Peachy Keen!

It's summer and across the nation we are in the thick of it.  It's hot, really hot and the thought of heating up the house with my oven is, needless to say, unappealing.  We have been using our new grill for just about everything lately, so when my Mom recently came over for a visit we decided to put something on the grill that screamed summer is here! My sister had sent over lemons and limes from her yard which were just beautiful and I couldn't wait to use in something.  Mom had come up with the idea to make chicken with peaches and a bit of a kick, so we sat, noodled it through and came up with this gem.  If something was swell around the Madigan house growing up according to my Dad, it was most definitely "Peachy Keen"! This chicken is not only healthy, it is delicious and easy, in a word it too is peachy keen!


Grilled Chicken with Peach and Jalapeno Salsa
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
Juice of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lime
1 11.3 fl. oz. can of peach nectar
2 large jalapenos
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs honey
1 chopped ripe peach

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Directions:

• Place marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth
• Place chicken in a dish and pour marinade over chicken breasts
• Place chicken in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to absorb all of the sweet and spicy flavor
• Heat up your grill or grill pan if you don't have a grill, and leave it on high for direct heat grilling.
• Place the breast on the hottest part of the grill and don’t touch them for about 7 or 8 minutes
• Lift the chicken breasts with tongs and flip them over and let them cook for an additional 7 or 8 minutes.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the grill and place on a plate. Top them with your tangy homemade peach salsa and enjoy!

Peach Salsa

Ingredients:
4 ripe peaches, slightly firm, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 large jalapenos. seeded and chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lime
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs. honey


Directions:

• Place all of your ingredients in a medium sized bowl, stir well to coat the peaches, jalapeno, onion and bell pepper with the honey, citrus and salt.
• Let stand in refrigerator for about 2 hours so that the flavors can mingle.

Mom with our finished product!

You Say Potato, I Say Dinner!

Potatoes and I go waaay back. I'm Irish so its kind of in my blood.  When I am in need of some yummy comfort food I definitely head for the potatoes.  My mom makes the best potato leak soup, frankly, my Mom makes the best everything, but her potato leak soup is to die for.  The last time I was in town she did something new, she asked if I wanted broccoli in it.  Broccoli in potato soup? Heck yes! I tried it and it was fantastic. That night after I finished dinner I headed down the long hall to my childhood bedroom and I crashed. It may have been some sort of potato soup induced food coma or the fact that I was in my old room in the house I grew up in, all I know is I was full and happy and I slept better than I have in quite some time.  I decided that I would make a batch of my own shortly after I returned to Arizona.  My mom uses chicken broth, which tastes amazing, but, I decided to opt for vegetable broth as I am on a vegetarian kick (yes, again).This recipe is super easy, really filling, totally comforting and absolutely delicious.  I hope you enjoy it!


Cheesy Potato Broccoli Soup
By: Vanessa Madigan

 

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
5 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quart vegetable broth (or chicken broth, your choice)
2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pepper
1 small head of broccoli, roughly chopped
cheddar cheese, to top



Directions:

• In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter.
• Add the chopped onions and cook until they are translucent.
• Add a tablespoon of salt and cook for about 2 more minutes.
•  Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the potatoes and the vegetable broth.
• Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
•  Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes. You should be able to easily poke them with a fork.
• Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender or hand mixer, until smooth and creamy. The consistency will be relatively thick.
• Stir in the heavy cream and additional salt and pepper. 
• Add your chopped broccoli and allow to cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes on low heat or until your broccoli is tender.
• Top with cheddar cheese and serve! 

Say Cheese! - Grilled Cheese Three Ways!

So one of the super cool hipsters that I work with just returned from Chicago and told me about a restaurant there that specializes in grilled cheese.  That's what they do, its called Cheesie's Pub & Grub (https://cheesieschicago.com/) and apparently its amazing.  She showed me the menu and I was inspired! I mean, really, what cant you do with grilled cheese.  Everyone loves an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich.  One of the most popular food trucks in the United States is The Grilled Cheese Truck (https://www.facebook.com/grilledcheesetruck) and people flock from all over Los Angeles to try there melted cheese and bread mini miracles.  Well, once again I dove into my fridge to see what I could come up with for my own variations on grilled cheese and this is what I came up with.  I'm happy with the results and so were my taste testers (two legged and four legged alike!).

Mexican Style Chorizo Grilled Cheese
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
1 sliced Roma tomato
1 chopped green onion
1 small avocados, sliced
5 oz. chorizo, cooked and drained
1 small jalapeno, sliced
cheddar cheese
lime juice
bread
butter

Dipping Sauce:
3 tbs. sour cream
3 tbs. of your favorite salsa or hot sauce

Directions:

• Lightly coat the sliced avocado with the lime juice
• Butter your bread on the outside
• Place all of your ingredients in between your two buttered slices and grill as usual.
• Mix your two items for the dipping sauce and enjoy!

The ingredients listed are for one sandwich.



Steakhouse Brie and Blue Grilled Cheese
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
.25-.40 lb. steak this could be leftovers from the night before or fresh. 
salt and pepper
Worcestershire sauce
mushrooms, sliced, about 8-10
butter
blue cheese, crumbled or sliced
brie cheese, sliced thinly
3 strips cooked, crisp bacon
bread

The ingredients listed are for one sandwich.

Directions:

• If using fresh steak, pan sear with salt, pepper and a dash of Worcestershire until you reach the desired doneness.
•  Sauté mushrooms in about 1 tbs. of the butter until caramelized and cooked.
• Prepare your sandwich bread buttering the outside of the bread and then layering your ingredients inside. It is best to start with the brie on the bottom.
• Grill and serve!

Pizzeria Grilled Cheese
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
sourdough bread, sliced
your favorite pizza toppings (I used pepperoni, mushrooms and bell pepper)
marinara sauce
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

The ingredients listed are for one sandwich.

Directions:

• In a small fry pan  sauté your pizza toppings (example: pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms) until they are warm and starting to brown just a bit.  They should look like they do on top of your pizza.
• Butter your sourdough bread on the outside and assemble your sandwich. Marinara first then cheese, toppings and cheese again. Grill and serve!
• Serve with a side of warm marinara for dipping!

I use a Breville Panini press to make my grilled cheese, it is an awesome gadget and worth every penny.  You can buy them at Williams-Sonoma or Sur la table. 

 

Thor hoping that this one is for him! Silly boy :)

So, What's Wrong With Hogo Boss? Nothing!

 

 

I will be the first to admit that this is not exactly authentic Mexican.  This here recipe is most definitely gringo Mexican and not only is that okay, its delicious!  Its easy to get caught up in world of authentic food snobbery,but, seriously people, life is too short to think that way. When I shop its all about how it looks, not the brand.  Ayman has a HOGO BOSS tuxedo that we bought in Cairo that beats the pants off of any Hugo Boss anything that I have ever seen. This enchilada recipe is the Hogo Boss of Mexican food and if I say so myself it too beats the pants off of many much more authentic enchiladas. It may be a knock off, but, its damn good and I know you'll love it!

 



Creamy Cheesy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Written, developed and tested by: Vanessa Madigan

 

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs shredded chicken, cooked
1 7oz can diced green chilies
1 8oz brick of cream cheese
2 serrano chilies, finely chopped
3 green onion, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
1 15oz can of corn
1 28oz can of green chili enchilada sauce
3 cups of shredded cheese
1 small can of sliced black olives
3 tomatoes, chopped (for garnish)
1 package medium sized flour tortillas


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a medium sized bowl, mix the shredded chicken, cream cheese, corn, seranno chilies, green onions, green chilies, and about 2 cups of the enchilada sauce.
• Pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
• Spoon the chicken filling into the flour tortillas and roll together rather tightly, placing each one in the baking dish seam down.  Continue until the baking dish is full, it should be about 8 enchiladas total, but may vary due to the size of your pan and the amount of filling in each enchilada.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and finish by sprinkling your cheese on the top.
• Bake at 350 for about 1/2 an hour.  Remove from oven when cheese is melted and the pan is bubbling, garnish with fresh tomato, black olive and green onion and serve!

Creamy Cheesy Chickeny Deliciousness!

The Left Over Throw Together Tastes Good Side Dish!

So, I work.  I may not have kids but I work a full time job, take care of 2 ginormous German shepherds, maintain the house and work on having a good relationship with Ayman.  Seriously, I don't have a ton of time after I get home at 6:30 to prepare the quintessential meal.  In most cases it's a mad dash to the fridge to see what I can throw together that will satisfy the hungry Egyptian and wont take hours.  This is one of those concoctions.
This is a ridiculously easy, throw together side dish that you can basically add anything to. It is a collector of left overs.  Do you have some left over ham in the fridge, some tomatoes that are about to go south or in my case, a few strips of bacon that need to be eaten? Throw 'em in!  As always I like to top our with something a little zesty, in this case it is jalapeno sauce.  I hope you enjoy it!




French Fry Casserole
By: Vanessa Madigan

 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

3 lg eggs

3 cups milk

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese

2 serrano chilies, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 lb bag of french fries thawed and broken up a bit.

Salt and Pepper 

2 tsp butter

 

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a large baking dish with the butter
• Fry your bacon until it is crispy, set aside on a paper towel to drain.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk your milk and eggs together, add the french fries, serrano chilies, onion and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and mix together well.
• Empty contents of bowl into your prepared baking dish and bake for about one hour.   The top should be golden brown and the cheese and egg mixture should rise a bit and set up.
• Remove from oven when done and serve.  We top ours with jalapeno sauce (a recipe from the previous blog on Sonoran Hot Dogs), but,  top with any salsa or ketchup that stikes your fancy!

The French Fry Casserole hot out of the oven!

 

 

 

 

The finished product, with jalepeno sauce, of course! 

Shake, Shake, Shake Sonora!

A hot dog wrapped in bacon is nothing new to any of us who grew up in Southern California.  I cannot count how many tipsy evenings I spent in Tijuana eating bacon wrapped hot dogs from random street vendors in a desperate attempt to sober up before I headed back across the border.  But, this is something different, something very Arizona.  This is the Sonoran Hot Dog!  This spicy, mouth watering pork wrapped wonder is native to Arizona and chances are you wont find it anywhere else.  There are small restaurants in Phoenix that serve it, but, it's origins are in Tucson.   There are so many things to love about this great state and this is most certainly one of them.  The recipe is crazy easy and the flavors it packs are B.I.G.  I would like to present to you a recipe for the amazing Sonoran Hot Dog.  The mayonnaise is part of a traditional Sonoran hot dog and so is the butter, so don't skimp, just do it!  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

Sonoran Hot Dog
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
1 avocado, cubed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
jalapeno sauce (recipe is below)
mayonnaise
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained, rinsed and warm
hot dog buns or bolillo rolls
3 tbs butter
6 hot dogs
6 slices of bacon


Directions:

• Wrap your hot dogs in one strip of bacon.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet or on a griddle and place your bacon wrapped hot dogs on the skillet.   Cook until brown and slightly crispy.
• Toast your hot dog buns.
• When the buns are golden brown, assemble your hot dogs.  Pinto beans first, then jalapeno sauce, tomato, onion, avocado and finally the mayonnaise.

The hot dogs wrapped in bacon

Sonoran desert goodness

Jalapeno Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
12 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt


Directions:

• Place the onion in a medium skillet over medium high heat and cook until translucent and golden, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer, make sure the garlic doesnt burn. Set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the jalapenos to the hot skillet and cook until the jalapenos are soft and begining to char, add the lime juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and cook until the jalapeños are tender.
• Transfer the jalapeno mixture and the onions and garlic to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Meatless Funday!

Meatless Monday is big right now.  In our house we have cut down on our meat consumption quite a bit for diet, health and ethical issues.  Don't worry  I'm not going to get on my anti-factory farming soap box (although as we all know, it is a great thing to buy local and from small farms and ranches).  Anyway, salads get boring and I don't know about you but I need to feel satisfied and want to have some substance to my salad.  So, I said to myself, what could I add to my salad to make it hearty but keep it meat free.  I went to my pantry and low and behold there was a box of falafel mix staring me in the face! Hooray! For those of you to whom Falafel is something new, here a quick definition of Falafel;  Falafel      (فلافل‎) is a fried ball or patty made from groundchickpeas, fava beans or both. Falafel is a traditional Arab food, usually served in flat bread.  Got it? Good! This is an easy, healthy salad that is packed with flavors and will leave you satisfied!  So embrace meatless Monday, if not for ethical reasons then do it for your health and your budget!




Falafel Salad with Jalapeno Tzatziki
Written, developed and tested by: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
1 bag baby greens
1 box of Falafel mix
2 avocados, sliced
2 tomatos, sliced
jalapeno tzatziki (recipe below)
the juice of one lemon
salt
pepper


Directions:

• Prepare the jalapeno tzatziki in advance using the directions below.
• Prepare the falafel according to the instructions on the package, set aside to drain.
• Stack your salad starting with falafel, tzatziki, avocado, tomato, lettuce and repeat.  Dress with the lemon juice, salt and pepper

Jalapeno Tzatziki
Written, developed and tested by: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:

2 lb Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Cups Cucumber, finely chopped

2 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp White Wine Vinegar

2 jalapenos, chopped and seeded

1 Clove of Garlic, crushed

Directions:

• Take your chopped cucumber and place in a fine strainer with the 2 tsp of salt, let them sit for about 1/2 of an hour so that much of the liquid drains from the cucumber.
• While the cucumber is draining, take your yogurt and place it in cheese cloth in a colander or strainer to help drain off the excess liquid. If you do not have cheese cloth you can put the yogurt directly into the colander, the yogurt should be pretty firm and you wont lose much through the holes.
• When your cucumber is drained, place it in a medium sized bowl with the  jalapeno, olive oil and garlic, stir well.
• Add your drained yogurt to the cucumber mixture and stir well, season with salt to taste.
• Refrigerate for about an hour and serve with your favorite pita, burger or whatever!

This is the brand that I use, but you can find Falafel mix down the "international" aisle of any grocery store.  It is usually located somewhere between the kosher food and the kim chee!

Go Fish! (Sandwich)

I once had someone very dear to me tell me that sandwiches were the perfect food.  I might have to agree.  They are filling, tasty and the combinations are unlimited.  There are an almost infinite amount of combinations of fillings you can put between two slices of your favorite bread.  I mean seriously, two of America's greatest contributions to popular culture are known for their love of sandwiches.  Elvis loved his peanut butter, banana and bacon (hard to disagree with that) and more importantly in my life, so did Boss Hogg.  Man, oh, man do I love The Dukes of  Hazzard.  Anyway, this sandwich is packed with all of the health benefits of avocado, tuna and peppers.  It is a terrific topper for salad, alone or in a sandwich.  You definitely wont miss the mayo with this healthy, tasty replacement. 
"Too few people understand a really good sanwich" -James Beard


Spicy Tuna Avocado Melt
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
1 can tuna in water
1 small avocado, seeded and cubed
juice of 1\2 lemon
salt
pepper
2 green onions
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
4 slices of pepper jack cheese
4 slices of your favorite bread
olive oil


Directions:

• To a small bowl, add your avocado and lemon.  Season with salt and pepper and smash with a fork until the avocado in very well mashed.
• Add your tuna to the avocado mixture and blend very well with your fork.
• Finally, add the green onion and jalapeno and mix together.
• Assemble your sandwich, bread then tuna and finally two slices of pepper jack cheese.  Top with your final piece of bread and then brush the outside of both the top and bottom slices with olive oil.
• Place the sandwich on a panini press or hot skillet to toast until golden brown and enjoy!

The Tuna Salad before the melty goodness

Grilled to crunchy perfection

It's Greek To Me!

I love to travel and I'm hoping my next major trip will take me to the Mediterranean, in particular, Greece.  How amazing would that be, aside from the rioting and collapsing economy.  I love Greek food and make it a point to visit every Greek town, in every major city I can. I spend a huge chunk of all of my trips to Chicago in Greek Town.  Seriously, they fry their cheese! You know in your heart of hearts, it just doesn't get any better than that!  So, when I plan dinners I love to plan things that will bring those memories of adventures and travels back. These are a couple of really simple recipes.  The orzo recipe is very traditional, but instead of a tomato sauce, I like to use diced tomatoes just to add a bit of freshness and texture.  The chicken is super easy and not traditional at all, but, it still brings all of those yummy Greek flavors to your palate.  I love this dinner, super easy, fast and delicious!

Stuffed Greek Chicken

Written, developed and tested by: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 green onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1\4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1\4 cup crumbled feta
Greek seasoning


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Pound chicken breasts flat using a meat hammer, or mallet. Be careful not to tear the meat.
• In a small bowl, mix the tomato, onion, jalapeno, olives and feta.
• Lay each chicken breast flat and place several tablespoons of the filling in the center.
• Wrap the chicken around the filling and seal using toothpicks.  Be careful placing the toothpicks and don't use too many, you will want to remove all of these before serving.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large baking dish and sprinkle liberally with the Greek seasoning on all sides.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 or until done.
• Serve and enjoy!

Orzo with Tomato and Feta
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:

3 tbs olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced or chopped
2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 lb. of orzo
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Crumbled feta cheese to garnish
water


Directions:

• In a large pan (stock pot, braiser, or dutch oven) heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until translucent.
• Add the diced tomatoes and simmer with the garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the orzo and stir.  Fill one of the diced tomato cans with water and add to the tomato mixture, do this 3 times.  Add the salt and pepper.
• Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for about 1/2 an hour or until the orzo has absorbed the water and its tender.
• Top with feta and serve!

Whats Old Is New Again!

I know that I have made my love of old cookbooks, and all cookbooks for that matter, known.  I have made many trips in many cities to old, musty thrift stores and second hand book sellers in search of funky and fabulous old cookbooks.  I am thankful to have a family that totally supports me in my quest and always amazes and surprises me by feeding my habit and giving me new (old) cookbooks.  I really do have and awesome family, no joke.  Just a bit off topic, as a "get well soon" gift my dad just sent me a 1966 copy of Larousse Gastronomique and the first American edition to boot! So anyway, I truly share a love of cookbooks with others in my family, in particular my Aunt Melinda.  The woman has a killer collection of cookbooks, it really is an impressive collection and one that I aspire to.  On one trip to the bay area to see her she gave me the "Time-Life Foods of the World" series of books (she had two sets, now do you see?! It's genetic) they were printed in 1969 and are so ridiculously cool.  They are wire bound and the slightly yellowing pages are filled with recipes that you have not only never heard of but would also probably never, ever try.  The Scandinavian book is filled with recipes for pickled fish, not exactly my cup of tea, but cool none the less.  While flipping through The Cooking of India book one night (yes, I read cookbooks in bed like they are friggen mysteries) I stumbled upon a recipe for Nargesi Kofta (ground lamb meatballs filled with hard-cooked eggs) and thought to myself, this may be the grossest thing ever or the most awesome thing ever.  So, clearly, the next day I went out and purchased my groceries and made it and it was....AWESOME!  Over the last few years, I have adapted the recipe to be a little more user friendly and made it my own.  Today, I am really excited to share that recipe with you.  It may seem strange but it is completely wonderful and delicious!




Indian meatballs stuffed with egg
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
1 lb finely ground beef or lamb
1 raw egg
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup chick-pea flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying

For the tomato sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large yellow onions, very finely chopped
1 Tbs ground ginger
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup plain, unflavored yogurt
1 Tbs. garam masala
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp salt
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (coriander)

Directions:

• Mix your ground beef, raw egg, chick-pea flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp cumin in a bowl.  You will want to mix it well to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
• Next you will divide your ground meat into 6 equally sized meatballs, once you have all 6 take the palm of your hand and flatten each one into a disc.
• Place a hard boiled egg in the center of each disc and using your hands fold the meat around the egg so that it is completely encased in the meat.  You should now have somewhat egg shaped meatballs.
• Pour the 3 cups of vegetable oil into a large skillet heat it to about 375 degrees. Deep fry your meatballs until they are a beautiful rich brown in color, this will be about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  When each meatball is done, remove it from the oil and set it on a paper towel to drain.
• Next you will make your tomato sauce.  In a large saute pan or deep skillet heat the 1/2 cup olive oil, add your very finely chopped onions and cook them until they are translucent.  Add the tomato puree to the olive oil and then the diced tomatoes. Stir the mixture well.
• Add the ginger, garlic and yogurt to the tomato and onion sauce continually stirring to combine well. Finally, add the garam masala, tumeric, red pepper and the salt.  Simmer your mixture, stirring often for about 10 minutes.
• Now, you will return your meatballs to the tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with the cilantro cover and cook over medium heat for and additional 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the meatballs are heated through.
• Serve your meatballs covered in sauce and enjoy!  They go really great with fresh warm naan bread, just sayin!

Some of my old cookbooks!  This set is really wonderful, fun and inspiring.  Seriously, don't be afraid of funky old cookbooks, you might just learn something new!!