Monday, November 24, 2014
Piece Brewery and Pizzeria
Tonight we tried out the pizza at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Wicker Park on W North Ave between Winchester Ave and North Elk Ave. There was no wait on a Monday night. The restaurant is very dimly lit. It's far too dark. Our pizza was huge! We ordered a medium red pizza (traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella) with half Italian sausage and half green pepper. It wasn't life-changing pizza, but I have no complaints about it. I would go back to this place, but I won't seek it out.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Bacon and pepper jack roll ups
If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that I like to experiment with crescent rolls and biscuits all the time. Here's my latest.
Bacon and pepper jack rolls up
Ingredients (makes 4 roll ups):
1/2 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
3 bacon rashers, cooked
2 slices pepper jack cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chives
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Lay out crescent rolls. Break apart pepper jack slices and crumble bacon, and distribute evenly on the wide side of each crescent roll. Roll each crescent roll up, tuck in the ends, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, heat butter until melted.
4. When crescent rolls are done cooking, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Brush each roll with the butter, and immediately sprinkle each one with chives. Serve warm.
Bacon and pepper jack rolls up
Ingredients (makes 4 roll ups):
1/2 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
3 bacon rashers, cooked
2 slices pepper jack cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chives
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Lay out crescent rolls. Break apart pepper jack slices and crumble bacon, and distribute evenly on the wide side of each crescent roll. Roll each crescent roll up, tuck in the ends, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, heat butter until melted.
4. When crescent rolls are done cooking, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Brush each roll with the butter, and immediately sprinkle each one with chives. Serve warm.
Creole shrimp with garlic and lemon
Creole shrimp with garlic and lemon
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 lemon
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add shrimp, garlic, red bell pepper, and Creole seasoning.
2. Cook until shrimp turns white-orange throughout, flipping once.
3. Serve to plates, and add parsley plus 1/4 lemon juice to each plate. Serve remaining lemon wedges on plates.
Optional: Make a dipping sauce to go along with the shrimp by adding 1 tbsp Creole seasoning to 1/4 cup mayo.
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 lemon
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add shrimp, garlic, red bell pepper, and Creole seasoning.
2. Cook until shrimp turns white-orange throughout, flipping once.
3. Serve to plates, and add parsley plus 1/4 lemon juice to each plate. Serve remaining lemon wedges on plates.
Optional: Make a dipping sauce to go along with the shrimp by adding 1 tbsp Creole seasoning to 1/4 cup mayo.
Monday, November 17, 2014
The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas
While on vacation in Las Vegas, we enjoyed The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas. We showed up in between breakfast and lunch, so we got to enjoy a large array of menu items including Chorizo hash, eggs benedict, pork sausage, bacon, macaroni and cheese, fried clams, cheddar bratwurst, gelato... It was fantastic!
Pink's Hot Dogs
While on vacation in Las Vegas, we ate at Pink's Hot Dogs on The Strip. Years ago, I went to their landmark restaurant in Los Angeles, and was excited to discover they had a Las Vegas location.
We split Cheese Fries (with nacho cheese sauce), and I ordered a Bacon Chili Cheese Dog (with American cheese, 3 strips of bacon, diced tomatoes, mustard, and onions). It didn't disappoint. Pink's has some of the best hot dogs around!
We split Cheese Fries (with nacho cheese sauce), and I ordered a Bacon Chili Cheese Dog (with American cheese, 3 strips of bacon, diced tomatoes, mustard, and onions). It didn't disappoint. Pink's has some of the best hot dogs around!
Southwestern soup
Sometimes I need to make dinner in less than 10 minutes. This is a very fast and easy recipe, and it's enough to serve 2 with leftover sides for later.
Southwestern soup
Ingredients (serves 3):
1 can cooked chicken
1 can chicken and rice
1 can tomato soup
1 can Southwestern black beans
1 can Southwestern corn
1 can Rotel
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 oz Fritos
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp chives
1. Dump all cans into a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until it boils.
2. Serve into bowls, and garnish with cheddar, Fritos, sour cream, and chives.
Southwestern soup
Ingredients (serves 3):
1 can cooked chicken
1 can chicken and rice
1 can tomato soup
1 can Southwestern black beans
1 can Southwestern corn
1 can Rotel
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 oz Fritos
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp chives
1. Dump all cans into a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until it boils.
2. Serve into bowls, and garnish with cheddar, Fritos, sour cream, and chives.
Chicken and pepper jack baked pasta
This dinner made for great leftovers, too!
Chicken and pepper jack baked pasta
Ingredients (serves 4):
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz penne
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
Salt
4 oz shredded pepper jack
4 oz shredded cheddar
1. Preheat oven to 425°, and cut the fat off the chicken. Cook chicken for 25 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces, and reset oven to 350°.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions, and drain.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add milk and salt, continually whisking. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat. Slowly whisk in the pepper jack cheese and 3/4 of the cheddar cheese.
4. Add the chicken, pasta, and cheese mixture to a Pyrex dish, and mix together. Add the last of the cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Let cool before serving.
Chicken and pepper jack baked pasta
Ingredients (serves 4):
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz penne
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
Salt
4 oz shredded pepper jack
4 oz shredded cheddar
1. Preheat oven to 425°, and cut the fat off the chicken. Cook chicken for 25 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces, and reset oven to 350°.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions, and drain.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add milk and salt, continually whisking. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat. Slowly whisk in the pepper jack cheese and 3/4 of the cheddar cheese.
4. Add the chicken, pasta, and cheese mixture to a Pyrex dish, and mix together. Add the last of the cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Let cool before serving.
Breakfast sandwich with spinach, Brie, and bacon
Breakfast sandwich with spinach, Brie, and bacon
Ingredients (serves 2):
4 rashers bacon
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups baby spinach
2 English muffins
1 tbsp butter
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
4 slices of Brie cheese
1. Fry bacon in a skillet on both sides, or bake on an oven rack at 425° for 10 minutes, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook spinach until wilted.
3. Split English muffins and toast them.
4. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, then crack eggs into it, add salt and pepper, and fry until the yolks are soft set. Flip the eggs and cook a minute longer.
5. Slice Brie, and create layers of cheese on both halves of each English muffin. Then sandwich in an egg, spinach, and bacon.
Ingredients (serves 2):
4 rashers bacon
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups baby spinach
2 English muffins
1 tbsp butter
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
4 slices of Brie cheese
1. Fry bacon in a skillet on both sides, or bake on an oven rack at 425° for 10 minutes, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook spinach until wilted.
3. Split English muffins and toast them.
4. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, then crack eggs into it, add salt and pepper, and fry until the yolks are soft set. Flip the eggs and cook a minute longer.
5. Slice Brie, and create layers of cheese on both halves of each English muffin. Then sandwich in an egg, spinach, and bacon.
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