September 03 2010

Tuscan Lemon Chicken, anyone?

Last Sunday, I had an impromptu dinner for 15.  I often refer to my trusty resource, Barefoot Contessa, for always delicious and fairly uncomplicated recipes.  After my Contessa selections had been made, I had less than 4 hours to go to the grocery store, prep food and shower before my guests arrived.  

MENU:

Tuscan Lemon Chicken I did not have enough time to marinade the chicken for the minimum 4 hours suggested, nor did I use a whole chicken. Instead I had 2 hours to marinade and I used bone-in split breasts.  The outcome, RAVE reviews from ALL - I can't imagine how delicious it would have been if I had the time to marinade the chicken overnight.  This entree will definitely be on my weekly rotation of meals.

String Beans with Shallots This side dish is a staple in my family. It's the only vegetable my kids don't say, "I don't feel like eating that".

Tomato Feta Salad Love this salad for its freshness and versatility.  Lucky for me my garden flourished this year with tomatoes so I have had ample opportunity to make this salad and repeatedly say to my friends and family, "these tomatoes are straight from my garden".  Although I do not get tired of making this dish or repeating how proud I am of my tomatoes, I presume my guests are so I am always switching up the ingredients to keep it fresh. Here are a few additional ingredients I sometimes add: red and yellow diced bell pepper, cucumber and/or corn. Confession: I don't always add the parsley.

Garlic Ciabatta Bread A little more work than the frozen kind but well worth it. 

_{buon appetito -deborah}

August 28 2010

Cream of Red Pepper Soup

Try a new twist on an old favorite.  Swap the classic tomato soup for cream of red pepper and pair it with a delcious grilled cheese (try sourdough with a smoked cheddar to compliment the red pepper) YUM!

August 18 2010

Sea Salt Caramels

Leah, a native of Seattle, shares a local treasure:

"There is a wonderful sea salt caramel unlike any other sold by Fran's Chocolates based in Seattle. I just came back from a month long visit in Seattle to see my parents and of course had to stop at Fran's to pick up multiple boxes for family and friends. The caramels are AMAZING and now you can order them online, so when I'm homesick, I won't have to splurge on a plane ticket The salt appears sparse, but it's surprising how far a few salt grains go. They are a tad pricey, but so worth it to address a sweet tooth. (I feel like I'm a salesperson, but this really is one of my favorite desserts, and I'm not a chocolate person).
The smoked salt caramels are my favorite (the classic milk chocolate), but for dark chocolate lovers, go with the gray salt caramels. Just thought I'd share this special Northwest secret!"

These sound awesome, thanks Leah!

August 12 2010

Mini-Micro Brews

Micro brews. Names such as Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium often come to mind. These, and others, have become the answer to the bland, boring brews of the big guys. This "macro beer" is typically only drinkable when ice cold (and apparently we've become so stupid that the cans need to tell us when the beer is cold). The micro brew movement has been an answer to many a beer geek's prayers. There's a lot of great, American stuff out there now.

But these days, we are fortunate to see the continued growth of tiny, local breweries. I call these establishments mini-micro breweries. You probably have one (or many) in your town. They most often brew two or more beers, often unique and experimental. Some even distill spirits.  They're likely to serve some pretty good grub to boot. Check one out. It's worth your while to meet the person who made your drink. Talk 'em up. You'll learn that most of these folks do it because they're just like you. They LOVE great beer!

My first mini-micro was Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas. What a place. With regional distribution starting this year, Free State made the move from mini-micro to a full fledged micro brewery. If you haven't found your mini-micro yet, get to work!

Cheers!

Mark -Beer Enthusiast

August 08 2010

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Editor's Not-So-Secret Recipe:

No cocktail party is complete without shrimp.  But, for my recent housewarming party, I wanted something unexpected and slightly more elegant than the traditional red cocktail sauce.  So I consulted my sister, a chef and restaurant owner.  She suggested a roasted red pepper dipping sauce.  I was delighted how easy it was to prepare (as I did NOT inherit the cooking gene) and best of all, my guests RAVED!! 

So here it is, couldn't be simpler. 

Blend a jar of roasted red peppers (in a blender or food processor)

Add mayonnaise

You can play with the mayo to red pepper proportions based on your taste but mine was about half and half.  

Done!

Of course there are a million more ways to use this delcious sauce.  Leave a comment and share your's or email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

July 27 2010

Cake Pops

I stumbled across these whimsical little treats while reading one of my favorite baking blogs, Bakerella.com.  I'm making them this weekend for a party (so of course they must be SUPER easy to make) and I'm going to add a drop of food coloring to the white chocolate bark for a little color.  Just a bite, no plate, forks or napkins required, Cake Pops are perfect party fare! 

*covering the styrofoam with sand makes for a festive presentation for summer/beach theme party (or fake snow flakes in the winter!)

July 18 2010

Roasted Chickpeas

Put down the pretzels!  An MNH reader shares her go-to snack for a crunchy and salty fix.  Roasted chickpeas are packed with protein, fiber, folic acid, and iron and couldn't be easier to make.  Experiment with a variety of flavors to keep it interesting.  Here is a recipe for Ginger Roasted Chickpeas with chili pepper.  YUM!

Try them in your salad too!