About 
Hi there, I'm Rose. I love to cook food - and eat it. If you have any questions concerning any of my recipes, drop me a line at:
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rose [at] avocadobravado.net
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Date: Sunday, July 25th, 2010
Time: “Morning” (11:00 AM because that’s how we roll on weekends)
Location: San Francisco, California. More specifically, the Western Addition (think Full House houses). Even more specifically, Cory and Rose’s kitchen.
Fridge: Severely lacking in fresh produce.
Our bellies: Empty.
Most of our produce shopping is done on Sunday afternoons. By the time Sunday morning rolls around, there is little in the fridge in terms of fresh produce. I’ve had huevos rancheros on my mind and made sure to buy corn tortillas several days ago so I could eventually make it for breakfast. There are countless variations of the Mexican breakfast, but most include eggs topped in a chili-tomato sauce over tortillas. Making huevos rancheros usually requires making a quick sauce from fresh or canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, and various spices. I didn’t have canned or fresh tomatoes on hand, nor did I feel like chopping an onion just minutes after rolling out of bed. But! I did have a fresh batch of salsa verde in the fridge that is itchin’ to be used up. This “quick” version of huevos rancheros turned out incredibly well. I thought the the neutral flavors of the egg and tortillas helped balance out the tanginess from the salsa verde. Definitely a new favorite for lazy Sunday mornings!
Easy Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Verde
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a tablespoon or two of cooking oil
4 corn tortillas
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
4 eggs
1 cup salsa verde (homemade or store-bought)
optional: adobo sauce, ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, freshly chopped cilantro (for garnishing).
Heat oven to 200F.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add one or two tortillas (depending on the size of your skillet) and cook for a minute or two on each side. Transfer the tortillas to a baking sheet, sprinkle a little cheese on them and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat this step until all tortillas have been cooked.
Add salsa verde to a small saucepan and cook over very low heat. Give the salsa verde a taste test. Now is the time to add any additional seasonings, like a little bit of adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.
Drizzle a little more oil to the pan and swirl it around. Over medium heat, crack the eggs into the skillet and cook until the eggs reach desired doneness, anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes.
Transfer the tortillas to plates and spoon a little salsa verde over the tortilla. Top with an egg and add a little more salsa, if you wish.
Serves 2
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San Francisco acquired a new resident today – Cory’s brother who has a freshly minted MBA. Cory and I assembled a humble care package for his arrival with the basic necessities – dish soap, body soap, paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, hangers, and a laundry bag, among other small things. Since he won’t be doing any grocery shopping until tomorrow, I also took it upon myself to make him a very large salad with a red wine vinaigrette and homemade almond vanilla granola. Yes, I am 25 going on 70. My mom keeps reminding me how old I am, so I may as well bring out my inner-doting grandmother, you know?
A funny thing happens when you eat 90% of your meals at home, everything you don’t prepare for yourself becomes incredibly expensive. I had every intention of buying granola, but I experienced slight sticker shock at the grocery store and decided to just make a small batch of granola at home. After all, I already had the ingredients waiting for me in the pantry. As far as granola goes, this one is fairly standard. Simple, very lightly sweetened, and warmly spiced. If you’re new to making granola, this is a good place to start. Just a warning, almond extract is strong. 1/4 teaspoon doesn’t seem like much, but any more than that would probably be too much.
Almond Vanilla Granola
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1 1/2 cups oats
1/4 cup barley flakes (optional)
1 cup almonds, chopped (or slivered almonds)
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 300F.
Meanwhile, toss together the oats, barley flakes (if using), almonds, and shredded coconut in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, honey, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salt. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the oats and toss to coat. Transfer the granola into an even layer on the largest baking sheet you have and bake for 40-50 minutes. Stir the granola every 10 minutes or so, to make sure the oats toast evenly.
When the granola is golden brown, remove from the oven and mix in the raisins before transferring to an air tight container. Store the container away from direct sunlight. Serve the granola with yogurt and fresh fruit.
Makes 5-6 servings
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Last year, when I started making my own homemade granola I proclaimed that I was now officially a resident of the Bay Area. It’s a quintessential hippie food and a derogatory term for Prius drivin’, farmers market lovin’ Liberals (hey, I’m one of those, actually! Or I would be, if I had a car). I used to think that I couldn’t live in California because it was “too granola”. That’s what happens when your opinion of California is shaped by television and media. Turns out, the Bay Area is just like anywhere else. Except prettier. And more expensive.
Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, granola. Before I started making it myself, I used to mix boxes of granola with equal amounts of rolled oats because the store-bought stuff was just way too sweet for my tastes. Every other batch of granola I’ve made has included butter and I’ve seen several recipes for olive oil granola floating around the food blogging world lately. This Middle Eastern-ized recipe from the taste space immediately captured my heart. I made a couple slight changes to the recipe and added about a teaspoon and a half of orange blossom water, which can be found from Middle Eastern groceries and specialty shops (like Whole Foods and co-ops). If olive oil in granola scares you a bit, don’t worry! Of course, the end result depends on the type of olive oil you have. I used what I had on hand – cheap extra virgin olive oil from Trader Joe’s. The olive oil taste isn’t very noticeable, in fact, it wasn’t overpowering like butter can be. I found it preferable to butter, actually.
 Check out my new bowl. I picked it up from Japantown a couple weeks ago. It was made for me!
Olive Oil Granola with Pistachios and Apricots
(adapted from Tastespace)
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3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups pistachios, hulled and chopped
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup maple syrup (I left this out)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
a few pinches of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1-2 teaspoons orange blossom water (to taste)
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
Preheat oven to 300F. Meanwhile, toss together oats, pistachios, coconut, maple syrup (if using), brown, sugar, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture in an even layer on the larget baking sheet you have and bake for 40-50 minutes. Stir the granola about every 10 minutes or so, making sure it toasts evenly.
When the granola is golden brown, transfer to a large bowl and mix in a teaspoon of the orange blossom water and apricots. Add up to another teaspoon of orange blossom water, according to taste. Be careful to not add too much, or the batch of granola will end up tasting like perfume. Store the granola in an airtight container away from direct sunlight. Serve with yogurt and fresh fruit.
Makes 10-12 servings
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Do you know much about plantains? I didn’t, at least, not until Cory started buying them occasionally to eat for breakfast. Plantains are similar to bananas in appearance, but they’re usually cooked and not eaten raw like bananas are. They are a staple food throughout tropical regions of the world. When plantains are under ripe (green), they’re starchy and when they’re overripe (black), they’re sweet. Plantains are boiled, steamed, fried, baked, mashed, roasted, turned into chips, and even alcohol. My produce market usually only carries plantains at their sweetest (overripe, very overripe, and eek! ohmygod, is that mold?). We usually fry them lightly in oil or ghee until golden brown and eat them for breakfast. Cory usually eats plantains with a little salt and pepper, but I served them this morning with a little yogurt, honey, and chopped pistachios (of course, I had to Middle Eastern-ize them). What is your favorite way to eat plantains?
Plantains with Yogurt, Pistachios, and Honey
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a couple teaspoons of oil (I used both coconut oil and ghee)
1 plantain, sliced
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon of pistachios, chopped
a drizzle of honey
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, open the plantain and cut into 1/4″ slices. Transfer the plantains to the frying pan and cook on each side until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
While the plantains are cooking, chop the pistachios and add a few dollops of yogurt to a plate. Transfer the plantains to the plate. Drizzle with honey and scatter the pistachios over the yogurt. Serve right away.
Serves 1
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When I studied in Cairo, my German roommate Antje and I would often buy pitas stuffed with mashed potatoes and eat them for breakfast. We’d spend the rest of the morning drinking instant coffee (Nescafé, naturally) and studying. Serve these in pita bread and you have yourself an Egyptian breakfast, or serve them on their own as a side dish.
Mashed Potatoes with Olive Oil and Parsley
(adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden)
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1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (such as Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and chopped
salt & pepper
1.5 cup reserved cooking liquid
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them in half and cut into 4 to 6 pieces. Fill water in a large pot and add some salt. Bring to a gentle boil, add potatoes, and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop up parsley and garlic. When the potatoes are finished, drain them in a colander. Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid. Heat olive oil in the pot the potatoes were cooked in. When hot, add the garlic and cook for about a minute.
Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Mix in the reserved water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the consistency of the mashed potatoes is to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley and serve.
Serves 4-6
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