Tag: Chicken

Summer (Camping) Fun with Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas

IMG_7324School is out, kids are running wild and we are going camping! As always, sprinkled in between the easy-to-make, nutritious and yummy food we write about on a regular basis, I love to share what we cook when we go camping. Culinarily speaking, this time our outdoors adventure was lead by my 16-year-old nephew who is visiting from Germany. It’s great to see youngsters taking an active role in their food preparation and I’m sure the enthusiasm was partly fueled by the appeal of an open fire pit. Either way, we festively dined on very non-German chicken and mushroom quesadillas on the grill along with fresh corn, a delicious salad and, to pass on an American tradition to the next generation, a healthy serving of s’mores for everyone. Come and cook with us!

I have to admit, packing in a camping trip on the same day as school ends was a little ambitious. My best practices for prepping food ahead went out the window and we improvised at the store on the way to the site. My nephew led the charge and a few shopping bags later we were on our way. It was a windy, albeit sunny affair and once the fire was well established, the boys got busy. My cast-iron pan was heavily featured – no pun intended –  in the preparation of the meal along with my grilling basket and a sheet pan that always comes in handy.

For the quesadillas themselves, we sautéed sliced mushrooms with a little olive oil and grilled and shred sliced chicken breasts. Assembly was left to each diner so that each quesadilla was personalized reflecting the tastes and prepping attitudes of each guest. We grilled the corn in the husks, after removing the silk, and they turned out golden, tender and juicy. The salad lent a lighter crisp distraction to the hot food.

The best part of this trip wasn’t what we ate, it was seeing my sons and their cousin connect, have fun, build memories. This summer, reach out to your family and spend time together to connect and share in the joy of a relatively peaceful and predictable political landscape, at least until the fall elections. Just kidding! We’ll be spending time with my family and many friends, so my blog posts will be a little more sporadic than usual until we return again to a more manageable routine in August. Until then, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to stay in touch. I’d love to hear from you and learn what you are up to this summer. Share your photos, your food and your fun! Come and cook with us!

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Everyone, It’s Schnitzel Time!

photoHave you ever noticed that when you try to cook something new, it seems to take a long time? It has been proven, that because we have to concentrate on the task and be present throughout the process, time seems to go by more slowly. But if we make a dish often enough, it becomes second nature. You can cook while thinking about what you have to get done the next day. One dish that clearly falls into this category is Schnitzel. It seems that making them might take a lot of time, but it is really very simple, easy and quick, once you have the process down. Give it a try. My kids, and their friends, love love love Schnitzel. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Everyone, It’s Schnitzel Time!”

Why did the Chicken cross the Road? To find the Lemon

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There are few things that make me happier than a good breakfast, at least when it comes to all things food. And while I love the Tyrolean bread, butter and honey approach to starting your day, changing up the menu by adding a few savory dishes is a welcome change, particularly when these items come in the form of a nice bowl of tasty soup warming you from the inside out. Our latest favorite is avgolemono soup, hailing to us all the way from Greece. Long live this simple and delicious start to the day. Come and cook with us!

Continue reading “Why did the Chicken cross the Road? To find the Lemon”

The Caper Caper

photoIf you like spaghetti alla puttanesca, tartar sauce or chicken piccata, then you must be partial to the taste of capers. Those tiny little dark green things are small in size and big in flavor. They are actually unopened flower buds of the caper plant which is a shrub-like bush that grows, primarily, on two tiny islands in the south of Italy. A few years back, Doug and I went on a trip to one of them, Pantelleria, which is a gorgeous fleck of land closer in proximity, if not culture, to Africa than to Sicily. We enjoyed the clear blue water, explored the beautiful beaches, ran into some old friends from London and learned a lot about capers. They were everywhere! Come and cook with us! Continue reading “The Caper Caper”

Dinner Winner 2: Marinated Chicken, Avocado and Spinach Salad

Several years ago – when I was living in NYC, and eating out for most of my meals – Kathrin invited me to her apartment for dinner. The idea of a casual dinner being prepared midweek, at home, by someone with a demanding job on Wall Street was foreign to me. I’d spent my time on weekend dinner parties, but who had time to make a quick healthy meal after work? Was I wrong! The “Dinner Winner” dish Kathrin served – a vegetable salad, warmed and brought together by marinated and sautéed pieces of meat – was simple and delicious. It is that meal that marked the moment I began my adventure of cooking at home. I’d like to share it with you today in hopes that it will inspire you too. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Dinner Winner 2: Marinated Chicken, Avocado and Spinach Salad”