southwestern pittsburgh chicken salad

I know, I know - I've been absent! Truthfully, I haven't been cooking as much, and when I have, it's been recipes that have already been posted. This recipe isn't revolutionary or anything, but it's better than nothing. It's a variation on the traditional Pittsburgh salad. However, tonight I had some random leftovers (mushrooms and peppers that I bought for a leftover omelet, but never used) and whatnot, that I decided to try something slightly different. Here it goes:

• 1/2 lb. chicken
• Mesclun salad
• Red and yellow peppers, diced
• Mushrooms, chopped
• Red onion, diced
• 1 avocado
• Cheddar cheese
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons or so of Ranch
• Salt & pepper
• Waffle fries

california chicken panini

Like many people, I tend to be a creature of habit. My habit as of late has been being entirely too busy to cook elaborate dinners (not that they're ever really elaborate, but roll with it) and constantly going to the local market for sandwiches for dinner. Granted, they make amazing sandwiches. However, it's recently gotten to the point that they actually know my order when I walk up to the counter. Not good.

What does one do in this situation? You'd think I'd realize how lame I've been and get back to cooking. Not quite. I avoid the sandwich counter out of shame, but I still crave the sandwiches! Here's my attempt to recreate my favorite sandwich of late - the california chicken panini (panini = sandwich. Look it up). Here's what you'll need:

• 1 chicken breast
• 2 whole wheat pita
• 1 tomato
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup grated swiss cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt, sugar and pepper

Begin by heating the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add the garlic and simmer until it begin to brown. Add your chicken and lightly salt/pepper. Cook chicken until juices run clear, flipping only once or twice - about 5-6 minutes per side. Slice into 1/2" strips.

Lay out your pita, and cover 1/2 with chicken slices. Top each with 1/2 cup of the swiss and heat under a broiler in the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese.

While that goes, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of oil, 1/8 cup of balsamic, salt, sugar and pepper to make a nice little balsamic vinaigrette. (Why isn't that spelled "vinegarette?" English...)

Now you're ready to build the sandwich/panini. Layer tomato and avocado on top of the chicken and drizzle a little vinaigrette over top. Cut the pita in half, and place the empty half on top to finish your sandwich/panini.

Of course if you have a panini press, I'm sure you could use that. I've no experience with those, so I can' say for sure, though I'd think it would work by virtue of the name alone. If you try it out with one and have suggestions, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Bon chappétit!

avocado, tangerine and tomato salad

This Sunday's dinner with Dan had a dijon mustard theme. We tried out the new salad (below) and paired it with the dijon salmon with tarragon. The two went nicely together. We were especially pleased with how the flavors of this salad mixed. The tangy with the sweet was quite a pleasant surprise. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 avocados
• 2 mandarins or tangerines
• Arugula
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Begin by peeling, halving and pitting the avocados. Cut each into strips and set aside. Next, peel and divide the mandarins/tangerines and remove all traces of the white pith.

Arrange the arugula on the plate. Make a layer of tomato and scallion slices on the leaves, cover with avocado and top with the mandarin/tangerine slices. Sprinkle with parsley.

For the dressing, whisk together the mustard and oil, along with a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Pour just a spoonful or two over the salad (it's potent!) and enjoy.

Bon chappétit!

shrimp & avocado ceviche

So ceviche. I've heard a lot about. Never tried it...until now. It's good! It's also more of an appetizer, which Dan and I learned the hard way. Still, yummy. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 pound shrimp - peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

Place the shrimp and lime juice into a large bowl, and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque (they seriously change color). The lime juice will "cook" them. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro until coated with lime juice as well, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove from the refrigerator, and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

That's it. So friggin' simple. Really delicious though. Went great with Saltines. Also note: this probably made enough for 4-8 people.

Bon chappétit!

arugula & guacamole burgers

In keeping with my desire to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen lately, for fear of heat stroke, I went with a good ol' burger last night. Albeit, with a smidge of a twist. Dan and I first made these last summer, and they've become a regular in my culinary arsenal. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 burgers (I bought pre-made sirloin burger patties - lazy, I know)
• 2 buns (crazy)
• 1 large beefsteak tomato
• 2 slices Monterey pepper jack cheese
• A handful of arugula
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon or so of salsa (medium)

Since I don't have a grill, as you may or may not have heard, I simply cook the burgers in a nonstick skillet on the stove top. While that's going on, slice up the tomato (you really only need a couple slices for the burgers - I just eat the rest of it while I'm cooking). You'll also want to slice up your avocado and mash it in a small bowl. Mix the salsa with the avocado to your tasting (I do about one heaping tablespoonful per avocado). The rest is just assembly.

After the burgers are done and I've let the cheese melt for a minute, I simply stack on arugula, tomato and guacamole on top. It's super simple and a really delicious twist on the traditional burger.

Bon chappétit!

shrimp, mango & avocado salad

If you follow the blog, you've probably noticed I try to keep things from getting stuck in a rut. In my previous, pre-blog life, dinners pretty much alternated between pastas and meat and potato dishes. But as they say, variety is the spice of life (and the interest of the food blog), so in the spirit of that I'm constantly trying to find things I haven't made before. Last night's dish was a bit further than I typically go - it's the first Asian salad I've had. First time I've used sweet chili sauce. First time I've included mango in a homemade dish. Lots of firsts which, thankfully, paid off. This salad took under 5 minutes to put together and was a welcome change of pace. Really great for summer as well. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 12 large shrimp
• 1 large head of Boston lettuce, washed and leaves separated
• 1 large mango, peeled, pitted, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• Salt and pepper to taste

A note before we begin. You have a number of options with the shrimp. You can buy it already cooked/steamed and jump right into the assembly. Or if you get it uncooked, simply sauté in butter and garlic for just a few minutes. I took the lazier route (it's hot in my kitchen!)

Now, get ready for a complex set of instructions. Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add in the shrimp and toss to coat. Divide lettuce among plates. Alternate mango, avocado, and shrimp atop lettuce on each plate. Drizzle vinaigrette over.

I love when my intro is longer than the actual recipe. Seriously though, try not to have an aneurism over the complex recipe you've just read. Just sit back and enjoy the deliciousness.

Bon chappétit!

steak fajitas w/ guacamole

Last night I decided to be wise and use up some of the random items I had laying around in the fridge. I had a lot leftover form the Mexican chicken the other night.  I decided to try and whip up some steak fajitas, and they turned out pretty sweet. I also stumbled upon an amazingly easy way to make homemade guacamole. Here's what you'll need:

• Flour tortillas
• Sirloin steak
• Salsa, medium hot
• Peppers (green, red, yellow)
• Cheddar cheese
• Taco seasoning
• Avocado

First, the guacamole. All I seriously did was mash up 1 avocado and mixed it with one heaping spoonful of salsa. I got the chunky, medium hot salsa. It already had onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, etc. mixed in. This made plenty for me, probably enough for two. It was fantastic. If you like guacamole, definitely give it a try.

On to the fajitas. begin by browning the steak on both sides in a non-stick skillet over medium heat with just a dollop of olive oil.  Next, slice up the steak and add back to the skillet, along with the taco seasoning and water, per the directions on the package. Once the liquid reduces, you're ready to build the fajitas.

I simply layered slices of steak with a few strips of pepper, cheese and a teaspoonful of salsa.  Once wrapped, I topped each fajita with a nice layer of guacamole. It was faaaaaantastic! Definitely a must-try.

Bon chappétit!

california chicken w/ avocado & tomato

After taking a look at the blog the other night, I realized that I really haven't been eating any chicken lately - odd, right? So I decided to revisit an old favorite that Dan and I first made several months back. It's very simple, yet very flavorful. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 6 slices

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by sautéing your garlic in oil. Once it begins to sizzle, add in the chicken.  I like to cook my chicken covered over medium heat.  I find cooking it slow and covered really makes it nice and juicy.  I added a pinch of salt and a few pinches of pepper.  After about 15 minutes, when the chicken is about 80% done, I transferred to a cookie sheet lined with foil. Then top with a tomato slice or two and several slices of cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Once removed, add the avocado slices to the top and you're done.  Really simple, but the flavors go together wonderfully.  Definitely an easy way to make chicken that's not the same old, same old.

Bon chappétit!