Cooking for Me

TEX-MEX Lunch-Quick & Easy… Good Too!

Tex Mex Breakfast Haystack, Steamed Broccoli, Orange Julius

If you make a potato cake, top it with your choice of egg & top that with a savory dressing you’ll have a Haystack!.

Tex-Mex Breakfast Haystack makes 6 servings

2/3 cup sour cream                                                                STEP #1 Mix all these things together for the

3 thinly sliced green onions                                                    dressing that will go on top of the haystack.

2 tablespoons oil packed sun-dried tomatoes – chopped                   Refrigerate this until time to serve.

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoons Tex-Mex seasoning, divided

1 package refrigerated shredded has brown potatoes                       STEP #2 Squeeze the has brown potatoes dry with

1 /2 cup panko breadcrumbs                                                                       paper towel to remove excess liquid.

1 /3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend.                                             STEP #3 In a large bowl combine the potatoes, bread

1 /4 teaspoon salt                                                                                            crumbs, cheese, salt & 2 teaspoons Tex-Mex seasoning.

2 teaspoons Tex-Mex seasoning                                                                 STEP #4 On an electric griddle, heat 3 tablespoons oil

5 tablespoons canola oil, divided                                                               over medium-high heat. Drop potato mixture by

6 large eggs                                                                                                         2 /3 cupfuls into the oil, press to flatten slightly. Fry,

1 /2 cup salsa                                                                                                     adding oil as needed, until crisp and golden brown,

4 cooked bacon strips, coarsely chopped                                                                about 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels; keep warm

Finely chopped green onions.                                                                      STEP #5 On the same griddles, heat the remaining oil

Over medium heat. Break one egg at a time into a small

bowl or cup and slip it onto the griddle and cook as

desired.

STEP #6 To assemble, top each potato patty with an egg, salsa, bacon and the sour cream mixture. If desired, sprinkle with green onions.

What are panko bread crumbs? Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs made from steamed, crustless loaves of bread that are proceeded into flakes and then dried. They made large flaky breadcrumbs that don’t pack together when coating food. That helps the food to be crispy.

Steamed Broccoli-There is so much to say about cooking vegetables

Today there are many options for vegetables-fresh, frozen, or even in steamer bags.

Fresh Broccoli– cut the broccoli into small pieces and discard the tough bottom part of the stem. It’s easy to steam broccoli in a regular saucepan. Just add an inch of water, add the cut-up broccoli, and cook on high until the water boils. It won’t take long. Test the tenderness of the broccoli with a fork. BE CAREFUL not to boil the pan dry. If the broccoli is not tender add some more water and a bit more cooking time. DO not over cook the broccoli. Crisp vegetables are better than over cooked wimpy vegetables.

Frozen Broccoli-follow the directions on the package. Frozen broccoli can also be cooked in a saucepan, see directions above.

Broccoli sold in steamer bags– this is the most convenient way to go. Just follow the directions on the bag. After steaming them in the microwave, pour the broccoli into a serving bowl and discard the bag.

Zip Lock Steamer Bag – This is an empty bag you put the food in. This is an easy way to steam fresh or frozen vegetables and meats. Cleaning up is easy and it is possible to reuse these bags. Just rinse them and turn them upside down to drain and dry. Be careful of the hot steam. These bags are vented to allow food to be steamed under pressure so that it is cooked thoroughly and evenly. Each bag can hold up to 2-3 servings of vegetables.

Caution-Do not use regular plastic

Bags to cook food in the microwave.

Read the package and make sure it says

Microwave safe and BPA FREE

What is BPA? It’s an industrial chemical used

in many plastics that may leech into the foods. Don’t use plastics in the microwave. Use microwave safe ceramic and glass or paper. All plastics with the recycling code of 3 or7 contain BPA. It stands for the chemical name, bisphenol A.

Copycat Orange Julius– This orange drink is frothy and so good.

STEP #1 Put all the ingredients into the blender and put the ice in last

12 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, partially thawed + 1 cup milk + 1 cup water + 1 /3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 12 ice cubes.

STEP #2 Place the lid one and blend until frothy. Pour and enjoy.