I made 2 small pies tonight. I usually make 1 big pie, but I did not want this around my house! I would eat way to much of it. This is like a hot tomato sandwich, but better.
Store bought pie crust
Sliced heirloom tomatoes
Chopped green onions
Chopped basil
Mayo
Shredded cheddar cheese
I used the fresh pie dough tonight so that I could cut out small crusts. The fresh dough shrinks when you par-bake it. If you make a large pie I would use a frozen crust. Bake your crust per the package instructions. Pat some of the moisture off of your sliced tomatoes. Layer in some tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, add on some basil and some green onions. Make as many layers as it takes to fill the crust with a little over the top. Mix your mayo and cheddar in a bowl and ice the tip of the pie crust to crust with your mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
As usual I could not follow the recipe. I spatchcoked the chicken. I had my spinach pie baking at 375 already. So, i cooked the chicken at 375 for the first 45 minutes. I turned it down to 325 for an hour then broiled it on low for 10 minutes. I so did not want to waste that roasted garlic so I took 1/2 of a head out and used that in the chickpeas instead of the smashed garlic cloves. I also took the tomatoes out and mashed them into the chickpea pan and squeezed in a little lemon juice. This is without a doubt one of the most delicious meals that I have made in a long time. This is the tenderest chicken that I have ever roasted.https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020519-slow-roasted-oregano-chicken-with-buttered-tomatoes
Frizzled Chickpeas and Onions with Feta and Oregano-Alison Roman
Serves 4 to 6
½ cup olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 garlic cloves, smashed
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
4 sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano, plus more leaves for garnish
2 ounces Greek, Bulgarian, or French feta, very thinly sliced or crumbled
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, and is just starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, garlic, red pepper flakes, and half the marjoram leaves. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the oily business. Continue to cook, shaking the skillet occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking and that the chickpeas are getting equal attention from the oil and heat, until the chickpeas are golden brown and appear fried around the edges and the onion is a deep golden brown and looks somewhere between fried and caramelized, a term we now call “frizzled.”
Taste a chickpea or two and make sure it’s plenty seasoned, adding salt, pepper, and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like things on the spicier side.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl. Top with the feta and remaining marjoram.
If you take out the back bone and flatten the chicken it roasts in less time. This is called spatchocking. I like to use my kitchen scissors instead of knife it is easier and safer. Start by cutting down one side of the back bone, then down the other side removing the whole thing. Turn your chicken over and press down on the breast bone to flatten your chicken.
I like to keep snacks around the house, but decent snacks. This dip is one of our favorites.
1/4 of a Red onion rough chopped
Cilantro to taste
1 Garlic clove rough chopped
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
Cumin
Chipotle chili powder
Lime juice
Hot sauce
2 Tbls of olive oil
1 Tbls of red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Put your onion, cilantro and garlic in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until the consistency that you like, chunky or smooth. To get it smooth you may have to add a little water.
I adore this combination. I use to eat at this Greek restaurant that would serve a greek salad with a scoop of tuna salad on top.
For the tuna I use a tuna in olive oil drained, grated lemon zest, a little lemon juice, diced red onion, celery leaves from the heart, dill, a little dijon and some mayo.
The salad is arugula, its what I had, feta, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and sliced pepperoncini. I use a bottled lemon vinaigrette , Panera brand.
There is nothing really special about french toast. My sweetheart put in a special request for this mornings breakfast. He very seldom puts in a say about what we eat, so french toast it was. I do not like the white fried egg look or texture on my french toast. When I make my custard I only use the yolks, I add in heavy cream and half and half, cinnamon and vanilla paste. Today instead of just butter to fry the toast I added a little bacon grease. YUM!
2 lobster tails and 2 cooked claws (claws are optional)
6 tbls of butter
2 sprigs of fresh basil
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/4 of a white onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
9 ounces fresh baby spinach, from two bags
2 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, I like Philadelphia
¼ cup half & half cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 small tomato diced
Take a ziploc bag and add 1 lobster tail and 1 claw if using, 3 tbls of butter and 1 sprig of basil, make 2 bags and purge out the air
Cook the bags in your Sous Vide at 135 degrees for 1 hour
Take your tails out and slice them into medallions
Half way through the lobster cooking time start your spinach
In a large skillet over medium heat add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of butter, red bell pepper and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes.
Add spinach season with a pinch of salt and pepper mix until the spinach wilts down.
Add cream cheese, half & half and parmesan cheese mix well until cream cheese is melted and resembles creamed spinach. Stir in the fresh diced tomato and serve this in the bottom of the bowl sprinled with more parmesan.
Top the spinach with the lobster and spoon a little of the butter from the bag over the top
The French meaning is everything in its place. Chef’s prep everything for a meal even pre-measured spices so that you can just reach for what you need and keep moving. These are all of the pre-prepped ingredients for tonight’s Lobster Florentine. Which will use another technique, sous vide.
All of the elements together make this sandwich perfect. A nice rosemary bread, I made a horseradish caper mayo for one side, a slice of heirloom tomato, some peppery arugula, a thin sliced rare roast beef, a horseradish cheddar and a spicy brown mustard for the other side of the bread.
Sophisticated Southern Girl 