Tried to Like

Random post of different bits that have come to mind. Not useful for your everyday. Enjoy nonetheless. Do you have foods you’ve tried to like?

I just saw a salad dressing made with kalamata olives and feta. That has me written all over it, except…. I don’t like olives. I’ve tried. I’ve seriously tried to like them and just can’t. If I had to choose a cuisine to eat for the rest of time, I might pick Mediterranean. Bring on the feta, and the hummus, and falafel, and the salads, and all the cucumbers, and the herbed or grilled meats/fish. I just would have to skip the olives. I remember being in Greece in 2008 and thinking: if ever there was a time to like a really good selection of olives, it was then. Nope. A no-go. I like pickles and briney things like capers, but no olives for me.

Blue cheese & goat cheese. I just can’t do it. Just not my thing. I really love blue cheese dressing, but blue cheese itself is something my throat doesn’t really want to swallow. I don’t see the hype with goat cheese. I can tolerate it breaded and baked/fried. It is pretty pricey so I doubt anyone wants me to tolerate it.

Yogurt & oatmeal are weird ones I didn’t like forawhile and then after not having them for years (college + a few more years) I tried them again and felt like I missed so many years of enjoying them! That kind of came back when I was pregnant and not wanting creamy/squishy things. Now I eat yogurt or oatmeal for most of the week of breakfasts.

On the other hand….
I’m newly obsessed with these Pop Corners. I love them. The kettle flavor is the best, but sea salt and white cheddar are good too. They’re kind of like popcorn, kind of like a rice cake, but better.

popcorners-kettle
I also am all about these itty bitty Greek yogurt cups. I can’t always find them, but when I do it is very exciting. They are tiny cups with shaved chocolate chunks in the yogurt. I like the tang of the yogurt with the bitter chocolate. I inherited 3 after sis wasn’t impressed. Now I get them whenever I see them.
indulgent-double-chocolate-chunk-4pack
I keep this dressing in my work fridge and I’m loving it.
_0015_4288_16oz-BalsamicHoney-e3

Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

The dressings continue! This one is so versatile that I actually used it first as a condiment on a burger. Then later I put it on salad but it could go on anything. I only made a bit since that’s my favorite part of making my own dressings, that you can make a little or a lot. Then I’m not stuck trying to use up a whole bottle of something! Also, it is nice to know what’s in the dressing without a whole bunch of weird things to preserve it on the shelf for 10 years.

The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

Ingredients: (makes < cup of dressing)

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs white vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/2 tsp roughly cracked pepper
3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt (or garlic powder + a pinch of salt)
1 tsp milk (optional)

Directions:

In a bowl (or in a jar to shake) all the ingredients.
The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Whisk (or shake in a jar) until well combined.
The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Refrigerate for 30+ minutes. Serve & enjoy!

I put some on a turkey burger. Such a great idea. It was a premade, turkey/chili/lime burger from Trader Joe’s. Premade turkey burgers aren’t the most amazing things ever so I definitely appreciated the added moisture to my burger. The pepper and salty Parmesan are such great flavors combined here.
The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Then I used it for another meal – we’re in 100% grilling mode with Mr. J’s new grill. I had some heads of romaine leftover from some caesar salads so I figured we should do a grilled romaine and see what all the fuss was about. I love the charred bits on everything (lasagna corners, chicken wings, etc) so I really enjoyed this. I think we’d grill it a few seconds less next time. It needs the char, but I don’t want the ribs of the lettuce to get as soggy. I diced some tomato and used some broken croutons with some drizzles of Parmesan Peppercorn dressing. Yum.

The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
I added a touch of milk to thin it out a bit. That made it more like dressing. When it is thicker, it would be a great dip too!

Here are my other dressings:
Basil Vinaigrette
Dijon Vinaigrette
Avocado Lime Dressing
Creamy Dill & Cucumber Dressing

Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans

I was so excited about this meal! Maybe because it ended up all coming together so easily, but also because it was exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t going to blog it, but then sometimes I skip blogging one and it is really worthy of sharing. Deleting unused photos is easier than wishing I had snapped some pics. This is precisely the food I want to eat. The sides complimented the protein nicely and they weren’t just filler…they were flavorful and nice additions to the meal.

The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
Mr. J got a new grill after MUCH deliberation. Now we are grilling machines and I feel like I need to up my side-dish game! The spice rub is adapted from the Essentials of Grilling by Williams Sonoma. Do not swap the chicken thighs for breasts. Trust me. Chicken thighs are how chicken is supposed to taste. They’re juicy and flavorful and ohh-so-good.

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
1 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs dried rosemary
1 tbs dried fennel, crushed
1 tbs dried oregano
salt & pepper
1/2 white onion, diced
1 tbs butter
1 can white beans
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbs chives, diced (or fresh parsley or oregano)
1 lemon

Directions:

Mix the dried herbs with salt and pepper. Pour the garlic and oil onto the chicken and then coat in the herbs.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
Set aside while the grill heats up.
In a medium pot over medium-low heat, cook the onion and butter until translucent and soft. Drain and rinse the white beans before adding them to the onions. Add in the broth and cook for about 5 minutes at a low simmer.
Cook the chicken on the grill, flipping and ensuring it cooks through.
Reduce the temperature of the beans to low and add in the chives. Cook for another 5 minutes then turn off the heat but cover until serving.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
When the chicken is mostly cooked, squeeze half the lemon over it and grill the other half of the lemon.
Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon. Enjoy!

I loooved this. This is what I like to eat. The herbs were distinct and flavorful but not too much. I never use fennel but love the flavor and then that lemon. It really brightened everything up and was a nice contrast. I liked the smokiness it got and how juicy it got on the grill!
The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
I served some quick marinated cucumbers and the beans were so good that now I want beans with every meal! This dinner was filling but didn’t leave me feeling grossly stuffed. I felt like we were dining in Tuscany, or what I think of as Tuscany. I’ll just need to get there to know for sure 😉

Pistachio & Sausage Pizza

I saw this pizza topped with a pistachio spread and sausage from Don Antonio’s of NYC on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and was instantly excited by the pistachios on there. Apparently I wasn’t the only one either.  I only tweaked it a bit and thought it was great for a change of pace.

Pistachio Pizza - The Three Bite Rule
The pistachios up the price of making this pie for sure, but if you compare to a trip to NYC to have the real thing it is a bit more justifiable…also more convenient on a Thursday night.

Ingredients:

1/2 pizza dough ball
~1 cup pistachios, shelled
1 sweet Italian sausage link
1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
1 large tomato, cut into chunks

Directions:

Preheat the oven and pizza stone, if using one to 400-degrees.
In a dry skillet, toast the pistachios over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir regularly.
Pistachio Pizza - The Three Bite Rule
Spread the dough out to a very large, flat circle. Then put onto the hot pizza stone so it stops from shrinking back down in size and poke a few holes into the crust with a fork or knife. Then bake for 5-10 minutes – just until lightly cooking and beginning to brown.
In a large skillet, fry the sausage over medium heat with the casing removed. Break into chunks with the back of a wooden spoon.
In a food processor, add the toasted nuts, salt, pepper, and half the oil. Pulse and stream in the rest of the oil. Taste & adjust as necessary.
Spread the pistachio sauce onto the pizza dough.
Pistachio Pizza - The Three Bite Rule
Then top with sausage, tomato, and mozzarella.
Pistachio Pizza - The Three Bite Rule
Bake for 5 minutes, then broil for another 3 minutes or so. Watch it under the broiler!
Pistachio Pizza - The Three Bite Rule
Let it sit a few minutes before slicing…otherwise you’ll lose the cheese.
Enjoy!

I liked the bubbly cheese with the pistachio crunch and the salty sausage. I probably should have added a fresh herb either into the pistachio sauce or onto the top. That was my goal with the tomatoes, but it could use a bit more of that.
Pistachio Pizza - The Three Bite Rule
I went heavy on the pistachio sauce since I figured if I bought this whole bag of shelled pistachios, I was better off using them instead of saving some and then forgetting about them hiding away in the cabinet. Less of that would have been fine, or some dollops instead of spread all over would be good. The little one was snoozing so I contemplated toasting the nuts and just chopping them up as a topping instead of as a sauce but I stuck with the original plan and the food processor didn’t wake him up.

I’ve been using a half of a ball of pizza dough to make pizza now. It makes for a much thinner crust and cuts down on how much dough we’re eating. It is mostly a measure of preference for reallllly thin crust but the health benefit doesn’t hurt either.

May 2015 Recap & #NationalBurgerDay

May really breezed by, and for once it wasn’t because I was too busy. I think it was just quick because of the change in the seasons, being back into a routine, and also a dumb lingering cold. Now I’m 100% ready for June.

Today is National Burger Day so here are some of my favorite burgers. My Parisian burger with rosemary, swiss, truffle mayo, and a fried egg is hands down, my favorite.
The Three Bite Rule - Parisian Burger

I didn’t have a ton of earth shattering new posts for May but one of my favorites was a quickie Broccoli Rabe, Sausage & Orrechetti 

The Three Bite Rule - Orecchiette, Broccoli Rabe & Sausage Pasta
Also, who wouldn’t love Teriyaki Chicken Pizza? I also am proud to say I finally mastered spelling teriyaki. A win is a win folks, spelling was never my strong suit.
The Three Bite Rule - Teriyaki Chicken Wing Pizza

Progress on this year’s goals: 
The Year of the Earring: ehh. I kind of forgot. Maybe I’ll double-up in June 😉   

make more salad dressings: YES! I did it! I made basil vinaigrette for a tomato/mozzarella/orzo salad. Such a better pasta salad.

factor more time into how long every-day tasks/trips will take:
a work in progress. I was proud of my estimation and departure timing just the other day.

recreate restaurant menu items:
I always see Broccoli Rabe, Sausage & Orrechetti  on menus which was easily created at home.

be more adventurous with my reading selections:
I read That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. It was pretty good, though not at all the caliber of his other works. Bridge of Sighs is one of my favorites of his. I started Paradox of Plenty though I’m not sure it’s a keeper. The forward is making me think it isn’t going to be a keeper. The data and science is already feeling like too much. 

use the crockpot more: 
meh. nope.  

seafood once a month: 
I devoured some salmon for a his/hers dinner night. We had caesar salad and topped mine with grilled salmon and his with grilled steak. This is a favorite quick meal for us. I’m sure it’ll come up again quickly.