Spinach and Chorizo Frittata

Ok, this is really delicious! And easy.  I made this for dinner the other night and the three of us ate the entire thing.

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
olive oil
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 link cured chorizo (5-6 ounces), diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
around 1/2  cup frozen spinach (defrosted)
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sauté the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper in the olive oil, in an oven-safe pan (I use cast iron).  Once softened, add the garbanzo beans, chorizo, paprika, and spinach.  Cook 5 minutes.  Next mix the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper then add to the pan. Let cook for a few minutes, until the sides are starting to set. Move pan to the oven and allow to cook until the top is firm and set.  Serve warm or room temperature.  We served these with corny corn muffins that my six year old made.  Delicious, easy meal.

Apricot Almond Biscotti

Biscotti.  Mmmm.  It doesn't last very long at my house.  I just love the combination of the apricots and almonds.  And then, you get to dunk it into a steaming hot cup of coffee.  Bliss!!

Here's my recipe.  You can change the nut, change the fruit, change the vanilla to almond extract, or leave out the bourbon. It's very easy to change and adapt to your personal tastes.


3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon
3 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup almonds (chopped)
3/4 cup apricots (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat eggs and sugar until completely combined then add milk, vanilla, bourbon, and oil. Once everything is mixed well, fold in the almonds and apricots.  It won't mix in very well and you will probably have to use your hands, but it will  turn out great.  Trust me.
 Take the dough and make two loafs on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  

Bake for about 25 minutes or when the dough is firm to the touch. 

Let cool slightly and then, using a serrated knife, cut into slices on a diagonal. Arrange slices cut side down and bake until nicely golden brown (about 15 minutes).  You should flip the biscotti about half way through this second baking so they are uniformly brown and delicious.

That's it!  Fix yourself a nice cup of coffee and dunk away.

Gindungo - a crazy hot condiment

This sauce is used as a condiment in Angola. It is made with a gindungo pepper.  I love hot, spicy foods and this is the hottest thing I have ever tasted.  I put minuscule dots of it on my food because it is so hot.  What I'm trying to say is proceed with caution.

Oh, and the biggest warning is if you attempt this recipe, use gloves when handling the peppers.  If you don't have gloves, use plastic baggies.  Something.  Anything.

1 package of gindungo peppers
2 bulbs of garlic (skin on)
2 med onions, (skin on) cut in half
salt
2 teaspoons vinegar
oil (to taste)

Take a container of gindungo peppers and place on a parchment line baking sheet (leave stems on for now).  Add a couple of bulbs of garlic and a couple onions (skins on). Season with salt and drizzle with oil. Roast at 350 until the peppers are done (about 30 minutes).  Allow to cool enough so that you can handle them.

WITH GLOVES, take the stems off the peppers (leave the seeds) and place in a food processor.  Remove the garlic and onions from their skins and add to the peppers.  At this point, they should be easy to remove from the skins.

Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar, salt (to taste) and puree.

From here, you can dish out a little bit of the pepper puree and add a lot of oil to it and use it sparingly on foods.

I dip bites of meat in it, top my pizza with it, add it to my hummus, etc.  But in very tiny amounts.You can also add a little to soups or other sauces.  

I've heard you can marinate meat with it but I would be scared to do this for fear of being unable to eat the meat.  

innocent looking ingredients going into the oven