Balsamic Chicken Pizza

It is Friday! That means pizza night!! Well, I think it does for some people. That wasn’t really a thing growing up at my house, but I wouldn’t be sad to have pizza weekly. Friday normally means takeout & DVR which is pretty awesome to me.

This pizza started with some leftover grilled chicken. I figured we’d use it on salad or it could become burrito filling or whatever. It alllmost became my regular BBQ chicken pizza, but I’ve made several BBQ pizza variations before as a doughy BBQ pizza and as a bubble up BBQ one. The chicken would also have been good as this pizza with pesto, ricotta, and red peppers.

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Ingredients:

pizza dough
3/4 cup marinara sauce
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 marinated grilled chicken breasts
1 large tomato, sliced
6 oz fontina cheese, cut into chunks
10 sprigs of asparagus, cut into 3rds or 4ths
balsamic reduction (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven and pizza stone (if using one) to 400 degrees.
Spread pizza dough onto pizza stone, poke a few holes with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with marinara, mozzarella, tomato slices, chicken, and chunks of fontina.
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Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with asparagus.
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Let sit for 5 minutes.
Drizzle balsamic reduction on top.
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Slice and enjoy!
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I didn’t listen to my own advice to let it sit for 5 minutes. Cheese tries to jump ship if you don’t give it a second to let it sit. Look how oozy that cheese is!

The pizza has a fresh feeling from the tomatoes and super thin asparagus yet decadent from the abundance of cheeses and chicken. The balsamic reduction is just what this pizza needs. It is sweet but tangy and it ties all the toppings together.

The leftover chicken made the assembly pretty quick. If the asparagus had been thicker I might have roasted it while the dough was pre-cooking. I wanted to shave it, but it was seriously so thin. I reduce balsamic vinegar occasionally. It lasts awhile and becomes delightfully thick and sweet.

Dinner in Paris to Feel Like a Local

Dining in Paris is priiiicy. I know we’d only be in Paris this time, but I still wouldn’t really enjoy a meal that would affect my ability to grocery shop and eat future meals. Maybe that is dramatic, but seriously, I didn’t want to break the bank. Twenty dollar dinners make adding wine and dessert gentler on the wallet. (Check out our first dinner there! and this is a fast-forward a few days later.)

It was kind of cold and rainy so I wanted something cozy and warm that included French wine. We found a super cute neighborhoody kind of place that felt like we were locals.

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I got the cassoulet and loooved it. Dunking baguette hunks into the salty broth while sipping some wine was just what I envisioned. It was meaty and salty and perfect with the red wine.
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The bacon was salty and the beans were the perfect consistency. There was pork sausage annnnd a duck leg. This is serious comfort food. It was also HUGE. Check out the dish compared to the fork. There was so much in there.

Mr. J got beef with roquefort sauce. He loves blue cheeses and definitely loves sauces. He thought the beef was good and the potatoes were an interesting in-between a chip and a potato slice. The beef was supposed to be medium rare. I don’t know that medium should have been in there…it was rare, for sure. I nabbed some green beans from his plate since I my dish was bean & meat focused.
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We were super full. My meal was quite salty and something sweet seemed like the perfect end to the meal. The menu had us at creme brulee.
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We love creme brulee and had it on the menu for a rehearsal dinner dessert option so it seemed quite fitting on our anniversary trip. Also, it is definitely not something we can make at home. It was creamy and the perfect sharing size.

Now, onward to Prague (with some recipes coming along too).

Cake Bombs

Way back when, I wanted to experiment with some cake pops. I somehow convinced myself that I could get away without dipping them in chocolate. I know, you get it. It’s such a mess and a process, right? Right.

Also, I’m not really a baker either. These cake bombs are a twist on cake pops and are about 90% successful. They taste amazing. Nobody minds that the mess is sprinkles because hello, they’re sprinkles.

Ingredients:

boxed chocolate cake mix (and required ingredients)
16 oz chocolate frosting
mini chocolate chips & sprinkles

Directions:

Cook cake according to package.
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Mix cake mix and frosting together.
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Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Roll into balls then dip in chocolate or roll in mini chips and sprinkles.
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Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
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They’re easy and I served them in cupcake wrappers. They give the impression of a truffle and taste pretty amazing. I’m glad I didn’t buy sticks just to make the mess to dip them in chocolate.

Lunching on the Go in Paris

Mr. J and I know how to pack in all the sites when on vacay. I’m glad we got to see so much of Paris but also weren’t at whirlwind speed. We tend to have slower more thought out dinners so lunch just depended where we were. These 2 were the most memorable lunches.

I love trying local drinks and snacks that we don’t have here. Europe totally gets the best Schweppes. Agrum is a citrus blend one that is ahhh-mazing. This one seemed really pink grapefruity to me. It was delicious. I got obsessed with a bitter lemon one in Croatia a few years ago. Sis even found me some online!
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We stopped at a tiny place (and ordered completely in French!). It was perfect and gave us a little break from the rain to refuel and keep going. It also was quite the bargain which is hard to find in Paris.

I got a croque monsieur. The French totally know how to do grilled ham & cheese better than we do. So good. I love the soft cheese spread on top with shredded cheese melted on top of that!
paris_lunch_croque_590_390Think bread, cheese, ham, bread, cheese, cheese….and they’re not afraid of butter.

Mr. J got a baguette sandwich. I don’t remember what was in it, but he loved it. It was just what he envisioned.
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Then on the last day in Paris, before we flew to Prague, we ate crepes…on the champs-elysees. How unbelievable is that? I think this is my most iconic meal ever. They came off a cute little car thing converted into a creperie.
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We got 2 to share. One was savory with turkey & gruyere and the sweet one had nutella. Then we decided maybe we needed a croissant and pain au chocolat for the flight.
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When in Paris, right? Next we head to Prague!

September in Review

Did you miss me? I have been gone for the last seven weekends so I need some slack. I’m home now! I was most recently off galavanting in San Francisco. By galavanting, I mean working 18 hour days often talking about portable toilets. I do love SF though. It is so beautiful in September.

I traveled a lot lately. My fam went to the Cape for a long weekend for some beach time, nightly ice cream, and family fun. Lobster mac & cheese on a patio doesn’t hurt either.
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We also went to NYC for a friends weekend. There was a picnic in Central Park, a beer tasting, cupcakes, NY bagels, and a chance to see some favorites all together. It was great.
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I was in Santa Barbara too. I got to work at the polo club all weekend under the Cali sun. Then the best trip came! It was finally time for Paris & Prague!
france_1stnight_eiffel_390_590We ate delicious food…and there’s more to share. I had duck confit and now somebody might like wine #servethehubbysomewine Love. it.
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I haven’t gotten through much of Paris so stay tuned. Then comes Prague!

I got a new job!!! That’s the most exciting news this month. I cannot get over the amazing outpouring of support, how many FB likes, and the amazing comments I’ve gotten from across the country from colleagues, the sweet words from vendors, and volunteers offering to have me on their teams! I start next week. Eeek!

here’s some of my fav food posts this month:
Greek Pasta Salad
Back To School Potluck
BBQ Bubble Up Pizza
Bacon & Cheese Panini with Peach Compote
Brunch at Redd’s in Rozzie

 

Stay tuned! I have some fall dishes in mind after apple picking this weekend! There’s a guest post coming and LOTS more travel posts to come!

Coconut Milk Smoothie

I have many more vacay meals to share but I’m trying to space ’em out so I don’t lose all my readership on the same day. See that? I’m keeping ya on your toes. You don’t know if you’ll get something delicious or if you’ll just have to endure my delicious European adventure. I’m back to Cali for another event (last one!!!) so a smoothie seems timely for today.

Just add mango and coconut to my smoothie and poof! I think I’m in the Caribbean. I made a smoothie adding coconut, then I saw that Chobani had a new coconut yogurt and I was thinking about coconut milk and it all came together.

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Ingredients:

6 oz coconut Greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup frozen peaches (or strawberries)
½ cup coconut Almond milk

Directions:

Assemble
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blend & enjoy.
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I wondered if buying a half gallon carton of almond milk with only smoothies in mind was a waste of money. Mr. J ended up liking it on it’s own and it stays good for longer than regular milk. I also froze some into cubes before one of my trips when I didn’t think it would be used.

We used to drink soy milk occasionally in cereal. I’m not a milk drinker but soy & almond is not the same in cooking, baking, or even drinking it straight. I think they’re great options (higher protein, higher calcium sometimes, lower fat contents, etc). I don’t envision this coconut milk is a flavor anyone wants regularly, but it was so great in smoothies.

First Evening in Paris

I hope you like French food, because I have quite a few meals to share from my European adventure. A lot. I think some people might shy away or think they aren’t into French food. What’s not to like?  I mean, there’s lots of cheese, flavorful sauces, and it is the cooking base of techniques for so many chefs. I appreciate their use of butter and all the wine. Maybe the thought is that French cuisine is stuffy and super formal. It is expensive and meals are pretty leisurely but the food is soooo good and not all the crazy-out-of-the-box from items on menus everywhere.

I got a few recommendations before we left for the anniversary trip but we really ended up seeing what we could find once we were there depending on our timing and where we were when we got hungry. Getting a lay of the land was helpful for restaurant hunting without breaking the budget.
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We arrived early morning and quickly went to see the Eiffel & Arc de Triomphe & Champs d’Elysees, etc. Jet lag caught up with us and we crashed late afternoon. Then we were rejuvenated and seeking dinner. We went to Bouillon Chartier after debating if it would be touristy or not. We decided it was not.
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It was amazing. So cute and we loved every bite. It is tucked off the street and had a line of what seemed like native French-speakers. I took that as a good sign! I ordered completely in French and was quite proud of myself. I was able to ask if one of the wines listed would be enough for two of us. The server said yes. Turns out, it was a bottle. Oops. Metrics got me on that one! Mr. J discovered maybe he does like wine better than he thought. It was really great to share a bottle while indulging in a seemingly never-ending basket of bread.
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I got the duck confit. I mean, come on. When in Paris! It was so good, and nothing I ever get at home. It was juicy and rich and perfect with some red wine.
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Mr. J went with the steak frites which was a great intro into French restaurant cuisine!
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It was a hopping spot. The line moved quickly and everyone willingly accepted the terms of the restaurant. They seat you and you may have others at your table. It isn’t quite communal, but there’s not much separation. The inside is bustling and the turnover is quick, though nobody seemed rushed. There is a sheet of paper on top of the table cloth where they write down your order. Later when you’re done, they add it up from the notes scribbled down.
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It was a really fun first meal and we each were thoroughly pleased with our meals. It was a nice spot, the wine was divine, and it was wallet friendly while enjoying classic dishes. Loved it.

Life Update

I started this blog what seems like forever ago. My camera, kitchen, and marital status have all changed. My role at work changed but the place of employment hasn’t changed…until now!  I’m about to embark on a new journey at a new job. Get excited!

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Photo Credit: A Ciordila (creative commons)

I didn’t share until it was official, and it was a process so I didn’t want to spill the beans! I also want this to be my happy place. Along the job hunt I didn’t want you to have to share in all my frustrations every minute I had them, also because food & meals are MY happy place. So when things are going bananas I still want to make dinner. I want to make something out of nothing even on the most stressful of days. I love controlling what I can control and sharing meals with you all.

I’m proud of what I’ve done and who I was during everything. I can be content that I made choices and did what I enjoyed for a while. It was my time. I’ll miss so many people I grew really close with and I think back to all I learned and really skilled folks I learned from.

I’m beyond thrilled to start somewhere new. I forget what it feels like to be a newbie, but I’m ready. I can’t wait! I got to celebrate over champagne in Paris. How lucky am I?!?!

Greek Pasta Salad

Before I get to any Parisian treats or Czech delights, I have a weekend trip to Maine and I’m prepping for San Fran. I unpack to repack. I wanted to share a Greek inspired dish with you. This is a quick meal that I knew would include leftovers and would use tomatoes from our garden.

I settled on a Greek inspired pasta salad. It would be super easy to customize too. We ate this as a meal served with some hummus & pita chips, but I’ll have to keep it in mind for the next BBQ.
The Three Bite Rule - Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

⅔ pound of pasta (I used our fav shape Campanelle)
1 cup Greek salad dressing
1 large tomato
½ cucumber
½ cup creamy Caesar dressing (optional)
Salt & pepper
1 tsp oregano (or basil)
⅓ cup feta

Directions:

(to be partially made/prepped the night before)
Boil pasta in a very large pot of salted boiling water.
Cook pasta through to your liking (for pasta salad, I think it is better a touch past al dente). Drain pasta and transfer pasta to a large bowl or container that can be covered.
When pasta cools a bit to room temperature, mix most of the Greek dressing over the pasta.
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Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
The next day, mix pasta and chop tomatoes, cucumbers, and dice red onions.
The Three bite Rule - Greek Pasta Salad
Mix veggies into the pasta and mix in creamy Caesar dressing. Add salt, pepper, and oregano. Refrigerate until serving.
Sprinkle feta over the top and serve.
The Three Bite Rule - Greek Pasta Salad

I loved this. Greek flavors are some of my favorites. I never think of pasta in the summer but why not a cool pasta. This is salad minus the lettuce! It is filling and flavorful. The creamy Caesar dressing was something I had, but could easily be omitted.

Pasta salad is really lackluster if it isn’t made in advance enough. I set a timer and went about the rest of my evening while the water was boiling and while the pasta cooked. Prep the night before or it’ll be a let down. It would be easy enough to throw together in the morning before heading off to work too.
The Three Bite Rule - Greek Pasta Salad

I don’t do olives, but they would be a great addition for some Greek-ness. Grilled chicken, artichokes, chopped/shaved asparagus, sausage, mushrooms, or chopped spinach would be lovely as well. This is the summer equivalent of a one-pot-wonder.

Green Smoothie

I did it. I mean, in my defense, what kind of food blogger would I be if I didn’t give a green smoothie a shot and get on that bandwagon finally?
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I’ve snuck some spinach into a smoothie before, but I did it with blueberries which hide the green-ness. I think this is more about the color and texture than about the flavor. Let’s be real: raw spinach blended doesn’t give off any huge aggressive flavor. It seems about time to blog about a green smoothie, with spinach, and avocado.

Ingredients:

1 green apple
2 cups fresh spinach
1 small avocado (or ½ of a regular avocado)
1/2 banana, frozen
6 oz greek yogurt
1 tbs honey
⅓ cup milk

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Green Smoothie

I liked this green smoothie a lot. It wasn’t as sludge seeming as I’ve heard the green juiced drinks are. I didn’t include any parsley or lemon which bottled green ones often have.

I didn’t feel like I was doing a cleanse detoxing. That scares the beejesus out of me. Do you know people who’ve done it? Bahhh. Yikes. Eeeek. I can’t imagine. I like the idea of detoxing off overly processed foods or striving for as many raw/whole/real foods. I’d rather try to eat more veggies or really, anything other than all liquids.

This smoothie isn’t exactly going to detox you, but the yogurt makes it come together and the milk & honey make it slightly sweet and drink-able. The apple & banana are both sweet and the spinach and avocado are kind of neutral to me. It is for sure a good way to get some more veggies into your day. That’s a plus for everyone.
The Three Bite Rule - Green Smoothie

Avocado – good for fiber & good fat
Spinach – barely any calories, more vitamin A than your usual bfast
Apple – upps your vitamin C & fiber
Banana – Potassium is ideal after an intense workout, or after an evening of drinks.
Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt has about 2x – 3x the protein of regular yogurt and wayyy more protein than just milk would give you, making this smoothie be filling enough for a meal. It’ll help get to your calcium daily suggested amount.

All that being said, I’d do it again. Do I want to juice green things? No thanks.