Not So Authentic Huevos Rancheros

Well, two finals down and two to go! This past week has been a whirlwind of studying--I commandeered the kitchen table on Monday and parked myself there for maybe ten hours a day, culminating in an all-nighter on Thursday night to prepare for my two morning Chemistry finals. Needless to say, I'm a little sick of the kitchen. Though, really, we've reached that point where I don't want to cook or buy groceries, so I've had to be a bit creative in my cooking to try and find healthy, easy, and quick meals.

One of my roommates had these jalapeño and cilantro tortillas that she hated, so she offered them up to me. Her loss! I ate one by itself as a snack and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and mild heat from a store-bought flour tortilla. This then inspired me--why not use them in a meal? Naturally I thought of breakfast. It's my favorite meal of the day--I like it so much that I will generally have cereal for breakfast and oatmeal for lunch! However, to power my countless hours of studying, I needed something filling and hearty. Huevos Rancheros perfectly fit the bill--while they may be my cheap, not-very-legitimate college version, they're still dang good.

Dead simple to make, these require few ingredients and take a grand total of ten minutes to prepare.

You will need:
 -1 tortilla (corn is traditional, but I used Jalapeño and Cilantro flour tortillas)
 -1 egg
 -1/4 cup refried beans
 -2 tbsp pico de gallo (or salsa!)
 -1/3 bell pepper, chopped
 -1/2 avocado, diced

First of all, heat up 1/2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. While you're waiting for that to get hot, nuke your refried beans until they're warm.

When that pan's nice and hot, place your tortilla in it. Let it cook for about thirty seconds, then flip it over. There will be nice big air bubbles--yum! When both sides are golden-brown, remove the tortilla from the pan and place it on a plate. Then, adding more oil if you need to, crack an egg into the pan. While that's frying, spread your refried beans over the tortilla.

I personally love runny yolks, so I left my egg sunny-side up. However, feel free to cook however you'd like. When your egg is fried to your satisfaction, turn the heat off and slide it on top of the refried beans.

Finally, add toppings to taste! I went with some mild pico de gallo for some brightness and a bit of a kick, the bell pepper for some greens and great crunch, and avocado, since everything's better with avocado, right?

Feel free to top with whatever you'd like, including jalapeños, cheese, hot sauce, or more veggies! You can make these whatever you'd like. However, huevos rancheros will always be a fast and incredibly filling meal. I was stuffed until dinner! This meal also presents a nice balance of protein, carbs, and fats--you gotta fuel that brain!

Serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can't go wrong! They're quickly becoming a staple in my rotating menu, because of their awesome versatility and nutritive benefits. Give them a try when you need a quick and hearty meal to power you through the day--I promise they won't disappoint!

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Peaches and Cream Pancakes

Happy May! It really feels like we're barreling towards summer now. Yesterday's high was 99˚, my last day of class is tomorrow, and all that stands between me and the beach is four final exams! To celebrate my last Thursday morning, I woke up early and make a little pancake breakfast for my roommates.

After searching through Google and my Bloglovin' feed, I stumbled upon a recipe for peach pancakes and modified them slightly for myself. Without further ado, here's the recipe! It's perfect for a breakfast with friends, and I'm sure families would love it for Mother's Day!

You will need:

 -1 cup flour

 -1 tbsp sugar

 -2 tsp baking powder

 -1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

 -1/4 tsp salt

 -1 cup milk

 -1/2 can (15oz) peaches, drained and chopped finely

 -4 tsp peach juice

 -1 tsp canola oil

 -1 egg, lightly beaten.

 -whipped cream, for topping

Spray a griddle with Pam and heat to medium-high. The pan is hot enough when you can flick water onto it and it sizzles loudly.

Start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. 

Then, add all of the wet ingredients--milk, egg, oil, and peach juice. Mix well, you don't want any lumps of unmixed flour. It will be quite wet, don't worry! Once it's all combined, fold in your chopped peaches.

Now, since your batter is ready and your pan is hot, fill a 1/4 cup measure most of the way up, and pour onto the griddle. Let them cook for a minute or so, until bubbles have come up and held their shape. Flip 'em over with a spatula, and let them cook for another minute or so. You want a nice golden brown color on both sides!

When they're done, flip them onto a plate and take a seat!

Set up a nice little stack for yourself...

And definitely don't forget the most important part!

Lots of whipped cream is a necessity, of course! If you're looking for a homemade alternative, check out my recipe here, halfway down the page. 

Cut yourself a bite of these fresh springtime pancakes! They're light but filling, and have a great peach flavor. The cinnamon also adds a nice depth. Obviously, you don't need to use canned peaches either--this is just what I had on hand! 

These were so easy to make too--I woke up at 7:30, picked up some groceries, then started on these. The pancakes were on the table by 8:30, and that's with my photography taking up some time! I highly recommend these for a simple and delicious breakfast.

Since I have some free time in between studying for finals, I'll be coming up with more delicious spring recipes to share with you all. Stay tuned!

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Peanut Butter Jelly Muffins

Well, here at Study Central, I've started counting down the days until spring break. Everyone's up to their eyeballs in midterms and desperately wishing that vacation would come just a little faster. 

I've been brainstorming countless recipes to make and share, but I sort of ran into blogger's block for a week. It seemed that everything I wanted to make was too similar to things I've posted recently. However, on Sunday afternoon, I had a bit of a brainwave.

I've had peanut butter on my mind lately, but I wanted to steer clear of its usual companion; chocolate. If you're really craving some chocolate-peanut butter action, I recommend you head over to my peanut butter swirl brownies--but I digress.

I made these peanut butter jelly "muffins" in bar form a few years ago, and had completely forgotten about them until my brainwave. Peanut butter dough sandwiching a layer of jelly, with some crunchy peanuts on top--count me in. I didn't have a small enough pan, so I brought out my trusty muffin tin and hoped for the best.

They're absolutely delicious and perfect for a breakfast on the go. Peanutty yet bright, rich but still light, these babies are sure to please everyone with a soul who has a hankering for that old PB&J taste.

You will need:

 -1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened

 -3/4 cup of peanut butter (chunky or smooth, doesn't matter)
 -3/4 cup of light brown sugar

 -1 1/2 cups of flour

 -1 egg

 -1 tsp vanilla extract

 -pinch of baking powder

 -1/4 tsp salt

 -1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

 -3/4 cup jelly of choice

Oven temperature: 350˚F

Start by mixing your peanut butter, butter, and sugar together. Use an electric mixer unless you're looking for an arm workout. 

Next, add your egg and vanilla. Keep mixing until it's all combined.

Then, add your dry ingredients--flour, salt, and baking powder. Keep combining until it holds together. Use your hands to sort of knead it a little bit if you'd like. At this point, divide your dough in half, and put one half in the freezer.

Lightly grease a muffin tin. Push your dough into each well to make an even layer. Use all of the dough, and try to put an even amount in each one.

Fill a tablespoon measure about 3/4 full with your jelly, then spread over each muffin base. Again, try and get this as even as possible! As the muffins cook, the jelly will bubble, and you do not want hot, sticky jelly all over your oven or yourself. Trust me on that one.

Next, take the other half of the dough out of the freezer and crumble it over each muffin. Push it down into the jelly to make it stick. They can be pretty large dough chunks, but they really do add a lot to the texture.

Finally, top with your chopped peanuts, pressing down to make them stick in the dough. Pop them in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the jelly is bubbling and the peanuts are golden. 

Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before attempting to dislodge the muffins from the tin. If you try and get them out while they're still warm, the jelly will make them slide around and disintegrate. Pop them in the fridge for a bit if you're extremely pressed for time, then pry them out with a knife when they're cool.

These dense little muffins are probably going to be my breakfast for the next few days. They keep well and taste delicious for as long as it takes to be consumed. One friend told me that these little beauties are even better than the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich--I can't help but agree!

They're really easy, don't take any weird ingredients, and come together rapidly. These muffins are hopefully going to provide me with the energy to get through to spring break!

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Scones

My mother has begged me to make scones ever since I came home in May. She buys scones from our local grocery store but refuses to make them herself. Yesterday, boredom struck and I searched for a recipe to make... and my mom asked for scones. Because I am a kind and benevolent god (I was bored, okay?), I relented.

Well, mum, scones are a piece of cake.

These scones take about half an hour to make, from start to finish. They're all from scratch, and there's not much cleanup!

You will need:
 -1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
 -1/4 cup sugar
 -4 tsp baking powder
 -1/8 tsp salt
 -5 tbsp cold butter
 -1/2 cup milk
 -1/4 cup Greek yogurt
 -1/4 tsp baking soda
 -1/3 cup of raisins
 -1 beaten egg + 1 tbsp milk, combined

Oven temp: 400˚. Heat that sucker right up, with a rack in the middle of the oven.

Start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix together until well incorporated.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of milk, yogurt, and baking soda. Whisk together until completely smooth, then add the raisins.

You can use any kind of dried fruit that you'd like in this recipe. I thought of adding both raisins and craisins, but ultimately decided against it. Also, you could use sour cream instead of the yogurt and baking soda, but Greek yogurt is healthier than sour cream. It's up to personal preference!

Now, because I'm a twerp, I completely forgot to take a picture during the next step. You need to take your cold butter and cut it into the dry mixture with knives or a pastry cutter. Cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Then you slowly add the wet mixture to the dry. Only pour in a little at a time, and mix thoroughly (I used a fork) until the dough is just holding together. It will sort of resemble the texture of cookie dough. You don't want it to be super wet! I had about 1/4 cup of liquid left over, but I made sure to add all of the raisins.

Once the dough is holding together, take it and plop it on a floured surface. Using your hands, pat the dough into a rectangle, then fold into thirds. Flip it over and turn it 90˚, and start patting it into a rectangle again. Repeat this just once--you don't want to over-handle your dough.

After you've folded the dough and patted it into another rectangle, it's time to form the scones. Using a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into two squares. Then cut each square diagonally in half, then diagonally in half the other way. This will make cool triangular scones, like the kind you see in bakeries.

Arrange artfully (ha) on a baking stone. Make sure that the scones aren't touching, and have enough room to rise and expand.

Brush the tops of the scones with the egg and milk mixture. You'll probably have a fair bit of it left, so cook it in the microwave and feed it to your dog. I guess you could throw it out, but I think that's a bit wasteful and our dog is a princess. But that may just be her (or our fault).

Put the scones in the preheated oven until the tops are golden brown and they've risen. They took eleven minutes in our oven, but may take up to fifteen.

I kept mine on the stone to cook the bottoms a bit more, then I let them cool on a rack. My mother and I split one while it was still warm... and it was so delicious.

Everyone in my family ate one for breakfast this morning. Look at that and tell me it doesn't look delicious. Hearty, buttery, and flaky, these are awesome. These scones are a wonderful quick treat!

Now, I'm not going to say my mother was right... but I might be making these a bit more often now!

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Roundup, and Jacks N Joe

Well, folks, life's been happening. School's been a little psycho, but my last final is Wednesday and I'm home next Sunday!

A quick recap of what I've been up to since I last blogged:

I got a behind-the-scenes look at my friend J, shooting for her fashion blog. Check it out here!

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen that my friend L surprised me with macarons from 'Lette. They were just as delicious as they looked!

My friends and I built a fort. We're still ten years old. It's casual. We hibernated in there for an entire Saturday night with absolutely zero regrets.

I made some smores. I had to run extra-far the next day... just look at that delicious, melty goodness sandwiched between those graham crackers. Yummm.

But now, to the real point of my post: Jacks N Joe. Located just off campus on South Figueroa Street, this is a place solely devoted to breakfast. I've been here a few times and thought I'd finally share! There's generally a line out of the door, but the food is fast and delicious--totally worth the wait.

I cleaned my iPhone camera lens right after this shot!

The back side of the menu is devoted to various omelettes, cereals, and drinks. It's extremely tough to decide! Normally I decide on egg dishes, but everything I've ever tasted/bites I've stolen from my friends have been delicious.

A few weeks ago, I ordered their "Seven Minutes in Heaven" french toast. Three thick slices of their homemade french toast, slathered with Nutella and topped with bananas, strawberries, and powdered sugar. My only complaint? I could have gone for more Nutella, per usual!

When I went on Thursday with my friends, I was determined to get photos of everyone's food. What I ordered is not on the menu--Jacks N Joe has their own "secret menu", and this is one of the items on it. They're loaded hash browns; a bed of hash browns, topped with two eggs any style, sausage, bacon, cheese, green onion, and aioli. Two pieces of toast come on the side. I choose to get my meal without meat, but it was nonetheless delicious and completely filling. I was comfortably full until dinner!

L got a make-your-own omelette. Price depends on what you order (she got a lot of vegetables and avocado) and sides are addition. However, as you can see, you definitely get your money's worth!

Coffee at Jacks N Joe is $1.50 for bottomless refills. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but my friends love it; strong coffee, refilled about every five minutes.

M ordered one of the combos--two eggs any style, bacon, homefries, and two chocolate chip pancakes. I had a bite of the pancakes... oh man. They were absolutely heavenly. Rumor on the street is that Jacks N Joe puts cookie dough in their pancakes (okay, not a rumor, but awesome nonetheless).

Jacks N Joe is pretty essential breakfast food; fast, delicious, and very reasonably priced. It's a good ten-to fifteen-minute walk from campus, so it's nice to stretch your legs after cleaning your plate.

For anyone interested, Jacks N Joe is located at 2498 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA. I highly recommend it.

And one last little tidbit: the LA sky a few nights ago!

Follow me on Instagram @kat_herine_w. I update there almost daily!

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