If you've been to Boston and you love Italian, you've probably been to the North End. A thin strip of restaurants line the streets in this corner of the city, and if you want authentic, this is probably where you want to go. I adore the North End. It, to me, feels like a different world. It's bustling with tourists and locals alike, and the lines to certain restaurants always stretch around the corner.
Alas, on my current budget, trips to the North End are few and far between. I'm counting down the days until my parents come help me move in so I can go to some of my favorites. 30 days. But until September 1, I'm stuck. Or am I?
Creamy Chicken Spinach Calzone
1 can Pillsbury Pizza Crust
3/4 lb cooked chicken, chopped
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 salad bag of fresh spinach
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, saute spinach in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, all cheeses, eggs, Italian seasoning, Oregano and spinach. Set aside.
3. Divide the crust dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece about 1/4 inch thick into circle. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the ricotta filling onto each circle, fold over and seal the edges. Place onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely browned on the tops and bottoms.
When I think of a great meal now, I think of grilled vegetables, fresh proteins with lots of flavor and something that leaves me feeling light and satisfied.
When I was fifteen, a great meal was cheesy, creamy, and filled with pasta.
When you are entertaining for twenty-four teenage girls, save yourself a lot of trouble and make this dish.
You will save yourself a lot of headache, and they will love it.
Creamy Italian Chicken Casserole 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 lbs chicken, cooked and chopped 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 oz cream cheese, softened 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 10 oz pasta, (I used a combo of macaroni and angel hair) Oregano, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package and keep warm. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. 2. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes, or until tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, let boil for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened. 3. Add cream cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cook while stirring constantly until cheeses are melted. Add pasta, tossing gently to coat. 4. Spoon entire pan into prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and bake for 30 minutes.
In October, I am running the Chicago Marathon. That is to say, if all things go well and my new (still non-existant) job permits me to. That is to say that my body can deal with all the miles of pounding. That is to say that I work hard all summer in a new city even when I may want a day off.
So in October. I may/may not be running the Chicago Marathon depending on the aforementioned reasons. Pray for me -- I'm dying to run it!
I've mentioned before that I'm running with my college friend/roommate the running machine. She hasn't been informed of this, but one major reason I'm super excited to run in Chicago is for the post-race meal after. Is that bad? So, she also doesn't know that once she (and then I) cross the finish line, we're getting a beer (she will drink wine) and I'm having one of two things: Chicago Deep Dish, or Greek Food.
We all know Chicago is famed for it's deep dish 'za, but did you know about Greektown? My parents are both from Wisconsin; my mom from Racine/Milwaukee (a "big city" gal) and dad from Kenosha/Richland Center.
When they first started dating back in the early 1970's, they would escape down to Chi-town almost every weekend. My mom, who isn't a big eater, told me every trip back home to Wisco, she had to unbutton her pants to let it all hang out. Classy, isn't she?
Well what, I wondered, could possibly make my waif-like mom gorge to no end? Greek food. My closest rendition yet? Chicken Slouvaki. If you're sick of standard barbecue chicken, give this a try... now!
Chicken Slouvaki 3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows) 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon) 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb chicken breast 4 pieces pita bread 1/4 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 3/4 cup prepared Tzatziki sauce 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1/2 medium red onion, sliced 2 cups Romaine Lettuce Olives (not for me!)
1. In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinaigrette, lemon juice, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over the chicken, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 2. When ready, prepare an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place chicken on the grill until done and no longer pink in the center (7-8 minutes per side) 3. When chicken is done, place on a plate to sit and lightly grill pitas for a minute per side. Remove from grill and assemble. 4. To assemble, place pita flat on plate and divide the romaine lettuce, feta cheese, Tzatziki, tomatoes, onion and olives evenly half of each pita. Fold in half and serve with extra Tzatziki, if desired.
Balsamic Vinaigrette 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup olive oil
1. Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the garlic, salt and pepper until salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love occasions. You know, birthdays, parties for a reason, events, that sort of thing. I'm a planner, so spontaneity doesn't always work for me. Pre-planned things, however, right up my alley.
Amie and I always have these grandiose ideas. Dinner parties, wine parties, cook outs, you name it. Well, of course we needed a holiday party, and to save time and money, potluck was the theme. My friends are well represented when it comes to food, so don't expect to see much store bought anything at our gatherings. I've managed to get my hands on a few of the recipes for the night, so I hope you enjoy! Here was our menu:
Spiked Cranberry Punch Cheesy Crab Dip Shrimp Salad Pasta Lasagna Panko Crusted Chicken with Spicy Sauce Dinner Rolls Red Velvet Brownies Sprinkled Cupcakes
This was some tasty punch. I'm not much of a fruity drink type of gal, but this was the balanced mixture between spicy, sweet, spiked and bubbly.
Spiked Cranberry Punch 1/2 bottle of spiced rum 1/2 liter of lemon lime soda 1/2 big container cranberry juice 1/2 liter club soda Squeezed some lemons and added lemon and orange slices
1. Combine all liquids over ice (add more to taste) 2. Garnish with sliced oranges
Shrimp Salad, refreshing and light! I don't have the exact recipe but I believe it was shrimp, dill, salt and pepper and some sort of milky sauce (maybe sour cream?). Whatever the case it was a wonderful combination.
This crab dip was literally impossible to resist. My friend Rachel made it and served it as an appetizer and it was very popular. Creamy and cheesy but not heavy. Perfect party food.
Cheesy Crab Dip 11 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 small onion, finely chopped 5 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat, drained and flaked 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder salt and pepper to taste Cheddar cheese Old Bay Seasoning Crusty Italian bread sliced into thin pieces
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion, mayonnaise, crabmeat, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread mixture into a 1 quart baking dish. Top with cheese and old bay and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. 4. Remove baked crab dip from the oven, and stir well. Serve alongside bread or chips.
The chicken and sauce were made by Amie. Amie and I used to work at Outback Steakhouse. Oh wow I just admitted that. Well, truth be told, we sort-of loved it. And maybe ate too much of it, but that's neither here nor there. When Amie made the sauce for this chicken, she had Outback's Bloomin' Onion on the mind. The sauce is almost exactly the same! The chicken was a simple breaded chicken. Panko is crispier than reguar breadcrumbs and I actually much prefer it. This could easily be morphed into a chicken parm.
Panko Crusted Chicken with Spicy Sauce
Cooking spray 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup panko crumbs or unseasoned dry bread crumbs 1 cup grated Parmesan
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place eggs in a separate shallow dish. Combine panko crumbs and Parmesan in a third shallow dish. 4. Dip chicken first in flour, then in the egg and then panko crumb mixture. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet and spray the surface with cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven, serve with sauce.
For the sauce: 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayo 2 tablespoons ketchup dash of salt and pepper 1/8 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon paprika Dijon mustard... enough to get a small kick
1. Whisk all ingredients together and serve alongside chicken.
Happy Holidays From Fairfax!
You could easily serve this menu at your next dinner party. It's festive but not overly holiday. Maybe for your New Years bash? Eh eh? Think it over. And look for a fantastic dessert recipe coming at you tomorrow!
Lucky dogs. I guess that's what happens when you work 40 years or something like that. I just started working a year ago...I have a long way to go.
There are positives and negatives to my roomies being out of town. One perk? I can make all the messes I want for two whole weeks as long as they are organized by October 8th. One negative? I have no help. No one to put away a dish here, soak a pan there. No one to empty the dehumidifyer or take out the trash.
It's exhausting to be on your own!
That's not to mention cooking for yourself, too. We all know I love to cook, but after a really really long day, the last thing I want to do is come home and stand over a stove for two hours. I refuse!
So, this week and next, I will be (and have been) making things that are quick, delicious, and done in thirty minutes or less. I'm Rachael Ray and this is-- oh wait. Sorry. Got carried away.
But the point remains-- if you have a little bit of time (and some leftover chicken!) then you will be eating this extremely tasty, healthy chicken salad!
What ya need:
About 3/4 pound (or 3 cups) roasted skinless chicken (chopped) 1/3 cup green onions 1/4 cup smoked almonds 1/4 cup Greek yogurt 1/4 cup light mayo 1 tsp fresh rosemary 1 tsp Dijon mustard Pinch of Salt Crack of Pepper Fresh bread for sammies!
What ya do: 1. Okay this is really difficult, so pay attention. Combine everything EXCEPT the bread. Spread on bread. Ta-da! You've got yourself a light dinner, a filling lunch and an extra half hour to watch Bravo TV... or maybe that's just me.
Remember to check out my giveaway! You know you want a bunch of free bagel sandwiches!
So as you all know, I just got home from Texas on Sunday. I was filled with great food, great friends and great times.
One of the things I like the most about going on trips is the inspiration that I get from them. This one was no different. Among all of the great food I had, barbecue stands out as being something truly Texas.
That's not to say we can't do it here in Virginia. I wanted something with a barbecue feel, and I found it in this month's Cooking Light. I mean now that I'm back from vacation, it's back to healthier fare. But you wouldn't know! One of these sandwiches is right around 400 calories. Sold! Serve it with the slaw and some grilled veggies and you've got yourself one hell of a meal!
If you're not a big beef, steak, or pork eater, but still want your finger lickin' good food, try this recipe. You can make it into 8 mini sliders or 4 bigger sandwiches. I went with the bigger route, but that's because I didn't have mini sliders. This recipe is great for a summer day but can be made all year on an indoor grill.
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Pickled Onions What ya need: 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, divided 1 1/2 tablespoons honey, divided 2 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed 1/8 teaspoon salt Cooking spray 4 sandwich rolls (or 8-mini sliders)
What ya do: 1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine sliced onion, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons honey in a small bowl; toss well.
3. Cover and refrigerate onion mixture at least 30 minutes. 4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons water, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Simmer 5 minutes; stir in butter. Remove from heat; keep warm. 5. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt. Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from grill; cool slightly.
6. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to saucepan with mustard mixture, and toss gently to coat. 7. Cut rolls in half crosswise. Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture over bottom half of each roll. Top each roll with about 1 teaspoon drained onion slices and top half of roll.
Broccoli Slaw What ya need 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt 2 tbsp light mayo 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 (12-ounce) package broccoli slaw
What ya do: 1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
2. Add parsley, cranberries and broccoli slaw; toss to coat.
3. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to marry.
I'm watching the Food Network Challenge and they have food stylist making breakfast foods. They're doing things like putting soap in the OJ to make it look freshly squeezed and freezing the syrup so it looks thick. Now I know why my dimly-lit-wrongly-used-settings never made for nice pictures. Ya gotta cheat a little.
Anyway, I'm sitting here after another wonderful summer weekend wishing tomorrow was another Sunday instead of the beginning of a work week...
Oh wait, I'm going to Boston on Tuesday!
I cannot wait to visit my sister. I love Boston. Love love love. I feel like I belong there. But, until I get there, DC will do. And DC did this weekend.
I started on Friday, and after a long day of school work, I headed to U Street downtown to meet my friend Matt for a comedy show. Which was hilarious, by the way. But you're not here for the jokes, I'm sure. What I was as excited about was U Street restaurants.
Ben's Chili Bowl is famous and Ulah Bistro is delicious but been there and done that. Both of em. So, we went to Alero, which is this awesome Mexican place with a nice vibe. The outdoor seating was booked but we were sat immediately inside. No big deal, it was a million degrees outside.
Our waiter recommended the margaritas but Matt and I are old fogies. We simply couldn't be cool hipsters and order the trendy drinks. That aside, when Matt didn't pick up the tab we think that Miguel was flabbergasted at my cheap date. It's okay, Miguel, we're just friends.
I ordered PORTOBELLO FAJITAS! They were no where near as good as mine. Okay, they were delicious. It's a tie. But really, I only ordered these because I knew I wanted a portobello sandwich with feta cheese the next day. And of course, I forgot to take pictures of the original, so the lunch is all you have. Sorry, sorry.
It was good, to be fair! Anyway, next, I saw Toy Story 3 with Amie and her family. So cute. It made me feel old because the little boy in the movie was like 8 in the last movie and now he's going to college... He grew up so fast! After TS3, we went to Macaroni Grill where again I didn't take a picture of my fantastic chicken rigatoni with caramelized onions. Anything with caramelized onions is okay with me. And their bread. I love their bread. I need the recipe for their bread.
Then, a night out in Arlington followed. And a huge piece of pizza...oh geez. I didn't mean to. I didn't even want it. But then it was there. And it looked so familiar and comforting. And it felt so right.
This morning was my weekly breakfast with ma and pa in Old Town, Alexandria. Bruegger's Bagels as usual, and the iced coffee was on point today. No farmer's market, but that's because my roomies picked up a ton of Amish grown/baked goods from Pennsyltucky on their way home from Arts Fest in State College.
Which leads me to these cute little Amish rolls that are in the oven heating up while my beer can chicken rests. That's a-comin'.
I first had beer can chicken at Penn State, grilled by my friend Shep. She's a machine on the grill, and her chicken was the bomb. I've been wanting to try it myself for quite some time, and finally, I did. It's time consuming, yes, but who has anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon in the summer? So, if you want some of the most moist (try saying that ten times fast) chicken that you've ever had, give it a try. (From Food Network website) First, a few pictures of the process...
Before she's cooked. Just a raw bird, gettin' ready to sizzle.
Attempting to give my mom a chicken body.
The bird and I... little did I know, she was pregnant...
PUSHHH....(inappropriate?)
Carved and plated. Delicious dinner.
Beer Can Chicken
What ya need:
1 (4-pound) whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub
1 can beer
What ya do:
1. Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside.
2. Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.
3. Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
