Tag Archives: chopped onions

Chorizo Brussel Sprout Hash

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I’ve been on a runny egg kick the last couple of weeks.  Any chance I get to cook I want to make sure I can have a runny egg with it, whether it be poached, sunnyside up, or a good ol’ fried egg!  And not just an egg with toast and bacon; I want a flavorful meal and my runny egg to add a little velvety sauce on top.  And that’s why I decided to make a hash!!!  Yes, I went there!

Ingredients
3/4 lb. chorizo, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 red potatoes, diced
3/4 lb. brussel sprouts, shaved
2 tbs. olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions
On medium high heat, heat up the olive oil in a cast iron skillet.  When the skillet is hot, brown the chorizo.  When the chorizo is browned, take the chorizo out and set aside.  Keep the oil/fat in the skillet.

Next, add the potatoes and stir occasionally.  If you stir prematurely the potatoes will stick to the bottom because the potatoes will not brown/caramelize.  This takes a long time, anywhere between 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on how big your potatoes are cut.  When your potatoes have browned, add the onions and brussel sprouts and stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Take off the heat when the onions are translucent and the brussel sprouts have wilted a little bit. Then add your chorizo and juices.  Mix well and then serve a fried egg on top!

Cook’s Note
I find that the chorizo I buy is spicy enough for my family, especially since I cook everything in one pan and  some of the chorizo spices get incorporated into the potatoes.  If you don’t find it spicy enough, definitely add cayenne or even hot sauce.

I would not recommend this to babies or even toddlers.  My 3 year old finds the chorizo too spicy.  You can switch out the chorizo with bacon instead if you want to make it more toddler friendly.  Or you can just get rid of the meat and make it a brussel sprout hash to make it a friendlier baby led weaning recipe.

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Chicken Pot Pie

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It’s beginning to get a little cooler here, which I hate because I love summer.  However, I do like the comfort foods that are associated with fall and winter–stews, roasts, and pot pie!  It was a rainy day when I made this last week and I had leftover rotisserie chicken, so pot pie it was!  This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten, so you know it’s good!!!

Ingredients
2 cups shredded chicken
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tbs. unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups diced carrots, blanched
10 oz package frozen peas
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Pie crust
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbs. water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan, heat up chicken stock and bouillon cubes, making sure the cubes are fully dissolved.  In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add onions until they become translucent.  Add flour and turn the burner to low.  Stir mixture thoroughly until it becomes a very light brown, very wet sand with onion mixture.  Add stock and stir until it becomes thick.  Add salt, pepper, and heavy cream.  Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.  Then add chicken, carrots, and peas; mix well.

Divide mixture into 4 ovenproof bowls.  Divide pie crusts into 4 pieces to cover the bowls.  Brush some egg wash on the edges of the bowl, then place pie crust.  Crimp and seal crust over the bowl.  Brush crust with egg wash, sprinkle pepper (and sea salt) on crust, and then cut 3 small slits into the crust.  Place bowls on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crust is golden brown.

Cook’s Notes
This can be a baby led weaning recipe.  I would either take a baby portion of the crust and stew and have it sit in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Or I would just cook the crust separately and serve the warmed stew and crust.  The stew bit is already cooked, but when it comes out of the oven it is soooooo piping hot.  My son’s pot pie sat for an hour, even after we put an ice cube in, before it was cool enough for him to eat.

To save time, I always use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  A whole chicken costs $4.99 where I am, and we never eat an entire one for dinner.  So I repurpose the leftover chicken into the pot pie.  It’s easier and saves me time.  I also buy pie crusts just because it’s easier and saves me time.  But I know some people like to make their own crusts, which you can do of course.

Huevos Rancheros

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So this is a breakfast I make if I’m not feeling lazy.  I also use some shortcuts to speed up the process since everyone seems to be hangry in the morning.  But it is pretty delicious to have first thing on a rainy Saturday morning, like today.

Ingredients
4-5 tortillas
Canola spray
Refried black beans (like this)
Bacon
1 tbs. canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can diced green chiles (optional)
1 tsp. chili powder (optional)
4-5 eggs
4-5 tbs. butter
Mexican blend cheese

Directions
In a medium skillet, heat up canola oil.  Saute onions until they become translucent. Then add the tomatoes (with the juice) and the chiles.  Stir in the chili powder and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

In a pan over medium high heat, I spray with canola spray and warm each tortilla individually.  About 2-3 minutes on each side.

I then take another pan on medium high heat and fry my eggs. I use a tablespoon of butter for each fried egg.

I then microwave my bacon and the refried black beans (separately of course).

I then plate my tortilla. Lather on a healthy portion of the black beans. Place my eggs on top. Then add a heaping spoonful or two of the tomato. And then I top it with some cheese and the bacon. So so so yummy!

Cook’s Notes:
I know you are probably rolling your eyes about microwavable bacon and refried black beans.  It makes expediting breakfast in a timely matter so much faster when you have a hangry husband and toddler.  If you have the time, go for it and make things from scratch.  I would probably bake the bacon in the oven before I started the tomatoes. But this meal can seriously be made in 30 minutes the way I do it.

While my son has been eating this meal since he was 18ish months old, I wouldn’t call this a baby led weaning recipe per se.  You can definitely give each component to your baby. The only reason why we didn’t do this as a baby led weaning recipe is because we put chiles and chili powder in the tomatoes, which sometimes can be a bit spicy for my now 3 year old.  You can obviously eliminate them if you do want to make this a recipe fit for you 6+ month old child. However, it just doesn’t taste as good for the adults to add these crucial flavor components afterwards like you can with salt.  I also give my son scrambled eggs instead of fried eggs.

Turkey Meatloaf

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So with Sammy getting the hang of eating solids, we decided it was time to venture out from fruits and veg into meats. This Ina Garten recipe was a hit when Oliver was her age, and so tonight it was Sammy’s turn (she was a bit skeptical, but ate it with a little mash and steamed carrots).  I halved the recipe because no one wants meatloaf for days.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. of fresh thyme
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/6 cup of Worcestershire sauce
3/8 cup of chicken stock
3/4 tsp. tomato paste
2 1/2 lbs. of ground turkey
3/4 cup of plain bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
~1/2 cup of ketchup

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the onions are translucent.  Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste.  Take mixture and put in a bowl and let it cool in the freezer for about 5-10  minutes.  You don’t want to put your hot mixture in with your cool turkey because you will end up cooking some of the turkey.  Plus you don’t want to burn yourself doing the next step.

In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, turkey, bread crumbs, and egg. Mix well, but don’t over mix the turkey.  Once combined, put mixture on a baking sheet (I usually line mine with aluminum foil so there’s less clean up) and form mixture into a loaf shape.  Then take the ketchup and spread it evenly on top using an offset spatula.

Place in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until you get an internal temperature of 160°F (I always go by internal temperature).  Serve immediately and the next day the leftovers can be used in sandwiches.