Lobster Salad

I tried my hand at lobster salad today. I acquired a small amount of lobster that was going to be otherwise gasp! thrown away. It was already cut into rounds and since I frankly get a little bored with whole grilled lobster, making a tasty salad seemed like a good bet. Actually it was my good friend Stefan that requested and suggested it. Since he does whatever he can to avoid the kitchen, he was able to talk me through it as I conceptualized what he had in mind. When he first said lobster salad, images of conch salad came to mind, which more closely resembles ceviche. This mayonnaise based version is much less labor intensive with a lot less lime squeezing involved.

Down here in the islands, lobster is referred to as crawfish. I get the impression the word is derived from crawlfish since they crawl around in the rocky reefs, instead of those southern shrimp that come to mind when using the term, but one can never be sure. They aren't the giant lobsters with big ole pinchers either. The Caribbean spiny lobster are a bit smaller than their Maine cousins and even though they are sans claws, you’d better watch out for their antennae. I gave myself a good gash on my finger when I was taking a bag of lobster out of the freezer at Christmastime and I still have a scar.

This being the first time I made lobster salad, in a place where traditional dishes are held with the upmost respect and temperamental palettes are discerning, I was very proud to receive compliments from Stefan. He actually said it was just how his mother made it. Mine had a good spice kick to it, but feel free to dull it down a bit if you’re not too into spice. I use Crazy Frank’s hot sauce, which is my absolute favorite for cooking and it is HOT, but would be impossible to find anywhere outside the islands since it’s locally made and comes label-less in either a preserves jar or a baby food jar.

I grilled and chopped the rounds of lobster but you can also try shredding the lobster and serve with crackers as an appetizer or on a toasted roll as a sandwich.

Lobster Salad

½ lb lobster

¼ cup yellow, orange and red bell peppers, chopped

¼ cup celery, chopped

¼ cup red onion, chopped

1/8 cup mayonnaise

½ lime

1 tsp Crazy Frank’s hot sauce, or other hot sauce

Salt and Pepper

If lobster is uncooked, remove lobster from its shell and cut into medium sized chunks. Place pieces on the grill and cook until lobster is firm and just cooked. About 2 minutes per side over high heat.

Remove any tough skin and chop into bite sized pieces. Mix together lobster and next 6 ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro.

Pork Tenderloin with Tomatoes, Onions and Capers

I have been feeling a lack of inspiration lately...drawn to cook the same meals in the same fashion, day in and day out. My palette is bored.

I came across an amazing cookbook the other day which I immediately downloaded to my Kindle. I was a little nervous about downloading a cookbook to my Kindle, especially since I have the tendency to drip, slop, spatter and fling all sorts of interesting food particles onto my recipe pages. My most favorite recipes are barely legible due to the amount of spots dotting the print. But the Kindle seemed to work alright. I mean, it got the job done. We won't dwell on the fact that I love color picture cookbooks - the enticing manner in which the photography beckons you to cook that particular dish - and since I was too cheap to buy the color Kindle Fire, I am missing out on all the beautiful pictures. Oh well, c'est la vie.

So anyways, this new cookbook I found is a Mexican cookbook using basic ingredients and simple techniques, aptly named Simply Mexican. I had taken out a pork tenderloin for dinner yesterday but wasn’t quite sure what to do with it, until I stumbled across a recipe that gave me a bit of inspiration. The recipe in the book is for Mahi Mahi and calls for a few more ingredients which I didn’t have handy…cilantro was one of them. I also added the Chipotle powder and garlic and I decided to cook the tomatoes. The original recipe called for tossing the tomatoes in oil and serving the mixture cold over the fish.

This recipe isn't quite a Mexican dish, I suppose I altered it too much. It ended up being more Mediterranean in style and I must say, it turned out pretty darn good with the heat from the Chipotle, the rich depth of the garlic and the tangy salinity of the capers. But the best part is that this technique to cook pork tenderloin. No matter what sauce you choose, you will always have tender, moist, flavorful, cut-with-a-butter-knife pork.

Pork Tenderloin with Tomatoes, Onions and Capers

1 Pork tenderloin

1 cup flour

2 tsp Chipotle chili powder

Salt and Pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp capers

1 tsp caper juice

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ cup chicken broth

Pat pork tenderloin dry and slice into ½ inch medallions. Mix together flour, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dredge pork medallions in flour and pat to remove excess flour and put on a plate.

Heat olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add pork to pan and brown meat, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan.

Lower heat to medium and add onion to the pan. Cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes, capers, caper juice, vinegar and chicken broth. Return pork to the pan and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until pork is just cooked.

Cream of Leek and Arugula

There is something about a Sunday. It has this relaxed, lazy, I-don’t-have-to-do-anything-and-I’m-ok-with-that feel to it. More often than not I don’t know what day of the week it is out here, and am constantly having to remind myself what month it is (November? Is it cold somewhere in the world?), but I always know when it’s Sunday. On Sunday morning, I find myself casually browsing through the refrigerator or freezer, trying to mentally put together what I will prepare for my Sunday evening feast. I attempt to find further inspiration as I flip through cookbooks while leisurely sipping coffee, allowing the books to sprawl out across the ottoman, giving way to colorful pages and inklings of fabulous meals yet to be had.

On this particular Sunday, I rummaged through the contents of my refrigerator and found an unlikely ingredient; leeks. In all of my cooking years, I have yet to prepare anything incorporating a leek. I suppose I haven’t known where to go with it. Mellower than onion but with a certain kick that would surely overpower if used in excess. I skipped to the back of my Junior League of Palo Alto Private Collection Volume 1, hoping to find something that would make use of the leeks, as well as the chicken carcass I had left over from the other evening. I was in luck. On page 10 was a Cream of Leek and Chard. However, as it goes out here I certainly didn’t have all of the ingredients. Namely the featured title ingredient, chard. But I did have plenty of arugula. I scanned through the list of ingredients and was instantly able to deduct that it was do-able. Instead of the yogurt it called for, I would substitute a mixture of sour cream and milk and since I was cooking the chicken carcass anyways, it would be a nice trade out for the ham. If you don't have a chicken carcass handy, regular canned chicken broth will suffice.

Cream of Leek and Arugula Soup

1/2 lb arugula, roughly chopped

3 large leeks

2 1/2 tbsp butter

7 tbsp flour

7 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 lb cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup milk

4 egg yolks

2 cups chicken

Whole chicken carcass

3 cubes chicken bullion

4 medium russet potatoes

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped chives

For the Broth

In a large stock pot, immerse chicken in water. Add bullion cubes and boil for 45 minutes until meat is falling off the bone. Strain broth through a colander into another pot. Let chicken cool and then remove meat from the carcass.

For the Soup

Remove roots and green stems from leeks. Rinse and chop.

Melt the butter in a stock pot and add leeks and arugula. Cook on medium low heat until soft. Sprinkle in flour and cook for two minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Turn heat to low and add chicken broth, water and salt. Continue to stir. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the cream cheese in a bowl and beat in sour cream, milk and egg yolks until smooth. Peel potatoes and chop into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large sauce pan and cover with water. Add salt and boil for 10-15 minutes, until soft but not soggy.

Slowly add the cheese mixture to the soup and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken and potatoes. Garnish with chopped chives.

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

There is nothing more lovely than a whole roasted chicken in the fall. As the seasons change, so do the menus. Lightly grilled fish makes way for hearty beef stews, BBQ-ed shrimp skewers take a back seat to pork tenderloin with loads of mushrooms.

One of the first things my mom taught me how to cook was a whole roasted chicken. It is versatile and pocketbook friendly. One small 5 lb chicken will last me days. The first night served up with potatoes and vegetables, chicken sandwiches for lunch with plenty of mayonnaise and cranberries if you are feeling festive, sliced chicken on mixed greens the next night, and by the third day I am ready for a chicken soup that will feed the whole neighborhood (or at least several freezer batches-worth).

The other delightful think about a whole chicken is the fact that you can dress them up in any way and they are usually bursting with delicious flavorful juices. If you take care and do it right, the skin will crisp up and keep the breast and thigh meat tender and moist.

But the best part of all... is the gravy. Now, I am a complete glutton for this sinful condiment. When I think no one is looking, I scandalously sneak spoonfuls of gravy and simply marinate my senses in this guilty pleasure. There is just something about the combination of its rich silky texture and the fact that I am knowingly inputting into my system thousands more milligrams of sodium than should ever be deemed appropriate. But gravy isn't trying to be appropriate. Gravy is a rebel, out to seduce your waistline.

I know there are two sides to the gravy war. Flour or cornstarch? I choose not to be critical of those who believe cornstarch is the end-all-be-all, but I simply have to say that flour is superior in all aspects of gravy making. So if you must, those supporters of corn-based products out there, substitute your cornstarch for flour, then do so, but my disclaimer is that flour is mo-betta.

Now some people choose to use the gizzards, heart and neck for their gravy, but I choose not, because honestly, they gross me out. In our meat-eating society, I do find it odd that certain parts of an animal causes squirminess, but I won’t get into all that right now. Put the gizzards in if you want, but my recipe omits the guts.

I am giving you guidance for the gravy, I haven’t found an exact ratio for gravy since sometimes I end up with a lot of juices, other times minimal. So you will have to feel it out a bit to get the consistency you want. In the spirit of “rustic cooking,” this version calls for sour cream. I was out of milk and cream, so I went for the gusto and used regular sour cream. It turned out amazing. Use milk or cream if you want to go a bit lighter or if you aren’t super into sour cream (I am).

Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken

5-6lb whole chicken

10 whole cloves garlic

1 medium onion, sliced

1 small lemon or lime

2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped

1 cup chicken broth

For the paste

3 tbsp salted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary, minced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat chicken dry and place in a roasting pan. Squeeze citrus over the top of the chicken and stuff innards with the citrus remains as well as 1/4 of the sliced onion and 5 of the garlic cloves. Scatter remaining onion, garlic and rosemary in the pan around the chicken. Pour the chicken broth in the pan.

Make the paste. Place butter, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl and use a spoon to mash it together to make a paste. Make several slices in the skin at the top of the chicken and on the thighs, use 3/4 of the paste to stuff under the skin of the chicken and smear the remaining 1/4 all over the top.

Place chicken in the oven and roast for 30 minutes uncovered. Make a foil tent and cover the chicken. Juices will start to form in the bottom of the pan. Baste chicken in juices often. Cook chicken for another hour or until thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest spot between the breast and the thigh. Chicken should be nicely browned and thighs will pull off easily.

For the gravy

When the chicken is done, remove from roasting pan and place on a cutting board with routed edges to catch the juices. Place roasting pan on two burners set on very low heat. Skim off excess fat with a spoon. Mix 3 tbsp flour with cold water until consistency is slightly runny and mixture is smooth. Slowly pour about half of the mixture into the pan, constantly whisking as you pour. Continue whisking for another five minutes and mixture will begin to thicken. Add about a cup of chicken broth and ¼ cup sour cream and continue whisking. Add more chicken broth, sour cream or flour mixture to your discretion until you get the consistency you want.

Serve with a hearty portion of mashed potatoes.

Beer Cheese

Hello again, virtual audience. Without going into too much detail about my lack of motivation and plain blog avoidance, lets just say I am moving on to the next chapter, turning over a new leaf, if you will. I am going to revamp my focus a bit and steer towards "rustic and remote island-style cooking." Where previously I was able to pop to the gourmet market on a whim, I've since relocated to a small island in which supplies are limited, ingredients are not readily available and creativity is a necessity. I have learned to use food items that I may normally throw away and find a use for things like canned pumpkin or an over abundance of red peppers.

This may be a helpful style of cooking for those of you who stare blankly into the cupboard on more evenings than not, wondering what combination of ingredients will jump out and present themselves as a worthy suppertime meal. It has become kind of a "glass is half full" style of cooking. I could dwell on what I don't have, but that would not get me anywhere. Instead - what do I have and how can I create something delicious out of it?

This recipe came from the guilt I felt from an undrunken beer. Out here, beer and wine are prized commodities. They are expensive and, speaking personally, consumed well before rum. When I woke up one morning and realized with grave despair that I had only taken two sips out of my late night beer, I knew something must be made out of my flat lager.

A friend from Kentucky had visited the island several years ago and brought a Kentuckian recipe with her: Beer Cheese. When she made the appetizer for us, she hadn't the patience to wait for her beer to flatten, so it still had a sparkling effervescence when we devoured it. I had a tinge of satisfaction knowing that I had subconsciously flattened my beer without having to "plan ahead."

So if you find yourself in the sad predicament of a wounded soldier on your hands, cheer up and make yourself some beer cheese.

Beer Cheese

3/4 bottle or can of a light lager

16 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

pinch smoked paprika

Take two sips out of your beer and let it sit out on the counter overnight or for several hours until sufficiently flat.

Combine all ingredients except for the beer in the food processor and pulse until slightly blended. Then turn the food processor on and slowly pour the beer through the top. Mixture will be soft. Place in refrigerator and let firm up for several hours.

Serve with crackers or an assortment of vegetables.

Keep it Simple

We had Dave's mom over for appetizers and happy hour this weekend. I wanted to keep it simple, low maintenance and light, since we were going out to a nice restaurant for dinner. Dave's mom also has a gluten intolerance, so the appetizers I serve can't be accompanied with regular crackers. Instead of the rice crackers I would normally serve, I decided to go on the lighter side and present a very colorful plate of fresh veggies with a hummus dip. It was a perfect snack before our three course meal to follow.

Since I can't just do anything without a little bit of extra effort, I decided to roast half of the red bell pepper and top my hummus with the pepper, capers and olives. You can either make your own hummus or buy the pre-made hummus if you want to go easy on yourself.

Hummus Dip with Vegetables
Makes about 4 cups

2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Juice of 2 lemons, about 1/2 cup
6 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt

For the topping
1/2 red bell pepper
3 tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1 tbsp capers
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Put chickpeas into a blender or food processor, add 3/4 cup of the chickpea reserved liquid and 1/4 cup water. Cover and blend to a semismooth paste.

With motor still running, add lemon juice through hole in blender lid or the top of the food processor. Add tahini, garlic, and salt to taste and puree until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

For the Topping

Slice and de-seed the bell pepper and place skin side up on a baking sheet. Place oven broiler on high and broil the bell pepper until skin is black. Remove from the oven and put pepper in a paper bag. Close the bag tightly and let steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove pepper and the skin should peel off easily. Chop the pepper and place in a medium bowl. Add olives, capers, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Place hummus in a serving bowl and top with bell pepper mix. Serve with any of the following: carrots, sliced red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, pita triangles, sliced baguette, whole grain crackers.

Sicilian Baked Mahi Mahi

Home again. The weather is mild and breezy. I have Italian on the mind again. Will it ever stop? I simply love the uncomplicated, flavorful ingredients and diversity of regional cuisines.

I keep mahi mahi in the freezer. Costco sells wild caught, Pacific mahi in individually packaged frozen filets. Although I would choose fresh fish over frozen any day, depending on your seafood market your fish may have been previously frozen for transport anyways. They just deliver you the convenience of defrosting it. If that is the case, I would much rather buy my fish frozen and defrost it on my own time.

This dish is packed with salty flavors and the firmness of the fish holds its own against all of the textures involved in the topping. Served with a simple mushroom risotto and sauteed spinach, this recipe can be quickly made and will impress the most distinguished palates. For our wine I poured a wonderfully light and crisp Gavi. Cristina Ascheri 2009; it is 100% Cortese grape from the Piedmont region of Italy. After last night's meal, it's up there on my list as one of my new favorite whites.

Sicilian Baked Mahi Mahi

Serves 2-4

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

2 to 4 mahi mahi filets

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1 tbsp capers

1/2 tsp finely chopped anchovies in olive oil (optional)

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 tbsp bread crumbs

Mix half the olive oil with the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of the basil in a shallow baking dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the mahi mahi in the dish and leave to marinate for 15 minutes, turning once. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the olives, capers, anchovies and tomatoes with the

remaining oil and basil and season well. Spread over the mahi mahi and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is just opaque. Finish off by placing briefly under the hot broiler until the breadcrumbs are crisp.

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 cup aborio rice

3 cups chicken broth

Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add onion and saute on medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and sautee for another 5 minutes until garlic is fragrant and mushrooms are soft. Add the rice, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, one cup at a time, letting the broth absorb completely after each addition.

Simple Sauteed Spinach

Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil

9 oz baby leaf spinach

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the spinach, working in batches so you don't crowd the pan. Add the yogurt and stir well. Serve immediately.

At Home in the Northwest

A light drizzle dances in the sky. Not even enough to consider rain as it dusts your eyebrows with the faintest amount of damp. Seattle - the land of the freshest seafood, organic markets, a thousand coffee shops, local microbrews, artisanal wineries; so much vibrancy within the depths of the wintery gray.

I booked my flight two weeks prior, to surprise my sister for her bridal shower hosted by our aunt Leanne. I was never really invited so I suppose I am somewhat of a party crasher, although most everyone seemed pleased to see me. As the plane descended into SeaTac airport I wished my farewells to the sunshine and we ducked under three sturdy layers of cloud cover.

Surprisingly the air was mild as I exited the terminal. At 48 degrees the Pineapple Express was cruising through, much to the dismay of skiers, where rain in the mountains was on the forecast for the weekend. Leanne picked me up and we made our way to her home in West Seattle. If I were to give myself a second chance in Washington, West Seattle is where I would plant my roots. Everything you could possibly want is within walking distance of this city community. From Leanne's house she walks to the Metropolitan Market, the local movie theater, and a wonderful selection of restaurants that range from an Italian tattoria, a tiny Thai restaurant, incredibly authentic sushi, Northwest cuisine, cafes, bakeries, coffee shops and of course, numerous craft beer bars and alehouses.

After preparing what we could for the next day's bridal shower, we decided to celebrate girls night out and dine at Circa, one of Leanne's favorite restaurants. It was a short walk from her house and the night was comfortable. We found two seats at the bar and gazed over the menu as we chatted. I couldnt believe the menu items, everything looked fantastic...and certainly not overpriced. I forget how good food can be without breaking the bank. Quite the opposite in Florida, where it seems we spend a small fortune for a mediocre meal. I finally settled on portabello mushroom ravioli with braised local kale topped with shaved Parmesan. Good choice, I might add. Leanne ordered the special, halibut with a butter caper sauce and garlic mashed new potatoes. After dinner drinks at The Cask. A hole in the wall that you would walk right by during the daytime without a second glance. At night, however, the cozy dark atmosphere is inviting. As we entered, a few tables looked up at us, it was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. We settled in at a small booth and marveled at the draft beer selection. Leanne decided on a Kona Longboard Lager and I went for the Lost Coast Barley Wine. A delightful welcome home evening in one of my favorite cities in the world.

The next day we busied ourselves tidying and prepping the last minute menu items. Leanne had been marinating chicken, olives and raisins for an orzo salad for three days now. I worked on a potato dish with capers, tomatoes and rosemary. Leanne turned her focus to her cake; a complex multi-step process with lots of "meanwhiles" included in the recipe. Martha Stewart does not let you take the easy street. The frosting turned out beautiful. White, white egg whites with a shimmering gleam that gave it the appearance of a snowy ice tundra. The best part about it however, was the bride/groom topper.

If you know anything about the McCausland girls, you will know that we had a capacious affinity for Playmobil toys. We had a Playmobil person for every occasion; skiers, pirates, race car drivers, knights with swords, cowboys and Indians mounted on horses, as well as all kinds of accessories ranging from a deserted island to a pirate ship to a Victorian house that was as tall as my sister. Needless to say, Leanne wanted to incorporate the Playmobli bride and groom as the cake topper. She searched high and low to track down the discontinued bride and groom set.

Later in the afternoon after our chores were complete, we took a walk down to the Met Market, a Seattle area based grocery market. On my connecting flight through Minneapolis, I had thumbed through Cheese Connoisseur magazine, stumbling across an article on the Metropolitan Market's cheese selection. The Market specializes in both local and world cheeses with knowledgeable staff to assist you in picking the perfect cheese for the perfect occasion.

I wandered around in awe, as I was reminded of the pleasures of a good market. I had Super Bowl snacks on the mind for the following day, so I had the deli clerk thin slice Angus roast beef and Prosciutto di Parma. I also picked out a chevre goat cheese and a hard Asiago with rosemary.

I made my way over to the wines and was delighted to see their selection of Northwest wines was more than three bottles. Quite the contrary. They had an entire section dedicated to the heavier Washington reds; Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs as well as the Oregon Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris. I must have spent a half an hour just in the wine section before I picked out Fidelitas 2008, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain, a small family owned vineyard concentrating on Bordeaux style red wines and Barrister Cabernet Franc 2008, 88% Cab Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauv from the Columbia Valley, 93 points. Perfect accompaniment to my Super Bowl appetizer lineup.

The shower was beautiful. 14 of my favorite ladies all in one room, enjoying each other's company, good wine and fabulous food.

My Super Bowl snacks turned out wonderfully. Leanne had some cherry preserves that we spooned over the goat cheese and I put together these incredibly simple and light "meat logs" for lack of a better term. I suppose "roast beef rolls" sounds a bit more appetizing, so that is what we shall call them.

Roast Beef Rolls

Serves 6

1/2 lb thin sliced roast beef

1 ripe avocado

1 Gala apple or other semi sweet variety, peeled and sliced thin

finely chopped fresh spinach

dried oregano

dried rosemary

Scoop avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork, at salt to taste. Lay out a slice of roast beef on a cutting board and put a spoonful of avocado on the roast beef. Place one slice of apple on the avocado and sprinkle with spinach, oregano and rosemary. Roll the beef into a tight log. Continue until you have used all the roast beef. Serve on a platter.

Sunday Morning Goulash

Cheers to Dave, the breakfast guy. I have long since given up on breakfast. Something always goes awry, the eggs are overcooked, the bacon is burned, the hash browns are soggy. It's simply not my department. Dave on the other hand cooks breakfast like a champion. I inherited a skillet last night. Dinner at Bill and April's, it came to pass that they had two of the exact same skillet. April had been borrowing my 9x12 in casserole pan for quite sometime now. In what I consider a fair exchange, I offered her my 9x12 for her extra skillet. This morning was the first test and it was one of the best breakfasts I have had in quite some time.

Dave's Goulash

Serves 2

2 tbsp butter

2 small russet potatoes, cubed

1/2 onion, chopped

2 eggs

4 tbsp buttermilk or cream

1/2 lb cooked ground turkey

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat skillet over medium heat until warm. Melt butter in skillet and add potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and cook until soft, 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, whisk eggs with buttermilk in a bowl. Straighten onions and potatoes so they form a slight bowl in the pan. Pour egg mixture into the middle of the onions and potatoes. Top with ground turkey.

Turn on oven broiler and put the skillet in the oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes until eggs are almost cooked through. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil for an additional 3 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and top with sour cream. Serve immediately.

Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms and Baked Fennel in Cream

So I'm learning Italian. Don't ask me why. It's like learning Turkish. The language is only really valid in one country in the world. Why not French? I could get along in Montreal, Marseilles or Martinique with that handy language. Or Spanish? Nearly our second language...is it official yet? I haven't checked. I wouldn't be surprised. Not to mention the great country of Spain with its delightful Rioja's and all of that heavenly cured jamon serrano. Or what about Argentina and its beautiful Malbec's and seductive tango? Honestly I'm not sure why I am drawn to learn Italian. I suppose there is just something about the way the speak, the rhythm and sing-songy tone that allows the speaker to sound like a musical symphony each time they open their mouth. But more than just the language, the pure essence of la dolce vita, the sweet life, that everything in this moment is important, nothing else matters.

I suppose it's just a small cry to get myself back there one of these days. If I learn the language, I must go. Simple as that.

In the meantime I will take advantage of sampling my way through the Italian wine section at Decanted, the wine shop in which I call "my office" and exploring the cuisine of traditional Italian fare.

Friday nights have become kind of a ritual stay-at-home-and-cook-a-good-meal night. I have come to rely on a few select cookbooks and online resources. I now know how to read a recipe and can tell if it will turn out ordinary or extraordinary. I feel drawn to Italian cooking and most of my recipe selections are based around Italian ingredients.

Lesson 1 in Italian cooking: It's not all meatballs and marinara

The following recipes are traditional Italian (except for the Bechamel, which is of course French, but we will discuss that later). The pork part of this recipe I have made before. My aunt Leanne and I attended a cooking class in Seattle one rainy autumn night. Sabrina Tinsley, owner of La Spiga Italian restaurant in Seattle hosted a delightful class with traditional fall recipes of her husband's native Italy. There was so much I didn't know at the time about cooking pork. Rule #1, dry your pork throughly. Rule #2, lightly dust the pork with flour and pat off any excess, do not overcoat. Rule #3, cook the pork fast, sear on both sides and then only a few more minutes is needed until you have perfectly tender pork medallions. That's all that is needed, otherwise you will end up with shoe leather. I avoided pork for too many years because of just that, over cooked meat, dried out and tough as cardboard. Using a quality cut of meat such as tenderloin also helps. As always with cooking, I must have something to sip on, so I opened a bottle of Spanish white wine, Castello do Papa Godello. Godello is the grape and it's somewhere between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There is a slight butteryness with fairly high acidity. We ordered it a few weeks ago at I.M. Tapas, a Spanish restaurant in Naples, and it paired wonderfully with the olives and cured ham we ordered. It is best drank with food.

This recipe calls for wild mushrooms, however I just used baby bella and white buttons. It also called for 2 tbsp fresh parsley and I substituted dried oregano. For so few ingredients, this recipe is bursting with flavor.

Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms

Recipe adapted from La Spiga chef, Sabrina Tinsley

Serves 6-8

1 2.5 lb Pork Tenderloin

Flour

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Sauce

1 1/2 lbs Mixed Wild Mushrooms

1 cup Chicken Sock

2 cloves Garlic, sliced

2 tbsp dried Oregano

For the Sauce

Slowly heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil with the garlic slices in a saute pan. When the garlic begins to sizzle add the oregano and saute on medium high for 30 seconds longer. Add the mushrooms and do not stir for several minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Saute the mushrooms until they are almost cooked through, about 10 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes longer or until the mushrooms are completely tender. This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

For the Pork

Cut the pork tenderloin into equal sized medallions. Salt and pepper the medallions and dredge in flour, removing any excess by patting the pieces with your hand. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan until very hot. Brown the medallions on each side, then, without turning down the heat, add the mushroom sauce and cook until the pork is desired temperature and the sauce has thickened a bit.

To serve, transfer medallions to a serving platter and pour the mushroom sauce over the top.

For the second course I prepared a baked fennel dish. For those of you unfamiliar with fennel, it is in the anise family, that black licorice flavor that is found in ouzo. But if you cook it long enough, the flavors subside and you don't even notice any licorice. I think it's fantastic. There are two ways to cook this dish, one on the stove top and the other baked in the oven. I find the oven version to be easier, set it and forget it.

Fennel Baked in Cream

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 lbs fennel (4 medium sized bulbs), stalks removed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2" wedges

2 cups heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss together fennel, cream and 1 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3 qt baking dish. Cover dish with foil and bake for 60 minutes.

Uncover baking dish, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake until fennel is tender and Parmesan has browned, about 30 minutes.

The third part of this dish was two beautiful artichokes I picked up on a whim at Fresh Market. I grew up eating artichokes, Dave had not had one until we met. I think they are one of the best foods in the world. We also grew up dipping them in mayonnaise.

I decided it was time to grow up, to branch out of dipping our artichokes in a prepared condiment with a snap lid. I'm all about making everything from scratch. I decided to make a butter based cream sauce, and what better sauce than Bechamel? I know it's not Italian, and I'm sure there is an Italian version of this sauce out there somewhere, but this was convenient. I will list this simple recipe, however, Dave has this thing about French cooking. I should have never told him it was a French sauce. Instantly he regarded it as bland and one dimensional. You can try it if you like, I thought it turned out great. But really, if you are going for an Italian meal, don't invite the French.

Steamed Artichokes

Trim the stems and cut about 1/4 inch off the top with a serrated bread knife. With scissors trim the remaining leaves to remove the spikes. Place artichokes in a large pot filled about 1/3 with water. Boil artichokes for 45 minutes or until the leaves pull away from the base easily and the ends are tender. Check pot occasionally to make sure the water has not boiled out.

Bechamel

Makes about 1 cup

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk, plus more if sauce is too thick

pinch of nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until medium golden brown (the more you brown it, the more the nutty flavor will intensify). Pour in half the milk, stirring vigorously until smooth. Stir in remaining milk, season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Served with dinner was a Sangiovese blend from Chianti Classico, Castello D'Albola. Fairly high acidity, medium oak and low tannin made this wine pair wonderfully with the pork. Rated in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 with 90 Points.

Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Mushrooms on Three-Cheese Polenta

Well, I know that it has been entirely too long since I have written a post and I probably have lost interest from most of you. But I am here to make amends and give it another go. Now that we are settled into our new house in SW Florida, I feel like I can make my comfy little office and accommodating kitchen into a somewhat professional working space worthy of le blog superiore. Or at least have further motivation to cook some great meals and write about them. I feel terrible that I have missed many opportunities to post some fantastic blogs about outstanding meals I've done in the past months. I will try to make up for a small percentage of my slacking in this blog by posting this incredible meal that came out of my kitchen during the first week of our residence.

My dad, good ole Paul, came to visit us over New Years. As a great big thank you for his generosity and thoughtfulness for bringing a bottle of 1994 Quilceda Creek Cabernet to share, I decided to cook us all a dynamite dinner. I wanted to cook fish, however, I was having a hard time coming up with a method of preparation that wasn't too light or salty. I have a great recipe for a Spanish style topping with capers and green olives, but I knew the salt would completely ruin the taste of the wine. As I wasn't absolutely sure how a 1994 Washington Cabernet was going to hold up, if it was past its prime or big and bold, I decided to stick with my intended white fish with heavier accompaniments. This recipe out of Nordstrom's Entertaining at Home cookbook (with some minor tweaks) was easy, if a bit time consuming, but had all the components of what I was looking for. A simple tomato based red sauce with roasted mushrooms and a creamy cheesy polenta.

I went for the gusto and splurged on some Chilean Sea Bass, one of my most favorite fish. Our neighborhood fish market, Paradise Shrimp Company, had huge fresh steaks that just looked too good to pass up.

The dish was a wild success and the wine paired famously. Probably in fact, one of the best bottles of wine that I have ever had. Thanks Dad!

Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Mushrooms on Three-Cheese Polenta

Recipe from Nordstrom's Entertaining at Home Cookbook
Serves 8

Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
4 Cloves garlic, minced
5 Plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Roasted Mushrooms
1/2 lb portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, quartered
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Sea Bass
olive oil for brushing
8 Chilean sea bass filets (7 oz each)
4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Three Cheese Polenta
6 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup diced Brie cheese (all rind removed)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup stinky cheese (stilton or bleu)
1 cup heavy whipping cream


Preheat oven to 500 degrees

To make Tomato Sauce, in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns light tan, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and canned tomatoes with juices and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in the basil, remove from heat and set aside.

To make the Roasted Mushrooms, in a large bowl, combine all of the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly, and then arrange on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Bake until well browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the Roasted Sea Bass, brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the fillets on the pan without crowding. Sprinke each with 1/2 tsp of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake until slightly browned and just barely firm but not cooked through, about 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven to 400 F.

To make the Three-Cheese Polenta, in a heavy 4 qt saucepan over medium hight heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the salt. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream. Adjust the heat so the polenta doesnt splatter, then cook, stirring frequently until all the water is absorbed and the cornmeal no longer tastes grainy, and the mixture is creamy, 18-20 minutes. Add the cheeses a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the mixture begins to firm up, stir in the heavy cream. The mixture should be pourable. Remove from heat.

In a baking dish large enough to accomodate the polenta, or in two smaller dishes, spread the polenta in an even layer. Scatter the mushrooms evenly over the polenta. Using a wide metal spatula, lift the fish fillets from their baking sheet and arrange them over the mushrooms. Evenly mask each of the filets with the tomato sauce.

Bake until heated through and bubbling slightly around the edges, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Hey everyone! Ive been struggling to keep up with blogs, which is a good thing in the sense that Im finally busy. When I started this blog I had way too much free time on my hands. These days Dave and I are working on real estate transactions, I get home at 8pm and simply whip together a quick pasta dish (nothing worth blogging about) and I have been focusing on writing three blogs a week for the wine shop. It doesnt really have much to do with food, other than serving suggestions, but I do write about beer and wine!

If you're interested in following our wine and beer blog for Decanted, the web address is www.decantedwines.wordpress.com

For now I am going to put things on hold at Wine Glass Beer Stein, but I plan to re-launch once things settle down here a bit. I tend to feel guilty these days writing about food when I should be learning about my financial IQ and investments! Once I get those investments in place, THEN I can concentrate on the delicious things in life.

Thanks for following, I'll be back soon!

Winging It

If I had any idea of the exact measurements of this recipe then I would put it in recipe form for you. But I just kind of threw stuff together so I will give you the general idea and you can get creative on your own.

Dave brought home one of those rotisserie chickens from the grocery store the other night. We had a good amount left over so I decided I wanted to make some soup, but wasn't in the mood for plain old chicken noodle soup. I wanted kind of a Mexican, Asian spicy soup with rice noodles because it's been hot outside lately. So here's what I did.

Chicken Noodle Soup with an Asian Flair

Serves 2-4

For the Broth

1 Whole chicken carcass

1 cup chicken broth

Water

1 onions, chopped into large pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp Better than Bullion or 1 chicken bullion cube

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chipoltle chili powder

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Pinch of Red pepper flakes

Additional Chicken (optional)

2 chicken thighs

1 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chipotle chili powder

1 tsp Dried basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Soup

Chicken from the carcass

1 tbsp Better than Bullion or 1 bullion cube (more or less to your taste)

1 lemon

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 can sliced water chestnuts

4 oz Asian egg noodles

2 cups Baby leaf spinach

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sprouts, cilantro and hot sauce for garnish

Take a large soup pot and place the chicken carcass in the pot with 1 cup of chicken broth and top with water until the chicken is covered with liquid. Add 2 stalks of celery, 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, the bay leaf, chipoltle chili powder and cumin and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 45 minutes to an 1 hour, until the chicken is falling off the bone. Near the end I put some red pepper flakes in the pot to give it some spice.

I like a little more chicken in my soup, so if you like, take two chicken thighs, place them in a baking dish, brush them with olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, cumin, chipoltle chili powder and basil and bake in the oven at 400 degrees. Let the chicken brown, while basting it as the juices start to develop, about 45 minutes. Cover the chicken with foil and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes until chicken reaches 165 degrees, using an instant thermometer to check. (You can skip this step if you feel you have enough chicken from your carcass)

After your carcass is finished boiling, place a colander into another pot and drain the broth from the soup pot to remove the solids. The vegetables will be all mushy and you wont want to use them. Put the chicken on a plate to let it cool before removing the meat from the bone. Put the liquid back in the big pot. Add salt and bullion to taste, juice of 1 lemon, and the onion and garlic. Bring it back to a boil, put the lid on and let it simmer for 20 minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Add the can of sliced water chestnuts and all of the chicken and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Use Asian noodles as directed on the package, adding to your soup pot or cooking separately. If you cook separately, put the noodles large serving bowls, add the baby leaf spinach on top of the noodles, spoon broth and chicken over the noodles and spinach, then top with spouts and cilantro. Add red pepper flakes and some Saracha hot sauce or Cholula and maybe a dash of soy sauce.

I've been really into Rose lately, and not the sweet stuff. We just got the new 2009 Charles & Charles Rose in the shop. It is flippin awesome. It's made by Charles Smith and he is partnered with Charles Bieler www.bielerandsmith.com. If you can find it anywhere in your neck of the woods (probably can find it somewhere in Washington, since it's Washington wine), you need to try it. It's 100% Syrah, not sweet at all, nice tannins and as they describe it...like a swimming pool filled with watermelon Jolly Ranchers. And the best part of all is that it's only around $15!

Paired perfectly with the spices in the soup. Delish!

"Coldest Beer on The Island"

Out and about on a Monday night. We found ourselves at Ft Myers Beach, the hub for spring breakers and white tourists with those freshly flushed faces and spots of bright pink where sunscreen was overlooked. A kind of low brow Key West, a party town on a budget. T-shirt shops line the boardwalk and blast island tunes late into the night. The tattoo parlor is conveniently located on the main strip, just in case you want to document your vacation permanently. It's a far cry from the bustle of Highway 41; commerce, strip malls, shopping, young professionals sporting button downs and ties, Mercedes and BMW's buzzing by. Hardly anyone lives here full time, all of the cottages that line the lengthy barrier island have For Rent signs posted in the yard. Here you are in vacationland. It's always nice to head down and pretend we are on our own mini-holiday, people watch and sip cold beer.

We end up at Yucatan Bar and Grill, a converted Pizza Hut turned into a full-on tiki bar with rattan wall coverings and a solid teak and holly bar that's the center of attention. The fact that it was a Pizza Hut in a previous life is not entirely evident off the bat, but is increasingly apparent as you look up at the unique high rise boxy ceiling. They have disguised it well.

We meet up with Dave's parents, aunt, uncle, cousin, cousin's boyfriend and daughter, and grandma for dinner. The energy from not seeing the Northern family members in quite sometime is full on. They are down for their vacation, spending their days at the beach or at the pool with fresh tans and casual Florida attire. It's contagious, the relaxed mentality of one on break from life. We almost forget that we have jobs to go back to in the morning.

After we all satisfied ourselves with some fresh seafood, the girls decide to go shopping and the boys (and me) decide to cozy up to the bar and listen to some live music. Yucatan offers "The Coldest Beer on the Island", a digital thermometer inside a keg as you walk into the bar. It reads 28 degrees F. Their personalized beer, Yucatan Red is a house specialty and served in a pint glass bearing the name. As with most red ales, this one has almost no hopiness and goes down easy. They also had one of my favorite beers which is found all over Florida; Key West Sunset Ale. It is produced by the Florida Beer Company based in Melbourne, about 300 miles away from the famous Mallory Square. The name and the enticing label help to make this beer a hot seller. It lets the drinker embody a sense of place. Sunset Ale is on the lighter side for a pale ale, not a lot of hop flavor, but just enough to compliment the maltiness of the grains. Living in Florida, craft beer and micro breweries are almost unheard of. You have to go to specialty stores to find a major brand from the Northeast or the West Coast. I get excited when I see Red Hook, the Budweiser of craft beer in the Northwest (not that it tastes like an American lager, but that it's mass produced and found everywhere... just to clarify).

Glancing at the imported beer list, I was thrilled to see that they had Kalik lager, The Beer of the Bahamas. After months of drinking solely a light lager, you tend to long for other flavors, but that taste has been ingrained in my memory bank. It has actually been roughly a year since I have had a Kalik and boy did it taste good! Even though it is a light lager, please do not categorize it with an American lager. It has a distinct flavor, a little nutty and no stank or skunky taste whatsoever. Entirely refreshing on a hot, humid island day. And the best part of all was it was only $3.50, compared to $6 in the islands.

Uncle Steve and Mike kept us company for quite sometime at the bar. The musician was playing Jimmy Buffett covers, James Taylor, Neil Young, The Eagles, and all kinds of songs you know by heart. The ambiance was laid back but lively. This was the kind of place that I could be a regular at. We met "the band" as we were leaving for the evening. He had taken his break and was walking his over sized yellow lab out front. Randy Johnson (no, he is not a tall, lanky red head with a mustache and a mean fastball), was from Alabama, down for a few months trying to make a few bucks in this beach town. He asked where he could look to play next season when he came back, so we gave him some ideas in our neck of the woods. He was grateful and we wished him luck.

Life is not so bad living this close to the beach, but we need to make it a point to get down there more often. It is so easy to get caught in the hustle and bustle of urban life and the quest for the almighty dollar that you forget there is a laid back lane with live music, good people and cold beer.

Gulf Coast Shrimp

OK so I don't have pictures of the fabulous meal that I made last night (well I can't take all the credit, my father-in-law was the grill-master). I actually took photos of the meal, but I was halfway through my meal when I thought to take photos, so it didn't look too appetizing. The recipe is derived from one of the pages I tore out of my Coastal Living magazines years ago, but I had never made it until now. I tweaked it a bit because I didn't have everything they called for, so I will give you my version.

Dave and Karen are at a real estate investing course this weekend so Mike and I decided to do Surf and Turf and spoil them a little bit. They were in class from 9am-7pm, so that makes for a long day! I think they appreciated a good meal waiting for them when they got home. We had fresh local corn (I guess Florida growing season is a little ahead of the rest of the country), thick steaks which were lightly seasoned with Worcestershire and s&p, pecan spiked rice and grilled shrimp with a key lime beurre blanc. The grilling marinade for the shrimp is now my new favorite. The shrimp didn't stick to the grill at all and came off perfectly done and flavorful. I used my Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice that I had leftover from my Key Lime Pie on Easter and it worked perfectly.

Key Lime Grilled Shrimp

Recipe from Coastal Living

Serves 4

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup no-stick grilling marinade

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp Key Lime zest

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Combine shrimp, marinade, honey and zest in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Marinate 1 hour in refrigerator. Drain shrimp well before grilling.

Grill shrimp on a hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until done.

Serve with Pecan-Spiked Rice and drizzle with Key Lime Beurre Blanc.

No-Stick Grilling Marinade

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Key Lime juice

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, or other seasoning salt

1/2 tsp Old Bay blackening seasoning

3/4 tsp dried minced onion, onion powder or garlic powder

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Pecan-Spiked Rice

2 tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

1 stalk green onion, chopped

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, salt and pepper. Cook until onion is tender and lightly browned.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, wine and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20-40 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is done. Remove bay leaf. Stir in pecans and green onion.

Key Lime Beurre Blanc

1/3 cup white wine

3 tbsp Key Lime Juice

1 stalk green onion

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp whipping cream or 1/2 and 1/2

1 cup butter, chopped into small pieces

1/2 tsp Key Lime zest

3/4 tsp salt

Combine first 5 ingredients in small skillet; cook over medium heat until reduced to 3 tbsp. Stir in whip cream and cook until reduced to 3 tbsp. Reduce heat to medium low, add butter, 1 tbsp at a time, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and salt.

South of the Border

I apologize for not staying current with blogs lately. Our internet is being finicky and intermittent. So I'm hoping that it will hold out long enough for me to get a recipe out there for you.

I made this one the other night based on what I had on hand. I had gotten home from work at 8:30 pm and was looking for something fairly quick and painless. I used plain Manatma brand brown rice and it called to cook for 45 minutes. I'm sure you can find another type that cooks quicker if you are in a hurry, because the chicken only has to cook for about 20 minutes after browning it. If you don't have chipotle chili powder you can use regular chili powder, but I actually use the chipotle chili powder a lot. It has a really nice smoky flavor and it's worth having in your spice cabinet.

I keep reading my "South of the Border" title and keep hearing a bell ringing afterwards. Anyone else getting that? Marketing at its best.

South of the Border One-Pot Chicken

Serves 2

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Chipotle chili powder
Cumin

Flour

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup brown rice
1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic

2 ½ cup chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
½ can black beans
½ can corn
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 Hass avocado
Sour cream

Cilantro for garnish

Put olive oil in medium sized pot and turn to medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and dredge in flour then pat the flour off so it is just lightly dusted. Place chicken in pan and brown all sides. Remove chicken to a side dish. Add butter to the pot and let melt. Add onion and sauté until golden and tender. Add garlic and let cook for 30 seconds and then add the rice, stirring until lightly browned. Add white wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add chicken back to pot. Reduce heat and cover and cook for duration on package, mine said 45 minutes.

After the rice is cooked, add the corn and black beans to heat but do not cook. Add additional chipotle chili powder and cumin at this point if desired. Dish rice and chicken onto serving plates and top with fresh cubed avocado, sour cream and cilantro.