It started with a hummus sandwich. Austin’s local sub shop chain, Thundercloud Subs really began my voyage into Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.  As a child I was hardly an adventurous eater, a habit that only slowly began to change in my early 20’s.  For my entry to challenge #2 for Project Food Blog 2010, I prepared Lamb and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves to showcase my ability by tackling a classic dish from another culture.  This is probably about as far out of my comfort zone as I can imagine.  I have never cooked or witnessed any form of lamb being prepared.  Outside of a restaurant, I’ve never seen a grape leave.  I love taking on new ingredients, and believe cooking is all about taking your fundamental building blocks and combining them to build truly great flavor in different and inspiring ways.

To start my background information, I went to the best source I could find.  My dear college friend, Christina, married a man of Lebanese descent.  Last fall, when I embarked on my homemade pita experiment, the best recipe by far was adapted from their staple cookbook.  They lent me their copy of Lebanese Cuisine, which has had 13 editions and is largely considered one of the classics for this region.  There aren’t any pictures, but thank goodness for bloggers, right?  In the next five years everything ever created in food to date surely will have been prepared, reviewed, photographed and covered by a food blogger.  (wink)

The first challenge in the project was locating the grape leaves.  I found them at Central Market, though I’ll admit it did take me two trips through the store.  They were located in the pickles and olives section, next to some canned dolmas.  Dolma is a word of Turkish etymology meaning stuffed vegetable – frequently grape leaves.  The Lebanese name for this dish is Mihshi Waraq Inab, but the dish is made similarly under many names in the entire region, from Greece to Egypt to Iran to Armenia and everywhere in between.   The origination of this dish is muddy at best, likely due to it’s birth in a region known as the cradle of civilization.

I like to think of stuffed grape leaves like Middle Eastern Sushi.  I thought the filling had a fabulous flavor, slightly citrus, slightly salty, and was blown away by the delicate texture of the lamb.  Somehow combining ground lamb with rice and a few seasonings, wrapping and covering with water, then cooking for a short time, didn’t seem possible to create such a flavorful dish.  I do think my wrapping skills could use a little practice to gain a tighter, more compact roll, and possibly they could have been cooked longer to yield a slightly more tender leaf.  Next time, I’d probably try to seek out fresh grape leaves just to taste the difference.

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe – Mihshi Waraq Inab

adapted from Lebanese Cuisine by Madelain Farah

1 jar grape leaves

1 c. uncooked rice

1 lb. ground lamb

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. lemon juice

Pour rice in a strainer, then rinse until water runs clear.  Drain then pour rice into bowl.  Add lamb, cinnamon, allspice, 1 tsp kosher salt and  12 turns pepper, then use hands to thoroughly combine.

In a 3 qt sauce pan, use a few of the torn grape leaves to cover the bottom of the pan.  This will prevent the stuffed leaves from sticking.  In a large bowl of hot water, rinse grape leaves and soak for a few seconds before filling.  Spread a grape leaf flat with the shiny side facing down.

Then place a small amount of filling in the center bottom of the leaf.  Roll the bottom leaves up, then roll the side leaves in to create a packet.   Continue rolling towards the top of your board to create a tight cylinder.

The notes in the recipe I was referring to indicated that if you just covered your stuffed grape leaves with water, all the water would be absorbed when ready.  This was definitely not the case for me, even with extra cooking time, so I’m going to note the next picture – as how *NOT* to place your stuffed grape leaves.  I’d advise trying to line the whole edge in a ring – with a base of each cylinder touching the outside of your saucepan.  The key here being to have as many stuffed grape leaves as possible with as little room for water to go.

After you’ve placed all the stuffed leaves, sprinkle the surface with a little kosher salt, then place a plate on top to hold them in tight rolls. Cover, heat on medium for 15 minutes, then add lemon juice.  Cover again, then continue heating another 25 minutes.  Serve Warm.

Happy Eating!

Rrrraw!  I’ve posted and posted about my love of Agatucci’s Pizza and their famous Tiger Sauce.  For the last year, I’ve been quietly creating my own version.  Yep, I’m becoming that lady.  Soon there will be legendary stories of me as the lady who rolls with a bottle of Sabertooth sauce in her purse, a la Susan Dell (According to rumor, Susan Dell carries a bottle of ranch dressing in her purse at all times.  I have no idea if this is true, but I find it hysterical.)  I love pizza, who doesn’t?  But ever since growing up in Peoria and enjoying Agatucci’s with a dash of their secret tiger sauce,  I can’t get the zippy flavor out of my brain in when I think about pizza.

When I moved to Austin, everyone was dipping their pizza in ranch.  Which is just wrong.  Well, maybe wrong is unfair since I’m not really a fan of ranch dressing.  But I’m all for sauces and dipping, so I’ve been on the lookout for a suitable replacement.  Thus far, I’ve yet to find any pizzerias in the Lone Star State serving a vinaigrette sauce.  I’m pushing the trend.  If my extra thin crust pizza recipe seems like too much work to you, please consider making a quick batch of my Sabertooth Sauce the next time you order Campisi’s or other takeout.  It adds a zip and a twist enhancing your pizza experience and making  takeout something truly worth writing home about.  Or at least a status update on your facebook page.  Plus, don’t you just feel more powerful by adding a little Sabertooth to your life?  Whisk some up, and drizzle some spice into your life.

Happy Eating!

Sabertooth Sauce – Zippy Vinaigrette Sauce Perfect for Thin Crust Pizza

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinager

1 tbsp white wine vinager

1 tbsp water

4 dash (shakes through the shaker top) ground mustard

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

Whisk like crazy, then drizzle from a spoon over your favorite thin crust pizza.

8 turns fresh ground pepper

I’m genetically designed to hate lunch meat.  There’s been so much discussion in my life about the qualities required for edible lunchmeat, my sister Amelia just doesn’t eat sandwiches at all any more.  Some lunch meat is wet, some is to dry, anything coming prepackaged is frightening.  And when Rocke’s Butcher Shop moved across the river to Morton, I think my family just stopped buying lunch meat all together.  So my husband puts it on the grocery list every week.  And nearly every week I ignore it.  Finally he inquired, what’s your quarrel with lunch meat?  And I had to sheepishly admit to my squeamishness at the deli counter.

The problem is, I’m guilty of overcomplicating things.  And home preparing lunch meat, just really should not be high on my priority list.  I’ve already had to remind myself that kindergarten lunchboxes are not a competition, and even though I’m trying to love the earth and all, a pre-packaged yogurt won’t single-handedly destroy the environment.  Plus if I die, killing myself over preparing beautiful, green lunches, where does that get us?  In a burst of inspiration after making the Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts, I realized I already had the perfect easy lunch meat recipe in my repertoire.  This is super easy, and nearly impossible to mess up.  Braising the chicken in a bit of chicken broth leaves the chicken tender – even after refrigeration.  The other great use for this style chicken is dinner for the children. So much healthier than a chicken nugget, yet just as fast from the fridge.  Last night our grownup dinner wasn’t ready until 7:15, so the kids had dinner at the kid table.  These sliced up braised chicken breasts, grapes, and a brownie for dessert.  Done, done, and off to bed with you!

So my new plan?  Make several of these up each week, throw them in the refrigerator, then use them as needed.  This is my husband’s sandwich, you can tell because of the mayonnaise.  If you’re using tomatoes, don’t forget to lightly sprinkle them with sea salt!  It makes such a difference.  Mandy Looney once told me, “When you’re making a sandwich for your husband, you have to make an effort to make it look pretty.  Use the curly green leaf lettuce.”  Of course Mandy also told me to always put lipstick on before my husband came home from work, which I promptly ignored ; )  I’m currently having a torrid love affair with coarse ground dijon mustard.  I highly recommend it on everything straight down to hot dogs.  It just adds a little something extra, don’t you think?

Braised Chicken Breasts Recipe

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

olive oil

3/4 c. chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350.  Trim any fat or tough parts from the chicken breasts, then sprinkle them with kosher salt, pepper, and paprika, always in that order.  In a heavy-bottomed braising dish or saute pan, add just a drizzle of olive oil then heat over medium high.  Add chicken breasts, browning on the first side for 5 minutes, turn then the second side about 4 minutes.  Add chicken broth, then cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil.  Bake in oven 15 minutes, then remove to a cutting board to rest.  Slice at an angle and serve!

Happy Eating!

I’m an official contestant in Project Food Blog, a series of 10 blogging challenges and ultimately a cash prize, fame, notoriety, and stardom.  After that, I think they might offer me the presidency.  Seriously though, I’m hoping to stay in the running at least awhile, since the challenges sound straight up my alley.  I mean, really?!?  Challenge Number 3 – Create a luxurious dinner party menu or Challenge Number 6 – Road Trip – Creating a meal to go, that travels well, tastes and looks great.  These have Lane written all over them!  Voting opens today, so click on the box to the right and vote for me if you can.  Frankly, I’m a little nervous right off the bat, because I’m not sure if I understood the directions on the first challenge correctly.  I thought we were supposed to write a heartfelt blog post that truly represents what your blog offers to readers, so I entered yesterday’s pot roast post.  Now that I’m seeing the other contestants entries, perhaps I was supposed to write a heartfelt post on why I would be a great star.  I’m not really sure, but I want to do these challenges!  So help me out in the voting if you can!  Either vote from the link at the right or this link and click the heart to vote for me.  Food is Love!

Sept 20th Weekly Menu

Tortilla Soup served in a completely different manner at nearly every restaurant in Texas, my version is a broth based soup with shredded chicken, vegetables, the perfect level of spice, and everyone’s favorite topping, my fried tortilla strips.  1 quart $8

Roasted Chicken Breasts over Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Orange Chili Sauce This lighter but loaded with flavor alternative to mashed potatoes and gravy was inspired by my propensity to purchase entirely too many groceries, thus a counter full of clementines yielded one of my most requested chicken dishes  $16

French Dip Sandwiches There’s nothing in this world quite like prime rib.  It’s the best cut of meat in the free world, and this sandwich might just change your life.  (I can’t believe I don’t have a blog post on this recipe!  photos soon!) $29

Turkey Scallopini – Thin turkey breast served in a citrus broth with capers and fresh parsley.  A tried and true staple. Also Light! $18

Double Chocolate Brownies – chewy, fudgy, chocolaty perfection in a pan $18 or $3 each

Butterscotch Pudding – The flavor sounds unusual – but run with me on this and give it a shot.  Universally loved while clearly not to be chosen by dieters, let it inspire you to run that extra mile then relax in bliss $3 each

Use the menu and attached recipes as a bust of inspiration to feed your family this week or order from us for meal delivery service.  Send orders to lane@dinnerandconversation.com

Happy Eating!

A good pot roast has seen me through the worst of times.  In our family, in times of major life crisis, we turn to the purest form of love and comfort – a pot roast.  Somehow the stewed chuck roast and vegetables provide a warm hug to dry up your tears and help you find the courage to face another day.  Of course, we eat pot roast on happy days too – but many a phone conversation between the sisters and my mother involve the direction – well somebody get over there and make her a pot roast.  Unfortunately for Allison, this involves a plane ticket, sadly resulting in far fewer pot roasts delivered to her abode.

Don’t worry, I’m not having a life crisis.  This pot roast was prepared simply to signify the impending change of the seasons and provide a key one pot meal that could be made in advance (Soccer season has started!) then served again -even more deliciously in leftover form.  I never eat leftovers.  Ever.  Luckily my husband does without the slightest complaint, I think he enjoys them actually.  But soups – that is a different story – soups are designed to get better with age and therefore provide none of the diminished quality and disappointment I find in traditional leftover dinners.

This method was taught to me by mother, she made it for us and now we all make it for each other and our families.  I’ve never been fond of the word stew – it sounds like something you eat when you don’t have enough money to buy something better.  Kind of like porridge or spam.  But I know that’s ridiculous, so I looked up the definition of stew and it turns out – pot roast is exactly this.  I was going to refer to this as Braised chuck roast, but braising refers to a small amount of cooking liquid – as I would with artichokes.  Stewing means liquid almost covering the meat.  The easiest place to go wrong with this recipe is by not browning your meat long enough – truly you want to brown it until you’re almost afraid of burning the roast.  The second word of caution – though I’ve made this type of meat THOUSANDS of times and only run into the issue once, but I feel compelled to relate – involves frozen chuck roast.  Should you be using a previously frozen chuck roast – PLEASE be sure your roast is completely thawed before you begin browning.  I ran into this problem in haste in July and blistered my face terribly when the hot oil popped up at me.  Don’t worry – it’s healed quite nicely and you can barely tell now.

As for the onions in the recipe – they are crucial – albeit hard to find.  What you want are small onions in a glass jar like this.  You don’t need this Aunt Nellie’s brand, that just seems to be the only kind I see in Texas.  In the Midwest they were called something different.  They’re generally in the canned vegetable aisle along the top row somewhere – possibly near beets.  You drain them, then pour right on in.  For some reason, they are really hard to find so I may have to start ordering them by the case like I do with my pickles.  In a pinch, like this week, I went with the small bags of white boiler onions found in the produce section.  This works fine but is so much more labor intensive, involving boiling quickly, about a minute, then peeling each one before adding to the stew.  Frankly, I just don’t have that kind of patience.  Not to mention they are so much more expensive this way, I think the package of approx 10 onions costs $3.95.

Thanks to my mother for teaching me this staple recipe, I don’t think I could possibly function without it.  Next time you want to send extra support to a loved one – you’ll know what to make.

Pot Roast Recipe makes about 6 quarts

2 beef chuck roasts – do not buy one that says shoulder – approx 6.5 lbs total weight

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

paprika

all-purpose flour

olive oil

8-9 carrots, peeled

8-9 medium size new potatoes

2 jars white onions

Season all sides of roasts with kosher salt, pepper, and paprika.  Pour flour into a small bowl, then coat all sides of roast with a layer of flour, shaking off the excess.  Heat a large – heavy bottom required – stock pot on medium high heat on the stove.  Add about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, then brown one roast at a time on all sides.

Continue to move roast around about every five minutes.  Keep your eye on the flour mixture, as this will be the base of your gravy, if it looks like it’s starting to burn reduce your heat a bit.  Let first roast rest on a plate and brown the other piece.

When meat is completely browned, add reserved roast and any accumulated juices back to pan.  The entire browning process should take you about 40 minutes.  Cover with water almost, but not quite, covering the roasts completely.  Add 2 teaspoons salt and 16 turns ground pepper.  Cover stock pot with a lid, and reduce heat to medium.  Check after 1 hour, reduce heat by about 25% then cover and cook another hour.

Chop carrots in half lengthwise, then into 2 inch segments.  Chop potatoes in half lengthwise, then into thirds.  Add both to to stew.  Drain onions, then add.  Cover stock pot with lid and cook another hour and a half.  Use tongs to remove chuck roast to a bowl.  Use two forks to remove just the meat portion to a separate bowl then shred.  Discard fat and other parts. Then return shredded beef to stew, stir and season to taste.  Serve with a crunchy garlic french bread.  Happy eating!

This week’s menu is a bit delayed going out as DinnerandConversation is regrouping after catering a fabulous Christening lunch for sweet Ivy this weekend.  Keep DinnerandConversation in mind for any catering opportunities,  book clubs, dinner parties, luncheons, sip n see’s, baby showers, afternoon playdates, football tailgating, family reunions and more.  We are already filling up our slots for holiday parties – so be sure to send a note to lane@dinnerandconversation to reserve your spot today!

Pot Roast – Lovingly prepared just the way my mother made for me, made from scratch browned beef chuck roast, then braised with carrots, potatoes, and onions to make a wonderful meal perfect for fall’s arrival.  Cory loves this served with a crunchy french garlic bread.  Freezes well! 1 quart – serves 2-3 $12

Chicken Marsala – Chicken Marsala (light available, 600 calories, 13 pts) served over angel hair pasta $24, spinach salad $8

Flank Steak with Herb Sauce – Tender Flank Steak served with a chimichurri inspired herb sauce made from Italian parsley, fresh garlic paste, capers, kalamata olives, and olive oil – leftovers are delicious cold and among the favorites found in my children’s lunchboxes! served with Basamati white rice $22

Lemon-Chili Chicken with Rice Soup – A citrus burst and a bit of red chili flakes make this from scratch chicken with rice soup something truly special.  One of my most requested soups and perfect for the fall allergy season!  I also make a kid friendly version without the chili flakes upon request.  Freezes Well!  1 quart serves 2-3 $8

Homemade Potato Chips with Caramelized Onion Dip – I’ve had so many requests for this after the last several parties where it has made the menu, I’ve decided to offer it as a periodic add on to your weekly order.  $8 for small $14 for large

Have something you’d like to see on our weekly menu?  Send your request to lane@dinnerandconversation.com  Orders placed by 2pm are available for same day pickup or delivery.  Happy Eating!

When sitting at my computer last night, I had a burst of inspiration.  I need fudge.  With a heath bar mixed in like a Blizzard.  And it has to be super deliciously chocolate.  Then I realized, wait.  I can make that.  My family has made English toffee every Christmas for as long as I can remember.  Like all good things, I was taught to make this confection by my mother.  I love the crispy, crunchy, sinful taste of toffee.  But I love chocolate more, so this is like an inverse recipe.  I can’t speak to when I realized I love fudge, but I definitely remember it as a first request at the tail end of my Gestational Diabetes pregnancy with Quentin.  An odd request for me really, I’m much more of a fried mozzarella cheese stick or wine glutton, or if I’m having a really bad day, an entire bag of cheetos and a Coke Classic.  But every now and again, fudge just calls me and I’m never disappointed.

If you’re dieting, you may want to throw me off a cliff right now.  There is absolutely no redeeming nutritional value to this recipe.  I think of dessert as a choice.  So if I’m choosing, I’m going all out.  I’ll never learn to drink diet coke, I’ll just drink water more of the time.  Sweets are simply not my main priority – now you take away my salt or my wine?  We are going to have issues.  That said, it may be such a phenomenally rich dessert that you can just have a small piece and call it a day.  My sister Allison has phenomenal will power with chocolate.  She really can just have a nibble and save the rest.  I can do that with chocolate, but you put a pound of cooked bacon in front of me?  Don’t count on any bacon left for your children’s breakfast.  All that said, everyone should try a little of this fudge.  It might be life changing.

The only special equipment required for this recipe are a candy thermometer (I think these are almost always glass not digital due to the extreme high temps required) and plastic wrap.  I like the Saran original myself but it’s a total pain to find so I used Saran Premium in this recipe, I imagine Glad Clingwrap would work, I find it just doesn’t stick as well as the others.  Whatever you do, don’t try that press and seal business, I’m still not entirely sure what coats the surface of that stuff and it just seems like one big giant mess.  Candy making can seem intimidating, so I’m going to try and interlace the recipe with step by step photos.

Dark Chocolate Toffee Crunch Fudge Recipe

1 stick plus 6 tbsp butter

1 c. sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla

3 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp butter

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

Grease a cookie sheet with butter.  Cover the sides and bottom of an 8 x 8 glass casserole with plastic wrap as snugly as you can.  Make sure the sides hang over the edges a bit.  In a saucepan over high heat, combine the butter, sugar and water.  Bring to a boil, then start stirring with a wooden spatula.

Continue stirring, beginning to check temperature when you see a distinct color change towards brown. You’re looking for a completed temp of about 310.

Remove from heat quickly add vanilla, stir, then pour onto prepared cookie sheet.  Let cool completely, then gently tap the handle end of a dinner knife at a 90 degree angle to crack toffee.  You only need about half of the toffee for the amount of fudge we’re making, the rest you can eat, feed to your kids, store, save, give to your teacher, whatever.

Take the half of cracked toffee to a large cutting board and use a mallet or the bottom a heavy glass to smash into crumbles.

In the top of a double boiler, combine chocolate, butter, and sweetened condensed milk.  Let rest over barely simmering water, but resist the urge to be productive while you’re waiting.  Chocolate is easy to burn, and frankly, we all need to sit and do nothing every now and again.  Glance at your chocolate mixture every now and again and give it a gentle stir every two minutes or so.  Once chocolate starts melting the process things speed up precipitously and this window is your most likely chance to mess things up.  Once thoroughly melted and stirred, add 1/2 cup of your toffee crumbles and stir again.  Pour mixture into glass casserole you earlier fitted with Saran wrap.  Use a spatula to smooth surface, then top with more toffee crumbles.  Refrigerate at least two hours, then gently use a knife between saran and glass to wedge out the entire block of fudge.

Cut and eat in bliss.

Gougères are light and airy cheese flavored puffs, that frankly couldn’t be simpler to make.  They are scrumptious right out of the oven, but freeze well and can be quickly reheated just before serving.  Gougères make a perfect savory pairing to a glass of red wine or an elegant addition to any cheese plate.  You can make the dough in advance, then pipe them onto a cookie sheet and bake just before serving.  I don’t own a pastry bag, and even though I’d like to, I can’t keep running to Sur La Table every time I want to try a new recipe.  Part of great cooking is the power of improvisation.  So like many before me, I gently stuffed my dough into a ziplock bag, ceremoniously cut off the tip, and began piping my first gougères.

What these really make me want to create is some sort of double chocolate eclair.  Do those exist already?  What I’m dreaming of is an eclair with a dark chocolate dipped top, then filled with a dark chocolate pastry cream.  Because why would you bother with regular pastry cream when it could be chocolate?  I don’t even want to eat these alleged eclairs, I just want to photograph them because in my head, they are beautiful.  So it’s another give away Tuesday.  Do you want a double chocolate eclair?  If so, post a comment and you might be the lucky winner.  Unfortunately, it’s August and I live in Texas, so I don’t think I can mail chocolate without creating a giant mess.  You’ll have to be in the DFW area to win or willing to drive to me to pick them up.

As for beautiful gougerès, I went ahead and made some with just an egg wash and some with grated Gruyère over the egg wash.  I think the ones without the additional grated cheese turned out so much prettier since they are so glossy, but weigh in, and let me know your thoughts.  Or try out the recipe and let me know what your taste buds tell you.  Here’s a picture of the gougerès with the additional grated cheese topping. 

Gougères Recipe

adapted from Recipe in Barefoot in Paris

1 c. 1% milk

1 stick salted butter

1 tsp kosher salt

5 turns fresh ground pepper

2 shakes cayenne pepper

1 c. all purpose flour

5 large eggs

1/2 c. fresh grated Gruyère cheese

1/4 c. fresh grated Parmesan Reggiano

1 egg

1 tsp water

This goes very quickly – so make sure you have your cheese grated and your eggs out, then preheat oven to 425.  In a medium saucepan, add milk, butter, salt, and peppers over medium heat.  Stir continuously with a wooden spatula, until mixture just begins to bubble.  Add flour and stir continuously with wooden spatula until combined, then keep stirring, reduce heat to low and cook another 2 and 1/2 minutes.  Remove from heat and place in food processor with blade attachment.

Add all five eggs and cheeses, then use pulse button to incorporate.  Use spatula to stuff your dough in a ziplock bag, squeezing out as much air as you can, then sealing the bag.  I’m partial to the slider lock bags, myself.  Use your hands to work dough into one of the bottom corners, then clip the end to just open the corner.  Squish into spheres just slightly larger than a quarter spaced evenly on a cookie sheet.  Wet your index finger under the faucet, then push down any pointed peaks to make a smooth sphere.  In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with the teaspoon of water.  Use a brush to gently coat the tops of each sphere. Bake 15 minutes.

Cheers!

This stuffed chicken breast recipe was adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light.  I’ve been on the lookout for some new low calorie recipes for my clients, but somehow the typical “light” recipes just don’t call to me so I rarely give them a go.  I made this recipe twice, originally with feta as written, then with a substitution for fresh mozzarella.  Cooking spinach completely changes the taste, IMO.  I could eat buckets of raw baby spinach, but start cooking it and I become the world’s harshest food critic.  If it’s not perfect, the flavor and the color become something altogether different.  First, let me point out, that I *only* use baby spinach.  I draw the line at baby animals, but baby vegetables?  They offer the best color, the best flavor, and the softest texture.  Baby spinach, when eaten raw, tastes like crunching a springy little pillow in your mouth.  Just like the texture of a perfect braised artichoke leaf, firm appearance, yet soft in delivery, and almost meaty in taste.  Full grown, mature spinach tastes more like regular old green leaf lettuce to me.  Not that green lettuce isn’t great, it’s just a different character and more “I’m feel like something light, maybe a salad” instead of “I’m having a crummy day, I need something gentle to catch me when I fall”.  So the second time through the recipe I went with the milder flavor of fresh mozzarella.  Mozzarella and feta are similar in caloric counts and for the extra two and a half calories per serving, I felt they dissipated the bitter flavor that appears when cooking spinach.  If you think of spinach in traditional cooked preparations, it’s usually matched with olive oil or cream or butter or bacon grease.  In this case, I feel the mozzarella complements the spinach in a similar way, where the feta brings out the more tangy, acidic flavors.

I also browned the chicken longer than in the magazine recipe.  Perhaps this is due to variations in my stove, but it brings up one of the most fundamental bricks of cooking.  Whenever you’re cooking, you have to look, feel, smell, and most importantly pay attention in order to adjust cooking times or temps.  If that doesn’t sound fun to you, you better stick to the crock pot and order meal delivery service.  I’m not talking major adjustments, just little ones, like inching your heat up a bit, or deciding something is browning quicker than expected or more slowly.  And for heaven’s sake, if your going to cook meat, get a good, digital, instant read meat thermometer.  I truly don’t know how people function without them.

If you come across any other recipes using pine nuts outside of this one, salads, or pesto, send me a note.  I went a little crazy in the bulk section and may be working through $30 of pine nuts until Christmas ; ) If you’re purchasing fresh mozzarella for this recipe, it only takes about an ounce and a half for four servings.  Since it’s hard to purchase only an ounce and a half, hear are another few ideas to utilise your remaining cheese:  Caprese Salad Crostini, Roasted Chicken, Mozzarella, Tomato, Onion, and Pesto Panini, Mediterranean Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, Kalamatas, Capers, and Fresh Mozzarella, or my favorite, eaten straight as a snack.

Dinnerandconversation.com Meal Delivery Service now has expanded facilities!  Weekly Menus will no longer be one option per day, but 4 options per week, available any day of the week.  Email orders to lane@dinnerandconversation.com

Aug 30 Menu

Tortilla Soup – Made from scratch broth based soup with shredded chicken, yummy vegetables, the perfect level of spice, and everyone’s favorite, freshly fried tortilla strips

Pulled Pork Sandwiches – Slow cooked pulled pork, piled onto bread and topped with thinly sliced red onions, L.E. and Quentin love this meal!

Lane’s Chicken Salad – no nuts and lots of hand shredded chicken with a touch of fresh herbs and a sprinkling of oregano, I’ve been told the flavor only improves in the fridge over a couple of days

Fish Tacos – Spicy Tilapia or shredded chicken for non-seafood eaters topped with a light and colorful vinaigrette coleslaw

Sides and Desserts available off meal delivery service menu.

Happy Eating!

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Fresh Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts

adapted from Cooking Light Sept 2010, serves 4

2 tbsp pine nuts

5 oz fresh baby spinach

2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 and 1/2 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into a 1/4 inch dice

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 c. chicken broth

In a braising pan with a tight fitting lid, toast pine nuts in dry pan over medium high heat uncovered.  Shake every 20 seconds to rotate nuts, then remove to a bowl after about a minute and a half.  In same pan, gently cook spinach until it just begins to wilt, also uncovered.  Continuously rotate leaves with tongs, then remove to a strainer.  Use a paper towel to gently press spinach to strainer removing as much water as you can.  Add spinach to bowl with pine nuts.  Use a fork to combine with lemon juice, garlic, and mozzarella cubes.

Preheat oven to 350.  Rinse chicken, trim, and pat dry.  Starting from the top of the chicken breast at the thickest part, use a knife to slit lengthwise just as you would to butterfly the breast.  Make a pouch three quarters of the way through the breast.  Stuff each breast with a little of the spinach filling , then seal with wooden picks.  Season both sides of chicken with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Wipe pan down with a paper towel and return it to medium high heat.  After 1 minute, add the olive oil, after 1 more minute, swirl oil to coat pan, then add chicken breasts.  Cook on first side for 5 minutes or until browned, then turn and repeat.  When nicely browned on both sides, add chicken broth to pan, cover and bake in oven for 15 minutes.

That is a picture of half of what I’d like for Christmas.  Hopefully Santa’s elves can swing that for me.  Kidding.  Foodbuzz sent me on a commercial kitchen tour and cooking demonstration last weekend at Carrabba’s in Plano.  It was a fantastic event.  I loved their kitchen setup and was impressed by the quality of the food.  I chose the Tag Pic Pac with Grilled Shrimp for my entree.  The shrimp were perfect!  Grilled shrimp can easily be mediocre and these were perfect.  Crunchy, Warm, and Fresh. 

The appetizers were great, the presentation was compelling, and the manager has promised me a full back kitchen tour.  It was a phenomenal event, and their kitchen layout has left me simply salivating.  Carrabba’s totally surprised me, and I loved every bit of the event.

Tessa kindly invited me to an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting at Flavors from Afar on Saturday evening.  Since I absolutely love olive oil and go through it practically by the gallon, this event was right up my alley.  Again a fabulous presentation!  Nancy gave such an informative class and the pictures of her Italian Olive Tours have completely left me longing for olive groves.  I may try to pull off the olive oil harvest at the Texas Olive Ranch in September.  Thank you again Tessa for the wonderful event.  I’ll be featuring my new purchases in upcoming recipes!

Here’s the meal delivery service menu for the week.

Monday:  First day of Kindergarten and L.E.’s Favorite Meal Braised Pork Chops with Lentils and Broccoli (Light 493 calories or 11 pts)

Tuesday:  Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts served with Black Beans and Seasoned Cucumber (Light only 402 calories or 8 pts)  Choose to stuff with fresh mozzarella if feta isn’t your favorite.

Wednesday:  Turkey Chili with Black Beans

Thursday:  Grilled Chicken and Romaine Lettuce Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Lemony Vinaigrette (also Light, I just haven’t done the calorie breakdown yet, send me a note if you’d like it before ordering lane@dinnerandconversation.com

Happy Eating!