Chicken Cordon Bleu

I haven't made this in ages. Chicken breast pounded flat. Got to get it really flat--this could have been flatter. Layer of ham. Do a "burrito" wrap around slice of cheese. I used munster. Seared along the seam in peant oil. I could have let it go longer. Then into oven to finish. Sauce is a standard Bechamel with munster and Parmesan and s&p. I learned this recipe from the chef at Boone's Hall. The sides are Brussell sprouts from our CSA. Sauteed in onions and then finished off in chicken stock. Thanks, Peter, for that technique. The other side is spaghetti squash served with sauteed cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic and finished with capers, basil, and anchovy paste.

The Chicken Sandwich

Another Green Egg moment. Chicken pounded flat with the bar-b-que rub. Grilled on high heat (400+ degrees). Sauce of Greek yogurt & sour cream with chili garlic. Potatoes from the CSA, boiled then coated with mayo & Dijon mustard. Tomatoes with balsamic, olive oil and croutons. Corn grilled. Then coated with salt and butter and returned to grill. Served with a raspberry margarita--1T raspberry syrup, 1 shot tequila, 1/2 shot triple sec, 1/2 lime juice. Shaken. Poured over ice.

Greek Burger

From a couple nights ago. I guess I forgot to post it. Burger seasoned with toasted ground cumin and coriander seeds. Also oregano, s&p. Grilled on the Green Egg--full bore at 600 degrees. Topped with feta at the end. Then a slice of tomato and a tzatziki with Greek yogurt, garlic, cucumber, red wine vinegar, olive oil. Served on toasted Indian nan (which works great). Sides are Greek salad (tomato, cucumber, kalamata olive, onion) and potatoes or potates fournes in Greek: diced potato, water, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, oregano, s&p, and baked at a high heat.

Quesadilla de Ellas

Some strange sun dried tomato tortilla. Topped with Greek sour cream (lebni) and fresh basil and tomatoes.

Eggplant, Okra & Pasta

Broke out the pasta rollers (Kitchen Aid attachment). 1 and 1/2 c. Semolina flour, 2 eggs, T olive oil, salt. Rolled it to level 5. Used the wide slicer for a pretty broad, substantial noodle. Peeled and cubed eggplant. Salted it and waited. Rinsed. Roasted. Then sauteed onions, garlic, carrot. Added okra. Then the eggplant. Needed liquid so I put in the last of my chicken stock Added sliced cherry tomatoes at the end. Turned off the heat and added chopped basil. Served with red pepper flakes and coarsely grated Parmesan.

Hendricks Raspberry Gin Gimlet

OK. This is THE recipe. 1 shot Hendricks gin. 1 T blackberry syrup. 1/2 lime squeezed. Shaken w/ ice. Served over crushed ice. Garnish of lime and lime zest.

Monastrell

More Spanish wines. This from the Jumilla region. Similar to the Grenache. Spicy. I think Mourvèdre is the more common name.

Mombai Ciao

This is what happens when you drink a couple beers at Pazzo's before making dinner. Start with with a tikki masala and then go Italian. Sauteed onion and ginger. Spicy curry from the Indian grocery that, sadly, has folded. Then add heavy cream and tomato sauce in equal portions. Reduce. Add roasted pork loin and smoked chicken. Freshly grated ginger. Finished off with chopped basil.

Raspberry Gin Gimlet

This I like: 1T raspberry syrup, 1 shot gin, juice from 1/2 lime. Shaken and strained. Garnished with raspberry and lime zest.

Bulgakov's Mistress

Is there a more pretentious name? Vodka, 1 T blackberry syrup, 1/4 squeezed lemon with blackberry garnish. Shaken.

Pollo Sorpresa

Also known as leftovers. Sautee of onion and garlic, chicken stock (yes, I made the stock), black beans with my chili powder. Fire roasted tomatoes. Smoked chicken from Sunday. Reduced and served over basmati rice. I wish I had some fresh cilantro to sprinkle on top.

The side is fresh tomatoes from our CSA. Balsamic vinegar, olive oil (from Crete), fresh chopped basil, coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, S&P.

Salmon Tuesday

Salmon again with aioli, spicy from chili garlic sauce. Saffron rice with a chicken stock I made. Swiss chard sauteed with olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. Thanks to David's mom for the freshly baked oatmeal bread.

Saint Andre

I bought this cheese on a whim at Liquor Barn. This stuff is great. Like a brie but stronger and more flavorful. Check out the new cutting board from the Woodland Art Fair.

BBQ Smoked Chicken

The rub is toasted cumin, coriander, pasilla chiles ground with oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coarse sea salt, pepper. The sauce starts with ketchup, then the rub, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar. Smoked with cherry wood on the green egg. Indirect grilling but hot--450 degrees. Boiled Potatoes with sour cream and dill. Tomatoes, green bell peppers, mozarella, balsamic, olive oil.

Gumbo

Okra from my CSA. Sausage, chicken, shrimp lots of thyme. It all started with a roux. Then beef stock. Served with Cholula hot sauce and leek powder.

Grenache 2

Spicy. Not as heavy as a Cabernet

Angel Hair Ragu

Pretty simple. Sauteed onion and garlic. Browned and drained the ground beef. Can of crushed tomatoes. ~2 T of anchovy paste. Oregano. Green bell pepper. TIP: add the bell pepper towards the end so it doesn't get too mushy. Served with grated parmesan and red pepper flakes.

My Cocktail Needs a Name

I soaked the cherries in 1 part simple syrup and 1 part whiskey. Muddled a cherry (with a T of cherry juices) with a chunk of watermelon from my CSA. Interesting melon--the flesh is yellow not red. Added a shot of whiskey. Ice. Seltzer. Garnish of cherry and water melon. Verdict: Good summer drink and you ain't gonna find it at any other bar in town.

Mideast Inspired

I guess it's ratatoille--sauteed eggplant, onions, garlic, squash with the remains of a caprese salad. Can I call it goulash? Kofta is ground sirloin, toasted cumin and coriander seed ground to powder with my mortar and pestle, Rebe's dried oregano, leek powder. Rolled into a log shape in wax paper. Baked at 400. Sauce is the Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, S&P.

Hot and Goaty

Another idea for the goat cheese--mix in the Vietnamese garlic chili sauce with some S&P. Here atop my saltines.

Brats from the Green Egg

Fired up the Green Egg. Used my grill skillet (thanks, Chris) , to sautee the onions and green peppers. Also served Grandma Mary's German slaw dressing (apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed) -- sorry that's not pictured.

Picnic at Talon Winery

The picnic at Talon Winery featured:
12:00--orzo, pepperoncini, olives, red pepper flakes. *Made the night before so very spicy*
1:00--goat cheese, dill, leek powder on bagel crisp
3:00--caprese salad with bell peppers
6:00--bleu cheese cole slaw. Dressing: 1 egg yolk, 1/2 c olive oil, 1/2 c peanut oil, sour cream, bleu cheese, lemon juice.
9:00--potato salad of sour cream, horse radish and parsley.

Cod, Ratatouille, Potatoes

Cod baked at 325 w/ olive oil and S&P. Mixed aioli with juice from 1/2 lemon and chopped basil. Covered fish liberally with sauce. Ratatouille base started with sauteed leeks. Then added green bell peppers and yellow squash, the left over gezpacho, finally chopped tomatoes. Boiled potatoes. We're out of sour cream. So added cream, butter, horseradish and leek powder for color.

Pork and chutney appetizer

Saltines take two. 1/2 c flour. 2 T melted butter. 2 T milk. 1/4 t baking powder. Roll really flat. Chutney was so mild. Vietnamese chili garlic sauce gave it some kick. Grilled pork was from last night.

Old Fashioned

I guess the only crime here is that I don't actually own any old fashioned glasses. Muddle orange and maraschino cherry with a t of sugar (thanks, Lise, for that tip). Add a shot of whiskey. A dash of bitters. A squeeze of lemon. Crushed ice. Garnish with cherry and lemon slice.

Brined Pork Loin, tomato eggplant

Pork served with aioli (I'll never tire of garlic). Eggplant topped with tomato, goat cheese, garlic salt, balsamic vinegar and sprinkles of the dried oregano that Rebe sent me (thanks, Rebe). Green beans with butter and dill.

Salmon Salad Saltine

All out of bread. Out of crackers. Modified this recipe for saltines: 1 c flour, 1/4 c melted butter, 1/4+ c milk. 1/4 t baking powder. Mix. Adjust dry and wet. Roll out flat. Really flat (I made it too thick the first time through.). Sprinkled with Kosher salt and leek powder. Oven was at 350. Salmon mixed with aioli and mayo. Added some capers.

Whiskey Sour

Put juice from1/2 lemon, 1 shot whiskey (Jim Beam--I don't experiment with The good stuff), and 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar in a martini shaker (full of ice). Poured into a martini glass and dropped in a Maraschino cherry. A bit tart. Probably a full teaspoon of sugar would be better.

Aioli Goat Cheese Tomato

Working through left overs. For this hors d'œuvre, I placed tomato atop toasted sour dough bread followed by a dollop of goat cheese. Mixed aioli with the last of the chimichurri sauce

Omelot before the Fold

Mary's eggs, tomato, purple potato, sauteed onion, and Hannah's goat cheese.