Posts for May 16th 2011

summer

Fast & Easy Dinner: Pan-Fried Chicken With Ragout

Have you already enjoyed these fast chicken dinners?

Have you already enjoyed these fast chicken dinners? If you have, here is your next one to try! It's a simple pan-fried chicken topped with a bounty of bell peppers and tomatoes that will surely leave everyone at your table satisfied. The tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions are quickly roasted in the oven before being mixed with a thick garlic paste. The chicken is lightly floured for a crisp texture and juicy flavor. For an even shorter cook time, I used chicken strips. Once the chicken is cooked, it's topped with the warm ragout and fried capers, for extra salty goodness. Served with brown rice or a side salad, it makes a great meal. Say goodbye to boring chicken dinners and get this recipe.

community

Product Review: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust

In her YumSugar Community group, The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange, reader girlA discusses all things vegan.

In her YumSugar Community group, The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange, reader girlA discusses all things vegan. Here, she provides a wonderfully in-depth review of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust.

I've been wanting to try gluten-free pizza crust for quite some time now. I'd like to reduce to the amount of gluten I eat, so I was anxious to try this mix from Bob's Red Mill. The mix requires water, oil and eggs. However, it suggests using 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water as an egg replacement. I used Ener-G Egg Replacer. The package also comes with a yeast packet. The crust makes 2 12″ pizzas, or one 26″ pizza. Since The Husband is in San Francisco for work, the Sixth Grader and me decided to make a couple of pizzas tonight.

Check out the rest of her thoughts after the break.

Cocktails

Happy Hour: Means of Preservation

One of my best nights in Hawaii was spent at the lobby bar at the Waikiki Edition, Oahu's posh new urban resort.

One of my best nights in Hawaii was spent at the lobby bar at the Waikiki Edition, Oahu's posh new urban resort. There, I was in the hands of the hotel's talented barkeep, Sam Treadway, who crafted, among other things, a deconstructed mai tai (topped with foam and a shiso leaf) — as well as the best Sazerac I've ever had.

I asked the young bartender, who hails from the famous Boston bar Drink, to put together a memorable libation to end the evening on a high note. He came back with this; it's a bit sweet, a tad savory, and incredibly complex, with herbaceous, vegetal notes. To see the unique recipe, keep reading.

New Balance

No Pain No Gain For Everyday Girl Rachel! Time to Weigh In!

Now that Rachel is in the throes of her fitness plan with New Balance and celebrity trainer Holly Perkins, it's time to find out how her journey is coming along.

Now that Rachel is in the throes of her fitness plan with New Balance and celebrity trainer Holly Perkins, it's time to find out how her journey is coming along.

Thanks to her candid video diaries and truthfulness about the bumps experienced along the way, Holly will advise Rachel on whatever changes need to be made and what the important next steps are to achieve her ultimate goal.

But first, the dreaded weigh-in! How'd she do? Check out the video below to find out!

dinner

Chicken With Bell Pepper Ragout

Fine CookingChicken With Bell Pepper RagoutIngredients1 1/4 lb.

Fine Cooking

Chicken With Bell Pepper Ragout

Chicken With Bell Pepper Ragout

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb. ripe plum tomatoes (6 to 8), cored, halved lengthwise, and seeded
1 medium red or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. cayenne
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium clove garlic, mashed to a paste with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into cutlets
2 Tbs. nonpareil (small) capers, rinsed and patted dry

Directions

  1. Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high.
  2. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil. Put the tomatoes cut side up on one side and the peppers and onion on the other side. Drizzle everything with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil and sprinkle with the cayenne, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss the peppers and onions. Broil until the tomatoes are collapsed, about 7 minutes. Flip the tomatoes, toss the peppers and onions, and broil until the tomato skins have large black spots and the peppers and onions are tender, about 5 minutes more.
  3. Use tongs to pull the skins off the tomatoes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board. Put the peppers and onions in a large bowl; add the garlic paste. Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl with the other vegetables. Mix well, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
  4. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put the flour in a shallow pan. Season the chicken with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper; dredge in the flour. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken, flipping once, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and fry the capers over medium-high heat until they pop open and become crisp, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle them over the chicken. Serve with the ragout.

Serves 4.

Cocktails

Means of Preservation

This recipe comes from Sam Treadway's friend and fellow bartender John Gersten.

This recipe comes from Sam Treadway's friend and fellow bartender John Gersten. "It's trying to preserve something that is short-lived and fleeting, hence the name Means of Preservation," Treadway explained.

From Sam Treadway

Means of Preservation

Means of Preservation Cocktail Recipe 2011-05-16 11:57:36

Ingredients

2 ounces Beefeater gin
1/2 ounce St. Germain
1/2 ounce Dolin Blanc (a sweet vermouth)
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.

Makes 1 drink.

Food News

Success Is Possible With Pay-What-You-Can Cafés

The recession has curtailed consumer food spending, but some restaurants refuse to let that keep customers away — literally, at all costs.

The recession has curtailed consumer food spending, but some restaurants refuse to let that keep customers away — literally, at all costs. Take the honor-based billing system, for instance: drink and dine, and what you pay is entirely up to you and your conscience. On many occasions, customers don't receive bills but rather "suggested donations."

That's the case at Panera Bread's Panera Cares Community Cafes. One year into opening its first pay-what-you-can concept in Clayton, MO, the national chain's nonprofit cafes have been deemed a success. According to Panera, 60 percent of patrons fulfill the requested "suggested donation," while 20 percent actually exceed the amount; in total, the cafe sees $100,000 a month in revenue. Panera's since opened two more community cafes — one in Dearborn, MI, and another in Portland, OR.

Other establishments are following in the chain's footsteps; even Jon Bon Jovi is opening a pay-what-you-can concept. It's refreshingly hopeful to see that this model can work, even when times are still tough for the average American. Would you welcome the rise of more charitable cafes?

Source: Flickr User samantha celera

Food News

What's Your Favorite Shellfish?

Yay for seafood! Pacific salmon season's just started, and incidentally, the rising temperatures are also ideal for that warm-weather selection from the sea that I like to call shore food.

Yay for seafood! Pacific salmon season's just started, and incidentally, the rising temperatures are also ideal for that warm-weather selection from the sea that I like to call shore food. In light of the lobster rolls and crab cakes that we'll soon be enjoying, I'd like to ask: what's your favorite kind of shellfish?