Piri Piri Style Chicken
I put this forking photo up on twitter and it got retweeted to 44,370 people. It came out forking great! Piri Piri is basically a spicy red pepper sauce that you also use as a marinade and let sit overnight and then cook the chicken. I served mine with my new favorite grain freekah and roasted vegetables. I’ll post the forking recipe this week.
Forking Truth
Sabortooth Grill San Diego Zoo
I didn’t plan my day well and was on this end of the zoo at lunch time. We waited in the forking long line for quite a while for sandwiches that forking took me back to the days of disco, polyester and days of eating processed food. Yum yum what to get? Do I want leftover fried, now cold, chicken in a big wrap with forking mystery sauce or a boxed very uninteresting salad. For some odd reason the grilled chicken sandwich with some guacamole sounded good to me so that’s what I ordered. Sadly the chicken sandwich didn’t live up to my only average dreams. This chicken sandwich tasted like an On Cor frozen processed chicken patty but worst. It seemed like a large dump truck forking unloaded a pile of salt on it. I thought I was forking going to get sick. The onion rings were very crispy and reminded me of Burger King. The slime like guacamole reminded me of pond scum and actually might have been forking pond scum. I thought the house made pear ketchup sounded good but sadly it just tasted like watered down generic ketchup. Nothing on my plate was worth a fork.
My husband just had a mediocre cheese burger. He said it was cheap cheese on dry chewy burgers but it was what he expected.
Not Worth a Fork
In Old Town San Diego were all the tourist shops are many mostly Mexican Restaurants.
Grilled Salmon Tacos from Barra Barra Saloon San Diego
This one restaurant had a nicer menu than most of the others and looked more inviting so we stopped there. I read that they forking make all their own tortillas. That sounds good right! We had some service issues here and would up waiting for our order for an hour at lunch time making us feel like prisoners in jail. We recieved several forking apologies from our waiter. My tacos really weren’t forking terrible, they really were just ok. The waiter told me they usually use forking pre-cooked salmon and ran out and had to cook some for me so the tacos were ok. However the corn salad and beans were forking gross. The corn in my corn salad were soggy with the forking centers of the corn missing. I don’t know if that is from being overcooked or old? All I know is that they were forking not fit for prisoners. I don’t know how they flavored the vegetarian beans but they tasted like dirt maybe it was forking dirt?
My husband thought his plate of food wasn’t worth a fork either. He had some sort of combo plate. He said, the sausage was burnt, the chicken was dry and the pork was flavorless. He did say the beef was good. Well at least something was good.
Not Worth a Fork
I heard about the most anticipated new restaurant opening and it was a Seafood House so we forking went there. It was a beautiful restaurant that was new but looked very old fashioned. The help seemed very polished. We decided to share an appetizer of butternut squash tortellini.
Butternut Squash Tortellini Water Grill San Diego California
The waiter warns us about the forking hot plate. We each take a tortellini. We bite into them and we forking look at each other for a moment. We both have forking ice cold, I mean really cold tortellini in our mouths. WTFork! Did the cook just pull out cold tortellini from the refrigerator? Who the fork does that?
This is Forked Up!
Our dinner had some issues and I wanted to forget about this dinner that should have been our best in San Diego so we forking ordered dessert.
Water Grill San Diego CA
I didn’t think the dessert looked bad but it forking tasted burnt!
BURNT!
BURNT!
FORKING BURNT!
We only tasted BURNT!
Not Worth a Fork
These were the plates that weren’t worth a FORK in San Diego.
Forking Truth
These Tortellini look pretty nice! Don’t They?
But it seemed like someone just pulled them out of the forking refrigerator, dressed them up a little and threw them on a heated plate hoping we’d just forking eat them that way.
This is Forked Up!
It’s really very odd that someone did this…
We said something to our waiter and before we knew it the manager was over and apologized profusely. The manager took the tortellini off our check and asked us if we’d take a properly made plate of butternut squash tortellini.
A long time passes by and we are wondering what was happening. Eventually a plate of hot butternut squash tortellini’s have arrived. They are delicious but slightly spicy. They have a creamy butternut sauce that is cut with fresh crisp apples and some fried sage.
Soon our pink sea bream arrives.
Water Grill San Diego CA
The fish looks sort of nice with fresh herbs and a cooked lemon.
But it’s slightly overcooked and slightly dried out like it’s been sitting awhile. It’s sort of like fish off a buffet and not that moist perfect fish your hoping for from a fish house.
I said it was forking ok to the waiter because it was ok just not great.
OK so I was expecting an excellent fish dish since this is a fish place and was sort of disappointed and thought I needed dessert to cheer me up and forget about the disappointment.
We decided to share a Pear Tart Tatin.
Water Grill San Diego CA
The ice-cream was suppose to be caraway flavored but neither of us could taste caraway. Everything under the ice-cream just tasted burnt. I don’t really know if it was just a burnt sauce or a burnt cake and sauce. Neither of us could saw threw the cake with our forks because the tart tatin was hard like a rock. This dessert was awful and I told the waiter that it was hard to eat. He said well you can order something else next time.
I don’t know who they have working there in the kitchen? Was it these guys?
Or it was these guys?
Not Worth a Fork
Forking Truth
I note this may not be typical of this restaurant but if you happen to give them a try I’d recommend the raw shellfish.
These carrots come out crispy, sweet and salty and are great to top a salad, an entree or just to snack on.
This recipe is what I remembered reading from “Tasting Table.com” and is called Root Vegetable Chips. The Chef that came up with this recipe saves the pealed skins from all root vegetables that are pealed in her restaurant and turns them into the “chips” to garnish plates.
I only tried this recipe with carrots so far.
The recipe is very easy to do but I think it will vary depending on the vegetable you use and your peeler. I liked the way the carrots came out, extremely crisp.
Set your oven to 225 to bake.
Put 6 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar on medium high heat.
Using a vegetable peeler peel as many carrots as you like. (I peeled 6 large carrots)
When the pot boils add the carrot peels and let boil 1-2 minutes.
Remove the peels from the boiling liquid and dry them on a towel.
Spread the peels out on a silicone mat lined pan and sprinkle with salt. (I used a parchment lined pan and that worked well for carrots) I don’t think salt will stick to the carrots if you forking wait to salt them at the end because of how crisp they get. The salt might just fall off.
Bake around 2 hours at 225 degrees (my batch was perfect in 2 1/2 hours)
Serving Suggestion
Forking Good!
I was forking watching Rachel Ray and Chef Sara Molton was preparing home fries inspired by an American’s Test Kitchen Recipe. I found MANY variations of this recipe on the web.
I do have to say these home fries came out really delicious with a deeper potato flavor because boiling with baking soda breaks down the surface of the potato and condenses the potato flavor. The surface is suppose to crisp up extra too. Mine came out fluffy and a little crispy but with delicious flavors. These home fries FORKING have the most delicious potato flavor.
I cleaned up some potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.) and chopped some onions. (less than 1/2 of a BIG sweet onion)
Drained the potatoes and added them to a pot of boiling water that had about a Tablespoon of kosher salt in it and a teaspoon of baking soda.
I let it boil ONLY ONE MINUTE.
Drained the potatoes and added a couple tablespoons of butter, the chopped onions, about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and the drained potatoes back to the pot and let them absorb for about a minute.
My oven was set at 500 degrees and I had a pan in there getting hot.
I then added the contents of the pot to the heated baking sheet. (don’t forking make fun of me for using this forking pan) For the best results a heavy pan that holds heat will work best. The potato mixture was sprinkled with canola oil.
For me these took about a half hour turning the potatoes a few times.
Then I wound up with this after I sprinkled them with scallions.
This recipe was inspired by America’s Test Kitchen and was shown on the Rachel Ray TV Show prepared by Chef Sara Molton. I prepared just from memory from watching the show. On TV the potatoes came out with a little more crust.(maybe mine would have too if I just used a forking better pan)
The proportions, ingredients and instructions may have differed some. But these sure did come out forking good!
Forking Good!
This recipe is a crowd pleaser. My husband forking devoured about a forking third of this casserole as soon as he could after I gave him a big slice. He kept saying I have to eat it because it’s really REALLY good!
Slightly crispy potato ends and many layers of thin potato held together with silky goodness seasoned just right. What’s not to love.
This recipe I whipped up today is very easy to make but you do need a mandolin to slice the onions and potatoes real thin. Thick slices might not come out right.
Ingredients (set oven to 350 degrees and coat your baking dish with nonstick spray)
1 LARGE sweet onion sliced very thin (about 4 cups)
About 3 lbs. of Potatoes washed, pealed and sliced very thin that you mix with onions as you slice so they don’t brown. (I used Idaho Potatoes)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
6 beaten eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Tablespoon (heaping) kosher salt
teaspoon (scant) ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
You already have your onions and potatoes mixed together in a big bowl.
In another medium size bowl combine all the other ingredients and mix well.
Mix that batter into the potatoes and onions. After combined transfer to your baking dish. (I used a half steam pan) Cover with foil and let it go around an hour till set.
When set remove the foil and it will need around 25 more minutes to brown and crisp up.
Save this recipe because you will need to forking make it.
Forking Good!
The FORKING TRUTH is that you’ve eaten sheep’s wool most of your life without even knowing it.
WTFork!
This is Forked Up!
Many packaged cereals and other products have vitamin D3 added.
Vitamin D3 is extracted from lanolin from sheep’s wool.
A material called cholesterol is extracted from wool grease and then other materials are extracted from the cleaned wool and then those materials go threw a four step process that includes radiation. So in my words it sounds like forking wool dirt and forking wool juice somehow forking turn into forking vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3 is used as a rodenticide. Well they don’t forking call it vitamin D3 they use it’s forking chemical name but I’m calling it vitamin D3 because that IS WHAT it is and I can’t forking pronounce the chemical name cholecalciferol.
Vitamin D3 is also a HAZARD to DOGS and CATS and can cause renal failure to them and to other creatures.
Is vitamin D3 good for us? I don’t forking know.
I found out it’s in many Kellogg’s Foods.
Kellogg’s and Wikipedia are my references.
The Forking Truth is that you’ve been eating Sheep’s Wool. BAH baHhh
Forking Truth
Where I grew up the cole slaw that my parents brought home was always a no-mayo kind of cole slaw called, “Health Salad.” It had a slight sweetness, some small pieces of deli pickles in it, and a slight lingering taste of celery seeds, and a mild slight heat.
This cole slaw is forking easy to make. You just shred, chop and mince the vegetables and then just sprinkle them with salt and sugar, let sit maybe 1/2 hour and then add the vinegar and oil. It a forking easy recipe that’s forking good and maybe forking healthy too!
Ingredients
1 head of cabbage – sliced very thin
2 carrots – shredded
1 red bell pepper – chopped into small pieces
1/2 large sweet onion – sliced very thin – cut slices in half
1/4—-1 (depending on size)- good quality deli pickle or home made pickle – cut in small pieces, you don’t need a lot of pickle just a little through out. No more than 1/4 cup.
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
pinch-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (pinch if your forking wimpy or 1/4t. if you can take a small amount of heat.
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons canola oil
Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT for the oil and vinegar and stir and let sit at least 1/2 an hour. At this time you might or might not want to drain the natural liquid. Drain if you want a stronger vinegar flavor or leave the liquid if you want it mild tasting. After the half hour passes mix in the oil and vinegar. let rest at least an hour in the refrigerator and when ready to serve adjust seasonings if necessary.
Forking Good!
There are many forking ways to make cabbage rolls. I thought today I’d make them very reasonably light and healthy. I used 93% lean beef and instead of rice I used kamut. I used next to no oil at all and no butter. Whole wheat panko was also used instead of bread crumbs. Instead of sautéing the onions I left them raw so the liquid would come out in the lean meat to help keep it moist and add flavor to the beef instead of just being onions that taste good.
Cabbage rolls are suppose to be a little sweet and sour and for a little sweet I used Hot and sweet cherry peppers in the meat and for a little sweet and sour in the sauce my secret ingredient was date syrup that’s also sweet and a little sour. My recipe isn’t traditional but it is close to the way that I think cabbage rolls should taste like.
Set your oven to 350 degrees. This recipe makes 25 cabbage rolls with 4 oz. portion of meat filling (you can freeze them for an instant meal)
Ingredients
2 Cabbage Heads- (one at a time Microwave with a little water in a covered bowl for about 9 minutes while you work on your meat filling)
3.5 lbs of 93% lean ground beef
4 whole eggs beaten
2 Cups of raw chopped onion (fine chop)
1 shredded carrot
2 cups cooked kamut
10 hot and sweet jarred cherry peppers (fine chopped)
1 cup whole wheat panko
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups vegetable broth
For the sauce….
2-28oz. cans tomatoes (I used whole pears pealed and blended but crushed would be fine)
4 cups more vegetable broth
about 3/4 cup date syrup
Directions
Combine beef, eggs, onion, carrot, kamut, cherry peppers, panko, thyme, paprika, salt, black and cayenne peppers.
Your cabbage heads are cool enough for you to handle now.
Insert a knife by the core and cut the core out so you can pull off leaves as you need them. I used about 3/4 of each cabbage and found the center leaves just too small. I kept them for a latter use as a vegetable or for soup.
Now measure out 4 oz. of your meat mixture. You will need a lightly sprayed baking pan to roast your cabbage rolls.
Place the meat mixture about two thirds down and near the thick stem of leaf.
Roll up the bottom.
Roll up the sides.
Roll up till your finished like a burrito. Keep going and loading up your pans till your out of meat.
Now you want to pour vegetable broth over the rolls. Cover the pan with foil and roast 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. You forking need to use a deeper pan than I did or you will have to cook your extra sauce on the side.
Now make your sauce.
I just blended up 2-28oz. cans of tomatoes with about 4 cups of vegetable broth and about 3/4 cup of date syrup. This simple sauce has a similar flavor to what I remember on cabbage rolls.
After a 1/2 hour I pull out the cabbage rolls and drain the liquid. I pour the tomato sauce on the cabbage rolls and cover again with foil and roast another 1/2 hour.
The next day these cabbage rolls were awesome!
Now you have Cabbage Rolls.
Forking Good!
One of my favorite ways to prepare chicken is to infuse it with rosemary.
You can use any kind of forking chicken. I usually use boneless thighs for this one.
Take your chicken and place in a plastic bag and lightly pound it on both sides.
Now make like your rough sewing the rosemary threw the chicken starting from the base of the rosemary sprig.
Season your chicken on both sides with fresh ground sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and lightly flour the chicken on both sides with a healthy better tasting flour like kamut, farro, spelt or mung bean flour.
Get your fry pan on medium high heat and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
When the pan looks heated place the chicken in the pan and cover with aluminum foil.
Depending on the size of your chicken thighs you will need 5-7 minutes on the one side and 4-6 minutes on the other side.
Now you make some sort of pan sauce after the chicken is cooked.
To your pan you deglaze it with white wine or lemon juice or a little of both scraping the bottom of the pan. Maybe a little water or chicken stock, maybe the flour and seasoning that fell off the chicken to thicken. If you used thighs butter isn’t necessary because flavorful fat will come out in the pan. You might need a tiny bit of chicken base to boost the flavor. Add a little oregano maybe and adjust seasoning to your liking.
You can use other herbs.
I did a similar dish with lemongrass.
Peal of the dry parts of the lemongrass and slash it up a little. You will need a knife to make little slits in the chicken. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Flour.
I threw garlic, a thai chili, and some ginger in the pan. I made a pan sauce with chicken broth and a little light coconut milk and added some basil. This came out tasty and flavorful with moist flavorful chicken.
Forking Good!
