Recipe Swap: Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayonnaise

Published April 26, 2013 by jenmatteson

Another round of Blogger’s Choice Recipe Swap, hosted by Sarah at a Taste of Home Cooking. I was excited to be assigned a blog I have not yet visited, Jenna’s Cooking Journey, so I had a good time sifting through all of her recipes to find something tasty! Of course, most dishes fit that parameter, but I wanted to find something that would be good to grill. We had another snow storm over the past weekend, some areas getting up to 8″, and another one earlier this week, with an estimated 6-10″ of snow…in April. The end of April.

Seeing as though it’s not yet spring outside, I thought making something on the grill might make us feel like it’s spring inside. I make a lot of turkey burgers at home, but I had yet to make a chicken burger No real reason why, just hadn’t tried them, which is why Jenna’s chicken burgers with garlic rosemary mayonnaise was the perfect match! I’ve never heard of putting mayonnaise in the burgers, but it really does make sense to add a little moisture and fat to the very lean chicken burger so you don’t end up with a hockey puck. Sort of defeats the purpose, though, right? I suppose I would say this is still on the healthy side though.

Nate and I had a busy and active Sunday morning. We headed to the gym for an hour and a half, then we had some errands to run. By the time we got home, I was famished, so I started in on these burgers right away. Like I said previously, I was a bit skeptical of adding mayonnaise directly to the burgers, but thought it couldn’t hurt to try it. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise in the burgers, but after adding only about 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, I thought that was plenty. The burgers actually were quite difficult to handle because they were so moist. I decided grilling them probably wouldn’t work well, so I ended up using a skillet instead.

The result was absolutely amazing! The mayonnaise added a lot of moisture and the rosemary added so much flavor that I almost forgot I was eating a chicken burger. Although it’s a burger and my initial thought was that it might make us feel more spring-y, the rosemary actually made it more hearty and would be a really great burger for the wintertime. So I guess, technically, with all the snow we are still getting, it really was the perfect match! The arugula added just a hint of spice and freshness. I don’t usually buy arugula and would have used spinach instead, but I’m glad I sprung for the spicier green option. The only thing I would change for next time is a tomato slice to bring more freshness and color to the plate. Nate and I both loved them; he ate two in one sitting, and called the third one for his lunch on Monday. It’s definitely a keeper!

Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayonnaise

Source: Adapted from Jenna’s Cooking Journey
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For the mayonnaise:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the burgers:
1 lb lean ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 hamburger buns (I used sandwich thins)
1 cup arugula

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for mayonnaise. Add half the mayonnaise to a larger bowl, and refrigerate remaining mayonnaise.

2. To the larger bowl with 1/2 the mayonnaise, add ground chicken, salt, pepper and rosemary. Gently combine with fingers, being careful to not over work the meat. The mixture should be quite moist. Divide into four equal parts and shape into patties.

3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with olive oil. Gently place patties (I had to do them two at a time) in the skillet and cook over medium low heat for 8-10 minute. Flip and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 more minutes. Remove from pan and let rest. Repeat with remaining patties.

4. Prepare buns with reserved garlic rosemary mayonnaise on tops and bottoms. Divide arugula among the bottoms of the buns, place burger on top of the greens, add the top of the bun. Enjoy!

Check out what everyone else made for the Blogger’s Choice Swap!

Grandma’s Coleslaw

Published April 23, 2013 by jenmatteson

When I was young, I didn’t like coleslaw. Of course you think you don’t like a lot of things until you actually try them. Well, when I finally did try it, it was my grandma’s coleslaw. After that, I really didn’t like any coleslaw other than my grandma’s. I suppose I’ll still eat it, but I definitely think that her coleslaw was the absolute best. Unfortunately, she literally took her recipe to the grave with her. No one in my family had it written down. I remember making it with her several times, and her ordering me to do this and add that, but the last time we made it was probably over 10 years ago. This is now the second time I’ve attempted it, and I think it definitely compares to hers (of course, hers is still the best ).

While it looks like a pretty regular coleslaw, actually kind of plain with just cabbage and mayonnaise, it’s so much more. The secret is the grated onions in the sauce. Do not skip this step. Chopped onions simply will not do. Also, Miracle Whip is necessary, not mayonnaise. The result is a creamy, slightly sweet, crunchy fresh coleslaw, perfect as a side or even a topper on some good barbecue. We paired this with Nate’s smoked ribs, as well as topped pulled pork sandwiches with it at our St. Patrick’s Day party. However you eat it, just remember to thank Grandma M while you’re enjoying. XOXO Grams!

Grandma’s Coleslaw

Source: Slightly adapted from Grandma M’s Original
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip
1/4 cup milk
3-4 tbsp sugar
1/2 onion, grated
salt and pepper
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin

Directions:

1. In in small bowl, combine Miracle Whip, milk and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remember, this is grandma’s recipe, so you may need to adjust the amount of milk and sugar to get the right combination. The dressing should be thick, but still pourable; consistency similar to yogurt. Add grated onion.

2. Add 1/2 of the cabbage to a large bowl, and pour in a small amount of dressing. Stir to combine and evenly coat the cabbage. Add more cabbage and dressing a little at a time. Be sure not to drench the cabbage, just lightly dress it. Reserve any remaining dressing in an airtight container for up to one week.

Roasted Garlic White Bean and Red Pepper Dip

Published April 21, 2013 by jenmatteson

Another recipe from Jaida at Sweet Beginnings. That girl just makes so many yummy things! I’ve had this in my “to try” list for awhile now, and had the perfect opporutniy to try it out. We had Nate’s parents over for ribs (in Nate’s new smoker!) last weekend, and I didn’t want anything really heavy to set out as an appetizer before we ate dinner. I figured we’d all be excited and trying to save room for the ribs!

This white bean dip was the perfect snack before dinner. I loved the fact that it had an entire head of roasted garlic – you can never go wrong with roasted garlic! The original recipe calls for 1 cup of cannelini beans and 3 scallions. After adding everything to the food processor, I thought the rosemary and scallions were far too over powering. Good thing I got two cans of beans instead of one. I ended up adding two cans of cannellini beans, but for me the scallion taste still was overpowering. I did use fairly large scallions, so maybe that’s why. Next time, I’ll only add a little at a time and taste as I go. Lesson learned. Overall, I still loved the dip, but I certainly wouldn’t plan to be making out with Adam Levine after noshing on it It’d be a great spread on a turkey or veggie sandwich, too!

Roasted Garlic White Bean and Red Pepper Dip

Source: Adapted from Sweet Beginnings
Servings: Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 garlic bulb
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 scallions, rough chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, rough chopped
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pointed end of the garlic bulb, exposing as many cloves as possible. Drizzle generously with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast until cloves are soft, about 40 minutes.

2. Remove from oven, open foil, and let cool slightly. Squeeze cloves from skins into food processor. Add beans, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper, scallions rosemary and cayenne. Puree until smooth. (I suggest adding the scallions one at a time and testing the flavor as you add more).

3. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until flavors have blended, at least one hour.

Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings with Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

Published April 16, 2013 by jenmatteson

I love a good onion ring. And I’m quite finicky about how I like them. I don’t want them too crispy, but certainly not soggy or limp. The outside needs to be salty with a good crunch, but the onion inside should be cooked all the way through, but still have a slight bite to it. Furthermore, the breading must have some flavor, not just any old gooey batter or breading. And last, I need a good dip with my onion rings. I do not accept ketchup or marinara. I like a spicy mayo to dip these golden rings into.

That being said, I have had a hard time choosing an onion ring recipe to fulfill my 30 Before 30 item. Last week, there was a new member on my What’s Cooking board, Courtney, so I headed over to her blog, Cook Like a Champion, to see what kind of cool stuff she had. So many things looked amazing, but her Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings caught my eye right away. The cayenne and thyme in the breading paired with the cornmeal sounded like a great fit for my onion ring ramifications!

Turns out, they were awesome! Not too heavy, the breading stuck to the onions, and just one large yellow onion was more than enough rings for 4 people. Sadly, I had to keep them in the oven longer than 30 minutes (while we were waiting for Nate’s ribs to be done – post soon to come), so when I finally served them, they were cracker crumbly. When I test made them earlier in the day, Nate basically tried to eat the entire plate in one handful after his first bit. Even when I did get to serving them before dinner, they were gone like hot cakes. I’ll have to make it up to my future parent’s-in-law for round two of onion rings. Can that ever be a bad thing? I served them with my chipotle mayo, which was the perfect dip for these rings. A wonderful first taste of Cook Like a Champion. Thanks Courtney!

Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Source: Adapted from Cook Like a Champion
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 large yellow or spanish onion
2 cups buttermilk
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1-2 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4-6 cups vegetable oil or peanut oil

Directions:

1. Slice of the top and root end of the onion and carefully peel off the brown skin. Slice into 1/2 – 3/4 inch slices, and separate into rings.

2. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and hot sauce. Add onions to buttermilk and toss well to coat all onions. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, up to several hours.

3. In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornmeal, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, cayenne and thyme. Whisk together so all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

4. Heat oil in large dutch oven or large pot to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare baking sheet with foil. One at a time, remove onions from the buttermilk, and dredge in flour/cornmeal mixture. Completely coat outside and inside of ring and tap off any excess. Place ring on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining onions.

5. Prepare another baking sheet with paper towels and place next to oil. Once oil is heated to 350, drop in a few onion rings at a time, making sure not to crowd the pot. Fry until rings are golden brown, flipping over every so often. They should take about 3-4 minutes. Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt immediately. If you are not serving these right away, place in oven at 200 degrees. They should remain crisp for about 30 minutes. I don’t suggest any longer because mine were cracker crisp and crumbly…just a little too crispy. Serve with chipotle mayonnaise, or other desired dipping sauce.

Who ever heard of arrowroot? Pork Lo Mein

Published April 15, 2013 by jenmatteson

I swear…this will be the last Asian recipe for a while. Even Nate and I are getting Asian’d-out. But, I still had those rice stick noodles that I didn’t use up from the Pad Thai and Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad. I honestly wasn’t even planning to post this meal, but it came together so quickly, and it was something new and different, I just couldn’t not share it with you. I literally threw this entire recipe together on a whim, using only whatever I had in my kitchen. It came together so nicely, I wish throwing dinner together when you have absolutely no idea what you are going to make was always this easy.

It’s still not spring outside, so pasta and red wine was the perfect fit for sweatpants and wine night in the Pigzilla home (that’s always Thursday nights). Another bonus was that I got to try out a new “spice” of mine. I have tons of dried herbs and spices; several that have not even been opened. This was courtesy of my awesome dad and is connections! Arrowroot is one of those “spices”. I use quotations as I didn’t really know what it was, so I assumed. Turns out, it’s actually a clear thickener that is used in gravies, sauces and pie fillings that is more easily digested than other thickeners. Who’da thunk? Not me, but I definitely planned to try it out with my lo mein sauce! I love learning new things about food!

We don’t eat a lot of pork, but I got some chops on sale and stocked our new chest freezer! I used only one pork chop because I like a high veggie to meat ratio, but two would be good for those meat eaters! This came together really quickly, which always rocks when making weeknight dinners. The flavor was perfect, and I added just the right amount of Sriracha for our preferences, probably about 2 tbsp. The sesame oil was the star of the show, which isn’t surprising as it packs a lot of flavor with just a teeny tiny bit.

Pork Lo Mein

Source: Pigzilla original
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water (or chicken broth – I didn’t have any open, so I went with water)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
1 pork chop, cut in 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 carrots, julienne
1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 green bell pepper, julienne
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienne
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
1/4 cup sake
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp arrowroot (or cornstarch)
Sriracha sauce
4 oz rice stick noodles, cooked

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil over medium heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Add to heated skillet and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

3. Increasing heat to medium-high, add peppers and onions to pan. Saute until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add sake to pan and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove vegetables, reserving remaining sake in pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in arrowroot or cornstarch. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce reaches desired consistency. Add Sriracha to desired taste.

4. Once sauce has reached desired consistency and taste, add in noodles, pork and vegetables. Toss to incorporate ingredients and distribute sauce evenly.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Published April 14, 2013 by jenmatteson

I mentioned a few posts ago that I was really on an Asian kick, and I wasn’t kidding. I’ve got another one. Only because I had 8 oz of fresh rice stick noodles leftover, and I wanted to use them up. I have no idea how long they would be good for, and the packaging was absolutely no help.

It’s “spring” here in Minnesota, so we must start thinking about our summer figures. Oh, and I have a small event coming up at the end of August that I’d like to look my best for I love eating salads; they are so versatile, and definitely a meal for spring and summer. While the technical start of spring was March 20th, we’ve had nothing close to what we would call “spring weather”. In fact, we just had a snow storm this week, dumping up to 9″ of snow in some areas. More snow is in the forecast for this weekend. I’m really glad I put all my patio furniture together and out on my deck when it was nice two weeks ago.

But let’s talk about the salad. I really loved this salad, and the noodles bring a lot of sustenance to it. As a carb lover, adding the carbs right into my salad is brilliant! The original recipe was for a noodle salad, but I just added more lettuce and took out some noodles to make a more salad-salad :p This still made a huge salad, enough for Nate and I to have dinner, and each take it for lunch for two days. We ran a little short on the dressing, but that’s no biggie, though in my opinion, it was the best part! I loved all the veggies in this salad, and I added in bean sprouts (as they were also leftover from the Pad Thai I made earlier in the week). This was a great way to use up leftover veggies, noodles, and bean sprouts to create a new exciting entrée salad. It came together super fast, too, which is always a huge plus!

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Source: Adapted from Branny Boils Over
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 Serrano chile, seeded
1/3 cup peanuts

For the salad:
1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienne
2 carrots, shredded
1 head romaine lettuce, sliced into ribbons
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz rice stick noodles, cooked and cooled
1 1/2 cup bean sprouts, thoroughly rinsed (I quickly sautéed mine)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a food process, except for the peanuts. Puree until smooth. Add peanuts and pulse until coarsely chopped.

2. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Pour dressing over the top and toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro and red pepper flakes before serving.

Recipe Swap: Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Published April 12, 2013 by jenmatteson

Two recipe swaps in a row, and I’m almost on fire! As always, the swap was hosted by Sara at A Taste of Home Cooking. This week’s theme was chicken, so there was absolutely no way I wasn’t going to participate. I submitted my honey mustard chicken skewers with a kick, one of my favorite chicken dinners! As for me, I was assigned honey garlic chicken drumsticks from Sweet Beginnings, which just so happens to be one of the blogs I frequent. Jaida has mad love for food, and her recipes have never disappointed. In fact, I had her blog for a bloggers choice swap not too long ago, in which I made her avocado and lime black bean tacos. YUM! Based on previous results, I was really looking forward to making her chicken drumsticks.

I don’t really care for chicken drumsticks. I don’t even like wings all that much. But I still eat them. And I still buy them when they are on sale. That’s how thrifty I am. Some like to call it cheap I had these drumsticks in the freezer for a few months, so it was actually time to use them (and I’m certainly not pretending that I wouldn’t have used them if they’d been in the freezer longer than that). The recipe was pretty simple, including all ingredients I had in my kitchen already (one of my favorite things!).

These came together rather quickly – a little too quick, so I used the sauce as a marinade and put the drumsticks back in the fridge until it was closer to the time Nate would be home. I was a little concerned about the amount of butter used in comparison to the rest of the ingredients, but hey, it’s a swap and I played by the rules The result was good. The sauce got nice and sticky in the oven and the skin browned nicely with a slight crisp. While the sauce smelled really sweet (Nate actually commented on that when he walked in the house), the butter flavor was a bit overwhelming. Personally, I would omit this altogether the next time. I know when Nate really likes something as he usually says so, and he also would eat the leftovers. We had one drumstick left, and he wasn’t calling it for his lunch, so I knew it wasn’t his favorite, and he told me so. But that’s okay. Logic tells me that if he’s honest about not liking one thing, that means he’s likely always honest about liking everything else This would be a great go-to meal for a weeknight when I haven’t planned dinner! Thanks, Jaida!

Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Source: Adapted from Sweet Beginnings
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
4-6 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

2. Turn off heat. Add soy sauce, honey, crushed red pepper and cilantro. Stir to combine.

3. Arrange drumsticks in a single layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with black pepper, salt if desired (remember the soy sauce will naturally add salt). Pour the sauce over the drumsticks and roll to coat evenly.

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. I turned the broiler on for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the skin a bit. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Click here to see what the other recipe swappers cooked up!

Shrimp Pad Thai

Published April 8, 2013 by jenmatteson

I’ve had quite the Asian theme going in the last few posts, and we couldn’t be happier campers. Well, maybe Nate would be if he didn’t have to split the leftovers with me!

Pad Thai was on my 30 Before 30 list, and as the months are quickly dwindling away, I am finally getting to it. I really should have tried it much sooner because it was amazballs. Part of the reason it has taken me so long to try this recipe is because one of the star ingredients, tamarind, isn’t available at my local grocery store. I actually had to step outside my comfort zone and stop into my local Asian market. Not sure why I was hesitant or what I was really expecting, but the gentleman who was working was quite friendly and more than helpful. This market carried paste, powder, and the solid block. Some upscale grocery stores may carry tamarind, usually in paste form and in the Asian isle. But, the recipe I followed strongly suggests using the solid form that comes in a block.

Clearly, I’ve never worked with tamarind before, but I’m sure I’ve had it in a handful of Asian dishes I’ve ordered, not even knowing what the flavor really was. Tamarind is a pod-like fruit that tastes quite sweet and slightly tart. In my opinion, the sweetness and consistency is similar to figs. Seeing as though I only needed 3 tbsp for the Pad Thai, I had most of the block left. After some research, it appears the tamarind block can be stored in airtight container on the shelf. No refrigeration necessary. Most people says it lasts “forever”, though I’m guessing you’ll use it all before forever comes after you’ve tried this Pad Thai.

This recipe comes from Nicole over at Prevention RD. It was another home run! I can always count on her food to be yummy. There are a lot of components, and it’s slightly cumbersome to prepare, but as Nicole suggests, if you have everything measured out and ready to go, it comes together really quickly. This dish really hit the spot! After a long night with friends (and a few drinks), we were really ready for some flavorful comfort food. It’s amazing how much flavor the peanuts add, so do NOT forget them! For you vegetarians, the shrimp can easily be omitted or substituted with tofu, and omit the fish sauce or use this recipe for a substitute. I only made a few adaptations to Nicole’s recipe, which was using 1 tsp cayenne rather than 3/4 tsp (of course we like it spicy), and using fresh rice noodles rather than the dried variety. Whether you think you like Thai food or not, I highly suggest trying this out. Nate and I really enjoyed it; he even had two hearty helpings!

Shrimp Pad Thai

Source: Adapted from Prevention RD
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp tamarind solid
3/4 cup water, boiling
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp peanut oil
8 oz rice stick noodles (my grocery store had fresh, but dried will work just fine)
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
6 tbsp unsalted peanuts
3 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Soak tamarind in 3/4 cup boiling water for 10 minutes. Push tamarind through mesh strainer, reserving water in medium bowl. To the bowl, add fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne and 2 tbsp peanut oil. Stir and set aside.

2. If using dried rice stick noodles, cover with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. If using fresh rice stick noodles, in a medium sauce pan, fill with water and bring to a boil.

3. In a small bowl, beat eggs and 1/8 tsp salt. Set aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet or wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and sprinkle with remaining salt. Cook and flip occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and beginning to brown around edges, about 3 minutes (don’t worry, they don’t have to be cooked completely through at this point). Transfer to plate and set aside.

5. Discard any excess liquid in pan. Add remaining tbsp oil to skillet and swirl to coat; heat to medium. Add garlic and shallot and cook until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add eggs to skillet and stir with wooden spoon until lightly scrambled, less than 1 minute. Meanwhile, drop rice stick noodles into boiling water, immediately remove and transfer to skillet. Pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase heat to high, and toss constantly to coat noodles evenly. Scatter 1/4 cup peanuts, bean sprouts, scallions (reserving some for garnish) and cooked shrimp over noodles. Continue to cook on high, tossing until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes.

6. Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with remaining peanuts, scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedge.

A Wine Country Wedding: Invites and Information Packets

Published April 4, 2013 by jenmatteson

Most people who know me well, know that I love planning events, so planning my destination wedding has been a lot of fun so far! A lot of work, but still fun. I sure wish this was my job, but alas, I’m not so lucky I spent quite a bit of time compiling information for our guests for our wine country wedding in August. Here is a quick peek at what our guests received. I’ve included some PDF links to the actual (some partial for privacy of our guests) documents that I developed.

Outside of invite package

Invitation: The ceremony will be held at Kunde Family Estate, and performed by my bestie! Reception to follow immediately at St. Francis Winery, prepared by Executive Chef David Bush. Transportation is provided for all guests by limo bus. Wedding Invitations

Wedding Week Itinerary: Itinerary of major events from Monday through Sunday (days most guests will be in town). This was a tri-fold with a list of guests and their relationship to the bride and groom on the back (I didn’t include this part in the PDF link to protect the innocent ). Wedding Itinerary

Travel Information: Through Vacation Rental by Owner, we are renting a house in Santa Rosa where our guests will be staying. All important travel information including flights, car rentals, shuttles, lodging address and amenities, and tips on packing for the trip. Travel Information

Driving Directions: Turn by turn directions from San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport to rental house.

What To Do: A brochure I put together specifically for this group of people. We have mostly couples coming and one family with two small children. I compiled a list of popular activities for the adventurer, families and children and the wino (ME!). Price ranges from free and higher, and include activities such as state parks, Train Town, Charles Shultz (Peanuts creator) Museum, shopping, gardens and day trips. In this brochure, I’ve also included a list of wineries that we recommend. Being that there are far too many for anyone to make it to all of them in a single trip (let alone a lifetime), I thought a list of those that we’ve been to and enjoyed with a few highlights might be helpful for the first timers. Sonoma Brochure

Restaurant Recommendations: This list includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night options for guests, ranging in casual to fancy, inexpensive to pricey. Most are restaurants that I’ve been to. I used information from my very favorite travel advice site, Trip Advisor, for options close to where we are staying and highly rated by Trip Advisor users. Restaurant Recommendations

Spa Menu: We are planning a spa day while we are out there. In order to make reservations for everyone before we arrive, I included a menu of the spa services and requested guests let me know what services they’d like, if any. Spa Menu

Thai it, you’ll like it! Thai Basil Chicken

Published April 3, 2013 by jenmatteson

When I lived in lowertown St. Paul, I had an abundance of options for food (if I wasn’t in the mood for cooking, of course). Not only that, but most of them would deliver. Score! Now that I live out in the ‘burbs, our delivery is limited to Chinese or pizza One of my favorite places to get take out from was Sawatdee. I fell in love with this Thai place after the first time a friend of mine brought me there. I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing, and it was just up the block from me! One of the best things about it is was you could order anything on the menu, with a pepper number (1-5, 1 being very little heat, 5 being insane hot). So for example, I’d get the vegetable curry fried rice, with four peppers. It always seemed to depend on who the chef was, as sometimes a 4 pepper was too hot for me, and sometimes it was perfect. Since they had such huge portions, I ordered most stuff a 3 pepper so Nate and I could share whatever we got.

One of my favorite dishes that Nate ordered was Thai basil chicken. I love basil, but it didn’t really appeal to me on the menu. I think of basil and I think of only one flavor. I don’t at all think to pair it with spice. Until I tried that dish. It was out-of-this-world flavorful and amazing! Which is exactly why I saved this recipe as soon as I saw it.

One ingredient I will never understand is fish sauce. That stuff smells so disgusting, its terrifying putting in dishes because you are afraid to ruin it. However, while it smells like nasty dead fish that have been sitting in the sun for the last week, it actually adds a delicious rich flavor to dishes. It’s pretty much a staple for Thai cooking. One thing I just learned is that the longer the fish sauce ferments, the less horrible smell it has. This means it’s not a bad idea to invest in something a little more pricey – assuming it’s been fermented longer (which is usually the case). Now I know for next time!

I had some leftover basil in my fridge that I wanted to use up (though it wasn’t Thai basil), and everything else is definitely a staple in my kitchen, so I didn’t even have to go out of my way to make this. The result was just as good as the take out, with the benefit of knowing exactly what went in it. I’d likely use Thai chilies instead of Serrano chilies, but I still had two left from making coconut lime chicken with chilies from a few nights ago. I cannot wait to have this again very soon!

Thai Basil Chicken

Source: Adapted from Cooking by Moonlight
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 Serrano chili, chopped finely (seeded for less heat)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (about 1″)
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 cup basmati rice, cooked

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallot, Serrano chili and red bell pepper. Saute until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Add chicken and saute until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Stir and let simmer until sauce begins to thicken, 10-15 minutes. The longer you simmer, the thicker the sauce. Once the sauce reached desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in basil. Serve over rice.

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