Arancini

Arancini (Italian for “small orange”) are small rice balls, usually stuffed with mozzarella, that are breaded and deep fried. I’ve also seen them called Suppli al Telefono, due to the long strands of mozzarella resembling telephone cords (no joke!), but that is more of a northern-Italian name. Traditionally, cooks would use left over risotto to make the arancini because, try as you might, it’s impossible to get reheated risotto to taste as good as when it’s just been made. I guess you can say they were invented more as a way to enjoy the leftovers than by a stroke of genius (though some may argue that point).

I was first introduced to arancini in the winter of 2000, when I spent four months in Sicily as part of a military deployment. We stayed in a town called Motta Sant’Anastasia, and there was (literally) a hole in a wall in town where you could walk up and get whatever the cook (an old Sicilian woman) had made that day. Though the menu varied daily, she always had arancini ready to be flash-fried and served piping hot! I found arancini all over Sicily, but I never had a better version than these. Most places would serve a side of tomato sauce with their arancini, but the old Sicilian woman would place both the mozzarella and the sauce in the center of the arancini, which made them divine!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Notes: I suggest you only stuff the arancini with the mozzarella and serve the marinara sauce on the side, as it tends to get very messy if you try to stuff both in the risotto balls. Also, don’t use shredded cheese, as this will make it almost impossible to stuff into the arancini.

Ingredients:

2 cups left over risotto
4 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 cup marinara sauce, warmed

For the breading:
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp of water
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Canola oil for frying
Salt

Procedure:

Place enough oil in a heavy-bottomed pan so that it will reach about half-way up the arancini and heat it to 350 degrees. While the oil comes up to temperature, use an ice cream scoop and divide the risotto into portions, then roll each portion into a small ball (they should be about the size of a golf ball). Take one piece of cubed mozzarella and place it in the center of each ball, then re-shape them if necessary.

Prepare your breading station in an assembly line. Roll the arancini in the flour (removing any excess), then in the egg (making sure to let the excess drip off), then in the bread crumbs; set aside until all the arancini are breaded. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, fry the arancini in batches (3-4 at a time) for 3-4 minutes, moving them around so that they brown evenly. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels for draining and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Serve hot with the marinara on the side.

Buen Provecho!

Baked Buffalo Wings

It’s NFL Playoff season and everyone knows that nothing says football more than buffalo wings and beer (especially during the Superbowl!). Buffalo wings are normally fried to ensure that they have a crispy enough skin to hold up to the sauce they are then drenched in. Most baked wings become soggy because by the time the exterior gets crispy enough the wings are overcooked and dry. I’ve found a way to bake them and get them just as crispy as fried wings but without adding any oil, which ensures that the wings are nice and flavorful, yet never greasy. This recipe allows you to enjoy your wings and not have to feel guilty about eating fried food.

The key to getting them crispy in the oven is to dry them out and to coat them in a bit of baking powder to ensure the skin blisters when baked. The easiest way to dry the wings is to first pat them dry, then season them and place them in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). I guarantee you will never fry your wings again!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You can make your own buffalo sauce by combining equal parts melted butter and your favorite hot sauce.

Ingredients:

12 chicken wings
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Procedure:

Remove the wings from their packaging and pat them dry with paper towels. Toss the wings in a bowl with the salt and baking powder, then lay them on a cooling rack, placed over a sheet pan, and set them on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 4 hours. Remove 30 minutes prior to baking.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the wings don’t stick. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees and place the wings on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and then into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, flip the wings over, and bake for another 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your wings. Remove them and toss with your favorite buffalo wing sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing.

Buen Provecho!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

It’s fall, so every food blogger and their brother is probably posting something similar, if they haven’t already. So, why am I doing it if I know it’s been done a million times already? Because there are few things in this world that I like more than (roasted) Brussels sprouts, and because it’s my blog. What’s going to sound weird is that I only like them one way: roasted. I do not care for them if they’re boiled or steamed (though I haven’t tried grilling them) because it’s the mild bitterness from the charred leaves that whets my appetite.

This recipe can be made several ways; for one, you can use any kind of lubricant you’d like, including bacon or duck fat. I suggest olive oil (or other vegetable oils) with this recipe unless you want to play around with how much salt you should add.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: None

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
3 slices bacon, cut into small strips and cooked

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the outermost leaves from the sprouts and discard, then cut a bit off from the stem part so that it’s clean. Slice them in half, lengthwise, and place in a bowl. Toss them with the olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the sprouts have softened and some char has appeared on them, turning once during cooking. Remove from oven and place in a bowl, top with bacon, and serve immediately.

Buen Provecho!

Lasagna Cupcakes

I was looking for a way to make lasagna into a snack without having to either pig out or make a whole lasagna that would eventually end up in my fridge for longer than it takes me to eat it. Since I was on my own this past weekend (Mrs. Belly Full was out of town), I decided that this weekend was perfect for me to make my “snackable” lasagna (I had a craving for it, anyway).

I cooked the beef and refrigerated it overnight because I believe that it tastes better the second day. I also used store-bought wonton wrappers and my favorite tomato/pasta sauce (nothing fancy), but feel free to use your own homemade tomato sauce if you have some lying around. As far as cutting the wonton wrappers into perfect circles, I used a lid off a jar that just happened to be the right size. Place it on the wrapper and trace around it with a paring knife (or push it through the dough).

If I can make a small suggestion, try and use a silicone muffin pan, if you can. I found that it was extremely easy to get them out as I could just push the bottom and have them pop out. I also cut out a small piece of parchment paper that I used to line the bottom to ensure they would come up easily.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: None

Ingredients:

1/4 Medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/4 Stalk celery, finely diced
1/4 Carrot, finely diced
1/2 clove Garlic, minced
8 oz Ground beef
1/2 tsp each Salt and dried oregano
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Flour
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Tomato paste
1/4 cup Chicken stock
1/3 cup Basic tomato sauce (you can use your favorite store bought brand)

8 oz Mozzarella cheese, grated
4 oz Ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Roman Cheese
Wonton Wrappers

Procedure:

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Next add the ground beef and allow it to brown up nicely, stirring only occasionally. Once the beef is almost cooked through, add the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and flour and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium and let the flour cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and chicken stock, stirring to combine. Once the pot comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and let it cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes. You will know it’s done when most of the liquid has evaporated and the bottom of the pot is dry when you move the beef around. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature (or refrigerate overnight).

When the bolognese is ready to be used, build the lasagna cupcakes by layering one sheet of wonton wrapper, a teaspoon of beef, and a bit of all three cheeses. Repeat and then top with one wrapper and some mozzarella and some parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 7-10 mintues, until the cheese on top is melted and bubbling.

Allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Bacon-Wrapped Fingerling Potatoes

I’m a meat-and-potato type of guy, and I think that there are very few toppings that go better with a baked potato than bacon.  I was thinking of making a baked potato as a side one day this week but I changed my mind when I walked by the fingerling potatoes in the grocery store.  The minute I saw them I pictured them wrapped in bacon and I just had to bring some home and try it out.

I made sure to pick the smallest ones I could find, and tried to ensure that they were all about the same size; to ensure even cooking, I picked potatoes that were between the size of a nickel and a quarter, and they worked out great.  They just needed to boil for 10 minutes and spend about 20 minutes in the oven to ensure a crispy exterior and a nice, fluffy interior.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You could use regular potatoes, cut up into small cubes (about 3/4″ squares) if you can’t find small fingerlings. Also, don’t use colored toothpicks as the food dye will bleed into the potato as it cooks (definitely not pretty).

Ingredients:

12 small fingerling potatoes
4 strips of bacon
1 quart water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1.5 tsp salt

Procedure:

Place 12 toothpicks in a bowl and pour some water over them. Let them soak until the potatoes are ready to be wrapped in the bacon (this will prevent them from burning in the oven).

Wash the potatoes and place them in a medium pot and add one quart of room-temperature water, one tablespoon vinegar and one and a half teaspoons of salt. Make sure that the water covers the potatoes by at least one inch. If you don’t have enough water to cover them by that amount, add more water/salt/vinegar until they are covered by an inch. Cover the pot and place it over high heat until it comes to a boil, then set your timer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and place the potatoes on a plate or cutting board to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut four strips of bacon in thirds. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, wrap each one with a strip of bacon and secure the seams with a toothpick. Set on a sheet pan and place in a cool toaster oven, then heat it to 400 degrees. Wait about 12 minutes and then turn the potatoes so that both sides have a chance to crisp up. They should be ready 5-6 minutes after flipping, but you can leave them in a little longer if you like your bacon a bit crispier.

Note: I used a toaster oven, which heats faster than a regular oven. A big oven will take a bit longer to heat up so you might have to add 5-7 minutes to the initial timer, before turning the potatoes over.

Buen Provecho!

Cuban Fried Wontons

Have you noticed a trend? I am a pork and cheese addict so it’s only natural that the Cuban sandwich serve as my inspiration for a few dishes. I’ve seen other chino-latino fusions as appetizers, most recently the pork and ripe plantain dumplings at Dragonfly in Puerto Rico, so I tried to come up with a recipe all my own. I was also unsure as to the cooking method, but I decided to fry them instead of steam or boil them. Feel free to cook them either way.

As with any Cuban sandwich, the ingredients are slowly-braised pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. I didn’t want to put the mustard inside the wonton wrapper, so I ended up making a dipping sauce instead (you can get the recipe in my previous post, here). Serve them as you would any other appetizer.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: None

Ingredients:

10-12 wonton wrappers
1 oz slowly braised pork, chopped fine
1 oz ham, chopped fine
1 slice Swiss cheese, chopped fine
5 pickle slices, chopped fine
2 tbsp mustard dipping sauce from link above

Procedure:

Heat 3 cups of peanut oil to 375 degrees (make sure that there is enough oil to completely cover the wontons when they’re fried). Combine the chopped pork, ham, cheese, and pickles in a bowl and mix well. Fill a wonton wrapper with one teaspoon of the mixture, placing it in the middle of the square.

Wet your finger with some water and moisten the top and right corners of the wonton wrapper to ensure that the sides will stick to each other. Fold the wonton to form a triangle and make sure you press all the air out before you seal it. Moisten the left corner with some water, then grab the top of the triangle and fold the two sides in on each other (make sure the right side is on top so it sticks to the moistened left side). Now fold the point towards the back of the wonton (the opposite side of where the corners met). Set aside and repeat until you are out of filling.

Fry in the oil for 1.5-2 minutes, until desired crispiness is achieved. Make sure to turn them over half-way through as they will float to the surface. Serve with the mustard sauce either on the side for dipping or drizzle it on the fried wontons.

Buen Provecho!

Buffalo Chicken and Spinach Dip

It’s football season, which in my house means that there must be snacks available on Sunday afternoons. Buffalo wings are delicious and popular, but they do tend to get messy. I was looking for a way to keep the buffalo flavor in some sort of finger food but eliminate the need for a whole roll of paper towels. I also wanted to make it a bit healthier by adding some green, leafy vegetables (i.e. spinach) to the mix. Think of it as a combination of two very popular appetizers: buffalo wings and spinach dip.

I chose to poach my chicken breasts because I wanted a clean chicken flavor to come through. Feel free to cook your chicken however you like it most. You can even buy a pre-cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works well here) if you want to save time. Just remember that the flavor of the chicken, and how it’s cooked, will come through in the dip.

You may be tempted to serve this with chips or even some sort of cracker. Don’t! This dip needs the bulk and crunch provided by Melba Toast or some other form of crostini. If you try to scoop it up something that isn’t hard or sturdy, it will just end up breaking in the dip and creating a mess. Trust me.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes or less
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You can dice the chicken if you’d like, but I think it works better if you shred it.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces), cooked and shredded
6 oz light cream cheese
4 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of all excess water
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup each Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and Blue Cheese Dressing

Procedure:

The recipe calls for cooked chicken but I want to give instructions on how to poach the chicken because I think it adds a cleaner flavor to the dip. Place the chicken in a pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Fill with water until the breasts are covered by about 1/2 inch of water. Add 1 tsp salt, 12-15 whole pepper corns, 2 bay leafs, and 1 tbsp dry thyme. Place the pot over hi heat until the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium low and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the breasts over, remove from the heat, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let them stand for 20 minutes, then remove to a plate and let them cool enough to handle. Shred with two forks.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-safe bowl, combine all the ingredients except the blue cheese crumbles and mix until everything is well incorporated. Add the blue cheese crumbles and fold them in carefully so that they don’t break too much. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until everything is heated through. Remove and serve while still warm.

Buen Provecho!

Armadillo Eggs

I want to make something clear: armadillos are mammals and, as such, do not lay eggs.  I want to get that out first so that PETA doesn’t come knocking my door down in the middle of the night claiming cruelty to armadillos.  

Typically, armadillo eggs are jalapeños stuffed with cheese (sausage is optional), breaded, and fried; they’re more commonly called “jalapeño poppers” in most restaurants.  I’m a big fan of these appetizers but I wanted to make a version that was more, I don’t know, meaty.  So, in order to attain my goal, I made an inside-out version of the jalapeño poppers by stuffing some roasted jalapeños, cream cheese, and cilantro inside a ball of sausage then breading and frying them.

I first attempted the recipe using country sausage but found it to be too heavy and greasy; they just weren’t enjoyable.  I almost gave up and decided to go back to the original form of the dish but then a light bulb went off, so I went to the store and purchased some turkey sausage (mild Italian, but feel free to use hot if you’d like).  Working with turkey sausage is messier than the pork version (the meat is stickier and needs to be cold when handling it), so make sure you put the meat in the freezer for 10 minutes if it starts to get too messy.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You can always make these ahead and either bread/fry them as needed or fry them in advance and just heat them up in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

3-4 jalapeño peppers
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 lb turkey sausage
1 egg
1 tsp water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp each salt, ground coriander and ground cumin

Procedure:

Pre-heat your broiler to its highest setting. Toss the peppers with a little canola oil and a pinch of salt. Place them on a baking sheet about 6-8 inches below the broiler and let them cook for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until the peppers blister and are charred on the outside. Remove the peppers and place them in a zip top bag for 10 minutes to cool. Peel the skins off, remove and discard the seeds, and dice the peppers. Set them aside.

In a bowl, combine the chopped cilantro, cream cheese, and roasted jalapeño peppers and mix well. If the cream cheese is too cold to mix well, place it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and it should soften up enough. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before portioning it out. Once the mixture has set enough to handle it, prepare 16 portions of 1/2 tsp each.

Divide the sausage into 16 1-ounce portions and form them into meatballs (they should be about 1 inch in diameter). Place each ball between two pieces of parchment paper and use the bottom of a bowl or plate to press them out into little patties. Place 1/2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the patty and close the sausage around it, ensuring to pinch the meat shut so that it won’t open during cooking. Form the stuffed sausage to look like an egg (hence the name armadillo eggs).

Place enough canola oil in a pot so that the armadillo eggs will be completely submerged when fried and heat it to 325 degrees. Beat one egg with 1 tsp of water in a bowl. Combine the bread crumbs with the spices in another bowl and whisk them together. Dip the sausage eggs in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs, ensuring that they are completely covered, then shake off any excess. Once all the eggs are breaded, fry them in batches for 3-3.5 minutes at 325 degrees until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove them to a paper towel-lined dish and allow them to drain for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Ahi Tuna Sliders

I’ve seen my share of tuna burgers on restaurant menus for years now.  I’ve never ordered one because I’m not a huge fan of seared tuna steaks and I was afraid that the non-steak burgers were made from canned tuna (which I don’t really care for, either).  I’ve also seen cooking shows where they use either tuna steaks or canned tuna to make burgers but I usually change the channel as it’s something I never thought I’d be interested in.  However, I was inspired to do something different after watching an old episode of Iron Chef America where Morimoto took a large piece of tuna and chopped it up with two knives into very small pieces and than created a beautiful tuna tartar out of it.  My thought process was as follows: “Why can’t I take small pieces of tuna and mix them as I would a crab cake, then make a burger/slider out if it?”

It’s been a few weeks since I saw that episode and had almost forgot about it until I was looking through the sale items in my local Harris Teeter and saw that sashimi-grade Tuna was on sale for $7 a pound.  I usually try to stick to more sustainable fish like Basa, trout, and tilapia (US Farmed only) but we don’t have many options around North Carolina when it comes to tuna (this particular one came from the Philippines but you should look for US or Canada line/pole caught if you can find it).  If you’re interested in finding out what type of seafood you should look for and which you should avoid, I suggest you go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s website and download their PDF here.

I thought long and hard about what to serve it with.  Being as I was going to fry them, I didn’t want to serve it with another fried side, such as fries, and was interested in keeping to an “Asian” theme.  I decided to make some coleslaw with some Asian flavors blended into the mayonnaise and was very happy with my choice.  The sauce I created to mix in with the mayonnaise is something I came up with as a stir-fry sauce and have been planning on posting it for a few weeks but never got around to it.  Just know that if you want to make some stir-fry, you can just use the sauce I made here instead of your normal store-bought sauce.

Prep Time: 60 minutes (including a 35-40 minute wait)
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Difficulty: Medium (but almost Easy)
Notes: I pan-fried my tuna burgers and found that they cooked all the way through. If you want your tuna to be a bit on the rare-to-medium-rare side (and why spend the money on sashimi-grade tuna if you don’t), I suggest you deep-fry them for 2.5 minutes instead and you should end up with a nice medium-rare center.  Also, feel free to use canned tuna (packed in water, not oil) if you don’t want to cut up fresh tuna.

Ingredients:

8 oz tuna steak
2 tbsp scallions, chopped fine (about 3/4 of one scallion)
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko
1 tsp lime zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup peanut oil
4 slider buns

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1.5 tsp honey
1/4 tsp garlic (grated with microplane)
1/4 tsp ground Chinese 5 Spice
1/4 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp chili paste (Sriracha), OPTIONAL

For the Coleslaw:
1 cup pre-cut coleslaw mix
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp stir-fry sauce

Procedure:

Prepare the stir-fry sauce by combining all the ingredients except the corn starch in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the corn starch and whisk until it has been incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 60 seconds, then remove and whisk it. Place it back in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds and whisk it again upon removal. Set it aside, uncovered, and let it cool and fully thicken (about 15 minutes). The reason you want to microwave it is because the corn starch won’t thicken the mixture until it has come to a simmer.  Here is what the sauce should look like:

Look at the tuna steak and identify the grain (it should be easy to find):

Slice the tuna thinly (about 1/8″) against the grain (in this case you would go horizontally). Once you’ve sliced the entire steak, take the slices and cut them into small 1/8″ cubes. Alternatively, you can do a Morimoto and take two knives and hack away but I find that to be dangerous and best left to the experts (i.e. probably not anyone reading this blog).

Once the tuna is cubed, place it in a bowl with the chopped scallion, lime zest, mayonnaise, bread crumbs, salt, and 1/2 the beaten egg and mix to combine (use your hands). Divide the mixture into 4 2-ounce portions and form them into slider patties. Place on parchment paper (to avoid sticking) and put them in your freezer for 35-40 minutes or until they begin to firm up but not long enough to freeze (this way they won’t fall apart when you bread them later on).

The stir-fry sauce should be cool enough now so combine 2 tsp of it with 2 tbsp of mayonnaise and whisk to combine. Pour it over the coleslaw mixture and toss to combine. Refrigerate until the tuna burgers are done (about 35 minutes) so that the flavors have a chance to marry.

After 35-40 minutes, remove the tuna from the freezer. Place the peanut oil in a frying pan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees. Add 1 tbsp of water to the remaining 1/2 beaten egg and whisk to combine. Place the panko into a bowl and place it next to the egg wash (creating a dredging station). Dip the tuna burgers into the egg wash (on both sides) and then into the panko, ensuring you shake off the excess breading without breaking the burger.

Once the oil reaches the right temperature, place the tuna burgers in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes per side (or deep fry for 2 minutes and 30 seconds). Meanwhile, use the cooking time to toast your buns if that is how you like them. Remove the tuna burgers to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Serve them plain or with your choice of lettuce, tomato, and/or avocado and a bit of mayo on the bun (feel free to use some of the mayo you made for the coleslaw).

Buen Provecho!

Recipe: Pimento Cheese and Tomato Open-Faced Sandwich

It’s summer here in Durham, NC, with means only one thing: weekly trips to the farmers market.  Ok, so it means more than just that, but what can you expect, I’m writing a food blog.  The Durham farmers market runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays in downtown Durham and is the place to be if you’re looking for farm-fresh, local ingredients.  Most of the vendors here will tell you that they aren’t certified Organic but that they do tend to their produce and livestock in a way consistent with Organic practices.  Since it can cost upwards of $2,000 a year in fees to be certified by the USDA, not to mention all of the paperwork, I can’t say I blame the small farmers for not wanting to incur the extra expense.

I believe it’s more important to eat locally than it is to eat something certified Organic, especially since almost 20 percent of all organic products sold in the US are imported from countries such as Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and, yes, even China (GASP!). The USDA had this to say: “Organic imports have played a significant role in the U.S. market expansion for organic products. Again, concrete data are not yet available, but FAS estimates that imports accounted for 12-18 percent of the $8.6 billion in U.S. organic retail sales in 2002.”  Plus, most Organic foods available for purchase in local mega-marts (such as Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Wal-Mart) come from large, industrial farms, not from the small, family farmers that most of us think of when we think of Organic produce.  Since I’m all about supporting the small farmer, I prefer to purchase directly from them at my local farmers market.

Before I get off on a tangent, the reason for this post is to tell everyone of my new addiction.  No, I’m not hooked on crack or meth, but this sandwich is just as addicting as any drug on the market.  This entire meal can be done with products found at the Durham farmers market, although my ingredients didn’t all come from there (this time).  The stars of the show are the purple Russian heirloom tomatoes and the pimento cheese, which were purchased from the Chapel Hill Creamery (see pic below), a small, local farm operation not too far from where we live.  The Ingredients are labeled as “cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, and spices” but, from what I could tell, the only spice was sweet paprika (which gave it the pinkish/orange color).

If you want to make your own pimento cheese, please see my previous post here.  I made that batch about a week ago and ran out so I took the lazy route and opted to purchase it already mixed in order to feed my addiction quickly.  So, without further ado, here’s what you’ll need to become addicted:

Ingredients:

1 purple Russian heirloom tomato, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 egg
1 slice of wheat bread, toasted
1 slice of thick-cut bacon
2 tbsp pimento cheese
1 tsp of salt, plus one pinch
2 cups water
1 tbsp white vinegar

Procedure:

Place the egg in a small pot and pour the water over it to make sure that the water level covers the egg by at least one inch.  Remove the egg and place the pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the slice of bacon in half and place in a cold skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy on both sides (8-10 minutes). Alternatively, you can place the slice of bacon on a tray in your cold toaster oven and then turn it up to 400 degrees and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes, until crispy (don’t microwave the bacon or it just won’t taste right).

When the water starts to boil, turn it down to medium-low and add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of white vinegar, stirring to dissolve. Crack the egg in a ramekin or bowl and pour it into the now-simmering water very slowly. Set your kitchen timer for 4 minutes and let the egg cook. I normally take a slotted spoon and make sure that the egg isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan after about 1 minute into the cooking time (just nudge it gently) to ensure even cooking.  Once the 4 minutes have passed, check the egg and make sure that the whites have set completely (if you don’t like your yolk very runny, you can let it cook for up to 1 additional minute in the hot water, then pull it out). Once the yolks are cooked to your liking, carefully remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels.  Here is a quick video I uploaded to YouTube on how to poach an egg:

At this point, the bacon will probably be ready, so remove the bacon to the same plate as the egg. Place your bread in the toaster and toast to your desired level of darkness (I like a medium-dark piece of toast). Once the bread comes out, and while it’s still warm, spread 1 tbsp of pimento cheese over it. Place the bacon, then the tomato on top of the toast and then sprinkle the tomato with one pinch of salt. Top it all off with the poached egg and enjoy!

Buen Provecho!