Allow me to introduce myself. I go by the name of Tess Tickle, the Unemployed Chef. After getting laid off on October 31st, 2008 (Happy F'in Halloween!) from a printing company which made me want to put a bullet inside my head daily (I shall remain nameless), I've revelled in the idea of getting paid to do nothing.
But I don't really do nothing. I cook. Constantly. I spend my morning hours scouring food sites, tearing recipes out of magazines (which my boyfriend finds annoying when he later tries to read them on the can), making shopping lists, and preparing dinner. And I enjoy it.
Before you attempt to recreate any of the recipes I have listed on this blog, there are a few things of which you should be made aware:
- I'm incredibly sarcastic. If you have no sense of humor or take everything literally, click out of my blog. Immediately.
- I'm a bored, unemployed Italian girl in Staten Island. I'm not Martha Stewart, in case you had us confused.
- I don't do "measurements." A *handfull* of this, a *pinch* of that, a *dash* of...it's not that hard. Unless you're 7'2 with gigantic hands. In that case, you might want to scale back a bit.
- My kitchen is small and ugly and almost too embarassing to photograph. Almost.
- I love Costco, and buy in bulk, even though I have nowhere to put anything. Therefore, lots of recipes will have repetitive ingredients, especially if it's something that's perishable and needs to be used up right away. If you're broke like me, you should benefit from this, too. No food shopping for a week! Sweet!
- Most importantly, serving size. I come from a household where a giant dish of pasta is not a meal...it's a side. I now cook for my massive Norwegian boyfriend, who also lacks any perception of portion control. 2 servings probably equals 6 servings in normal cultures. Keep this is mind.
Ok, now for the good shizz.... food. Like I said above, I buy in bulk, so this week's meals are going to revolve around the few following ingredients.
-Asparagus
-Roasted red peppers (store-bought... unless you want to make your own, which is even better)
-Baby red potatoes
-Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Low sodium chicken broth (try Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, by Pacific Natural Foods. It's only about 10 bucks at Costco for 6 32-0z cartons, and it's sooo much better than Campbell's!)
-Frozen talapia fillets
-Frozen cod fillets
-Fresh garlic
-Olive oil
-Balsamic vinegar
-Wine (lush)
-Some type of cheese
-Red pepper flakes
-Good ol' salt & pepper
Which leads to tonight's recipe...
Oven-roasted Asparagus, Breaded Chicken Strips, and Roasted Potatoes with Roasted Red Pepper Purée
Makes 2 Servings (I'm warning you... read above... we eat like animals.)
Ingredients
-Olive oil
-Garlic powder (You know I love real garlic, but it will burn too quickly in this recipe)
-Salt & Pepper, to taste
Breaded Chicken Strips:
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Italian-style breadcrumbs (4C Seasoned Breadcrumbs work well)
-1 egg
-Olive oil
-Grated cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano do the trick)
-Salt & Pepper
Roasted Potatoes
-About 10 baby red potatoes
-Olive oil
-Garlic powder
-Chives (fresh or dried)
-Salt & Pepper
Roasted Red Pepper Purée
-12 oz roasted red peppers (1 small jar, half a large jar)
-Olive oil (noticing a trend?)
-1 clove garlic
-Red wine (red wine vinegar works fine, as well)
-Cumin
-Cayenne pepper
-Salt & Pepper
Steps
-The potatoes will take the longest, so I always prepare them first. Thoroughly wash the potatoes (you'll be keeping the skins on), and cut them in half. Place them in a large baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder, chives, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 40-60 minutes at 400° F, or until fork tender.
Tip: Remove the pan from the oven every 10-15 minutes and give the potatoes a stir to ensure even cooking.
-The asparagus will be prepared almost the exact same way, though they cook in less than half the amount of time. Place the asparagus stalks in another baking pan, drizzling with garlic powder, salt and pepper. This can be placed in the oven at the same temperature for 20 minutes, or until fork tender. The 10-minute-stir tip also works out here quite nicely.
-Coat a nonstick or stainless steel pan with olive oil, and place on the stove over high heat.
-Set aside 2 large bowls. Crack an egg into one, whisking until smooth. Fill the second bowl with breadcrumbs, seasoning with salt, pepper, and grated cheese.
-Slice raw chicken breasts into narrow strips. Drop each strip into the whisked egg, followed by the bowl of breadcrumbs. Once the strip is fully coated with breadcrumbs, drop into the hot oiled pan.
Tip: The chicken strips will cook quickly. A few minutes on each side, especially over a high flame, should be enough. If you're unsure, cut into the center of the thickest chicken strip, and make sure it's not still pink.
-Arrange roasted asparagus, breaded chicken strips, and roasted potatoes on a dish. Drizzle with roasted red pepper purée (see below).
Roasted Red Pepper Purée
-Place roasted red peppers in a blender.
-Add garlic clove, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine, a dash of cumin, and a dash of cayenne (or more, depending on how much spice you like) on top of the peppers. Add salt & pepper.
-Cover and purée until smooth. It literally took me 5 seconds, but then again, my blender is awesome.
Tip: Store leftover purée in a airtight container and keep refrigerated for future meals. To keep purée from trying out, drizzle a little olive oil on top of the leftovers.
Eat up, bitch!
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