Spam, Rice, & Eggs (a.k.a. Hawaiian Breakfast)

Green Girl Goodies, February 2012

When my boyfriend first made this for me, I initially turned up my nose in disgust. Spam!? Since I’ve tried it I have to admit it is one of my favorite guilty pleasure breakfasts. Still common in Hawaii, this spam breakfast is usually served with white rice but we use brown to add a bit of earthy flavor (and a bit of a healthy touch!). The key is to cut the spam very thin so it gets crispy in the oven. Quick, easy and delicious, I urge you to overlook the spam and give it a shot!

Yield 4 to 6 servings

8 to 12 eggs
1 can Spam, sliced in very thin strips (approximately 1/16th inch thick)
2 c Brown Rice, uncooked
Soy Sauce, to taste

- Start rice on the stove or in a rice cooker and preheat the oven to 375.

- Place the thinly sliced spam on a cookie sheet and place in the oven.

- Cook the spam for approximately 8 minutes until starting to crisp on the edges. Rotate the pan and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes until golden brown almost all the way thru.

- Cook your eggs to desired doneness and season with salt and pepper to taste.

- Place the rice in a bowl and garnish with soy sauce.

- Place the eggs and spam over the rice and enjoy!

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Huevos de Cebollas

Emeril's Cajun Slaw, 2 Ways

Green Girl Goodies, February 2012
Adapted from: Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw, Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2007 Food Network

A former coworker and friend of mine just opened his own place in Denver, CO: The Hawt Dog & Sausage Eatery. http://www.hawtdogeatery.com/ He was looking for a killer slaw and I offered to do some “field tasting”. He asked me to test the above slaw from the Food Network website so when we had a little BBQ with some new friends and family from the Midwest, I took advantage of the chance to try it out!

I cut the original recipe you see below (“Slaw Base”) in half but made the full recipe of Emeril’s Essence. I have saved and since used the essence for many other dishes. The essence is a bit spicy so to tone it down, cut the Cayenne in half.

Slaw Base:

Yields approximately 12 to 16 Servings (It says 8 on the original recipe, but that seemed like VERY large portions to me!)

2 ½ # Cabbage, White, shred

2 c Celery, fine chop

3 medium carrots, shred

1 Bell Pepper, Green, fine chop

2/3 c Onion, White, fine chop

- Prepare all the vegetables and combine them in a large bowl.

- Add the cabbage and mix well.

Emeril’s Essence:

Yields approximately ¾ c

2 ½ tb Paprika
2 tb Salt (I used Sea Salt)
2 tb Garlic Powder
1 tb Black Pepper, freshly ground
1 tb Onion Powder
1 tb Cayenne Pepper
1 tb Oregano (I used leaves but ground would work as well)
1 tb Thyme (I used ground but leaves would work as well)

- Combine well and set aside until ready to use. The essence can be saved for up to 6 months. Keep in mind the freshness of the spices used!


After preparing all the vegetables and combining them, I split the recipe in half once more. I prepared the first slaw as you see below. It came out pretty spicy and I only used 1 tb of “Emeril’s Essence”.


Spicy Cajun Coleslaw

Yields approximately 4 to 6 servings

½ c White Vinegar
½ + 3 tb White Sugar
1/2 tsp Celery Seed
1/2 tsp Mustard Seed
1 tb Emeril’s Essence

- Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.

- Stir until the sugar dissolves.

- Set aside to cool. Once cooled, pour over the slaw mixture. Add Celery Seed, Mustard Seed and Essence and mix well to combine.

- The slaw can be served immediately but is best after marinated for at least an hour to let the flavors develop. The slaw can be kept properly refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.


I made the second batch with some added yogurt and honey for a creamier, yet healthy version of a slaw:

Honey Yogurt Slaw

Yields approximately 4 to 6 servings

1/3c + 1 tb Yogurt, plain
3 tsp Honey
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Lemon Juice

- Combine all the above ingredients and blend well. Pour the yogurt dressing over the slaw mixture and mix well.

- The slaw can be served immediately but is best after marinated for at least an hour to let the flavors develop. The slaw can be kept properly refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.


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Spam, Rice and Eggs

Southwest Black Bean Taco Salad

Green Girl Goodies, February 2012

At first glance this salad sounds time consuming but it is worth the work! You save a bit of time by using some canned items and all the different recipes will create leftovers you can use to make more delicious meals. Also try adding other vegetables like grilled corn, diced red peppers or anything else you desire to change it up a bit :)…enjoy!


Tortilla Chips

Yield 2 to 4 servings

5 ea Corn Tortillas
2 tb Vegetable Oil
½ tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Cumin, ground
½ tsp Chili Powder
½ tsp Garlic, minced

- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Combine vegetable oil, salt, cumin, chili powder and garlic in a small bowl and mix well.

- Stack all the tortillas carefully and cut them into 6 even pieces

- Place the tortillas into the oil mixture and carefully mix the tortillas to evenly coat them with the oil mixture.

- Spread the tortillas on 2 baking sheets, leaving plenty of space so the chips cook evenly.

- Cook 5 minutes, then rotate the pan. Cook approximately another 6 minutes or until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

- Let the chips cools completely and store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.


Salsa, Mild

Yield 1 quart

14.5 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
¼ c Red Onion, rough chop

¼ c Yellow Onion, rough chop

1 tb Garlic, crushed

1 ½ tb Lime Juice (approximately ½ of a large lime)
1 tb Lemon Juice
¼ c Cilantro, hand torn

1 tsp Sea Salt

- Place both types of onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until almost minced.

- Add lemon and lime juice, salt and juices from the canned tomatoes.

- Hand tear the cilantro as you add it to the onion mixture.

- Pulse the food processor to blend the ingredients.

- Add the drained tomatoes back to the food processor and blend well.

- The salsa can be stored properly refrigerated for up to 7 days.


Spicy Cilantro Lemon Crema

Yield 1 cup

1 c Plain Yogurt
1 tb Cilantro, minced
½ tsp Garlic, minced
2 tsp Lemon Juice
½ tsp Sea Salt
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

- Combine all ingredients except the yogurt in a small bowl and mix well

- Add yogurt and stir well to combine. The crema can be stored properly refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.


Taco Salad Components

Yield 2 to 4 Servings

15 oz Black Beans, canned*

FOR THE BEANS:
1 tb Garlic, minced
1 ½ tb Lime Juice
1 ½ tsp Cumin
1 ½ tsp Chili Powder
¼ Cayenne

- Drain and rinse the beans.

- Place the beans in a small bowl and add the seasonings.

- Let stand at least 1 hour for the flavors to combine. The beans will keep properly refrigerated for up to 4 days.

*The particular beans I used were pre-salted so I didn’t add any salt. If your beans are not pre-salted, add salt to taste.

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:

6 c Romaine Lettuce, shred

¼ c Red Onion, small dice

1 c Tomatoes, small dice

1 ea Avocado, small dice right before serving

*Use as Desired:
Cotija or Feta Cheese, crumbled
I prefer Cotija for a more authentic taste!

- All the ingredients besides the tortilla chips can be thrown in a bowl and mixed but for a nice presentation try this:

1. Place the lettuce in a mound in the middle of your plate.

2. Place onions in a small ring around the top of the lettuce.

3. Place a small mound of tomatoes at each end of the plate.

4. Place chips between the tomatoes, 4 on each side. (Serve extra chips on the side)

5. Place a layer of beans on each side slightly on top of the chips.

6. Use your hands to crumble the Cotija (or place the feta) on top of the bean layer.

7. Using a small spoon, carefully pour the salsa in a layer above each side of beans and across the top middle of the lettuce.

8. Using another small spoon (so as not to mix the salsa and crema) place 2 large dollops of crema over the middle of the salad.

9. Cut your avocado as seen above. Place it over the top middle of the salad and enjoy!

The salads pictured above are rather large entrée portions and can be scaled down to serve as a side salad or split into 3 or 4 generous entrée salads instead of 2. We didn’t have any trouble eating ours for a filling yet light dinner!

Try using this presentation method on a large family style platter for a dinner party or summer BBQ:

Just imagine this tripled or quadrupled on a nice round or platter!


Up Next…
Emeril’s Cajun Slaw, 2 ways