Homemade & Savory

Good evening everyone! Now that it's officially fall - I can delve into my favorite fall/winter dishes. Mainly, soups & stews. I am a fan of homemade soups simply because of their simplicity in premise but complexity in flavor. A few simple ingredients can become an amazing dish that warms you to the core. It's cooking at its best! If you're a long time reader of the blog, you'll remember last fall I experimented (multiple times) with my favorite soup - potato soup. I tried multiple variations and finally created a homemade, original recipe that ended up winning the day.

This fall, I've set my sights on another soup - chicken noodle - to create a 'perfect' version. Much like last year's foray into potato soups, I decided to try a few recipes from established sources before I set out to create my own version. Tonight's first recipe comes form the folks at America's Test Kitchen that is sure to get us off on the right foot. I can promise you over the next few months, there will be a few chicken noodle soup recipes from this blog - I can also promise you that they will all be different. It's sure to be fun (who doesn't like discovering and creating perfect recipes?) so let's get started!


The Recipe: Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Original Recipe Found In:  The Complete America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

What You'll Need:

For The Stock:

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
4 Pounds Chicken Pieces (Or one whole chicken) Breast / Thigh meat preferred
1 Medium White Onion (Minced)
2 Quarts Boiling Water
2 Teaspoons Table Salt
2 Bay Leaves

For The Soup:

2 Tablespoons Chicken Fat (Reserved from the stock)
1 Medium White Onion (Minced)
1 Large Carrot (Chopped 1/2 in. pieces)
1 Celery Rib (Chopped 1/2 in. pieces)
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Cups Egg Noodles
1/4 Cup Fresh Minced Parsley

* As usual when a recipe calls for carrots and celery, we like to substitute with things we have on hand - such as frozen vegetable medley (composed of carrots, peas and corn).

For the stock:

Begin by heating the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the chicken pieces to the dutch oven and cook until lightly browned on each side (about 5 minutes per side). Transfer the pieces to a large bowl and set aside. Continue cooking the remaining pieces until all chicken pieces are browned. Leaving the fat and grease in the pan, add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Return the chicken pieces to the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pot and allow the chicken to cook completely, until the pieces begin to release their juices. This should take about 20 minutes.

Next, add the boiling water to the dutch oven as well as the salt and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and allow to simmer until all of the flavors have blended - about 20 minutes. This process is essentially creating the stock for the soup. You're infusing the natural chicken flavors into the water base, creating a flavorful chicken stock that no grocery store can match.

Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set aside to cool. Once cooled, discard the skin and shred the meat from the bones of the chicken pieces. Discard the bones and reserve the chicken meat in a bowl. Set aside. Carefully remove the dutch oven from heat and filter the stock through a large mesh strainer into another container. This allows any 'chicken debris' and the bay leaves to be caught while keeping the great flavor of the stock in place.

Allow the liquid to settle for 5 minutes. This will cause the fat and grease to rise to the top so it can easy be skimmed off with a spoon or paper towel. Be sure to reserve of the grease for use in making the soup. You can store the shredded chicken pieces and stock for 2 to 3 days if you want to make the base ahead of time.

To make the soup, begin by heating the reserved chicken fat in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Next, add the dried thyme and your chicken stock and allow the mixture to simmer until the vegetables have softened.

Finally, add the noodles and shredded chicken and cook until the noodles become tender, roughly 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the parsley, season lightly with salt and pepper - serve and enjoy!

The Results:

Not a bad start for the quest for a perfect chicken noodle soup recipe. It's amazing what a homemade base can do for a soup. Rather than just using chicken stock and achieving an 'okay' result, spending the extra 20 minutes on making it from scratch really shows up in this dish. The base of the soup is so full of flavor, you'll never be able to make (or eat) a condensed soup again. This was a very simple, flavorful dish that is worth an attempt at home!

That's all we have for you this week. We're back on Monday with another trip Around The Culinary World. Until then,

~Cheers

Breaded Chicken, Now With More Crunch

Good evening everyone! As the temperatures cool ever so rapidly, warm and comforting foods are always on the brain. As summer changes into fall, different flavors that we might not enjoy during the hot months seem like edible gold during the cooler months. With the new dish I'm creating tonight, it embodies those fall flavors and wraps them up in a nice little package. 

The Recipe: Pecan Crusted Chicken

Original Recipe Found In: www.eatingwell.com

What You'll Need:

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed
• 1/2 Cup Pecan Halves or Pieces
• 1/4 Cup Plain Dry Breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons freshly grated Orange Zest
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Chipotle Pepper or Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Large Egg White
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil, divided

Begin by flattening each chicken breast. Cover each breast with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or a heavy skillet until the breasts are 1/4 thickness. 

Chicken is nice and flattened

Next, add the pecans, breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt, and chipotle pepper to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. In our version, we are omitting the orange zest. Since we don't regularly buy oranges, it would be seem kinda silly to buy an orange just to use it for the zest. Also, we are using cayenne pepper instead of chipotle pepper since we have it readily available in our spice cabinet. (Cayenne is a solid substitute, however) 

Pre-mixed

Post-mixed

Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Next, lightly beat the egg and water in a small bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the egg white mixture then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.


Continue to heat one and a half teaspoons in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add half the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, two to five minutes on each side.  Transfer to a plate, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

The pecan coating was not only crunchy, but had an incredible depth of flavor.  It took the breaded chicken realm and made it completely different.  The breading wasn't overly crunchy and made it something new.  The cayenne pepper added a nice hint of spice, but not 'mouth-on-fire' feeling.  Overall, another great breaded chicken recipe to our repertoire.


Join us tomorrow as Tyler takes on a great fall favorite.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Around The Culinary World

Hello again everyone! It’s a brand new week (for better or worse) and fall is fully upon us. Cool air, crisp mornings – beautifully warm afternoons, cooler evenings. It’s the perfect time of the year. We’ll move into a more ‘fall focused’ menu over the coming weeks – starting with one of my recipes this week. That comes later, however. First, it’s Monday – so it’s time to take a trip ‘Around The Culinary World’ This week we’ve got food recalls, shopping guides, black water and much more. Let’s dive in!



Sadly, the most common stories we cover in ‘Around The Culinary World’ are food recall announcements. Last week, news broke that a supply of cantaloupes from Frontera Produce in Colorado were tainted with a disease known as listeria. As of Friday, the death toll had risen to eight (four from New Mexico, two from Colorado, one from Okalahoma and one from Maryland). All together, 55 people in 14 states have been made ill by the tainted fruit. While produce related food recalls are relatively rare (especially in the case of melons), this is the third listeria related break out in three years. You can read more about the breakout HERE. Later on Friday, the FDA announced that the cantaloupes have been shipped to more states than previously thought. You can read more about the implications from this development HERE.

Roughly four to five years ago, grocery stores and major retailers (mainly Wal-Mart) began moving to a new trend – self checkouts. The concept was simple, let customers with small amounts of items to ‘speed up’ the process and blaze through check out lanes. You save money on employees and you keep impatient customers happy. The problem? Most customers don’t want to use the lanes. Many customers find that the extra help a story employee provides to be worth waiting in line. Worse yet, when a problem arises on a self checkout lane, it can usually take longer to resolve the problem than if you simply waited in line and used a traditional lane. I’ve always been a fan of the self checkouts – but I’ve had the same problems – mainly that they’re harder to use than they need to be. Well, most stores have heard customers and are making the move to remove the self checkout lanes. What do you think? Self checkout lanes are going the way of the dodo – a good move or an overreaction? Read more about this story HERE.




Courtesy of cartoonstock.com

 Speaking of overreactions – our ‘stupid story of the week’ is in contention for ‘stupid story of the year’. One particular Taco Bell customer didn’t take too kindly to not receiving any hot sauce with his order. His response to this ‘outrage’? Ask kindly for hot sauce? Point out that he never received the sauce he requested? Nope – he pulled out his gun. Read more about this moron HERE.

Don't forget your gun!

If you’re an at home chef (which, judging by the fact that you’re currently reading a cooking blog – I’d wager that’s a safe assumption) you know that olive oil is an essential kitchen item. This simple oil is the base in many, many recipes and is probably the most commonly used item in our kitchen. You also know (you avid oil user, you) that there are a lot of options when it comes to buying olive oil. (And yes, there is a difference – have you ever bought cheap ‘low quality’ olive oil? You CAN taste the difference). So, which oil is worth the cash – and what ones taste like trash? Kitchen daily has composed a handy guide to supermarket olive oils. Check out the cream of the olive oil crop HERE.


Water enhanced with humic and fulvic acid has become quite the popular item to the ‘rich and famous’ out there. It’s a common item in reward show gift bags – it’s popping up in big name restaurants and health markets. The catch? It’s black, and it looks like motor oil. Supporters of the water (called Blk Water) are quick to point out that it tastes just like normal water and provides amazing health benefits. But, can the common consumer get past the fact the water looks like sludge? I don’t think I could. Check out this extremely unique product HERE.

It’s college football season (in my opinion the best sport in the world – yes, college over pro) which means tailgating and, if you live close to your favorite team – a few trips to the stadium. While it’s not as talked up as baseball stadium food, football stadium food has become a respectably delicious option on game day. Which stadiums top the list when it comes to college football grub? Check out the list HERE.

Finally, we’ve got a very cool video to share. Watch as a prize winning 1,487.5 pound pumpkin grows right in front of your eyes. A camera, programmed to take a photo every 15 minutes was positioned above the pumpkin when it was planted in June. Watch as this 1:30 second video shows the pumpkin grow to an absolutely ridiculous size. Easily, the coolest video you’ll watch today. Check it out HERE.



That’s all the news that’s fit to blog about this week. We’ve got another front loaded week of cooking for you. Maggie will take to the kitchen on Tuesday with a brand new recipe and I’ll follow her on Wednesday with my first foray into fall cooking for the year. Be sure to stop back in tomorrow night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Terrific Turnovers

Good evening everyone! Sometimes, while you're browsing through a cookbook or website - something will catch your eye. Something stops you and says "I'm delicious - you must cook me" No? Is it just me? Okay then - this week I found a recipe tucked away in one of our new cookbooks that stopped me cold. The delicious picture, the unique combination of ingredients - the great 'fall food' concept. I couldn't resist. Sometimes we work on themes or with key ingredients when we decide recipes for the week, others, like tonight - we just go with what looks delicious. Let's get cooking!


The Recipe: Turkey Turnovers
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Kitchen's Favorite Recipes
Serves 4

What You'll Need:

8 Ounces Pre-Cooked Chunk Turkey* (Roughly 2 1/2 cups)
6 Ounces Shiitake Mushrooms, Sliced & Stemmed
2 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Medium Onion
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Brandy
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Sheets Puff Pastry

* Pre-cooked chunk chicken is a functional substitute for this recipe as well.

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees and lining a medium sized baking sheet with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet, begin melting the butter over medium low heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper to the skillet and cook until the onions have softened and the mushrooms have absorbed the butter and moisture from the onions. The mixture will appear almost dry in the skillet.

Carefully add the brandy (remove the skillet from the heat if you're cooking with a gas stove - I would hope that goes without saying, but we'll be safe and warn you anyway) and simmer the mixture until the liquid becomes syrup like. This takes about 3 minutes.

Next, add the heavy cream and mustard and bring the mixture to a boil until the cream thickens. It should cover the back of a spoon (or at least not immediately drip away like water) when you dredge it through the mixture. Once the cream has thickened, add the turkey (or chicken) and turn until the turkey is incorporated and the meat is heated through.

Lay out your sheets of puff pastry on a floured surface or on top of parchment paper. Using a sharp knife or even a pizza cutter, slice the pastry sheet in half - diagonally. Place 1/4 of the turkey mixture in the center of one of the halves. Make sure to keep the mixture from the edges. Wet the edges of the pastry with a little water to encourage better sticking. Carefully fold over the puff pastry, creating a triangular shaped turnover for the turkey. (See pictures below)

Press the edges of the turnover with a fork to seal the pocket shut. Poke a hole or two in the center of each turnover to allow the pocket to breathe will cooking. Using a pastry brush, lightly rub the top of each turnover with a little leftover heavy cream. This will encourage browning while the pockets are in the oven. Repeat this process until you have constructed four turnovers. Place the turnovers equally distanced on the baking sheet and into the oven for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Serve and enjoy!

The Results:

I'm always a fan of adding liquor or wine to a recipe. From Vodka, to white wine - I've constantly enjoyed the great depth and flavor that a good alcohol can add to a dish. The best part is that the alcohol cooks off - leaving just the flavor. That means that even the kids can enjoy a tasty dish without the fear of child services knocking on the door!

The brandy added a whole new level of richness and depth to a very rich and flavorful foundation. I've used the heavy cream, onion and mushroom combination before, and I know that it packs a great flavor. Brandy only enhanced the flavor and ever brought out some of the subtleties of the concoction. When you add in the fact that the whole dish was wrapped in a golden, flaky brown crust - you simply cannot go wrong. Delicious dish!

That's all we have for you this week. We were a little front loaded due to our work schedules, but as long as we're sharing new recipes, it's all good right? We're back on Monday with another trip around the culinary world. Until then, enjoy your weekend and -

~Cheers

Mediterranean Flavor, Without The Travel

Good evening everyone! As we continue to ease back into cooking (we've also returned to our exercise plan, after taking a solid month off,) I keep finding myself easy recipes to cook. As we have done numerous amounts of times, fish is pretty much of our mainstays here on the blog. The ultimate versatile dish, fish can soak up any flavor it's around, or it can keep its distinct flavor and accompany it with suitable options. Tonight, we are going to explore the first choice, with hopefully, positive results. Since this is such a straightforward recipe, Tyler has chipped in with some fun facts and research about flounder and the origins of the dish (as you're all well aware, Tyler likes to have the why behind cooking as well as the how!) So tonight's blog is a bit of a collaboration!

The Recipe: Baked Flounder with Tomatoes and Basil
Original Recipe Found In: Bon appetite Magazine, September 2011
Serves 4

What You'll Need:

1 Pound Very Ripe Tomatoes, cored and quartered
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Thinly Sliced Fresh Basil
4 6-8 Ounces Boneless Flounder Fillets

Tyler's Note: We're using a unique fish for tonight's recipe - flounder. Flounder is a flatfish (similar to halibut) that are most commonly caught off of the Atlantic coast. Flounder is a whitefish that behaves very similarly to cod, it has a thick, fairly durable texture and a very neutral flavor. It's easier to roll (for wraps and the like) than cod and tends to be a little less durable when baking when compared to cod. While we have featured the fish in a past recipe, it's relatively new to the blog (and as an extension, to our cooking expertise). Luckily, flounder shares some great properties with other whitefish fillets that you probably are familiar with - so don't shy away from this recipe just because it's featuring a new style of fish!

Begin by preheating an oven to 425 degrees. Toss the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sliced tomatoes and basil in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture in an even layer across the bottom of the baking dish. You can either use full size tomatoes or grape (cherry) tomatoes. Full sized are slightly easier to slice, but if you're not a big fan of whole tomatoes, the cherry tomatoes will be easier to 'blend' with the rest of the dish.

Tyler's note 2: For this recipe, we're using the 'tube' version of basil, from the company Gourmet Garden. Much like the parsley and thyme we discussed previously on other recipes, this version is 100% basil, but condensed down into a paste for easier use and storage. So far, we've been fairly pleased with the product, although it does have some limitations (We'll cover those in a future blog post - sometime in the next few weeks). For the most part, the flavor is comparable and it lasts much longer than fresh basil would. Feel free to use fresh basil if you have it handy (in fact, it's preferred that you do) but in a pinch this tubed version of the herb works well.

Easy herbs in a pinch...or squeeze...

Tyler's Note 3: Like mirepoix, and the pico mixture from last week's Spanish dishes - tomato and basil are the basis of many Italian and Mediterranean dishes. From side garnishments to full blown recipe additions, these two ingredients are well acquainted with each other. Baking them intensifies the flavor of basil and really brings a whole new element to the tomato. Combine that with baking the flounder, which causes the fish to absorb that flavorful base it's resting upon - and you achieve a 'summertime in Italy' flavor without all of the travel and language barriers!

Next, bake the tomato mixture for five minutes. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange the fish in a single layer over the tomato mixture. Roast the fish with the tomato mixture until the fish begins to flake, about 10 minutes. You'll notice the flounder go from an off white to a more 'pure' white, that will be the best indicator, but you can't beat the reliability of poking it with a fork to see if it flakes! Serve and enjoy!

Pre-oven mixture

Post oven

The End Result:

Exactly what we thought it would taste like.  The flounder was very flaky and easy to cut with a fork.  It soaked up all that tomato and basil flavor.  It almost made the recipe taste like a restaurant dish, with fish caught straight from the Mediterranean Sea only minutes prior to cooking and tomatoes picked off the vine that morning...sorry, caught in my own Mediterranean daydream.  But if you dream of fish and a taste that classic, yet fresh and new, this recipe is right up your alley!

Join us tomorrow as Tyler debuts a unique dish.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Around The Culinary World

Good evening everyone! After jumping back into blogging form our long vacation last week, we’re ready to make a full return to a ‘regular schedule’ this week. That means a return to Around the Culinary World. The cooking world was busy while we were away, leaving us with a lot of stories to cover for this week. Warning, the term pickle chemist will be used below. Yeah – it’s that kind of week for stories. Let’s dive in!



A two year secret project was recently completed by a major fast food chain. This project was titled ‘Project Gold Hamburger’ and focused on redesigning their staple burger offering. The company went as far as to consult a pickle chemist (which apparently is a real job…) to guarantee a perfect flavor. Who is the company behind this massive burger overhaul? Learn more about the secret project and its grand reveal HERE.

Google the term "pickle chemist" in image search - this is the only thing that shows up in the top 5. Made up job? I think so...

Even if you enjoy cooking, there are simply some things you don’t enjoy doing. For me, it’s making guacamole and mirepoix. I don’t enjoy slicing onions (which you really need to do when making mirepoix) nor do I enjoy peeling and slicing avocados. Luckily, there are products out there to help every chef. The biggest one has to be marinara sauce. Sure, you can make your own sauce by crushing and stewing tomatoes, basil, garlic and whatever else you want – will it taste great? You bet. Will it also be a pain in your rear end? You bet. That’s why most people simply buy their marinara sauce pre-made. But, which sauce tops the rest? KitchenDaily conducted a test of some of the major sauces on the market. Who topped the charts? The results may surprise you! Check it out HERE.

One of my favorite treats is a good bourbon or whiskey. I enjoy savoring a deep, rich, well aged flavor on a cool fall night. Now that the cool crisp falls winds have begun crawling across our lawns, the bourbon and whiskey producers have begun to roll out their new lines. Which ones are shaping up as must tries during the fall and winter months? The Huffington Post has a handy little list of rums, bourbons and other liquors to keep your eye on this fall. Check it out HERE.

Iowa's own is not on the list...probably because it's been in short supply since last fall. C'mon guys, I want to try this stuff!

Every health market, diet consultant and morning news program has rolled out their own list of ‘foods to avoid’ and most of them consist of the same products all the time. Refined sugar, fast food, processed foods, buttery foods. Essentially, they’re not telling you anything new or groundbreaking. Processed food is bad for you – sugar too. But I don’t think people who engorge themselves on Pepsi and McDonald’s are expecting to look like a super model. Organic Authority has composed their own list of ‘don’t eat’ foods, and, for the most part, it’s the same list. What I like about their list, however, is the explanations they provide along with the foods to avoid. It’s worth a read we think – check it out HERE.

Wait...this is bad for me? WHAT??

Chances are, you have a few pieces of glass bake ware in your kitchen. Be it Pyrex or another brand, every at home cook has some piece of ‘sturdy, durable SHATTER RESITANT’ bake ware. It’s a right of passage it seems, you know you’re all grown up when you get your first Pyrex dish. Consumer Reports has just completed an investigation on these common kitchen items and found something shocking – the sturdy, durable product may actually be the most dangerous and breakable thing in your kitchen. Their study finds that the product is prone to explosive cracking when put through common activities in the kitchen (you know, things it was designed for!) Check out the story HERE.

Maggie and I have experience with Pyrex and its dangerous properties. During a Christmas gathering at our apartment, Maggie was washing a Pyrex storage dish and dropped it when she was not paying attention to what she was doing (accidents happen, glass breaks, everyone has a brain dead – “oops” moment with glass. I’ve had them, Maggie’s had them, it’s a right of passage). You expect the dish to break, to crack – to be ruined in some way. What you don’t expect is an explosive destruction of the dish. This bowl shattered into thousands of tiny (less than ¼ or 1/8 of an inch) pieces. Some flew up to Maggie’s face; some flew a solid 6 feet into the dining room where I was standing. This ‘durable’ glass acted like it was primed with TNT. A short, 4 foot drop ended in an absolute explosion of sharp glass shards. That’s when we realized that this glass bake ware is really an injury waiting to happen. If you treat it very carefully, it’s a useful item – but if you run into any issues, it’s a dangerous force in the kitchen.

Finally this week, we’ll cover a few ‘unique stories’ First we have a list of the most unique and bizarre pizza toppings. Check out his unique collection HERE.


Did you know it’s possible to ruin grilled cheese? Apparently so. Did you also know that it’s possible to ‘fancify’ grilled cheese? Yup, there’s a world out there of fancy (costly) grilled cheese sandwiches. This results in a ruined grilled cheese when done incorrectly. Is any of this blowing your mind like it blew mine? Fancy grilled cheese? REALLY? Well, here’s how to ruin it – so…don’t do this to grilled cheese.


That’s all we have for you this evening. We’ve got a front loaded week of cooking lined up. Maggie is taking to the kitchen on Tuesday night and I’m following immediately on Wednesday. Be sure to stop back tomorrow night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,  (Oh and yes, we did do a little blog redesign to give it more of a fall feel!)

~Cheers

Flavor So Good, It Can't Be Legal

Good evening everyone! I'd be lying if I said it was nice to be back from vacation. The last week was some well earned time off for both Maggie and I to recover and regroup. The one thing we did miss a little bit was cooking (and, thereby blogging) however. Maggie got us back into the cooking mood with a delicious and simple dish on Tuesday and I look to continue the trend tonight. We've been featuring quick, tasty time saving dishes lately, but look for that to change as the weather gets colder. When the nights are not as nice to sit out and enjoy, spending a little more time in the kitchen is easier to do. That's for the coming blogs, however. Tonight, we've got a quick and easy dish that's sure to impress the whole family.

The Recipe: Beer Battered Fish Tacos
Original Recipe From: Eatingwell.com

What You'll Need:
Serves 2

Tomato & Avocado Salsa (Or store bought fresh salsa)*
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Beer
8 Ounces Tilapia Fillet (Cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips)
4 Corn Tortillas (Warmed)

* You are open to any form of light, fresh salsa for this recipe. We would recommend avoiding the thick tomato based salsas and instead look for fresh, whole chunk tomato salsa. Since Maggie still had leftover salsa from her recipe on Tuesday, we opted to use that for this recipe.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper. Whisk in the beer and stir until the mixture thickens and turns into a nice batter. It doesn't matter what type of beer you use, but it's worth investing the little extra cash into a higher quality beer. You'll taste it in the finished product. We went with a  high quality local beer - an ale - pictured below.

Next, carefully cover the tilapia pieces in the batter. I found the easiest way to cover the pieces was to drop the pieces into the mixture and flip with a fork or small spatula. The original directions call for you to drag the pieces through the batter, but the thin tilapia fillets don't stand up too well to the thick batter when you drag them through the batter. You end up with tilapia...flakes.  It's best to 'bread with caution'.

In a medium non-stick skillet, add the 2 teaspoons of canola oil. One thing to watch here is how much oil you'll truly need. This will be based on the quality of your skillet. If you have a great non-stick skillet 2 teaspoons will be enough. Older skillets and lower quality skillets may need about 3 teaspoons of oil. This is a thicker batter that tends to grab on to the pan. Adequate oil is a necessity.

Heat the oil over medium high heat until it begins shimmering lightly. Add the battered fish to the skillet and cook until crispy and golden, roughly 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the fish from the skillet and place onto a paper towel covered plate to absorb any excess oil.

Serve the fish with your tomato / avocado salsa on warmed corn tortillas. Enjoy!

The Results:

If you're a regular reader of the blog - you know how we love to utilize the great diversity of fish (example 1, 2, 3, 4) We've used this battering process before on cod with amazing results - so it was no surprise when it translated so well to tilapia. When blended with the fresh salsa, we achieved a great, fresh, full of flavor taco that was quick to fix and easy on the waistline. At a little under 200 calories per taco, you simply cannot go wrong with this dish.

That's all we have for you this week. We're back to full blown blogging next with two new recipes and a trip around the culinary world. Until Monday,

~Cheers

Giving Dinner a Spicy Kick

Good evening and salutations from the recently vacationed couple!  It was really great to have some time off from reality (aka work) and have some 'us' time.  In the time we spent far, far (four hours) away, we packed a lot into three days.  But everything was executed successfully and we are now rested up from another stretch of work until Thanksgiving or so.


With that being said, we are kicking it back into high gear...literally.  Tonight, I'm preparing a dish that might send your taste buds into a whole 'nother level.  Granted, I tend to shy aware from recipes that have a whole lot of spice and pizzazz.  But I'm taking a risk here with something that will be flavorful, and hopefully won't burn off our tongues.

The Recipe:  Chili-Rubbed Pan-Roasted Chicken with Pico de Gallo
Original Recipe Found In:  Food Network Kitchen Favorite Recipes

What You'll Need:

2 Tablespoons Peanut or Corn Oil
4 Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Breast Halves (we are substituting chicken thighs for our version)
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

For the Pico de Gallo:
2 Cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/2 to 1 Jalapeño, stemmed and minced with seeds
1/4 medium Red Onion, grated
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Clove Garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup chopped fresh Cilantro
Warm Corn Tortillas (optional)

To begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a large ovensafe skillet  over medium-high heat, add the oil and cook until shimmering.  A Dutch oven comes in real handy if you don't have an ovenproof skillet - I'm sure the deep sides aren't as useful as the shallow sided skillet, but you essentially get the same results. We've yet to find a good (affordable) non-stick, ovensafe skillet. Most of the good non-stick skillets come with rubberized handles. So, while we search, our favorite cooking dish - the dutch oven, makes a great substitue.

 Next, season the chicken with the chili powder and salt. If you want to eat the skin, season the skin with the chili powder. If you're opting for a healthier version, spread the chili powder on the underside of the skin (AKA between the skin and meat) this will allow the juices to stay in the chicken but will put the chili powder flavor right into the meat. Lay the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and cook until brown, about four minutes.  Turn the chicken (and try not to get splattered with hot oil,) transfer the pan to the oven.  Baste occasionally with the pan drippings (if able), and cook until firm, about 15-20 minutes (or until the chicken reaches 170-175 degrees.)

Hence the name 'chili-rubbed'

Now, I'm all about convenience in the kitchen.  When I saw that this recipe wanted you to make your own pico de gallo, I was reminded that most grocery stores sell pre made pico de gallo.  Talk about super convenient!  But for those of you who want to make their own, fresh pico de gallo, here's step-by-step instructions:


Toss the tomatoes with the jalepano, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a knife, meh and smear the mixture to a coarse paste.  Stir the paste into the salsa with the olive oil and cilantro.


After the chicken is done cooking, serve with chicken with the pan drippings and spoon some salsa over.  If you prefer an easier way to serve this, shred the chicken from the bones, and prepare in corn tortillas with the pico de gallo.  Serve and enjoy!

Cooked results with skin left on

The End Result:

The chicken had real smoky flavor and it wasn't that spicy at all.  The key difference between selecting a chili powder to use in a dish, whether you like it amped up a notch or a very subtle notch, make sure to pay attention to labeling.  I chose a mild chili powder, because neither one of us likes very spicy things.  If you like your food blazing hot, then choose a hot chili powder for that extra kick (or two or three.)  The pico de gallo, I think, really gave the dish a well roundedness.  It's not really spicy, just three or four ingredients that really added more flavor to the dish.  Overall, a great dish, and worth a shot for those following along at home. 


Join us on Thursday for a tasty new take on a Mexican dish.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Redefining Simple

Good evening everyone! We're sweating it out, once again in 98 degree heat and 90% humidity, hopefully for the last time for this summer. Tonight, we're rounding out the summer with a fiesta for your mouth - a sort of 'end of summer party'. Not only is it a great Mexican dish, but it's so easy, it's would take something going terribly wrong to mess the recipe up. Since I have a tendency to do so, I hope that this evening that prophecy won't come true...again.



The Recipe: Easy Skillet Chicken
Original Recipe Found In: www.princesshouse.com


What You'll Need:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1X 16 Ounce Jar of Salsa
1X 15 Ounce Can of Black Beans, rinsed
1X 11 Ounce Can of Mexican Corn*
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese


Tyler's Note: *Mexican corn is usually found in the 'hispanic' section of your grocery store. It's actually a mixture of corn, red peppers and some variations include coconut oil, jalapenos or other spicy additions. For this recipe, we found a brand of salsa that included black beans, Mexican corn and of course - the salsa. If you can track down a salsa with all of the above ingredients, we'd recommend substituting that in place of each individual ingredient. 

What we're creating here is actually the 'mirepoix' of the Mexican culinary world. Like carrots, celery and onion make up the base of 90% of French dishes, black beans, corn and salsa make up the frame work of many Mexican dishes. From salsa to seasonings, you're likely to find this trio as the base in a majority of what you're cooking.

Begin by heating the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Add the salsa, corn, and beans and stir until they are all equally incorporated. (Here's where using the pre-mixed salsa is a nice bonus!)


Bring the salsa mixture to a simmer and cover. Simmer over medium high heat for five minutes until the chicken is cooked throughout. You may want to stir every few minutes to make sure the salsa doesn't overly brown or stick to the skillet. Use an instant read thermometer to verify that the chicken has reached a perfect 165 degrees. Top with cheese and remove from heat. Cover and let it stand for five minutes until cheese is completely melted. Serve and enjoy!!

The Results:

This turned out to be a really tasty dish. The cooking time that the recipe gave for the chicken turned out to be perfect.  I'll admit, I was kind of surprised because chicken takes a little longer to cook.  But, cooking it by itself first, then adding the salsa and cooking it a little longer, not only infused the flavor of the salsa but made it more savory.  The salsa was actually quite spicy for both of our likings - if we were to do it again, a MILD version of the salsa would be needed.  But the flavors from the salsa were over the top and made it a delight to eat.  Overall, the chicken was cooked perfectly, the flavors melded together wonderfully, and the cheese was a nice touch at the end.


That's all we have for you this week - and for the next week as well. Maggie and are heading out for a little vacation. It's been 1 year since we became husband and wife (well, it will be one year on 9/4) and we're taking a week off from work to celebrate (and for our own sanity). We plan on returning to blogging the week of September 12th - we likely will start off with a recipe rather than a trip around the culinary world - but plans can change. Follow us on Twitter or 'Like' our Facebook page to stay up to date on our return to blogging. Or - you know - stop by the site everyday - that's okay too! See you all in a week!

~Cheers