Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Tomato Salad

This is another Real Simple recipe that I tweaked…and it was great AND easy AND quick - the trifecta of my cooking technique!

Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Tomato Mozzarella Salad

1 6.5-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (I also fudged this a little - I just poured in what I thought looked right - probably closer to 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (I omitted this because I was in a hurry and didn’t have thyme - Hardy Har)
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Grape, cherry, or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces.  Really you can use any tomatoes - this is a summer standby for me and I particularly love it with heirloom cherry tomatoes, but that makes it one expensive side dish!
1 fresh mozzarella ball, cut into bite-size pieces

8 baguette slices, toasted (optional) (We served this on the side and buttered)

Mix the artichokes, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of the thyme in a small bowl.

Cut a 2-inch pocket in the thickest part of each chicken breast - I was able to stuff the mixture in the “pocket” created by  the natural separation of the chicken breast. Stuff a quarter of the artichoke mixture into each pocket. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium. Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side.  I put a lid on over the chicken because I’m paranoid about cooking chicken properly, and it actually turned out just slightly overdone - try covering the pan just half of the time per side to keep it hot and moist, but not overdoing it.  I used tongs AND a spatula when turning the chicken in order to keep the stuffing inside the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, put the tomato and mozzarella in a large mixing bowl and give it a few turns of olive oil and a  healthy splash of salt.  Mix this together - it’s easiest to use your hands to turn the salad, but you’ll get olive oil all over them, so have a sink and soap nearby and working!  If the tomatoes were room temperature when you prepared them, put the salad in the fridge while your chicken finishes cooking just to make it a little cool - not cold!

I was actually surprised how good this chicken was.  It’s pretty healthy (actually listed as “heart healthy” in Real Simple, although they didn’t make their tomato salad with mozzarella…whatever, Dude.)  The flavor was awesome and it’s on the “favorites” list at home!

Vinoteca

On our last night before Jack arrived, Brian surprised me with a visit to Vinoteca, a cool wine bar with a pretty great menu.

Vinoteca

The setting:
We were surprised when we walked in - we expected something more along the lines of Veritas with muted lighting and muted colors, and instead it seems more like a neighborhood cafe/diner.  The floors or walls desperately need something to absorb the sound; we were barely able to hear each other talk and the restaurant was only around half full. 

The service:
Our waitress was very nice, although I wouldn’t think her out of the ordinary.  They were out of what I originally ordered and it took a while to hear back and then my order was misheard.  (To be fair, I asked what the woman at the table next to us was eating and said it looked great but then ordered something else - I got what the woman next to me had).  

The food:
I was pleasantly surprised by how great the menu was!  It was really reasonable, and the mix of affordable charcuterie, cheeses, and small plates meant I got a good taste of everything - and the selections were great!   Brian and I both ordered the scallops, which were served with bacon (mmm…bacon) and a wonderful green sauce.  The scallops were served already cut into more manageable pieces, making it seem like a full meal, even though there were only 3 full scallops.

The wine list is also pretty great.  Brian really enjoyed a baby Barbera and I loved my glass of Greysac Medoc  (which I had recently read about in Julie & Julia).  This would be an excellent place to try some smaller pours of a few varietals while enjoying some charcuterie.

Best for: A fun night to try some new vino.

Worst for: A romantic date - a fun date, yes, but this isn’t the place to whisper sweet nothings in candlelight.

Dear Au Bon Pain…

ABP, I’ve had enough!  You tout your “Portions”menu, but those portions are so small no wonder they’re not full of fat and calories!  Are they aimed at the gastric bypass crowd?

And then, the wraps.  I’ve been sticking to the Turkey Cobb Wrap recently, but thought I’d go for something a little more old school today and get a sandwich: the Smoked Turkey Club has 43 grams of fat at 780 calories.  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!  Instead I went with the “healthier” wrap (31 grams of fat and 620 calories), which fell apart completely. And…it wasn’t very good.

 

I think I’m giving up on you, Au Bon Pain.

Peacock Cafe

This was the first monthly anniversary Brian and I have had together for 3 months.  Yes, we still celebrate every month…schmoopyschmoopyschmoopy.  We had a dance lesson at the French Embassy and then a late dinner at Peacock Cafe.

Peacock Cafe

The setting:
I couldn’t help but thinking as I looked out on the brick patio surrounded by ivy-covered walls and candles: what a beautiful place for a small wedding reception.  The space is really lovely - swanky inside with great lighting and sleek seating, and a bar that runs half the length of the long restaurant.

The service:
We were probably the last table seated that night for dinner, but the service was still friendly and accommodating, and we only had to flag our server down for more Sweet ‘n Low once.  Never mind that he refilled my water on my shoe, accidents happen at 10:30 on a Wednesday night.

The food:
Brian and I went for the price fixe option for $35 each - actually a pretty good deal!  I had a rose glass of champagne and a Caprese salad (although why is it so odd to ask for it without Balsamic vinegar?), and then lamb shank for dinner.  Both were good, nothing fabulous, but then dessert: creme brulee and cappuccino.  Both were absolutely delicious and Brian and I agreed coming back for just that would be the perfect wrap-up to an evening.

If you’re in Georgetown and need somewhere to impress - make your way to Peacock Cafe.

Best for: A romantic dessert and coffee in swanky Georgetown.

Worst for: A cheap, quick bite pre-movie showtime.

Cruisin’

Brian and I went on a little vacay…okay, a big vacay!  We went on a week-long Caribbean cruise to Coco Cay in the Bahamas, St. Thomas USVI, and St. Maarten D/FVI.  As you know, one of the main draws of a cruise for a lot of people is the food: the endless, boundless gluttony of food. 

So here it is: a week’s worth of cruise ship dinners:

Sunday
Caesar salad.
“Pan-seared” pork medallions with mushroom “ragout” and (nutmeg) mashed potatoes.  And a broccoli.
Low-fat blueberry and peach cobbler with gratis ice cream.
The Caesar salad was pretty good, but my “pan-seared” pork was a little closer to lightly browned and
finished with 400 other pork loins in the massive ship oven.  The mushroom “ragout” was cream of mushroom - they weren’t fooling anyone.  And nutmeg in mashed potatoes…in May…in the Caribbean…was a little off-putting, as was the one limp stalk of broccoli bravely staked out in it’s green stamp.  The low-fat (a description that was emphasized ad nasuem) blueberry and peach cobbler was probably my second favorite dessert of the entire trip, although the added scoop of vanilla ice cream certainly negated any healthful properties that dessert possessed.

Monday
Shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque.
“Filet” of beef with mashed potatoes and 2 mushroom caps.
Grand Marnier/Amaretto souffle with “enough” sauce.
Formal night: creme de la creme.  And I loves me some shrimp cocktail.  And thank God our server (who was already beginning to grate at this point) had the sense NOT to dump the cocktail sauce all over my shrimp, but gave me a glop on the plate beside the shrimp.  And what is it with these people and the nutmeg?  Although it added a nice kick to the bisque. I was looking forward to the filet of beef: the nicely caramelized outside you cut through to a warm and deliciously tender center.  Except this filet was 2 SLICES from a hunk of meat, meaning minimal caramelized outside goodness.  Le sigh.  I also happen to love a souffle, although our waiter seemed to think Grand Marnier and Amaretto were the same things…and proceeded to give me two scoops of sauce, because when
I asked him to stop at one he thought it wasn’t enough.

Tuesday
Risotto with scallops, Caprese salad.
Lamb shank with mashed potatoes, diced potatoes, carrots and celery.
Warm chocolate cake accompanied by a strawberry sundae. 
The risotto was good - but my scallops are better. The Caprese salad was good because Caprese salad is just good.  The entree was also good, but I happen to love lamb and mashed potatoes (sans nutmeg).  And dessert was…meh.  And you can guess why the cake came with a scoop of strawberry ice cream smothered in sugary strawberries.  Because chocolate cake clearly screams for a strawberry sundae accompaniment instead of something like, say, VANILLA ice cream (which is what I asked for, but it was revealed that our server didn’t care to go to the kitchen to get it and just so happened to have the makings of a strawberry sundae nearby.)

Wednesday
Chops night!
Caesar salad spears and a shrimp and crab cake.
6 oz filet with baked potato, creamed spinach, and sauteed mushrooms.
Croissant bread pudding.
The food was clearly the best this night, with the service matching.  I loved the presentation of the Caesar salad spears: long romaine lettuce leaves topped with the dressing, croutons, and cheese.  The filet was fantastic, the sides great, and dessert fabulous!

Thursday
Spinach salad and a crab cake.
Pork loin.
Sugar-free fruit “pillow.”
The crab cake was described perfectly by our table-mate, Diane as “deviled” crab cakes - exactly what they were.  The pork loin was actually pretty good, although the fruit “pillows” totally and completely lame.

Friday
Mushroom puff pastry and Caesar salad.
Lobster.
Another formal night, this time with lobsters (which, incidentally, I just read a hilarious anecdote about in the book Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously.  This book is a food blogger’s hidden dream come true.)  It must be said: this was maybe the worst food of the trip.  You can’t impress me by just flinging down a lobster tail.  I’m not going to ignore the tasteless ice cream scoop mound of rice, underdone broccoli, and blanched baby carrots because you taunt me with a crustaceous vehicle for butter.  At least bring me a baked potato that I can suffocate with various dairy products.  And your flour less chocolate dollop isn’t so decadent that it can tempt me without some beautiful cream to cut it’s richness.  Where do you think we are, CANCUN?!  (yes, Alison…that was soley for you).
I decided against dessert to assert my snobbery and Cancun-i-ness.

Saturday
Caesar salad, spinach dip, and shrimp cocktail.
Turkey with mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Key lime pie.
We were warned by Brian’s dad and stepmother the first night to expect “Tom Turkey” the last night.  But I just so’s happen to love turkey, so I quite enjoyed it and the trimmings (although there wasn’t enough gravy.  There never is…)  And the key lime pie?  Best dessert of the cruise, and fitting since it was the last morsels to leave the proverbial taste in our mouth as we left our cruise.

I am quite happy to report that I only gained 1 pound on the ship.  Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that I am basically a stick of butter and eat so much normally that this was almost par for the course. 

Overdue Review: Pizzeria Paradiso

Yes, I know it’s been forever…yes, I know you’ve missed me.  With rising food prices, we’ve been eating in more (and spending the same it seems!)  How have you been coping with all prices being sky-high?

These quick reviews over the next few days are some of our favorite lower-cost options around town: two stand-by restaurants, and one stand-by recipe.

Pizzeria Paradiso (Or as we shorthand it, “PP”  This can also be used as a verb: “Let’s PP Friday night”)

The Setting:
The two locations in Georgetown and Dupont are similar, with Georgetown also having a basement floor bar, Birreria Paradiso, which has microbrews galore.  The Dupont location (where we typically frequent) is smaller, so expect to wait any night at anytime, unless you’re lucky or just really, really, ridiculously good-looking.  It’s a little cramped, but it still feels like a neighborhood joint, and I usually run into someone I know (since once you eat at PP, you return.  Often).

Grab a stool at the bar facing the brick-oven or squeeze into one of the tables by the window for that part-of-the-neighborhood feel.

The Service:
I love the servers at Paradiso.  They’re super-friendly, and there seems to be low turn-over.

The Food:
Ah, pizza: the true food of the gods.  I love Paradiso with its heavy cheese and yeasty crust.  I always start with the bread (which I dip in olive oil sprinkled with Parmesan cheese) or the mozzarella fresca - buffalo mozzarella with sun-dried tomatoes and slivers of basil.  Next is a pepperoni and mushrooms pie, which will ruin you forever.  The pepperoni is spicy and the mushrooms huge and flavorful.  And don’t overlook the crust: it dips in that olive oil just as well.

The Dupont location will be moving soon, but thankfully just to a place down the street with more space!  Our server recently told us they’re hoping to move around Thanksgiving, but one never knows for sure until it actually happens.

Best for: Pizza-lovers, people who like to support their local neighborhood place (PP is big on being “part of the neighborhood”) and kids.

Worst for: Couples seeking a quiet, romantic evening out and groups over 6 - head to the Georgetown location for that and enjoy!

 

Cafe Asia - Arlington

Much to Brian’s chagrin, I’m not normally in the mood for sushi.  But when I am, we head to Cafe Asia.

Cafe Asia

The Setting:
I’ve been to both locations of Cafe Asia and they are similar in feel - modern, open, and the decor is bland (I’m not one for white on white).  The Arlington location has two outdoor seating spaces, and on this last trip I discovered the huge back room - a giant movie screen against one wall and an accent wall of bright orange.  All I could think when I saw the space was, “Office Holiday Party!”

The Service:
The servers always pop by before you’ve had a chance to look at the drink menu (something you should definitely check out) and then don’t come back for.ever.  Also, don’t expect your water glass refilled, and ask for new drinks at the first sign that you’ll need a new one - it’ll take a while.  Also, as quick as they are to come to the table, when it’s time for your check, you’ll inevitably have to flag someone down.

The Food:
Let’s start with the cocktails since I suspect this is really why this spot is Brian’s favorite.  Order the mojito.  Seriously.  You wouldn’t think that a great mojito would come from an Asian place, but it does.  It’s just one of the great mysteries of the universe.

Usually I stick with my tapas-style ordering of several appetizers: the miso soup (a little bland but a large portion), crab wontons (great mayo-ish dip on the side), chicken satay (but WHEW is it spicy!), and a California hand roll.  I’m not so keen on how they do their hand rolls - too much shoved in unevenly, but I haven’t learned my lesson even after ordering it a half-dozen times.  Steer clear of the Vietnamese spring rolls.  They sound delicious with ground pork, noodles, and mushrooms, but they always leave a film in my mouth that I can still taste an hour later.  (It took me 3-4 times of ordering this before I remembered).

Brian gets sushiand loves the Cafe Asia roll, and we’ve also had success wirh the Ninja roll, spider roll, firecracker roll (Brian rolled his eyes at that one), and anything that adds a little “crunchy.”

For noodles, the noodle soup is HUGE - the recipe must have been handed down from someone who used to prepare it for a whole village.  Jeanette got the Tom Yum soup and it looked divine and she slurpped the hell out of it (which is considered polite).  On the most recent visit, I went out of my comfort zone and ordered the Yaki Udon with chicken and was very, very happy with it - I’ll be ordering it again!

Cafe Asia is a great place for groups.  The menu is huge and almost anyone can find something they like - including non-sushi lovers and those watching what they eat!

Best for: Groups, a fun later-in-the-relationship date

Worst for: An intimate, romantic night out

The Majestic Cafe

Kate and I went out for a weekend lunch - which we try to do once a month or so. I last saw her the day after Brian left, and he’s coming home today! We went down to Alexandria to check out the Torpedo Factory and eat at the Majestic Cafe.

Majestic Cafe

The setting:
The Majestic is a great little bistro setting, bright with sunlight (skylights? windows? I didn’t notice) and slick black chairs and black and white checkerboard floors. There are only two bathrooms for the whole place though, so don’t wait until you just can’t wait anymore!

The service:
Our server was nice, although seemed a little nervous. Probably just because Kate and I are such sexy women He forgot one of the cheeses in the special cheese ravioli, and described the lunch special sandwich (which we both ordered) as having avocado, bacon, mayo, on the chicken sandwich (with lettuce and tomato). Umm…nope! But it was still great!

The food:
The majestic has a lunch menu instead of brunch. Still, the promise of a bacon, avocado, and chicken sandwich met my requirement for pig in the morning (although I’d already had a Starbucks sausage breakfast sandwich because I wasn’t sure any pork product would be part of lunch) and the “homemade bread” bookends cemented my decision. Instead, the sliced chicken sandwich came with only tomato and micro greens on buttered, grilled bread. However, I have to say it was maybe the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had - clearly making a sandwich with roast chicken (with skin!) makes all the difference in the world, and the on-the-thin-side slices of bread were perfect and really, really tasty. It was savory and salty, but the micro greens gave just enough healthy green taste. The sandwich was also served with swoon-worthy, house-made potato chips and a not-so-great-because-I-like-em-out-of-the-jar pickle.

Also, a word of caution for the iced tea purists out there: it was brewed with some fancy flavored tea and cost $3. Southerners beware…

Overall, I think this is a great stop for a weekend lunch and I’d love to go back for their Sunday family dinner (May looks HEAVENLY) or another night to try what I’m sure will be some great food!

Best for: Delicious food in a great area of town.

Worst for: Those seeking a weekend brunch.

 

 

Crispy Shrimp with White Beans and Spinach

Day two of my seafood experiment was even easier than the sea scallops, and perfect for an evening watching reality TV. It was an incredible cheap and healthy meal - and the beans were a perfect leftover for a salmon cake lunch at work today.

This is another take on a Real Simple recipe - quick, easy, healthy. And it tastes pretty great too.

Crispy Shrimp with White Beans and Spinach:

I probably should have said in my last post that I cook with 4 ingredients: olive oil, butter, sea salt, and panko breadcrumbs. The crunch is awesome - I’m all about texture.

Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the shrimp (I had 10 medium sized shrimp, purchased at the seafood counter as a “small handful” of peeled and deviened previously frozen shrimp - it came to less than $2) in a decent pour of olive oil. Add enough panko to coat, plus a little extra. Salt and pepper, and toss it all together (be ready to get your hands dirty!) Spread on a cookie sheet and sprinkle whatever breadcrumbs are left over the top. Cook these for about 12 minutes until they are browned.

In the mean time, heat a can of cannellini beans and heat a separate skillet with a small drizzle of olive oil over medium-low heat. Put more baby spinach (I like Earthbound Farms organic) than you think you need in the heated skillet and as it starts wilting, move around in the pan with tongs. When it’s all wilted and dark green, sprinkle on a dab of - you guessed it - sea salt and remove from heat. This whole process takes about 5 minutes, so your beans should be heated through and your shrimp about ready.

Enjoy!

Sea Scallops, Portobellos, and Asparagus

With Brian out of town, I’ve been cooking more at home (hence the recent lack of posts!) and am testing out some new recipes, sticking to the edges of the grocery store aisles for healthier eating. Plus, the wine is on the outside aisles…

This week is a seafood week, and I’m taking a cue from a recent Real Simple article giving a guide for which seafood to eat and how often. Last night I was surprised to see how easy cooking sea scallops was!

It’s important to note that I cook with three ingredients in every meal: olive oil, butter, and sea salt. You keep the flavor excellent and rich, and it makes eating healthy not TOO healthy. Cook in the order listed below and everything will come out ready at the same time - and only take 15 minutes!

Asparagus:
Heat the oven to 375. Wash and snap your asparagus (hold the stalk near the middle and also at the end and bend until it snaps off at the bottom) and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and shake on some sea salt. Place in the over for 15 minutes while you finish the rest of the meal.
(I would just like to take this point to mention that Brian is one out of 60% of people who is unable to smell asparagus pee…I can smell it a mile away)

Portobello Mushrooms:
Heat a skillet to medium-low and add 2-3 cuts of butter. Turn the pan as the butter melts to coat, and add the mushrooms in a single layer. Let the mushrooms cook, adding a few small cuts of butter if the pans begins to dry. Add a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce as you like, and begin on the scallops.

Sea Scallops:
2 wild-caught sea scallops (only $3 or so! Don’t let the price per pound dissuade you!)
Using a heavy skillet (your small one is perfect if you’re just cooking two), begin heating the skillet with nothing in it over medium-high. About 1 minute into the heating process, add olive oil and 2-3 cuts of butter. This should be enough to more than coat the pan. When the butter is melted in the oil and bubbling, add the sea scallops and salt the top of the scallop. Turn on your vent fan because this sucker will start smoking about 3 minutes in (only way to avoid this is to put it in the oven - olive oil and butter have low smoke points, so when you’re cooking on high heat you can just expect smoking). After about 2-3 minutes, flip the scallop and cook another 2-3 minutes. The outside of the scallops will be browned perfectly - and you can turn another time or two to cook the scallop through.

Enjoy!