EASY RECIPES AND STUFF

Two Easy And Fast Individual Pizza Recipes

Posted on September 12, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc

EASY RECIPE

Its been a long day and you’re eating alone tonight. Time for comfort food. Make yourself a super quick and easy individual pizza! Here are two easy pizza recipes that can be prepared and enjoyed in no time.

Easy BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza

Serving size: 1

While heating the BBQ prepare your pizza ingredients.

Ingredients:

Tomato – sliced thin – enough for coverage

Onion – sliced thin – enough for coverage

1 Tbsp sliced fresh basil

1 Mushroom – sliced

1 Flat Bread- store bought

Store bought grilled chicken breast pieces

BBQ sauce

Parmesan cheese

Pinch of Italian spices

Preparation:

Swirl BBQ sauce onto the flat bread. Then add tomato slices, onion, and mushrooms. Next add the chicken, and then the basil. Top with a swirl more of BBQ sauce. Place olive oil on the clean grill, next BBQ pizza on the grill for 5 minutes on medium high heat. Near the end add Parmesan cheese.

And that’s it, after heating up the grill you’re enjoying a gourmet pizza with a good book in less than 6 minutes.

Easy Smoked Salmon Nann Bread Pizza

Serving size: 1

Ingredients

1 Nann Bread

2 oz smoked salmon

2 oz goat cheese

3 slices of red onion

1 tsp capers – drained

fresh dill – sliced into appealing looking segments.

1 tsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

3 sundried tomatoes – sliced

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. To the Nann bread add olive oil, and then BBQ sauce. Next add crumbled goat cheese, and then red onion slices, and capers. Finally add the salmon. Place in oven long enough for bread to brown a little and the cheese to melt. Remove, add fresh dill. And that’s it, an easy gourmet pizza just for you.

AND STUFF

When I was a young boy living in North Dakota I watched the Captain Kangaroo Show on black and white TV every morning. One day the Captain announced a contest. I, or more likely my mother, wrote down the contest address and thereafter wrote a card containing my name and address and we mailed if off to the Captain. And then I waited.

Everyday I would run to get the mail to see if I won the big prize. The prize was so big that to this very day – I have absolutely no recollection what it was. But it was a big deal to me at the time. After an eternity I got a very small box from the Captain. I was thrilled beyond belief because I had won … something. Don’t remember what it was, but it must have been cool enough because I don’t recall being disappointed.

While at the 2012 IFBC in Portland, during the Ninja Cooker demonstration, we were given cards with e-mail information to get a complimentary Ninja Cooker. I squirreled the card away, and as soon as I got back from the IFBC I shot out my e-mail request for my Ninja.

Somethings never change. Now I find myself, quite distant from young, anxciolsy going to get the mail each day, hoping today will be the day I get the Ninja. It’s funny, the slow cooker is great, but it wasn’t on my radar until I got the card. Now I can’t wait. And, best yet, this time there’s no consolation prize!

I’ld tell you more about the virtues of the Ninja cooker but the mail should be here soon, so I gotta go.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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EASY MOLE SAUCE CHORIZO TACO RECIPE

Posted on September 4, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc

This super easy recipe for Mole Sauce Chorizo Taco is a snap to prepare, yet it tastes and looks like you worked on it for hours! Also, my recipe for Mole has no chicken stock in it, so one could consider using it for a vegetarian recipe.

Recipe serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

One and 1/2 lbs. Chorizo ( beef or pork or if vegetarian use soy chorizo)

15 oz can tomato sauce

Small soft tortillas

Goat Cheese – hand crumbled

2 tomatoes – diced

2 oz dark chocolate (I used Dark Oregon Chocolate Decadence)

1/4 C minced onion

1 Tbsp fire roasted green chilies – canned

1 tsp Chili powder

1 garlic clove -minced

green onion diced

cilantro chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

In medium size pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and then reduce heat to low.

Add onion and saute until soft.

Add roasted green chilies and garlic.

Add tomato sauce, chili powder and stir.

Raise heat to medium, and when sauce is bubbling, reduce heat to simmer.

Break chocolate bar into smaller pieces and add to sauce. Stir the sauce as the chocolate melts.

Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes to allow it to reduce a little.

In large fry pan brown the chorizo (spoon out excess grease).

In separate fry pan heat canola oil and until hot, slowly place a tortilla shell into the oil for for a few seconds, remove with tongs and repeat with other shells.

Place tortilla shells on plate. Spread Mole sauce on each shell, add the chorizo, green onion, cilantro, and goat cheese. Place extra Mole sauce in small bowl.

And that’s it, time for a killer easy Mole Sauce Chorizo Taco!

AND STUFF

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I flew to Portland, Oregon on Virgin America to attend the 2012 International Food Blogger Conference. The trip couldn’t have been easier. Upon arrival we walked out the terminal and boarded a light rail for a $2.50 each ride ending across the street from the event hotel. So far so good.

As we registered I saw some old friends and introduced Sue to Zephyr go to guy Reno. We checked out the book fair and slipped out to grab a bite in the restaurant bar.

Last year in Santa Monica the IFBC was filled with great food and wine. Portland proved to be every bit as good! Following wine pairing, we attended the “speed food dating” event where local food purveyors got 5 minutes at each to table to explain their food item while we sampled their treasures.

The home grown and preserved black berries got the taste buds into high gear.

This local made chocolate was awesome and plentiful!

The Oregon Dark Chocolate Decadence they provided me was used in the Mole recipe.

After a great taste of Portland dinner, and ah OK, more wine tasting, it was time for a post day cocktail party where we found more old friends as well as made new friends. Eventually Sue and I retired, and the next morning upon opening the curtains, Sue discovered this unreal photo op waiting to be captured.

Day two started off with a great breakfast sponsored by the Pork Board, followed by a session on responsible farming. And then we were off to a day of SEO and Recipe lectures, and other wonderful breakout sessions.

On Sunday morning the final event was a 3 hour photography discussion by Andrew Scrivani accompanied by Chef John who created three great dishes for us to photograph using the techniques taught by Andrew.

All to soon it was time for Sue and I to head back to the airport. But not before Sheri told us that next year the IFBC would be held in Seattle! So, not only do I plan to go, I’ve already registered! See you all at IFBC Seattle 2013!

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Three Easy Shrimp Salad Recipes

Posted on August 27, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc

This week it’s your choice! Choose from three killer easy shrimp salad recipes that look and taste great, yet can be made fast.

Spinach Salad with Shrimp & Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

For Marinade:

1/4 Cup White Wine

1/4 cup Virgin Olive Oil

2 Garlic cloves – minced

1/8 tsp Dried red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp Cumin – powder

For Salad Dressing:

one and 1/2 tsp Wasabi powder mixed with a little water to form a paste

1/2 Cup Greek Plain Yogurt

1/8 Cup white wine

2 Tbsp fresh Lemon juice

1/2 tsp Sriracha Sauce

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

dash Lemon pepper

For Salad:

20 large shrimp (15 per pound)

Baby Spinach

1/2 Red Onion – sliced thin

Dried Cranberries

4 Fire Roasted Red Peppers – sliced (one for each plate)

Blue Cheese- crumbled (as much as you like)

1 loaf Kalamata Olive Bread

Preparation:

Shell and clean shrimp.

Mix all ingredients for marinade.

Place shrimp in plastic baggy, add marinade, seal and place in refrigerator for half hour.

For Salad Dressing:

Mix all salad dressing ingredients together in bowl, stir to until creamy, cover and place in refrigerator.

For Finish:

Barbecue shrimp over medium high heat for 2 minutes each side. Plate and cover.

Cut Olive Bread.

Wash and plate Spinach.

Add cranberries, red onion, fire roasted red peppers, shrimp and blue cheese. Add dressing, garnish with lemon, and serve with Kalamata bread.

Super Easy Shrimp Salad with Orange and Avocado Slices

This recipe serve 4.

Ingredients

24 large shrimp

Lettuce makings (assorted like red leaf, red chard, kale, radicchio etc)

2 Oranges

1 Avocado – sliced (near time of serving so it does not discolor)

2 garlic cloves – minced

1/8 cup canola oil

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp Cajun spices (such as McCormick brand)

1 Tbsp olive oil (for fry pan)

feta cheese

Preparation

In a mixing bowl combine canola oil, juice of one orange, red pepper flakes, Cajun spice, and garlic. Stir well.

Wash shrimp, remove shell, and pat dry.

Place shrimp in in plastic bag and then pour contents of mixing bowl into the bag. Seal the bag and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat one table spoon of olive oil in fry pan, add shrimp and sauce from bag. Fry shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes each side.

Plate salad. Sprinkle a small amount of salad dressing such as Italian and then arrange orange and avocado slices around each salad.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Ingredients

20 Shrimp – large 20 to 30 count per pound – pealed and deveined

2 Cups Seashell shaped pasta

2 Celery sticks cut in half the long way and then thinly cut

½ Cup onion – diced

4 oz jar Pimentos – diced

3 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese cut into small cubes

½ Cup frozen peas

1 Tbsp Basil – chopped

½ Cup Mayonnaise

1/3 Cup Ketchup

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 or 3 dashes of Tabasco Sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

Salt to taste

1 Lettuce head

Preparation

Boil seashell pasta per instructions on box. Place the frozen peas in the strainer and when pasta is cooked drain the pasta over the frozen peas. Cool the pasta down by running cold water over the pasta and peas in the strainer. Shake all the water from the pasta and place pasta/peas in a large bowl.

In a pot large enough to hold a metal strainer pour a couple inches of water, place a metal strainer in the pot making certain the water is below the level of the strainer. Place the pealed and deveined shrimp on the strainer, bring water to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to medium high, and steam the shrimp for 3 minutes. When done, turn off the burner, and with a covered hand remove strainer with shrimp and place the sink to shower the shrimp with cold water.

Add the cooled shrimp, onion, cheese, and basil to the cooled pasta. Drain juice from pimentos and pimentos add to bowl.

In a small stirring bowl combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon, tobacco sauce, salt and pepper and stir. Pour the sauce over the pasta and gently fold the sauce into the shrimp and pasta. Place the pasta bowl in refrigerator.

Prior to serving the meal, wash enough lettuce leaves so that whole leaves can be arranged on each serving plate. Finish plating with a scoop of shrimp pasta on the lettuce.

AND STUFF

Wait for it…… this post ran long, so next one will have the story of my and She Who Must Be Obeyed’s adventures at IFBC in Portland!

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Chicken Taco Bowl

Posted on August 21, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc

EASY RECIPES

I noticed that a few restaurants are offering taco bowls as a healthy alternative to the traditional taco. So, I decided to see if I could create a tasty chicken taco bowl. My recipe is easy and the result will be a sure crowd pleaser!

Recipe serve 4.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tomato diced

1 avocado sliced into wedges

shredded cheese

1 1/2 cup rice

Pinto Beans:

1 15 oz can pinto beans

1/4 C Madeira

1 juice of lime

1 chipotle pepper pod (canned)- diced, and 1/2 tsp sauce

1 Tbsp green bell pepper diced

Lime Onion garnish:

1 cup onion diced small, juice of 1 lime, 1/4 tsp salt.

Dry Coat for Chicken:

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt.

Preparation:

Mix lime onion garnish ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing remainder of meal.

Prepare rice as directed on box.

Mix dry coat ingredients.

Rinse chicken, paper towel dry, lightly coat with canola oil, and then coat chicken with dry coat ingredients. BBQ chicken on medium high heat 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Mix pinto bean ingredients in sauce pan and cook so that it is down while cooked chicken sets up.

In 4 large bowl place a serving of rice, add pinto beans, diced tomatoes, onion, and finally, grated cheesse, avocado slices, and a lime slice.

And that’s all there is to it. You have just created a unique chicken taco that will have your friends raving!

AND STUFF

As some of you know I worked my way through high school and college playing keyboards in various no name rock bands. I hung it up when I went to law school. Years later after nomad like travels through various states I took up permanent residence in SoCal.

After moving to Redondo Beach, as a single parent with two children, it was time to find my daughter a friend. One day my daughter and I saw the neighbors across the street walking with their white gowned daughter toward their car on their way to her first communion. Eureka! My daughter would have a friend.

Later as our relationship grew it turned out that in addition to my daughter gaining a friend I did as well. Gerard and his lovely wife Mimi became wonderful friends. And turned out Gerard was a working musician who loved Todd Rundgren. We spent many nights watching a video he had of Todd playing various roles on the recording of his album. Gerard once won the Todd Rundgren trivia contest on a LA radio station. Gerard knew Todd Rundgren’s work like no on else.

During my days in Ketchum, Idaho I enjoyed listening to Hall & Oates. Their tunes still bring back great skiing memories.

Gerard and Mimi have both passed away, way, way too early.

The other day I came across a YouTube video of Todd Rundgren and Daryl Hall and friends jamming at Todd’s home in Kauai. It was a blend of both Gerard’s and my music tastes, and brought a very warm feeling to Sue and me. Take a listen to the music video at following link, I am certain you will feel the love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N48-K9z-HA4&feature=related

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger