Foodie Wannabe

Chicken, Artichoke, and Spinach Calzone

2011-12-29T12:36:00-06:00

I know that a calzone with lots of cheese isn't the healthiest option available, but darn, it's so good, warm, and gooey. And for once, Husband thinks that I made something great for dinner. Let's just say that the spinach in this chicken, artichoke, and spinach calzone (with lots and lots of cheese) makes it ok?

Chicken, Artichoke, and Spinach Calzone
Source: Cook's Country
Total time: 40 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-size pieces
9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, patted dry and chopped
2 ounces (2cups) baby spinach
6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (1 pound) ball ready-made pizza dough (or more because I had tons of leftover filling)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine chicken, artichokes, spinach, mozzarella, feta, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Divide dough in half. On lightly floured counter, roll dough into two 9-inch rounds. Working one at a time, place half of filling over half of dough, leaving 1-inch border around edges. Brush edges with water, fold dough over filling, and crimp to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and remaining filling.

Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 TBSP of oil. Transfer calzones to prepared sheet and cut two 1-inch slits in top of each calzone. Brush calzones with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Serve.

Providence: Los Angeles

2011-12-21T12:44:00-06:00

Husband and I are lucky enough to have the freedom and frequent flier miles to take quick weekend trips when we're not working or feeling too attached to our cats. Such was the case a few weekends ago when we had the opportunity to visit my father-in-law out in LA. After a fun day of sightseeing and a Kings/Canadiens hockey game, we geared up for a schmancy dinner at Providence, which received two Michelin stars in 2009. They have a killer-looking tasting menu, but being on Pacific time and starting dinner at 9:30 pm, meant that Husband and I would have had to essentially pull an all-nighter. Taking in two courses was not disappointing at all and just means we'll have to go back one day for the full shebang. We first received a few amuse bouches, a soup (with a straw!) and a cute box of salmon skin topped with roe and a little seafood puff pastry.

Husband's father was a true advocate of Providence's clam chowder, which had been revised since his last visit. The clams were true, in-shell clams that had to be de-shelled before eating the soup, lest you want to chew on a shell.

Husband can't resist foie gras on a menu and started with foie gras ravoli. The end result was a clean plate.

I simply loved my farfalle with lots of delicious, fresh seafood. I would have been completely happy if they just brought me another plate of that for my main course.

My father-in-law at a very lovely-looking steak and potato-mushroom combo as his entree.

Husband clearly had fish, though I'm forgetting which one. Maybe someday he'll look at my blog and let me know.

I am very sure that I had salmon, and it was terrific. What you cannot see in this photo is a puree under the fish that I practically licked off the plate. I didn't really lick it off the plate; that would be gross.

You can see why I'd like to go back and try more. Ok, everything on the menu.

Providence
www.providencela.com
5955 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 460-4491

Chicken and Chickpea Noodle Soup

2011-12-19T12:50:00-06:00

I live and work in the city of Chicago, and one of the things I love most about living here is that I can get to work using public transportation, meaning I get to read, listen to music, or tweet all the way to work without fear of crashing a car. The only drawback is the walk to the train and from the train each morning and evening. In the spring, summer, and fall, the walk is certainly welcome, but in the winter? Not so much. After fighting the wind and stepping into work in the morning or home at night, I need soup. All I want is soup. Breakfast, lunch, dinner = soup. Husband, who commutes by car, can't relate, and I know that he gets frustrated by constant need for soup. The best one I've made lately is this heavenly recipe from Food Network. I doubled the recipe so that I could eat it for every meal for a week.

Chicken and Chickpea Noodle Soup
Source: Food Network Magazine
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces spaghetti, broken into small pieces
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and half of the cilantro; cook, stirring, until the spices are toasted, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, 1 cup water, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the spaghetti is just tender, about 8 more minutes.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the soup. Simmer until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Turkey and Vegetable Chow Fun

2011-12-17T16:30:28-06:00

The fun thing about this blog is that I can post some really awesome looking food, and because it looks good, you probably assume that it tasted good. Not always the case. And then, once in awhile I make something that looks less than ideal, but it's absolutely delicious. This Turkey Chow Fun fits into that latter category. Close your eyes, take a bite, and you won't be disappointed.

Turkey and Vegetable Chow Fun
Source: Food Network Magazine
Total time: 35 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Kosher salt
12 ounces wide rice noodles, pappardelle or fettuccine
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small Japanese eggplant, sliced into rounds
4 ounces mixed mushrooms, cut into pieces (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 pound ground turkey
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Sriracha or other Asian chile sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water, then drain and rinse the noodles. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix the oyster sauce and vinegar in a cup; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet over high heat. Add the eggplant and stir-fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Push the vegetables to one side and add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the turkey and stir-fry until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir the turkey and vegetables together; add the scallions and half of the oyster sauce mixture and cook 1 more minute.

Add the noodles, 1 cup of the reserved cooking water and the remaining oyster sauce mixture and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Stir-fry until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Top with cilantro and serve with Sriracha, if desired.

Foreign Cinema: San Francisco

2011-12-05T12:27:00-06:00

Our final meal together for the girls' wine-tasting weekend was brunch back in San Francisco at Foreign Cinema. This restaurant also shows movies on the concrete walls at night, but since we were there on a sunny Sunday morning, it was just a relaxed, high-ceilinged sight to see.

One thing to note about this place is that they encourage the early-day imbibing (aka day-drinking) because their drink list seems to be longer than their food list!

A few of us couldn't help but try the fellini.

We also couldn't turn down their homemade Pop-Tarts. The five of us split the pear and strawberry ones, and the pear came out on top!

We also had a brunch appetizer of hirame and ahi tartare tostadas with cucumber, jalapeno-lime vinaigrette, and wasabi tobiko.

I ate a green omelette with chicken sausage and some greens.

My friend Jess went all Indian on us with the curry chicken and coconut rice.

Tif had the irresistable french toast with mango and bananas.

The bride-to-be and our San Fran friend both indulged in the Croque Madame. A sandwich for the ages.

And what would a good brunch be without dessert? Nothing says, eye-opener like a chocolate pot de creme.

Hey Chicago, want to think about opening a place like this? They even take reservations! (gasp!)

Foreign Cinema
foreigncinema.com
2534 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 648-7600

In-N-Out Burger: Mill Valley, California

2011-12-03T12:15:00-06:00

Anyone whose been to an In-N-Out Burger knows that the beauty of the quick-service chain is in its simplicity; there's very few things on the menu (hamburger, cheeseburger, double-double, fries, shakes). And it's all quite tasty.

Some of the ladies on our wine country trip had never been to one (gasp!), so we had to swing by on our way out of the city. Even though I think that their burgers are really some of the best (best fast food, for sure), I haven't been down with hamburgers for some time now so my local friend clued me into the "grilled cheese." It's really just a cheeseburger without the meat.

There were also a few trays of fries floating around the table to top off the meal.

Why haven't you been to an In-N-Out Burger yet? (Vegetarianism is no excuse!)

In-N-Out Burger
www.in-n-out.com
798 Redwood Highway
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(800) 786-1000

The Girl + the Fig: Sonoma, California

2011-12-01T12:53:00-06:00

I'm beginning a three-part series highlighting some Bay Area restaurants that I was lucky enough to chow down at during a recent wine-tasting, bachelorette-partying, friend-reunioning weekend. After a really intense day of touring the area wineries in Sonoma (and a four-hour couch break watching wedding movies), the five of us headed out to The Girl and the Fig in downtown Sonoma.

We love wine, but after drinking it all day, we needed a little reprieve so we tried out their inventive cocktails, specifically the apple spice (jameson whiskey, durban muscat de beaumes-de-venise, grand marnier, lemon juice, muddled apple)...

And the fig kiss (figcello di sonoma, st. germaine, cranberry juice).

We all shared a cheese plate that came with some delicious fig preserves (notice a theme?).

Other starters included a squash salad...

And a squash soup.

One friend dug into this lovely bowl of mussels as her main.

I had the pan-seared chicken breast (honey-roasted root vegetables, fingerling potatoes, medjool dates, and pomegranate gastrique).

Others wanted a little more meat and chose the grilled flat iron steak (with butternut squash and potato gratin, roasted brussels sprouts, bacon lardons, and salsa verde).

There were also three desserts that we all dug our spoons into: the chocolate-dipped fig kisses...

The chocolate-caramel tart (oh, yum!)...

And (my pick) profiteroles (lovely, lovely, lovely).

With the happy day of wine, and a memorable dinner, we all crashed for the night around 10 pm. That's how you know it was a good day!

The Girl and the Fig
www.thegirlandthefig.com
110 West Spain Street
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 938-3634

Herb-Roasted Chicken

2011-11-25T12:14:00-06:00

Another day, another yummy Food Network Magazine recipe. I happen to like roast chicken because they are really quite easy. If you have a little extra cooking time (not time you'll actually be doing anything), I think a whole chicken is an excellent option. You do have to tuck the wings behind its head, but I believe that you can do it - just ignore that cracking sound. I served this beauty on top of a polenta square and with a little salad on the side.

Herb-Roasted Chicken
Source: Food Network Magazine
Makes 6-8 servings
Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 3-to-4-pound chickens
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 2 sprigs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig torn in half
1 lemon, halved
1 onion, halved
6 cloves garlic, smashed
5 bunches scallions, quartered
2 pints grape tomatoes or small heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Pat the chicken dry; generously season the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours or overnight to dry out the skin. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mash the butter with the chopped thyme and chopped rosemary in a small bowl. Gently slide your fingers under the chicken skin on the breasts and legs to loosen it. Scoop some of the herbed butter with a spoon; slide the spoon under the skin and hold the skin in place while you remove the spoon. Smooth the skin to distribute the butter. Repeat with the remaining butter.

Squeeze a lemon half into the cavity of each chicken, then stuff the lemon half inside. Stuff 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 thyme sprig and 1/2 rosemary sprig into each chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with twine. Set a rack in a large roasting pan; put the chicken on the rack and roast 25 minutes. Toss the scallions, tomatoes, olive oil and a large pinch of salt in a bowl, then add to the roasting pan. Remove the twine from the chicken and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 50 more minutes.

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to platters and let rest about 10 minutes before carving.

Cantonese Chicken and Mushrooms

2011-11-23T12:52:00-06:00

Husband and I have been having some really good luck with our dinners from Food Network Magazine. There's a section of quick dinners that generally have a reasonable number of ingredients and aren't bad mood-inducing when you have to come home and cook after a long day at the office. We also found that cooking does take less time when we do it together (especially if Husband chops the veggies).

Cantonese Chicken and Mushrooms
Source: Food Network Magazine
Makes 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
6 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 thin slices peeled ginger
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 ounces sliced mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake or a mix
12 ounces baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Toss the chicken with the oyster sauce in a bowl. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water in another bowl. Place both bowls near the stove with the remaining ingredients.

Heat a wok or deep skillet over high heat until hot. Add the peanut oil, then the scallions, ginger and garlic, and stir-fry about 20 seconds. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and bok choy.

Add the broth and sesame oil to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture, return to a boil and cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with rice, if desired.

Foodie Wannabe

Top Posts of 2011

Chicken, Artichoke, and Spinach Calzone

Providence: Los Angeles

Chicken and Chickpea Noodle Soup

Turkey and Vegetable Chow Fun

Foreign Cinema: San Francisco

In-N-Out Burger: Mill Valley, California

The Girl + the Fig: Sonoma, California

Herb-Roasted Chicken

Cantonese Chicken and Mushrooms