Cookin again

[Dannyalcatraz]

Balsamic vinegar s tend towards the sweet side. Malt vinegars are more tangy- hence the Brits use fo them with Fish & chips.* You need to take a small taste to figure out what you have there,

Perhaps I’ll join you in spirit by making a caprese style salad for dinner tonight. Tomatoes, mozzerella, EVOO, basi, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper are the classic ingredients, and I have all of that at my disposal. And I don’t need anything heavy...

* Damn it- haven’t had that in MONTHS! Mouth...watering...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

...amusingly, my mozzarella was nearly frozen, somehow, so I made something “in the style of” a caprese.

Instead of the mozzarella, I used raclette. I used a basil infused EVOO instead of basil, and a white balsamic instead of dark. I added a bunch of diced green onion. Came out tasty!

 

[Zardnaar]

Just had the wife's favorite again. Spiced chicken, rice, salad, hummus. Two nights in a row had no pita so used naan.

Looks like I'll have to try that bottle.

Nvrmind its for others.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just had the wife's favorite again. Spiced chicken, rice, salad, hummus. Two nights in a row had no pita so used naan.

Looks like I'll have to try that bottle.

Nvrmind its for others.

Meaning?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tried this recipe tonight:

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mozzarella and Spinach

Mozzarella Spinach Chicken Breasts — Seriously cheesy and bursting with flavors, this delicious dinner for two comes together so easy and cooks in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy nig…

www.eatwell101.com

I did have to make a couple changes- see below- but the overall result was happy people at the dinner table. Very flavorful, fairly simple, and it is flexible enough to alter for personal tastes.

The main changes I made:

1) I stretched the recipe to feed 4.

2) I used akkawi cheese instead of mozzarella. Akkawi is an Israeli cheese that is similar to mozzarella, but is firmer and saltier, with a slightly stronger flavor.

3) I had some excess spinach, so I chiffonaded it and added it to the sauce. I also added sliced portobello mushroom. Buttons might have worked better, but they definitely worked.

4) the balsamic vinegar I used was a white balsamic- not as sweet as some of the darker ones.

5) I used some HUMONGOUS boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It was what I had on hand- my aunt got them $1.40/lb at Sam’s- but THAT was almost a critical error. I understand the temptation, but smaller breasts would have been easier to cook properly- these were so big (seemingly almost turkey sized) that I was having trouble cooking them through properly. So the next time I do this or anything like it, I’m either using smaller breasts or pounding the big ones flat.

6) I didn’t add the sauce to the breasts in pan. Instead, I plated the breasts, deglazed the pan, and added that to the sauce pan. Then the sauce was spooned onto the breasts. That let the color and seasoning stay on the meat.

 

[abe ray]

My take on Shepard’s pie:mash po hash!
take 1/2 pound of any kind of ground meat, 2-3 slices of any kind of cheese, 1/2 pound of mashed potatoes & 2-4 tablespoons of any kind of herbs/spices.
brown meat, drain fat into a paper towel. Add other ingredients, warm through. Serve warm in the skillet used to cook it in.

 

[prabe]

Tried this recipe tonight:

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mozzarella and Spinach

Mozzarella Spinach Chicken Breasts — Seriously cheesy and bursting with flavors, this delicious dinner for two comes together so easy and cooks in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy nig…

www.eatwell101.com

I did have to make a couple changes- see below- but the overall result was happy people at the dinner table. Very flavorful, fairly simple, and it is flexible enough to alter for personal tastes.

I'll have to look into akkawi cheese. I don't expect it to be cheaper, but variety-spice-life and all-a-that.

Also, I'm not surprised you had issues dealing with larger than normal (or larger than the recipe expected, at least) chicken breasts. I might be more likely to cut them into smaller pieces than to flatten them, but that's partially a preference thing and partially that I don't own a meat-pounding-tool (though I could probably use a skillet if need arises).

Also-also, I'm all about making the sauce in the pan with the meat out of it. It's even how I do sawmill gravy (I gather that's at least not universal).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'll have to look into akkawi cheese. I don't expect it to be cheaper, but variety-spice-life and all-a-that.

Also, I'm not surprised you had issues dealing with larger than normal (or larger than the recipe expected, at least) chicken breasts. I might be more likely to cut them into smaller pieces than to flatten them, but that's partially a preference thing and partially that I don't own a meat-pounding-tool (though I could probably use a skillet if need arises).

Also-also, I'm all about making the sauce in the pan with the meat out of it. It's even how I do sawmill gravy (I gather that's at least not universal).

It was more the thickness than anything else that caused the potential issue. As I finished pan frying one side, I could see inside the pocket where the spinach and cheese was nestled and perceive that some of the chicken was still not done cooking. I started worrying that the outside would be overcooked while the middle would still be underdone.

 

[prabe]

It was more the thickness than anything else that caused the potential issue. As I finished pan frying one side, I could see inside the pocket where the spinach and cheese was nestled and perceive that some of the chicken was still not done cooking. I started worrying that the outside would be overcooked while the middle would still be underdone.

These are stuffed (I really need to look at recipes before talking about them )? Then I guess I probably would have tossed the breasts into an oven to finish cooking while I made the sauce in the pan. That's what I normally do with pork chops (especially thicker ones) or boneless chicken (I prefer thighs, because they're more forgiving).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

These are stuffed (I really need to look at recipes before talking about them )? Then I guess I probably would have tossed the breasts into an oven to finish cooking while I made the sauce in the pan. That's what I normally do with pork chops (especially thicker ones) or boneless chicken (I prefer thighs, because they're more forgiving).

Yeah, stuffed.
And sometimes, I do just as you say you do. But my oven was already full of something else, so it was absolutely not an option.