Today was a department wide "food-day" at work and it was a a typical one, where a few people took the time to prepare that perfect dish and the majority stopped at the store to buy a package of already made cookies or bread. A friend made a hotwing dip and as I sat at my desk surrounded by my grey cubicle walls, I thought about the effort she put into making the dip and how since she was making this herself, she wanted it to be perfect..........a perfect dish.........
This made my mind wonder to the part of the world where the people try to obtain perfection in all aspects of life........japan. In the quest for the perfect dish, no other place in the world quite reaches the zenith that japan strives for. It really is the little things that makes them stand out. With sushi, we Americans are thinking about the fish, but really it is the rice that is the most important part of sushi, so in japan, the rice must be perfect. It is this quest for perfection in the simplest of things that made me think, what of rachaels dishes would I consider, the perfect dish.............which dish, when cooked to it's perfect end, always puts a smile on the face of child and adult a like.......the it hit me......Grilled 4Cheese Sandwiches.........a good grilled cheese knows no equal among the young or old........a simple dish and yet prepared right, a dish that so much more then the sum of it's ingredients
Ingredients
2 tablespoons evoo
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago
In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.
Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.
The verdict..........perfection........I loved this particular cheese combination, it was savory, and had a wonderful aroma......this would go well with soup and you could even add some ham to this if you liked.
This would be the perfect item to eat after coming in from a cold, blustery winter day.
Until tomorrow.......
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Apocalypse Wow
Was in the mood for mexican, but with a twist, so I found Rachaels Vietnamese Burrito which upon first reading the recipe, it sounded like it would be fun to make.
Ingredients
Chicken filling:
26 ounces skinned, boneless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
1/2 cup soybean oil
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
Fresh black pepper
Wrapping mixture:
10 large rice paper wrappers
1 package rice noodles, soaked in warm water until softened and drained
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 3/4-inch lengths
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pickled daikon, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch basil, cleaned and leaves picked
1 bunch mint , cleaned and leaves picked
1/2 bunch parsley, cleaned and leaves picked
Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl, mix well and cover. Marinate for about 1 hour at room temperature. Preheat a grill. Grill chicken in pieces (cut to preference) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
Soak the wrappers, 1 at a time, in warm water until softened. Remove from the water and pat dry. Fill each wrapper with the chicken and all of the toppings. Roll the wrapper once over the filling. Tuck in the ends and roll completely. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling
The verdict.......Well this for me was a 60 min ,meal, since I had never made these before, it just seemed to take me forever..........but with that said, these were great and very filling. These are basically spring rolls if you have familiar with them. I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast since I prefer a more tender cut. You could also use shrimp or pork instead of chicken, again just to repeat, these were very good.
Ingredients
Chicken filling:
26 ounces skinned, boneless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
1/2 cup soybean oil
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
Fresh black pepper
Wrapping mixture:
10 large rice paper wrappers
1 package rice noodles, soaked in warm water until softened and drained
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 3/4-inch lengths
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pickled daikon, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch basil, cleaned and leaves picked
1 bunch mint , cleaned and leaves picked
1/2 bunch parsley, cleaned and leaves picked
Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl, mix well and cover. Marinate for about 1 hour at room temperature. Preheat a grill. Grill chicken in pieces (cut to preference) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
Soak the wrappers, 1 at a time, in warm water until softened. Remove from the water and pat dry. Fill each wrapper with the chicken and all of the toppings. Roll the wrapper once over the filling. Tuck in the ends and roll completely. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling
The verdict.......Well this for me was a 60 min ,meal, since I had never made these before, it just seemed to take me forever..........but with that said, these were great and very filling. These are basically spring rolls if you have familiar with them. I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast since I prefer a more tender cut. You could also use shrimp or pork instead of chicken, again just to repeat, these were very good.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Enternal Bliss
On vacation today and was in the mood for something different for breakfast so I made Green Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. I know it is an odd thing to make for breakfast, but like I said, youe everloving greeneyed chef was in an odd mood this morning.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons strawberry jam
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons evoo
Salt and pepper
1 pint strawberries, sliced
4 to 5 cups chopped romaine or mixed greens of any kind
Place jam in a medium bowl and whisk in vinegar then extra-virgin olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the strawberries and greens to bowl and toss to coat evenly in dressing.
The Verdict........well, it took like 5 mins to make and it was really good. This was as good as any strawberry salad I have had out an any resturant. Very fresh and healthy. I could see adding some shredded mozzerella to this for some added flawor as well. This would make a wonderful first course for a dinner.
Until tomorrow.........
Ingredients
2 teaspoons strawberry jam
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons evoo
Salt and pepper
1 pint strawberries, sliced
4 to 5 cups chopped romaine or mixed greens of any kind
Place jam in a medium bowl and whisk in vinegar then extra-virgin olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the strawberries and greens to bowl and toss to coat evenly in dressing.
The Verdict........well, it took like 5 mins to make and it was really good. This was as good as any strawberry salad I have had out an any resturant. Very fresh and healthy. I could see adding some shredded mozzerella to this for some added flawor as well. This would make a wonderful first course for a dinner.
Until tomorrow.........
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Soup's On Part Two
Decided to make the second part of a soup and sandwich combo, so today it was Panini with Roasted Peppers. They are a rather healthy, low fat alternative to your average sandwich. Plus I love roasted peppers.
Ingredients
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 pound fresh or fresh smoked mozzarella, sliced
1 (8 to 10-ounce) container roasted peppers, drained
2 tablespoons green salad olives, sliced with pimientos
EVOO, for brushing
Make 4 sandwiches with the bread, cheese, roasted pepper, and a sprinkling of sliced olives; keep your ingredients in single layers.
Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat.
Wrap a brick completely in foil.(I did not have a brick, so I used a heavy cast-iron skillet that I have and it worked just fine)
Brush sandwiches on both sides with oil. Place sandwiches on grill and top with the foil wrapped bricks. Use one brick per 2 sandwiches to weight down. Grill weighted sandwiches 3 minutes on each side. Split sandwiches corner to corner and serve.
The Verdict......I liked this sandwich alot, tasty and very easy to prepare, took me about 10 mins. For those who are not into the vegetarian thing, you could also add some canned chicken to this and I think it would be tasty too.
Until Tomorrow.........
Ingredients
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 pound fresh or fresh smoked mozzarella, sliced
1 (8 to 10-ounce) container roasted peppers, drained
2 tablespoons green salad olives, sliced with pimientos
EVOO, for brushing
Make 4 sandwiches with the bread, cheese, roasted pepper, and a sprinkling of sliced olives; keep your ingredients in single layers.
Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat.
Wrap a brick completely in foil.(I did not have a brick, so I used a heavy cast-iron skillet that I have and it worked just fine)
Brush sandwiches on both sides with oil. Place sandwiches on grill and top with the foil wrapped bricks. Use one brick per 2 sandwiches to weight down. Grill weighted sandwiches 3 minutes on each side. Split sandwiches corner to corner and serve.
The Verdict......I liked this sandwich alot, tasty and very easy to prepare, took me about 10 mins. For those who are not into the vegetarian thing, you could also add some canned chicken to this and I think it would be tasty too.
Until Tomorrow.........
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Soup's On
It was very cold today at work, as the air condition kept us all huddle together in our cubicles to try and stay warm. I think the brutal chill my job subjected me to, coupled with the quickly shortening daylight has put my in the mood for fall weather and with the chilly season almost upon us, I decided to make soup, specifically......Potato, Spinach and Tomato Soup.
Ingredients
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 quarts chicken broth
3 pounds all purpose potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated or ground
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can chunky-style crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano
In a deep pot, saute garlic and onion in oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth and bring liquid to a boil. As you slice potatoes, add them carefully to the broth. Cook potatoes 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will begin to break up and thicken broth as the soup cooks. Stir in spinach in bunches as it wilts into soup. Season soup with nutmeg, salt and pepper, to your taste. Stir in tomatoes and heat through, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove pot from the stove to a trivet. Stir grated cheese into your soup and serve.
The Verdict.........I am a big fan of soup and being pretty much vegetarian, I use these ingredients a lot......with that said, this was a fantastic dish........the nutmeg added a unique and delicious flavor.
The cats even liked this one, as together they wiped out a bowl of this tasty treat.
I could see using pumpkin spice over nutmeg if you wanted, I could see that working really well. Also, being a single guy, I only used about 1/4th the ingredients, but wanted to provide the full recipe for those with families.
Until Tomorrow.......
Ingredients
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 quarts chicken broth
3 pounds all purpose potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated or ground
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can chunky-style crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano
In a deep pot, saute garlic and onion in oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth and bring liquid to a boil. As you slice potatoes, add them carefully to the broth. Cook potatoes 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will begin to break up and thicken broth as the soup cooks. Stir in spinach in bunches as it wilts into soup. Season soup with nutmeg, salt and pepper, to your taste. Stir in tomatoes and heat through, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove pot from the stove to a trivet. Stir grated cheese into your soup and serve.
The Verdict.........I am a big fan of soup and being pretty much vegetarian, I use these ingredients a lot......with that said, this was a fantastic dish........the nutmeg added a unique and delicious flavor.
The cats even liked this one, as together they wiped out a bowl of this tasty treat.
I could see using pumpkin spice over nutmeg if you wanted, I could see that working really well. Also, being a single guy, I only used about 1/4th the ingredients, but wanted to provide the full recipe for those with families.
Until Tomorrow.......
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Jackpot
Well, I was in the mood for something a tad Mexican today, so i turned to rachaels Lucky 7 Layer Dip..........which I ate while watching Destination Truth.......Josh Gates....what a complete failure.
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
2 tablespoons hot sauce
EVOO
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar green chili or tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a palm full, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar chipotle salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ripe avocados
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Pimiento stuffed jumbo Spanish olives, chopped
Tortilla chips
Heat refried beans in small nonstick pan over medium heat and season with hot sauce. Transfer the beans to a small, deep casserole dish. Scrape pan clean with rubber spatula and return to heat.
Add a little extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and raise heat to high. When the oil smokes, add the scallions and sear them, 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to scallions and heat through. Add cilantro, remove salsa from heat, and layer on top of the beans.
Return the same pan to the stove, lower heat to medium and add black beans, heat through and season with cumin, layer on top of the green salsa.
Top the black beans with a layer of chipotle salsa. Mix sour cream the lime zest and juice and spread on top of the chipotle salsa.
Combine the meat of 2 ripe avocados with garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno and salt to form a chunky guacamole. Top the salsa with guacamole. Garnish the dip with the final layer of diced tomatoes and sliced olives.
The verdict.............it was pretty decent dip......not the best I have ever had, but it was good.......the only draw back is that it is pretty much all just mashed together and not really layered lookig, but again, for a party it would work just fine.
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
2 tablespoons hot sauce
EVOO
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar green chili or tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a palm full, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar chipotle salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ripe avocados
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Pimiento stuffed jumbo Spanish olives, chopped
Tortilla chips
Heat refried beans in small nonstick pan over medium heat and season with hot sauce. Transfer the beans to a small, deep casserole dish. Scrape pan clean with rubber spatula and return to heat.
Add a little extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and raise heat to high. When the oil smokes, add the scallions and sear them, 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to scallions and heat through. Add cilantro, remove salsa from heat, and layer on top of the beans.
Return the same pan to the stove, lower heat to medium and add black beans, heat through and season with cumin, layer on top of the green salsa.
Top the black beans with a layer of chipotle salsa. Mix sour cream the lime zest and juice and spread on top of the chipotle salsa.
Combine the meat of 2 ripe avocados with garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno and salt to form a chunky guacamole. Top the salsa with guacamole. Garnish the dip with the final layer of diced tomatoes and sliced olives.
The verdict.............it was pretty decent dip......not the best I have ever had, but it was good.......the only draw back is that it is pretty much all just mashed together and not really layered lookig, but again, for a party it would work just fine.
Friday, September 4, 2009
And Baby Makes Three
Had to get back to my VegHead roots so tonight it was Orange Scented Broccoli and Cauliflower.........a couple of my fav vegetables.
Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 navel orange, rind removed and reserved
Salt
3 tablespoons evoo
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 orange, juiced
Pepper
2 scallions, sliced
Bring a couple inches of water to boil in a large skillet and add the florets, orange rind and salt. Cover and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain broccoli and cauliflower, remove rind and transfer to a platter or bowl. Return pan to heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower and turn to coat. Squeeze the orange juice over the pan and toss veggies again. Season the orange scented broccoli and cauliflower with salt and pepper, to your taste. Garnish with sliced scallions.
The Verdict.......this was a new combination of flavors for me. I have to admit the orange favor added a little extra something to this dish that I really enjoyed. I would never have thought of oranges with these other items, but it works well and i will make this again.
Until Tomorrow.......
Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 navel orange, rind removed and reserved
Salt
3 tablespoons evoo
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 orange, juiced
Pepper
2 scallions, sliced
Bring a couple inches of water to boil in a large skillet and add the florets, orange rind and salt. Cover and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain broccoli and cauliflower, remove rind and transfer to a platter or bowl. Return pan to heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower and turn to coat. Squeeze the orange juice over the pan and toss veggies again. Season the orange scented broccoli and cauliflower with salt and pepper, to your taste. Garnish with sliced scallions.
The Verdict.......this was a new combination of flavors for me. I have to admit the orange favor added a little extra something to this dish that I really enjoyed. I would never have thought of oranges with these other items, but it works well and i will make this again.
Until Tomorrow.......
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