Cassie’s Ruminations

Chicken Bruschetta

August 27, 2008 – 7:45 pm

This is a great light summer recipe that I found on the Cooking Light website and slightly modified for our tastes and what I had on hand – I only used two larger breasts, doubled the amount of zucchini, used Campari tomatoes since that’s what I had on hand, omitted the onion, used dried basil, grilled the chicken rather than broiling it, and omitted the Parmesan. My version of the recipe is below. The original is linked above.

If all three of you that read this are interested, I can start posting nutritional information for my meals. I keep track of all of it for my own interest. 😉

Chicken Bruschetta
Serves 2

1 tsp garlic powder
¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
¾ tsp black pepper, divided
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.25 lb)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 package (8 oz) sliced button mushrooms
2 small zucchini (about 10 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped Campari (on the vine) tomatoes (about 4 tomatoes, 7 oz)
1 tsp dried basil
4 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the grill to medium low heat. Mix together the garlic powder, ¼ tsp of the kosher salt, and ¼ tsp of the black pepper. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the mixture and put on the grill. Grill for 15 minutes, then flip and grill for 15 more minutes.

While the chicken is grilling, cut the zucchini into fourths lengthwise, then slice crosswise to end up with thin wedges. Set them aside in a bowl. Mince the garlic cloves with the remaining ½ tsp of kosher salt (it will help keep the garlic from sticking to your knife) and put them on top of the zucchini. Chop the tomatoes and set them aside in a separate bowl.

After flipping the chicken, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the zucchini and garlic to the skillet so that the garlic is in the oil first. Add the mushrooms on top. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the zucchini and mushrooms are tender. Add the tomatoes, remaining ¼ tsp of black pepper, the basil, and the vinegar, and stir to combine. Let simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors. Turn off the heat.

Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for five minutes. Place chicken on plates and top with the vegetable mix.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories	460
Fat	14 g
Saturated Fat	3 g
Cholesterol	152 mg
Sodium	895 mg
Carbohydrates	22 g
Fiber	6 g
Protein	63 g
Vitamin A	36%
Vitamin C	91%
Calcium	8%
Iron	23%

Posted in Food, Grilling, Poultry, Vegetables | 5 Comments »

Fried Green Tomatoes

August 21, 2008 – 6:24 pm

As heirloom tomatoes are in great abundance even in the grocery stores these days, I’ve been taking full advantage and having them every chance I get. I adore summer tomatoes 😀

This is an easy recipe to enjoy some green tomatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes
Serves 4 as an appetizer

3 large green tomatoes (about 1.5 lbs)
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

Mix together the flour, cornmeal, and seasonings in a wide, flat bowl. Core the tomatoes and cut off the top and bottom. Unashamedly eat the tops and bottoms to sample the quality of the tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices equatorially (i.e. like you would for hamburger slices). Dredge each slice in the flour mixture to thoroughly coat. Place in the skillet and let brown. Flip after a minute or two or when the crust is nice and golden and cook on the other side. Remove to a platter. Do not overcrowd the pan. I could only get half the tomatoes in at a time. After removing the first batch, add the second tbsp of oil, then finish frying the tomatoes. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories	102
Fat	2 g
Saturated Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	306 mg
Carbohydrates	19 g
Fiber	2 g
Protein	3 g
Vitamin A	27%
Vitamin C	53%
Calcium	1%
Iron	8%

Posted in Food, Sides, Vegetables | 2 Comments »

Product Review: Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale

August 21, 2008 – 12:29 pm

(picture from Canada Dry website)

Yes, it sounds bizarre, but Canada Dry’s new Green Tea Ginger Ale is really very good. It’s light and refreshing, combining the best of both green tea and ginger ale into an outstanding fusion. I was intrigued when I saw the box in Target, but I really wasn’t expecting much. In the end, I couldn’t resist picking it up though, and I’m so glad I did. I highly recommend trying this if you like green tea or ginger ale.

Posted in Drinks, Food, Product Review | No Comments »

Grilled Chicken Legs and Zucchini

August 20, 2008 – 8:24 am

Last night’s dinner was grilled chicken legs and zucchini. As my nifty grill skillet was still dirty, I just sliced up the zucchini and put it all in a foil pouch that I’d sprayed with a bit of non-stick spray. I sprinkled the zucchini with some salt and pepper too and put the packet on the grill with the chicken. It turned out just perfect right along with the cooking time for the legs. I did a marinade for the chicken, but as I only had about an hour to let it sit before cooking, neither Shaun nor I could really taste the it. The chicken was still quite tasty on its own, and I’ll give the marinade another try when I can marinate it for at least 4 hours.

Grilled Chicken Legs
Serves 2

2 whole chicken legs (drumstick and thigh) – about 2 pounds total weight
Marinade:
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp salt
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Chipotle Tabasco)

Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large zip top bag. Put the chicken into the bag and allow to marinate for several hours. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge. Preheat the grill to high heat. Place the chicken legs skin side down and immediately turn the heat to low. Grill for about 1 hour total, turning the legs over at about 40 minutes into the cooking time. Have a spray bottle with water at the ready to damp down any flare ups.

Nutritional Information Per Chicken Leg

Calories	515
Fat	30 g
Saturated Fat	8 g
Cholesterol	204 mg
Sodium	916 mg
Carbohydrates	0 g
Fiber	0 g
Protein	58 g
Vitamin A	6%
Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	3%
Iron	16%

Posted in Food, Grilling, Poultry, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

Poor Teething Emma

August 20, 2008 – 7:51 am

Emma is teething, and she’s having a rough time of it. At least she’s keeping her chewing to her toys, but we regularly see a bit of blood on her rope bone, and we had to start adding water to her kibble to soften it for her, otherwise she wouldn’t eat. Poor pup. She’s mostly happy unless she gets to thinking about her mouth, then she starts to paw at it or rub against the floor. She’s always loved crunching ice cubes, but now they’re even more of a treat, as they really help her gums feel better. Just a few months of this, babydog!

In the meantime, a picture inspired by all the political commercials going on these days:

Posted in Corgi, Ramblings | 1 Comment »

Beef and Bean Burritos

August 19, 2008 – 8:43 am

We have burritos just about every week. They’re a fast, easy, and tasty meal that hits all of the food groups without being a dreaded casserole.

Beef and Bean Burritos
Serves 4

1 lb lean ground beef (15% fat works well)
½ tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp oregano
Dash cayenne pepper

1 can refried beans, chili beans, or black beans

Lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Sour Cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Salsa

4 burrito size tortillas

Spray non-stick cooking spray in a skillet. Brown the lean ground beef with chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper over medium high heat. Warm up beans in the microwave or over medium heat in a sauce pan. Warm up tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave or 10 seconds on each side in dry skillet or on a griddle. Cut up some tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado, and grate some cheese. Assemble burrito with fillings as you see fit.

Posted in Beef, Food, Mexican | 4 Comments »

The Omnivore’s Hundred

August 19, 2008 – 7:58 am

Here’s a fun list from Very Good Taste. This is a list of the hundred foods that Andrew, the author, thinks that every good omnivore ought to try at least once. I’ve tried quite a few, and the only ones I’m not willing to touch generally involve organ meat. I’ve put in italics things that are on my list to try. Things in regular text I’d try given the opportunity, but I’m not particularly likely to seek them out. This list seems a bit slanted towards Indian cuisine, but that’s quite alright 😉 I’ve added my own commentary as well to some entries. If you’d like the un-commented list for your blog, please copy it directly from Very Good Taste.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison Mostly in things like spaghetti sauce, but also on its own.

2. Nettle tea

3. Huevos rancheros. Can’t grow up in Colorado without trying these at least once.

4. Steak tartare

5. Crocodile. Alligator, actually, but I figure that’s close enough.

6. Black pudding Boiled blood. Yum.

7. Cheese fondue

8. Carp

9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush. I’m mildly allergic to eggplant, I think, but I’d still give this a little taste given the chance.

11. Calamari. Breaded and fried, grilled, in stir fries… I’ve had squid many ways 🙂

12. Pho

13. PB&J sandwich. Countless times, though I often prefer almond butter, or Nutella 😀

14. Aloo gobi

15. Hot dog from a street cart

16. Epoisses

17. Black truffle

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes. Rhubarb wine. Blackberry wine.

19. Steamed pork buns. Char siu bao are good, but my homemade hom bao are even better.

20. Pistachio ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes. I could just about live off these in the summer.

22. Fresh wild berries See pictures of blackberry bramble a few posts down 🙂

23. Foie gras

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn, or head cheese

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper

27. Dulce de leche

28. Oysters. My dad got me hooked on raw oysters when I was a little girl. I first tried them solely to gross out my cousins, but kept eating them because they were so good. I certainly wouldn’t say no to roasted or grilled oysters or a good oyster stew either.

29. Baklava

30. Bagna cauda

31. Wasabi peas

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Salted lassi

34. Sauerkraut

35. Root beer float

36. Cognac with a fat cigar. I have no problems whatsoever with cognac, but I do not smoke and never will. My lung capacity is tiny enough as it is 😛

37. Clotted cream tea

38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O

39. Gumbo

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects

43. Phaal

44. Goat’s milk

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut

50. Sea urchin

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal. Though it’s probably been a good 20 years since I’ve had one.

56. Spaetzle

57.Dirty gin martini

58. Beer above 8% ABV

59. Poutine

60.Carob chips. Yeah, but why? I’ll take a good chocolate any day. Maybe I’d feel better about carob if people didn’t try to market it as a chocolate substitute.

61.S’mores. Mmmm, now I need to buy some marshmallows.

62. Sweetbreads

63. Kaolin (if you count Kaopectate)

64. Currywurst

65. Durian

66. Frogs’ legs

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake. Yup to all of the above.

68. Haggis

69. Fried plantain

70. Chitterlings, or andouillette

71. Gazpacho

72. Caviar and blini

73. Louche absinthe

74. Gjetost, or brunost

75. Roadkill

76. Baijiu

77. Hostess Fruit Pie

78. Snail I’ve had escargot several times.

79. Lapsang souchong

80. Bellini

81. Tom yum

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky. Yay Pocky! The kiwi gummies that are often nearby on the shelf are wonderful too.

84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare

87. Goulash

88. Flowers

89. Horse

90. Criollo chocolate. I’ve not tried this specific type of bean, but I have had some awesome Theo Chocolate.

91. Spam

92. Soft shell crab

93. Rose harissa

94. Catfish

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox

97. Lobster Thermidor

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Snake

Posted in Ramblings | No Comments »

Grilled Corn

August 13, 2008 – 8:40 pm

The summer corn is just starting to come in, and while a quick boil is great, I also love to grill corn. The smoky flavor penetrates the corn and the slight char is just delicious. This hardly qualifies as a recipe, but it was tasty, so I’ll post anyway.

Grilled Corn

Preheat grill to medium heat. Shuck as many ears of corn as you want, making sure to remove as much of the silk as possible. Place ears on the grate and grill for approximately 20 minutes, turning a quarter turn every 5 minutes to get even cooking. If the corn is fresh and local, don’t even bother with butter – the sweet corn stands all on it’s own!

Posted in Food, Grilling, Sides, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

Calabrian Potato Salad

August 11, 2008 – 8:30 pm

I got this great recipe from It’s All Gouda. This is a Southern Italian take on potato salad – no mayo or mustard involved, just potatoes, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a simple vinaigrette. I omitted the onion as raw onions give me migraines, so my version of the recipe is below. I very much enjoyed this fresh and light salad.

Calabrian Potato Salad
Serves 4-6

3 large potatoes (about 2 pounds), boiled, then peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds (yes, sliced, yes, that thick)
3 large or 5 smaller on the vine tomatoes (about ¾ lb) , sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
5 large fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade (stack the leaves, gently roll them into a tube, and cut into little rolls which become ribbons when you unfurl them)
10 fresh oregano leaves, cut into a chiffonade
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅛ cup white wine vinegar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the potatoes and tomatoes and toss to coat well. Add the basil and oregano and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for half an hour or so for the flavors to meld before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Posted in Food, Italian, Sides, Vegetables | No Comments »

Restaurant Review – Emory’s on Silver Lake

August 6, 2008 – 6:54 am

Last night’s dinner was at Emory’s on Silver Lake. It’s a great restaurant that combines both a casual atmosphere with great food. You can dress up for a special occasion and eat inside, or come right from a walk around the lake in shorts and a tee shirt, sit on the patio overlooking the lake, and feel comfortable and get the same impeccable and friendly service. They offer early three course dinner specials, happy hour specials, and a diverse menu featuring high quality steak and seafood. I got their prime rib early dinner special. $20 got me a nice salad, their famous bread with herbed olive oil to dip, a perfectly cooked 8 oz piece of prime rib served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed broccoli rabe, and a little strawberry shortcake. All while watching the sun play off a beautiful lake. I started to feel a bit guilty watching a dog and his family play on the beach, and ended up having the waiter box up my strawberry shortcake to go, which he did very graciously, so I could get back home to Emma. I’ll definitely return to Emory’s – great food, great location, great atmosphere, and fair prices.

(photo courtesy of Emory’s webpage)

Posted in Food, Restaurant Review | No Comments »