Glazed Cranny-Apple Chicken Sandwich

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

This one is mine.  It is pieced together from many recipes that I have used in the past, so don't get me wrong, it is totally stolen. It is however an amalgamation of enough sources that it has morphed into my own creation (not to mention I don't recall where I got them all from nor whose they are).

It is a sweet and savory sandwich which is a perfect summer bite.

(Intended for 2 sandwiches with some extra spread just in case you want more)

Ingredients:

Multi-grain bread toasted

Rotisserie chicken breast sliced thin

1 granny smith apple sliced thin

Honey

4 oz fat-free cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 cup craisons

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices center cut bacon

Lettuce

In a medium bowl, mix craisons and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the pepper and mix until you have a nice speckled spread.  Lie out your apple slices and drizzle with honey and set aside.  Pan fry your bacon until crispy in a small skillet (or large, I don't care). Toast your bread and plate. 

Lie your lettuce on one slice of toast (this will be the bottom) and top that with your chicken (as much as you prefer).  Top that with your apple slices followed by the bacon.  Spread the, well, spread  on your other slice of toast and top off the sandwich.  Eat it. 

Notes:

I love it and so does the bf.

Perfect for those who like salty and sweet at the same time.   If that's not your thing, skip this.

Injuries:
I sliced into my thumb while slicing my apple.  I cursed that S.O.B.

Very Berry Lemonade Martini

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

Okay, I admit that this one is not one my impressive "make it my own" recipes but still...It is probably just like a smoothie with booze but I can't have bananas (allergic) and, as they are usually a staple, I skip 'em. Regardless of the level of ingenuity, I made a great frickin' drink. 

I took an interesting recipe for a chilled berry lemonade and made it GAY friendly for this weekend's festivities (NYC GAY PRIDE) by making it a martini.  A little fun, gay tweak never hurt anyone--except the phobes who can just go ahead and skip the martini element here. You people can chill out (see what I did there? It's a chilled drink). You can get your alcohol with church wine when we're at the parade Sunday anyway.) 

This recipe is intended for people that are gonna power through PRIDE while staying upright (meaning they can have multiple without ruining themselves). PRIDE is an endurance challenge usually lost by amateurs (much like St Patrick's Day).  Slow and steady like the Turtle vs the Hare.  We all know who comes out (again, see what I did there?) victorious there.

Ingredients (for a moderate drink):

1 (12-oz) bag unsweetened frozen frozen mixed berries, thawed

1 (12-oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and 1/2 juice drained.

1 cup vanilla simple syrup (recipe follows)

3 cups water 2 cups water

Ice

+ 1/2 shot vodka chilled (PER DRINK)

+ 1/4 shot dry vermouth chilled (PER DRINK)

+ lemon for a twist (optional--for flare)

Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise, seeds removed, pod reserved

Heat a small saucepan over Medium-high  heat and combine water, sugar, vanilla seeds and the stalk (pod).  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Stir occasionally as you cook it until the sugar has dissolved.  Take off the heat and allow the syrup to cool.  Strain before using and remove the pod.

Add your berries, lemonade and syrup into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a large pitcher.  *Add the (other) water and stir.  Throw the pitcher into the fridge and chill for at least an hr.  Add your liquor and mix into a different pitcher (or bowl or whatever for you Manhattanites with no room for pitchers) so you can meter out the liquor/mix ratio and reserve mix for the next round.  Mix well.  Pour the drink into a martini glass (or a lidded cup if you're making a "roadie") and indulge.

I did this recipe for 4 drinks.  To do the same, measure out 2 cups mix and add 2 shots of Vodka and 1 shot vermouth.

*SPECIAL NOTE:  I screwed up---I rushed.  I think I was too excited to try something out of my comfort zone.  I added the water to the blender.  If you do the same you will have to reduce the H2O by a cup and half the juice of the mixed berry bag to fit everything into blender.

Notes: 
Drink responsibly.  I was being responsible with my recommended amounts above...we are doing our trial run (Friday night) with much more booze in it.  Tonight I'm the Hare and I am not in a marathon. 
This is a sweet drink, but it was intended to be as per the original recipe.

Tweaks:

I added alcohol.

I helped a drink that was already fruity (see what I did there?) come out of the closet for GAY PRIDE.

I got rid of the ice as it's chilled anyhow and it gets in the way of the drink.
I reduced some juice and water from recipe.

Have comments?  I'd love if you left them here. 
Have recipes you want me to try out or butcher?  Send them to me at themaniccheater@gmail.com 

Three 4-Alarm Italian Chili Mac

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-Worthy

This recipe is one of the staples in my home and comes from a recipe that is a little more tame than the one I make.  I love it hot and I crank it up some in my take on it.  Comfort food is comfort food and we all need it but we can still cut some corners on existing dishes to make them at least a wee bit healthier.

Ingredients:

1 lb penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin 1 lb ground turkey meat

2 tablespoons (or handfuls) chili powder

1 onion chopped

1 cubanelle pepper seeded and chopped 3 jalapeño peppers chopped (less 1or seeded if you can't take     the heat)

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper seeded and chopped (I used yellow this time)

3 to 4 5 cloves garlic chopped

1 cup beef stock low-sodium beef stock

1 (28 oz) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (I drain out some of the liquid)

handful fresh basil leaves torn

2 cups smoked cheddar or scamorza cheese 2 palmfuls reduced-fat cheddar cheese

salt and black pepper

+ 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

+ 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

Cook penne in salted water according to [timing] directions until al dente. While you wait for water to boil, prep your ingredients.  When the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet on Medium-high with the olive oil.  When the oil smokes, add the turkey and brown.  When it is cooked, add the chili powder, poultry seasoning, cayenne, salt and pepper and continue to cook for a few minutes.  Add the garlic, peppers and onion and continue to cook until the onion is translucent.  Add the stock and scrape up the gooey goodness at the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.  (During this time, you hopefully have noticed your timer and drained your pasta.)

Pre-heat your oven broiler to High.  Fold in your basil and simmer for a few more minutes.  Put your drained pasta back into the pot you cooked it in and add the Italian chili.  Mix well and pour into a 9" x13" glass baking dish.  Cover with your cheddar and throw in the oven on the top rack.  Lightly char the top of the cheese by cooking it for like 4 minutes---BUT KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT.

Notes:

I love this recipe and others seem to too.  The best thing is that you can tweak it a million ways.  Like for me, I add more heat to it with hotter peppers. A parent may sneak in some more veggies by chopping them up small and mixing them in.  This recipe is also great for leftovers and bringing to work.  Try it.

Healthy Tweaks:

I substituted turkey meat for the sirloin.  It is good to reduce the amount of red meat you eat on a weekly or month basis. 

I used low fat cheese and used less of it than prescribed.

I used low-sodium beef stock.

Tweaks:

I substituted cubanelle peppers with jalapeño peppers and added cayenne.

I added poultry seasoning to give the turkey meat an edge.

I added more garlic.

I reduced the amount of meat.

I removed some liquid from the can of tomatoes.

Leave me comments online--I love the attention.

Do you have any recipes you want me to try?  Shoot me a note: themaniccheater@gmail.com

Personal Note:

Things are going to be silent for a bit....

THERE WAS A LOSS IN THE FAMILY THIS WEEK AND ATTENTION IS GOING TO BE FOCUSED OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN.  Those readers that know me and my extensive family tree know how close we all are.  We lost my Uncle Jerry this week and his loss is one that is going to cause a ripple that passes through all of us and everyone that knew him.  To describe him in the highest light would fall short of doing him any justice so I am going keep my big mouth shut.

I am truly sick to my stomach but will give any shred of strength that I have to my Aunt Cathy, cousins Jerry, Leah and Jake.  There are so many other leaves on the branch that I would do the same for. 

Talk to your family today.....


Update:
I want to sincerely thank everyone that reached out to me this weekend regarding the family's loss.   I got e-mails, comments, text messages and phone calls.  My Aunt and cousin's are being so strong but have a long road of recovery ahead of them.  I have to say this however: they have an incredible support system surrounding them. On top of the sprawling family members, there are literally countless amounts of people that will be there for them in coming weeks and beyond.  Uncle Jer was a man that warranted a line that not only snailed through the funeral home but out of the building and though the parking lot where people stood in a queue in the hot sun.  And all were happy to wait to give their respects.

I was not able to make the funeral today but my immediate family was there to represent my brother and I.  My father was honored by being give the task of delivering the eulogy remembrance.  He shared with us before we had to depart and it was a beautiful testament to a beautiful man.

Just the Tip:

Clean Your Stones Before You Get 'Em Hot!

WHILE IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR STUFF CLEAN, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT WITH YOUR PIZZA STONE. If you don't clean it thoroughly, you end up just cooking off the remnants in the oven.  It can ruin the taste of your next pizza and also smoke up your house.

In my case, it smoked like a frickin' volcano.  And, as I live in Manhattan, there is not a lot of room for Etna to puff away.  I spent half the cook time on a chair "snoozing" the smoke alarm.  It's a good thing I feed my neighbors a lot 'cause they had to listen to the alarm (and me cursing myself) for the whole session.

Long and short of the tip: When you think your pizza stone is all clean, clean it again!


Do you have a tip for me?  Or a question, recipe or comment?  Let me know here or at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Pesto Arugula Pizza

Verdict: Success
Neighbor-worthy

This recipe is one of mine and uses 2 other recipes (pizza dough and pesto) I have already made and had in the freezer which is cool.  If you are going to do your dough fresh, make it a day early!

*You will need a pizza stone for this recipe.  And if you are as cool as me, a pizza peel.


Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour (and extra for dusting)

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt 
olive oil  

-or-

take a trip to your Pontillo's or local pizza shop and buy some dough.

Pesto:

1/4 cup pine nuts

10 cloves garlic

5 cups fresh basil leaves (packed down)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup pecorino romano

-or-

buy a bottle

Pizza Topping:
2 handfuls part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 palmful romano cheese
2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cups fresh arugula
flour for dusting
cornmeal for dusting

Preheat oven to 500º (and put your stone in the oven if you are using a pizza peel).

If making fresh pesto and dough, follow the links.  If you have made these recipes before and have a stock frozen, allow for time to thaw.  I threw mine in the fridge last night.

Flour up your work space and a rolling pin. Flatten your dough with flat hands and spread out.  It doesn't spread right away.  Roll out the dough with a rolling pin when it has softened some (and for those who have worked with pizza, give it a toss or two).  Roll again until it's flattened some and around a foot in diameter and 1/2" thick.  Cut it on it's sides if you are particular about its roundness.  Me 'n my family spin to make sure the cornmeal is allowing for the pizza to move around a little.  Using your fingers trail the diameter with pinches to give your edges a bit of a lift.  This part makes the crust or "bones" (a term coined by my cousin Grady. One that we still use today in our family).

Spread about a cup of pesto onto your dough and using a ladle, spoon, spatula or fingers almost up to your pinched crust.  Cover your pesto with pine nuts, then mozzarella, then a layer of arugula.  Cover your arugula with the chicken and cover with a palmful of romano.  For the skilled peel owner, slide your pizza off your peel onto your stone.  Place your stone onto the middle rack of your oven and start to cook.

I'm a creature of habit and as I have always known how we do it at our pizza shops, I always turn my pies as they cook so they won't stick and get an even cook.  It is not necessary but it will come out better.  About 7 minutes into cooking, peel users and those not afraid of burns (or those used to burns that don't care anymore (read: me) slip your peel under the pie and spin it by the crust 180 degrees and close the oven and let it keep cooking.

After 7 or 8 minutes use your peel to remove your pie onto a workspace where you can slice up the pie.  OR just remove the stone as you can slice it right on there.  That's what I'm doing....I'm not going to risk hurting my slicer on my granite.  Formica owners: Don't hurt your counters!

Notes: 

We (extended family) are pros but even we get different results at home than we would at the pizza shops with the ovens we are used to.  You're going to have to learn by trial and error.  Mine still come out a little doughy in the middle sometimes.  When you cut into it the first time, check to see if you want to throw it back into the oven a little more.

Possible Cheats:

Buy your own dough and pesto--no one will judge you.

Injuries:
I burned the shit out of my hand, er, wrist...hang in there with me...you know the spot Spiderman shoots his web from?  There.  I know I got all cocky in this post about burns...well I didn't take into consideration that the stone rack thing that mine came with served more an obstacle than asset.

Do you want to be on the mailing list or have recipes you want to share with me?  Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

2,500 HITS!

I'm Very, Very Psyched. 

NOW I'M REALLY MOTIVATED I am addicted to this blog and it has enhanced my existing love for playing in the kitchen.  I really want to grow this this baby into a monster.

Thanks so much for the continued support...leave comments (even bad ones if you didn't like a post or recipe) and keep spreading the word like the flu...you'll be rewarded with food :)

MPS



Want to be on the mailing list or have recipes to share? Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.