Late Night Munchies

"Mexican" Grilled Cheese

This was one of those "accidental meals" that I so love to discover. It's been a very busy week already, and this was the perfect late night meal. I went from work to book club last night, and just bolted down a quick bowl of soup in-between. Naturally by the time I got home from Book Club I was already hungry again. Not wanting to make a huge production out of my meal, I just started digging around in the refrigerator and found some cilantro that needed to be used before it was too late. Naturally when you grow your own tomatoes and have cilantro, the first thing that came to my mind was salsa. Already having a full jar of homemade salsa my mind just kept jumping through my refrigerator...the discovery of some habanero jack cheese was the clincher. "Mexican" grilled cheese it is.


EQUIPMENT
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Butter Knife
Griddle (frying pan works too)




INGREDIENTS
Bread
Soft Butter
Chipotle Ranch (I make my own)
Habanero Jack Cheese
Turkey Deli Meat
Rough Chopped Cilantro
Sliced Tomatoes



I sincerely hope nobody needs measurements for grilled cheese, it is after all a very personal dish. We all have our own taste in the amount of cheese that is used.
Slather one side of your bread with the chipotle ranch, then begin to build the sandwich. I built in the following order...Chipotle Ranch, Habanero Cheese, Turkey, Tomatoes, Cilantro, and more Habanero Cheese. Once you have assembled your sandwich, slather one side with butter and put in your hot pan (medium heat) and slather butter on the other side. Buttering the bread gives you a nice crust on your bread as well a good flavor. I generally flip my sandwich three times, so each side has made contact with the pan for a couple minutes at least twice. Of coarse things will vary by how crispy you like your bread and the temperature of your stove...and did I mention how much patience you may posses?
Well you've made your sandwich and it is now ready for consumption. I enjoyed mine with a glass of Hard Blackberry Cider while watching Beasts of The Southern Wild.



Comer!

Garlic Chicken AND Poached Eggs

Garlic Chicken, Sauted Chard with Onions and Poached Eggs

So, last night I had a couple friends over for dinner. One of them is currently not eating any dairy, beans (I don't think I could live without beans) sugars, or grains. Needless to say a bit of thought was required for dinner...though if I'm being honest this meal was one of the easiest and simplest meals I've made in a long while. Did I mention it was also one of the tastiest I've made in a while? No? Well it was. The meal brought home what we so often forget...less is more. There are very few ingredients for this meal and also very little salt. Allowing the vegetables and creaminess of the poached eggs to speak for themselves is really all you need. Ok, so a little bit of salt helps. Basically what i'm trying to say is, thank you to my friend and her dietary requirements for pushing me out of my "norm". Last night also marked the end of my procrastination to make poached eggs...I just did it!




EQUIPMENT
Large Pan with High Sides
Large "Frying" Pan
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Wooden Spoon
Tongs



GARLIC CHICKEN INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - Either tenders or smash them thin yourself
5 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1 Bushel of Parsley, chopped
1 Lemon, cut into wedges
Fresh Ground Pepper
Salt
Oil


Brush the chicken with oil on both sides, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat pan to medium-high heat with a little extra oil in it. When pan is hot and oil is shimmering, put chicken in. Cook about 2 minutes on each side. With thin chicken it will not take long to cook on each side at all. Remove chicken and set aside (tent or keep warm in oven) Remove pan from eat and toss in garlic, parsley and a squeeze or two of lemon. Cook just so garlic is fragrant and slightly browned. Serve over chicken.



SWISS CHARD INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Bushed Swiss Chard, trimmed and chopped (use stem and leaves)
Olive Oil
2T Fresh Oregano, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat large pan (with high sides and a lid) on medium heat, add oil. When oil is beginning to shimmer add in chard ribs and onions with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with lid and let cook about 4 minutes. Remove lid and add oregano and chard leaves. Cook until leaves are cooked through. Add salt and pepper as needed. Plate alongside the chicken and top with a poached egg.*




*I'm not putting the directions for poached eggs in here, because I feel it needs step by step photos if you've never done them before. I will do a poached egg tutorial post soon, hopefully in the next couple of days. Perhaps I will attempt Eggs Florentine this weekend.



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Summer Shrimp

As delicious as this dish was, this is not at all what I had in mind to make earlier in the day. I had plans for a lemon-herb risotto with shrimp. However, it ended up being a nice 70 degrees here on the coast and risotto just seemed...wrong. I had already told my roommate to bring home some shrimp, so clearly the evening had to continue in a shrimpy fashion. The question however...in what sort of vessel would these shrimp arrive at the table? Now this where the problem lies for me to convey my recipes...I just started tossing things in a pot. I will give you the ingredients, but I can't promise the outcome since I measured NOTHING, ok well almost nothing. Good luck.



EQUIPMENT
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Large Pan w/lid
Wooden Spoon



INGREDIENTS
2 (or so)Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Mdm. Yellow (or white) Onion, Chopped
6 Mini Zuchini, Chopped
4 Mini Pattypan Squash, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
4 (or 5) Mixed Mini Bell Peppers, sliced
Oregano, roughly chopped
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
White Wine
Lemon Juice from 1/4 of a lemon
Vegetable broth...2T perhaps
Honey



Heat your pan over medium heat, and add olive oil. When Olive oil is shimmering toss in your onions. Cook the onions until fragrant, then add all your squash, peppers and garlic. Ok...here comes the hard part. I'm sorry, but this is where things get a little shaky and I stopped measuring and just started adding.
At this point I still wasn't entirely sure what I was making, and was just adding things that sounded good.
Season dish with salt and freshly ground pepper, a bit of onion powder, some garlic powder, and fresh (or dried if you don't have fresh) oregano. Stir that all together until the seasonings become fragrant. Now add your shrimp, wine, lemon juice, vegetable broth and honey. Cover and let simmer for a couple minutes. Check frequently so as not to over cook the shrimp. When everything is cooked and smells as you would like it to (once again I'm sorry for the flimsy recipe...I will make this again and measure things i promise) then remove it from the heat and serve with a nice hunk of bread.



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Garlic-Lemon Tilapia w/Spinach

This recipe was inspired by my Food Network Magazine, but I tweaked it a little bit. In my opinion there is too much lemon in the recipe the way it was written, the acid would overtake all the other flavors. We ate dinner a little late last night, as yesterday was "store day". That dreaded day where we make a mad dash for Costco/Fred Meyer/Home Depot/Petco all in a single evening after work, in the hopes that we will not have to return for the rest of the month...well to at least 3 of the 4. Anyways, I digress...as usual. Dinner was consumed around 10pm BUT, it only took me about 20 minutes to prepare this lovely looking (and tasting) dish for two. So no grumbling that you don't have time to make dinner, because I call bull***t!



EQUIPMENT
Large Pan
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Liquid Measuring Cup
Zester
Wooden Spoon
Foil
2 Plates
Tongs or Fish Spatula



INGREDIENTS
2 Tilapia Filets (fresh please, not frozen)
1/4C. Flour
Salt and Pepper
4T Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
1/2C. Dry White Wine
3/4C. Chicken Broth (vegetable is fine as well)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1T. Butter
2T. Chopped Parsley
4C Spinach



Pat dry the Tilapia then salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Dredge the fish in your 1/4C. of flour, (I find it the easiest to just pour the flour out on a plate). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in your large pan. When oil is hot at the fish. Cook roughly 2 minutes on each side. When fish is cooked transfer to a clean plate and tent with foil to keep it warm, while you finish up the dish. Add one more tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and add the garlic slices. As soon as garlic begins to brown add the wine, chicken broth, lemon juice and lemon zest. Turn heat up to high and allow to come to a boil until it reduces by half.
In the meantime toss your clean (uncooked) spinach with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and couple grinds of fresh pepper. Place on your plate, this will be the bed for the fish.
When the liquid has reduced, remove from the heat and stir in the butter then add the parsley. Put your fish on the spinach bed, and pour the sauce overtop. Serve with a lemon wedge and devour.



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Coconut Shrimp

Coconut Shrimp with Jalapeño/Mango Dipping Sauce


This recipe was inspired by a bar/restaurant in my town, that served coconut shrimp with a mango dipping sauce that I really enjoyed. Sadly everything about the dish and the bar has changed, and I have no desire to set foot in the place any longer. There is a silver lining however, because they changed everything I was forced (should I want to continue to enjoy coconut shrimp) to come up with another option. Not only have I saved money by making this myself, but I also know EXACTLY what I am eating. The dipping sauce is not mine (that is something I am still working on) but from Rose City Pepperheads http://www.rosecitypepperheads.com They make some wonderful things, and are native to my state, so I don't feel guilty about using their product in the least. Without further ramblings, I give you...happy hour at home.


EQUIPMENT
Cast Iron Pan (or deep fryer if you have one)
2 Mdm. Glass Bowls (for dredge and wash)
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
Spider (slotted spoons works as well)
Wax Paper or Freezer Paper
Baking Sheet

INGREDIENTS
3/4C Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2C Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (can be found in the bulk section of most grocery stores)
2t Lime Zest
1/4-1/2t Salt
1t Pepper
2 Eggs
10-18 Fresh Shrimp, with tails on (frozen can be used as long as you defrost them, also without tails is ok I suppose)
Peanut Oil (Vegetable or Canola is fine as well)

Mix panko, coconut, lime zest, salt and pepper together in one of your bowls. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs together.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
Dip shrimp in egg then in panko mixture. Coat liberally, then place on baking sheet. When all the shrimp have been coated, place the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, but up to 4 hours.
While shrimp are in the refrigerator, get your oil ready. Pour enough oil in your cast iron pan so that you will be able to submerge the shrimp for frying. Heat oil on medium heat, until it reaches 375F. Drop cooled shrimp in oil, and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove with spider and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Enjoy this hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Mix yourself a drink, or sip a beer and enjoy happy hour at home by yourself or call a friend over.

Comer!

Thug Kitchen Obsessed

Spicy Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Slaw


So, I was raised a vegetarian (I eat everything now, as I'm sure you may have noticed from my array of recipes) when it wasn't "cool" to be vegetarian. My parent's are great cooks, and my papa came up with some phenomenal dishes. There are so many vegetarian cook books out there these days, but frankly they seem to all have very similar recipes that just don't excite me. The people over at Thug Kitchen however (thugkitchen.com) have gotten me VERY excited about vegetarian cooking again. Last week, while unloading a white box (we literally get a white box of Advanced Reader Copies (also known as ARCs) at the book store once a month) I was excited to see they had included an insert from an up-and-coming cook book. With a title like "Thug Kitchen...eat like you give a f*ck" I was of coarse drawn to it instantly. Sadly there are only six recipes in it, and the book is not released until October. On the bright side I have made two of the six recipes in a span of a week already, and with each recipe my tastebuds have done a happy little jig. I was so excited by the first recipe I didn't even take a picture, I will however make it again and write a post about it. This taco recipe is amazing and even though my friend added ground beef to his, he still ate the cauliflower as well. Coming from someone who is a born and raised meat eater "it's not bad, just different" is high praise in my book. So with a tip of the hat to the people over at Thug Kitchen, I give you the Spicy Cauliflower Tacos!



EQUIPMENT*
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Whisk (or large fork)
Large Bowl
Medium Saucepan
Small Roasting Dish (I prefer glass)
Liquid Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons


*Even though the equipment is not listed in the Thug Kitchen book, I will continue to add it since it makes it easier for people.

This is the recipe exactly as it appears in the Thug Kitchen Cook Book ARC

INGREDIENTS
1 Head Cauliflower (about 1 pound)
3/4C Beer*
1/4C Vegetable Broth
1 1/2T Chipotle Hot Sauce (I used Bufalo)
1T Lime Juice
1 1/2t Tamari (soy sauce)
1 or 2 Garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2t Chili powered
1t Smoked Paprika
1/4t Cumin
1/4t Garlic Powder
Pinch of Salt
1T Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow onion, chopped
6 Corn Tortillas
1 Rice avocado, peeled and sliced
Quick Lime and Cilantro Slaw (recipe below)
Fire Roasted Salsa**


*Whatever you are cool with drinking the rest of is fine here. Just no coffee stout or anything heavy like that.

**I used what I had already made, but I will post their recipe as well.


1. Chop the cauliflower into small florets no bigger than a large coin. Warm the beer, broth, hot sauce, lime juice, tamari, and garlic over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and simmer for about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain. Toss the chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower and onion and stir 'til those fuckers are coated. Bake at 400F until brown, stirring halfway, about 20 minutes.

2. To make the tacos, warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave for a hot minute, then pile them high with the cauliflower filling, slices of avocado, and some of the slaw and top with plenty of salsa.



QUICK LIME AND CILANTRO SLAW

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Head green cabbage (about 1/2 pound)
1 Small carrot
2T Lime juice
2T Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1t Olive Oil
1/8t Salt
1/3C Chopped Cilantro


Cut the cabbage into the thinnest strips you can and make sure those pieces are no longer than 2 inches. This is a great time to get good with your knife if you are looking for a silver fucking lining in all that chopping (see page 000 for how to wield that blade). Chop the carrot in thin matchsticks of the same length. Got that shit down now, right? In a small glass mix together the lime juice, vinegar, oil, and salt. Add the dressing right before you are going to eat and toss that shit well. Add the cilantro and serve.




Ok, so I know the "000 pages" don't make sense, but as I said the cook book is not yet released, and this recipe is from an ARC.




FIRE ROASTED SALSA

14.5 ounce can roasted tomatoes*
1/2 White onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1/3C Chopped green onions
1/2C Chopped cilantro
3 Serrano peppers, chopped**
8 Coves roasted garlic***
1/4t Cumin
Juice of half a lime
Salt to taste


1. Throw all that in a food processor or blender and blend until it's how you like it. Chunky, smooth, your salsa = your rules. Taste and add more lime juice if you think it needs it. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge but your willpower probably won't allow for any leftovers.

*This is the salsa you make when tomatoes aren't in season so canned are your best bet. Otherwise, make the MidSummer Salsa (page 000) with your ripe tomatoes and save this for the winter months.

**You can remove the seeds if you aren't down with a hot salsa.

*** Yeah, that's basically a whole bulb. Roasted garlic is broken down on page 000 but you can use 2 or 3 cloves of raw garlic if you are having a salsa emergency.

Asian Inspired Salmon & Slaw

Soy/Ginger Salmon with Spicy Peanut Slaw


An ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) for Thug Kitchen's upcoming cook book (out in October) showed up at work yesterday. There are six recipes in it to entice the buyer...and believe me it worked. I even marked on my calendar the release date for the book. Anyways, there is a recipe for a Spicy Peanut Slaw in there that sounded delicious, and inspired my very simple (yet tasty) Soy/Ginger Oven Roasted Salmon. The slaw recipe will serve 4 or so (I didn't bother cutting the recipe...who doesn't love leftover slaw for lunch?) and the salmon is for an individual serving.


SLAW EQUIPMENT
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Large Stainless Steel Bowl (glass is fine too)
Sm. Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Measuring Spoons


SLAW INGREDIENTS
3C Green Cabbage, thinly sliced
3C Red Cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 Scallions, thinly sliced (entire onion)
3T Peanut Butter
2T Hot Water
2T Seasoned Rice Vinegar (such as sushi rice vinegar)
3T Lime Juice, fresh squeezed
1T Fresh Ginger, minced
1T Sirachi (or favored Asian hot sauce)


Put all your veg together in a large bowl, and toss to mix all together.
While the veg sits, whisk all the other ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Toss dressing with veg and let sit for a few minutes, to give the flavors a chance to marry.



SALMON EQUIPMENT
Glass Baking Dish
Small Bown
Whisk


SALMON INGREDIENTS
Sm. Salmon Filet
2T (or so) Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1T Dark Brown Sugar
2t Fresh Grated Ginger


Preheat oven to 375

Place salmon filet in well oiled roasting pan.
While oven is pre-heating whisk all the soy sauce through ginger together in a small bowl. Spread soy mixture over salmon and roast in the over for roughly 15-20 minutes. Until salmon cooked to desired doneness.


Serve salmon nice and hot and slaw is best served room temp, so you get all the flavors.


Comer!