Sunday, December 30, 2012

Corner Bakery Chopped Salad Recreation

 CORNER BAKERY CHOPPED SALAD RECREATION
Printable Recipe
  • 2 hearts of romaine, chopped finely 
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped finely
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 chicken breasts, grilled & chopped
  • 1 Roma tomato, sliced & cubed 
  • 3 slices crisp bacon, chopped
  • 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbled
  • 1 avocado, sliced & cubed
  • ¼ cup House Dressing


1. Follow the cooking directions on bacon package to to cook until crispy
 

 2. Grill 1 chicken breast fully & chop into cubes. Use can also my grilled chicken recipe or cut up a chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken.


3. Chop Romaine & iceberg lettuce finely.


4. Slice & cube avocado

 5. Slice & cube tomato


6. Chop green onions into small pieces

Plate Finished Product 

7. Place lettuce mixture in a large salad bowl, top with all toppings, add dressing  
& toss just before serving.


STORY BEHIND THE DISH
I have always loved Corner Bakery's Chopped Salad & this is the closest I have come to recreating the salad. It is a very colorful & delicious salad that can be served as a side or eaten as a meal in itself.


MODIFICATIONS 
Not much can be modified to come close to this recipe, but you can add or eliminate any of the veggies, proteins, or cheese to your liking.





Grilled Chicken

CLASSIC GRILLED CHICKEN 
Printable Recipe
 

  • 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 3 lemons, juiced 
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey 
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt & pepper 

MARINATE CHICKEN

1. In a bowl whisk olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, parsley, salt, & pepper. Place fresh chicken breasts in a gallon sized ZipLock bag, pour marinade in the bag coating the chicken, & place in the fridge for 2-24 hours. 


GRILL CHICKEN 

2. When chicken is marinated, cook on a grill for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken is fully cooked with no pink inside. Let chicken sit on a plate, do not cut until ready to serve.

Corner Bakery House Dressing Recreation

 CORNER BAKERY HOUSE DRESSING RECREATION
Printable Recipe

  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper 
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes




1. Pour all ingredients into a mason jar or dressing container



2. Cover tightly with a lid & shake or mix well 



STORY BEHIND THE DISH
I have always loved Corner Bakery's Chopped Salad & this is the closest I have come to recreating the dressing. It is a basic house dressing with a bit of mustard for a tangy taste.


MODIFICATIONS 
Not much can be modified to come close to this recipe, I would suggest removing the red pepper flakes if you want to reduce the heat.


Roasted Tomato Sauce

 ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE 
Printable Recipe
  • 6 Roma Tomatoes 
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon sugar 





1. Roast Roma tomatoes on foil at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until the skin beings to blacken.


2. Put the whole tomatoes, including charred skin, & juices, into a food processor 
or blender with basil, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, & sugar.  

3. Blend to form a thick sauce & use warm water to thin if necessary. 

4. Toss sauce through warm pasta & serve with grated Parmesan cheese & fresh basil.





STORY BEHIND THE DISH
Pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods, but sauces always add so many unnecessary calories. This is a very low calorie sauce that add a healthy & tasty topping to any pasta.


MODIFICATIONS 
Roma tomatoes are the best tomatoes for a marinara sauce, but other work as well. You can always add more basil or more garlic for a richer flavor, or even some red pepper flakes for some heat. Another healthy modification would be to use spaghetti squash in place of pasta.




Monday, December 17, 2012

Roasted Butternut Squash & Quinoa soup


ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & QUINOA SOUP

  • 1 whole butternut squash
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • ½ large onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
  • 32 ounces, chicken or veggie broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt & pepper, To Taste
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ cups panko crumbs
  • ⅓ cups parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 small bunch parsley, optional
1. Cut butternut squash in half & clean out center. 
Chop squash into 1" cubes & remove skin.

2. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over the squash & coat cubes evenly.


3. Add salt & pepper & toss squash to coat all cubes.


5. Place chopped cubes on baking sheet & roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes 
or until tender or easy to pierce with a fork.


5. Chop half of a large onion into small pieces. 


6. Clean & peel carrots & dice into small rounds.


7. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
Add the chopped carrots, onion, & minced garlic, & sauté until the vegetables are tender.


8. Add squash & stir to combine all ingredients.


9. Pour in the chicken or veggie broth & ginger then stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer 
& cook until the vegetables are very tender, 20-30 minutes.


10. Time for the blender! But first, allow the soup to cool for at least 10 minutes. 
DO NOT skip this step or your kitchen will be a mess! 
Of course, you could always use a handheld blender.


11. Puree the cooked vegetable mixture until it is smooth.

 12. Return the pureed soup to the pan, stir in the cooked quinoa 
& add salt & pepper, to taste.


 13. This part is optional but highly recommended, it really adds some great texture
 & topping to the soup. Melt a little butter in a small skillet. Add the panko crumbs & cook, stirring frequently, until light golden brown. Then stir in the Parmesan cheese.


14. Pour into a bowl & top each portion with some of the toasted breadcrumbs & parsley.


Plate Finished Product  



STORY BEHIND THE DISH
I love soup & this is a perfect fall or winter warm dish. Butternut squash makes for a delicious healthy alternative to what could be a very high calorie dish. I found this recipe on a tasty kitchen's site but modified a few ingredients to fit what I had a home. 


MODIFICATIONS 
You can use sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash. If you do not have quinoa you do not have to add it for this soup to be delicious. Also for a more bold taste you can add fresh ginger, or if ginger is not your thing you can omit it from the recipe all together.

Stonefire Grill Lemon Garlic Chicken Recreation

    STONEFIRE GRILL LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN
    Printable Recipe
    • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 3/4 tablespoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
    • 1 head fresh garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • Garnish: chopped Italian parsley
    • Garnish: 1 lemon, sliced


    1. Lightly salt & pepper the chicken breasts & place in 9-by-13 baking dish.


    2. Peel & roughly chop garlic cloves.


    3. Roughly chop basil.


    4. Combine lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic, & olive oil in a medium bowl.


    5. Pour sauce over chicken breasts & cover dish with aluminum foil.


    6. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, this may vary depending on size of chicken breasts. When chicken is fully cooked remove foil & broil until chicken is browned, about 1-2 minutes.



    7. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with chopped Italian parsley & sliced lemon.



    Plate Finished Product



    STORY BEHIND THE DISH
    Stonefire Grill half lemon garlic chicken lunch special please! At least one Thursday a month this delicious meal is a must. It also helps that Stonefire Grill is so close to my house I can smell it, literally, when I open the door. I wanted to recreate this dish but since I know how time consuming a fill roasted chicken can be, I went the easy route & used a boneless skinless chicken breast instead.  


    MODIFICATIONS 
    You can use this same recipe roasting a whole chicken or legs if you prefer dark meat. I love roasted garlic but you do not have to use an entire bulb especially if you pair up this dish with delicious Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes.