Author Archives: Liz Eggleston

sesame ginger udon noodles with vietnamese caramel pork belly

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Hello!  or should I say, Konnichiwa… or wait- Chào bạn!  Okay, so I admittedly mixed cultures with this dinner.  But it’s delicious and I’m busy surviving a hurricane, people, so forgive me.  Now that the apologies are over, let me count the ways that I love these Japanese noodles and Vietnamese caramel sauce:

1. Pork belly is cheap.  I found three bellies for $3, enough for dinner for two.

2. You don’t have to cook it for days in order to get tender, flavorful results.  Sure, you could brine it, braise it, slow cook it, and eat it 36 hours later.  But this recipe proves that you don’t need to.  It takes less than an hour from start to finish.

3. In Vietnam, this caramel pork belly is called Thit Kho and it’s usually served with a soft boiled egg.  You could take the traditional route, or you could stack these delectable treats on a crusty French baguette a la Bahn Mi.  But for this easy dinner, the flavored udon noodles were just perfect.

you’ll need: (2 servings)

1 lb pork belly

2 tbs fish sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

scallions

for the caramel:

5 tbs water

5 tbs sugar

for the noodles:

1 package udon noodles

3 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tbs freshly grated ginger

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil and saute the chopped onion and garlic.  While that’s getting soft, slice the pork belly into one inch bites (I half-froze the pork belly, which made this much easier).

When the onions and garlic are happy, throw in the pork belly.  Let it brown on each side over medium-high heat (should be about 10 minutes).

While the pork belly is browning, add the water and sugar to a small sauce pan.  Keep an eye on your caramel and stir it with a wooden spoon regularly over medium low heat.  When the sugar melts and the mixture turns from sugar-water to caramel, you want to be there for it.

Once your pork belly is browned, add the fish sauce and then the caramel sauce.  You’ll notice that the pork belly is already starting to look more like scrumptious pork and less like fatty belly.  Let the whole thing simmer for another 30 minutes.

Onto the noodles!  These are super easy and you can use whatever type of noodles you prefer.  I’m not a huge fan of vermacilli, so i try to choose a thick wheat or egg noodle when I’m shopping.  Cook the noodles per instructions on the box, then toss them with the sesame oil, sesame seeds and grated ginger.

Serve the pork belly over the noodles, top with scallions, and enjoy!

xoxo,

hungrytexans

Thirsty Texans

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thought we couldn’t get hungrier?  just you wait.  for the next 3 days, we’re juicin’ baby.  that’s right- goodbye, cheese grits & sweet potatoes.  hello, coconut water & kale juice.

we bought a 3-day juice cleanse from Khepra’s Raw Bar and we’re holding each other to it!

stay tuned for our thoughts &  feelings about juice, as well as some sure-to-be-tasty fast-breaking meals.

 

thirstily yours,

hungrytexans

 

football season: oven roasted jalapeno poppers

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just as there are different types of texas girls, boston boys come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of football addiction.  i happen to have found one with an overwhelming addiction to the patriots- so I know that one sacred time each week, he’ll be watching football and i’ll be dreaming of NFL strikes.  just kidding, it’s not that bad.  in fact, i could actually glue myself to a couch once a week…as long as i have these jalapeno poppers to keep me company.   they’re stuffed with goat cheese and neufetchal cheese and baked in the oven so you’ll get all the pop with a fraction of the fat.

 

you’ll need:

10 jalapeno peppers

3 tbs neufetchal cheese

5 tbs goat cheese

2 tbs non-fat sour cream

1/8 cup diced red onion (or chives, but i was using red onion for something else that night)

2 tbs bread crumbs

1 tbs olive oil

 

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.  Slice each jalapeno in half and remove the stems and seeds

(if you love spicy, leave a bit of this in).

In a bowl, mix together the neufetchal cheese, the goat cheese, and the sour cream.  When it’s smooth, add the chopped onion.

Using a spoon, carefully stuff each jalapeno boat with the cheese mixture.

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top for crunch, drizzle the whole thing in olive oil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown on the top.

Then, plop down on the couch, start snacking, and just remember: 4 hours of football earns you at least 3 installments of Real Housewives of Wherever (including WWHL).

green chile & cheddar grits

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hello and welcome to one of my favorite food groups in the whole world.  what?  grits aren’t a food group?  nonsense.  grits are so versatile- they can be sweetened up with a little brown sugar, buttered and cheesed until they’re delectably savory, or (my personal favorite) spiced with green chiles and white cheddar.  and that’s what i did here!  i let these be the base for roasted shrimp, zucchini, corn and brussel sprouts.

 

you’ll need:

1 cup 5-minute grits

2 cups water

2 cups veggie stock

1 tbs salt

3 tbs butter (sorry I’m not sorry)

1 cup shredded white cheddar

1 can hatch green chiles

Green chile tobasco, to taste

 

Ok, this one is easy.   Bring the water and veggie stock to a boil, add your salt, then add your grits and give it a stir.  Reduce your heat to medium-low and cover the pot.  Stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes.  Add  your butter, shredded white cheddar, and green chiles and stir until smooth.  Season with the green chile tobasco and let it simmer for a couple minutes to thicken.  When the grits are at your desired consistency, serve them up!

Here are mine with roasted Old Bay shrimp and balsamic veggies:

And the veggies:

 

happy eating!

xoxo,

hungrytexans

 

chicken salad, two ways

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sometimes i have everything planned for a quick, healthy dinner at home- and then that last minute call comes with the happy hour i can’t refuse, the movie tickets i’ve been wanting, the list is endless.  and it usually ends up with me abandoning ship on dinner.

so maybe i can’t always predict what will happen between quittin’ time and dinner time.  but i can control what i’m eating for lunch.  which is why i try to spend sundays whipping up lunches for the week- a hearty soup that reheats well, turkey-cheese wraps and sliced bell pepper, even just leftover Pho stretched to last until Thursday.  and if something is delicious, i can eat it for days- no variety necessary.  but this afternoon, i thought i would mix things up, so i made two chicken salads to keep me satisfied through the week.  one curried chicken salad with golden raisins and another lemon-thyme chicken salad with feta and raw corn.  both delicious.  both healthy.  both recipes (and gifs!) follow:

 

for the curried chicken salad, you’ll need:

2 chicken breasts

2 tbs curry powder (divided)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 tbs non-fat mayo (you could sub greek yogurt here, but i didn’t want to)

1 tbs non-fat sour cream


season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and one tablespoon of the curry powder.  grill for about 4 minutes on each side, or until they are done.  chop the chicken breast into rough cubes and add the chopped onion, golden raisins, curry powder, mayo & sour cream.  mix until combined and pop it into the fridge until you’re ready for lunch!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

for the lemon-thyme chicken salad, you’ll need:

2 chicken breasts

6-8 sprigs of tyme

1 lemon

1/4 cup red onion

1/2 cup raw or grilled corn (i did a mixture of both!)

1/4 cup feta cheese

just like the curried chicken salad, start by seasoning the chicken breasts (i used thyme and lemon zest) and grilling them.  i also threw an ear of corn on the grill.  chop the chicken breast into cubes and add the red onion, corn, feta, mayo, sour cream, and a bit more thyme and lemon zest.  mix until combined and munch on it with radicchio, pita chips etc.

brussels sprouts with roasted chicken

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you’ll notice that this recipe is for brussels sprouts with roasted chicken on the side.  that’s because, no matter how hard i try, i can’t manage to get these sprouts to step out of the spotlight.  so, i give up.  you can be the star, little sprouts.  try adding a little crunch with toasted pumpkin seeds or walnuts.

For the Sprouts:

1lb Brussels Sprouts

1/2 Small Red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

3 tbs maple syrup

 For the Chicken:

2 breasts and 2 wings (or any part of the chicken you like)

10 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 lemon

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

rinse the brussels sprouts and chop the stems off of each one.  then cut them in half (this makes the inside really crispy).

in a heavy cast iron skillet, heat 2 tbs of olive oil and add the sliced red onion.  let these swim around for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic.  scoot the onions and garlic to the edges of the skillet and add your brussels sprouts.  try to get them face down so that the flat side gets good and brown.  then- don’t touch them!

about 1/2 a glass of wine or bourbon later, give your sprouts a good stir, season with s&p, and drizzle the balsamic and maple syrup over the whole thing.  be sure to use a good maple syrup, of course.  brussell sprouts are like little sponges, so if you roast them with good ingredients, they’ll really shine.  If you’d like to, season a couple chicken breasts (we did wings & breasts) with salt, pepper & thyme.

Add them to the brussels sprouts, skin side down, and let them sizzle for about 5 minutes.  then, pop these babies into the hot oven and let them roast for approx 20 minutes or 1/3 of an episode of The Wire.  

Easy enough?  Absolutely.  Leftovers?  Not in a million years.

xoxo,

hungrytexans

chicken mole tacos

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The long story of this recipe is that it was really an attempt to recreate the most amazing chicken tacos from a little place in Houston called 100% Taquito.  I know, I know, the name is bad.  The name actually kept me from trying it out for many years.  But once I had their chicken mole tacos, I was 100% converted.  Making these tacos cured my tastebuds’ homesickness, if only for the day.  Which is a great thing. The short story is that they’re delicious, and you should make them.

you’ll need:

1 roasted (or poached) chicken
3 tbs mole paste
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups monterrey jack cheese
Flour tortillas (buy these fresh or make your own!)

to garnish:
cilantro, lime, sliced radish, avocado, pico de gallo, etc etc.

What you’ll do:
I started with a two-pound roasted chicken from whole foods.  I think that next time I make these tacos, I’ll roast my own chicken, rubbed in mole paste.  But this time, I was hungry and feeling crummy, so I skipped that step.  I pulled the entire chicken from the bone using two forks.

I bought a homemade mole sauce from a mexican market on 11th street- it conveniently came with zero instructions and it resembled more of a paste than a sauce, so I improvised!  In a saucepan, I heated two tablespoons of vegetable oil and started adding the mole paste/sauce (three tbs in all).  I added about 1 cup of chicken stock (if you poached your chicken, the stock would come in handy here) and watched in awe as the sauce came together.   Once the sauce was reconstituted and tasted y-u-m, i added the shredded chicken.  Easy! To assemble, heat up two flour tortillas, layer a scoop of chicken on top of a small mountain of jack cheese, and let the whole thing melt together in a pan.  I garnish with lots of lime, radish, cilantro, and avocado.   The end.   Love, Hungry Texans

Coconut & Lentil & SplitPea Soup

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Have you picked up on a theme yet? You’ll soon notice a defining characteristic of these HungryTexans is our genetic inability to handle the cold. That’s right, despite three years in the Indiana tundra and a collective 7-years in DC (that’s right…it’s North of the Mason-Dixon line, so we’re allowed our “brrrrrrrrs!”), we continue to wear flats when it’s snowing, layer tights under our jorts, and frequently end up with icicle-locks (whitegrlwethair-lifestyle!).

Despite our inability to live/dress/work in the cold, we do our best to cook for it. Inspired by Liz’s mushroom soup and a craving for something hearty and home cooked (I spent the weekend eating at some charming chains in KCMO), I remembered this Coconut/Lentil/SplitPea Soup I’d made once upon a Texas winter.

My biggest fear when prepping this relatively simple soup was that the entire house would smell like an Indian restaurant. This is what happened the last time I toasted curry, and my fam didn’t let me hear the end of it! Thankfully, my curry toasting this time yielded an oh, so fragrant smell that warmed the house. Throw in the scent of simmering coconut milk, get ovah’ it! Yumyumyum!

Another one borrowed from one of my favorite blogs, 101Cookbooks:

1 cup / 7 oz / 200g yellow split peas
1 cup 7 oz / 200g red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups / 1.6 liters water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup / 1.5 oz / 45g golden raisins
1/3 / 80 ml cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped

It’s pretty simple, so here are the cliff notes:

  1. Combine Split Peas/Lentils & 7 cups of water — bring to a boil!
  2. Add the carrot & 1/2 of your ginger (keep them simmering until they’re soft!) + start your salting.
  3. Toast your curry powder (be careful not to burn it!)
  4. Melt your butter in the pan and add all of the following goodness — curry powder, tomato paste, scallions, raisins & tomato paste
  5. Add your flavorful buttery mixture to the Split Peas & Lentils
  6. Pour in the coconut milk
  7. Let those flavors groove together for 10-15 minutes on low heat
  8. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and scallions

Mmmm, mmmm….good!

xo,

HungryTexans

creamy mushroom-thyme soup

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today was below 60° – in texas, we call this “winter.”  but no matter where you’re living, these chilly days are perfect soup weather.  i’ve been waiting for my new emulsion blender to ship, but i couldn’t put this mushroom soup off any longer!

it turned out to be oh-so-yummy and super simple.  mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients- so unapologetically earthy and beautiful.  i made a little brie & arugula grilled cheese to dip.  grilled cheese & soup?  fugetaboutit.

recipe!

 

you’ll need:

1 1/2 pounds of mushrooms (I used white button, baby bella & shitake)

1 medium red onion

2 cloves garlic

3 tbs unsalted butter

2 sprigs thyme

pinch nutmeg

1/4 cup dry white wine or sherry

2 cups stock (veggie or chicken, whatever you have on hand.)

2 cups milk (or cream or half & half)

 

What you’ll do:

heat a large pan and add 1 tablespoon of butter.  add the sliced red onion and saute until they are soft, then add 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the sliced mushrooms until they are soft and happy.  season with the sprigs of thyme, a splash of dry white wine, and salt & pepper.  I also threw in a pinch of nutmeg. once the mixture tastes great (let your tastebuds decide!), transfer to a blender (or if your emulsion blender has arrived, use that guy).  pour in the milk and stock and blend until smooth.  i got the soup back on the stove so it was nice and hot when i was ready to eat.

serve this soup with a bit of olive oil drizzled on top, and a yummy dipper on the side.  i did a grilled brie & arugula sammy.

easy, delicious, & enough for lunch leftovers all week!

 

happy sunday 🙂

hungrytexans

poblano veggie enchiladas

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just hearing the words “presidential debates” makes our tummies rumble, so in an effort to feed eight debate viewers on wednesday night, we opted for veggie enchiladas- what’s more American than Tex-Mex, right?

we met at dc’s capitol supermarket for an admittedly improv-ed shopping trip.  1 basket of groceries and $25 later, we were ready to cook.

to recreate these cheesy veggie enchiladas, you’ll need:

 

20 corn tortillas

3 zucchini squash (we used a mexican variety, you can use whatever is in season!)

1 red onion

2 cups mushrooms

2 cups corn (we used frozen because the cobs looked sub-par)

1 poblano pepper

3 tbs cumin

s&p to taste

1 cup queso fresco

 

for the creamy poblano sauce:

2 cups milk

1 cup vegetable stock

2 cups sour cream

1 large poblano

1 tbs cumin

1/2 cup queso fresco

1/2 cup monterrey jack cheese

1 can chopped hatch green chiles

 

We needed poblanos for the filling and the sauce, so Julia fire-roasted the peppers while I diced the red onion, zucchini & mushrooms.  I added the corn to the diced veggie mixture, mixed in cumin, s & p, and spread it out onto a baking sheet.  The veggies roasted at 400 degrees for ~20 minutes, until they were caramelized.  We then mixed in on of the poblanos and the crumbled queso fresco and fed the mixture to each other with tortilla chips for approx. 3 minutes.

While the veggies were roasting, we got to work on the sauce.  We built it in the cuisinart- great idea!  Pulsed the fire-roasted poblano, can of green chiles, milk, sour cream, monterrey jack and queso fresco together until smooth.  We seasoned it with cumin and a bit of hot cayenne pepper.

Time to build the enchiladas!  We ladeled some of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish to keep these babies tasty on all sides.  To get the corn tortillas soft enough to work with, we microwaved them for 30 seconds.  You really want these to be hot while you’re filling them, or else they’ll crumble.  We filled the tortillas, rolled them and squished them into the baking dish before covering the whole thing with tons of the creamy sauce.

These enchiladas baked at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes before we served them with delicious Cilantro-Lime Black Beans.

Happy Eating!

The Hungry Texans