Cold Turkey

"Grilled" Chicken Sandwich with Pesto and Baby Arugula

2008-02-10T21:57:00.000-05:00

2 individual mini ciabatta loaves or one loaf of health or 7 grain bread, 1 lb
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for brushing bread
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tiny bit of sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 to 3 cups of baby arugula
1 tub of pesto (whatever flavor, but something involving lime or cilantro is best)

Serves 2. (The Big V-Day is this week, or for other Singletons out there, a whole portion can be leftover for the next day).

Substitutions: This recipe is unbelievably diverse in the sense that you can easily adjust the ingredients to your own taste, or more realistically, what you have around. It doesn't have to be chicken breast, but can be chicken thigh, or even any beef filet. Regular arugula works too, or any of those European style Ready-Pac salads. All of these can be found at your local Gristedes, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or D'Agostino.

Pre-heat oven to 450 Fahrenheit.

Cut each ciabatta loaf in half. For the health or 7-grain, halve the loaf and half again to create two sandwiches. Brush the inside of each half with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a piece of foil and set aside.

If necessary, defrost the chicken breast filets. This can be done quickly in your microwave, (make sure to turn the filets over every 30 seconds or so to avoid actually cooking the meat) or if you remember, move the chicken from the freezer into the regular fridge before class or work in the morning so it'll be ready in the evening.

Time for the most crucial part of the process: marination, which will inject most of the flavor that chicken breast needs (which explains why it's usually the cheapest at the market - dark meat like thighs and drumsticks are naturally a bit tastier and more tender). Preferably, you should begin the marination process in the morning or the night before, but 20 or 30 minutes before you start baking is fine.

The ingredients for marination are simple: a liberal dose of olive oil (1/2 cup), ground black pepper, salt, chopped parsley, balsamic vinegar, and a tiny sprinkle of sugar. Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl with the chicken: use your hands, don't be poncy, you can wash them. After you're done with the marination, place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet.

The beauty of this recipe is that your chicken and bread can bake at the same temperature. This part is crucial: the chicken breasts take 25 minutes, whereas the bread (obviously) takes less, around 10. REMEMBER TO TAKE THE BREAD OUT AFTER 10 MINUTES, and then leave the chicken to cook the rest of the time. Failure to remember this will most possibly result in smoke detectors going off, fire, pain and suffering.

Yay, the fun part: After you have removed both the chicken and the bread, you can begin assembling your sandwiches.

Cut the chicken breasts into slices, about half an inch across. Spread a hefty layer of pesto onto each half of bread, followed by a handful of baby arugula. Splash a tiny bit of balsamic onto each pile of salad. Top the arugula with a couple slices of the chicken, and top off with the other slice of bread.

Serve immediately. If you're cooking for a date, or just feeling particularly posh, serve with a side salad of radicchio and arugula dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt.

Restaurant Reviews (East and South Asian Cuisine)

2008-02-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

Name: Excellent Dumpling House

Address: 111 Lafayette St, between Walker & Canal St.

Phone Number: 212-219-0212

Description: Perfect for those of us searching for no frills, no fuss Chinese comfort food. A maximum waiting time for a dish here is 10 minutes even at peak lunch hours.

Bang for your buck: Wontons in a hot and spicy sauce for $3.75. A whopping eight wontons in a spicy peanut sauce. Extremely satisfying on a cold, rainy New York day.

Most Expensive Dish: Sizzling duck with sesame sauce for $10.95 along with other seafood dishes.

Score: 3/5

(based on general dining experience and taste)

Name: Go Go Curry

Address: 111 273 W 38th St (between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)

Phone Number: 212-730-5555

Description: One of the best kept secrets in New York, Go Go curry is imported from Japan where it is already a cultural phenomenon. With a limited menu that has a few select curries, this place is more about quality than quantity. FYI: the 5^th, 15^th and the 25^th of every month is Go Go day when you receive a coupon for any free topping.

Bang for your buck dish: The small Katsu curry for $7.50. On our visit we could barely finish this “small” portion but large and extra large sizes are available.

Most Expensive Dish: Grand Slam for $12.50 which is a combination of all the available curries: katsu, chicken, shrimp and sausage.

Score: 4/5

Name: Indian Bread Company

Address: 194 Bleecker St (between 6th Av and MacDougal St)

Phone Number: 212-228-1909

Description: This innovative restaurant in the East Village puts a new spin on one of India’s favorite meals, Kathi Rolls. Other choices made with their piping hot naan breads include naanwiches, naaninis, and stuffed parathas. The restaurant gets packed during peak hours so it is best to get your meal to go.

Bang for your buck dish: Chicken Paratha for $4.50. For under $5 you get a massive paratha stuffed with minced chicken and two side sauces. I personally like their Masala Chai to go with.

Most Expensive Dish: Chicken or Saag Chicken Nanini $6.50

Score: 4/5

Name: Mikaku

Address: 85 Kenmare St (between Broome and Kenmare)

Phone Number: 212-431-4820

Description: A hole in the wall known to very few people outside the neighborhood, Mikaku has become a favorite amongst Soho locals for its cheerful atmosphere as well as its clean and simple Japanese flavors.

Bang for your buck dish: The Pork Tonkatsu Lunch special box for $6.50. Your order comes with, besides a healthy portion of rice and pork chop, two gyoza dumplings and a side salad. Perfect for a quick satisfying office lunch.

Most Expensive Dish: The average entrée is $7.95 and you can choose from a wide variety of authentic Japanese dishes.

Score: 3/5

Hello, World!

2008-02-06T14:32:00.001-05:00

The 4-1-1 on Cold Turkey:

Cold Turkey was founded in 2008 by three college students who found that living on a student budget in New York City often meant cold leftovers, takeaway Thai three or more times a week, or 89 cent ramen.

Here at CT, we believe that cooking and enjoying food shouldn't have to be an expensive, intimidating, or stressful ordeal. Nor should you have to put your health on the line, because trust us, trips to the ER have proved to be faintly disappointing. (There are no hot doctors, contrary to what Grey's might tell you.) Cooking in a dorm room kitchen or in a tiny studio apartment is definitely possible, with the right tools and knowledge.

Every Sunday night, we'll post a simple recipe that we've tried (and hopefully succeeded) making over the past week, along with a step-by-step video. Check back periodically during the week, though, because we'll also be putting up useful tips, budget restaurant and bar recommendations, and general advice on obtaining good deals in the city.

Your contributors are:

Jasmine "Wu Chan Clan" Chan

Jasmine hails from Los Angeles, California (Cali Caliente!!), but spent most of her childhood in Hong Kong, which exposed her to an almost encyclopedic knowledge of both Eastern and Western styles of food and drink. She will be Cold Turkey's top chef, guiding you through delicious and straightforward recipes, provided her smoke detector doesn't go off. Again.

Jasmine currently majors in History, with an minor in East Asian Studies. She has aspirations to attend law school, but is trying to work out whether she has the effort required to apply. She enjoys cats, gin and tonics, watching BBC shows like Top Gear, and long walks on the beach.

And foreign films.

Eshanya "Downtown Browntown" Karle

Eshanya is from a far, faraway place called Bangalore, India. She decided that pursuing a degree in Economics and Political Science was worth braving the 18-hour flight to New York, and has been wreaking havoc south of 14th street ever since. Eshanya decided that good cooking was something to be interested in, following an unfortunate obsession with plain white rice in her freshman year. She will be contributing to Cold Turkey regularly with insights on cheap eats and good deals in the city.

She enjoys growing mutant garlic plants, plotting the eventual demise of all birds, and Earl Grey tea with milk. Her favorite band is Incubus, and not just because of Brandon Boyd.

Vanessa "In A Cup" Harris

Cold Turkey's resident almost-vegan, Vanessa grew up in Castro Valley, California, which is famed for having the most fast-food restaurants on one street. This explains her slight aversion towards overly processed foods. Ever since her sophomore year, Vanessa has perfected the art of making bread, and everything else, in a cup. This is useful information for anyone living in a very small space, or if you don't own any bowls. She will be contributing healthy recipes and budgeting tips.

Vanessa majors in Recorded Music and minors in Creative Writing. She is always singing. Always. In her free time, she can be spotted practicing guitar, feeding her obsession with NPR, and walking everywhere.

Stay warm, and Happy Eating!

Cheers,
The CT Team