Just me, my meat and my potatoes. A sexy party I never mind crashing.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Sometimes you need something simple...
like steak frites.
Just me, my meat and my potatoes. A sexy party I never mind crashing.
Just me, my meat and my potatoes. A sexy party I never mind crashing.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Years Resolutions..
So, my new years resolution is to try a new recipe and tweak it every single week. That and to beat my boy regularly, get his pain tolerance up more and to get him in his chastity device more often.
So far, so good. On New Years, I played in public, had a great time with a cane, a thin paddle and my single tongued dragon's tail. OH MAN, I tophighed so quickly and that haze just lasted for the rest of the day. The pet is currently cocklocked and I love it!
Back to the other part: Today I tried to do my take on Chicken Piccatta /Chicken Marsala. This was a very different recipe for me especially how it has such simple light flavors. Usually that's not my style of cooking, I love bright, bold ZOMG, MY TONGUE IS OVERWHELMED type flavors, but this time, I tried something new.
I used a melding of two recipes in order to make this. Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccatta. It came out okay.. I'm going to do it again at another point to tweak it better.
I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. I covered them with plastic wrap and then pounded them flat with the flat side of my mallet. After that, I lightly seasoned each piece with garlic salt and lemon pepper. I quickly dredged the pieces in flour and let them sit.
I took my large stainless steel skillet plan and heated it to medium to high heat. I added 2 tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp of olive oil. Waited for them to melt and mix together. After I heard the sizzling of the delicious mixture, I shook off the excess flour from the chicken thighs and put them in the hot skillet. Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet, mine was rather large, so I was able to fit 3 large pieces of chicken inside. Let the chicken cook for 3 mins without touching it. Flip it over and then let it cook for three minutes more. If you don't mess with the chicken while it's cooking, it won't stick to the pan and will easily turn over. After the 3 minutes are up, remove from the skillet, put it on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Add another 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil and repeat the cooking process. Take the rest of the chicken and add it to the plate and cover. Repeat until you run out of raw meat!
Now add half of a medium sized onion that has been chopped up to the pan, let that cook for a bit and soften. Add 3/4 of a cup of white wine to your pan and let it cook down and reduce to about half the amount. Add 2/3 cup of chicken broth to the mixture and stir. Make sure you get the delicious brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. There's where the nomgasms are. Take the chicken that was sitting on the plate and add it to the simmering pan and let it cook for around 5-6 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and plate. Add 2 tbsp of butter to the pan and stir it up, slowly thickening the sauce. Drizzle pan sauce on top of chicken and enjoy!
====
So, here's my issue with this. THERE IS TOO MUCH OIL AND BUTTER!!! Wayy too much. The oil ended up pooling at the bottom of my plate. Not very tasty to sop up. I think next time I'm going to cut 1/2 the amount of the olive oil and see how that works. I'm going to put a little bit more seasoning in the chicken and in the sauce to give the dish more flavor. Chances are I'm going to add herbs to keep it light. Maybe more pepper too? Also, I think I may have to reduce the sauce much more. It was a nice sauce, but I wanted it to be much thicker. I could also add cornstarch to make it work.
All in all, I'll give it a 6/10. The fact that it was so oily made it lose a lot of points. I wanted a little bit more flavor to it and the minimal seasoning wasn't enough for me.
So far, so good. On New Years, I played in public, had a great time with a cane, a thin paddle and my single tongued dragon's tail. OH MAN, I tophighed so quickly and that haze just lasted for the rest of the day. The pet is currently cocklocked and I love it!
Back to the other part: Today I tried to do my take on Chicken Piccatta /Chicken Marsala. This was a very different recipe for me especially how it has such simple light flavors. Usually that's not my style of cooking, I love bright, bold ZOMG, MY TONGUE IS OVERWHELMED type flavors, but this time, I tried something new.
I used a melding of two recipes in order to make this. Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccatta. It came out okay.. I'm going to do it again at another point to tweak it better.
I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. I covered them with plastic wrap and then pounded them flat with the flat side of my mallet. After that, I lightly seasoned each piece with garlic salt and lemon pepper. I quickly dredged the pieces in flour and let them sit.
I took my large stainless steel skillet plan and heated it to medium to high heat. I added 2 tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp of olive oil. Waited for them to melt and mix together. After I heard the sizzling of the delicious mixture, I shook off the excess flour from the chicken thighs and put them in the hot skillet. Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet, mine was rather large, so I was able to fit 3 large pieces of chicken inside. Let the chicken cook for 3 mins without touching it. Flip it over and then let it cook for three minutes more. If you don't mess with the chicken while it's cooking, it won't stick to the pan and will easily turn over. After the 3 minutes are up, remove from the skillet, put it on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Add another 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil and repeat the cooking process. Take the rest of the chicken and add it to the plate and cover. Repeat until you run out of raw meat!
Now add half of a medium sized onion that has been chopped up to the pan, let that cook for a bit and soften. Add 3/4 of a cup of white wine to your pan and let it cook down and reduce to about half the amount. Add 2/3 cup of chicken broth to the mixture and stir. Make sure you get the delicious brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. There's where the nomgasms are. Take the chicken that was sitting on the plate and add it to the simmering pan and let it cook for around 5-6 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and plate. Add 2 tbsp of butter to the pan and stir it up, slowly thickening the sauce. Drizzle pan sauce on top of chicken and enjoy!
====
So, here's my issue with this. THERE IS TOO MUCH OIL AND BUTTER!!! Wayy too much. The oil ended up pooling at the bottom of my plate. Not very tasty to sop up. I think next time I'm going to cut 1/2 the amount of the olive oil and see how that works. I'm going to put a little bit more seasoning in the chicken and in the sauce to give the dish more flavor. Chances are I'm going to add herbs to keep it light. Maybe more pepper too? Also, I think I may have to reduce the sauce much more. It was a nice sauce, but I wanted it to be much thicker. I could also add cornstarch to make it work.
All in all, I'll give it a 6/10. The fact that it was so oily made it lose a lot of points. I wanted a little bit more flavor to it and the minimal seasoning wasn't enough for me.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Vegetable Spring Rolls (Appetizer #1)
Vietnam
In some restaurants, gỏi cuốn, a Vietnamese salad roll, is translated as "spring roll", while some others prefer the term "summer roll". Ingredients include slivers of boiled or fried pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, fresh herbs, lettuce, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli, all wrapped in moistened rice paper, served cold with dipping sauce (nước chấm) or hoisin sauce. The salad roll is easily distinguished from a "minced pork roll" by the fact that it is not fried, the ingredients used are different. Spring roll refer to the freshness of the spring season with all the fresh ingredients, therefore frying takes away that feeling.
The fried version with minced pork is called chả giò (southern Vietnam), nem, or Nem rán (northern Vietnam); it has been mistakenly referred to as an egg roll or spring roll on some restaurant menus. It is different from the Chinese egg roll in that it is typically smaller and contains (in addition to pork or another meat) a combination of bean sprouts, vermicelli noodles, and sometimes mushrooms and carrots. It would be more correctly referred to as a "Vietnamese Egg Roll".
To create a dipping sauce renowned in central Vietnam, add fish sauce, lime, garlic, sugar, small red and green peppers and water. Mince the garlic and peppers. Add the sugar into a bowl of hot water to help dissolve it quickly. Add fish sauce, lime, and the minced garlic and peppers into the sugar water.
In some restaurants, gỏi cuốn, a Vietnamese salad roll, is translated as "spring roll", while some others prefer the term "summer roll". Ingredients include slivers of boiled or fried pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, fresh herbs, lettuce, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli, all wrapped in moistened rice paper, served cold with dipping sauce (nước chấm) or hoisin sauce. The salad roll is easily distinguished from a "minced pork roll" by the fact that it is not fried, the ingredients used are different. Spring roll refer to the freshness of the spring season with all the fresh ingredients, therefore frying takes away that feeling.
The fried version with minced pork is called chả giò (southern Vietnam), nem, or Nem rán (northern Vietnam); it has been mistakenly referred to as an egg roll or spring roll on some restaurant menus. It is different from the Chinese egg roll in that it is typically smaller and contains (in addition to pork or another meat) a combination of bean sprouts, vermicelli noodles, and sometimes mushrooms and carrots. It would be more correctly referred to as a "Vietnamese Egg Roll".
To create a dipping sauce renowned in central Vietnam, add fish sauce, lime, garlic, sugar, small red and green peppers and water. Mince the garlic and peppers. Add the sugar into a bowl of hot water to help dissolve it quickly. Add fish sauce, lime, and the minced garlic and peppers into the sugar water.
Entrees @ 27 Mix
ENTREES
27 Mix Linguini 14.00
arugula, garlic, tomatoes, kalamata olives & light tomato sauce
w/grilled chicken 17.50 w/grilled shrimp 19.50
Chicken Enchiladas 15.50
monterey jack, tomatillo sauce, sour cream, corn salsa, avocado, black beans & cilantro rice
Fish - N - Chips 13.50
beer-battered tilapia, shoestring potatoes, chipotle mayo & remoulade
Pan Seared Red Snapper 18.00
over spinach w/ red peppers in a puttanesca sauce
Grilled Chicken and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce 18.50
yellow rice and broccoli
Lobster Ravioli 19.00
W/ grilled shrimp in a light pink vodka cream sauce
Grilled Hanger Steak Entrée 21.00
potato croquette, sautéed spinach & chimichurri sauce
Breaded Stuffed Pork Chops 18.00
broccoli rabe, gouda, monterey jack, romano cheese & portabella mushrooms in a tomato brandy sauce
Sizzling Fajita
Chicken 14.00 Steak 16.00 Mixed 21.00 (Chicken, Steak & Shrimp)
Sautéed Red and Green Peppers, Onions sizzling on a pan with a side of Cilantro Rice, Flour Tortillas, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Corn Salsa and Pico de Gallo
Grilled Tuna Entrée 19.00
garlic mashed potatoes, shredded jubilee vegetables & garlic brown butter
Grilled Salmon 18.00
cilantro rice, asparagus, corn salsa & garlic cream sauce
SIDES
mixed greens salad 4.50 shoestring potatoes 4.95 sweet potato fries 5.95 yucas fritas 4.95
black beans & cilantro rice 4.75 27 Mix salsa & chips 5.50
27 Mix Linguini 14.00
arugula, garlic, tomatoes, kalamata olives & light tomato sauce
w/grilled chicken 17.50 w/grilled shrimp 19.50
Chicken Enchiladas 15.50
monterey jack, tomatillo sauce, sour cream, corn salsa, avocado, black beans & cilantro rice
Fish - N - Chips 13.50
beer-battered tilapia, shoestring potatoes, chipotle mayo & remoulade
Pan Seared Red Snapper 18.00
over spinach w/ red peppers in a puttanesca sauce
Grilled Chicken and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce 18.50
yellow rice and broccoli
Lobster Ravioli 19.00
W/ grilled shrimp in a light pink vodka cream sauce
Grilled Hanger Steak Entrée 21.00
potato croquette, sautéed spinach & chimichurri sauce
Breaded Stuffed Pork Chops 18.00
broccoli rabe, gouda, monterey jack, romano cheese & portabella mushrooms in a tomato brandy sauce
Sizzling Fajita
Chicken 14.00 Steak 16.00 Mixed 21.00 (Chicken, Steak & Shrimp)
Sautéed Red and Green Peppers, Onions sizzling on a pan with a side of Cilantro Rice, Flour Tortillas, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Corn Salsa and Pico de Gallo
Grilled Tuna Entrée 19.00
garlic mashed potatoes, shredded jubilee vegetables & garlic brown butter
Grilled Salmon 18.00
cilantro rice, asparagus, corn salsa & garlic cream sauce
SIDES
mixed greens salad 4.50 shoestring potatoes 4.95 sweet potato fries 5.95 yucas fritas 4.95
black beans & cilantro rice 4.75 27 Mix salsa & chips 5.50
Sandwiches @ 27mix
SANDWICHES
Vegetable Wrap 9.75
zucchini, red onion, avocado, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella & basil mayo
Chipotle Chicken Caesar Wrap 9.75
romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, tomatoes & chipotle spiced caesar dressing
Sweet Buffalo Chicken Sandwich 9.75
grilled chicken in buffalo sauce, avocado, tomato, fresh mozzarella & honey ranch dressing
The Cuban 9.75
roasted pork loin, smoked ham, swiss, red onions, pickles & dijon mustard
Turkey Wrap 9.75
avocado-cucumber salsa, monterey jack, greens & honey ranch dressing
Blackened Chicken Sandwich 9.75
roasted garlic mayo, cheddar, greens & tomatoes
Charred 10 oz Certified Angus Beef Burger 9.75
served with mixed greens, tomatoes & red onions
additional toppings .50 each. cheddar, monterey jack, feta, gorgonzola, smoked gouda, swiss, bacon, avocado, caramelized onions & roasted mushrooms
Grilled Hanger Steak Wrap 10.50
roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, feta, arugula & cracked peppercorn dressing
Vegetable Wrap 9.75
zucchini, red onion, avocado, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella & basil mayo
Chipotle Chicken Caesar Wrap 9.75
romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, tomatoes & chipotle spiced caesar dressing
Sweet Buffalo Chicken Sandwich 9.75
grilled chicken in buffalo sauce, avocado, tomato, fresh mozzarella & honey ranch dressing
The Cuban 9.75
roasted pork loin, smoked ham, swiss, red onions, pickles & dijon mustard
Turkey Wrap 9.75
avocado-cucumber salsa, monterey jack, greens & honey ranch dressing
Blackened Chicken Sandwich 9.75
roasted garlic mayo, cheddar, greens & tomatoes
Charred 10 oz Certified Angus Beef Burger 9.75
served with mixed greens, tomatoes & red onions
additional toppings .50 each. cheddar, monterey jack, feta, gorgonzola, smoked gouda, swiss, bacon, avocado, caramelized onions & roasted mushrooms
Grilled Hanger Steak Wrap 10.50
roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, feta, arugula & cracked peppercorn dressing
Salads @ 27 mix.
SALADS
Mixed Greens Salad 7.00
Seasonal vegetables & balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Grilled Chicken Mango Salad 10.25
Creamy cracked peppercorn dressing, toasted almonds, golden raisins & mixed greens
Vegetarian Chopped Salad 9.00
Mixed greens, tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, avocado, red peppers, feta, corn, toasted sunflower seeds, & cilantro-lime vinaigrette
Warm Spinach Salad 9.00
Sweet Italian sausage, green apples, bleu cheese crumbles & balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Caesar Salad 8.50
Garlic croutons, shaved Parmesan & traditional Caesar dressing
chicken 3.50 steak 5.00 salmon 5.00 shrimp 5.50
Pecan Chicken Salad 10.50
Mixed greens, corn salsa, honey ranch & chipotle dressing
Mixed Greens Salad 7.00
Seasonal vegetables & balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Grilled Chicken Mango Salad 10.25
Creamy cracked peppercorn dressing, toasted almonds, golden raisins & mixed greens
Vegetarian Chopped Salad 9.00
Mixed greens, tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, avocado, red peppers, feta, corn, toasted sunflower seeds, & cilantro-lime vinaigrette
Warm Spinach Salad 9.00
Sweet Italian sausage, green apples, bleu cheese crumbles & balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Caesar Salad 8.50
Garlic croutons, shaved Parmesan & traditional Caesar dressing
chicken 3.50 steak 5.00 salmon 5.00 shrimp 5.50
Pecan Chicken Salad 10.50
Mixed greens, corn salsa, honey ranch & chipotle dressing
Appetizers at 27 Mix-
This is the first part to the 27 Mix challenge that I'm setting for myself. The dishes that they make are rather simple (don't quote me on that) and I think it's a good way to stretch my culinary legs.
===
Black Bean Soup 5.50
Chopped onions, sour cream & feta cheese
(this is gonna be easy, I already have an amazing recipe for black bean soup. It takes time, but my main thing is to see if I can make smaller batches instead of the Army sized servings I normally do)
Grilled Polenta 9.25
Sweet Italian sausage, roasted mushrooms, Gorgonzola sauce & balsamic honey reduction
(I'm a bit nervous about polenta. The thing that worries me about it is the constant stirring so that it doesn't turn into a porridge. I think I can do it maybe with my immersion mixer that has a wisk attachment..)
Vegetable Spring Rolls 7.50
Chile lime honey & scallion soy dipping sauce
(I'll change this to a spring roll with a meat in it. I've never had a spring roll. I think this is the best way to figure out and try it. )
Grilled Chicken Quesadilla 9.75
Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, sour cream & salsa Verde
(I may do this a bit earlier and use the turkey leftovers that I have.. *smirks*)
Shrimp Tacos 9.75
Tomatoes, cilantro, feta cheese & chipotle sauce
( I think I'll change this into a flank steak taco due to the allergy issues.)
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Mascarpone cheese, peas & zucchini
(I'm not too sure about this one, I'm not all that wild about mushrooms, but a challenge is a challenge.)
Tokyo Chicken Wings 9.00
Asian marinated and fried
( Mmm, sticky asian wings. I may try and find MSG to see if I can give it the actual ghetto chinese addiction factor. Or maybe I'll figure something else out. I was thinking about partially frying it and then roasting it in the oven.. )
Crispy Cajun Calamari 9.50
Arugula & sweet Remoulade sauce
(This isn't going to be done. Or maybe I can use slivers of chicken thighs instead? On second thought, I'll do it.)
Yellowfin Tuna Tartare 10.00
Avocado, julienne cucumber, scallions, wasabi sauce & chilled soy-sake broth w/ ginger
(Yeah, nah.)
===
Black Bean Soup 5.50
Chopped onions, sour cream & feta cheese
(this is gonna be easy, I already have an amazing recipe for black bean soup. It takes time, but my main thing is to see if I can make smaller batches instead of the Army sized servings I normally do)
Grilled Polenta 9.25
Sweet Italian sausage, roasted mushrooms, Gorgonzola sauce & balsamic honey reduction
(I'm a bit nervous about polenta. The thing that worries me about it is the constant stirring so that it doesn't turn into a porridge. I think I can do it maybe with my immersion mixer that has a wisk attachment..)
Vegetable Spring Rolls 7.50
Chile lime honey & scallion soy dipping sauce
(I'll change this to a spring roll with a meat in it. I've never had a spring roll. I think this is the best way to figure out and try it. )
Grilled Chicken Quesadilla 9.75
Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, sour cream & salsa Verde
(I may do this a bit earlier and use the turkey leftovers that I have.. *smirks*)
Shrimp Tacos 9.75
Tomatoes, cilantro, feta cheese & chipotle sauce
( I think I'll change this into a flank steak taco due to the allergy issues.)
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Mascarpone cheese, peas & zucchini
(I'm not too sure about this one, I'm not all that wild about mushrooms, but a challenge is a challenge.)
Tokyo Chicken Wings 9.00
Asian marinated and fried
( Mmm, sticky asian wings. I may try and find MSG to see if I can give it the actual ghetto chinese addiction factor. Or maybe I'll figure something else out. I was thinking about partially frying it and then roasting it in the oven.. )
Crispy Cajun Calamari 9.50
Arugula & sweet Remoulade sauce
(This isn't going to be done. Or maybe I can use slivers of chicken thighs instead? On second thought, I'll do it.)
Yellowfin Tuna Tartare 10.00
Avocado, julienne cucumber, scallions, wasabi sauce & chilled soy-sake broth w/ ginger
(Yeah, nah.)
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