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Chicken Fajitas























More Mexican food. I told ya! Actually, most of the "Mexican" recipes I'm posting are probably not considered authentic Mexican food. But if it has the word 'fajita' or 'taco' or 'burrito' then I think it is Mexican enough for me!

These chicken fajitas were tasty, but you wanna know why I liked them so much? Probably because I drizzled poured some of that creamy lime cilantro ranch sauce on top of it. I know I know, I pretty much can drench anything in that sauce and call it divine. So if you are looking for more of a traditional chicken fajita recipe, then by all means leave out that sauce. But if you are as obsessed with it as I am, then add it to just about anything you can get your hands on! Well, maybe not ice cream. 























Oh, and we also were having corn as a side item, so I decided to add some to my fajita. You can too, but certainly don't have to!

I used pre-cooked chicken that we had cooked the night before for Chicken Flautas but didn't end up using. So I had 2 already cooked chicken breasts. But if you are starting with raw chicken, which you probably are, then just slice your chicken breasts into strips, saute them in a skillet until cooked through, then add the peppers and onions to the skillet and then pour in the lime juice, seasonings, and liquid smoke and let the flavors get absorbed in the chicken, peppers, and onions.

Chicken Fajitas
from the kitchen of SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pre-cooked and sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 of a green pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 of a red pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 of a red onion, sliced
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp onion powder
  • flour tortillas
  • Mexican shredded cheese, optional
  • corn, optional
  • green salsa, optional
  • Creamy Lime Cilantro Ranch Dressing, optional
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and then add the sliced onions and allow to cook on medium until starting to brown and soften. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the sliced peppers and allow to soften. Add the sliced cooked chicken strips to the skillet. Add cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lime juice and liquid smoke. Mix well and let the flavors mingle.

Heat tortillas in the microwave in between damp paper towels to keep them from cracking. Add the chicken, pepper, and onion mixture. Top with cheese, corn, green salsa, and sauce, if desired.

*Note, if chicken is not yet cooked then you can saute it in the same skillet prior to cooking the peppers and onions.



















I by no means claim to be a Mexican food expert, so pardon the corn and cilantro sauce additions. If it peeves you, just stick to the basic fajita recipe, which... if you remember my little lesson on Mexican food terminology.... focuses on the peppers and onions. So as long as you've got chicken or steak, and peppers and onions, then you've got yourself a fajita!

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Menu Planning - Week of 5/30/11

Hey guys! Happy Memorial Day to you all. I am enjoying a day off, gratefully, and later get to enjoy grilling out with my family. PJ and I grilled out last night too, some pork chops, metts and brauts, and potatoes. I love grill out food so much. I am lovin this weather which is allowing us to be able to grill outside!

Sorry I skipped the menu plan last week. But I'm back for more planning. Today's easy, I get to go eat at my Mama's house. So no cooking for me :) But for the rest of the week, I'm gonna select a couple of meals from that cookbook that I told you about, you know, the one that I want to get more use out of? And looks like pretty nice weather for the upcoming week, so more grill time over the weekend, I hope!

Monday 5/30/11:  HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! grill out with family

Tuesday 5/31/11:  grill out with Peej - brauts, metts, not sure what else

Wednesday 6/1/11:  BLT Lettuce Wraps (+ avocado!)

Thursday 6/2/11:  Lasagna Roll-Ups - from cookbook

Friday 6/3/11:  Cajun Chicken Pasta - from cookbook



Doing my usual linkups - to Menu Plan Monday












and Marvelous Menu


 







Hope you all enjoy or have enjoyed your holiday weekend. I love a great excuse to get together with family and eat well. And thanks to all of those who fight for our country, of course! I'm proud to be an American!

Peace, and bacon grease!


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Munching Around Santa Monica with Six Taste Tours

What better way to explore one area's food than a walking tour with an expert, tasting 4-5 places all in one go? Six Taste Tours, started by two USC alums, aim to do just that with their tours in various regions in LA, including Thai Town, Little Tokyo, Arcadia, and more. Each area's tour is guided by an expert in that particular area/cuisine. I was invited to go on the Santa Monica tour recently with their guide, Therese.

Godmother Sandwich
Godmother sandwich, with on ocean view.
I don't want to spoil all the fun of the tour for you, so I will just go through some of the things we ate and leave you with some surprises if you ever take the tour!

They said they consider the Santa Monica tour to be their international tour, and you will see why. Our first stop was Rockenwagner Bakery.
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Rockenwagner Bakery
12835 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 578-8171
www.rockenwagner.com
Röckenwagner Bakery on Urbanspoon

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Our guide, Therese

PhotobucketOther than the baked goods, Therese told us that Rockenwagner has a great Austrian coffee. We tasted some and it was indeed pretty smooth.

Apparently Hans Rockenwagner and his pastry chef invented the pretzel croissant by dipping a croissant in caustic acid, so of course we had to try some! Because of the pretzel-like crust, the croissant doesn't leave as much of a buttery mess on your fingers.
Pretzel Croissant

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Baked Tilapia with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce






















There are so many amazing food blogs out there. Don't you agree? One of my faves is Jenn's Food Journey. That girl is a master at grilling, and she also shares my love of sauce. She does love fish too, tilapia in particular! And she is so sweet... she has invited me to be a guest blogger on her blog, and helped me with any questions I had in improving my blog. She's a sweetheart! And she also makes some great food! Like this tilapia dish, with a delicious sauce. I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciates a good sauce, whether it be with seafood, beef, pork, or any kind of meat! We both share a love of sauce, that's why I love her! Yes, meat is delicious. But add some sauce and it is pretty irresistible. 




















Baked Tilapia with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
slightly adapted from Jenn's Food Journey
  • 2 tilapia filets
  • salt, pepper, and garlic powder, for seasoning
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place fish in the prepared baking dish and place in the oven. Baked for 15 minutes, rotating dish halfway through. 

While the fish is baking, place the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Mircowave on low for about 20 seconds or until ingredients are blended smoothly. Stir until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve over fish or on the side. 



















We haven't always necessarily been fish kind of people, but add some sauce and we are set! This was definitely a delicious fish dish with a flavorful sauce. I would definitely make it again!

Peace, and bacon grease!

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True Food Kitchen (Santa Monica, CA)

Vegetable Crudites
Local Vegetable Crudites
True Food Kitchen which recently opened at Santa Monica Place has a mission of serving sustainable, healthy food without sacrificing flavor. They center their menu around Dr. Andrew Weil’s "Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Food Pyramid" (not that I knew about it before coming here).

Before they officially opened to the public, they held tastings and trial runs for friends and some media. I came for a lunch during these test runs. While waiting for my friend I ran into Pleasure Palate and her friend. We ended up joining her table and got to sample many more things.

Do try the Banana, espresso, pistachio, and date muffin ($3)
While I'm usually not a big muffin fan, this one is a must try! The muffin is really moist and loaded with pistachio and other goodies.

They have a pretty big list of cocktails (with fruits with alleged antioxidant properties, of course), wines, and beers, many of them organic. I didn't want to start drinking so early, though so I went with one of their non-alcoholic "elixirs": the "Red Moon" ($4): pink grapefruit, yuzu, agave, and soda.
I also like the Medicine Man ($6) made with olivello juice (more on olivello later), pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, black tea, soda water, and blueberries.

Today's Raw Fish ($12): Yellowtail
Yellowtail
A bit heavy on the sauce, but the fish was fresh.
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Southwest Chicken Burritos

Hola!


I've come to you with another Mexican recipe. The funny thing is that I didn't really think I was a Mexican food lover. But seeing as I have blogged about several Mexican recipes recently, I'd say that is very quickly changing. I certainly am becoming a lover of Mexican food. And this recipe is a keeper. I love the black bean and corn mixture in these burritos. 

I'm still trying to figure out where I found this recipe from. I thought it was from a cookbook, but I could be mistaken. 
























Southwest Chicken Burritos
from the kitchen of SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
  • 1 (11 oz) can kernel corn
  • 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese
  • flour tortillas
  • sour cream, optional
  • shredded cheddar cheese, for topping, optional
  • salsa, optional
Season chickens with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake chicken on a baking sheet with aluminum foil at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until juices run clear. Then slice the chicken into strips once finished cooking.

In a large pot, heat the black beans, corn, chiles, and onions on medium low. Add in the cream cheese, stirring to mix. 

Heat flour tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds on paper towels, between damp paper towels. Add a bit of sour cream on the bottom of the tortilla, then some of the chicken strips, then some of the bean mixture, then a bit of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Top with a drizzle of salsa, if desired.























PJ also added salsa to his to make it even more of a Southwest feel. I'm not big on salsa. Say what?! I know, I'm strange. But hey, maybe that will change too. Like I said before, I didn't think I liked Mexican food much. But gimme a good salsa recipe and I bet I can't pass it up!


Peace, and bacon grease!


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Cookbook Review: Chili for Two from Taste of Home Down Home Cooking for One or Two

Yes, I am posting a chili recipe in May. No, I didn't just make it though! I've been meaning to blog about it for awhile now... so no better time than now. My man and I am always looking for different chili recipes. I like to take different concepts from different recipes and discover what we consider to be the best chili. 

And I've been trying to use my cookbooks more. With the internet, I get so caught up in making recipes from other food bloggers. But I seriously have so many cookbooks that need to be used up! So I figured that I would try to make as many recipes as possible from a single cookbook before I move on to the next, and give you guys a review of the recipes I make from each cookbook! So I'm starting with Taste of Home's Down Home Cooking for One or Two. The longer I am in the food blogging world, the more I learn obviously. And I am learning that these Taste of Home cookbooks aren't anything high quality like ones you'd find from well-known celebrity chefs or seasoned pros. They are more basic cookbooks for the average person who just needs to make a simple, quick meal for the family... or in this case, for one or two people! I thought this was a perfect cookbook to start with because it suits our needs... quick and simple recipes that don't call for a lot of ingredients, and they are already scaled down to our portion size. So I hope to be making more recipes from here coming up!

We started with this quick chili recipe - Chili for Two. What a creative name. I want to change it, I really do. That's no name for a recipe! But I didn't make the recipe so who am I to say what it should be called? So yeah, we're talkin a pretty basic chili recipe. Nothing special from any other chili recipe you can find anywhere. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't fantastic. Not THE BEST CHILI ever! I did like the small batch and not having to bust out my math skills to convert measurements. But it could use some more ingredients to spruce it up, that's for sure!
 























Chili for Two

*Yields 2 servings
  • 1/4 lb ground beef
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can chili beans, undrained
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp sour cream, divided, for garnish
  • 2 tbsp cup shredded Monterey Jack and mild cheddar cheese, divided, for garnish
  • 2 cilantro leaves, divided, for garnish
Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a saucepan on medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Serve in two bowls. Garnish each bowl with 1 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp shredded cheese, and 1 cilantro leaf.

Printable Recipe

Rating: 3 out of 5 forks













I will be linking this up to:
Foodie Friday @ Designs By Gollum
Foodie Friday @ Little Brick Ranch

 
So there you have it. Not the greatest chili of my life, but still tasty!

One down, many more to go!

Check out my other review from this cookbook, Bart's Black Bean Soup for Two.

Peace, and bacon grease!

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DVD Giveaway! Vanishing of the Bees

Colony Collapse Disorder. That's what they are calling the mysterious disappearance of honey bees all over. No one know why this is happening for sure, but the consequences are quite clear. It's not just about the honey. Honeybees are needed to pollinate vegetable and fruit plants around the world. No honeybees= no apples and peaches. The documentary Vanishing of the Bees, scheduled to release on June 7th, attempts to delve into this mystery and how we can all help protect the bees.

The documentary is directed by George Langworthy and Maryam Henein, and narrated by Ellen Page (the star of JUNO). They interview beekeepers, scientists, and food and environmental experts. It was much more informative than I had expected, explaining precisely what Colony Collapse Disorder is and what scientists and others think might be the cause.
In CCD, the bees do not die but disappear from the hives. No one knows where they went. In the US it started to gain attention in 2006, but apparently a similar phenomenon had happened in France in 1994. While we have yet to have direct evidence of the cause, the beekeepers seem to have a pretty good idea. France banned the use of systemic pesticides since then, but the EPA in the US need a more concrete evidence to follow suit. Holistic beekeepers and Michael Pollan suggest what we need to do to help.

They had sent me two copies to give away, so here's your chance! To win a copy, just comment below with your email address by Thursday, June 2nd.

You can also get extra entries by doing one or more of the following:
1. Tweet: "Learn more about why honeybees r disappearing n how u can help. Win a DVD of Vanishing of the Bees from @gourmetpigs! http://bit.ly/lOnDXk"
2. "Like" the link to this post on Gourmet Pigs' Facebook page.
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Bunk Sandwiches (Portland, OR)

Bunk Sandwiches was on the top of my to-do list for Portland. Raves from my friends, Mario Batali's declaration that Tommy Habetz is one of the world's top contemporary chefs (Tommy worked under Batali and Bobby Flay before opening Bunk), appearing in New York Times, and many more. Anyway, I made Wandering Chopsticks drive me there with high expectations.

We waited about 20 minutes in line in the rain. It looks like at other times the lines can be much longer. The music store next door even had a sign up stating that you can't stand in front of the music store for Bunk.

We ordered the much lauded Pork Belly Cubano with ham, swiss, mustard, and pickles ($8)
Pork Belly Cubano
I like the toasted crunchy bread, the silky ham, and of course the juicy, tender pork belly is what distinguishes this Cubano from the others.
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How to Blind Date at The Market

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You meet for coffee at the newly opened The Market at the Santa Monica Place. It's bright and spacious. Maybe you meet at Groundworks or get some Austrian coffee from Rockenwagner and chat over pretzels and danishes.
Rockenwagner Bakery
You want to spend more time with her so you ask if she wants to have dinner at The Curious Palate. You find out she loves craft beers and has good taste in food and you think it's awesome. After dinner maybe you take her for some ice cream at N'Ice Cream or ice cream sandwiches from Beachy Cream. Maybe you share a chewy chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven from the Cookie Guru.
Sample-bearing girls from Beachy Cream
Fresh chocolate chip cookies from Cookie Guru
You want to impress her so you decide to take cooking classes at the Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories. You buy a bottle of wine at Venokado, some cheese and cured meat (maybe one of those truffled ham?) from Norcino Salumeria Cheese Bar and invite her over for a romantic dinner.
Classroom at Gourmandise
Your anniversary rolls around and you ask her to meet you at the place you first met. You get to The Market 15 minutes early and buy some beautiful flowers at Magical Blooms, some truffles and macarons at L'Artisan du Chocolat and you're all set. It's a one-stop-shop.
Macarons at L'Artisan du Chocolat
Orchids at Magical Blooms
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Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Green Onions



















Hey friends! I'm up for another round of Martha Mondays, and it was my turn to pick the Martha Stewart dish we would all be making. I had already made out a menu plan when I realized it was my turn, so I chose a simple side dish to go with one of our dinners for the week. We did enjoy it, though it is very basic. It was better than my fiancee expected, he said. 















Martha's original recipe calls for scallions, but our local grocery store didn't have any scallions (I'm not sure how they have some of the most exotic things but not scallions, but whatevs). So I subbed in green onions because they are pretty much the same thing. I sliced them diagonally with scissors... love that easy method! I used frozen corn this time, next time I would try fresh corn and it would definitely be even better! The crushed red pepper flakes added a nice touch of heat. I think I added more than a pinch, but it definitely amped up the flavor.

This is a nice simple side to accompany any main course. Or it can be used in any recipe that calls for corn. We used ours in a taco salad that we made last night. It called for corn, so I used this corn, bacon, and green onions mixture instead of just plain corn.

AND it doesn't take very long at all, you just have to cook your bacon, and then mix everything in a skillet. How hard can that be?

































Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Green Onions
adapted from Martha Stewart
  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • Pinch or two or crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, for taste
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Drain some of the grease, leaving about a tablespoon.

Add corn kernels. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook until corn is tender for about 8 minutes, stirring often. Stir in green onions. Serve immediately.


Printable Recipe



















I am also linking up to:

Isn't that a purty dish? Love the colors! I'm a sucker for a colorful bowl or plate of food! Next time I bet I could add in some red onions, maybe even a little tomato, and up the green onion amount, and make that an even more colorful dish!




Peace, and bacon grease!

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Stones Restaurant at Marriott Marina del Rey

I have been finding myself in Marina del Rey more and more these days. My last visit was to Stones Restaurant at the Marriott Marina del Rey hotel, which recently obtained a new chef and revamped their menu. Instead of ordering a la carte, they sent out a tasting of the dishes they wanted to showcase.

We started with a sampling of two appetizers:
Arugula, grilled peach, pickled red onion, burrata, balsamic glaze
Burrata and Grilled Peach
The burrata was creamy but the flavor was fairly mild and the dish benefits from the crunchy grilled peaches and the sweet and tart pickled onions.

Grilled shrimp, orange marmalade
Grilled Shrimp
This is the chef's riff on shrimp cocktails, where he grills then chills the shrimp. The sweet marmalade is a nice complement, though I'm not sure if I could eat more than two or three pieces of sweet shrimp.

Bread
Warm bread

Since all the entrees are accompanied by something creamy and starchy, we got full pretty fast, but we plowed through! This shouldn't be a problem for a regular diner not eating three entrees in a row :)

John Dory, popcorn crust, sweet corn ravioli, vegetable slaw
Popcorn Crusted Chicken
The popcorn crust was rather interesting (and according to the chef, pretty simple to replicate). The flesh of the john dory remains moist and flaky. I thought the sweet corn ravioli filling could be smoother and creamier, though.

Filet Mignon, yukon mash, cauliflower, demi
Steak
Stones cooks their proteins well, as exemplified by this tender, juicy steak. The mashed potatoes had the potato skins left in, giving it more body and flavor. The cauliflowers were not only colorful and fresh and crisp. This was a solid steak dish, you can't go wrong in ordering this.

The next dish doesn't lose out: New Zealand lamb, bacon, brussel sprouts, green apple risotto
Lamb
Even with my full stomach, I thoroughly enjoyed this lamb, cooked a nice medium rare with that trickle of blood in the middle and nicely charred edges.The tart, crisp green apple slices in the risotto helped digest the other rich and heavy items.

We finished with a dessert sampler: Apple cobbler, Key lime tart, Chocolate ganache, Pineapple Upside Down cake.
Dessert Sampler

My favorite was the dark, spongy chocolate ganache, followed by the apple cobbler.

The libations menu need some work for my personal taste as the cocktails were mostly fruity martinis and the wine by the glass selection is limited. The chef seems to have a liking for rich and creamy sides, but if you're staying nearby, you'd be satisfied with having a nice piece of filet mignon or lamb, or perhaps a moist John Dory here.

Stones Restaurant
Marriott Hotel Marina del Rey
4100 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, California 90292
(310) 301-3000
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/laxmb-marina-del-rey-marriott/
Stones on Urbanspoon

Disclosure: this meal was hosted.
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