Here are the rules:
Anyone can play!
A theme will be picked by the host. Participants will make a dish that follows the theme and that somehow represents their home region- town, state, area. Representation can feature a local ingredient, be a traditional dish from your area, or be a creative twist.
Participants will have 3-4 weeks (host discretion) to complete their recipes and post them to their blog (or email the pics and text), and notify the host. The host will then post the results and then let everyone know via email or message board the results are up! An explanation of your dish is required; it can be a story about the local custom or ingredient, how you came about eating/ making the recipe, or an explanation about how your creative dish fits the theme.
Fresh and local foods are encouraged!
When the round is done, the host will announce their favorite dish by updating their blog. Favorite is completely subjective to the host- no one expects the host to make and taste test all the dishes, it is just something that strikes the host’s fancy! The creator of the fave gets the honor of hosting the next round, if they so choose!
The theme for this round is…PIES AND TARTS!
I was so excited about a blogger contest! But then I got to thinking what could I make to represent Arizona? We are definitely not known for pies or tarts. The first things that came to mind were Indians, Southwestern/Mexican food, and oranges. Since our climate is warm we are one of the top citrus growing states. Unfortunately I couldn't think of any orange pie or tart that sounded good. That left me with Indian and Southwestern/Mexican food. Traditional pies like fruit pies, cream pies, or nut pies were ruled out. I had to think out of the box (or the traditional pie shell to be exact). It was also Sunday morning and I was getting hungry for breakfast. So I decided on a Southwestern take on Huevos Rancheros using Navajo Fry Bread for the pie crust.
One thing I've discovered about my town is there seems to be a festival every weekend except in the summer months when it is too hot to go outdoors. One of the most popular attractions at these festivals is the Navajo Fry Bread stand. Some people go to these festivals only to get some fry bread. You can order plain fry bread with powder sugar and/or honey for about $4 or you can get a fry bread taco with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream for $7. I did a little research to find out how to make fry bread. It is actually really simple. I can't believe how much these stands charge for fried dough. Maybe I should start a fry bread business! I wanted to incorporate fry bread into my pie since Arizona has a strong Native American history.
We also have a strong Mexican influence. I love Mexican food. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My husband and I like to go to the Mercado on the weekends and have authentic carne asada, chile verde, and fajitas. The Mercado reminds me of a party with loud music and the aroma of delicious food. Several times we have tried to re-create the foods that we ate there at home. I like the red salsa so I'm always trying to imitate it. My husband likes the green salsa so he tries to make that one. The famous red/green salsa debate, popular in the southwestern states, continues in our own house! The key to a good salsa is fresh ingredients. I wanted to incorporate salsa roja into this dish because no matter what everyone else says the red salsa is the best!
It may sound a little strange but this actually turned out really, really well. I was very impressed and so were my taste testers!
Navajo Fry Bread Breakfast Pie
The Crust:
1 cup flour, plus additional for dusting
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup warm water
vegetable oil for frying
Heat oil in a large, shallow frying pan. Mix 1 cup of flour and baking powder in a bowl. Slowly add the water. Stir until a dough forms. Dust some flour on a sheet of wax paper or other clean, dry surface. Dust flour on a rolling pin. Add the dough to the surface and roll out into a 10 inch diameter circle. Add dough to oil and fry for 3 minutes on each side.
The Pie:
(use fresh ingredients for best results)
2 large tomatoes
1/4 cup white onions, diced
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
4 oz tomato sauce
1 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs cilantro chopped
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Piece the skin of the tomatoes on the bottom in an "X" shape. Heat a bowl of water in the microwave just until boiling (about 3 minutes on high). Add the tomatoes to the water for 2 minutes. This will make it easier to peel the skin. Remove the skin from the tomatoes. Dice the tomatoes and add to an oven safe dish. Add the onions, jalapeno, olive olive, salt, pepper, cumin, and tomato sauce to the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Place in oven and roast for 40 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and cilantro.
Place the fry bread on the bottom of a pie plate. Add the salsa on top. With a spoon, create 4 wells in the salsa. Crack an egg in each well. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until eggs reach the desired consistency.
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