Chicken Chipotle Tacos, And a Short Hiatus

Hello there everyone!  I hope you all survived the holidays and are ready to start the new year!!  Our holidays were very relaxed and that was a good thing given all of the excitement that the next few months are going to bring.

Shortly, we will be wedding planning our butts off, and I have recently set a goal of completing 2 more exams towards my architectural license before wedding planning gets too crazy.  That leaves little time for my beloved blog, so please forgive the extended silence that will no doubt be happening on here.  I will try to get on as much as I can, but as you are already starting to see, it's not as often as I have been on in the past.  Hopefully the distance makes your love grow stronger, right??  Maybe?  My true hope is that by the time I start blogging regularly again, I will have gained some new lighting equipment that makes indoor shooting in the winter (with minimal daylight!) look so much better!



Before I go, I wanted to leave you with a recipe that I made for a monthly supper club that I recently started with friends (so fun!).  This chicken chipotle taco/burrito recipe is something that I have held onto since having it at one of my friend's houses long ago (Stacy, I'm talkin' about you if you are out there!)  It has remained a hit with anyone I have shared it with since…anyone who can handle the heat, that is.  This dish is crazy hot the way I make it, but you can adapt it to your spice level by using fewer chipotle peppers, and still get that great smoky flavor.  (Or, you can just smother it with sour cream and cheese to help with the heat, like I do!  Sour cream is your friend with this dish.  Just let it happen.)

In this variation, I threw all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and let it cook away.  Usually I sauté it all in a pan and get great results too.  You really can't go wrong with this one.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos/Burritos

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (chopped into 1/2" chunks if cooking on stove top, can leave whole for the slow cooker)

1 7oz Can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

1 4oz Can of diced green chiles

1 Yellow or red onion, diced

1 Package of corn tortillas for tacos (or flour tortillas for burritos)

Sour cream and cheddar cheese to taste

Cooked white rice (optional)

This is all you need if you are making this on the stove top.  But I also added about 1/2c of chipotle salsa for the slow cooker version.

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and let heat on low for 5-6 hours.  For the last hour or so I take the lid off and turn the cooker on high if there is a lot of liquid that needs to thicken up.

For the stove top version, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and sauté onions until translucent.  Add diced chicken and cook through.  Lastly add chopped chipotle peppers and green chiles, combine and heat through.  Remove from heat and serve immediately

Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas, or on top of a bed of rice, and top with sour cream and cheese!

I hope you all miss me while I am gone, I will miss you!

A Special Occasion | Sriracha Mac n' Cheese and Apple Pie

Today marks the day that Denny and I started "dating" I guess you could say.  I don't really know how people start dating nowadays.  Nobody says "Will you be my girlfriend/boyfriend?" (circle yes, no, or maybe)  This isn't the old days.  For us, we simply found out that a band we both liked was playing a show, it was Halloween weekend 2 years ago so we decided to dress up in ridiculous costumes.  We both remember it as the day "sparks flew" and we have pretty much hung out ever since that day.  One day shortly after that we decided to move in togther, one day shortly after that we decided to buy a house, and one day shortly after that we decided we would get married.  And that's how it happens, I guess!

On Sunday night I decided to make a "special dinner" in celebration.  I saw this recipe on Shutterbean a while back and immediately knew this was "the one".  One of our favorite things to eat on a lazy night is boxed mac n cheese with tuna and sriracha, so there was no doubt that this was the mac n cheese recipe to end all mac n cheese recipes (for us, anyway).  Then of course, I got the Mac n Cheese cookbook for my birthday and it was game over.  I now have mac n cheese recipes earmarked for every upcoming holiday.  It's a sickness.

Sriracha Mac N Cheese

For the Mac Sauce (without this your mac n cheese ceases to live)

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp salt

In a saucepan heat the milk over medium heat until it just starts to bubble, right before it comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter then add the flour, whisking constantly (I mean constantly, ya'll).  Cook this for only a few minutes until it turns a light brown.  Slowly add the warm milk, one cup at a time.  Whisking, you guessed it, CONSTANTLY.  You will at first think you burned it and did something wrong because it's going to do a super thick coagulating thing.  But keep trucking, add the rest of the milk, one cup at a time and keep stirring that mo'fo'.  You will alas get a super creamy bechamel sauce (look at us being fancy), that should coat a spoon.

For the Mac

3/4 lb dried elbow pasta

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 1/3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups grated Havarti

2 tbsp sriracha sauce

1 cup chopped scallions (green onions)

3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water, continue to drain.  Mash together the ginger and butter.  Combine the mac sauce with the Havarti and ginger butter over medium heat.  Stir in the sriracha.  Stir in the cooked pasta.  Commence drooling.  Add the green onions (although I would probably have preferred them sprinkled on top of the finished mac, rather than cooking them.  Up to you!)

Pour the mac mixture into a 14" casserole baking dish.  Top with Panko and put in the oven for about 20-25min until the top is a golden brown and the mac is a' bubblin'!  Remove from oven and try not to get drool into anyone's servings but your own.  Don't be gross.

Denny was eyeing some apple pie the night before, so I made that too.  Making my own pie crust might have been a tad too much to take on after an overwhelming (and disappointing) day of IKEA shopping (the word "stroke" comes to mind).  But I was determined.  In the end, the crust fell apart (likely because I added too much shortening), but we were left with a gooey apple crumbly thing on our plates, so we were happy :)  Ask me if I took a picture of the whole pie when it came out of the oven and the answer is no (except maybe one on my phone) because I was brain dead by the end of the meal, and was also in a mac n cheese coma.  The best kind of coma there is.

Apple Pie from Smitten Kitchen

For the Crust (Non-lattice)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

8 tbsp vegetable shortening

12 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" pieces

6-8 tbsp ice water

1. Pulse flour, salt and sugar in a food processor fitted with steel blade until combined.   I used a blender and it worked but was pretty fussy. Add shortening and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; cut butter into flour until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle 8 tablespoons ice water over mixture and mix.  Add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if it will not come together. Divide dough into two pieces and wrap separately in plastic and refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before rolling.

The Filling

3 1/2 lbs apples (I used Honeycrisp - the recipe calls for a mix between Macintosh and Granny Smith)

 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cups + 1 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1 egg white, beaten

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat rimmed baking sheet and oven to 500°F. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable).

2. Roll dough between two large sheets of plastic wrap to 12-inch disk. Transfer dough to pie plate by peeling off the top layer of plastic and flipping the rolled dough face down onto the pie pan.  Peel off the second piece of plastic, which should now be on the top. Working around circumference of pie plate, ease dough into pan corners by gently lifting dough edges with one hand while pressing around pan bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs lip of plate in place; refrigerate dough-lined pie plate.  I stuck mine in the freezer because I was short on time and my dough was falling apart :)  The colder the better in my case.

3. Peel, core and cut apples in half, and in half again width-wise; cut quarters into 1/4-inch slices and toss with lemon juice and zest. In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar, flour, salt and spices. Toss dry ingredients with apples. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center.

4. Roll out second piece of dough to 12-inch disk and place over filling.  Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits on dough top. If pie dough is very soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

5. Place pie on baking sheet and lower oven temperature to 425°F. Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375°F; continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer.

6. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. (Ha, if you can wait that long)

 

At the end of the night I asked Denny if it feels like we have been together for 2 years.  His response was, "Psh, no it feels longer."  And I have to say I agree.  I keep expecting this to be something more like our 5th, or 6th, or 7th year anniversary.  Like I said, we moved in together, bought a house, got a dog, decided to get married - all in less than 2 years.  You can trust that a whole hell of a lot happened in between that as well.  A lot can be said about how fast it all should go - this relationship thing - but all I know is I have someone who shows me everyday that he is up for life's challenges and still loves me at the end of it all.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  And I feel pretty good about that!

Greek Tacos & Tahini Pesto

I hope you all had a great labor day weekend!  One of the highlights of the past few weeks was scrounging together a recipe that turned out to be really tasty - Greek tacos with tahini pesto.  I know it's silly, but it's the little things that can make a big difference :)

On this particular day, I think life was starting to get to me and affect my mental state.  The day started with Kora (my elderly dog) having a not-so-little "accident" all over the living room 5 minutes before I was supposed to leave for work.  Not her fault, and I love her to pieces, so I cleaned it up and moved on.  When I was walking into my elevator to head to work, I felt an itch in my shirt.  Out flew a moth (GROSS!), which left me feeling itchy and icky all day long.  Which resulted in me spilling some of my breakfast on myself when I got to work.  Fast forward through a pretty rough day of "ugh's" "oh crap's" and discouraging emails, I am finally in the kitchen ready to make this thing that I wasn't totally sure about.  All I knew was that if my senses were correct, it would probably taste pretty darn good.

Your basic pesto is made of some kind of herb, some kind of cheese, some kind of nut, and small amounts of garlic, lemon juice, and not-so-small amounts of some kind of oil - usually olive oil.  I had everything but the nuts.  For the herbs, I pretty much killed what was an already ill basil plant by using all of its remaining leaves.  Tahini was the only thing we had that came to mind to sub for nuts because it is kind of peanut buttery.  It is also kind of a stretch for pesto, but I went for it anyway.  It was a brand spanking new jar so when I struggled to open it (and finally succeeded, ah-HA!) the top layer of oil flew all over.  Right on schedule for that day.

Up until now I was still thinking this would be a "pasta pesto" but when I tasted it I knew I had to think of something else.  The tahini was the abundant flavor, rather than the basil, and I started to think Greek, hummus-like spreads.  I could picture it more on a sandwich-Gyro-type-thing rather than mixed in with any type of noodle.

So, looking at my other dying herb plants (I blame my lack of a green thumb on the fact that I have only been able to garden in pots and on patios, and not at all on the fact that I have gotten really bored with watering lately) I thought of one of my favorite marinades which just so happens to be a Greek one.  This used up some of my dying rosemary and parsley.  Win-win.  Rummaging through the fridge resulted in finding corn tortillas, 1/2 of a yellow squash donated by a co-worker (thanks Ivy!), a bell pepper and some goat cheese.  We usually have some kind of meat in the freezer, so I thawed some chicken.  Boom.  Greek Tacos.

This was definitely a "clean out the fridge" sort of meal, but it was probably the best of the sort that I have ever made.  We ended the night with full, happy bellies; major garlic breath (you have been warned); and a couple of beers under our belts.  All was good by the end of the day.

Tahini Pesto
3tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4c olive oil
3/4c basil leaves
2tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic (you could go with less if you don't want it to be too overpowering)
1/2tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  You can make this the day before and keep in the fridge.

Greek Marinade
2 chicken breasts, chopped into about 4-5 large chunks

1/2 Large yellow squash, seeded and cut into 1/4" thick strips (or about 3 small yellow squash, halved)
1 Green bell pepper cut into 1/4" strips

1c olive oil
1/4c lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
2tbsp dijon mustard
2tbsp dried oregano
1tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1tsp dried thyme)
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1tsp dried rosemary)
1tsp pepper

Wisk all ingredients (other than veggies and chicken) together in a bowl.  Place chicken and veggies in a large ziploc baggie and pour marinade over the top.  Zip the bag and work the mixture throughout so everything is covered.  Put in the fridge for a minimum of 1hr, but can stay in the fridge for up to a day.

Grill chicken and veggies until tender/cooked through.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes, and chop into 1/2" pieces.  Set aside.

Tacos
Cucumber and red onion for garnish
Goat cheese (optional)
Corn tortillas

After cooking the chicken, place corn tortillas on the grill.  Only a minute or so on each side, watching carefully.

Spread a little (or a lot) of pesto on each tortilla to your liking, pile on some chicken and veggies, and top with cucumber, onion and a sprinkle of goat cheese.  We served ours with some couscous :)

Grilled Pizza...The Love Of My Life

I promised you more grilled stuff so here is something that not many people do with a grill, but it is probably one of my favorite grilled foods.  GRILLED PIZZA!

Me and two of my friends (Rebecca & Ingrid) are master grillers (of pizza).  We've done this several times at Rebecca's house on her charcoal grill and have all agreed it is some of the best pizza we have ever had.  So on, like, day 2 of having our grill, we decided to grill pizza (it was more like I forced the idea on some of our friends and Denny and promised it would be the best pizza of their lives).  In the end, it all turned out pretty good, and was definitely edible.  But, our small gas grill did not perform the same way as Rebecca's larger charcoal grill.  The olive oil from the first pizza, dripped into the flames below and shot a burst of flames through the center of the pizza, which caught the pizza on fire and burned a hole in the center :)  We managed to save the rest of the pizza though.

The other pizzas turned out better.  I did not roll the dough out as thin, we turned the heat on the grill down a little lower, and had one person rotate the pizza dough often so that it didn't burn.  In the end, dinner was really enjoyable and it's definitely something I want to do on a regular basis.

Anyway, this is how you grill a pizza.  Many people are skeptical that it even works because the dough is so pliable.  Instinct tells you that the dough will slip through the grate, but you have to have faith.

What you will need:

A ball of pizza dough (You can get fancy and make your own, but I buy the pre-made stuff that the Whole Foods kitchen makes.  They also have sauce and shredded mozzarella right there too.  I think theirs tastes the best)

Sauce and mozzarrella

Toppings of your choice (I like to have another good cheese on hand, like feta or goat cheese, as well as veggies and meat)

Olive oil

Plenty of grill spatulas and friends to help with flipping :)

Get ready to grill:

Preheat the grill to a medium heat.  Have olive oil, pastry brush, and all toppings handy near the grill.

Meat toppings should be pre-cooked, and maybe even the harder veggies too.  You will just be cooking the pizza until the cheese melts, so there isn't much time to cook the veggies.

Clean and dry a portion of your countertop.  Coat the counter with a generous helping of flour and divide the ball of dough into two.  Coat the dough with flour and roll flat with a rolling pin.

With a pastry brush, coat one side of the rolled dough with olive oil.

When the grill is hot, carefully place the flattened dough onto the grill, olive oil side face down.  (This step will provide the most entertainment, but you will get the hang of it)

The dough will cook and harden fairly quickly, so once you have placed it on the grill, immediately brush the top side with olive oil as well.  Once the dough starts to bubble and hold its form, carefully flip the dough to cook the other side.

Immediately start putting sauce, cheese, and all toppings on the pizza and close the lid.

It should only take a few minutes for the rest of the dough to cook and the cheese to melt.  Once the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through, the pizza is done.

Slide the pizza off the grill and onto a cutting board.

Slice and serve!

What I love most about this recipe is that it is totally up to your imagination.  There is no right or wrong way to make a pizza - the possibilities are limitless!  Some unusual ideas for toppings are:  roasted garlic, asparagus, fresh herbs, prosciutto or other cured meat, chicken sausage, etc.

I also like this blog post for grilled pizza.

Simple Pleasures | Summer Grilling

After setting up our camping grill to BBQ our 4th of July 'brats and corn (which didn't come out half bad!), Denny and I FINALLY broke down and bought a real grill this weekend and are thrilled!  A grill is something that I have never had, believe it or not, but have always wanted.  Many of the awesome recipes that I have earmarked require a grill, and I have always had to settle for pan frying or broiling.  It's just not the same.  Grills make food taste better, plain and simple.....if you do it right.  Apparently this takes practice.

The first thing we did when we left the "grill store" was go to Whole Foods and pick up 2 juicy steaks. I owed Denny a nice dinner, so he picked out a ribeye and I picked out a top sirloin.  When we got home I promptly made us pineapple mint mojitos while he set up the grill.  I immediately started to search how to properly grill steaks (he likes his more on the rare side, and I am a medium rare girl).  After letting some potatoes and corn get close to done, I put on the steaks, exactly as directed.  2 minutes on each side - high heat.  Then 3 minutes each side on the medium heat side of the grill.  Then we removed the steaks and let them sit.

I could tell when I finally cut into my piece of steak that I had overcooked it.  Sad times.  Because Denny's steak was a thicker, more quality cut, his survived but was definitely more well-done than he would have liked, but he didn't complain.  I rarely allow myself the opportunity to eat steak, so in no way did I let mine go to waste.  Dipping it in ranch dressing also helped, as it does everything.

I am hoping by the end of summer that we are master grillers, but only time will tell!  Still, we are so excited to try many more recipes and share them here!  In the meantime, make yourself one of these mojitos :)

Pineapple Mint Mojitos

6 pieces cubed pineapple

10-15 mint leaves

2tsp lime juice

1oz rum

Sparkling water

Ice

Blend pineapple and mint until smooth, split mixture between two short glasses.  Add lime juice and 1tsp sugar, fill with ice.  Add one shot of rum, fill remainder of glass with sparkling water.  Stir and enjoy!

"Would you say your pesto is the besto?"

"Would you say your pesto is the besto?"  If you can name where that line is from, then you win:  the satisfaction of knowing that you aren't the only nerd who watches too much tv.

This week I was craving pasta.  Pesto pasta.  I figured, I had some nuts, I had some greens, and I had some cheese....so therefore, I could make pesto.  I love all of the combinations that this simple condiment provides.  Cilantro, parsely, parmesan, walnuts, cashews, the list goes on and on.  Any and all of these combinations taste so different, and so good.  I don't think I ever met a pesto I didn't like.

When I ventured into making this, I looked up some recipes just to make sure I knew what I was doing.  And, it turns out that you can't really mess it up.  I kind of eyeballed all of the ingredients until I got the right consistency and did some taste tests along the way.  One thing I discovered in this research was that one pesto called for chicken broth, which I hadn't seen before.  I latched on to this idea and used more chicken broth than olive oil until I got to my desired consistency.  I would say that is a pretty healthy alternative!

These ingredients are ballpark figures, but should get you where you want to go.  I suggest playing around with it until you get to something you like!

2 Handfuls almonds.  Toast in a pan over medium head for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant.

1/3c Olive Oil

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1.5c Fresh baby spinach

1/2c Feta cheese

3/4c-1c Chicken broth.  Adding just a little at a time until desired consistency.

5 Garlic cloves

Salt & pepper to taste

Throw all in a food processor and let 'er rip.

Note: I have an itsy bitsy food processor, so I tried using a blender.  It broke everything down, but I ended up needing to break this into 2 batches to put in to my tiny processor to really get it smooth.

This is great tossed with some veggies, pasta, chicken, etc etc etc etc.  Pretty much great with everything!

Simple Pleasures | Buttermilk Biscuits

It could have been the fact that we just finished the cleanse and were ravenously eyeing all solids foods, or it could have been that I haven't had biscuits in probably 10 years (and the ones I remember were always the in-a-can Pillsbury version), but damn, this recipe caught my eye and I had to make it!

I have always enjoyed a good drop biscuit, but growing up, we would always eat store bought biscuits with gravy for dinner.  Think bacon gravy and hamburger gravy (all my grandmother's recipes).  And while it was soo delicious, it was also so heavy, and that's probably why I haven't thought to make them since being "on-my-own."

But when I saw this recipe I suddenly thought of all the possibilities a biscuit provides - sweet & savory; breakfast & dinner;  sandwiches or solo - the list goes on.  I immediately wanted to make a cheesy, garlicky biscuit.  So, I did just that.  The next time we had friends over for dinner and I made a feta scallion biscuit.  And it was good :)  But I still didn't feel like I was doing the biscuit justice.  So, on Easter Sunday I made Denny and I brunch and made plain biscuits, to eat with butter and jam, and then gave a savory biscuit another go, this time it was rosemary basil and parmesan.  I also made some scrambled eggs with veggies.

The savory biscuits were still good, but when I tried a plain one, with butter and jam, I about died.  I had to stop myself from eating them all, and I can't say I did a good job.  By the time I "stopped" myself I had eaten 4 of them (!) and shoved my plate of eggs towards Denny for him to finish.  I finally felt satisfied :)  Try them, and I guarantee you will love them!

2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons (10 to 20 grams) sugar (to taste, see note above)

1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder

3/4 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

9 tablespoons (125 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry blender (I used a regular blender), work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together.  Drop onto a nonstick cookie sheet or roll out (to 1/2" - 3/4" thick) and use a round cookie cutter (or glass) to make "neater" biscuits.

(recipe at Smitten Kitchen)

5280 Restaurant Week

5280 Restaurant Week just came to an end.  Sigh.  Sad face. Rofc (rolling on the floor crying, duh).  But, seriously, I've always enjoyed this time of year.  Restaurant Week gives you something to look forward to during that time when all of the holidays have come and gone, and it is still too cold out to know what to do with yourself.

For those who aren't from Denver, or who are from Denver and have never heard of 5280 Week (shame on you!), it is a glorious time when the finest restaurants in the metro area introduce a menu with anywhere from 3 to 5 courses for only $52.80 per couple.  If you're like me, and aren't exposed to a regular diet of filet mignon and fine dining, this is awesome.  (5280 = the elevation of Denver = 5280ft/mi = Mile High City, etc etc etc.)

In recent years, this event has gained a lot of exposure and has become quite popular.  So much so, that some restaurants are booked 3 months in advance!  For instance, I have yet to be able to make a reservation for Elway's - John Elway's top notch steak house - yum!  Boulder and neighboring cities have also started to participate in 5280, and it has been expanded to be TWO weeks instead of one.  Lucky for me, Denny's birthday falls within this time span, providing a great opportunity for an awesome birthday dinner!

This year we tried two new restaurants, with the intention of only trying one - a restaurant called Duo that is right near our house.  We were invited to the other restaurant by friends, and it was great, more on that later.  As for Duo, we have heard rave reviews about this place and I had been dying to try it.  It is mentioned in all of the local magazines, and all of my friends who have eaten there have said it was great.  However, I have to say that I was a little disappointed by our experience.  Before I get into the reasons it wasn't "great", I have to say that none of the food was "bad," it just didn't compare to other fine dining experiences I have had.  Also, I apologize for the lack of pictures to accompany the descriptions that follow...I'm not much of a picture-taker in restaurants, unless the plating is really amazing.

It started with the smell of the restaurant as we walked in the door.  We were not greeted with the aroma of their hopefully great food, but rather the smell of a mildewing wet rag :(  And that, alone, could have been the reason for our lackluster experience.  The portions were very small, and the flavor was not shockingly good.

Dessert was my favorite part (this should not surprise you).  Denny got the chocolate hazelnut cake, I got the toffee pudding, and Jackie got the pear sorbet.  While the toffee pudding was to-die-for (! - I would go there again for that alone), I have been on a pear kick lately, and their pear sorbet was excellent.  All around, I would eat their dessert again.

All being said, I am willing to try Duo again, on another day - just because I keep thinking of that damn toffee pudding and how if they could unleash that potential in all of their other dishes, it would be great.  Perhaps we can go for brunch, which I have heard is great.  I really think they were having a bad day, and perhaps their 5280 menu doesn't reflect their best work.

Edge was the second restaurant that we tried, by invitation from our friends :)  I'm so glad we got to try this place.  It is the steakhouse that is in the Four Seasons hotel.  First off, the waiter had a gift for describing their dishes in such a way that you would order a piece of dog poop if he were to explain it to you.  At first I found his excitement to be a little over the top, but by the time he was done talking about a dish, we all found ourselves wanting to order it, even if it wasn't on our radar at all.  All of our food was great, and their cocktails were amazing.  Being infatuated with pears lately, I got a pear martini and it was awesome.  I left this place feeling so satisfied by the flavors, and probably OVER satisfied by the portion sizes, but nothing to complain about there!

Well, until next 5280!  Hopefully I can be on top of my game enough to get a reservation at Elways!  Wish me luck!

Chili, you will not defeat me!

Hi everyone...sorry for falling off the face of the earth...again!  Seems like life has picked up quite a bit since I last wrote, leaving little time for anything else.  But fortunately it has picked up with lots of fun-filled things so I can't complain.  Weekends in the mountains, visits back home, the holidays...all good stuff.  I have even been doing a lot of cooking, but it has been quick stuff to get me through the week rather than the elaborate recipes I like to follow.

Right now, however, my apartment feels like a steamy yoga studio due to a pot of chili I am making for  a cooking challenge at work tomorrow!  If you remember, I have won the last two challenges - breakfast burritos and muffins - now it's time for a chili 'cookoff' (hardly...it's me and two other people, but whatever).  However, I have to say, I'm not feeling overly confident.  I have been cooking this stupid thing all day in a crock pot and it looks more like a soup than a chili.  I personally like a really thick chili with lots of beans and meat...so far this isn't it.  In a scramble to pull it off I have drained some of the liquid (didn't work), added flour (hasn't worked yet), added corn starch (hasn't worked yet) and my last resort has been to take it out of the crock pot and simmer it in a regular pot with the lid off.  Hopefully most of the liquid will reduce and thicken this way.  Hopefully.  The only thing on my side at this point is that the chili has beer in it.  What isn't better without beer??  I hope the 'judges' (as in me and the two other participants), feel the same way!

But to prove that I CAN make something worth eating, I have included some pictures from a great dinner that I made for my best taste-tester, Rebecca, a couple of months back.  I owed her BIG TIME for helping me move (and just being an awesome person in general) so I made something like a 4 course meal.  Plus, when her and I get together we make a pretty big deal out of the food we eat....and usually down a couple of bottles of wine in the process :)

On the menu for this night was...
Chicken Rolatini with Zucchini (from Rebecca's garden) and mozarella
Parmesan Risotto (this has definitely become a favorite)
Asparagus with Balsamic and Cherry Tomatoes
Homemade Snickerdoodle Cookies  (Kora especially enjoyed these...)

Well, I literally have heat exhaustion from this chili, but I think it is coming together.  Now I think I will make a loaf of banana bread....

Til next time!

Summer Food Series: Mom's Potato Salad

 

One of the great things about cooking is that it doesn't have to get old.  Each season brings new ingredients and foods that are unique to that time of year.  I thought it would be fun to bring some of these dishes to the blog as the year progresses!

There are some things that I just don't eat unless it is summer but I look forward to them all year long.  One of the things I crave come June is my mom's potato salad.  It reminds me of picnics at the park or the beach.  The ingredients are super simple and, I don't know about you, but that's what I like in a potato salad!

5 lbs of potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled until cooked through

5 scallions, chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1-1.5 cups of mayo to desired consistency

Salt and seasoned pepper to taste

The only problem with this recipe is that I make enough for an entire family and quickly remember that I am only one person.  Therefore I only make it once or twice each summer because I end up eating it for a while after I make it!!

Everything but the kitchen sink...

I hope everyone had a good weekend!  Sundays are always bittersweet because a new work week is just around the corner and it is a reminder of how short our weekends are :-/.  I had a pretty laid back weekend, saw two of my friends get married (which is always so fun!), went shopping, got some exercise in, and once again did not clean my apartment when I promised I would :)

Tonight I had fun making dinner with the little bit of food I have in my fridge.  I need to go grocery shopping BAD, but managed to make something really good with what I had.  This pasta is summery and light and super easy.  Plus, anything with roasted garlic is going to be amazing and make the house smell like you have been cooking all day ....mmmmmmm....

1 head of garlic, roasted before hand and chopped

1 orange bell pepper, julienned

1/2 can of corn

pasta

a pinch of rosemary

a pinch of dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

feta cheese, to garnish

Cook the pasta according to instructions.  While it is cooking, chop veggies and saute with corn and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add salt, pepper and spices to taste.  Strain pasta and add to saute pan, mix well.  Garnish with feta, enjoy!!