Cooking recipes

This Green Pea Carbonara is a version of bacon and eggs, that traditional breakfast combination but combined with pureed peas and pasta makes it into a quick and delicous dinner and that is the aim of Breakfast for Dinner, by Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth.

Breakfast for Dinner contains more than 100 classic breakfast recipes made with a twist.  I love the look of those Sunny Side Up burgers featured on the cover,  and they are definitely on my list.

There are only three chapters in this book, you go straight into the Main Dishes after a page of introduction and a double page about ingredients called Getting Started. Many of the recipes also have variations listed as More to try.

Main Dishes includes: Steak Eggs Benedict, Italian Style Stuffed French Toast, Egg & Chorizo Burritos, Cornflake-Crusted Tenders, Huevos Rancheros Tacos, Green Pea Carbonara, Savoury Lentil and Carrot Stuffed Crepes, Polenta Cakes with Shitake Mushrooms, Pizza Over Easy and those gorgeous Sunny-Side-Up Burgers.

Sides and Starters includes: Maple-Glazed Pork Meatballs, Root Vegetable Latkes, Bacon Jam (I am definitely going to make this), Habanero-Cheddar Bread Pudding, Espresso Baked Beans, Mini Zucchini and Pesto Quiches and Bloody Mary Tomato Soup.

Drinks and Desserts includes: Maple Bacon Cupcakes, Mocha Ice Cream Pie with Biscotti Crust, Blood Orange Mimosa Sorbet, Frozen Sunrise Margaritas, Granola Cookies, Chocolate Brownie Waffles with Blackberry Sauce, Earl Grey Panna Cotta, Doughnut Fudge Sundaes and Mint Choc Chip Pancakes.

This is not an exhaustive list of the recipes just the ones that jumped out at me.

Who is it for? Most people would find something in this book that they enjoy, on the whole if you like cooking and eating comfort food, youll enjoy the recipes in Breakfast for Dinner.

Pros

• The book is clearly laid out with excellent photographs and there is almost every recipe. 
• There are some step-by-step photo tutorials e.g.  Perfectly Poached Eggs, How to Make Ravioli.
• Bacon does seem to feature quite prominently in this book but there are a number of excellent non-meat recipes too.
•  Although this book is originally published in the USA, there is an excellent Metric Conversion Chart at the back.
• Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth also have their own website/blog Love and Olive Oil

Cons

• There are some healthy recipes but on the whole, breakfasting like a King at dinner time is for treats rather than every day!
• Most of the main dishes and desserts appealed to me but not so sure about some of the sides and drinks, okay for entertaining but not something I would make regularly.

Green Pea Carbonara

Makes 4 servings
Time 40 minutes

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 large egg*
2 large egg yolks
1 oz (1/4 cup) Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving
1/4 cup heavy (double) cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 oz pancetta or bacon, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound rigatoni (I used half this amount of pasta as I would normally allow 2oz per person)

1. In a blender or food processor, blend peas, egg, egg yolks, cheese and cream on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Add salt and pepper.




2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pancetta until browned, 6 to 8 minutes (if using bacon, cook for slightly longer or until beginning to crisp then drain excess fat from pan). Add onions and cook until softened, another 5 minutes.
3. Cook pasta according to package direction until just tender and still firm to the bite.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Add pasta to skillet and toss with onions and pancetta for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, stir in pea mixture, working swiftly and vigorously so egg does not scramble.  If sauce is too thick, mix in reserved pasta water, a little at a time. Transfer to serving bowls and top with more Parmesan Cheese. Serve.



*Do note that the eggs in this recipe are not fully cooked; we recommend using farm-fresh eggs from a trusted source.  Or buy parteurised eggs if you are worried about bacteria.

I made this recipe on my return from the Marmalade Awards, it was quick and easy to make, tasted delicious and my mother-in-law commented that it was different!  She will generally eat whatever I put in front of her, I think it was a compliment, perhaps the colour was not what she was expecting.


Breakfast for Dinner
Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth
Published by Quirk Books, distributed in UK by PGUK
RRP: £12.99
Online bookstore: £8.96
Previously reviewed books by this author: The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook by Lindsay Landis

Jan at A Glug of Oil is running a giveaway, so if you fancy your chances of winning a copy of Breakfast for Dinner, hop over to her site and enter.

I received a copy of Breakfast for Dinner to review, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Ive bumped into a lot of hunters who say that their favorite way to eat pheasant is with condensed cream of mushroom soup and serving it over rice. Im typically not a big fan of cooking anything in canned soup, but I can see how the flavors work. Heres something like that, but in chowder form-- without the can. I dont know why, but I have been on a soup kick lately, even in 90-100 degree weather. If youre weird like me, youll like this recipe. Its thick, creamy and delicious, and also very easy to make. Or, you can save this one for colder weather. It would be perfect for when youre stuck inside, and its 20 degrees and snowing outside... but lets not think about that now. Yikes! 

I would offer you more summer grilling recipes, but Rick will have to take care of that for now. I currently do not have access to a grill and my apartment complex is weird about its rules. If everything goes as planned, Rick will finally be out here in a couple months. Hooray!

Huckleberry, bird dog in training at Pheasant Bonanza.

While making this recipe, Ive also discovered Land O Lakes Fat Free Half-and-Half. You can use regular half-and-half, but Im trying to watch what I eat, so I was happy to discover this product. Im sure there are a lot of studies about how some fat free products like this one might not be all that good for you, but getting a heart attack from a high fat, natural diet isnt exactly desirable neither.  Everything in moderation, I say. 


In Nebraska, pheasant season starts on the last Saturday in October this year. I, for one, am uberly excited. I like shooting birds and playing with dogs. So far, I have to say that I like pheasant hunting best. But, theres still plenty of new hunting experiences to be had! To our Nebraska readers, hope to see some of you out in the field sometime.


 



Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 pheasant breasts
- 3 slices of bacon, chopped
- 6 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- 3 small carrots, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- half an onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter + 2 tbs.
- 1 package of mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 tsp. of coriander
- dash of paprika
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 (4.3 oz) package of instant Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp. of parsley, chopped



Vegetables should be cut like so.
1. In a soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and when most of the fat has been rendered out. Remove bacon and set aside.
2. Next, add diced celery, onion, carrot and garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Cook for 7 minutes, or until onions are cooked through and slightly browned. Stir frequently.

Remove vegetables and set aside.
3. If necessary, add a pat of butter or some more oil to the pot. Salt and pepper both sides of pheasant breasts or pieces and brown on all sides over medium-high heat. No need to cook through. Brown in batches and do not overcrowd the pot.

Remove pheasant and set aside.


4. Lower heat to medium-low and add 1/2 cup of dry white wine. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up all the yummy drippings.

Shred or cube pheasant into bite size pieces and return to pot, along with vegetables and bacon bits.


Then add 6 1/2 cups of chicken broth to the pot and all the instant rice from the box, BUT NOT the seasoning packet. Bring to a simmer.
5. Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs. of butter in a saute pan and cook mushrooms for 5-10 minutes over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Set aside.




6. Then, in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Whisk in contents of Rice-A-Roni seasoning packet. Next, gradually add in 1/3 cup of all purpose flour, stirring constantly to form a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.

Lower heat to low. Then, slowly stir in 2 1/2 cups of half-and-half. Whisk to get rid of any lumps. Heat through. Then remove from heat. 


7. Stir cream mixture into the pot of broth, veggies and pheasant. Cook covered over medium-low heat until heated through and rice is tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If the soup is too loose, heat uncovered until thickened. If its too thick, add more half-and-half. Add coriander and paprika.

At the end, stir in the cooked mushrooms and parsley. 
Adjust seasonings, although there should be enough salt in the seasoning packet and broth already. 

Serve with crusty bread. 









Upland Hunting with Dogs

For those unfamiliar with upland hunting, heres sort of a taste of what happens. I took this video at a dog trial in Tekamah, Nebraska. At these dog trials, hunters come to compete with their dogs in timed events to see which team can locate and shoot more birds in an open grassland. Its a lot harder than it sounds. From what I remember, only 2 competitors that day completed their rounds with the required 3 birds. 




As you can see in the video, the pointer (dog) zig-zags and hops through the grass to cover as much ground as he can in hopes of catching a birds scent, in this case, chukar. Once he does, he (or she) "goes on point" to let the hunter know that a bird is located nearby. Then the hunter comes, tries to flush the bird out of the grass and then shoots. Sometimes, the bird is smart enough to duck down low and escape through the grass without the hunter seeing. Other times, the hunter shoots and misses. And in some cases, the dog loses focus completely and doesnt locate any birds. Dog and hunter must perform well together to win the competition.


Depending on breed and training, different kinds of dogs are bred for pointing, flushing and/or retrieving. Pointers, like the dog in the video, arent natural retrievers, but some can be trained to do it. Oftentimes, a hunter will bring a pointer and a retriever such a labrador to work as a team. 

Ive always found it so neat and fun to watch hunting dogs work. And when youre hunting with a few people and everyone brings his or her dog, they all run and zig-zag around you like crazy and its an absolute ball!

The dogs name in the video is "Fats." Hah!

(If you steal my picture to the left, Im going to kick your butt. Just saying.)

Its almost blueberry season in Iceland, so here is a recipe to try.

What we call bláber (blueberries) in Iceland are actually the related bilberries. Either bilberries or blueberries can be used in this recipe.

Bilberries in the wild:


250 g blueberries or bilberries, fresh or frozen
1 + 3/4 litre water
approx. 150 g sugar
30 g potato starch or cornflour
100 m cold water

Drop the berries into boiling water and cook on low until they burst, 3-5 minutes. Mix together potato starch/cornflour and cold water into a smooth paste. Add sugar to the soup and stir until melted. Thicken with potato starch/cornflour mix. Serve and enjoy.

-Use more thickening mixture to make a blueberry pudding. Pour into a bowl before it stiffens and sprinkle sugar on top. Serve warm or cold with milk or cream (or half and half).

Since the weather is starting to change here in the UK I thought it was time I cooked a lovely wholesome snack that goes perfect with a cup of fresh hot tea.

My tea bread recipe is a cross between a fruit cake and a fruit bread.

It is very delicious and there will be plenty to go around, you can eat it as a piece of cake or like us - eat it sliced with a thin spread of butter, yum yum!

All you have to do is soak your dried fruit in some hot tea over night then the recipe is almost done, yes its that easy! Why not give this delicious recipe a try?

See Jeenas full step-by-step tea brea recipe below.