Give Me Something With Flava

Tonight was definitely a salad night. But not just some boring old salad. Give me something with flava and variety!
On the menu, Chicken Cobb Salad.

Now, in a regular Chicken Cobb Salad you would probably find bacon pieces and hard boiled eggs. Instead of the hard boiled eggs, I decided to do a fried egg, and instead of the bacon, I chose a smoked blue cheese for the dressing to replace the bacon.

Chicken Cobb Salad
Serves 1
Ingredients:
Handful of Baby Arugula
1/2 small Red Onion, diced
1/2 Avocado, diced
1/2 Ear of Corn, Blanched and cut off the cob
1/3 of a Cucumber, sliced and cut into quarters
1/2 Heirloom Tomato, diced
4 small slices of Chicken
1 Egg, fried

Directions:
Prepare vegetables and egg as directed above. Set aside, until ready to use. In a bowl, mix together the arugula, red onion, avocado, corn, cucumber, tomato and chicken. Top with smoked blue cheese dressing (see recipe below), fried egg, salt and pepper.

Smoked Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients:
3 ounces of Smoked Blue Cheese Crumbles
1/4 cup Sour Cream
2 Tbs. Mayonnaise
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Splash of Champagne Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Directions: In a medium bowl, mix together the smoked blue cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. Then, add in the onion powder, garlic powder, champagne vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well, and refrigerate for up to an hour for optimum flavor and temperature.


If you have not tried Smoked Blue Cheese, I highly recommend it. This was a great different take on a Chicken Cobb Salad that had some many incredible different flavors and textures going on. Loved, loved, loved it!

Oh Yes, It's a Fruit!

My absolute favorite thing in the world is a very ripe avocado. The texture, the color...just an absolutely perfect fruit. Oh yes, it's a fruit! Now, let's make that perfect fruit into some guacamole!

We put a little bit of this into the guacamole, and it gave it a nice spice and tomato flavor to it.

Homemade Guacamole
Serves about 2
Ingredients:
2 ripe Avocados, diced
Half of a lime, Lime juice
1/4 cup Sour cream
4 Tbs. Salsa (Tomatoes, Hot Sauce, Cilantro, Onion)
Handful Cilantro, diced finely
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Then, add in the sour cream, salsa and lime juice, Mix well. Then, add in the cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Check back tomorrow to see what we used the homemade guacamole and salsa for!

Adventurous Attitudes

I love Sunday mornings. Especially those that start off with an incredible breakfast and leave you satisfied until dinner time. We had to make sure it would be a breakfast that would tie us over during our long hike through the woods and the rivers.
We decided to make something a little different this morning...
Something that would pair well with our morning coffees, and adventurous attitudes :)

Pancetta Mushroom Frittata
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 ounces Pancetta, diced
1 cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, cleaned and diced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
Handful Fresh Parsley, diced finely
3 eggs
1/4 cup Milk
Salt
Pepper
2 ounces Fontina Cheese, grated
2 Tbs. Butter

Directions:
First, prepare the vegetables as directed above. In the oven, make sure the rack is about 6-8 inches from the top of the broiler. Preheat the broil to high. Then, in a medium-sized bowl, mix the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and parsley. Set aside. In a cast iron skillet, bring the pan to a medium-high heat and add 1 Tbs. of the butter. Then, add in the pancetta, mushrooms and onions. Let cook for about 7 minutes until the pancetta is fully cooked and the onions and mushrooms are a nice, golden brown. Then, slowly mix in the pancetta, mushroom and onions into the egg mixture, while stirring quickly. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, add it back into the cast iron skillet. Let cook for a few minutes, and stir occasionally. Then, with a spatula, go around the edge of the frittata to make sure it is not sticking to the pan. Once the egg has cooked thoroughly on the bottom, transfer the cast iron skillet into the oven. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. Top with fresh fontina cheese and parsley. Serve hot!


An incredible breakfast treat. The flavor of the pancetta consumed the egg dish and the fresh ingredients of mushrooms, onions and parsley was a true delight!

When in Doubt, Grill It

Sometimes I wonder if this humidity is ever going to cease. But, then I remember winter is right around the corner, so I stop worrying about the heat and try to enjoy it while it is still here.
And that includes summer perks...like grilling!

Tonight, Grilled Chicken with a Special Rub and Creamed Grilled Corn.


Grilled Chicken with Special Rub
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Whole Chicken, cut in half
Smoked Paprika
Onion Powder
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Olive Oil

Directions:
In a medium bowl, blend together all the spices to your liking. I added a little bit of everything and added more of an ingredient that I really wanted to taste on the chicken. Just be sure to make enough rub for a whole chicken. Then, in a large zip lock bag, add some olive oil and place the two halves of the chicken in the bag. Seal tight, and shake well. Then, pour in the rub and shake the bag very well until the chicken is thoroughly covered. Once the grill is nice and hot, cook the chicken on direct heat for about 20 minutes on each side.

Creamed Grilled Corn
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 Ear of Corn, grilled and then sliced off the cob
1/2 cup Buttermilk
4 Tbs. Flour
2 Tbs. Sugar
3 Tbs. Butter
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
First, grill the corn for about 15 minutes on each side, on direct heat. Then, slice the corn off the cob with a knife and set aside. In a medium sauce pan, let the butter melt on medium-high heat. Then, mix in the flour and stir well. Next, add in the buttermilk, until it becomes a thick consistency. Add in the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Then, mix in the corn and stir well. Let cook for about 10 minutes until the corn is a nice, creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

A nice, simple meal from the grill: Chicken with an incredible rub and creamed corn that has a grilled flavor to it. I cannot express how much I love grilling!

Dog Walker Lady

I told myself I would never take all three of the dogs on a walk again, but somehow, I found myself clipping the leash onto all three of their collars. Okay, it isn't that bad. Sure, I get tangled millions of times and wrapped around trees, and people drive by very slowly, looking at me as if I am crazy! But, really it is a lot of fun, and they all absolutely love it.
I figured after walking the three dogs I would make a tasty dish.
Tonight...

Asian Scallops with Green Onion Couscous
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 fresh scallops from Whole Foods
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
4 Tbs. Brown Sugar
4 Tbs. Mirin Sauce
Package of Couscous
Handful of Fresh Green Onion, minced

Directions:
First, prepare the couscous as directed on its package. Keep the couscous on low heat until ready to serve. Add in the green onions when ready to eat.
Next, in a medium sautee pan, add a splash of Canola Oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in the soy sauce, brown sugar and mirin sauce. Let the ingredients cook for a few minutes into a nice sauce. Then, add the scallops into the pan and sear on each side for about 4 minutes or until the scallop is a nice, flaky texture.


I loved the asian flavor on the scallops. The sauce made a nice crispy texture on the top and bottom of the scallops. Served with a side of couscous with green onions was the perfect pair. Scallops are by far my favorite dish from the sea!

Missing My Pasta

It is still so hot and humid out! There has been a lot of grilling going on for us. We are trying to savor these final weeks of summer. Although, I have been missing some nice pasta dishes, so I knew one was in store.

Four Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Caper Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 package Ohio City Pasta Four Cheese Ravioli
1/2 can of San Marzano Tomatoes
2 Tbs. Tomato Paste
1 Onion, diced finely
1/4 cup of Capers
6 Garlic Cloves, minced
Small handful of Organic Brown Sugar
Splash of Red Wine
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Pecorino Romano Cheese

Directions:
First, prepare the sauce. Bring a medium sauce pan to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Then, add the garlic and onions. Let cook for a few minutes. Next, add in the San Marzano tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. Next, add in the brown sugar, capers and red wine and stir well. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add salt. Cook the ravioli according to its package. When finished, serve the tomato caper sauce over the ravioli and garnish with Pecorino Romano.


The fresh ravioli from Ohio City Pasta is incredible. The four cheese ravioli is made with Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and Ricotta Cheeses. These incredibly fresh cheese ravioli served with the sweet tomato caper sauce was the exact pasta dish I was looking for!

Not So Fast

Last night was a great way to celebrate before my new job starts tomorrow.
We played 9 holes of golf, and I made par on a hole! But wait, there is more! I also made a putt from about 35 feet! After it happened, I screamed, did a little victory dance, and said, "Okay seriously, did that really go in?!" It was such a fun and humorous 9 holes of golf. My boyfriend mistakenly started carrying the pin flag into our golf cart, thinking it was his golf club. It was too funny.
After golf, we went out to dinner and ordered two flat bread pizzas and a few glasses of white wine. To our surprise, we got to see a random fireworks show! The restaurant we were at, is on a hill, so we had the perfect view of the fireworks show. Such a great night.

Now, on to tonight...
Did you think I was done with the peaches? Not so fast...

Fresh Peach Margarita
Serves about 3
Ingredients:
2 shots of Good Quality Silver Tequila
Splash of Grand Mariner
6 peaches, washed, peeled, sliced and quartered
3 slices of lime, to garnish each glass
Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Directions:
First, make the simple syrup. In a microwave safe bowl, add the sugar and the water and mix well. Place in the microwave for about 1 minute and 25 seconds or until the sugar dissolves. Mix well and set aside to cool. You can also prepare this on the stove over medium-high heat, but to make it super simple syrup, use the microwave!
In a food processor, take the prepared peaches and place them into it. Then. add the simple syrup. Blend well until the peaches are completely liquified. Then, drain the mixture through a sieve into a large measuring cup. Then, into the measuring cup, add the tequila and Grand Mariner. Make sure to mix very well to incorporate all of the ingredients. Pour the drink over ice and garnish with a lime.


I loved this margarita! The fresh peaches with the Good Quality Tequila, little splash of Grand Mariner, homemade simple syrup and fresh lime was so refreshing. It was the perfect summer time margarita.