Here's something that was swirling in my head when we went to the Harvest Festival this past weekend. There was a booth selling bloody mary mix and salt rim seasoning. Tank's Premium Bloody Mary Mix. Now I'm not a bloody mary drinker but this non alcoholic mix had some recipes that I wanted to try and it has a really good spicy flavor to it. But as I was reading the recipe after I bought it was for a Crock Pot Chicken. So I started thinking, hmm, what about a marinade? So I went to the fridge and my spice cupboard and this is what I came out with.
4 pieces of chicken breast. 1 cup of Tank's Bloody Mary Mix. (non alcoholic)
1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce.
3 tb Low Sodium Soy sauce
1/2 cup of Peach Cipotle Salsa. ( you can use any kind. I had this in the fridge).
Lime Zest
Weber Grind and Grill Kick'n Chicken seasoning.
In a glass bowl combine all ingredient and whisk. Lightly pound the chicken breasts. Add some of the marinade to the bottom of a pyrex dish. Add the chicken and pour the rest over the chicken making sure you coat all the chicken breasts. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the fridge.
Throw it on the grill till done and serve w/ whatever you like. I had some corn on the cob from the farmers market and brown rice from Trader Joe's. (Love that store)! Had a couple of Italian Sausage Links in the fridge so I threw that on the grill also. ENJOY!!
Bloody Mary Grilled Chicken
Happy Endings With Hank
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Spicy Sausage and Penne Pasta
Last night me and my wife Lynn went out for a few. We came home early (around 6 pm) and she passed out. I continued drinking and was hammered. Woke up w/ a hellacious hangover and laid around the house. Well Lynn's almost off so I had to scrounge up dinner. Popped open the fridge and cupboard And here it is. forgive me if I don't write down exactly how much of this and that. I just add till it taste good. So however many people you are serving adjust accordingly.
Hot balsamic oil (Bought it at the farmers market)
Penne Pasta
Chicken Sausage Links (Trader Joes). Love that place.
Broccoli
Green beans
Zucchini
Fresh Italian Parsley
Fresh Basil
Fresh Spinach
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Red Onions
Salt
Pepper
Asiago Cheese
White Wine
Chicken Stock
As you know boil the pasta and set aside. Blanche the veggies. Saute the garlic and onions till soft in the hot balsamic oil. Add the sausage and toss. Add the veggies next and toss. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Next add some of the herbs (sliced, diced, chopped. which ever you prefer) and the cherry tomatoes. Toss add the remaining herbs, with the white wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer till done. Plate and sprinkle some Asiago and Bam! easy dinner.
Hot balsamic oil (Bought it at the farmers market)
Penne Pasta
Chicken Sausage Links (Trader Joes). Love that place.
Broccoli
Green beans
Zucchini
Fresh Italian Parsley
Fresh Basil
Fresh Spinach
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Red Onions
Salt
Pepper
Asiago Cheese
White Wine
Chicken Stock
As you know boil the pasta and set aside. Blanche the veggies. Saute the garlic and onions till soft in the hot balsamic oil. Add the sausage and toss. Add the veggies next and toss. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Next add some of the herbs (sliced, diced, chopped. which ever you prefer) and the cherry tomatoes. Toss add the remaining herbs, with the white wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer till done. Plate and sprinkle some Asiago and Bam! easy dinner.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Eating Out
I'm gonna start critiquing places we go out to eat cause we go out to eat quite a bit and I always have something to say about our experience. My 1st blog of Eating Out is about the neighborhood eatery "Amore Taste Of Chicago". 3945 S. Durango (amoretasteofchicago.com). Lynn (my wife) heard about this restaurant from a client of hers so we went. Nice little place w/ sports poster pics of everybody from the Cubs to the Blackhawks on the wall w/ some ole time pics of musicians like Dean Martin. Greeting was pleasant and we were seated promptly. Nothing fancy. There's a table right at the entrance and I passed the door up cause some big guy was sitting at that table and the door looked blocked. Don't seat big people at the table by the entrance. Fools ya. The smell of the kitchen was awesome. Close your eyes and you feel like you're in a neighborhood pizzeria in Chi town. We had a young waitress but there was an older one there that in my opinion ran circles around the young one. We placed our order ( Lynn ordered the Chicken Visuvio and I ordered a thin crust w/ sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, spinach and garlic).
well other people came in and were seated. They ordered, got there salad and their Deep Dish pizza and we were still eating our bread and buttah waiting for our salad and the minestrone soup. Lynn asked the waitress if we were gonna get our salad and soup and she ran back to the kitchen and brought her salad and apologized. She told us that they had to chop up more salad. I asked her if they were chopping up my minestrone soup as well. She ran back to the kitchen to grab my soup.
The salad was good. Just a plain ole salad w/ ranch dressing. The minestrone tasted like it came out of the can. The Pizza was great. Nice and crispy thin crust. Lynn's chicken visuvio was good but the breast was a little dry but the sauce and the potatoes were excellent.
All in all it was a good experience except for the service. So if you go there make sure you get the older waitress cause she knows what she's doing. Oh and by the way, they do have an awesome view of the strip.
well other people came in and were seated. They ordered, got there salad and their Deep Dish pizza and we were still eating our bread and buttah waiting for our salad and the minestrone soup. Lynn asked the waitress if we were gonna get our salad and soup and she ran back to the kitchen and brought her salad and apologized. She told us that they had to chop up more salad. I asked her if they were chopping up my minestrone soup as well. She ran back to the kitchen to grab my soup.
The salad was good. Just a plain ole salad w/ ranch dressing. The minestrone tasted like it came out of the can. The Pizza was great. Nice and crispy thin crust. Lynn's chicken visuvio was good but the breast was a little dry but the sauce and the potatoes were excellent.
All in all it was a good experience except for the service. So if you go there make sure you get the older waitress cause she knows what she's doing. Oh and by the way, they do have an awesome view of the strip.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Chicken Chile Verde
For all of my facebook friends that have been asking for my Chicken Chile Verde recipe hear it is. This is my wife Lynn favorite dish.
2 chk breast or thighs and legs whichever you prefer.
Tomatillios about 6 to 8 peel the leaves
Serrano peppers or I use Thai peppers (depending on how hot you want your sauce, I start out w/ 2 to 3 peppers).
2 to 3 cloves of garlic.
Cilantro
Making the Tomatillio sauce (Chile Verde)
fill a pot of water just enough so the tomatillios are floating. Add a pinch of sea salt, garlic and the peppers and bring to a boil till soft.
Drain the water and add the tomatillios, peppers, cilantro, a pinch of sea salt for taste and garlic in either a blender or food processor. (If you wanna go real Mexican, get a stone Mortar and Pestle or Molcajete and grind it to a nice saucy constancy. Great for Guacamoles also).
Prepping the Chicken
Flatten the chicken w/ a rolling pin or meat pounder tenderizing thingy (LOL). Pinch of sea salt and pepper both sides. Heat up either your gas grill or your charcoal grill. I prefer charcoal cause I use Mesquite wood or charcoal. Gives it a really smoky flavor. Grill each side for about 2 to 3 min. remove and set aside.
Bringing it together
In a heated dutch oven pour some of the tomatillio sauce to cover the bottom and place the chicken in. Add the rest of the sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about 20 to 25 min depending on how thin you beat those chicken breast.
To accompany the dish I make a Pico de Gallo w/ Cous Cous.
Voila there you have it. You can substitute the chicken w/ pork and add baby potatoes w/ it. That's another dish I'll write about later.
Enjoy.
Hank
2 chk breast or thighs and legs whichever you prefer.
Tomatillios about 6 to 8 peel the leaves
Serrano peppers or I use Thai peppers (depending on how hot you want your sauce, I start out w/ 2 to 3 peppers).
2 to 3 cloves of garlic.
Cilantro
Making the Tomatillio sauce (Chile Verde)
fill a pot of water just enough so the tomatillios are floating. Add a pinch of sea salt, garlic and the peppers and bring to a boil till soft.
Drain the water and add the tomatillios, peppers, cilantro, a pinch of sea salt for taste and garlic in either a blender or food processor. (If you wanna go real Mexican, get a stone Mortar and Pestle or Molcajete and grind it to a nice saucy constancy. Great for Guacamoles also).
Prepping the Chicken
Flatten the chicken w/ a rolling pin or meat pounder tenderizing thingy (LOL). Pinch of sea salt and pepper both sides. Heat up either your gas grill or your charcoal grill. I prefer charcoal cause I use Mesquite wood or charcoal. Gives it a really smoky flavor. Grill each side for about 2 to 3 min. remove and set aside.
Bringing it together
In a heated dutch oven pour some of the tomatillio sauce to cover the bottom and place the chicken in. Add the rest of the sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about 20 to 25 min depending on how thin you beat those chicken breast.
To accompany the dish I make a Pico de Gallo w/ Cous Cous.
Voila there you have it. You can substitute the chicken w/ pork and add baby potatoes w/ it. That's another dish I'll write about later.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
SPICY CHK PAD TAI
This is simple and fast once you prepped everything.
Butter
Peanut Oil
2 chk breast
Eggs
Pad Thai Noodles or any kind of rice noodles
Green Onions ( I used a mixture of Mexican Green Onions and regular Green Onions)
Minced Garlic
Baby Carrots
Shitake Mushrooms (fresh)
Green Beans (or you can use bean sprouts)
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Garlic sauce ( find it in the Asian Market or Asian Isle of your store)
Pad Thai sauce
Lime Juice
white Vinegar ( I substituted w/ pickled peppercini juice)
Crushed penuts
Crushed Red Peppers
Fried Onions
Cilantro
PREP
Depending on how big the dish and how many chk breasts you're gonna use, start out w/ 1 tblsp of the sauces. Adjust for taste.
In a glass bowl mix your sauces, juice of 1 lime and crushed red peppers
Cut the chk breast into 1inch cubes
Poor the sauce mixture in a glass bowl w/ the chk leaving some for the end of your cooking. Marinate for about an hour in the fridge covered in plastic
Quarter you Shitake Mushrooms.Julien the green beans and and Baby carrots.
Take the Bulbs of the Mexican Green onions and Julien as well.
Par boil the veggies for about 1 to 2 min. and drain. Rinse w/ cold water.
Boil the Pad Thai noodles for about 2 to 3 min, drain and rinse in cold water.
WOK
I use a nonstick wok but I also have a stainless steel that works great.
Melt 1 tblsp of butter and toss the chk. cook until white and tender. remove from wok and set aside.
Wipe the wok w/ paper towl.
Add 1 tablespoon of penut oil and add veggies cook on hi for about 5 min. Add soy sauce to taste. Remove and set aside.
Wipe the wok
Beat the eggs and scramble till done and fluffy. (I add milk for the fluffyness). Remove and set aside.
Wipe the wok
Add 1 tblsp of Peanut oil and add noodles. Toss, add the chk, toss add veggies and toss. Add the remaining sauce from the marinade and toss on hi heat for about 5 min.
Serve
Quickly serve on long platter topping w/ crushed peanuts, fried onions, Julien green onions and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over it and serve.
Happy Endings.
Butter
Peanut Oil
2 chk breast
Eggs
Pad Thai Noodles or any kind of rice noodles
Green Onions ( I used a mixture of Mexican Green Onions and regular Green Onions)
Minced Garlic
Baby Carrots
Shitake Mushrooms (fresh)
Green Beans (or you can use bean sprouts)
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Garlic sauce ( find it in the Asian Market or Asian Isle of your store)
Pad Thai sauce
Lime Juice
white Vinegar ( I substituted w/ pickled peppercini juice)
Crushed penuts
Crushed Red Peppers
Fried Onions
Cilantro
PREP
Depending on how big the dish and how many chk breasts you're gonna use, start out w/ 1 tblsp of the sauces. Adjust for taste.
In a glass bowl mix your sauces, juice of 1 lime and crushed red peppers
Cut the chk breast into 1inch cubes
Poor the sauce mixture in a glass bowl w/ the chk leaving some for the end of your cooking. Marinate for about an hour in the fridge covered in plastic
Quarter you Shitake Mushrooms.Julien the green beans and and Baby carrots.
Take the Bulbs of the Mexican Green onions and Julien as well.
Par boil the veggies for about 1 to 2 min. and drain. Rinse w/ cold water.
Boil the Pad Thai noodles for about 2 to 3 min, drain and rinse in cold water.
WOK
I use a nonstick wok but I also have a stainless steel that works great.
Melt 1 tblsp of butter and toss the chk. cook until white and tender. remove from wok and set aside.
Wipe the wok w/ paper towl.
Add 1 tablespoon of penut oil and add veggies cook on hi for about 5 min. Add soy sauce to taste. Remove and set aside.
Wipe the wok
Beat the eggs and scramble till done and fluffy. (I add milk for the fluffyness). Remove and set aside.
Wipe the wok
Add 1 tblsp of Peanut oil and add noodles. Toss, add the chk, toss add veggies and toss. Add the remaining sauce from the marinade and toss on hi heat for about 5 min.
Serve
Quickly serve on long platter topping w/ crushed peanuts, fried onions, Julien green onions and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over it and serve.
Happy Endings.
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