Smoked Mozzarella, Fruit and Almond Couscous

Ok, with tomorrow being the first day of summer my post of this recipe is probably totally inappropriate. It's totally off-season. "Apples?" you're asking, "You want us to eat apples? With dried fruit? Should I don a sweater and sip on some hot cider as well?" I mean, if ya want. It's a free country, but let's not really push it here. This recipe is really just about all the fall I can take right now.. anyone can take right now. If it makes you feel better, I made some sauteed zucchini to go right along with this. And drank iced tea. And looked at pictures of Jeremy's fabuloso vegetable garden that is about 8 months pregnant. Sha lalalalalalalala la la-ti-da! Every day can't be a cookout people. So let's be happy we live in a time and place where we can import all the off-season foods we want. Buy fresh and local. Most of the time. 

Fall? NO!

This couscous dish is more of a salad. It's supposed to be served cold; mine was served warm. But I think that played into the flavors of the cheese very nicely. So if you are eating right away, I suggest keeping the couscous warm. I suppose if you are preparing ahead of time, this would be delicious served cold as well. Served warm, this dish has great complexity. The sweetness of the fruit, the smokey and salty flavors from the cheese, and the fresh taste of parsley combine with a nutty flavor in a very balanced way. The original recipe, from this book was for a farro salad, but I subbed the couscous to be frugal. It was a great success. One more note: I live with 2 boys. They like to eat meat. I didn't make any with this; they didn't complain. Another great success.


Soundtrack: ON REPEAT. Not really. Ok, I mean, it has 217 plays as of right now. I am at least 50 of them. Did I just admit that? Oof.


Smoked Mozzarella, Fruit and Almond Couscous


10 garlic cloves (I suggest skipping to step one with these puppies before prepping the rest)
1 tbs honey
white wine
1/4 c. fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

6 oz smoked mozzarella, chopped

1/2 c. almonds, chopped
2 red delicious apples
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 c. couscous (to prepare according to package directions)
1/2 c. craisins
2 tbs EVOO
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 350. Peel the garlic cloves. Lay on a square sheet of aluminum foil (large enough to create a sealed pocket in which to roast the garlic) and drizzle with honey and a splash of white white. The garlic will roast in the oven for around 40 minutes. (This will smell amazing!)


Meanwhile, prep the rest of the ingredients. Chop your cheese, parsley, and almonds. Chop the apples and toss in a small bowl with lemon juice, then fill the bowl with enough water to soak the apple pieces.


Then, heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped almonds and cooked until toasted, stirring often. This will take between 5-10 minutes, depending on the coarseness of your chop. While the almonds are toasting, prepare the cup of couscous, according to package directions. 


Once both are finished, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar and EVOO with a whisk. Add the couscous (make sure to get to the "fluffed" stage first!!), almonds, apples (drain first), parsley, craisins and mozzarella and stir until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve (or refrigerate to serve as a cold salad later). 

Honey bear = still one of my favorite things ever.

Great breath all around!

Just had to take the opportunity to show off my chopper here...

Toast!

Bun's like parsley too!

Delicious cheese

Everything prepped.. and then pretend you're on TV!

Mmmm.

Cilantro Lime Pork Chops

Mmm. Cilantro. Mmm. Citrus. Mmm. PORK.

Serving Suggestion: STARCH!
Actually, I just keep conveniently forgetting that corn is NOT a vegetable
Jer keeps reminding me... damn him!

See here's the thing. Pork chops can be tough to cook. Because they get tough. (har har har) There is literally nothing worse than chewing on a tough pork chop, trying to cover it up with barbecue sauce, hanging your head in shame.. (yea that's what bbq sauce reminds me of... sad) So how can you make this not happen? Honestly, I have no idea. Was that a huge let down? I'm sorry. Things that I do know: every time I've ever baked pork chops they've been tough, I've had lots of luck with grilling them, bone-in pork chops are tougher to make tough (that's not going to get old for me, I'm sorry... not). It's also my theory that because I buy cheaper pork chops, they are fattier, and therefore more forgiving (like sweatpants! or Joey's thanksgiving pants). I think that's probably accurate. Anyway, I cooked the boneless chops I used in this recipe over the grill and they came out perfectly. No marinade. No sauce. If that makes you nervous, you're normal. But it worked. I shrug my shoulders. Anyway, tried and true, just don't overcook and you'll get the perfect chop. Mmm pork.

Speaking of Joey's Thanksgiving pants, it's been coming to my attention more and more that not everyone in the world has seen every episode of Friends ever. This boggles my mind and makes me feel sad for you all. BEST. SHOW. EVER. I've actually been watching some re-re-re-re-runs on TV lately... gets me every time. I love cheesy jokes though, in case you hadn't noticed. One liners, silly puns, etc. Oooooh, the great American sitcom. I miss you. Snookie: "the poof" will never be as cool as "the Rachel".

Wait, were we making something? Oh yea. Cilantro Lime Pork Chops. Tender pork. The citrus-y sauce compliments the taste of the grilled meat well (definitely cook over a grill flame where possible!). And then cilantro. Great weeknight summer dish; easy and not a lot of time spent in a hot kitchen. So let's get started! (Original recipe from Epicurious)

Just a side note about my side dishes in the picture above: 1) Brown rice and wild rice tossed with salt, pepper, scallions and juice from 1/2 an orange (meh, should've used more orange, but it had potential) 2) Corn, rolled in a little bit of butter and seasoned with chili powder (good! try this!). I'd definitely suggest making some sort of grain (rice, couscous, what have you) to drizzle extra sauce on. 

Soundtrack: Eliza Newman (catchy! adorable! ukulele!) 

Cilantro Lime Pork Chops

1/4 c fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c EVOO

2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

4 boneless pork chops

salt and pepper (to season)

Combine lime juice, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, EVOO and cilantro in a bowl. Stir with a whisk.

Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat (depending on thickness, check cooking times!) until cooked through.

To serve, pour 1/4 of the cilantro-lime sauce over each chop.

Fresh!

Chop! Chop! Chop! Pork Chop!

Finished sauce

Din!

:)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Banana Buttercream

Happy birthday to the most important person in my life. Besides myself, of course. No, not Jagger, I said person! Adam you win! And you win cupcakes! I hope that your birthday was as special and as much fun as it could be, since that I could not be there with you. (omg boys weekend!)

Happy Birthday to you!!

Chocolate. Pretzels. Bananas. Three things that don't really stay stocked very well around here. Some of Adam's favorites. So I combined them into the ultimate birthday cupcake. He got them a few days early since I was shipping up to Boston (to see NKOTBSB OMGOMGOMGOMG!!! and relive my childhood, but wasted this time around). Speaking of that song.. they PLAYED IT DURING THE NKOTBSB concert. And if I wasn't freaking out enough already, this was the icing on the cake.


Speaking of the icing on the cake, this frosting is damn good. Definitely my most favorite part. And there was extra. And it was glorious. Please note, that's the best part. Now go make this.


Having extra frosting reminds me of a story my grandparents love to tell about me. At probably around 11/12, I was staying at their house for a week during the summer. I decided to make a funfetti cake (doesn't funfetti just remind you of childhood?), which came out of the oven and was set out to cool. We were all spending some time under the house (think beach house, built on stilts) and I asked to go frost it. They let me go upstairs alone (first mistake) with a tub of frosting to do just that. I don't remember eating that much of it. Honestly. But they came up to check on me at some point after I had finished. They describe a pretty much naked cake with some frosting here and there in spotty areas, huge holes in the cake, etc. Empty tub in the trash. Yep, I love me some frosting. Like I said, embracing my inner fat kid in a healthier way. 


Anyway, let's begin here. Before I go grab another one.


Soundtrack: SBTRKT

Chocolate Cupackes with Banana Buttercream (and Pretzels!)


Chocolate Cupcakes (recipe from Joy of Baking)
Yield: 16 cupcakes

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup boiling hot water (just a tip - boil more water then you will need, don't boil exactly 1 cup. Seems obvious, but I gotta admit I would do it.)

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature (check here for a tip on how to do this quickly!)

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 and fill 2 muffin tins with 16 cupcake cups. Spray with cooking spray to ensure they will peel easily. Combine cocoa power and boiling water in a small bowl; set this aside to cool completely to room temp. (I stuck it in the freezer). Meanwhile, in another small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set this aside as well. In a larger bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. This requires a minimum of 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture, slowly. You will get a thick batter, this will seem weird. Don't over-mix. Using a spoon, stir in the cocoa until mixed though. Pour into cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean! Cool the cupcakes on a rack, then frost and decorate!

Banana Buttercream Frosting

1 large, very ripe banana

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 c butter, at room temperature

4 c powdered sugar

6 drops yellow food coloring

In a small bowl, mash the banana and stir in lemon juice; set aside. Cream together the butter and 1 c powdered sugar. Beat in the banana mixture. Then add the rest of the sugar, slowly. Once combined, add food coloring.

Add boiling water to the cocoa power. Penzy's is the best!
And yea, those are chocolate chips in the background. I needed a snack...

Dry ingredients

Batter up!

Naked!!

Ba-na-na!

Finished little cuppycakes!

Caramelized Onion & BBQ Chicken Pizza

Let's talk Philadelphia. It's not known for it's pizza. While it has its merits, cheesesteaks, water ice, pretzels, I don't find many of them very enticing. Fortunately we've got one really go to pizza spot, but other than I'll make my own. Thank you very much.

Oh, hello. Yum!

One of the fun things about homemade pizza is that depending on how much time you have to spare (or are willing to spare) you can vary which components you spend time making (dough, sauce, toppings) to make it just as homemade as you'd like. If you're like me and you go home early from work on a day when it's 100 degrees outside (but feels like 1,000,000), then you make everything from the crust to the caramelized onions. Or you can buy everything (Trader Joe's has a great pizza dough and sauce) and it's just simple assembly from there. Or something in between, which is normally more my style.


I must confess, this caramelized onion and bbq chicken pizza comes from the menu of an ex-employer of mine. I used to eat it on the reg until we went our separate ways. The combo of sweet and spicy on this pizza is lit-er-a-ly to die for. The balance is really... um... magical? Can I say that without sounding really ostentatious? (Can I also just go off on a tangent here and mention that ostentatious is on of my favorite words, because it's well... ostentatious?) And then cheese. And cheese is good.


One note about the chicken: I used a breast because that's what I had sitting in the fridge. You could use leftover chicken or anything else you like. As long as it's cooked and tossed in Stubb's spicy bbq sauce and shredded. Ok fine, you can use whatever bbq sauce you like. One more note about the pictures: I didn't get that many of the actual pizza (ok, just one). Sorry, I was hungry. I hope you are still enticed. You should be.


So, let's begin.


Soundtrack: Gigawatt

Caramelized Onion & BBQ Chicken Pizza


1 med. onion, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1/2 c bbq sauce (I suggest Stubb's Hickory Bourbon spicy or sweet)

1 pizza dough (store bought &prepper according to package directions or make your own! I used this recipe here and it was really good; chewy and soft, great flavor)
1 jar or 2 c. Pizza Sauce (see recipe below)
1-2 c. mozzarella cheese (depending on the size of your dough)
6 oz. ricotta cheese
salt & pepper


To make the onions: Heat EVOO in a frying pan over med heat. Add onions. Cook onions at med heat for about 15 mins, stirring every so often. The goal is to let them sit, so that they caramelize, but not long enough so that they burn. (Here is a good tutorial if you need it!) Lower the heat to low, add salt and pepper and the sugar. Cook another 20 mins, stirring every so often. Toss with balsamic vinegar and set aside.


To make the chicken: If you are starting with a raw chicken breast then cube, salt and pepper, and cook in a frying pan in some EVOO. Cook just until no pink remains. Take cooked chicken and toss in the bbq sauce. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Set aside


The rest is just assembly! Preheat oven according to the directions on or with your dough. Flattened out the dough to make a large circle (or semicircle..). (Depending on your method of baking, you may want to bake the crust for 10 minutes before adding toppings so that the cheese doesn't burn. I use a cookie sheet and would highly recommend this. If using a preheated pizza stone, I don't believe it's necessary, but don't quote me) Cover in sauce, then sprinkle on mozzarella. Add ricotta in blobs, spreading them fairly evenly. Add chicken and onions. Bake for 20 minutes or until dough is cooked through. 

I was literally sobbing right about now!

Starting to cook...

So good. Literally a challenge not to eat them all RIGHT. NOW.

Best. BBQ. Sauce EVAAA. Except when I make my own,
then I win.

Oooo sauceeyy

Cheesey!

Pizza Sauce (use fresh herbs where possible)


1 can tomato paste
2 c. water
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp  ground fennel seed
2 cloves garlic


Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer until thickened. Yep, that easy. :)

Pieceout ya'll!! (get eat... b/c it's pizza!? heeheehee)

Zucchini Ribbon and Black Bean Topped Chicken

I've been in this mood lately where I just don't like to follow directions. I haven't picked up a recipe to make dinner in weeks. It feels good. Liberating, if you will. Not to say I don't browse for inspiration, but my measuring spoons would be rusting if I wasn't trying to record everything for you all. So they thank for for that; rusty spoons are no good (Sorry, that video actually gives me the heebeegeebs, but I had to.) I've felt particularly creative lately, which is nice because I really never thought of myself as a particularly creative person. So, go me! And go everyone reading this too, I love you mans. Group hug/kumbaya. 


Sorry folks, that was as much emotion as I'll ever torture you with (I actually can't promise that though). Let's get back to the real subject at hand here: foods. Mmmm.

Enough already, damn.

So, as you've probably inferred by now, (ooooh foreshadowing) this chicken dish is an on the fly mash-up. It was inspired by some leftover beans (if you're interested in how you too can acquire some leftover beans, please refer to Sunday's breakfast adventure) and an aging squash. I had originally wanted to make a mock pasta dish using the zucchini, but there just wasn't enough (more on that idea at a later date though!). So I ended up just plopping everything on top of the chicken breast and serving with a salad. The result was an appealing balsamic flavored chicken dish, slightly acidic with a tiny bite of heat, yet sweetened by sun-dried tomatoes. It's a quick throw-together and a healthy weeknight meal. 


One note on cooking the chicken: I mock "pan fried" mine in a grill pan in a little-bit-more-than-a-drizzle of olive oil. By cooking it in the grill pan, the chicken won't be fully saturated in oil because of the ridges, but you still get a pan fried chicken taste. I like the crisp flour coating on the chicken and I also tend to find that if I feel like I'm eating something that is bad for me it's more satisfying. So that's the scoop on the chicken preparation. Let's get started shall we?


Soundtrack - Bob Dylan - Modern Times  (Just love his voice... so. so. much)


Zucchini Ribbon and Black Bean Topped Chicken (serves 4)


4 med. chicken breasts, cleaned of fat and pounded (flat breasts, if you will)
1/3 c. whole-wheat flour
2 med. zucchini, cut into thin ribbons (using a vegetable peeler)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 c. chicken stock (or broth if that's what you have on hand)
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to your tastes, I used 1/2)
1 tsp oregano
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper
EVOO


In a grill pan, heat a drizzle of evoo over medium heat. In a shallow dish (I use a pie plate for this) combine the ww flour, salt and pepper. Coat chicken breasts in flour and place onto the grill pan. Cook about 5-7 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through.


Meanwhile, heat another drizzle of evoo over medium heat in a saute pan. Once oil is heated, saute the zucchini, garlic and a little salt and pepper for about 1 minute. Add in stock, vinegar, beans, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in SDT's. Plate chicken and serve with zucchini and black bean topper. 

The A Team

Use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons!

Ingredient shot!
PS check out that recipe card I'm writing on to the left (<3 Becca!)

Sauteeing (sp!?) the ribbons!

Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer!

Huevos Rancheros

I love. love. love. breakfast. And by that I mean I could eat it for lunch and dinner as well, something I'm sure we all do sometimes (and if you don't, you're missing out). One of the best things about the weekend, in my not-so-humble opinion, is having the time to prepare a delicious breakfast for myself and anyone else who's face I can shove food in. Huevos Rancheros is up there on my list of favorite breakfast (and lunch and dinner) dishes.

Eggs and Mexican food = match made in heaven

Until today, it wasn't really a dish that I made for myself so much as something I ordered in almost every brunch-serving restaurant in Philadelphia and beyond. But a little leftover guacamole and some fresh ingredients inspired me to try it this morning. And I'm really glad I did, because, as I discovered, it's not a difficult dish to make at all! The basic "must-haves" are of course the eggs, a "ranchero" (tomato based chile) sauce, beans, and tortillas. Everything else is gravy on the cake. Icing on the mashed potatoes. Wait...


Just a side note about Americans being fat before we get started: cheese and sour cream don't even exist in traditional Mexican food. So we can add them to our burritos, tacos, etc, but it's only because we are fat Americans. I learned that today and I feel proud. Other than that, this recipe is really healthy. Make the ranchero sauce yourself to control oil and sodium, use black beans rather than refried beans, and everything else is pretty much fresh. Ok ok, tortillas. But the way I did this, the portion size includes only half a medium sized tortilla, so no harm, no foul. It's like eating ice cream standing up from the carton. If you don't eat a whole serving, it doesn't count! (Please don't try and tell me otherwise, I firmly believe this to be true and live by it.)


Soundtrack: Ain't nothin' like a disco dance party to start the day off right! Seriously. Best. mood. ever.


Huevos Rancheros (serves 2)

1/4 c. chopped tomato

1/8 c. chopped red onion

1/8 c. chopped red bell pepper
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 med. flour tortilla (corn is more traditional and can be used as well)
4 eggs
Ranchero Sauce (I used this recipe with some slight adjustments. Cut in about half serves 2. My changes: I used 1/2 a fresh large tomato, chopped, for the diced tomatoes and just enough oil to saute - no need for a whole tbsp)
1/2 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
guacamole
cheddar cheese (optional)
salt and pepper


Combine tomato, red onion, bell pepper and cilantro to make a fresh salsa. Set aside. Cut the flour tortilla into quarters. Place pieces in a toaster oven or preheated (350) oven to warm. Crack 4 eggs into a medium, greased, frying pan, so that all 4 yokes are separate (the whites will run together, it's ok you can separate them out once they cook). Salt and pepper eggs. Cook eggs over medium (to do this, cook eggs until whites are hardened, except right around the yoke. Separate into four pieces (each with a yoke, obvs) and then flip. Cook another minute or so). Remove tortillas from oven and plate (2 per plate). Flip 1 egg onto each tortilla piece. If using cheese, apply now. Add desired amount of Ranchero Sauce, black beans, salsa and guacamole. Serve and enjoy! Ole!

Fresh salsa! Ok, I didn't have cilantro :(
But I'm still drooling for it

Eggs in frying pan. Sizzzzlllleee!

Naked tortillas. Omg it's like tortilla pornography!

Eggs done over-medium - don't break those yokes! 

Freshness!

Chile Spiced Chicken Skewers with Sweet Corn and Rice Salad

• Well! That's a mouthful (pun intended).
• 
  

Pinned ya!

• 
  
• I love summer-time grilling as much as the next guy, but I can only eat so many pieces of grilled chicken breast before I start to wish it was winter again (I TAKE IT BACK!! I TAKE IT BACK!!). Maybe it's a little early in the season for that and maybe I just really like chili. Who can say? Regardless, this dish uses geometry to make  you feel like you're changing it up a bit (it's an illusion!). Serve it with this sweet corn and rice salad, which balances out the spice and adds an element of freshness. It's a great way to use the grill, or have a Sue use the grill (thanks Jer!).

Before we get started, I have to admit this dish was a lucky accident (Is that redundant? No, some accidents are unlucky!). I originally intended to make more of a Moroccan inspired skewer, but I was missing a lot of key ingredients. I had a sauce that was going with it that failed miserably. Then, after that disaster Sue was almost done with the chicken, so this side dish was another happy accident created in a panic. Poor Adam and Jeremy, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. I feel better now that I have confessed. For penance, I will say 8 Hail Mary's. But honestly, this was really really really good despite all of that. So try it. I dare you.

Soundtrack: Battles - Glass Drop

Chile Spice Chicken Skewers

• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt (I had used more, but we felt it could be reduced. Feel free to increase based on preference)
• 1 1/2 tsp medium chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into hearty sized chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces
• skewers! (also fun to poke people with)

Turn grill on to preheat. Combine the dry ingredients (spices or what have you) in a bowl. Add chicken and mix to coat (make sure all pieces of chicken are fully coated). Stick on skewers, alternating between pieces of chicken and pieces of pepper. Make sure to stick as much of the skewer through as much of the chicken as possible; keep in mind you don't want it to fall off in grilling. Grill until cooked through.

Sweet Corn and Rice Salad

1-15 oz can sweet corn (or equivalent in cobs; I know this is sorta sacrelidge, like I said, Hail Mary's for me)

1 c. brown rice, raw (cook according to package directions, which I believe becomes 2 cups)

1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped

drizzle of apple cider vinegar

drizzle of EVOO

Combine corn, cooked rice and basil in a bowl. Toss with vinegar and oil. Serve! (That was easier on paper than in my head HAHA)

 

Ready to perform the surgery, sir!

Make sure to coat chicken entirely!

Lined up and ready to go!

Match made in heaven!

Mmmm grilled!