Grilled Pizza w/ Onions, Peppers, Corn, and Brats

Would you believe me if I told you that Guinness© Blonde™ American Lager tastes an awful lot like Guinness Stout? Because that's what I'm telling you. As a lover of the deep, rich Porter that everybody knows as Guinness, my first sip of Blonde was a happy one. It may be a lighter in color, but not in complexity or flavor.

The first fusion beer in the new Guinness Discovery Series, Guinness Blonde combines European brewing techniques with American Hops to brew a lager that is hoppy with citrus and floral notes, while still having that "biscuity" malt finish so characteristic of Guinness. It's great for kicking back with and relaxing, but it also lends itself well to cooking and food pairings.

Chinatown Chicken Salad

Remember me saying that I love salad that contain warm elements?  Well, this is another one of my favorites.  I just love the different crunchy elements all lubed up in an amazingly flavorful vinaigrette with warm, tender bites of chicken throughout.  Actually, I suppose you don't really have to serve it with warm chicken...it really doesn't even "call" for it, but I always seem to use warm chicken.  But I have had leftovers and enjoyed it equally as well with all of the ingredients at the same temperature.  So.  That blows that point right out of the water.  It definitely doesn't change how amazing this salad-a-meal is.  The first time I tried this salad was about 6 months ago when Nigella's new book first came out and I chose it as one of the recipes to try while I was reviewing it.  It's stuck ever since.  I've made it using leftover poached chicken, rotisserie chicken, and grilled chicken.  I've made it by shredding a head of lettuce and by opening a bag of pre-shredded lettuce.  I've even subbed honey-roasted peanuts when I realized we were out of regular old salted peanuts.  Each addition/substitution was just as good as the rest.  I've never switched out the color of bell pepper just because I love those bright red strips laced throughout the salad, but of course you could.

Chinatown Chicken Salad 

adapted from Nigella Kitchen
serves ~6

~12 wonton wrappers
oil, for frying

for the dressing:
1 red or green chile, seeded & finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
4 tsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbs. soy sauce
splash sesame oil
½ tsp. sugar

for the salad:
½ c. salted, roasted or honey roasted peanuts
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded (or use an 8oz. bag of pre-shredded)
~6 oz. bean sprouts
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seeded & cut into thin strips
handful cilantro, chopped
4 c. shredded, cooked chicken (or ½-1 breast per person*)

Heat ~½" oil in a frying pan and fry the wonton wrappers in batches.  Move to a paper towel once they've turned golden and crisped up.

Place all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.

In a large bowl, toss the peanuts, lettuce, bean sprouts, scallions, bell pepper, and cilantro.  You can also toss the shredded chicken in at this point.  (If you're using sliced breasts and want to lay them on top to serve, then hold off on adding them now.)  Pour the salad over and toss again.  Divide among serving plates and crumble some wonton chips over each serving.  (Add chicken now if you didn't add it before.)  

Enjoy!

*Adding a half or whole breast per person is quite a bit, but if it's your meal, I do not think that it's too much. This salad is very versatile...just try it out and adjust it to your personal tastes.

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Penne w/ Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Just over ten years ago, I quit my day job.  I was bored and unchallenged and bored and unchallenged and bored....  Selling motorhome windshields was not the life for me. Yes, there was a time when I lived and worked in the motorhome capital of the world. For me, being fulfilled in daily life includes your job...not just what you do outside of work.  I can't fathom a work week in which I am unhappy.  I'll admit, this doesn't necessarily equal fortune...at least not monetary fortune.  But getting to indulge in your passion and practice what you love, not only at home, but in your work.  I consider that the greatest fortune of all.  So, with the notion of starting culinary school in a few short months, I decided to find a job in "the industry" while I was waiting.  One chain and 9 dollars per hour less later...I found myself in the kitchen of an Olive Garden.  I know, I know.  Many of you are groaning.  The Olive Garden!?  I would never eat there.  Well, that's okay.  Even though they are a chain and you can see their daily special on the telly, I was working with food.  That, in itself, put a skip in my step.  Think that's unrealistic?  That I'm a dreamer?  Well, it's all a manner of perspective, I suppose.  Live your life so that you're happy.  That's all I'm saying.

But what some of you may be surprised to know...we actually made most of the food from scratch.  Chopped the veggies for each dish.  Marinated the pork loins.  Made the Alfredo Sauce.  Some things like the red sauces and the soups are made in a central location and then bagged in quantity and shipped to the different OG locations....but it's a support facility that ensures that the soup you love so much in your own hometown will be available and greet you reassuringly at another location across the country...should you want it.  Don't get me wrong, I prefer small, local restaurants that have amazing chefs creating new daily wonders in the kitchen, but for what it is, the Olive Garden isn't so bad...and for those who watch the commercials and scoff at their Culinary Institute in Italy?  It exists. Honest. People who have worked in the corporation for years...from bussers to executives...cross their fingers that they are chosen for the chance to get flown to Italy and attend.  And every year a handful are fortunate enough to get to attend!  I think that's pretty awesome.  But anyhoo...you wonder why I went off on an Olive Garden tangent?  It's because there were three dishes that have made themselves a home in the back of my mind.  Three dishes that we made during my time there.  For all I know, they still do...I haven't been back very often since that six month stint.  The first was an amazing pork tenderloin (whole tenderloin per plate...awesome!) that we marinated in rosemary and olive oil and grilled to order...served with roasted red potatoes.  Awesome.  The second was the shrimp scampi bruschetta....the garlicky wine sauce that pooled around the bottom of fat, sautéed shrimp....I would mop it up with the grilled bread. Aye yay yay. Bliss.  And third, an awesome pasta dish...we sliced up hot Italian sausages and tossed them with three colors of bell peper, onion, chile-infused oil...sautéed it all up and tossed it with red sauce and penne.  It was killer.  I still make some variation of that at home when the craving strikes.  It works just as well with sweet Italian sausage if you're not in the mood for heat.  The great thing about this dish is that you can personalize it in so many ways.  Choose  your favorite pasta...homemade or storebought.  Same goes for your sauce.  I LOVE using extra fennel seeds when I make dishes that include Italian sausage...so I do!  Serve it with some warm garlic bread or toast...a glass of wine or a tall glass of cold milk.  Let this just be a guide to a wonderful, easy, satisfying meal...

Penne w/ Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

from the kitchen of girlichef

serves ~6-8

1# Penne Pasta (or another pasta)

~19 oz. Italian Sausage (hot or sweet), bulk

3 bell peppers...different colors....I used red, yellow, and green...sliced thin

1 large onion, sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed

~1 Tbs. fennel seeds, smashes & bashed w/ a mortar & pestl

few big pinches of crushed, red chiles

~1 qt. (your favorite) Red Sauce

salt & pepper

garnish: 

(choose some, all...or none)

chopped parsley

freshly grated Parmesan

shredded mozzarella

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.  In the meantime, heat a large skillet w/ deep sides over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook until browned w/ crisp bits on the edges (that's how I like it, at least).  Throw in the veggies, fennel, and crushed chiles.  Sauté until the veggies just start to soften.  Add the red sauce and bring to a simmer.  The pasta should be just about done...ladle out a bit of the pasta cooking water and stir it into the sauce until you have a nice, saucy consistency.  Drain the pasta and then dump it into the pan w/ the sauce.  Toss.  Serve hot with any of the garnishes.  Sop up any sauce with garlic bread. Enjoy!

*This post is linked to:
Presto Pasta Nights is being hosted by Debbie at Debbie Does Dinner this week!

Grilled Asian-inspired Chicken Legs + Special Fried Rice

Well, here I am...no longer on borrowed (computer) time {yippee}. Now...still playing catch-up. It's just so hard to get things done when pesky little things...like jobs...get in the way. The only good thing about not having a working computer in the house for a few days was that I got so many other things accomplished.

I finished our latest Cook the Books Club selection in 2 days (now what to make!), I cleaned up the dust bunnies, er ah...cat hair whisps... in places I had been neglecting, I even watched some t.v.

Good Morning Pizza

Whew! Today was a crazy day...it started out fairly normal, though. I was really in the mood for pizza. Homemade pizza. For breakfast. My favorite way to make a pizza is just grab anything good...everything good that's laying around and slice & dice...and bake into bliss! The pizza turned out beautifully. The day seemed "regular" enough. Then I decided that I needed to take a road trip. Things were feeling stale. So, we hopped in the car and headed to my mom's house (just a couple of hours away). We hit the beach...we drank some wine...we raided a taqueria...and we watched fireworks. And now, here I sit at a little past 1 o'clock in the morning writing this post. I don't sleep well when I'm not at home, so I figured I may as well use my time wisely (as opposed to tossing and turning). Plus, I really wanted to enter this pizza into this week's BSI (Blogger Secret Ingredient): Potato assignment; which is being held at Chez What? this week by Christo (aka DoggyBloggy). So, here's to fun weekends and spontaneity and pizza for breakfast!

Good Morning Pizza

by girlichef ...ingredients used in bold

Using 1 portion of pizza dough (homemade, store bought, whatever...I used one of those mixes..just add H20)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Prepare your dough...get it rolled out onto your pizza stone or baking sheet. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper and then grate some fresh Parmesan over it.

Have your chosen toppings sliced, diced & ready to go. I decided to use onion, garlic, plum tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, ham and this weeks BSI...potatoes (b-sized reds to be exact...sliced paper thin!)Pile all of your toppings onto the pizza. Next, add some sliced homemade Mozzarella (yup, here's one application of that mozzarella I so recently made), crack a couple of eggs on top, drizzle with a bit more olive oil, sprinkle with some more crushed red pepper and freshly grated Parmesan and pop into the preheated oven for ~15 minutes.

Let sit for a few minutes so you don't burn the top layer of skin from that little section between your two front teeth.

Slice and serve.

MMMMMMMM.....BREAKFAST! Good morning, pizza.

Okay, you can eat this anytime you like. But look at all of those yummy ingredients that may normally make their way onto your breakfast plate anyway! **Don't forget to enter my giveaway celebrating the 101 post mark!** Happy 4th of July to those celebrating today!!...and everybody else, too...

Penne with Sausage, Onions, and Peppers

This past weekend, two of my little ones and I jumped in the car and took a roadtrip to see my little sister and my new twin nephews. They are oh, so beautiful and sweet...this is the first time I've actually seen them (aside from pictures)! It was a rainy, relaxed weekend and time just seems to fly when you're visiting with loved ones (especially when you haven't seen them in a while), so before we knew it, our stomachs were rumbling.

My mom was there, too...we jumped in the car and she took me to this fabulous Italian market (G.B. Russo & Son) because she knew I would love it. She was right. And how ridiculous is it to go shopping when you're starving?! They carry so many meats, olive oils, cheeses and lots of wine (with loads, yes loads of it at Bargain Basement prices!!!). But, we ended up finding some beautiful sausages at their meat counter... a double-wine and cheese sausage...some pasta and freshly grated cheeses and olive oil and some jarred roasted red peppers and some wine...and somehow we made it out of there and back to my sister's kitchen in a decent amount of time. My one complaint was that they didn't carry fresh produce. Luckily my sis had an onion, a green bell pepper and some garlic. We rustled up a can of mushrooms to add to the mix and voila...a delicious and comforting meal on this cozy, rainy, family-filled day! (I try to always have my camera with me, too.)