Annie’s Eggs Benedict

This is the eleventh installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: english muffins and breakfast meat of choice

This dish is a brunch classic; making it yourself will elevate any morning at home. The garnishing options leave plenty of room for experimentation… go simple like Annie, raid your pantry for options, or mimic the toppings your favorite restaurant uses for a temporary escape from quarantine!

Serves 3

Ingredients: 

6 whole eggs
4 yolks, separated
1 stick of butter
3 English muffins
Lemon juice
Tobacco sauce
Vinegar
Kosher salt
Breakfast meat of choice
Cracker salt and black pepper

Process:

Melt a stick of butter in a small saucepan until liquid and do not boil. To prepare the water to poach the egg, fill a large fry pan with hot salted water and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Heat to approximately 180 degrees F so there is steam coming off the surface of the pot, but the water is not boiling. Cook the breakfast meat of your choice (we used a honey baked thick sliced ham) in a griddle pan. Flip until all sides are well cooked. This meat can be heated up in the microwave if it gets cold.

For the hollandaise, take a small saucepan and fill it with two inches of water and heat over medium until steaming. Mix together the yolks of four eggs into the hollandaise pan, along with two tablespoons of lemon juice. Whisk for 3 minutes with no heat. After the mixture is frothy, place the stainless steel bowl on top of the boiling water. Then stir in the melted butter very slowly, only adding a little bit at a time so it doesn’t curdle. Then whisk in a pinch of kosher salt and a teaspoon of tobacco. Whisk until creamy and keep warm.

Open and toast your English muffins in a toaster or oven so they’re a little crispy but still soft. Now to poach the eggs: crack one egg into a small bowl, without letting the yolk break. Carefully drop the egg into the boiling vinegar water. Repeat with each egg until all 6 are in and touching as little as possible. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Place English muffins, insides up, on three plates. Add the breakfast meats on top of the English muffins. Once the eggs are poached, use a slotted spoon to take them out and place them one by one on the English muffins. Finally, drizzle the warm hollandaise sauce on top. You can have your bennys plain or if you’d like, or add a little garnish on top. We added cracked sea salt and black pepper, but you can also add chives, crushed red pepper, cayenne, or whatever other seasoning your heart desires. Enjoy!

Additional tips: Feel free to adjust the lemon juice, tobacco, and kosher salt to taste. If the hollandaise thickens too much, you can slowly add hot water and whisk to loosen it.

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Lauren’s Maple Granola

This is the tenth installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: Rolled oats, almonds, maple syrup 

Baking your own granola will make the entire kitchen smell incredible, not to mention opting for homemade over store-bought granola will save an item on your shopping list the next time you venture out for groceries. Maple syrup pairs with brown sugar for a warm and just subtly sweet flavor, one that pairs well with yogurt, milk, smoothies… or stands alone.

3 cups rolled oats

¼ cup chia seeds

¼ cup flax seeds

½ cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

½ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

To begin, preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it reaches temperature, scatter your almonds over a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place them in the oven to toast; this should take about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, combine oats, chia and flax seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until combined. Next, microwave the maple syrup for 30 seconds, and then mix the brown sugar into the syrup until fully dissolved. Add almond extract.

When the almonds are done, add them to the dry ingredients and mix. Then pour the syrup mixture over the dry ingredients, fully coating all of the oats. Spread the mixture evenly over a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake until lightly browned on top, for about 25-27 minutes. Let cool before breaking into smaller pieces, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Enjoy!

Jenna’s Cookies

This is the ninth installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: Flour, salt, eggs, butter, chocolate chips

Nothing quite compares to freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. This is a quick and easy recipe for when you’re craving something warm and comforting.

1 ½ cups flour

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup unsalted butter, divided

1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Next, take ½ cup of the butter and place it in a pan over medium heat; continuously stirring until it melts and then browns (around four minutes). Remove the browned butter from the heat and let it sit for one minute before adding the remaining ¼ cup of butter, cubed, into the mixture. Mix until the added butter has melted as well.

Next, add the brown and granulated sugars to the butter. Stir until smooth, and then add the egg and egg yolks and whisk for around 30 seconds. Afterward, add vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry just until thoroughly combined, and then fold in the chocolate. Spoon the dough into balls of about three tablespoons in volume, and place them on baking sheets lined in parchment. Bake until golden brown, for around 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit

Lauren’s Pretzel Bites

This is the eighth installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: basic baking ingredients, time, the need for a snack

These pretzels are a great snack for a family game, puzzle, or movie night! Making the snack is also a fun activity for the whole family. You can make the cheese dip or just eat them with a little mustard.

Pretzel Bites:

1 ½ cups of lukewarm water 

2 ¼ teaspoons instant rise yeast (¼ ounce pack) 

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar 

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups flour

½ cup baking soda 

1 egg beaten

Salt for sprinkling on top

Cheese Dip: 

2 ¼ cup milk (whole milk suggested)

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

Salt and pepper

For the pretzel bites, first dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and mix until they are combined – about 1 minute. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, salt, and yeast mixture. Stir until homogenous. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix by hand (or with a stand mixer using the hook attachment), until the dough is thick. Add ¾ cup more flour and mix. If the dough is still sticky add ¼ cup more flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky and bounces back when you poke it.

Take your dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead it for 2 minutes and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, then cover the bowl with a dish towel or other cloth and let sit for 10 minutes. While the dough is rising, bring a large pot of water to a boil with the baking soda, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and line two two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Section your dough into 6 equal parts and roll each section into long ropes. Then, cut into 1-1 ½ inch bites. Once water is boiling, drop 10 pretzel bites into water and boil for 20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto prepared baking sheets, making sure that they do not touch. Repeat with remaining pretzel bites.

Brush beaten egg (or butter) over each pretzel bite and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the sheet pans once halfway through cooking.

For the cheese! Heat your milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form on the top. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes Add the warm milk to the flour butter mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens (congratulations you have made a roux), about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. If you want to add a little more flavor, add one 1 tablespoon of mustard.

Recipe adapted from Platings and Pairings 

Beatriz’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is the seventh installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: almond flour, xanthan gum, and active yeast 

Serves 8-10

My mother is celiac (gluten-intolerant) which means that we do a lot of experiments with gluten-free recipes. A few days ago I tried to make almond flour cinnamon rolls but accidentally created a whole cake. Needless to say, it was one of the most delicious mistakes I’ve ever made. 

Dough:

2.5 cups almond flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

4 tbsp soft butter

2 tbsp oil

1 cup warm milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp active yeast (activate in ¼ cup of water)

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

6 tsp soft butter

Icing: 

6 tbsp soft cream cheese

1.5  cups confectioners sugar

4 tbsp soft butter

½ tsp vanilla extract

For the dough, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, xantham gum, and butter in a large bowl. Make sure that your butter is at room temperature so it is soft enough to mix with the dry ingredients. Blend on low speed until you have a crumbly texture. Add the oil, milk, egg, vanilla, and active yeast (with the ¼ cup of water it was activated in) and beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes or until the consistency is similar to thick cake batter. Cover the dough and set it aside to rise for about 1 ½ hours. 

For the filling, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to create a paste and set it aside. 

Once your dough is visibly puffy, lay it out on lightly greased parchment paper and spread it into a rectangular shape. Lightly brush some milk over the surface of the dough and spread the filling evenly. 

To roll the dough, lift the long edge of the parchment paper and roll the dough towards you. The dough should unstick from the parchment paper as you roll but give it a nudge whenever necessary. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1-2 inch rolls and place them into a well-greased oven pan. The dough will probably be sticky but this is where I think the cake consistency came from. Let the dough rest and rise a little more for about an hour and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 20 minutes until the top is golden brown; a knife should be able to pierce the top and come out fully clean. While it is baking, make the icing by mixing together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Ice the cake as soon as you take it out of the oven and let it cool.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Emily’s Tofu Spring Rolls

This is the sixth installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: rice paper, tofu, vegetables

Serves 1-4

This recipe is easy to make, easily substitutable and lots of fun if you’re stuck with your family and nothing to do.  I learned how to make spring rolls over Spring Break, when a few friends and I went home with my roommate, Sophie, to San Francisco. The best part of this recipe (and the most crucial) is the peanut sauce, which I highly recommend that you don’t forget. This is a personalizable dish that each person can customize to their own liking.

A package of rice paper for spring roll wraps

Vermicelli 

Tofu (raw or cooked)

Lettuce 

Carrots 

½ cup of peanut butter

⅓ cup of soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of chili paste

2 tablespoons, sugar, honey, agave

Small knob of fresh ginger, peeled

Clove of fresh garlic, peeled

First, I cooked the tofu in vegetable oil and boiled the noodles. Then, I prepped the vegetables, washed the lettuce, shredded carrots. After, I laid everything out in an assembly line. Then I took a shallow bowl and filled it with warm water. Then I soaked the rice paper, and laid it on the plate and let it rest. When the paper was softened, then I put the lettuce, carrots, noodles, and then tofu. I then started rolling, and when you get halfway through, I folded in the sides and then finished wrapping it, kind of like how you’d wrap a burrito.

Now onto the sauce: I just mixed the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili paste, honey, ginger, and garlic in a bowl until it was creamy. You could also sprinkle some crushed peanuts on top for texture and enjoy!

Lauren’s Goat and Pear Flatbread

This is the fifth installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: Flour, water, olive oil, anything that could constitute a flatbread topping

Makes 2 flatbreads

This dough is incredibly simple, and the end result will look (and taste) like you spent hours on it. The best part is arguably its flexibility… no topping is off-limits. Impress your partners-in-quarantine with crispy, homemade flatbread as a snack, appetizer, or meal. 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon table salt

1 cup warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil (plus about 1 tablespoon extra)

2 handfuls of cornmeal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 ounces of goat cheese

1 pear, finely diced

2 teaspoons balsamic glaze

Any additional (or different) toppings

Start by preheating your oven to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, use a food processor to blend the flour and salt. Add both the warm water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and allow the mixture to blend until a dough has formed and clumped together into a ball. This should take a little under a minute. Next, remove the dough from the food processor and knead it on a floured surface for about a minute.

After the minute has elapsed, use a knife to slice your dough in half. Roll each portion out to an oval with about ¼-inch thickness. Take a handful of cornmeal to each baking sheet, and sprinkle it across the pans. Lay each piece of dough on its respective sheet on top of the cornmeal (this will prevent sticking). Finally, use a fork to poke holes across the surface of each flatbread. Place them in the oven for five minutes to par-bake.

Afterward, pull your flatbreads from the oven, and use the extra olive oil to brush a light layer atop each. You will now dress the flatbreads for their second round of baking. Due to the versatility of potential toppings, this step will look different depending on how you decide to garnish the flatbreads. You can truly go in any direction… consider experimenting with eggs, peppers, and onions for a breakfast pizza, or brie cheese and apples for a sweet version. A good rule of thumb is to add some type of cheese prior to the second bake, any sauces, and/or any fruit or vegetable that you want to soften. To make the pear and goat cheese flatbread, spread 2 oz. of goat cheese atop each to create a thin layer, and then sprinkle on chopped walnuts.

To complete the final bake, place both flatbreads in the oven for an additional five minutes. For the last minute, switch the oven setting to broil on high. Upon removing the flatbreads, add any additional toppings. For this recipe, distribute half of the diced pear and a drizzle of balsamic glaze to each flatbread. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Kylie Lato’s Midwest Foodie Blog

Devyn’s Ground Turkey & Spinach Casserole

This is the fourth installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: Ground turkey, noodles, spinach

Makes 1 casserole

Comfort food is exactly what we need right now and casseroles provide just that. This is a pantry-friendly recipe for a convenient and delicious dinner.

½ bag of Egg Noodles (12 oz. bag)

1 bag of spinach

½ cup of finely chopped white onion

½ cup of low-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon of canned tomato sauce 

½ bag of shredded three-cheese blend

1 package of ground turkey

*Mrs. Dash seasoning

*Santa Maria seasoning

*If you don’t have the seasonings just use salt and pepper

Wash spinach and boil until wilted. Boil egg noodles until al dente, strain, and cool. In a mixing bowl, add the pasta and break up boiled spinach throughout the pasta. Chop onion and add to mixing bowl.

Put the pan medium heat and wait until warm. Season the bottom of the pan covering the entire bottom being sure not to over-do it (you can always add more spice later!) Add the ground turkey to the pan and use a spoon to break into smaller chunks. Season the meat to taste. Cook meat until all pieces are brown. At this point, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Pour meat and leftover juices from the pan into the mixing bowl with pasta and spinach. Begin to add the cheese little by little while mixing. Once all cheese has been added, add sour cream and mix until pasta begins to bind with other ingredients. If pasta still looks dry, add 1 tablespoon. 

After sour cream is well mixed, add tomato and Worcestershire sauce and mix. Spray a casserole pan with a non-stick spray like Pam, and then pour the mixture in. Bake until bubbly on top!

Jeremy’s Cajun Chicken and Couscous

This is the third installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: chicken, couscous, spices

Serves 1

With the weather starting to (slowly) warm up, I thought I’d make my go-to lunch with some sunny places in mind: A simple Cajun chicken breast sautéed in olive oil, served with Moroccan-style Couscous and a side salad.

Extra virgin olive oil

1 chicken breast

Cajun seasoning

 3/4 cup water

1/2 cup couscous

Salt

Pepper

3/4 cup romaine lettuce

Vinegar

Once I butterfly and flatten my chicken breast, I season it with “Slap Ya Mama” cajun seasoning. If you don’t have any cajun seasoning, just combine 2 teaspoons each of salt, paprika, and garlic powder with 1 teaspoon each of black pepper, cayenne, and onion powder. Once it’s flat and seasoned, coat a pan in extra virgin olive oil and cook it over medium heat. 

While the chicken is searing, I heat up 3/4 of a cup of water in a pot. Right before the water starts boiling, I put in 1/2 cup of couscous (more water than couscous = fluffy) and cut the heat once bubbles start appearing. Once both sides of the chicken have a good color on them, I finish by baking it in a 350 degree oven for five minutes to make sure the chicken is fully cooked but still juicy. Season the couscous with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Put about 3/4 cup of romaine salad with olive oil and vinegar on top to make a nice warm-weather meal with inspiration from both sides of the Atlantic. I like to enjoy with a cup of New Orleans style cold brew coffee; the chicory in the cold brew cuts the heat of the chicken in all the right ways.

Couscous was introduced to me while studying abroad in Paris, and ever since rice has taken a backseat to it whenever I cook for myself. If there was a grain on the dinner table of my homestay’s kitchen, you better believe Carole was dishing up Couscous. I like this meal because it’s a perfect example of simplicity and variety: three essential ingredients that can bring to mind Morocco with paprika, the Bayou with cajun seasoning, or the gym when it’s served plain.

Sofia’s Golden Shakshuka

This is the second installment in Mucho Gusto, a recipe initiative by and for students to help connect us through food in times of isolation. If you’ve got a recipe you think would make a great addition, reach out to us!

Make if you have: bell peppers, tomatoes, eggs

Serves 2-3

Shakshuka is traditionally made with red tomatoes and peppers, but I swapped the red for yellow for a sweeter stew. Harissa adds a kick; feel free to reduce the amount if you’d prefer a milder flavor. A few good slices of bread to mop up any stray tomatoes and peppers are highly recommended.

Extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 yellow zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 cups of small heirloom tomatoes, preferably yellow and orange, halved

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon harissa

5 eggs

Salt

Black pepper

¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped for serving

Red chili flakes for serving

Coat the bottom of a wide skillet (I recommend using a cast-iron) generously with olive oil, and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini over medium heat for 30 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Clear space in the middle of the pan, and add garlic, stirring to cook slightly for 1-2 minutes. Once the garlic is tender, add the cumin and smoked paprika, letting it toast for a minute or so. Spoon the harissa into the middle of the pan and stir with the cooked vegetables. Clear the middle of the pan once again and add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Allow them to cook for five minutes until they’ve broken down and mix throughout. Make 5 pockets in your stew and gently crack an egg into each pocket. Bake your shakshuka in the oven until the eggs are done, 7 to 10 minutes depending on how soft you like your eggs. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro, red chili flakes, and black pepper. Serve with good crusty bread. I made my own with this no-knead recipe—it’s quick and foolproof.