No Love More Sincere » romaine

Leftover Lightning! Roasted Chicken Sammie & Rustic Vegetable Soup!

Erin L. — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:03:37 +0000

I had to work this past Saturday and needed a warm lunch before I headed out into the cold. I still have alot of leftover chicken from Thursday (and still do) and plenty of the roasted vegetables, too. Pulled chicken breast, lettuce, & mayo on sliced bread is in my top 10 favorite sandwiches, so that was an easy leftover solution.

The veggies were kinda gelatinous and freaking me out a bit, so I quickly removed the chicken and began heating the pan of veggies on the stove. I wasn’t too excited about a sammie with a side of roasted vegetables, so a roasted vegetable soup only made sense. I dug out my Grandma’s 70′s Era Cuisinart Food Processor, and after indulging its typical neediness, whirled the roasted vegetables and pan jus into a wonderfully tasty and perfectly textured Rustic Vegetable Soup… and I still have plenty of leftovers…

Homemade Rustic Vegetable Soup w/ a Roasted Chicken Sammie

P.S. I gave a shoutout on my Twitter – Re: Dating & finding info on my Grandma’s old Cusinart Food Processor. Please shoot me a message if you can help!

My Grandma's 70s Era Cuisinart Food Processor

Filed under: Leftover Lightning! Tagged: blend, blog, bread, chicken, chicken breast, chicken stock, cuisinart, dinner, food, food processor, leftovers, lettuce, lunch, mayo, mayonnaise, pulled chicken, puree, roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, romaine, rustic, sammich, sammie, sandwich, snack, soup, toast, vegetable

Leftover Lightning! Roasted Chicken & Swiss Cheddar Biscuit!

Erin L. — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:54:20 +0000

I had of leftover Roasted Chicken and was stuck with the Cheddar Biscuits turned Pancakes from our snow day dinner. Leave it to Dre to have the brilliant idea to use them as bread on a chicken sandwich. I toasted the biscuits in the toaster oven, smeared them with light mayo, and piled on romaine, Lorraine swiss, & leftover roasted chicken breast. Turned out to an easy & tasty dinner!

Roasted Chicken & Swiss on a Cheddar Biscuit

Filed under: Leftover Lightning! Tagged: biscuit, blog, cheddar, cheddar biscuit, chicken, dinner, food, leftovers, lettuce, Lorraine swiss, lunch, mayo, mayonnaise, recipe, roasted chicken, romaine, sammich, sammie, sandwich, swiss

To Taste: Red Curry Chicken Pitas & Mashed White Beans

Erin L. — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:55:55 +0000

Friday night, a blizzard was heading our way so I wanted to make a spicy dinner to warm our bellies. I drew inspiration from my Summer Feast with the ladies and decided on to make Chicken Breast marinated in Red Curry Paste & Greek Yogurt again. I whipped up a simple Tzatziki with fresh Dill, Cucumber, Scallions, Garlic, & the remaining Greek Yogurt. They combined perfectly with some Romaine & Tomatoes on Whole Wheat Pitas.

Red Curry Chicken Pitas w/ Cucumber Dill Tzatziki

I came across a recipe for Mashed Cannellini Beans on elly says opa and thought it’d be a perfect side dish for my Red Curry Chicken Pitas. I switched up the rosemary for fresh thyme and simmered the beans with Garlic & Chicken Stock. They look good enough eat even before I mashed them!

Simmering White Beans

After a few smashes with the potato masher & a dash of chili powder, the White Beans were a perfect consistency & pairing for our snowed in dinner. Next time I have to remember a splash of white truffle oil!

Mashed Cannellini Beans w/ Garlic & Fresh Thyme

RED CURRY CHICKEN PITAS w/ MASHED WHITE BEANS

Red Curry Chicken
Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki Sauce
Chopped Romaine Lettuce & Roma Tomatoes
Whole Wheat Pitas
Mashed White Beans w/ Garlic & Fresh Thyme

Stuff Pita halves with Lettuce, Tomato, & Red Curry Chicken. Top with dollops of Tzatziki.
Pair with a hearty scoop of Mashed White Beans and finish them with a dash of Chili Powder on top.
Enjoy!

Red Curry Chicken

Prepared for (2) people

Chicken Breast – (2) breasts – rinsed, patted dry, & cubed
Greek Yogurt - (1/3) of a 6oz container – I prefer Fage Total 0% or 2%
Red Curry Paste – (1) T

Combine Chicken cubes, Greek Yogurt, & Red Curry Paste in a mixing bowl and coat thoroughly. Marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a saute pan on Medium and add (2) T of Olive Oil.
Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and brown each side until cooked through. Or you can kebab the marinated Chicken cubes and throw them on the grill.

Cucumber Dill Tzatziki

Makes about (1/2) cup

Greek Yogurt – (2/3) of a 6oz container – I prefer Fage Total 0% or 2%
Cucumber – (1/2) cup – peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise, & sliced thin
Garlic - (1) T, minced
Shallot - (1/2) bulb, sliced paper thin
Fresh Dill – (1) T , chopped
Lemon Juice - (2) tsp
S&P – to taste

Put sliced cucumber in a colander and salt generously. Toss to coat and allow to rest in sink for about 5 minutes to draw out moisture.
Combine drained cucumber and other ingredients in a mixing bowl and fold gently.
Chill for at least 15 minutes in the fridge before using.

Mashed White Beans w/ Garlic & Fresh Thyme

Adapted from elly say opa!’s recipe

Cannellini / White Beans - (1) 15oz can, drained
Garlic - (1) T, minced
Chicken Stock - (1) cup – feel free to use veggie stock instead
Lemon Juice – (2) tsp
Fresh Thyme – (2) tsp
S&P – to taste

Bring a saute pan or wok to medium heat and add about (2) T of Olive Oil. Once glistening, add Garlic and brown about 1 minute.
Add beans and saute about 3 minutes.
Pour in chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer over Medium-Low heat.
Once stock has almost completely evaporated (about 10-15 minutes), add Fresh Thyme and combine.
Immediately turn off heat, add Lemon Juice, and mash beans with a potato masher or puree in a food processor until desired consistency. Add splashes of additional chicken stock to smooth if necessary.
Serve immediately with a dash of Chili Powder on top.

Filed under: To Taste ~ Recipe Tagged: beans, cannellini, cannellini beans, chicken, chicken stock, curry, curry paste, dinner, garlic, Greek yogurt, lettuce, mashed, pita, red curry, romaine, S&P, shallots, thyme, tomato, tzatziki, white beans, yogurt

Quickie: Southern Catfish Burritos

Erin L. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:17:23 +0000

With Dre getting done work at late, I have to think of quick, easy dinners for us. Last week, I whipped up what I call “Southern Burritos.” I seasoned Catfish Fillets with Minced Garlic, Tony Chachere’s seasoning, Sriracha, & Olive Oil and pan-fried them in bacon fat.

Burritos aren’t complete without rice & beans, so Dre made some Rice-a-Roni (read: quick) with sauteed Red Peppers & Onion to jazz it up a bit. Glory Foods Seasoned Blackeyed Peas are a favorite go-to side dish and were a perfect addition. After adding the Catfish, Rice, & Beans to a Whole Wheat Tortilla, we topped them off with Romaine & Sour Cream for delicious Southern Catfish Burritos!

Southern Catfish Burrito

Filed under: Quickie Tagged: beans, blackeyed peas, blog, burrito, catfish, food, garlic, lettuce, olive oil, onion, recipe, red peppers, rice, romaine, sour cream, Southern, to taste, Tony Chachere's, tortilla

Family-Style: Labor Day BBQin’

Erin L. — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:07:25 +0000

I couldn’t make it thru Labor Day weekend without some BBQ action, so I dug deep into the freezer for some ground beef & turkey to make burgers. The budget was tight, so I did my best to work with what I already had, including fresh Plum Tomatoes, a variety of Bell Peppers, & Sweet Corn on the Cob from my Zern’s stop on Saturday night. I seasoned the burgers, tossed them and the corn onto a hot grill, & chopped veggies for a light, simple Pasta Salad. Friends arrived, beers were cracked, & BBQ action we had!

Labor Day BBQ

Labor Day BBQ:

Grilled Beef & Turkey Burgers – Topped w/ American, Triple Smoked Bacon, Ripe Plum Tomatoes, Romaine, Ketchup, Gulden’s, & Mayo

Balsamic Pasta Salad – 1lb of Mini Shells, Farm Fresh (non-waxed) Cucumbers, Yellow Peppers, Violet Hybrid Peppers, Ripe Plum Tomatoes, & Shredded Asiago – Dressing: 3T Balsamic (or any vinegar), 1T Olive Oil, S&P, Fresh & Dried Herbs, 1 tsp Hot Chili Garlic Sauce, 1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Grilled Sweet Corn on the Cob – Finished with Butter & Salt

Labor Day BBQ Feast

Posted in Family-Style, To Taste ~ Recipe Tagged: bacon, BBQ, bell peppers, burger, butter, cheeseburger, corn, cucumbers, grill, Labor Day, pasta salad, romaine, tomatoes, triple smoked bacon, turkey burger

Quickie: Reading Terminal Market

Erin L. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:12:48 +0000

While my mom was in town, we made a trip to Reading Terminal Market to have lunch & cruise the amazing food & such you can find there! Iovine Brothers Produce had some amazing & fresh product to admire, which made me question why I’m not splitting my produce shopping between them & the cheap finds at the Italian Market.

Iovine Brother Produce @ Reading Terminal Market

And no Reading Terminal Market visit is complete for me without a Turkey Sandwich on Homemade Sourdough w/ Mayo from Bassett’s Original Turkey!

Turkey Sammie w/ Mayo on Homemade Sourdough - Bassett's Original Turkey in Reading Terminal Market

Posted in Quickie Tagged: Apples, mushrooms, peaches, produce, Reading Terminal Market, romaine, Shopping, turkey

Leftover Lightning! Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp Lettuce Wraps!

Erin L. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:23:22 +0000

Portioning is definitely not my forte when it comes to cooking… but who can deny leftovers! With my Spicy Fish Taco dinner, I went a bit overboard with the Mexi-Risotto! I also had an avocado, grape tomatoes, romaine, & green onion to use at their peak freshness. I defrosted some U-30 shrimp and made the tastiest Sweet & Spicy Garlic Sauce (recipe via Big Oven) to toss them in! I added some extra water in the end as the result was a bit too sticky for me, but I’ll def be keeping this simple recipe in my back pocket & suggest you do too! Next time I may just make the sauce & pour it over rice (or drink it straight)!

I wasn’t sure about the blend of flavors once I combined all of my lettuce wrap ingredients, but they meshed perfectly!

Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp Lettuce Wraps:

Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp – U-30 Shrimp tossed in this amazing & easy Big Oven Recipe

Leftover Mexi-Risotto

Tomato-Avocado Salsa – Leftover Avocado, Grape Tomatoes, & Green Onion w/ Lime Juice & S&P – made by Dre

Whole Romaine Leaves

Posted in Leftover Lightning!, To Taste ~ Recipe Tagged: avocado, cooking, dinner, garlic, green onion, leftovers, lime, recipe, risotto, romaine, shallots, shrimp, to taste, tomato

To Taste: Spicy Fish Tacos & Mexi-Risotto

Erin L. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:54:14 +0000

One of my favorite quick & economical meals is Spicy Fish Tacos. Acme offers frozen Tilapia fillets in single portions at $1.00 apiece, so my freezer is always stocked with the easy to defrost packets. Summer hosts the best vegetables so fresh avocado, grape tomatoes, romaine, & green onion were mandatory additions! I had a bit more time on my hands on this quiet Sunday evening, so I had no qualms spending a bit more time in the kitchen pairing it with a Sweet Pepper & Cheddar Risotto. Thank goodness for Dre, my handsome kitchen assistant, as he took on the tiring task of continually stirring the rice.

Spicy Fish Tacos w/ Mexi-Risotto

Spicy Tilapia, Grape Tomatoes, Romaine, Green Onion, & Flour Tortillas

Spicy Fish Tacos & Mex-Risotto:

Spicy Tilapia Fillets – Marinated in Sazon, Sriracha, Garlic, Shallots, & Lime Juice, Pan-Fried

Flour Tortillas

Mexi-Risotto – Red, Orange & Yellow Sweet Peppers, Cheddar, Garlic, Shallots, Chicken Stock, & Arborio

Posted in To Taste ~ Recipe Tagged: avocado, cheddar, chicken stock, cooking, dinner, fish, garlic, green onion, lime, recipe, risotto, romaine, sazon, shallots, sriracha, summer, sweet peppers, tacos, tilapia, to taste, tortillas

Weekend Update: Mmmm, Bacon Sunday

Erin L. — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:30:05 +0000

Sunday morn, the man & I made a quick Italian Market trip for some fresh bacon! We popped into Cappuccio’s Meats (1019 S. 9th St.) for 2lbs & headed home for a very late day brunch for 4. My awesome mama sent me Kona Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix from Hawaii, the perfect main course. I’m glad I remembered I had a heart-shaped pancake mold in my kitchen gadget stash, as they were adorable & delicious with ripe bananas & strawberries!

Heart-shaped Banana Kona Chocolate Chip Pancakes (breath), Fresh Banana & Strawberries, Bacon, & OJ

Bacon Sunday wasn’t complete without another round of fried piggy greatness! The next best way to serve bacon besides straight-up at breakfast is the trusty BLT. I stuck to a pretty traditional setup of Bacon, Ripe Tomatoes, & Romaine on Country White Bread.

My man requested some Garlic-Herb Mayo to finish it off & I couldn’t let him down! The result was perfection on a new level!

Shallot-Garlic-Herb Mayo – Classic Hellman’s w/ minced Garlic & Shallots, sauteed in bacon fat (of course!), & chopped Parsley, Lemon-Thyme, & Thai Basil

BLT w/ Sauteed Garlic-Shallot & Fresh Herb Mayo on Country White Bread

Visit my Flickr Photostream for more pics of my Heart-Shaped Brunch & Garlic-Herb BLT!

Posted in Weekend Update Tagged: bacon, banana, basil, blt, breakfast, brunch, italian market, lemon-thyme, mayo, pancakes, parsley, philadephia, romaine, strawberries, tomato

Leftover Lightning! Turkey Taco!

Erin L. — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:23:47 +0000

Ground Turkey & Rice Stuffing from my Grilled Stuffed Peppers, jazzed up w/ Sriracha

Last Lonely Whole Grain Tortilla

Dollop(s) of Daisy

Lots o’ Shredded Romaine

Coulda used some Fresh Salsa or Chopped Tomatoes… but otherise, LEFTOVER LIGHTING!!

Leftover Lightning! Turkey Taco!

Posted in Leftover Lightning!, To Taste ~ Recipe Tagged: cooking, leftovers, lettuce, Philadelphia, recipe, romaine, sour cream, sriracha, taco, to taste, tortilla, turkey, turkey taco