp stock, which is a must in Louisiana style cooking. These were Argentinian shrimp that I found at my local HEB and they were raw, but peeled and deveined. Filling a little lazy I guess, I purchased them, upon the recommendation of the fish monger and they were delicious. Such pretty colors.

You have to make the Shrimp and Grits too. Here’s the recipe for it: these amazing shrimp and grits.

I love to eat in large bowls. Not sure why, but something my late husband and I did for years. We both loved eating in a big bowl. Here’s some of my favorites: https://amzn.to/2UtVzE0. M other favorites are like the ones above in gray. I think I got them at Pier I.

love this shrimp scampi pasta.

If you aren’t serving this with pasta, you could half the sauce. Because I wanted to toss my pasta in the sauce I made more sauce. Who wants bland pasta with this delicious shrimp! Of course, serve with more lemons and delicious bread.

Here’s the recipe! Hope you try this and enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

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Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 tsp tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh ground pepper
1 lb large or extra large shrimp shelled
1/3 cup chopped parsley
fresh squeezed lemon juice
8 oz pasta of your choice
crusty bread or garlic bread

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until desired doneness.
In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice .
Remove the shrimp from the pan. Remove the pasta from the pan with tongs or similar and add to the sauce. If you get some pasta water, that's good because it will help you thicken the sauce for it to stick to your pasta.
Cook the pasta in the sauce for a couple of minutes. Add the pasta and sauce to individual serving dishes and top with the shrimp. Serve with crusty bread or like I did, garlic bread.
Bon Appetite!

Keyword dinner, Easy, pasta, scampi, seafood, shrimp, shrimp scampi, spaghetti

the best crab stuffed salmon.

August 16, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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Oh, wow! This crab stuffed salmon is amazing! Those of you my age, do you remember the stuffed fish at Steak and Ale! I ate that every time I was there! I can’t remember if it was flounder or salmon, but it was stuffed with crab and delicious!

The crab stuffing is very simple. I didn’t want to add a lot of filler, so this really is mostly crab. If you google crab stuffed salmon, most of them will have cream cheese. I wanted a crab cake stuffed into a piece of salmon. No cvream cheese, nothing like that. Just crab with some seasonings and mayonnaise and buttery crackers to hold it together.

The ingredients are a good mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, old bay, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, chopped parsley and some buttery crackers. I use those Club crackers. You could use Ritz crackers or regular saltines, however, I really like a buttery cracker for this dish. I combine those ingredients and mound them onto the salmon after I have made a slit on top of the salmon to hold the crab. They are baked 15 to 18 minutes at 375 degrees, then slathered in garlic butter. Delicious!

the best crab stuffed salmon.

I eat a lot of salmon! My local HEB always fresh salmon or occasionally I’ll buy the wild salmon from Sam’s Club. I buy wild salmon, not farm raised. It is a little more expensive, but worth it. perfect grilled salmon salad with summer vegetables. This is delicious!

the best crab stuffed salmon.

This dish is really rich so something like asparagus would be delicious or saluted spinach would also work. Here’s a couple of my other recipes to serve as a side dish.

Perfect Sesame Roasted Asparagus with Whipped Herbed Boursin Cheese

Easy Cheesy Creamed Spinach and,

So Easy, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

All of these would be delicious. If you want to keep with a cajun theme these potatoes would be lucious!

Easy – Wilda Marie’s Lazy Potato Casserole

This potato casserole has “Slap Yo Mama” Louisiana seasoning! These are delicious. Here’s a link for this seasoning: https://amzn.to/3iT1Rq2.

Here’s the recipe for this delicious dish! Super easy and so delicious!

Crab Stuffed Salmon

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Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

2 salmon filets
olive oil to brush the salmon
salt and pepper
8 oz large lump crab
1-2 tbsp good mayonnaise
juice and zest of one lemon
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of old bay
pinch of Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 sleeve crushed Club crackers (about 18)

Lemon Butter

1/2 stick unsalted butter
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 garlic clove minced finely

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a small casserole dish.
Cut a slit down the middle of the salmon without going all the way through and leaving about 1 inch or a space on each end. You just want a pocket to fill with the crab mixture. Brush them with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper.
In a bowl add your mayonnaise and the seasonings. Add the crushed crackers, Combine. Add the crab mixing briefly with a fork to keep it light.
Divide the crab mixture and with your hands lightly form a ball like patty not compacting, leaving the crab mixture loose. Place in the pocket of the salmon. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook stirring until aromatic. Add the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Set aside to brush on the salmon when done.
Crab should start to brown some on top and the salmon should be a little firm, yet a little flaky, but definitely not dry and overcooked. I just check it after about 10 minutes to see where it is. I like salmon medium to medium rare. If you think the salmon is done yet the crab is not browned on top, turn the broiler on and just lightly brown. Remove from the oven and pour the butter mixture on each piece of salmon. Enjoy!