From Austin to Our Kitchen...

We are lucky enough to live in Austin, Texas.  Austin is known for being the "Live Music Capital of the World", but has rapidly been developing it's own unique food scene.  A scene we love to continue in our very own 736 square foot apartment.

You can find Tex-Mex food, bbq, elaborate food trailers, burgers and even James Beard award winning chefs.  The weather year round is pretty nice, which means we also spend a lot of time around the bbq pit.  There are it's pitfalls, such as a limited supply of fresh seafood, but we also have resources, such as the flagship Whole Foods to keep us stocked. People around the nation often come refer to Whole Foods as a "corporate" place (Whole Pay Check).  For Austinites, Whole Foods is more than that chain store.  It used to be a tiny local health food store. We'll elaborate more on that later.  We are looking forward to letting you into our kitchen and showing you around our fabulous town.

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce (Lee & Perrins)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 onion, very finely chopped 
• 1 finely chopped jalapeno 
• 1 pound ground beef 
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• Sriracha Sauce

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, onion, and jalapeno.  Add the beef and bread crumbs and use your hands to quickly and thoroughly combine.  
• Coat a pyrex loaf pan with cooking spray, gently press mixture into pan.  Top with Sriracha sauce.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 

Charro Beans

Ingredients

• 1 bag dry pinto beans
• 1 can rotel tomatoes
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 serranos, cut in 1/4 inch rings
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Sort the beans, discard any small or discolored beans, watch carefully for small pebbles.  Rinse the beans.
• Place beans in a large pot and cover with 2 - 3 inches of salted water.  Add Rotell tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until beans are soft, about 1 hour.
• Add bacon, onion, and serrano peppers.  Cover pot and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Marinara Sauce

This recipe is so simple you will be tempted to add extra ingredients...don't.  The simplicity helps to create an incredibly delicious and fresh tasting dish.  We first discovered this recipe in The Sopranos Family Cookbook.


Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, diced
• Salt
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon, until golden.  Add the tomatoes and salt to taste.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce is thick.  Stir in the basil leaves.  Serve with warm pasta.

The Ultimate Breakfast Taco

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 russet potato
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• flour or corn tortillas

Directions

The secret to great breakfast tacos is, of course, flavor and texture.  The bacon and potatoes should provide a nice crispness and the cheese should be melted and creamy.  This is achieved by combining the components after the eggs are done cooking; combining too early will let the liquid from the eggs soak the bacon and potatoes creating a mushy taco.

Start by frying the bacon extra crispy and set aside on paper towels to allow the grease to drain.  Cut the potatoes into small cubes and fry in bacon grease until extremely crispy and bordering on burnt.  Season with a heavy dose of salt and pepper while cooking.  Set aside and keep warm while scrambling the eggs.  When eggs are done remove from heat and crumble bacon in.  Stir in potatoes and top with cheese.   Serve with warm tortillas.