Spice up your morning with simple Migas!

Migas with Chorizo and Charred Tomato Salsa

Charred Tomato Salsa
1 pint cherry tomatoes stems removed or 1 lb. tomatoes, cored and rinsed
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
Juice of 1-2 limes
salt
pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet or comal on medium high heat. Add jalapeno, garlic and onion to the pan and char on all sides by stirring or turning every few minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. Add tomatoes to skillet and turn and stir to get a nice char on them as well. Remove from pan and place in a small food processor or blender. Add the garlic, with the skin removed, 1/2 of the jalapeno* and the onions. Pulse until you get a nice roughly chopped salsa consistency. Taste and add more jalapeno if you desire. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice. Serve with the Migas or your favorite chips!

*(If you remove the seeds before using, it won't be so spicy. Be careful and wear gloves when handling hot chilies as the oil from the jalapeno will burn hours after you have touched it!)


Migas with Chorizo
1/2 lb. bulk Mexican style chorizo, or if it is a link, remove the casing (Mexican style chorizo is fresh and uncooked while Spanish style is cured, like salami)
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper or poblano, anaheim
3-4 corn tortillas (the staler the better) or 1-2 cups tortilla chips
6-8 eggs, beaten


Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and add the chorizo. Cook while stirring with a wooden spatula to break into small pieces. It will take about 5-7 minutes to fully cook the chorizo. Add onions and peppers and a little salt. Sauté until vegetables are nice and soft. Add torn tortillas or chips and stir to combine. Cook a few minutes to soften the tortillas. Add beaten eggs and scramble until cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper and then serve with the Charred Tomato Salsa on the side. Serve with sliced avocado or guacamole, chopped cilantro and sour cream for a really fabulous feast! Migas can be served at any time and are a great way to make a meal in a few minutes with what you have on hand. Try making them with bacon instead of chorizo or make them vegetarian, adding more vegetables and garnish with your favorite cheese. You can add chilies, green onions, mushrooms or zucchini to change it up. Just get creative with what you have on hand and see what you come up with.

Mexican Style Fruit
Peel and slice a selection of your favorite fruits (and vegetables) such as mangoes, papayas, melons, oranges, jicama, cucumbers, nectarines and pineapple. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the fruit and sprinkle with cayenne pepper and salt. Eat immediately!

Show Your TrailerChix Pride!

To buy this mug and see what we're up to, check out 

www.trailerchixproductions.com

Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Think you can't entertain in a tiny kitchen? 

Check out Chef Sam Reed from Portland's Hop & Vine as he shows me how he makes his addictive Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates in his VERY tiny kitchen.

When in Portland Oregon be sure and stop in at  The Hop & Vine and say "hi" to Sam!

 Ingredients: 

12 Dates Pitted and Scored

1/2 Cup Rogue Oregon Blue Cheese

12 Slices Pepper Bacon

Method:

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375F, lay the bacon out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. While bacon is cooking fill each date with blue cheese, pinching edges closed to seal. Wrap each date individually with one slice bacon, securing with a toothpick or skewer. The dates can then be grilled, baked, or pan roasted till the bacon is hot and crispy and the cheese is melted. Serve with balsamic vinaigrette. (1 part vinegar, 3 parts oil, salt and pepper to taste)

 Pairing: Delicious with Cardamaro Amaro

Note:  These can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven or on a grill.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Whether you call it a "crisp" or a "crumble" its always delicious when made with fresh Oregon strawberries.

Our friends at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island open their farm late spring, early summer for all the u-pickers to come and gather the bounty from our rich and diverse agricultural area.

With my friend and pastry chef Gretchen in tow, we met owner and farmer Carrie to create this very simple and delicious recipe that you can easily make in a very small space. We made ours in our TrailerChix mid-century Airstream Argosy.

If you are in the Portland Oregon area be sure and stop in at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island and say Hello! to our friend Carrie. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Prep time: 25 minutes         

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: six

 

 

 

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 Tbls. cornstarch

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 tsp. Diamond Kosher salt

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold Tillamook unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar and the orange zest. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish or 10 inch Lodge cast iron skillet and place it on a sheet pan to catch drips.

For the crisp topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and oats.  Add the butter and using a pastry cutter, two knives or your clean hands, mix it until it resembles small peas. There will be tiny pieces of butter throughout the topping. This is okay. You want those little balls of butter-they equal deliciousness! Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or freshly whipped and sweetened cream. I always add a bit of real vanilla extract too!

Melon in Coconut Milk

Note: This is part of the Traveling Picnic episode were we featured three ethnic inspired lunches (French, Asian & Italian). I separated the recipes out individually to provide you with a better search option.

A great accompaniment for almost anything, especially dishes with a little heat.

Melon in Coconut Milk

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: Zero

 

1 small honeydew melon, seeds and rind removed and cut into slices

1 8.8 ounce can of Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk

2 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

1 Tbls. brown sugar or Xagave syrup

pinch of Diamond Kosher salt

fresh mint leaves (optional)

Chill cut melon. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, sugar, lime  and salt. Mix well and chill. Just before eating, pour coconut milk on the melon. Enjoy. May also garnish with fresh mint leaves.

White Bean Rosemary Dip

Note: This is part of the Traveling Picnic episode were we featured three ethnic inspired lunches (French, Asian & Italian). I separated the recipes out individually to provide you with a better search option.

This is a welcome travel companion on any trip and the rosemary provides a path to the Italian inspired picnic lunch. It can easily be packed in a old jam jar and be at the ready anytime the your energy level drops - or when you are welcoming fellow travelers.

White Bean and Rosemary Dip

Makes about 2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes                

Cook Time: zero

1 15 ounce can of Cannelini or Great Northern Beans, drained

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 Tbls. fresh rosemary, chopped

¼ cup California Ranch extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ Tbls. Spectrum Naturals white wine vinegar

½ tsp. Diamond Kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a Magic Bullet, food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with Olive Ciabatta or your favorite Artisan bread.

Encores: It is also delicious on vegetables, pita chips, crackers and tortilla chips. You can make a quick sandwich or wrap with white bean dip, lettuce, tomatoes and grated carrots or feta cheese.

Healthy Beverages for the Road

Stay fresh and hydrated while on the road with these simple  refreshing beverages and smoothies. It's easy when traveling to run out of steam, but rather than spending your money on unhealthy energy drinks found at gas station continence stores,  grab your blender and whip up something healthy and delicious.

With a stop at the farm stand and few pantry ingredients you will have all the energy you need to take that detour to the world's biggest ball of string.
 

Fruit and Herb Waters Basic Recipe

 Serves 1-2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: zero

 

1 quart canning jar with lid

1 cups fresh, washed and prepared fruit

3 cups of cold water

3-4 sprigs of fresh herbs

Ice

Place fruit in jar, add water and distribute herbs. Top with ice. Close jar and refrigerate a few hours. May add water and ice to replenish as you drink it. It is best to drink it within 24 hours. If you want to save the water to drink later, you can remove the fruit and herbs (they start to break down after a day) and refrigerate the fruit and herb infused water.

Combinations that we made:

• Watermelon and Rosemary (once you have made this, you can puree the water soaked melon to make delicious watermelon juice)
• Cucumbers, Strawberries and Mint
• Lemons, Limes, Oranges and Thyme

 Ideas for combinations:

• Blackberries and Sage
• Raspberries, Lemons and Mint
• Pineapple and Basil
• Plums, Ginger and Thyme
• Cantaloupe and Basil
• Honeydew Melon, Lime and Mint

Get creative. What do you have on hand? What do you like? Have fun with making new combinations.

Hibiscus Tea

2 Tbls. Hibiscus flowers (also called Jamaica-you can find them in bulk herb departments or in Latino markets)

4 cups cold water

Combine and let sit for a half hour or so. Hibiscus has a nice tart flavor that combines well with tropical fruit, fresh herbs, ginger, honey and all types of fruit juice.  Some people enjoy it with a little sweetener. I use agave or honey because they both combine well and dissolve easily in the tea.

My favorite combination is the basic recipe with 2 slices of orange, one peppermint tea bag and a little honey to sweeten it. Let it steep a few hours, then pour over ice and enjoy. If you have fresh mint, garnish it with a sprig. I often have a pitcher of hibiscus water in my refrigerator and add water to it as I use it for up to three days.  Hibiscus is high in vitamin C and has a calming effect along with being very refreshing!

Three quick steps to a great smoothie

 

Serves 1         

Prep Time: 5 minutes    

Cooking Time: Zero

Basic Smoothie Recipe

 8-12 ounces of your favorite unsweetened liquid (milk, nut or coconut milk, coconut

   water, water, kefir or ½ yogurt plus ½ cup water)

1-4 Tbls. protein (hemp, whey or rice protein powder, nuts or nut butter)

½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit

Place in Magic Bullet in order listed and blend until smooth.

Smoothies are a great on the go meal or snack. They are a great way to use over ripe fruit and add dark leafy greens to your diet. You can freeze fruit in Ziploc bags and it will be ready to go and also add a nice creamy texture to your smoothies. If you don’t have frozen fruit you can also attain a thicker texture with a few ice cubes. If you make ice cubes with coconut water or your milk of choice it will not water down your smoothies. If you do not have a freezer, no problem-your smoothies will just be a little thinner in consistency. Follow these easy steps and your smoothies will be both full of flavor and packed with nutrition! You can also make smoothies ahead and refrigerate or put them in a cooler on ice to consume later. The idea for maximum nutrition is to keep the sugar content low and the protein content high.

Step One-Liquids:

• Water
• Unsweetened almond, hazelnut or coconut milk
• Cow or goat milk
• Diluted plain yogurt or plain kefir (liquid yogurt)
• Rice milk (keep in mind rice milk contains a signifigant amount of carbs and sugar)
• Concentrated teas made into ice cubes:try green tea, fruit zingers, passion or wild sweet orange flavors

Step Two-Protein:

• Whey, rice or hemp protein powders-follow serving directions on the container
• Nuts or nut butters: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds. ¼ cup nuts or ¼ cup nut butter

Step Three-Flavor with Fruits and Veggies

Choose fresh fruit in season or frozen fruit in the winter. You can use sweet potatoes or winter squash too. You’ll need about ½ to 1cup fruit or ½ cup cooked, cubed sweet potato or winter squash.

• Berries
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Cherries
• Mango
• Papaya
• Cantaloupe and other melons
• Cherries
• Banana
• Sweet Potato or Winter squash (cooked and cubed)
• Kale or Spinach leaves
• Sprouts-pea, broccoli, radish

Step Four-Optional Add Ins:

• Flax meal
• Hemp Seeds
• Greens Powder
• Chia Seeds
• Acidophilus (probiotic powder)
• Cacao or carob powder
• Flavored extracts: vanilla, almond
• Cinnamon
• Ginger-fresh or ground