Pantry Perfection

Feeling Eggy?

How to Boil the perfect eggs

Eggs in a basket

When I think of the Easter holiday, childhood memories of my little sister and I in the kitchen boiling and coloring eggs comes to mind. Along with the dozens of eggs my mom had to toss in the trash because they were cracked. It was at the age of six I realized that you really can’t put all your eggs into one basket but in this case one pot!  But when it comes to boiling eggs, do you find you’re never quite sure when they’re done? Do you get soft-boiled when you wanted hard-boiled or vice versa? Do your yolks get that green ring (a sign they’ve been overcooked)? No worries, I’ve got you covered in the egg department, making sure that boiling eggs is the least of your worries during the holiday.

 Hard-Boiled Eggs

The easiest method for hard-boiling eggs is to not actually boil them for the entire duration. All you do is bring your pot of eggs, topped with water, to a boil, then cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Let them stand for 10 to 15 minutes. After that, transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water, and once they have cooled, you can go ahead and peel them. You will never see a green ring around the yolk.

Meal in Minutes

So, its a lazy Sunday evening and I don't feel like going to the grocery store. Yet my sister and I have been studying all day and our tummies are screaming to be fed. I walk into the kitchen and decide that today im going to cook directly from the pantry. This means coming up with simple and delicious meals with ingredients you already have in the house. I came up with the menu below and trust me it was a delicious dinner that was fast, effortless, and filling!

Oven Roasted Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

25- 30 Large shrimp peeled and deveined

extra-virgin olive oil 

lemon

juice of 1 lemon

lemon zest

chopped garlic

butter

cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the shrimp in a an ovenproof casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle olive oil over shrimp, add crushed garlic, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven until pink and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice and and sprinkle with lemon zest and cilantro. 

Baby Spinach with mandarin oranges, red onion, and orange marmalade dressing

Ingredients:

8 ounces baby spinach

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Arrange spinach leaves on a large platter or individual salad plates. Top with mandarin sections and chopped red onion. Whisk together marmalade and vinegar. Stream oil into dressing while continuing to whisk. When you are ready to serve, pour the dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper.

Twice baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

8 baking potatoes, washed

3 tablespoons canola oil

• 2 sticks salted butter
• 1 cup bacon bits (fry your own!)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup Cheddar or Jack cheese (or a mix of both), plus more for topping
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 3 green onions, sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Rub them with the canola oil and bake for 1 hour, making sure they're sufficiently cooked through.

Slice the butter into pats. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the bacon bits and sour cream. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F.

With a sharp knife, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the shell. Leave a small rim of potato intact for support. Lay the hollowed out potato shells on a baking sheet.

Smash the potatoes into the butter, bacon and sour cream. Add the cheese, milk, seasoned salt, green onions and black pepper to taste and mix together well. 

Fill the potato shells with the filling. I like to fill the shells so they look abundant and heaping. Top each potato with a little more grated cheese and pop 'em in the oven until the potato is warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes.