The 2 Spoons

love this mesquite smoked brisket hash for breakfast.

September 15, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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Smoked Brisket Hash for breakfast is one of my favorite uses for the leftovers. We love hash for breakfast anyway, but there’s just something about using the leftover smoked brisket that takes it to a whole new level. It’s Smokey, tender, there’s always a little fat that just melts everything together.

Top this hash with an egg, drizzle with your favorite hot sauce or I used BBQ sauce, add your favorite toast, and you have the perfect breakfast. Honestly makes me want to make this again right now!

Hash is a great meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. My mom would always make hash for dinner with leftover pot roast and it was so delicious!

love this mesquite smoked brisket hash for breakfast.

I start the dish by cubing a potato. I like to use the russet because you can get a nice crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. I only add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of a nonstick pan, add the potatoes over medium heat. I salt and pepper them and when they start to brown, I turn them, throw a lid on for maybe 5 minutes so they can start to soften. i then remove the lid and add diced onions, green and red peppers, and jalapenos (optional). I now leave the lid off, allow the bottom to brown and the onions and peppers to cook, turning to make sure it’s all browned and delicious.

I then toss the cubed brisket in at the last few minutes and just cook until heated through! Voila! Perfect breakfast! Oh, I forgot, fry up an egg or poach and egg, throw it on top, let the yolk of that egg serve as a yummy sauce, then drizzle with your favorite hot sauce or BBQ Sauce. I always use a squeeze bottle for drizzling onto the food so that you don’t just drop a big blob on your food.

If you aren’t using squeeze bottles in your kitchen, you’d love them. I put sauces in them, dressings, etc., that I can drizzle on food rather than placing a big blob on top. I also put oil in them and keep by my stovetop for easy access when I want to coat a pan for sautéing without having to get the large container of oil out. These are similar to what I usehttps://amzn.to/33vr5Sq

love this mesquite smoked brisket hash for breakfast.

Before I share this recipe, here’s another favorite hash recipe: https://the2spoons.com/potato-and-smoked-sausage-hash-biscuit-and-gravy/

Here’s a recipe for the brisket hash! Enjoy!

Smoked Brisket Hash

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Breakfast, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

1 Large russet potato, diced
1/2 Onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
4-5 slices smoked brisket, diced
Oil for cooking potatoes
1 tsp salt & Pepper to taste
2-4 eggs, fried or poached for topping the hash
hot sauce or BBQ Sauce, optional

Instructions

Pour enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet. I use a non stick iron skillet. Heat to hot but not smoking and add the potatoes. Brown the potatoes turning to brown on both sides. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the potatoes have softened, but not done. Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent.
Raise the heat to medium high, and quickly brown the potatoes turning until you have a crispy potato. Add the brisket and just heat through.
Fry or poach your eggs. Add the hash to a bowl or plate, top with your eggs and drizzle with BBQ sauce or your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!

Keyword breakfast, breakfast hash, brisket, hash, homemade biscuits, potato, Smoked Brisket

this shrimp ceviche is easy & so delicious.

September 8, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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Shrimp Ceviche is something you will see throughout Mexico, especially the coastal towns like Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. That poolside menu always has a great ceviche on it served with lots of chips for scooping up the deliciousness. This takes me back to my last time in Cabo when we made Ceviche and ordered it poolside. My friends I visited always make Ceviche while I’m there. It’s always a treat because you can get such fresh seafood.

This Ceviche is with shrimp but other common fish are scallops, halibut, red snapper, flounder, or swordfish. You want to use the absolute freshest ingredients you can get. Freshest fish and freshest vegetables are a must. The fish is actually cooked by the lime juice.

this shrimp ceviche is easy & so delicious.

Other than fresh fish and lime juice the authentic recipe has jalapeno, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, avocados, seasoning like salt and pepper and sometimes some pequin chile. Then they add Clamata juice. I think the Clamata is the difference that probably what we may have had in the US. If you can’t find the pequin chile, here is a link:https://amzn.to/2Fb9Rl0

You don’t use much, so you could use the red pepper flakes that you can buy in a jar like you put it on pizza. This is what Clamata Juice looks like if you aren’t familiar with it: https://amzn.to/3bxZBPO

this shrimp ceviche is easy & so delicious.

You can eat this with a bowl of tortilla chips, or you can slather mayonnaise on a tostado, then top it with the shrimp ceviche, like this:

Here is another favorite recipe with scallops using lime juice that is authentic Mexican https://the2spoons.com/scallops-in-aguachile/.

Here’s the recipe for this delicious ceviche! Enjoy!

Shrimp Ceviche

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and devined
1/2 cup lime juice
salt and pepper
1/2 red onion, diced
2 jalapeno, thinly sliced
Pequin chile crushed or red chile flakes
1 cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, then diced
1 bunch cilantro
1 avocado, diced
1/2 lb roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Clamata juice
slash of Maggi seasoning sauce
Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

After you have peeled and deveined the shrimp, cut into 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the lime juice and allow the shrimp to sit in the lime juice for a couple of minutes, tossing until they are opaque. Add the additional ingredients and check for salt. Serve with tortilla chips or add mayonnaise to a tostado and top with some of the ceviche. Delicious.

Keyword avocados, ceviche, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, cooking in lime, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, mexican food, onions, shrimp, shrimp ceviche

the best – aunt donna lou’s decadent chocolate meringue pie.

September 1, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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Aunt Donna Lou's decadent chocolate meringue pie — Aunt Donna Lou’s decadent chocolate meringue pie

Just look at this decadent chocolate meringue pie! This pie is amazingly simple and so chocolatey. I really have never been a big sweet eater until I got older and I haven’t made a lot of desserts. I find them kind of tedious, having to make everything exact, but a pie like this is well worth the trouble.

I grew up in an amazing time of America. We spent time with family. Just not immediate family but with cousins, aunts and uncles, and of course our grand parents. One thing I always loved were the family reunions. There would be loads of food and without fail, there would be a chocolate pie, actually probably several. My sisters make pies much better than I, one in particular specializes in cream pies with meringue because they are a favorite of her husband.

This custard is a little different than I’ve made before. You blend sugar, flour, a little salt and the chocolate, then add boiling water, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Then I temper the eggs and add to the mixture, then cook until the custard has thickened.

This recipe uses cocoa powder and I like to use a really good cocoa powder. One of my favorites is Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder. https://amzn.to/2ERSXaC

the best – aunt donna lou’s decadent chocolate meringue pie.

I have to admit I didn’t cook my chocolate long enough to thicken a little more, but I’m telling you this chocolate pudding in this pie is amazing. I sure don’t mind eating it with a spoon!! The meringue is just icing on the cake, well you know what I mean. If you like chocolate as much as I do, try this chocolate recipe https://the2spoons.com/love-%f0%9f%92%95-chocolate-peanut-butter-pie/.

This pie is so delicious!!! Ok, here’s the new recipe for my Aunt’s recipe! Hope you make it.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

For the Custard (for 2 pies or one deep dish pie pan)

2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cocoa
6 yolks, reserve the whites for the meringue
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp butter

For the Meringue

6 room temperature egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Prebake your preferred crust at 425 degrees. I prick the crust with a fork, add parchment paper and pie weights. Cook for 10-12 minutes until browned. I used a store bought Pillsbury pie crust that worked perfectly.
Combine the sugar, flour, salt and cocoa in a sauce pan. Bring water to a boil and while whisking, add to the dry ingredients, continuing to whisk to prevent lumps.
Temper the eggs by adding a little of the hot pudding to them and combining, then add to the custard. Continue to cook until thick. Remove from the heat and add the butter. I refrigerated mine before adding to the cooled crust.
Beat the egg whites, while adding a little sugar at a time, along with the vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Spread on the pie and bake for a few minutes at 450 degrees until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

Keyword apple pie, chocolate, chocolate merignue pie, cocolate pie, dessert, merignue

this is so easy – whole fried catfish.

August 30, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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I love catfish, especially a whole fried catfish. Being from Texas I grew up eating catfish. To this day, I just love it. Allen prefers filets, but I’ve always like a whole catfish. Not sure why, maybe it’s juicier because of the bones still in? I don’t know. I grew up fishing with my Dad and more times than not, catfish was what we caught in local lakes.

I now purchase them from the fish market at the local grocery store, or I’ll order online Gulf Coast catfish. I have different techniques for cooking them. If I have filets, I may grill them which I absolutely love a grilled catfish. Sometimes I use Zatarain’s Seasoned Fish Fry which is excellent. Sometimes I’ll just batter them with cornmeal, salt and pepper. Are you familiar with Zatarain’s Seasoned Fish Fry? here’s a link: http://Zatarain’s Seasoned Fish Fry.

This is a lot, but I do buy this size because it stores well.

this is so easy – whole fried catfish.

I think what makes this so good is before you add the flour and cornmeal mixture, you season the fish on both sides with a little salt and Old Bay Crab Boil seasoning. https://amzn.to/3gKnQv0

You know how sometimes you’ll eat a piece of fried fish and other than the breading, the fish itself is just bland? Well salting and seasoning the fish with the old bay eliminates that problem.

This fish is great with just lemons or as Allen likes it with tarter sauce. Here’s my recipe for tarter sauce: https://the2spoons.com/so-good-simple-tarter-sauce/

Here’s another recipe for catfish that I love! It does use the Zatarain’s fish fry. https://the2spoons.com/the-best-southern-fried-catfish/

Southern Fried Catfish with Easy Hush Puppies

this is so easy – whole fried catfish.

Here’s the easy recipe! You’ll love this fish!

Whole Fried Catfish

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

4 whole catfish or catfish filets
Old Bay seasoning
salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

Season both sides of the fish with a sprinkling of salt and a sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning.
Combine the flour and cornmeal.
Heat a skillet with about a half inch to inch of oil. You aren't deep frying so you don't need a lot.
If you are cooking whole catfish, cut 3 slits through on each side of the fish. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour/cornmeal mixture making sure all nooks and crannies are coated.
Place the fish in the medium hot oil, about 325 to 350 and cook until browned. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. If you are cooking whole fish I'd cook at about 325 so it will cook inside.
When done, remove and drain on paper towels Serve with lemon slices, tarter sauce or a delicious red sauce.

Keyword catfish, old bay seasoning, southern fried catfish, whole catfish

love these delicious huevos rancheros for breakfast.

August 30, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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It only takes a few minutes to prepare these Huevos Rancheros. The tomato sauce can be made quickly. Apart from the sauce, all you need to do is fry a tortilla, cook an egg, and add your preferred cheese. You can also consider adding refried beans and a choice of meat like chorizo, bacon, or ham. It’s delicious! Who wouldn’t love the combination of a flavorful sauce, corn tortillas, and a sunny-side-up egg?

What is a huevos rancheros?

A dictionary defines it as a meal consisting of eggs cooked by frying or poaching, served on a tortilla with a tangy tomato sauce. Variations include the addition of black beans, the familiar refried beans, and diverse sauces such as New Mexico’s Green Chile. In Mexico, they are also accompanied by various meats and cheeses, and the sauce preparation can vary.

What are the required ingredients for the recipe?

Roma tomatoes
Jalapenos
Serranos
white onions
salt
fresh garlic
beans of your choice (pinto or black beans)
meat of your choice (chorizo, ham, bacon are examples)_
eggs
corn tortillas
oil

What a out the refried beans?

Here is my recipe for beans for the refried bean portion. I honestly prefer making my own rather than using the canned. Easy Refried Beans from Homemade Pinto Beans. One thing I did do different on this recipe is before I added my cooked beans to the skillet I sauteed a little onion in the oil and added some chile de arbol for added flavor.

Here’s another recipe for huevos rancheros New Mexico style: Love New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros

Want another similar recipe? Try these easy Entomatadas with Fried Egg https://the2spoons.com/delicious-entomatadas-for-breakfast-or-anytime/

I used Cotija Fresco. It’s a salty crumbly cheese, perfect for this dish and for that matter enchiladas and other Mexican dishes.

https://www.heb.com/product-detail/cacique-ranchero-queso-fresco/185664

Cacique Cheese, Part Skim Milk, Queso Fresco, Ranchero

Here is the recipe for this delicious breakfast! Hope you try them soon!

Huevos Rancheros

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Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs roma tomatoes (about 7)
1/2 white onion (1/4 to remain whole, 1/4 diced)
1-2 jalapeno, whole
1-2 serrano (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of salt
4 eggs for frying
4 corn tortillas
oil
Queso Fresco cheese or cheese of your choice.
refried beans (recipe in content of the post)

Instructions

On a comal or griddle that has been heated to medium high add a piece of aluminum foil for easy clean up then add your roma tomatoes, 1/4 of the onion that was not diced and the chiles. Depending on your heat tolerance add the jalapenos and serranos. I didn't add the serrano this time because they are sometimes hot, but they add excellent flavor. Experiment. Add a little of both. Roast the tomatoes, onion and chiles until they are charred, turning them periodically to char them a little on all sides.
When you have reached your desired amount of char, remove the chiles to a cutting board and chop up in large chunks and add to a blender along with the garlic, the 1/4 charred onion and a pinch of salt. Remove the tomatoes and add to a bowl. Blend the chile, onion , garlic and salt mixture, then add the tomatoes. Pulse or blend to a smooth consistency.
In a skillet add a couple tablespoons of oil and add the diced onions. Saute for a few minutes, then add your tomato mixture. Simmer for about 10 minutes,
While your tomato sauce is simmering, heat your refried beans. In another skillet heat a little oil and fry your tortilla to your liking For me they either have to be just softened or fried crispy because in between I think they can be a little tough. Drain them on a paper towel. In the same skillet add your egg and baste with a spoon to cook the whites to your desired doneness. Continue to baste if you like your yolk medium cooked. I like them sunny side up for presentation, but please cook them to your liking.
To assemble: Ladle a little of the sauce into a bowl or a plate, Top with your tortilla. To the tortilla add the refried beans, If you are adding chorizo or other meats, top your beans with that. Then add your egg. Finish the dish with a good ladle of the sauce and top with cheese and some avocado.

Keyword eggs, fresh tomatoes, fried eggs, huevos rancheros, mexican food, Mexican food for breakfast, quesco fresco

the best malted milk cookies n’cream ice cream sandwiches.

August 27, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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These malted milk cookies n’cream ice cream sandwiches are so fun and very doable! I made the ice cream and the cookies the day before, then put them together the next day. After that (of course had to sample all along) I wrapped them in plastic wrap and stored them in the freezer.

This is Teigen’s recipe for Half Baked Harvest. I thought they would be really time consuming but they really aren’t. The ice cream is simple to make and the cook dough is so easy to roll out and cut. Teigen used triangular cookies and ice cream the same size. I didn’t trust myself to get them so even, so I decided on a round cutter which worked perfectly. These are similar to the cutters I used. https://amzn.to/3lisSCq. I use these all of the time for so many different things.

the best malted milk cookies n’cream ice cream sandwiches.

The ice cream has heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, malted milk powder, crushed chocolate wafer cookies, (I used Oreos) just to name a few delicious ingredients! And, it’s no churn.

The cookies are a great dough to work with and you use unsweetened cocoa powder that makes it easier than having to melt chocolate. I really like to use a good cocoa powder in baking. This is the brand I usedhttps://amzn.to/34Knnqx

Want another ice cream recipe that also uses cocoa powder? this Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe is so good. https://the2spoons.com/homemade-ben-and-jerrys-chocolate-ice-cream/.

the best malted milk cookies n’cream ice cream sandwiches.

Here’s the recipe for these yummy ice cream sandwiches! Perfect for these hot days!

malted milk cookies n’cream ice cream sandwiches

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6 large sandwiches, or 12 small

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies or Oreo cookies
1/2 tsp flaky salt

Cookies

2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and malted milk powder in a large bowl until soft peaks form, 3-4 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt and whip until combined and fluffy. Fold in the crushed cookie crumbs. Spread the ice cream out in an even layer in the prepared pan, freeze 2-3 hours, until firm.
Meanwhile, make the cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until evenly combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. If your dough feels too wet to roll out, add the additional 2 tablespoons flour.
Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out the dough out on a flour piece of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut 24 (4×2 inch) rectangles. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough. You can also use a round cookie cutter for the cookies and the ice cream if you prefer.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Lift the ice cream slab out of the pan using the parchment paper. Working quickly, cut into 12 rectangles. Sandwich each ice cream rectangle between 2 cookies, pressing the cookies into the ice cream gently to adhere.
Freeze the sandwiches 2 hours, until firm, or up to three months. Let the ice cream sandwiches sit at room temperature 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Keyword cookies n’cream, desserts, ice cream, ice cream sandwichs, malted milk, malted milk cookies n’cream ice cream