No Driver Tipping Required...

I have so been craving pizza. Maybe it is the fact that I live just down the road from an Oregano's and drive past it at least twice a day. Maybe it is just the reaction of being uber-productive today and getting a bunch of things done around the homestead. Regardless, tonight is pizza night in our house but, we aren't calling Domino's or driving down to our favorite Italian haunt. Nope, we are making our own.  We had the cheese in the fridge so we just grabbed some pepperoni, pizza sauce, and whole wheat pizza dough from fresh & easy. 

Pull the dough out of the fridge and start preheating your oven to 450 degree about 20 minutes before you want to start cooking. While the oven is warming and the dough is coming up to room temperature, slice four Dorot garlic and four Dorot basil cubes into paper thin slices. Once the 20 minutes is up, roll out the dough into a circle...be sure to use flour or lightly oiled parchment paper so it doesn't stick to everything it touches. Laddle out the sauce into the center and spread out across the dough in a circular motion.  Sprinkle oregano onto the sauce, add the thinly sliced basil and garlic randomly on top. Now evenly layer on the cheese and put the pepperoni on evenly.

The trick is even layers of everything - dough, sauce, toppings, etc so you don't have uncooked parts (which is not good eats).  Place into your oven for 12 minutes - allow to cool a bit before cutting and you are all good to go.

No tipping of drivers needed - you are, however, welcome to send me money.

The Best Burger Ever!

Yup, I said it.  Yup, I get that it is a throwdown and I just don't care. If you had been here, you would agree...

This all started at the store earlier today.  I decided that I wanted a turkey burger tonight. That one choice lead to a ripple effect that ends in me making bold statements on the internet. I knew I had Swiss cheese, burger seasoning, and whole grain mustard at home, so it really came down to the bun.

I would have been happy with a whole wheat bun but, walking the aisles of my local fresh & easy and I saw them.  The planets aligned, angels sang, if it had been more convenient after the "Battle of New York" the Avengers would have picked this over shawarma. I came across a four pack of pretzel rolls - which matched the quantity of burger patties I had in the cart. To go along with this master piece in the making, I grabbed a broccoli & cranberry salad kit. Simple, refreshing and easy - just throw the contents in a bowl and mix.

The burgers went on the preheated grill and I ground some burger seasoning over the top. While the first side is cooking, I gently sliced the buns. Once you turn the patties and grind some more seasoning on the newly exposed side. Place the bun halves, cut side down, on the top rack of your grill.  Pull these just before you pull your burger patties.

I put a slice of Swiss on the bun base and garnished the crowns with a light skim of the mustard (a little goes a long way).  Plate the salad you mixed and you too will join me in singing the praises of this burger (that you created in seven minutes). Bonus points awarded for how well the pairs with some Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer.

Garlic Herb Chicken Breast with Whole Wheat Three Cheese Tortellini and Green Veggie Medley

On Monday I mentioned that I spent less than $25 at fresh & easy and got enough for two dinners. The first dinner was good - this one was great.  Like the first, this was all packaged food but, you wouldn't know it by the end result.

The chicken was straight from the package to the pre-heated grill. The folks at fresh & easy did the heavy lifting of the marinade - so six minutes on each side and you are good to go. The veggies are also simple, it includes the herb butter - just poke a couple of holes in the plastic and toss in a microwave for three minutes.

The pasta was easy but, modified - instead of boiling the whole wheat shells in just plain water and olive oil, I added a some basil and garlic (with my favorite Dorat cubes) to kick-it up a notch.  One tip I'll share for when you work with stuffed pasta, don't dump the package in, gently place a few at a time into the water. Oh, and though you start with a rapid, rolling boil, reduce slightly to prevent them from tumbling around and breaking open (which is not good eats).

Twelve minutes - great meal - and none of it was faux food.  I dare you to get that from a drive thru.

Chipotle Mango Chicken Breast with Mediterranean Vegetables and Chicken Flavored Brown Rice

First full day back from the vacation is a reminder that there is a small price to pay for emptying the fridge prior to leaving for the Toastmasters International Convention in Cincinnati.  Given that this is a short week (I fly out to Oakland on Thursday), I solved this with a quick stop at a fresh & easy near the site in North Phoenix that I have been working from...

For under $25, I managed to grab enough for two dinners (tonight and Wednesday - have a PDG Advisory Committee on Tuesday). Tonight's dinner featured Chipotle Mango Chicken. Nothing complicated from my end - preheat grill, open package, place chicken breasts on grate, flip after five minutes, remove after five more minutes.

The sides are just as easy - first up, remove the plastic cover and label from the metal tray. Place on grill - jostle contents a couple of times with a pair of tongs, remove when you pull the chicken. The rice was a pre-packed, chicken flavored, brown rice. Vent the top and place in a microwave for 90 seconds.

There you go - dinner in just twelve minutes...

Roasted Smokey Pork Tenderloin with Mixed Squash Saute and Garlic Basil Brown Rice

I find that activities, like cooking help me process the world around me. Today, was a rough day for some good friends - in some instances, I just don't have the words to express how much I want them to know that I support them unconditionally. Tonight's dinner wasn't a quick one but, I could do a lot of processing and the end product was certainly worth the wait...

Start with the tenderloin.  Follow the instructions for preheating your oven, what type of pan to use, etc. Ignore the timing instructions - remember, we cook meats to temperature - not time.  If you haven't done so, go and buy a decent digital probe thermometer. You do not need to spend a zillion dollars but, you will love the way this investment pays off with perfectly cooked, juicy meat. insert the probe into the center of the loin and put in the oven (in this case 375 degrees) - cook to 160 degrees (which means you should pull it from the oven when the internal temp reaches 155 degrees.

While the loin is cooking let's turn our attention to the squash.  Heat a couple tablespoons of EVOO to high heat.  Add sliced squash and/or zucchini, some diced red onions, butter, and seasoning. Reduce heat to medium and cook to the texture you desire (in my case, medium firm). The brown rice is my simple, boil-in-the-bag brown rice (from fresh and easy of course) that was cooked with three Dorot basil and three garlic cubes.

If you paid attention to the cooking instructions for the tenderloin, then you pulled the meat from the oven about five degrees before the final temp. Once you hit that temp, you are ready to slice and enjoy...

Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Basil Brown Rice and Asparagus

Simple "Cheats" to Simplify Dinner 

I am working from the North Phoenix office for at least the next week. On a good day, this is a minimum of a 45 minute drive from my home - since I didn't leave until about 5:30 tonight it equaled an hour plus on the wonderful traffic gorged freeways that are the arteries of the Phoenix area. Every fiber of my being wanted me to consider a drive thru experience for sustenance but, I knew what I had waiting for me at home and I was looking forward to cooking. 

Don't Forget to Add the Seasoning

Maybe it is the result of watching Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, maybe it the fact that I haven't really enjoyed a decent piece of Salmon since leaving Alaska in May, likely it is the fact that I found Salmon fillets on sale at fresh & easy over the weekend but, I was bound and determined to have fish tonight.  I get that fish can be scary for some to cook - let's face it, cook it wrong and it just goes wrong on so many levels. Follow these simple steps and you can produce a fresh dinner in roughly 15 minutes...

Boil in Bag Brown Rice - Genius

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees - move rack to center position
2. Heat extra virgin olive oil in large skillet to medium high heat
3. Place boil in bag brown rice (yes, fresh & easy sells it and it is the perfect portion size) into 1 quart of water - add 4 Dorot Basil cubes - bring to boil and let cook for 10 minutes. The basil cubes will break apart in the boiling water and "infuse" the rice - I thought it added a nice layer to offset the earthy taste of 
4. Place Salmon fillets in oil - cook for 2 minutes on each side. Lightly season each side with salt and pepper. Oh, not that I would know from personal experience, but this would be a good time to find your spatter shield...
5. Place a layer of parchment paper on your cooking stone - trust me, you do not want to skip this step. If you do not have a stone - get one!  Seriously, spend the money and get one to at least cook your pizzas (future post) - you will notice a difference in the end result (aka - your food will be more evenly cooked).
6. Remove Salmon to the stone - drizzle with balsamic glaze (you could reduce some balsamic to a glaze or you can buy a bottle from fresh & easy - I opted to buy the bottle, you pick your own path here) - place in oven for 4 minutes on each side.
7. Place your fresh asparagus into the oil recently vacated by the Salmon (hope you still have that spatter shield handy) - reduce the heat to medium - and add 4 Dorot garlic cubes. Sautee for three to four minutes - turning frequently to prevent charring.
8. Remove rice from water, drain and plate - do not be alarmed that much of the basil will remain behind in the water, it has done the job it needed to and the rice is flavored.
9. Plate the asparagus on top of the rice - use tongs to plate - you do not want to get oil from the pan on the plate.
10. Remove Salmon from the oven, plate and enjoy...

Grilled Cajun Pork Chop with Asparagus Sauteed in Garlic Butter

Since I enjoyed a large lunch, I needed a simple meal for dinner.  Simple solution, fire up the grill and grab the sautee pan.

While the grill is preheating, put three tablespoons of butter and four Dorot garlic cubes on low heat in the sautee pan. So you don't scorch the butter, bring the heat up slowly to medium high. Once at that point add the asparagus...I cut the stalks in half, you don't have to but I think it allows for more complete cooking.

I used a boneless, 1/2" cut chop - remember, thin cut chops (under 3/4-inch thickness) need to be handled differently from thick cut pork chops (anything over 3/4-inch thickness). Thin chops will dry out faster so they need to be cooked quicker, while thicker chops need time to get cooked through the middle without drying out the surface so they need to be cooked slower.  I didn't do any brining beforehand - just light dusting of cajun seasoning (you can easily make your own or use something like Zataran's) on both sides. If you don't do something special to maximize moisture (like a brine) then you need to be sure to turn down the flame and pay attention - a thin cut chop will turn to leather if you leave it too long.

Once done cooking, the plating is easy and dinner is served...

 

Herbed Tilapia with Mixed Veggies and Fingerling Potatoes

There is nothing better than coming home after a hard day at the office and fixing dinner.  It doesn't have to be complicated and you don't have to kill yourself to put out killer results. As is typical, my buddies at fresh & easy helped with some off the shelf parts.

You have to love finding ready to cook, herbed and breaded Tilapia in the seafood section. Not having to created the breading and dredge the fillets through it is absolutely priceless. Straight into the pan with EVOO - three minutes on each side and your entree is done.

The Mediterranean veggies are another fun find from the produce department. At $3.50, you cannot beat the pre-sliced tomatoes, peppers, red onions, squash, and zucchini. Grill them in the pan or, as I did tonight, toss into a 375 degree oven.

The potatoes were easy - wash, toss onto a baking sheet (I have a perfectly sized stoneware one I used) and put into a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Done like this, they will come out fork tender...

No, I Do Not Want to Fix Dinner Tonight...

To say that today was a crappy day would be a bit of a misstatement. It wasn't really that crappy maybe it was just my reaction to it. Better put, today was a "challenging" day - in the end I will be better for it but, in this moment I feel just beat up. It was late (read as 8pm) by the time I could pack it in from my offsite meeting and call Rose to let her know I was finally headed home.  One of her first questions, "do you feel like cooking?" could have, understandably, been answered in the negative.  I surprised myself when I answered with, "yes, I'll cook." I've been on a kick to actually do menu planning for the week. As such, I had pre-planned to grill and the downpour was not going to keep me away.

In the interests of disclosure, Rose helped tonight and preheated the grill and made the potatoes.  We had a couple of large red potatoes that we needed to use up so she sliced them up and tossed into a pot of boiling water. I walked through the door and tossed the mild chicken Italian sausages on the grill and the steamed veggies were another microwave cheat from fresh & easy (green veggie mix with herb butter - three minutes in the box).  You could steam some veggies but, I wasn't in the mood for that stuff so a "cheat" it is (though is it really a cheat if you can pronounce all the ingredients?).

Boys and girls, here's a lesson from your buddy Tim - chicken sausage doesn't cook the same on the grill.  Lower your flame to low-medium and be sure to turn often.  You cannot do the whole "set and forget" like you would with a beef or pork sausage - the fat content is too low and this will just char up into rubberized charcoal.

Plate it all up and you are good to go - bonus points awarded for ending a negative day on a positive note. Besides, a few more beers and it may just not matter, right?

Garlic Basil Chicken with Mediterranean Veggies and Parmesan Potatoes

For tonight think, Chicken Kabobs - minus the skewers. The thing that is going to take the longest time is the potatoes. 

Fire Up the Oven...

Tonight, we used large red potatoes. Slice into 1/8" thick slices. lightly coat with EVOO, sprinkle with salt, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Place into a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Tim's tip - put down a layer of parchment paper - don't rely on a coating of EVOO on the baking sheet.

The veggies are a fresh & easy cheat - the Mediterranean veggies. The instruction suggest that you grill these but, I was trying to avoid the zillion degree heat so I didn't venture outside to turn on the grill. I stuck them in the 425 degree oven, with the potatoes, for about 10 minutes. They've already seasoned them so, this is a pretty low level involvement dish.

Cooking the Chicken

The chicken was bit of another cheat, I used the shredded chicken breast. You could use a unshredded one but, that would involve some level of cooking on the grill (which I wanted to avoid). I heated some EVOO in a skillet, added two Dorat cubes of garlic and basil. Once you add the chicken and sprinkle poultry seasoning over the chicken breast pieces. Cook until done (165 degrees)...

As alluded to at the start, the end result is something like chicken kabobs (minus the skewer). Bottom line is that this is another 15 minute meal that contains ingredients that you can actually pronounce. Sure you will sweat a bit over a hot stove, but you will enjoy a fresh dinner at the end - and isn't that worth a bit of effort?

The Finished Product...

The Five Minute Breakfast

Leftovers Made Up 2/3 of this Breakfast

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day yet, it is also the meal that many Americans tend to skip. When we do stop to have breakfast, then we typically opt for cold cereal - which can be problematic.  I suppose that pouring a splash of milk over your corn flakes or sugar coated choco smacks is better than nothing...but, we can do better and with just a few more minutes of time.

This morning was the start of a work-from-home day for me. As such, I wanted to pause before settling in and enjoy a nice hot meal. Typically, this is eggs (scrambled, poached, sunny-side up) and bacon or sausage (turkey or pork). There was a kink in my plan - plenty of fresh eggs but not a single strip of bacon or sausage. I did have a leftover hamburger and fresh fruit salad from the Fourth of July cookout. A five minute breakfast was born...

Throwing the already cooked hamburger into a small skillet, let's start warming that up now (typically a couple of minutes each side). Next spoon out some of the fresh fruit salad (I'll create a post on that another day) or other fresh fruit (orange for example) onto your plate.  While the hamburger is warming, cook your egg(s).  This morning, I opted for sunny side up but, to each their own.  I won't tell you how to cook an egg but, I will encourage you to be sure to season it with a dash of pepper. Once your egg is cooked to the level you want, it goes on the plate with the hamburger...

There you go, a five minute hot breakfast - I'm off to the store now to get some more turkey bacon for Saturday (as I am now out of hamburgers).

Breaded Tilapia with Green Veggies and Seasoned Polenta

I've written about Tilapia before - and I will say it again, this is a blank canvas of a fish. If you are one of those that doesn't like fish, then I would suggest that you take a piece of tilapia and prepare it the same way you like your chicken - you might be surprised with the results.

We are still pan frying (3 minutes on each side in EVOO) so let's focus on the breading.  I like to use plain packaged bread crumbs. Pour into a small shallow pan (just enough to cover the bottom). Since bread crumbs are pretty tasteless - I strongly recommend that you add seasoning. At the very least salt and pepper but, you can use just about anything. I mixed in a dash of salt, a bit red pepper, and garlic (not too much) to the bread crumbs. Lightly coat the fish fillets in oil and dredge through your seasoned bread crumbs.

Polenta is a relatively discovery for me and, I feel, another blank canvas. I am sure that there are about a million ways to fix this but, I simply slice it up from the tube it comes in and place into a medium hot pan of oil. Season with pepper and cook until slightly golden brown.  I might try grilling it next time.

Veggies are the simple fresh & easy cheat - simply zap in the microwave for 3 minutes. They package it with a herb butter mix so I only wind up adding a pinch of salt after I plate it.

Grilled Seasoned Chicken with Mixed Veggies and Brown Rice

From fridge to plate in 15 minutes...

Maybe like me, the hardest night to cook at home is Monday night. Let's face it, the last thing most of us really want to do after slogging through a, "case of the Mondays (there is your Office Space reference for the evening) is cook dinner. Dinner does not need to be complicated and cooking dinner should not have to take forever. 

Tonight's dinner was fresh and sure, it involved a couple of "cheats" - courtesy of fresh & easy (if you have one near you, I suggest checking them out).  Here's what you will need...

Grilled Seasoned Chicken with Mixed Veggies and Brown Rice

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Poultry seasoning
• Mixed veggies (the cheat, I used one of the "ready to cook" vegetable sides) 
• Brown rice (the cheat, a package of zap in the bag brown rice)

Preheat grill - since I use propane, I do not count the time it takes to do this as part of the 15 minutes it takes to fix this dinner (seriously, it took me longer to type this sentence than it did to turn on the gas and press the ignite button). While your choice of fire is coming up to temperature, lightly coat the chicken with EVOO. Then sprinkle the poultry seasoning on each side.  Place chicken on grill, turning frequently until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. By the way, if you do not have a digital thermometer, why not.  Go and get one you cheap...

Since I shop at fresh & easy, I opted to use a couple of their store brand "cheats" to create the sides. For my friends outside of their market service areas, I am sure that you can find something similar in a store near you. Just stay away from the frozen section - stick with stuff that you can find in the produce section and that has ingredients listed on the label that you can actually pronounce.  If you want to avoid the "cheats" then factor in time to slice and steam the veggies and cook the brown rice.

I am not going to get into the whole brown versus white rice debate, what I will say is that, once you get used to the mild, nutty flavor, I think you will pick it over white rice just about any day. Other than the taste, the only difference is that the husk of the rice is the only thing that is removed during the milling, With the bran intact, brown rice retains more fiber, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc than white rice. If you need more vitamin E in your diet then you should note that brown rice is the only grain that contains this antioxidant.

There it is, a fifteen minute, fresh, Monday night dinner...

Simple, Refreshing Lunch

Where I live (Phoenix area) temperatures are now hitting the 100+ degree mark on a regular basis. As a result, I don't typically go for a "hot" lunch (trust me, the last thing you want is more heat when you live on the surface of the sun).

If I have learned nothing from this new job, I have learned that you cannot count on having bandwidth to get out of the office for lunch. In the summer, I often get stuck with sandwiches or salads - which can get a bit boring after a while.

They don't have to be though and my lunch the other day is an example of thinking outside of the (lunch) box.  This was as simple as a sandwich, not as complicated as a full-on salad, and very satisfying.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

• Cube watermelon
• Cube firm feta (crumbles will not work)

You can stop there or opt to add some fresh mint or drizzle some balsamic into it.  There you go, that simple (perfect way to jump-start this blog after months away with work and travel life happening). 

Adobo Seasoned Chicken Breast with Tender Stem Broccoli

Not Your Local KFC

Ok, it has been a while since I posted - been a bit busy lately.  Tonight was the perfect night to change that.

What I wanted was a three piece white meet KFC chicken dinner with all the comfort food sides that come along with it (crappy mac & cheese, what is supposed to pass for biscuits, and overly processed slaw).  Instead, I stuck to my "no drive-thru crap food" pledge and drove past KFC to home.

Chicken is a blank canvas. Tonight I made up a quick little dry rub of adobo seasoning and sweet paprika. Place it on a grill and cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, turning so as not to overly char the flesh.

I have fallen in love with sauteing veggies in brown garlic butter. Tonight star in the pan was tender stem broccoli. I will confess to cheating - I used two Dorot garlic cubes - throw  them in so they dissolve down while the butter melts. Put your veggies in right after turning the chicken the first time.

15 minutes - fridge to plate and way better for you than three piece faux food...

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Couscous Cheese Stuffed Peppers

The great thing about Tilapia is that it is a blank canvas for food...blackening, seasoning, crusting. This tilapia was super easy - fresh fish, pre-packed filets. Simply pan fry in three tablespoons of oil (of course I used EVOO), three minutes on each side. Remember to have the oil hot, otherwise the crusting will stick to the pan and pull off the filet when you flip it.

The peppers were also super easy. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the tops, remove the ribbing and seeds...you might want to trim a bit off the bottom to help them stand upright. For the couscous, bring 1-1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon of butter, some basil (3 dorot cubes), and some garlic (another 3 dorot cubes) to a boil. Stir in one cup of couscous, remove from heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Now pull out a baking pan add water to cover the bottom 1/2 inch. Spoon the couscous into the peppers, sprinkle shredded cheese on the top, and place upright in the pan. The pan now goes on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

In total, just 15 minutes from cutting board to plate. Enioy...

Breakfast Made Easy

Cooking Time:  6 minutes
Clean-Up:  cutting board, knife, skillets and tongs

Were you to break into my home and check the pantry, you would discover that I don't have any cold breakfast cereal. It isn't that I am opposed to those - I love a heaping bowl of Frosted Flakes as much as the next guy - I just prefer something warm in me to start the day (especially this time of year).

On weekends, breakfast typically is eggs, a pork protein, and a side of fruit. It is light, quick, and a great way to get the day jump started. On days that I am feeling particularly lazy, I use Egg Beaters instead of regular eggs.  While they contain Xantham and gaur gum - they contain no egg yolks so they are a bit healthier for you. Also, because of their smoother consistency, I like them a lot better than real eggs for scrambled eggs and omelettes. Spritz a bit of olive oil in a medium hot skillet, and you are off to the races.

Now for the meat. Sure, you could do your standard thick cut slab bacon but, that would be boring. For this morning, I opted for an uncured back bacon (think a slightly goofier shaped Canadian bacon). This comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig and is a lean, meaty cut of bacon with a ham-like texture. I'm sure that I found this because fresh and easy is owned by Tesco - which happens to be headquartered in the United Kingdom. It is a much healthier choice and will not shrink down nearly as much as the bacon you are likely used to using (I have never once had to do the whole drain bacon fat into the old coffee can trick). I'm not saying that I don't love side or slab bacon (oh how I do) but, this is an offering that doesn't seem nearly as processed as the little circular Canadian style bacon we usually find in the United States.

The fruit garnish is even simpler - take a piece of fruit from the fridge (in this case an orange) and cut into pieces.  Now you have started your day right and let Tony the Tiger sleep in.