Join the Club

On an episode of Top Chef I watched the other day, the “quickfire” challenge was to make a drink using Bailey’s Irish Cream and serve it with a snack. The chefs were, of course, quite creative, turning out fancy, frothed cocktails and nibbles along the lines of tuna tartare and shrimp ceviche. An expert mixologist had been called in to judge and, while she raved over some of their creations, she also commented that she was a little disappointed that no one made a Bailey’s milkshake and hamburger.

Point taken: Sometimes simple and familiar—but perfectly seasoned and cooked—is better than any new-fangled dish could ever be.

California Chicken Club Sandwiches on Ciabatta
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, approx. 1 lb.
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
4 mini-ciabatta rolls, cut in half and lightly toasted
½ c. homemade mayonnaise
4 red-leaf lettuce leaves
1 large beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
4 thin slices Pepper Jack cheese
8 strips center cut bacon, cooked
1 ripe avocado, pitted, thinly sliced, and sprinkled with lemon juice

In a food processor, combine the rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and vinegar. Pulse to combine, then stream in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and adjust other seasonings to taste.

In a shallow dish, season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper, then pour the marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat and coat lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Cook the chicken pieces for 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

To assemble sandwiches, spread one tablespoon of mayo on each half of the ciabatta. On the bottom slice of bread, layer the lettuce, tomato, chicken, cheese, bacon and avocado, then top with the other half. Serve immediately.

Hoisin Around

Thick and sweet, hoisin is about to become one of your new favorite sauces if it's not already. A traditional Chinese dipping and glazing sauce, hoisin is made from water, sugar, soybeans, distilled vinegar, salt, wheat flour, garlic, and red chili peppers, amongst other necessary things like preservatives.

It’s pretty widely available (I spied two brands at Publix) and is incredibly easy to work with. I like to doctor mine up a bit, but it’s perfectly fine on its own—straight out of the jar—as a glaze for chicken, fish and shellfish. Just slap it on your protein of choice and grill or broil away.

Hoisin Glazed Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 2

1/3 c. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. tamari, dark soy sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. water
2, 5 to 6-oz. filets of salmon, with skin
8 baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half
8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed and cut in half
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Cooked white or jasmine rice, for serving

Position an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the broiler.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Place the salmon, skin-side down, on a heavy, foil-lined baking sheet and season each side with salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, brush about half of the sauce onto the fish. Pour the remaining sauce into a small saucepan and set aside.

In a small bowl, toss the mushrooms and asparagus with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange evenly around the fish. Broil until the fish is opaque, about 8 minutes depending on the thickness and your preferred doneness.

While the fish is cooking, add two tablespoons of water to the reserved sauce. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until it simmers and begins to thicken.


To serve, slide a spatula between the skin and the fish, and discard the skin. Arrange one filet and half of the vegetables on each plate and pour sauce over the fish. Serve with rice.

Foodie Word- Tomatillo

With our insatiable appetites for the variety modern dining has to offer, it’s little surprise that just one of anything isn’t enough anymore. Today, we prefer a flight of beers for tasting, a trio of crème brûlées for dessert, and a duo of salsas to dip our chips in.

While red tomato salsa remains a perennial favorite, I’ve heard some passionate discourse on the relative newcomer, tomatillo salsa. Tomatillos (say: tohm-ah-TEE-ohs) are essentially Mexican green tomatoes, and belong to the same nightshade family as other tomatoes. They resemble small green tomatoes in size, but are incased in a parchment-like paper husk that must be peeled away before eating. Although tomatillos can ripen to yellow, they’re usually used while still firm and green.

When buying tomatillos, look for ones with dry, tight-fitting husks. Once you get them home, they’ll keep in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a month. Tomatillos can be used raw or fresh and are also available canned in many ethnic supermarkets. Rich in vitamin A and containing a good amount of vitamin C as well, tomatillos are flavorful and healthy fruits with a great degree of versatility.

Simmered Tomatillo Salsa

1 lb. fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
½ large white or red onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ c. water
1 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Coarsely purée the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, water and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a large heavy skillet and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, then stir in cilantro, lime juice, and more salt to taste. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

Summer Starter

Depending on where you live, this may or may not be true, but—for the southern part of the US at least—Memorial Day always rings in the start of the summer season. It’s officially safe to put away your sweaters, stash the slow cooker in a cabinet and break out the sunscreen, SPF 1,000 for me please.

If you don’t have a signature summer cocktail, may I suggest making this sweet and refreshingly tart beverage your drink of choice? The acidity of the lemons, sweetness of the sugar and subtle, spicy heat of the ginger make it a real winner. The vodka is optional of course, but I think a little booze goes a long way toward easing the pain of knowing that, as adults, we’re no beginning the greatest three months of our year. Bottoms up!

Ginger Vodka Lemonade
Makes 1 gallon

8 lemons, juiced
2/3 c. white sugar
2 c. water
2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
1 c. vodka (start there, add more to your liking)
ice cubes

In a 1 gallon pitcher, juice the lemons.

In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, water and ginger slices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Once the simple syrup is cooled, strain into the pitcher with the lemon juice and stir to combine. Fill the pitcher three quarters full with water, then add the cup of vodka. Stir and taste. Add more water if necessary and add additional vodka to taste. To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes and pour lemonade over.

Saturday Splurge

Yes, you’re right if you’re thinking that Saturdays on Fresh Parmesan are usually reserved for Cheese of the Week, but this is such an excellent weekend splurge that I wanted to give you the chance to make it on this most sacred of occasions, the celebrated three-day holiday weekend.

If raspberry isn’t your jam of choice, strawberry or grape would definitely work too. And, if you really want to get creative, replacing the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips is a nice flavor combo as well. Heck, you could go completely crazy and switch Nutella for the peanut butter and white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips, then top with freshly sliced bananas. It’s your weekend splurge, have it your way!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Raspberry Syrup
Serves 4

½ c. creamy peanut butter
8 slices white bread (brioche or challa would work well)
¼ c. mini milk chocolate chips
½ c. 2% milk
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2/3 c. raspberry jam
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
whipped cream, for serving

Spread 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter on each slice of bread. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly between 4 of the slices. Top each slice with chocolate with another slice of bread, peanut butter side down, to make 4 sandwiches.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Soak each sandwich until saturated, about 5 seconds. Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the jam and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes on each side. Top with the jam syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Old Faithful

This one has been in my repertory for so long, I can’t even remember where I got the original inspiration from. What I do know is that it’s 1) simple and fresh; 2) crowd-pleasing; and 3) pretty healthy for a sauté with sauce.

I thought today was a good time to dust this recipe off because the beautiful, bright green stalks of asparagus have been going down in price at the farmer’s market in recent weeks and the basil is holding steady at $0.99 for a giant bunch (seriously, I still can’t get over this one). If the cherry tomatoes aren’t looking good in your area, you can substitute a large heirloom tomato—just make sure to seed it before you chop it or the veggies will be too wet. And if your lemons are cheaper when purchased by the bag, go ahead and buy a dozen or so now—you’ll need them for ginger lemonade next week!

Chicken Sauté with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Lemon Pan Sauce
Serves 2

2, 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into three-quarter inch pieces
sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp. water or chicken broth
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
small handful of fresh basil, shredded

Season the chicken breast pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. In a medium, not-too-shallow skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and asparagus and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the vegetables and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes—do not allow garlic to brown. Add the water or broth and lemon juice and scrape any burned bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, stirring to combine. Add the chicken and vegetables back into the pan and cook until just warmed through. Adjust the seasonings to taste and add the basil just before serving.

Getting Warmer…

It may seem strange to be reading this hearty soup recipe as the temperature outside continues to soar, but hear me out: With bathing suit season upon us, we need filling, flavorful, low-fat food now more than ever. And, on many levels, this soup fits that bill.

Ribollita, basically a soup with stale bread as an ingredient, is a staple in Tuscany and my version is a riff on the classic. To keep this on the safe side of figure-friendly, I cut down the bread to just one roll (ciabatta is great but any crusty white bread will work), plussed up the kale portion and threw in a hint of spice to pack a maximum flavor punch. Although beef stock really does add a richness that I think is critical, you can make this vegetarian friendly by using vegetable or wild mushroom stock and skipping the bacon. And, yes, it adds a few extra calories, but I can’t in good consciousness omit the grated Parm on top.

Ribollita con Verdure
Serves 4

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 thick slices bacon, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium zucchini, cut into thin slices
sea salt and black pepper
½ c. dry red wine
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
5 c. beef stock
1 stale ciabatta roll, roughly chopped
15 oz. can of cannellini beans
4 cups chopped kale
hot sauce, to taste (start with ½ tsp.)
½ c. grated Parmesan

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and bacon and render 4 minutes, until the bacon is almost crispy. Add the rosemary, whole sprigs of thyme, garlic, onion, carrots and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Sauté 7 to 8 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze the pot and cook until half of the liquid has evaporated.

Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and stir in the tomatoes and beef stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and stir in bread and beans. Gradually add the kale and wilt into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring soup as it simmers until slightly thickened.

Remove pot from heat and add the hot sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with the cheese.

Easy Cheesy

With the long holiday weekend looming in the not-too-far future, I think a lot of people are looking for new dishes to take to picnics and parties. Not that there’s anything wrong with potato salad, fruit salad, 3-bean salad, etc., but sometimes it’s nice to bring something a little less expected.

Since I believe that different shouldn’t mean time-consuming, I’d like to share this super simple—and very flavorful—twist on a chip and dip combo. The piquant feta is the perfect foil for a creamy and zesty base laced with fresh parsley (use the flat-leaf, or Italian, variety if available). In addition to the pita chips, crudités (carrots, zucchini sticks, sliced radishes) would be great, healthy “chip” alternatives.

Feta and Walnut Dip with Baked Pita Chips
Serves 4 as an appetizer

2 cloves garlic, skin removed
1 c. walnuts, toasted
½ c. skim milk
1 ½ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
handful of fresh parsley, half roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
4 whole wheat pitas, cut into 8 wedges each
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, walnuts, milk, feta, oregano, red pepper flakes and half of the handful of parsley. Pulse until the dip is smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining chopped parsley.

Arrange the pita wedges on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. In a 300 degree oven, bake for 5 minutes or until crispy. Serve with the dip.

Yo-Foria

As someone who consumes a significant quantity of yogurt each week (both traditional and soy, with a Greek-style splurge every now and then), it seems odd that I haven’t shared one of my yogurt marinade recipes until now. Yogurt is a fantastic alternative to “traditional” marinades—its high acidity is a terrific tenderizer of meat, but it packs much less of a caloric punch than oils. And, as far as flavor goes, it’s just as versatile as mayonnaise or sour cream but contains significantly less fat.

All yogurts also contain the probiotic cultures Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Probiotics—sometimes known as “beneficial bacteria”—naturally live in your digestive tract, but need regular replenishing. That’s where yogurt comes in. Just one serving a day gives you a healthy dose of cultures to keep you feeling good on the inside. So, break out of the “yogurt is only breakfast food” mentality, and start finding out why this is the real dairy product that does a body good!

Spiced Grilled Chicken
Serves 2

6 oz. plain yogurt (I love Stonyfield Farms organic)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sea salt and black pepper
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large baggie, combine the first four ingredients, then add the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Removed the chicken from marinade and place on a plate. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on the first side for 7-8 minutes, then turn over and grill 4 minutes more, or until chicken is firm to the touch. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Twice as Nice

Needing to whip up two, mayonnaise-based sauces last night, I suddenly found myself staring down the empty barrel of the mayo jar. What’s a girl to do? Inspired by a recent episode of Top Chef (seriously, if you’re not watching, you’re missing out), I decided that the lonely eggs in the back of my fridge were practically begging to be turned into a homemade mayo.

I think it’s a pretty well-kept secret that making mayonnaise is really, really easy. It seems like one of those things that should be intimidating, but I can practically guarantee that you already have everything in your kitchen needed to make it. And, if you don’t have a food processor, you can absolutely mix it by hand (it’s just going to require a little elbow grease). Once you’ve got the basic recipe down, start experimenting! How about a smoky, chipotle-spiced mayo or a homemade tartar sauce for fish n’ chips night? You can do it!

Mayonnaise: Two Ways
Yields 1 cup

1 egg yolk
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. dry mustard
2 pinches sugar
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. white or red wine vinegar
1 c. vegetable oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yolk, salt, mustard, sugar and lemon juice. Pulse 3 times. Add the vinegar and pulse 3 more times. Let the motor run and very slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Curried Mayo
Serving suggestion: Sweet potato fries

½ c. homemade mayonnaise
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 ½ tsp. red curry powder
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Sweet Slaw Dressing
Serving suggestion: Cabbage and carrot coleslaw

½ c. homemade mayonnaise
3 tbsp. sour cream
2 tsp. white or red wine vinegar
½ tsp. celery salt
½ tsp. onion powder
1 ½ tsp. sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over slaw and toss. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Pretzel Poppin’ Fool

It’s true, I confess: I’m a Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Balls poppin’ fool. The little nuggets of sweet and salty goodness are quickly becoming my at-work addiction. I’m hiding them in my desk drawer, telling myself “just a handful never hurt anyone…” And then, before I know it, I’ve run through a container in 4 days. Thanks goodness Trader Joe’s isn’t a high-end (read: high-priced) grocery store.

My love affair with sweet/salty combinations goes back a long time. My go-to road trip snack? The completely addictive Chex Muddy Buddies. My “healthy” fruit pick? Ripe oranges, liberally salted. I’ve never been able to resist the tang of a citrusy, salty margarita or the call of crunchy kettle corn. Heck, I’ve even gone so far as to eat chocolate covered potato chips just for the novelty of it all.

Luckily, TJDCCPB aren’t expensive and, as far as guilty pleasures go, not terribly fattening. Unfortunately, my midtown apartment puts me at a short, 5 minute drive away from snack food nirvana. How far will you have to travel?

COW- Cheese of the Week

With warm weather upon (most of) us, I thought it would be a good time to move to a cheese that can stand up to the elements. While the heat of an oven may be a wonderful thing for cheeses like brie, the heat of a summer afternoon can turn them into a runny, sticky mess.

Not so with Farmhouse Cheshire. Thought to be England's oldest cheese, Cheshire is a raw, cow's milk cheddar-style cheese that is sturdy enough to accompany you on a picnic. Cheshire is a smooth, hole-less variety the color of a cantaloupe (this is due to the use of annatto, a tree-based coloring agent that's harmless). The brand of Cheshire I'm most familiar with is Abbey Farm, but there are also respected makers like Mollington Grange Farm and Chorlton Lodge Farm producing this cheese.

The flavor of Cheshire is honestly a little tough to describe. It's salty, for sure, but neither nutty nor fruity, sweet nor sharp. The best I can do is that it's savory in the vein of a classic Cheddar, with a lot more earthiness than you'll find in mass-market brands.

Try it picnic fare, like...
Wheat bread or crackers
Ripe berries and apples
Beer and rose wine
Turkey or roast beef sandwiches
Assorted olives and pickles

I’m Melting!

I confess to never having been a big breakfast person. Sure, a chocolate croissant never fails to start the day off right, but the mornings that I’m able to procure those are few and far between. I’m usually content to eat yogurt with fresh berries and granola at work, but on the weekends, a little something extra seems in order.

I was initially intimated by this recipe: making my own scones! I’m no baker! But, to my delight, it proved much less tricky and time-intensive than I anticipated. About 30 minutes for the prep and an hour for the bake later, I was munching down on some light, flaky and gently blueberry-sweetened goodness. If I were going to pick a signature breakfast recipe, this one might just be the winner.

Blueberry Scones with Melted Peaches
Serves 2-4

1 lb. frozen, sliced peaches
2 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp. instant pearl tapioca
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. lemon juice
5/6 c. all purpose flour (or ½ + 1/3 cups)
1 ¾ tbsp. granulated sugar, plus 2 tsp. reserved
¾ tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter, chilled and cut into pieces
¾ c. fresh blueberries
¼ c. heavy cream, plus 1 tbsp. reserved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish. In the dish, combine the peaches, brown sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your fingers, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (keep working, it takes a little longer than you might think). Stir in the blueberries, then the cream and combine with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a ball and, on a floured work surface, pat it into a 1-inch thick round. Cut into 4 wedges.

Arrange the dough wedges on top of the peach mixture and brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bake until the scones are golden about 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Fan Fare, Part II

If you cringed at my last ode to Rachel Ray, you can stop reading now. Because, once again, I feel compelled to share with you an RR original recipe (with some of my own modifications, of course) that I absolutely loved.

This twist on classic Italian fare is a great alternative to ordering take-out or cooking on of those frozen “bag” meals. There’s not a ton of chopping, the meatballs are made with all white meat chicken and the sauce isn’t loaded with MSG. Plus, it’s really fun to use chopsticks to pop the little meatballs in your mouth. It’s kind of like kid-friendly Chinese—what’s not to like?

Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves 4

8 oz. spaghetti
1 lb. ground white meat chicken
1 egg
2 c. panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
8 scallions, 2 finely chopped, 6 cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tbsp., plus 1/3 c. tamari (dark soy sauce)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. snow peas, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 inches ginger root, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
8 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water before draining.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken and egg with your hands. Add the panko, five-spice powder, 2 of the chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Form 1 ½ inch meatballs with your hands and place on a baking sheet. Spray the tops with olive oil baking spray and roast for 15 minutes.

When the meatballs are close to done, heat a large skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the snow peas, bell pepper, remaining cut scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, 2 minutes. Add the remaining soy sauce and the sesame oil, then add the pasta and toss to combine. If there isn’t enough sauce, add in some of the reserved pasta water to thin. Garnish with sesame seeds and top with the meatballs.

Like White on Rice

I think I’ve discussed before that growing up in Lakeland wasn’t exactly conducive to earning a proper culinary education. Sure, we had a handful of TexMex joints and actually some pretty decent Italian, but your options for a taste of the orient were either Bamboo Garden (love the crispy rice noodles that come to the table at the start of every meal) or Hunan, where a framed picture of Gloria Estefen hung proudly on the wall.*

Authentic, Hunan was probably not, but they did make some of the crunchiest, tangiest sweet and sour chicken in town. Oh, to this day, I have fantasies about the little tub of red sauce being unveiled before my hungry eyes. While this dish doesn’t quite recreate all the sweet, pineapply goodness of my childhood, if I close my eyes and pop in my old Into the Light CD, I’m almost there.

*Side bar- I think the story involved her stopping by Lakeland while on tour, but it may also have had something to due with her choosing Lakeland as her destination for recuperation from a tour bus accident. This was never quite clear.

Chicken with Homemade Pineapple Barbeque Sauce
Serves 2-3

3-4, 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 c. fresh pineapple, chopped
¼ c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. tamari (dark soy sauce)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1, 6 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
white or brown rice, prepared according to package directions

Place a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with a thin layer of the olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Cook until each side is golden brown and the chicken is firm to the touch, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and let rest.

While the chicken is cooking, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and pineapple and cook until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, tamari and tomato sauce. Simmer sauce for a couple of minutes to thicken. Add the water chestnuts and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, stir the sliced scallions into the rice and put some on each plate. Slice the chicken breasts on an angle and pour the sauce over each one.

Cinco or Swim

Before I begin today’s post, a quick aside: I apologize for my absence last week. Let’s just say several forces aligned (work, a cold, etc.) to prevent me from blogging and for that I’m terribly sorry. Can we just pretend that it never happened? Great, thanks!

Review- El Tesoro

Once upon a time, I discovered a little TexMex place in EAV (that’s East Atlanta Village for all you non-locals) that served up the cheapest, tastiest tacos, quesos and margaritas imaginable. Cantina La Casita is something of an institution around here—along with Taqueria Del Sol and Nuevo Laredo, La Casita is one of my most frequent south-of-the-border dining destinations.

Enter El Tesoro, a new spot from the same people that brought the city La Casita. I dined there for the first time yesterday evening and am pleased to report that many of my favorite features and menu items from LC have made the jump to the new spot.

We started with the requisite chips and salsa. El Tesoro’s two offerings are a mild, green tomatillo and a fire-roasted tomato. I prefer the acidic tomatillo, especially when accompanied by the not-overly-sweet house margarita blanco. Although it’s printed at the top of the menu, I’m sure many diners are surprised to see a charge for the chips and the salsa when the bill comes. If you don’t want them, speak up quickly. We also ordered our standard queso but, and it could have been my imagination, El Tesoro’s tasted thicker and less spicy than LC’s. I guess the only way I’ll know for sure is to visit the original again soon…

I was hoping to sample one tofu and one mushroom enchilada each in my order of two, but when I asked if that was possible, our server said that the kitchen “doesn’t like it” when people mix and match. “Doesn’t like it” and “won’t do it” are two different things to me and I don’t feel like servers should cater to the preferences of the kitchen if they are indeed just that—preferences. If no mixing and matching is a policy, then just say, politely, “no, I’m sorry, we can’t.” Anyway, my two mushroom enchiladas turned out to be delicious, laced with the flavor of cilantro and onions and topped with more of the tomatillo salsa—yum. The accompanying black beans were good, lightly spiced but nothing out of the ordinary.

My date ordered the “platillo grande”—four tacos, one each tofu, mushroom, fried tilapia and chorizo and potato. The tilapia gave Taqueria’s famous fish tacos a run for their money. Crispy and light, the fish was nicely set off by tender cabbage and smooth poblano cream. The mushroom was filled with what tasted like the same mushroom sauté as in my enchiladas and I confess to not tasting the chorizo. But the tofu was my favorite—a slightly crisped exterior with nice heat from the chipotle marinade and the bright crunch of radish and jicama. A well-rounded taco, and a vegetarian one at that!

Creative Loafing employs my favorite food reviewers in the city and, coincidentally, El Tesoro was reviewed last week by the paper as well (read their review here). I can’t say that I agree 100% with this one (I didn’t spot a single child), but they got one thing spot on—the fried plantains are to die for. As for the rest, if I find myself in Decatur I'd be happy to give El Tesoro another whirl, but I'm not saying adios to La Casita just yet, that's for sure.