Spinach Salad with a Pineapple Balsamic Vinaigrette

On my quest to make my own salad dressing, I have become obsessed with buying different types of olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  My last shopping trip, I bought a pineapple balsamic vinegar that would be a perfect base for salad dressings. With this salad dressing, I decided against using yogurt so I could leave it out on the counter for several days without it going bad.  This is such an easy recipe that makes any salad combination awesome!

Spinach Salad with a Pineapple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  1 cup (8 servings)

Spinach
Avocado
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Parmesan cheese

Dressing:
1/4 cup pineapple balsamic vinegar
2/3 - 3/4 cup olive oil (depending on preference - you can always add more)
1 garlic clove minced
1 shallot, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients.  Taste to see if you have desired mixture of oil and vinegar.  Allow flavors to meld for 15 minutes before serving.  Toss salad in dressing and serve immediately. 

Ratings:
Miss J,  10 out of 10
Moe, 10 out of 10

- Miss J

Vegetable Curry with Baked Haddock

The other night I was at our new found friend's apartment (Cam and Dave) and they were making vegetable curry.  I have never made curry but they told me how easy it was so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  I had been planning to make fish so I thought why not have vegetable curry with a baked white fish served on top.  I thoroughly enjoyed the meal; however, Moe was not a big fan.  He said it was too bland.  That probably was because I didn't use much curry because I didn't want to over do it so in the recipe below I doubled the amount of curry I used in the dish.

Vegetable Curry with Baked Haddock
Source:  Modified from Cam and Dave
Serves:  2 servings

1/2 can condensed coconut milk
1/2 can diced tomatoes
2 small haddock fillets
1/2 tsp cornstarch (less or more depening on desired thickness)
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp curry powder
1 large zucchini, sliced horizontally in half and then in 1/4 inch slices
1/2 large onion, sliced
jasmine rice, cooked
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pat dry fish and brush with egg.  One Lightly coat panko onto fish and place on a baking sheet.  Place in oven for 15 minutes or until fish is done.  Meanwhile, in stock pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions to pan and saute for several minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and zucchini slices to the pan.  Saute for another two minutes.  Add tomatoes and saute for another minute.  Add coconut milk, curry powder, and salt and pepper.  Stir in corn starch.  Reduce heat to medium-low while sauce thickens.  Once fish and sauce is done serve over rice. 

Ratings:
Miss J, 8 out of 10
Moe, 6 out of 10 (he hates fish)

- Miss J

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

This past week, Moe had a multiple days off from work so I took a vacation day to spend time with him.  In theory this was great, except I had  to sign on an work for a few hours. We were sitting at the kitchen table  and our good friends sent me a text.  However, since I was working, I tried to "hand" the phone to Matt to respond.  However, my soft hand off didn't turn out so well.  My new iPhone 4S projected through the air, over the counter, and landed straight in the middle of our dog water bowl.  I immediately jump up, screaming in hysterics as Moe just stood there in disbelief of what happened. I dig it out of the water bowl; however, not before it was submerged for approximately 5-6 seconds in three inches of water.  The phone was still on so I frantically try to get the cover off and power it down.  No such luck.  The thing kept turning back on as I am shaking water out of the speakers, headphone jack, and screen.  After several hours of the iPhone not turning off, overheating, and giving me speaker errors, I accepted that this is a lost cause.  Since it was a lost cause in my mind, I decided to try some of the home remedies I had read about on the Internet.  I had been told putting your phone in rice was a bad idea as the grains get stuck in the phone and expand when it hits water.  However, I figured why not give it a whirl.  I fill up a zip lock bag with rice, and place the phone in it for 24 hours.  To my luck, it worked!!!!!   I am going on a week of a fully functioning iPhone!  

This recipe makes me laugh because I realized a day after I saved my iPhone using rice that I actually didn't use rice at all.  I used orzo! Moe and I decided that if we weren't big fans of orzo before, it is now our favorite food.  Not only is it great for cooking, but it saved the day for the iPhone!

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo
Source:  No Peanuts. No Cilantro.
Serves:  4 servings

8 oz orzo

2 chicken breasts

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cook orzo according to packaging.  You want them to be al dente so remove from water when still a bit firm. When you drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.

Butterfly chicken breasts so that there are 4 pieces in total. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence.  In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium - high heat.  Add chicken and cook approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. 

Reduce heat to medium (or even medium - low) and add diced shallots.  Saute for 2-3 minutes then add garlic to the pan and saute for another minute.  Add the can of diced tomatoes and broccoli to the pan.  Scrap the  bottom of the pan to loosen brown bits and prevent burning.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium - low if you haven't already.  Cook until broccoli are slightly tender but still crisp on the edges, approximately 10 minutes.  Stir in orzo, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until cheese has melted. If mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it down. Season with salt and pepper (I just used pepper) and serve immediately. 

Ratings:

Miss J, 8 out of 10

Moe, 7.5 out of 10 (Moe's complaint was too much pepper so easy fix for next time!)

- Miss J

Cabernet, Cabernet, and more Cabernet

My mom just shared a new blog with me that I absolutely LOVE!  It is called Good Wine Under $20.  The women who writes to blog, Deborah Harkness, is actually the author of The Discovery of Witches.  My mom is obsessed with her trilogy and posted about it and this blog a few days ago.  As you all know, I am a huge red wine drinker and in particular love Cabernet... I mean who doesn't love it?!  I am always looking for new kinds that are rich in flavor but aren't going to put Moe and I more in debt than we already are!  I don't know much about wine and am hoping to take a wine class in the near future, but I do know that I like the less fruity ones that are bold and relatively dry.  Deborah Harkness had a post a few weeks ago that I really like.  It had great ideas for the next time I go to the store to stock up!

Classic Cabernets for $15 or Less

- Miss J

Prosciutto Wrapped Fig with Gorgonzola Cheese

The idea for this recipe came from my friend at work.  She had a dinner party and made a variation of these for her guests.  They were a huge hit.  I love fig and generally serve a fig jam on my cheese plates when I have company. I thought this would be a great change of pace for once as it is a hot appetizer.  I'll be honest, they are not the most appeasing to the eye, but if you can get past that, they are simply wonderful :) 

Prosciutto Wrapped Fig with Gorgonzola Cheese
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves: 4 servings (2 per person) or 2 servings (4 per person)

8 dried figs
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
8 prosciutto slices (thin)
1 tabelspoon walnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix gorgonzola, walnuts, and honey together in a bowl.  Slice fig in the middle to create a pocket. 

Stuff gorgonzola mixture into fig and wrap in proscuitto.  Place on a baking sheet and repeat steps for the remaining 7 figs. Place in oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp.  Allow to cool for 1 minute and then serve.

Jenny enjoying the tasty treat!

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out of 10

A Recipe for Inner Peace....

My friend sent me this at work the other day.  I could not stop laughing so I thought you all might need alittle humor to brighten your day :) 

I'm passing this on because it worked for me today. A Dr. on TV said to have inner peace we should always finish things we start & we all could use more calm in our lives. I looked around my house to find things I'd started & hadn't finished, so I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Chardonnay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of wum, tha mainder of Valiuminun scriptins, an a box a chocletz. Yu haf no idr how fablus I feel rite now. Sned this to all who need inner piss. An telum i luvum..

- Miss J

Restaurant Review: Katie's Pizzeria Cafe

My friend at work had ranted and raved about this place so Moe and I decided to give it a try on one of his days off.  I immediately loved this place as soon I stepped in the door.  From the street, it looks nothing more than a hole in the wall.  However, once you walk in, it is a long narrow restaurant with a one of kind atmosphere.  The tables are a eclectic assortment of dinning room tables and chairs. The tables are of varying lengths and chairs of varying heights.  The walls are covered in antique mirrors and decorations.  The menu is an assortment of artisan style pizzas.  We ordered two without knowing how big they were.  Next time we would easily be able to split one with enough left over to take home. We ordered the seasonal pizza which was butternut squash with a balsamic reduction (not on the regular menu).  It had a goat cheese spread as well as arugula scatter across the pizza.  The other favorite was the toasted ravioli.  If you go to the restaurant, this is a MUST ORDER..

• Gorgonzola and Artichoke Toasted Ravioli - served with a pesto dipping sauce. Price $8.00

Another favorite was...

• Prosciutto, Sliced Apple, Fontina Cheese Pizza - Price $16.95.  This was a sweet and salty delight which has inspired numerous homemade pizzas since I tried it. 

Katie's Pizzeria Website

- Miss J