Egg Muffin

Layer some cheese, a griddle fried egg, and some ham between some toasted English muffins to make your own Egg McMuffin.

Tater Salad

I found this post that I had written, but (fortunately) had not gotten around to posting, so I'm starting off with it as I continue to get everything back in order after returning from SE Asia. I'm hoping to start my regular schedule of posting every weekday again, starting with this week!

I always thought that potato salad was made like this. It wasn't until some friends asked me what I was eating that I began to think maybe this potato salad wasn't the norm. I guess I could have figured it out if I looked in one of those deli cases, but I've never seen anyone buy potato salad from one of those places. Years later, they served what they labelled as "potato salad" at work during some training lunch. Boy, was I surprised! The "potato salad" literally only had potatoes and mayo - bland and flavorless! I couldn't believe that anyone would choose to eat something like that! Well, next time you have to make potato salad, you can use this recipe and wow your friends! Not only is this potato salad much more flavorful (it does, after all, have more than 2 ingredients), but it's also much more colorful and appealing to the eye. The sweetness of the carrots and corn played well against the tart Granny Smith and lemon/lime juice, while the celery (or celery seed) provides that extra little bit of flavor. Give this potato salad a try and let me know what you think!

Tater Salad

by CJ Huang

A tasty and flavorful potato salad punched up with carrots, corn, celery, and a Granny Smith apple.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				potatoes, cooked and chunked
				carrots, half coins
				corn, kernels
				celery, chopped or seeds
				Granny Smith apple, quarter inch cubes	Any tart apple should work.
				lemon/lime juice
				ham, quarter inch cubes
				mayo

Methods:

1. Mix together apple and lime juice to prevent browning.
2. Add in remaining materials, except mayo and potatoes.
3. Mix in potatoes bit by bit until all added in.
4. Fold in mayo to desired consistency.

Posole

Back when I found a can of hominy, I found a plethora of posole recipes, but I made stir fry and scrambled eggs instead. But now, I decided it was time to try posole as a soup or stew. Hominy is basically dried corn with the hull removed, usually by lye in a process called nixtamalization. This process not only increases the nutritional value, but decreases mycotoxins. Posole is a traditional soup in Mexico, and since corn was considered sacred to the Aztecs, it was usually only consumed during special events. Traditionally, it was said that the meat used was human, from prisoners killed in ritual sacrifices, but after that was banned, pork became the typical meat of choice due to the similar taste. The mixing of corn and meat in a single dish is also significant because ancient Mexicans believed that the gods made humans out of corn flour. I can't say how accurate that statement is since I've never eaten human flesh, but I did use ham instead of human (or pork).

Posole

by CJ Huang

A ritually significant, traditional Mexican soup that combines hominy, ham, hot peppers, and vegetables. Easy to prepare on the stove or in a slow cooker.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				ham, diced
				hominy
				stock/water
			1	tomato, wedged
			3	carrots, coined
			1	onion, chopped
			3 cloves	garlic, minced
		2 teaspoons		cumin
			2	hot peppers, torn	I used dried ancho peppers. They had a deliciously sweetly spicy flavor.
		1 teaspoon		oregano

Methods:

1. Combine all materials and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer an additional 5-10 minutes after onion turns translucent.

Ham and Rice Stuffed Peppers

I wanted to make some stuffed peppers, and I found myself with a leftover bell pepper, but I didn't want to spend as much time as most recipes required, so I started with this recipe, but changed parts of the method to get flavorful stuffed peppers more quickly. Not only were these peppers quick and easy, they were quite flavorful, especially with the slightly caramelized onions and cilantro. Although the original recipe called for parsley, I decided to switch that out with cilantro instead of just eliminating it, and I'm definitely glad I did! Since it's not a huge amount of cilantro, it doesn't take over, but when I got a bite with some cilantro, it definitely brightened up the flavor and made the stuffed peppers more delicious! In addition to being tasty, these peppers were quick and easy to make, taking about 10-15 minutes to get on the table, and part of that time, you don't even need to do anything! I only made 1 bell pepper since we were eating it as a side, and there's only 2 of us (plus, I only had one pepper left). You could easily scale up the recipe if desired.

Ham and Rice Stuffed Peppers

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			1	bell pepper
		1 cup		rice, cooked	I used my usual mixture of 1/3 each white rice, brown rice, and barley.
			1/2	onion, chopped
			small handful	ham, diced
		1 teaspoon		butter
		2 tablespoons		cilantro, chopped
				cheese, shredded	I used sharp cheddar.

Methods:

1. Cut pepper in half, removing seeds and white membrane.
2. In skillet, melt butter and cook onion until slightly caramelized, then add in rice and ham as well as any other desired seasonings.
3. Mix in cilantro after removing from heat.
4. Stuff pepper halves with mixture, top with cheese, and steam until desired level of tenderness reached. I steamed for about 5-10 minutes. Steaming will cook the peppers faster than baking.