Guest Cook Thursday: A Salad for the Busy!

With the nice weather upon us, you can't help but think of healthy salads and this week's guest cook was thinking JUST that. She's an "On the Go" kind of girl and she doesn't always have a lot time to spend in the kitchen. So instead, she put together a quick little salad that is quite filling and tasty. In fact it was so tasty, that she named it accordingly. Without further ado Ladies and Gentleman let me have dear Amanda present to you her "Salad of Deliciousness"...OK...Let's prep..

Why hello there TPC! Here is my information for my guest appearance on your blog..mwahahahaha.

Salad full of deliciousness ingredients (all of these are to your liking and how much you want to put in the salad):

Lettuce of your choice (I used a spring mix, but if you can get fresh red leaf lettuce = awesome)

Pancetta

Pistachios

Asiago Cheese (I used Parmesan this time around, but it tastes amazing with Asiago, too)

Homemade Balsamic Dressing:

1/2 C Olive Oil

1/3 - 1/2 C AGED Balsamic (depends on how Balsamicy you like your dressing)

1 TBSP garlic (or more if you like it extra spicy)

Salt and Pepper to Flavor

Start by cooking the pancetta to your liking. I like mine EXTRA crispy so I cook it until it's pretty much burned. Once it's cooked, set it to the side to briefly cool. Prepare your bowl of salad and top with pistachios, asiago cheese and pancetta.

To make the dressing, mix olive oil, aged balsamic, garlic, salt and pepper. I combined them in something I could shake to ensure thorough mixing. Pour over salad and serve!!!

Sounds super easy, and it is..that's what makes it so great. ANYONE can make this! But the flavors combined are wonderful! I've had it two nights in a row now! Great for a dinner salad or full meal! :)

Well there you have it folks....AND we all learned a new word today....Balsamicy!

WINE NOTE: For a Balsamic dressing you could hit two ways here. You could go red with a Dolcetto OR you could go white with a sweet Riesling......or if you're like me....try both!! OR get crazy and try a frizzante Lambrusco, which is kind of an Italian red slightly sparking wine!

Until we do this again....Keep those recipes coming in!

Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!

TPC

Guest Cook Thursday: A Special Marinade

Our guest for this week went with an interesting yet incredibly versatile approach, and it was quite the delicious surprise. Instead of a straight up dish, she is sharing with us a homemade marinade and sauce that can be used on a whole assortment of dishes! Thank you Gina for letting go of what I'm sure has been your special secret for sometime.....well now you're famous. As with any good sharing of a secret we should hear it straight from the source. Gina...the stage is yours....OK....Let's prep....

Hey TPC!

Buckle up my friend because this is the best Asian marinade/sauce that will ever hit your pallet (but I'm a bit biased)! I always use to struggle with finding just the right stir fry sauce & marinade but finally nailed a recipe that is equally bold & flavorful.

This can be used with steak, chicken, shrimp as well as tofu. It's also a great dipping sauce for egg rolls. I recommend doubling, tripling or even quadrupling this recipe because you can keep the leftover sauce in the fridge for quick use in the future.

Ingredients:
3 TBS Dark Soy Sauce
1 TBS Tomato Ketchup (the secret ingredient)
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
1 TSP Ground Coriander

Mix all ingredients until well combined (I use a magic bullet). If you want to get a little freaky, you can add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the mix...that'll kick things up a notch.

Coat your meat (or tofu) with the marinade for at least 1 hr to achieve maximum flavor. When it comes time for stir frying, add a bit to the pan but be sure to keep a little left over to drizzle on top of your heaping bowl of goodness.

I took a couple of pics of some beef & broccoli I made for dinner tonight. One is the "action shot" of it cooking in the wok with the saucy goodness and the other is the final plating (served alongside premium short grain brown rice).



Let me know what you think!

Gina

How about that kiddies? I'm already thinking of how many ways I can use this amazing little recipe.

WINE NOTE: Since you can't really pick a wine for just a marinade, here are some options on pairings: For a dipping sauce for egg rolls - some champagne. As a marinade for steak - go cab. On pork - I would go with a grenache. For noodle veggie stir fry - I would defer to what the meat would be that is mixed in.

Until we do this again....Keep those recipes coming in!

Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!

TPC

Guest Cook Thursday: PDG and Brats!

This Thursday's guest cook shows just how creative you can be when you are forced to use what you have around you. You would be amazed what you can come up with. Seriously folks, I can't tell you how many fantastic meals I have come up with by this method. Though to be honest, I often forget to write down what I did...but never again!

My friend Clark was not to be put off by small hurdles either. He adapted and overcame what would normally stop the"lazy cook"....which we all...are NOT. But why listen to me when he can tell you for himself. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Clark and his ..PDG and Brats....Let's prep..

"Dude,

I made the best thing tonight by chance and thought I would share with you. I had a hankerin for pico de gallo, but nothing else planned. I threw some things together and it happened to work out beautifully.

Here's what I did:

Pico de Gallo (PDG)-

My redneck store didn't have fresh peppers, so I used canned. I was depressed about that, but it was still good. Next, I diced up a tomato and half a red onion. For the spices, I went heavy on the cilantro and fresh lime juice, but you can do it to taste. Oh and one garlic clove. Make sure to get the "seedy gunk" out of the tomatoes and don't forget the salt and pepper (always to taste).

Then-

I poached some Johnsonville brats (I'm sure u have better options in NYC ) in beer and the other half of the red onion left over from the PDG. Make sure not to boil them or they will break open and lose their juice. I'd wait until you see the juices flowing under the skin. Then brown them up in a frying pan, to get that extra taste you know so well. In the mean time, I toasted pita bread in a 375 oven. Don't over toast because you want the the pita to soak up all those juice from the brats.

I dropped the brats on the pita, sliced them a little in the middle to let some of the juice out into the pita, smothered with PDG. Fold up and enjoy. Its kind of a simple mish mash, but it was awesome!

If your blog turns into a travel channel food/travel show, I think you will need a chubby pale sidekick to get drunk and add some comic relief. I know a guy.

Clark"

See? Just a dash of ingenuity, a pinch of creativity and voila you have a great little dish of love there. Heck I'd even chop a jalapeno pepper to bring the heat. Sounds like it would go great with some ice cold beers on a warm day watching the sun go down in the back yard. Sign me up for that please!

Until we do this again....Keep those recipes coming in!

Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!

TPC

Guest Cook Thursday: Georgia Sweet Squares

You know there a lot of people out there with great recipes to share. Some they did on their own. Some they found online or on a TV show. And some started with someone else's recipes and then they made it their own. And you know what? These people need a voice too! SOOOO in respect to all of these wonderful people.....Thursdays are guest cook days.

I've never been one to make desserts. Don't get me wrong, I like them, I just usually get so wrapped up in the making of the meal....and maybe a glass of wine or two....or three. And dessert tends to be the victim of my "indiscretions" if you will. But I was fortunate enough to sample this delightful little dish, which was brought over from my friend Katelyn for a fantastic dinner party of friends. I'm not sure of the source of the recipe, but when I asked for a picture she responded, "I don't have any, usually eat them all before thinking of photographing." Didn't she know she'd soon be on the hottest blog sweeping the online world!....Or mine for that matter! OK...let's prep.

Here's What You Need:

Georgia Street Squares :)

BOTTOM LAYER:
1/2 cup coco powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups crushed Graham crackers
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Walnut, almond....have fun)

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1 - 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Press the mixture evenly into lightly buttered 9X13 pan (i use 9x9 the squares come out a little thicker). Cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

FILLING:
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbsp milk
2 tsp instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups powdered sugar

In your electric mixer cream the butter. Beat in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

TOP LAYER:
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I usually use 1 cup)
1 Tbsp butter

In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the filling and refrigerate. (add milk for a better spreading consistency)

TO SERVE: To prevent the chocolate from cracking, using a sharp knife, bring the squares to room temperature before cutting.

WINE NOTE: When it comes to dessert wines it's really taster choice here. You could go with a Riesling, a Muscat or even a Port.

Well there you have it. I hope you enjoy them as much as the party did.....Keep those recipes coming in.

Until we do this again.

Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!

TPC