Tag: snacks

Cooking

The Versatile Egg

Lora Knows...

A couple of agents in my office, Larry & Cassie, have chickens and are nice enough to share their abundance of eggs. Eggs are an amazing source of protein and are versatile in their uses. They can be used any meal of the day and even make a great snack. Here are a few ways I use eggs in my home.

Shakshouka

Loosely translated to “all mixed up” in Arabic, shakshouka features poached eggs in a spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce seasoned with cumin, paprika, and cayenne.

Tortilla Española

You’d be hard-pressed to find many traditional restaurants or cafés in Spain without this frittata-like dish on the tapas It comes together in a skillet by cooking eggs mixed with potatoes (and sometimes onions) fried in olive oil and seasoned with salt. It’s often served in a wedge with a side of salad greens.

Scotch Egg

A staple in England, this egg consists of sausage meat wrapped around a peeled boiled egg, which is then coated in breadcrumbs and fried.

Tamagoyaki

Translating literally to “grilled egg,” this custard-like omelet popular in Japan is made by repeatedly pouring thin layers of egg mixture in a square pan and rolling them over each other into a log shape. It is then sliced into pieces, and either served for breakfast, incorporated in a bento box, or used as a sushi filling. Unlike traditional omelets, tamagoyaki is sweetened with a couple tablespoons of sugar and seasoned with soy sauce.

Cooking, Entertainment

Tortilla Super Bowls

Lora Knows...

I was co-hosting an Open House recently and a few guests were talking about the big football games. I thought they must be talking about the Super Bowl, but when I asked they let me know it is the Conference Championships. I now know this means that it will be the last four teams, playing the last two games – and those winners will play in the Super Bowl.

You might wonder how I don’t know these very basic sport things – that’s because we are a futbol house. Ask me about Premier League Soccer and I’ll be happy to discuss teams, players, stats and more. Dean has never been a football fan, and introduced me to futbol decades ago, and it is one of our favorite sports to watch.

Chips and salsa are a classic combo, and when I saw this simple recipe I thought why not give it a go. It is a dressed up version, because the tortillas are shaped into a bowl and filled with all your favorite sides and toppings.

Ingredients

  • 12 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, cut in half to form 24 half circles
  • 2 muffin tins, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray
  • Ground beef, chicken, or other protein
  • Black beans, or bean dip
  • Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese
  • Tomatoes, onions, scallions, and cilantro, finely chopped
  • Jalapeños, sliced

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Take each tortilla half, and wrap inward to form a cone. The straight portion of the circle will form the pointed, cone end, while the rounded portion will form the lip of the bowl.
  3. Use the shape of the muffin tin to form a flat-bottomed bowl with a large lip that hangs slightly over the top by pressing your index finger around the inner form of the muffin tin, molding your tortilla bowl into its shape.
  4. Once all tortillas are in place, sprinkle each with a few drops of water, and press each tortilla bowl into the tin once more (this helps hold the shape). Finish each tortilla bowl with a sprinkle of salt.
  5. Bake tortillas for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. While your tortillas are baking, prep the ingredients that you would like to use for the fillings. Let the muffin tins cool; then remove each tortilla bowl, and set aside.
  6. Fill your tortilla bowls with any fillings of your choice. Layer each bowl with a variety of fillers (proteins, beans, salsa, guacamole, etc.); then add some toppings (sour cream, cheese, jalepeños, cilantro or other favorites).

Cooking, Entertainment, Holidays

Decorate Holiday Cookies

Lora Knows...

Nothing says the holidays are coming like spending a a day listening to music and baking treats. Here are some great tips for decorating sugar cookie with flood icing.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Wilton® Color Flow Mix (or a brand you like)
  • ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon water
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Materials

  • Piping bags
  • Decorating couplers
  • Wilton® icing tips size 2, 3, or 4 (or a brand you like)
  • Rubber bands
  • Gel food coloring, colors of your choosing
  • Tip covers
  • Squeeze bottles with covers

To Prep

  1. Prepare your piping bags with the couplers. Cut off a small tip of the bag, and remove the ring from the base of the coupler. Put the coupler base inside of the bag, and attach the desired tip size (2, 3, or 4) to the outside of the bag. Secure with the ring to lock the bag in place, and repeat with the remaining couplers and bags.

To Make Icing

  1. Make the icing by beating all ingredients in stand mixer on low speed for about 5 minutes.
  2. If using white, place some of the plain icing into one of the piping bags, and secure with a rubber band to maintain the consistency.
  3. Take another small amount of white icing, dilute it slightly with small amounts of water until it flows easily, and place into squeeze bottles. (Tip: Make sure to keep icing covered with a damp cloth or paper towel to avoid crusting throughout the decorating process.)
  4. For colored icing, separate the remaining white icing into different bowls, and add gel food coloring. Add water in 1/2 teaspoon increments until thin enough to spread easily.
  5. Add the thinner, colored icing into squeeze bottles.

To Decorate

  1. Make sure the cookies are cooled before you begin decorating, and then start outlining your cookies with chosen color from the piping bag.
  2. Next, take the thinned icing from the squeeze bottles and squeeze into the inside of the cookie. Using a toothpick, spread around to make icing even. Allow the first layer to dry a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  3. Once dry, add any additional designs on top of the first layer, using the same technique, or drawing on with the piping bag. Allow all new layers to harden overnight. (Tip: Always keep the piping bags covered when not in use.)