Dining Alone

The Person Behind The Plate #6

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 20:07:00 +0000

My sister sent me a book last week called The Introvert Advantage. I am most definitely an introvert and reading this has been pretty enlightening. I often wonder about bloggers and whether this is a social outlet for them in lieu of actually going out and meeting with people face to face.

I also think the irony of me eating alone while reading this book is pretty funny.

Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? Does blogging provide a social outlet for you?

Chicken and Artichoke Packet

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 17:28:00 +0000

After eating a cheeseburger on a donut bun I needed to get back to smarter eating. Not that I regret that sandwich for one second but the scale definitely reminded me that what happens in San Francisco does not stay in San Francisco. So I busted out one of my old favorites, a Weight Watchers cookbook I picked up at Goodwill.

This is another foil pack recipe, which I love because there is nothing to clean up after. I cut this recipe down to one serving. Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees and lets get started.

The ingredients are, beans, carrots, chicken, seasoning, artichoke and Italian dressing. The best thing about recipes like this is you can just take the basic idea and use whatever you want. I don't like fennel so I just used cabbage instead. I also had some white beans already in the fridge so I just used those. The only prep you need to do is to chop your veggies.

Literally all you have to do is lay down the chicken and pile the rest of the ingredients on top. The hardest part of this recipe is folding the packet.

Folded up tight and ready to cook. Put it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The best thing is there is nothing to clean up so you can use that half hour to read a book or sit outside and enjoy the summer weather because it will be gone too soon!

Cut a few holes in the foil when it is done to let some of the steam escape. Once the packet has cooled a bit get your chicken out and you are ready to eat.

This was so packed with flavor and only took a few minutes to prep. Eating smarter doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, and it doesn't have to be boring and bland. I will be going back to this cookbook more often for the rest of the Summer.

Have a great week!

Weight Watchers Chicken With Broccoli and Oranges

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 20:07:00 +0000

I have definitely been on an Asian food kick since having the delicious peanut chicken dish in San Fran. I was craving something a little sweet and savory and found this recipe in an old Weight Watchers cookbook. This took no time to make and definitely cured my craving.

I cut this recipe pretty much in half. You need stock, corn starch, OJ, broccoli, oranges, tamari or soy sauce, ginger and chicken. I used canned mandarin oranges instead of fresh.

Mix your cornstarch and water. This is called a slurry!

Measure the stock, soy sauce, and OJ. I did not have fresh ginger so I just put the dried ginger in with the sauce.

Chop your broccoli, I did this the night before.

Chop your chicken.

Lets cook! Get the oil heated in a pan. Again, I skipped using fresh ginger so I went straight to cooking the chicken. Cut this small it only takes a few minutes to cook.

Once cooked, get the chicken out of there.

Drop in the broccoli with some water and pop the lid on for about 3 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan with the sauce mixture and give it a stir. Bring it up to boiling.

Stir in the slurry and let it thicken. Can you believe that it is this easy? Well, it is.

Stir in the oranges and you are ready to eat.

Delicious, fast and easy. That is a trifecta in my opinion.

What is your favorite Asian dish and have you ever made it at home?

More San Francisco Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 20:08:00 +0000

Since we were gone all last weekend, I have been in catch up mode this past week and we also had no groceries. That means, no cooking this past week to share with you. But I do have a few more wonderful photos from San Francisco and I will be cooking a few good dishes this week.

One of the coolest places we went was the arcade near Pier 39 called Musee Mechanique It had a lot of old school and antique arcade games and attractions.

I thought this was pretty funny!

I found a school I would love to attend :)

This cool church was right by our hotel.

Of course we had to stop when we encountered a fun looking playground.

One of those San Francisco hills we climbed, what a work out.

I hope you all had an awesome Monday!

I left my heart in San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I didn't really leave my heart there, but I sure had a wonderful time visiting the city for the first time last weekend. Tom has been there a few times and has been wanting to plan a trip for a while. Friends of ours also wanted to go so we decided on a weekend and finally made it there.

We stayed at the Chancellor Hotel which is right near Union Square. It was a nice hotel and close to everything we wanted to visit.

We visited the Top of the Mark restaurant and bar on the 19th floor of the Mark Hopkins hotel in Nob Hill. We had to climb straight UP those famous San Francisco hills to get there but the view was worth it.

The martinis were worth it too! This place has pages and pages of martinis in their menu, it was so hard to decide. Tom got the 'Dream Girl' which was Stolichnaya Vodka, Grand Marnier, Lime Juice and Mint. Topped with Sparkling Kenwood Brut. I got the 'Passion' which was Plymouth Gin, Alize Red Passion Campari and Triple Sec. Both were delicious!

Luckily it was just a nice stroll down hill to get back to our hotel area.

We had to stop for chips and salsa on the way at Jasmin's cafe. Tom is a salsa addict! It was really fresh and pretty spicy for me.

Of course being baseball nerds we hit up AT&T park for the Giants and Cubs. The park is so much smaller than I thought it would be, Chase field in AZ makes it look downright tiny. The game was great but it was a little chilly for us AZ folks that are only used to 50 degree temperatures in winter.

Later that night we got some Thai food at a place called Chabaa. This is peanut chicken and it was fabulous.

The next day we went to the Buena Vista cafe where I got a dungeness crab melt. This was so good, and it was my first time having crab! I really liked it.

Tom got a BLT, of course.

We did a lot of other cool things but the one place that really made my trip was our dinner at STRAW. This place is a carnival themed restaurant and is pretty unique.

You can see the sign on the door and the back of a Tilt A Whirl, which is actually one of the tables in the restaurant.

The sign is totally creepy, reminded me of something out of a Stephen King novel.

My friend's drink glass came lined with fundip. My drink was actually a big ball of cotton candy that they pour the drink over and it dissolves in the liquid. So fun!

Remember in the last post where I mentioned I am pretty open to trying most foods? Well when I saw the 'Ringmaster' on the menu I knew I had to get it. Here is the description "ground chuck burger/home-made glazed doughnut/cheddar cheese". Everything about that says ME.

I will admit that I ate every single bite of that burger and it was delicious. Everything just worked together in some odd carnival dream world taste explosion. Fortunately we then walked straight up another San Francisco hill so I know I worked off at least a few bites of the donut at least.

It was an awesome trip with great friends and I would definitely recommend checking the city out if you ever have the chance.

Mongolian Beef

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 02:13:00 +0000

I love recreating restaurant dishes at home because it is so much cheaper and you can really make it taste just how you want it to. Tom and I both like Mongolian Beef so I thought I would try this recipe I found on the Table For Two Blog. Head on over there to check out the recipe or follow my step by step photos.

The original recipe calls for green onion but I wanted more veggies so I added green pepper and onion. You also need beef, soy sauce, corn starch, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and some cooking oil. I am using rice bran oil.

Chop up your meat nice and thin. This ensures it will cook quickly and evenly.

Coat the beef with corn starch.

I found it easiest to do this with my hands. Once it is coated get it in the fridge for about 10 minutes while you prep the rest of the food.

Peel your ginger.

Mince it with a knife or your trusty microplane.

Mince the garlic as well.

Chop whatever veggies you are using.

Combine the soy sauce, water and brown sugar.

Saute the garlic and ginger in some oil.

Get it in with the soy sauce mixture and let it boil for about 2 minutes then set it aside.

Saute your vegetables.

Get them out of there.

Saute the beef. Don't over crowd the pan or you will end up steaming your beef.

Get the beef out on to a paper towel to drain.

Pour the soy sauce mixture into the frying pan and let it come to a boil.

Toss the meat back in and you will see the sauce start to thicken immediately from the corn starch. Once it is thickened up you are ready to eat. Plate it with some rice or noodles and enjoy.

This is a fast way to get a tasty dinner on the table and brings you all the great flavors of Chinese take out for a lot less money.

The Person Behind the Plate #5

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 20:10:00 +0000

I think that I am an adventurous eater and I have tried a lot of things that people give me funny looks about like beef cheeks and tripe. I tend to like pretty much all foods but I do have a few things that I just cannot stand.

1. Cilantro - this stuff is just nasty. It tastes like dish soap to me. I have read articles about how some people can taste the soap and to other people it is delicious. I had never had the stuff until I moved to AZ and found it was in a lot of the Mexican dishes. I hated it from the first time I tried it. I can tolerate a minimal amount in chimichurri or salsa, but that is it.

2. Bananas - this one is odd, I don't mind banana flavor, I just can't peel and eat a banana. Even the smell of a fresh peeled banana kind of makes me gag.

3. Black licorice - this is just a horrible flavor to me. I think its the medicinal aspect of it or perhaps an acquired taste.

And now that you know all about the things I don't like, I leave you with a photo of one of my favorite foods in the whole world...

CHEESE!

Do you have a food or foods you really dislike?

Crunchy Chicken Fingers with Spicy Avocado

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 17:37:00 +0000

I have been on a big avocado kick this year and have been eating it at least once a week. I was looking through my Robin Miller cookbook and came across this quick and low fat recipe and knew I would have to give it a try.

I made this just for me as Tom still thinks chicken is totally gross.

Preheat your oven and gather some ingredients.

You will need some chicken, avocado, lime, bread crumbs, hot sauce, hot peppers, sour cream, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, thyme (I forgot it!), cilantro - if you are one of those people, salt and pepper.

Slice your chicken.

Combine your bread crumbs with the spices and the salt and pepper.

Dredge your chicken through the bread crumbs to get it evenly coated.

Drop the chicken on to pan coated with non stick spray or use the wonderful non-stick foil that I love. Get these guys in the oven for 20 minutes.

Chop up your peppers. I used some sport peppers and they were HOT!

Combine the avocado, sour cream, hot sauce, lime juice and hot peppers together. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. If you are one of those cilantro eating people you can add that in at the end as well.

After 20 minutes get your chicken out. It didn't brown as much as I wanted but it was cooked through.

Plate up the chicken with the avocado and enjoy! This sauce can be used with a bunch of different things and would be delicious on a turkey burger or fish tacos. The chicken was seasoned well and crunchy, but the sauce was definitely the star for me.

Favorite Things #55 - Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Triscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 20:11:00 +0000

I don't think I had ever even had a Triscuit before I started dating Tom, but he was a fan so I gave them a try. I have been hooked ever since. When their new red bean and sweet potato flavors came out I was hoping for something great to replace the retired cheddar Triscuits that I used to be in love with. Well, I have found a new cracker love...

This onion flavor is amazing and so addictive! You can see that Steve is super interested in them also, but lucky for me dogs can't have onions so I don't have to share.

Are you a Triscuit fan and have you tried these new flavors yet?

Food Network Magazine Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 21:16:00 +0000

Summer in Scottsdale is not for the faint of heart. From June to October you can expect the high temperature to be over 100 pretty much everyday. That means I eat a lot of salads and things that do not heat up my kitchen. These cold noodles are spicy and come together with very little prep. Tom has actually been requesting noodle dishes and this one got a thumbs up!

This came from the Food Network Magazine and I didn't have to cut it in half, pretty exciting stuff. Get some water boiling and gather up some ingredients.

You need some carrots, noodles, brown sugar, peanuts, green tea, hot chili sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and some oil. You can top it with cilantro if you are super silly and eat that stuff.

Toss the noodles in the boiling water. I used somen noodles and they cook in no time at all.

While the noodles cook assemble the rest of the ingredients in a blender or use a hand blender like I did.

Blend it up until it is a smooth sauce.

Drain the noodles and get them in a bowl.

Add in the carrots and sauce and give it a good stir.

This is the hardest part of the whole recipe, waiting! Put the noodles in the fridge and let them cool for about an hour.

After an hour or whenever your noodles cool plate them up with some peanuts and nasty cilantro if you want it. I used some green onions instead.

This was spicy and filling and Tom added this to his list of foods he would definitely eat again. I am turning that guy around one dish at a time.

Favorite Things #54 - Biscoff Spread aka Cookie Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 17:51:00 +0000

I read a lot of food blogs and I have seen numerous mentions of Biscoff Spread and Cookie Butter. People seem to go crazy for this stuff but I had never tried it. I was at Cost Plus getting some sport peppers so Tom could have Chicago dogs for the 4th and I finally saw this miracle spread.

I got home and decided to give it a try. All I can say is this stuff is RIDICULOUSLY good. I gave Tom a spoonful and the expression on his face was priceless. It is such an unexpected flavor of cookie deliciousness. We both concurred that it tastes like animal crackers ground into the creamiest spread ever. Sounds pretty cruel, but it sure is tasty!

If you have not tried this stuff get it NOW. I am not sure what I am going to do with it but eating it out of the jar with a spoon is a solution I can live with.

Happy 4th of July!

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 20:00:00 +0000

I just wanted to wish everyone who is celebrating the holiday this week a Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all have as much fun as my patriotic pups do!*

*No dogs were harmed in the making of this post ;)

Favorite Things #53 - Rita's Water Ice

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:51:00 +0000

This weekend the Phoenix area is under an excessive heat warning. Right now it is 9:45am and it is already 104 degrees on my patio, in the shade. Yesterday our high was 116 and they are forecasting 118 for today. I have lived in AZ for almost 17 years and I am used to the fact that we will be over 100 degrees from May until October but 116 is HOT. Like go open your oven and feel that hot wind hit you and that is what walking through a parking lot in 116 degree heat feels like.

When it is that hot something cool is definitely in order. I was so excited to learn that one of the best Summer treats from the East coast had made its way to AZ, Rita's Water Ice. This place is SO good and one finally opened within reasonable driving distance from my house. It opened a few weeks ago but just by pure luck we went on their 'official' grand opening and we got FREE Italian ice!

I chose the Swedish Fish candy flavor and it was absolutely delicious and just as good as I remembered it from back in PA. Tom got the Blue Raspberry and had fun showing me his blue lips and teeth the whole way home.

I hope you are having a much cooler weekend where you are!

Mustard Chicken Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 02:49:00 +0000

The 4th of July is probably my favorite holiday. I love fireworks and I love grilling up burgers and hot dogs. I also love tasty appetizers and these Mustard Wings really are simple but packed with flavor. You can do them in the broiler pretty quickly or at a slower temperature depending on your schedule so they really are a great way to get food out for guests without having to do a lot of work.

We have nothing to preheat or prep at the moment because you want to let the chicken marinate for a while ahead of time. I let mine go for about 2 hours. Time to gather ingredients and get that started.

You will need spicy mustard, chicken wings, hot sauce, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and some pepper.

Combine everything together and add a pinch of salt if you'd like.

Put the chicken in a bag with the wings and toss it in the fridge and forget about it for a while.

Preheat your oven or broiler and get the chicken down on a pan. I like to use a wire rack over some foil so the wings get nice and crispy. Pop them in the oven and follow instructions for either the broiler or the oven method. I used the oven at 375 degrees.

The recipe has you basting with the marinade, it is important you do your last baste with at least 5-10 minutes of cooking left to kill anything lurking from the chicken.

Getting delicious!

These were super easy and full of flavor. It is a nice change from burgers and hot dogs or a fun and simple appetizer. I hope you are all having a great week!

Fry's Walnut Taco Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:02:00 +0000

My local grocery store sends out little pamphlets with coupons and recipes a few times a month and they usually have some tasty looking food. I saw this recipe for a taco salad that used walnuts instead of meat, I thought it sounded really interesting and I knew I had some walnuts in my freezer. I am so glad I gave this a try because it ended up being delicious and I didn't have to heat up my kitchen cooking anything.

You will need some walnuts that have been soaking in water for 2-8 hours, cumin and cayenne or taco seasoning, tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, tomato, sour cream and some lettuce.

I made my own guacamole, which is super simple. Chop up your tomato and onion.

Mash your avocado with some salt, lime juice and a pinch of cumin. Stir in the onion and tomato and you are done. So easy.

Get your walnuts in a mini chopper or hand chop them and mix with the taco seasoning.

Chop until its kind of a meaty chunky texture.

Put it on top of the lettuce and then add your other toppings.

The recipe said to put the sour cream in a plastic bag and snip off the end. I made too big of a snip and it didn't turn out looking as nice as I'd hoped, but I know now for next time.

All put together and ready to eat. This was surprisingly filling and delicious. The walnuts taste great with the taco seasoning and you will not miss the meat at all.

The Person Behind The Plate #4

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:06:00 +0000

While I wish I could say I sit at home all day reading and cooking, I do have a job that I have been at for almost 13 years. I work in tech but I actually went to school for English education. My first loves were reading and writing. I still love reading and do it pretty continuously but don't write a lot outside of this blog. This past week I read Under the Dome by Stephen King and if you have not read it I highly recommend it.

Here is a look at my 'to read' shelf (well, one of them) in my closet. I have taken out several of those books since the picture was taken.

I haven't made the jump to e-books yet, but I am sure I inevitably will have to.

What is the best book you have read lately?

Singapore-Style Rice Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:08:00 +0000

One of the blogs I enjoy reading regularly is written by Joanne who also contributes to Marcus Samuelsson's blog. She posted a recipe for Singapore Style Noodles and I had to give it a try because Tom has actually been asking me to make him some 'spicy noodles with vegetables'. So to find the recipe, please Click Here. Also click on Joanne's name to visit her site, she is hilarious and makes delicious food.

For this you will need some kind of noodle that you like, I prefer Somen. Onion, cooking oil that can cook at a high temperature (I use rice bran oil), curry powder (or whatever spice blend you like), green pepper, red pepper, cabbage, garlic, green onion, broth, mirin, soy sauce and brown sugar. A lot of ingredients, but this is super easy. Get some water on to boil and lets start prepping!

Chop your peppers. I scored pre chopped green peppers on Manager's special at my grocery store, so I didn't have to worry about those.

Slice the onion.

Chop the cabbage. I used bok choy and I didn't use much because Tom was a little scared of it.

Chop the green onion.

Measure your curry powder. Remember that most important part to a successful stir fry is have everything ready before you start to cook.

Prepare the broth mixture and mince your garlic.

Get everything prepped at the stove so you are not running around.

Drop the noodles and let them cook. Somen noodles only need about 3 minutes.

Bail them out and lets get stir frying!

Get the oil nice and hot and drop in the peppers and onions. The key here is to stir or it will burn. Cook these for 3-4 minutes or until they are soft.

Stir in the curry, garlic, and cabbage. Cook this for about a minute.

Stir in the broth and the noodles and let those cook for about 2 minutes, then stir in the green onion and you are ready to eat.

The spice blend I used was HOT as heck for me, Tom said he could taste the spice but it was not hot. But he said he would definitely eat this again, woo! Thanks for the inspiration Joanne!

Salad Days

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:23:00 +0000

Thank you all for the birthday and anniversary comments. I feel like I haven't cooked in weeks. I had not grocery shopped before our weekend 'away' and came home from that weekend and promptly got sick. This week I can't wait to start cooking again. I will be headed to the grocery store as soon as I catch up on what has been going on with all of my blog friends. Since I have been a slacker, I thought I would share an old post from the blog for a delicious salad since it seems like finally warm weather is upon most of the US. It is definitely here in AZ, today's high is going to be 110!

So if you want a quick salad that will fill you up and not heat up your whole house, check out this Steak salad with grapes and blue cheese.

What will be or was the highlight of your weekend?

Birthday and Anniversary Weekend at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 02:35:00 +0000

Last Thursday was my birthday and this past Sunday was our wedding anniversary. We decided to do a little 'stay-cation' at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. As a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright I have always wanted to stay in this hotel that he consulted on the design of. They really showcase his style throughout the hotel and grounds.

This is the front of the hotel, it is just gorgeous.

All of the grounds are just amazing to look at, they take such good care of it, which is hard in the desert!

This stained glass is in the main lobby, so bright and colorful.

In the evenings the pools were practically empty, so we really got to relax.

We tried some fun cocktails, including this one called Lavender and Lemons. The purple stuff in the bottom is candied lavender leaves.

This is a short rib macaroni and cheese that I got and I could not even finish half because it was so rich. But it sure was delicious!

Tom got fries and a taco, but it was a PORK taco, which he has never tried before. He liked it. (Sorry for the blurry phone pic)

We ended up getting pizza two nights in a row because it was so freaking good. We have ate at this restaurant a few times, so I didn't feel so bad getting pizza. Twice.

I hope you all are having a great week and if you ever get a chance to come to Phoenix I would definitely recommend the Biltmore!

Pineapple Basil Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:03:00 +0000

This recipe comes from the cookbook called Thai Cooking and More that I picked up at a book outlet years ago. Every recipe I have tried from this book has been a winner, including this simple but delicious Pineapple Basil Chicken. I cut this recipe in half.

For this recipe you will need, chicken, pineapple, corn starch, a hot pepper, oil, garlic, basil, cashews, soy sauce and fish sauce.

The most important part of making a successful stir fry is to have everything measured and ready to cook before you even turn on a burner. Measure out your pineapple, juice and nuts.

Mix the corn starch with the pineapple juice.

Chop your pepper and your green onion.

Chop your basil, garlic and chicken.

Once everything is staged near the stove, you can start cooking.

First things in the pan are the chicken, garlic and hot pepper. Stir fry these for 3-4 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked, add in the green onion for another minute.

Stir in the pineapple and cornstarch mixture and stir until it thickens.

Add in the pineapple, cashews, basil, fish sauce and soy sauce. Let this cook for another minute or two and you are ready to eat!

Delicious and so simple. You could easily do this with mandarin oranges as well. I am definitely going to experiment more with this dish and make more recipes from that cookbook.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:00 +0000

Here in the US it is a long weekend for most of us. Memorial Day is often celebrated by grilling up some good food and spending time with friends and family. I love a good hot dog and burger, but if you are looking for something a little different you might want to check out these recipes for grilled curry salmon and macaroni salad. As you can see below, it looks delicious and is a nice change from the regular cook out food.

I hope you all have an awesome long weekend!

Favorite Things #52 - Cooking Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:47:00 +0000

I cook a lot more than I actually blog about, and I love Sundays when I can do cooking for the week and make a meal that doesn't need to come together quickly.

This is what my kitchen usually looks like on a Sunday morning.

By the end of the day it is all cleaned up again and ready for the week. This Sunday I made some Thai Meatballs with noodles that Tom actually ate with me and really liked.

I will share the recipe soon because I know I want to have these again soon!

The Deen Brothers' Marinated Chicken Gyro Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:14:00 +0000

Have I mentioned that I have way too many cookbooks? My Mother In Law used to manage housewares at Dillards and they would get in a lot of celebrity chef cookbooks. She picked up a Deen Brothers cookbook and it has some really good recipes in it. The one I chose is a chicken gyro. I love all the flavors in a gyro and this just lightens it up by using chicken. Of course Tom would not eat this because of that vexing protein so this was cut in half.

This recipe is in two steps, the marinade and then the cooking.

For the marinade you need chicken, olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

Cut your chicken into 1 inch pieces.

Get it in a bowl and add your garlic, I just used my garlic press to mince it.

Add in the oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Cover it and put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

After it has marinated it is on to round 2, cooking and eating. Preheat your oven to broil and lets gather ingredients. You need pita bread, dill, onion, greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. I didn't have lettuce so it didn't make it on my gyro.

Chop your dill and onion.

Get the yogurt, dill, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a bowl and stir to combine.

Get the chicken out on a tray, I used nonstick foil on mine for easy cleanup. Pop it under the broiler for about 6-8 minutes.

While the chicken cooks chop up your gyro toppings.

Smear your sauce on a warmed pita and you are almost ready to eat!

Get the chicken out of the oven and layer some on the pita with your veggies.

This was so good, and so easy to make. I made way too much sauce but Tom helped me take care of it by using it as a veggie dip for the leftover cucumber. If you don't make the whole sandwich I would definitely recommend making the sauce as a light and tangy dip.

The Person Behind The Plate #3

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:03:00 +0000

One of the main reasons I started this blog is because I love to cook and Tom is definitely not into food. When I first met him he lived off of chips, subs, nachos and pizza. There might have been a hamburger thrown in every once in a while with lots of fries. He was basically eating the dream diet of most 12 year old boys.

According to his Mom he has been picky forever. Everyone loves the story that even before he could talk he could tell the difference between orange juice brands and would fling his sippy cup down if it was not Donald Duck OJ.

I imagine the caption of this picture as, "What do you mean you don't like chicken?!" That would be Tom surrounded by family members at the dinner table.

Fast forward 35 years...

Yep, still does NOT like chicken. I figured that it was breaded and deep fried, who doesn't love that?! Him.

Over the last 13 years I have been slowly getting this food hater to at least try some new things, and the blog is here to share all of the wonderful things that he still isn't ready to try.

Andrew Zimmern's Ramen Noodles from People Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Dining Alone) — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:01:00 +0000

I love magazines and have since I was a kid. Growing up the only magazine we got regularly was the TV Guide. When I was in junior high my sister got a job as a cashier in the local pharmacy and I would spend evenings there at a small card table reading all of the magazines in the store. I vowed that when I grew up and could afford it I would subscribe to every magazine I wanted. Well, one of the guilty pleasures from those days persists and I read People magazine every week. I was excited when they started including recipes and so far all that I have made turned out great. This recipe for Ramen Noodles is super easy and delicious, and guess what, Tom even ate it because I substituted beef broth for the chicken broth.

For this tasty soup you will need carrots, green onion, broth, soy sauce, ramen noodles (toss that nasty flavor packet), sesame oil, sriracha, ketchup, sugar, lime and an egg.

Juice your lime and whip up your egg.

Chop your green onion.

Get your water on to boil.

Measure out your broth.

Mix together soy sauce, ketchup, sriracha, sugar and sesame oil.

When your water is boiling drop in your ramen. I break mine up just so it is a bit easier to eat.

Ramen noodles only need to cook for a couple of minutes. Get them out and drain them and set them aside.

Put the broth into the pan.

When the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and stir in the soy sauce mixture.

Add the carrots and cook for one minute.

Slowly stir in the egg.

Add the noodles back in and let those cook for about a minute.

Get the pan off the burner and add in the lime and green onion and you are ready to eat.

This was so good, and spicy! Tom liked it too but said it wasn't hot at all. Apparently I am still a wuss when it comes to hot food. Tom also added a handful of peanuts because he wanted a little crunch in his soup. He said it was a great addition.

I hope you all are having a great weekend!