Chilaquiles Divorciados

Some things just stand better on their own. Chilaquiles Divorciados is one of them. I heart everything about them…especially the name. Two completely different chilaquiles that decided to throw in the towel on their union and disconnect whole heartedly. One hot and spicy “Chila” stands in all her red distinction , and the other easy going and smooth “Quiles” swims in his pool of green chile. Two separate dishes plated together but each making a different statement on their own. (more…)

There is nothing worse then biting into a piece of fruit that has no flavor or is sour. I absolutely despise when that happens. I get so upset, because when you are at the market loading your fruit into the cart you imagine a great tasting piece of natures jewels…. I do at least. I fantasize about the sweetness and the just right texture. Well here’s some of the best news…. Walmart has this thing called 100% guarantee which means…. If you buy their produce that is labeled 100% guarantee, and you don’t absolutely love the fresh produce, all you have to do is bring your receipt back to the store for a full refund! How awesome is that? I love that they feel confident enough to offer that to the consumers. Plus it let’s me know it’s good, because they don’t want to lose money. It’s just a little insurance on my fruit.  I decided to take them up on their pledge and bought some navel oranges…. WOW…. they were everything promised to be… sweet, tangy, juicy, and lovely. I wanted to have them first thing in the morning to start out my day, and that is exactly what I did.

Ingredients for honey orange bolillo french toast:

• 4 – bolillos (which they sell at Walmart in the bakery area)
• 4 – eggs
• 1/2 – cup milk
• 1 – tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 – teaspoon cinnamon
• butter (for frying)
• 3 – navel oranges
• honey butter spread
• honey
• candied pecans

Directions:

1. Cut bolillos down the middle length-wise.
2. In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. 
3. Dip two slices of bolillo at a time into egg mixture. 
4. Add a dab of butter to a large frying pan over a medium flame. Allow it to get hot then add in dipped bolillos. 
5. Cook on each side 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove from pan and place on a plate. Continue until all bolillo slices are cooked. 
6. Using a pairing knife, cut the peeling off the oranges, then slice into rounds. 
7. Spread french toast with honey butter spread, and top with orange rounds. Finish by drizzling honey over the top and sprinkling with chopped candied pecans.
8. Eat This Now! 

The other day I was driving with my girlfriend A-dre and I told her how I just LOVE these cherries that Melissa’s Produce sends me from time to time. I went on to tell her they are unlike any cherry I have ever had. No farmers market, or specialty market has ever offered me a cherry so fine. PERFECT is the only word that comes to mind when trying to describe them. They are firm with no mush, they are sweet and juicy, and delightful. Unfortunately they are almost out of season, but in the meantime we should celebrate every moment eating these fine specimens.  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I will miss my sweet cherries! 

Ingredients For Pecan Cherry Pancakes:

• 1 1/2 – cups flour
• 2 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 – tablespoons sugar
• 2 – eggs
• 1 1/2 – cups buttermilk
• 1 – cup milk
• 3 1/2 – tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 – cup chopped pecans
• 15 – cherries (pitted and cut in half) (I use Melissa’s Produce)
• butter or nonstick spray
• maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Give it a good whisk.
2. In a separate bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, milk, butter, and vanilla, then mix really well.
3. Then add the flour mixture to the milk mixture. Mix together until combined. You don’t want your mixture to be perfectly smooth. Leave some lumps in there.
4.  In a large frying pan lightly brush with melted butter or mist with a non stick cooking spray and place over a medium flame. Allow pan to get hot then take 1/4 cup of batter and pour into pan…. the batter will spread slightly then top with a 3 cherry halves and a pinch of pecans.
5. Cook for 5 minutes or until the batter starts to have little holes in it. Some will even pop.
6. Flip pancake and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from flame and spread butter on top and drizzle with syrup.
7. Enjoy!

It’s breakfast time again here at Presley’s Pantry.  I promise to stop with the breakfast posts for a little while after this one.  I use to dislike Oatmeal with a fierce passion.  I’ll just say it out loud… I LOVE OATMEAL now (click over to Babble for the whole story on my sudden love with oatmeal).  For my nearest and dearest who are snickering at that remark calling me a hypocrite through a whisper in their teeth, I have declared a change of heart.  Now when I open my eyes in the a.m. I can’t wait to get my hands on a bowl.  I’m still playing around with different combos of steel cut love, but here is one I have been quite pleased with lately.  Enjoy it!

Serves: 4

Ingredients for Cherry Hazelnut Farro Oatmeal:

• 5 – cups water
• 1 – Melissa’s Produce vanilla bean pod (split down the middle)
• 1 – cinnamon stick
• 1 – cup steel cut oatmeal
• 1/2 – cup Melissa’s Produce farro
• 1/3 – cup brown sugar
• 1/3 – cup Melissa’s Produce hazelnuts (chopped)
• 1/2 – cup Melissa’s Produce cherries (pitted and cut in half)
• 1 – cup milk or 1/2 & 1/2
• Cherry jam (optional)

1. In a pot over a medium flame add water, vanilla bean pod, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
2. Add in oatmeal and farro, give it a good stir and bring to a boil.
3. Once oatmeal/farro are boiling, cover pot with a lid and lower the flame to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from flame and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot in a bowl and garnish with brown sugar, hazelnuts, cherries, and milk. Add cherry jam if you like things extra sweet.
6. Enjoy.

I have been enjoying breakfast more and more lately.  I use to only eat breakfast on the weekends.  Then I realized that wasn’t very good for my metabolism. Since I don’t always want eggs I had to start thinking of an alternative… plus the whole cholesterol thing is something to consider. Geez, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I am trying to eat breakfast every day and eat as soon as I wake up.  That’s sometimes a task.  When time is limited, I turn to my smoothie action.  Throw your ingredients in a blender and presto, you got breakfast in a cup.

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My son asks for potato chips every meal, that’s what our meal time has come to recently.  I try and bribe him, give him ultimatums, replace his chips with other food but it always comes down to “chips.”  Even his teacher is on to it, she says to me the other day “Max ate his sandwich during lunch” then she smiled real big and said with a wink “I gave him a chip every other bite.”  What?  Seriously?  The only way to get him to eat or try other foods is if the food is followed with a chip.  Thank the stars I have the cool Zyliss 2-in-1 Handheld Slicer, it’s like a mini mandoline.  It makes slicing my potatoes paper thin a fast task.  Instead of making chips this morning, I fooled my son and told him all the chips stuck together to make a potato chip hash brown.  He believed it and ate the hash brown. One point for me. 🙂

Ingredients for Potato Chip Hash Browns:

2 – medium sized Idaho Potatoes (peeled and cut paper thin)

3 – tablespoons vegetable oil

2 – teaspoons Lawry’s seasoning salt

1 – teaspoon black pepper

1/2 – teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Peel and slice potatoes then add them to a big bowl and mix in the spices and seasoning salt.  Set to the side.

In a large frying pan over a medium high flame add vegetable oil. Allow oil to heat for about 3 minutes before adding in potatoes on a single layer.  Then with the extra potatoes add a top layer.

Let fry on the first side for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Then carefully flip the potato chip hash brown, and cook the other side for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

I’m the wide-eyed bushy tail type who enjoys feeling happy.  I usually wake up in a pretty good mood and full of energy.  Then there are those mornings when I need just a little something to set my “perk-me-up” meter to high and I call it Morning Dessert.  You see, I have run around my whole life telling people “I detest oatmeal, it’s slimey and has what I imagine would be the consistency of eating….” I won’t even finish what I have said, just know it’s not good.  When I experimented with Oatmeal and discovered that it is actually amazing if cooked right, I realized I may have to EAT MY WORDS (something I don’t like to do).  What if I just call it my Morning Dessert, instead of Oatmeal?  It’s sweet and creamy milky and full of fruit… just like many of the desserts I enjoy.  That’s it!  Then I never have to think of that old slime again, I can imagine something decadent and rustic in it’s place.

All this creamy milky dessert talk made me think of my old friend, El Maestro.  He has some exciting stuff going on right now with a new web series called “El Vaso Medio Lleno.”  I seem to be on the same wavelength with El Maestro del Vaso Medio Lleno on several levels these days.

1. We both are always looking for the positive side of life
2. We both have a webisode series, except his is new and is airing from now to January 6th. Click here to see his.
3. We both love desserts made with milk.
4. We both want you to subscribe to our You Tube Channels.  Click here to subscribe to his.  Click here to subscribe to mine. PLEASE. 🙂

Here’s a little treat,  El Maestro’s first video.  Lucky for him he was able to land an  interview and learn how to make flan from the owner’s daughter of the well respected bakery PORTOS in Los Angeles.  Have you tried their Tres Leches with fresh fruit on top?  Its the best but that’s a creamy milky dessert of a different story.  Watch the video you’ll learn to make their flan too!

In the meantime here’s what you need to make my morning dessert. 

Ingredients for Morning Dessert:

A bowl of hot oatmeal

sweet stewed apples

a hearty granola filled with pepitas, raisins, dried cranberries, and almonds

2 – tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 – cup of milk

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy the best morning dessert. 🙂 It’s full of fiber too. Wink. Wink.

 Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor Board and Latina Mom Blogger. However, all opinions expressed are my own.