The 2 Spoons

the best – potato hamburger buns.

September 17, 2020 by Becky Spoon

These potato hamburger buns turned out perfect. I was afraid they’d be heavy, but they were light as a feather. The mashed potatoes used in these buns are what make them so light, yet so soft.

The other day I wanted to make Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburgers (I’ll give you that recipe later); anyway, I didn’t have any buns! I didn’t want to go to the store so I made these instead. Was I glad? They were the perfect bun for a cheeseburger.

Just look how beautiful these buns are! Love the sesame seeds on top too. As you can see they are not all perfectly the same size, but I tried! But gosh, they’re homemade so there will be imperfections! That’s ok!! The way they taste and work for your sandwich or burger is what counts.

I have a bun pan, but I have it packed away. So instead, I used these rings that I use for a lot of different things. https://amzn.to/3iyIy2G

I didn’t cook them in these rings, but I added the portioned dough to them, pressing down to remove air bubbles, then placed it on a parchment lined sheet pan for a final rise.

the best – potato hamburger buns.

Here is another recipe on the bog for potato rolls which are pretty similar: https://the2spoons.com/my-best-dinner-rolls-yet/

Here’s the recipe for these great hamburger buns!! You’ve got to try these.

Potato Bun Recipe

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Ingredients

1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about one large baking potato or 2 medium)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 cup water you cooked the potatoes in
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

Cover the potatoes with water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer 1 cup of the potato water to a bowl then drain the potatoes and return them to the hot saucepan. Over low heat, cook the potatoes while shaking to remove the surface moisture, about 1 minute.
Process the potatoes with a food mill or ricer (or mash well with a masher – they should be very smooth) into the saucepan. Measure out 1 cup of potatoes, add to a medium bowl and mix in the butter until melted. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, yeast, and the potato water. Allow the mixture to become frothy. If it doesn't your yeast is not good and start over. With the machine running and using the dough hook add the potatoes, salt and one egg. After combined start adding the flour, a little at a time, until the dough is soft but still a little sticky. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.
Remove the dough and shape into a ball. Lightly grease the mixer bowl and return the dough to the bowl, coating it lightly in the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until almost doubled in volume, about 30-40 minutes. Very warm kitchens will require less time.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into an 8-inch square, and cut the square into 9 equal pieces; separate the pieces and cover them loosely with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the top. Working with one at a time, roll the dough rounds into a tight balls and return them to the work surface under the plastic wrap; allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Firmly press each dough round into a 3 ½-inch disk, pushing out large pockets of air from the dough. Line the disks up on the baking sheets and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof at room temperature until almost doubled in size, another 30-40 minutes. While the dough proofs, preheat the oven to 425° F with the racks in the two center positions of the oven.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the tops of the dough rounds with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the time from top to bottom and front to back, until the buns are a deep golden brown. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes then transfer the buns to the racks to cool completely before slicing.
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

amazing golden fried rice with salmon garnished with Furikake.

September 16, 2020 by Becky Spoon

Ya’ll this golden fried rice with salmon is absolutely delicious. This was on the front of the bon Appetit magazine September issue and I had to make it. Wow! I’m so glad I did.

If you aren’t familiar with Furikake, it is a Japanese multi purpose seasoning. The ingredients are sesame seeds, nori, salt, sugar, chili flakes, bonito which is dried fish and maybe miso powder. You can buy at an Asian store or I ordered on line. Trader Joe’s has a Furikake and that’s what I ordered. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/2FACzMt

amazing golden fried rice with salmon garnished with Furikake.

This is what you will need to make this dish:

eggs
chilled cooked short grain white rice
vegetable oil
salmon filet or filets
ginger
onion
sugar
scallions
garlic
Furikake for serving

The yellow of the rice comes from dividing the eggs, yolks and whites, then adding the rice and yolks to a bowl to make sure every grain of the rice is covered before frying in a pan.

I used a non stick skillet which I think worked better because you do want to cook at a medium high heat so the rice will actually brown and crisp a little. This is really an easy recipe, just requires the right technique.

amazing golden fried rice with salmon garnished with Furikake.

Want another recipe for fried rice? https://the2spoons.com/delicious-easy-shrimp-fried-rice/

Both of these are delicious. Ok, here’s the recipe for this new recipe! I hope you try it!

golden fried rice with salmon

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAsian

Keywordfried rice, golden fried rice, golden fried rice with salmon, rice, salmon

Servings servings

Ingredients

4 large eggs
4 cups chilled cooked short-grain white rice
5 tbsp vegetable oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
kosher salt
1 12-oz salmon filet cut into one inch pieces
1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely copped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
4 scallions, white and pale green parts finely chopped, dark green parts thinly sliced, separated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Furikake (for serving

Instructions

Separate egg yolks from whites, placing yolks in a medium bowl and whites in a small bowl. Add rice to bowl with yolks and mix to break up any clumps and coat each grain with yolks (take your time with this as any clumps will cook together); set aside. Stir 2 Tbsp. oil into egg whites and season lightly with salt.
Heat a dry large nonstick skillet over high. Add egg white mixture and cook, pushing around constantly with chopsticks or a heatproof rubber spatula, until gently set, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out skillet if needed.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high. Season fish with salt and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook just until lightly browned on the other side and opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Transfer to another plate. Wipe out skillet.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium-high. Cook ginger, stirring, until very fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add onion and season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 1 minute (remove from heat if onion starts to go past golden brown). Add reserved rice mixture, sprinkle with sugar, and season with salt. Toss to combine, then cook, undisturbed, until rice is beginning to warm and crisp underneath, about 1 minute. Push some of the rice to the side to clear a few inches in skillet. Drizzle a bit of oil into the clearing. Add scallion white and pale green parts and garlic and cook, stirring, until just softened and fragrant, about 45 seconds. Toss into rice mixture and cook, tossing occasionally, until warmed through and rice is crisp and chewy, about 3 minutes. Return cooked egg whites to pan and cook, tossing and breaking up with spatula until distributed. Return salmon to pan and toss once to combine.
Divide among plates and top with furikake and scallion greens.

love this mesquite smoked brisket hash for breakfast.

September 15, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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

Print Recipe

CourseBreakfast, dinner, Lunch

CuisineAmerican

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

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Servings 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!

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

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer

CuisineMexican

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

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.

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

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Keywordapple pie, chocolate, chocolate merignue pie, cocolate pie, dessert, merignue

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.

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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CourseMain Course

CuisineAmerican

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

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.