In: Spicy Chicken Quesadilla

I don't really know my way around the kitchen, but occasionally I have the urge to throw a meal together with whatever ingredients we have lying around. When we want something quick, quesadillas are high on the list because they take very little effort, but are a lot healthier and more filling than ramen. This was by far the tastiest thing I've ever made, so, I was compelled to share it with the Internet. Please try it out and let me know how it could be better!

Irresistible!

Ingredients: 

1 flour tortilla

Frank's hot sauce

Dash of oregano

Grated mozzarella cheese

JD's Baconnaise

1/2 cup of pre-cooked sliced chicken (this was leftover from a roast chicken)

1 Tbsp Olive oil

Lay the tortilla out and spread JD's Baconnaise spread over the entire thing. Liberally sprinkle mozzarella cheese on half of the tortilla. It doesn't have to be mozzarella, it's just all we had at the time. Splash it with as much Frank's as you desire and throw a little oregano on there.

In a nonstick pan: heat olive oil over medium heat and throw in the chicken to warm it up for a few minutes. I added extra hot sauce and threw on some salt and pepper, but next time I would toss all that together in a bowl first. I can guarantee there will be a next time. 

Add the chicken to the quesadilla and fold it in half. Then lightly brown both sides of the tortilla in the same pan. Enjoy!

I have to say that the baconnaise adds an interesting flavor to it. Feel free to try other things, but this has a certain barbecue-bacon quality which went well with the Frank's hot sauce. This DIY meal has a lot of room for variety, so, throw in your favorite ingredients and see what happens! I won't say you can't go wrong, but you it can't go right if you don't try.

-Matt

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Out: Bin 228

Bin 228 is a small wine bar in downtown Hartford and I mean small. Dimly lit, cozy and alluring are good ways to describe this "date night" type place. It's also great for a pre or post show drink nestled across from Theater Works and Hartford Stage and The Bushnell are nearby. Tip: The wait staff expect you to walk in and flag one of them down if you want to be seated. Don't wait in the doorway puzzled like we did.

Grilled flank steak over baby spinach

Despite warnings from family and friends we went to Bin hungry. I ordered the grilled flank steak over baby spinach because I'm a sucker for anything with gorgonzola. It was sprinkled with roasted red peppers, grilled asparagus, chunks of gorgonzola and drizzled with a balsamic reduction dressing. To my surprise this was very tasty. The flank steak was tender and the asparagus nicely grilled. I wolfed it down while Nancy poked at her order with disappointment.


She ordered the Tramezzini with bresaola, arugula, parmesan and lemon truffle oil, which basically amounted to a dry sandwich with thin slices of salty beef on stale bread. She was not a happy camper. She postulated this dish is a mere incentive refill your glass and I think it worked because she gulped down her Jelu Malbec. I ordered a white (piedmonte) before knowing what I was ordering, so the pairing was wrong, but it didn't matter and I thought the Gavidi gavi from VillaSparina was very good. Go to Bin 228, take a deep breath, and order a glass or two of wine. Then spin the roulette wheel that is their menu and hope you get lucky.

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In: Linguini with Shrimp Scampi

This recipe could be great if it wasn't quite so lemony. Perhaps I mismeasured the amount of lemon juice necessary (I halved the recipe).

Anyways, besides the overwhelming lemon taste, I liked this dish for two main reasons. 

#1. It's quick, easy, and the few ingredients it called for I mostly had on hand. (I suppose that's more than 1 reason)

#2. It looks fancy! Serve it up with a crunchy salad, some warm cheesy garlic bread and a nice glass of white wine. Great dish to serve when you're having company. Everyone needs a mastered-go to-companys coming dish. This could easily be it!

I will definitely try this again, but cut back on the lemon.  And I will be sure we have wine on hand  to accompany it!

Linguini with Shrimp Scampi

Recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Vegetable Oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds linguine
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
2 pounds large shirmp, peeled and deveined (just buy them that way)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Cheers,

Nancy

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Out: El Paso Mexican Restaurant

El Paso Mexican Restaurant is not much to look at, but do not pass it by or write it off. Didn't your mother teach you not to judge a book by it's cover? Well, this book has tasty mexican food inside, so, open your mind and take a seat. We drove past this place many times ourselves and wondered if it was any good. It took one recommendation from a coworker to finally motivate us to try it. I [Matt] love all food (if you don't know that by now, this blog will soon prove it), but I don't spend a lot of time in authentic Mexican restaurants. I find that most are just margarita pumps where the food is an afterthought. El Paso absolutely has it the other way around. 

Carne enchilada chimichanga

My sparse run-ins with authentic Mexican food leave me ill-equipped to justly describe the awesomeness. I've never had an enchilada inside a chimichanga before, but I would certainly order this again. Savory chunks of pork dressed with chili sauce, beans, peppers and cheese filled this tortilla wrapped masterpiece. The Internet told me that carne enchilada means "chili dressed meat", but there is not really chili in the chimichanga. I think the pork bathed in chili before resting inside it's final home. The accompaniments are excellent as well. The guacamole is smooth and not overpowered by lime juice. The pico de gallo is fresh and dances gently on your taste buds. Finally, the rice was full of flavor and I would have easily cleaned my plate if I didn't need it for lunch the next day. 

Chorizo enchiladas

Nancy ordered the Chorizo enchiladas and I was jealous the moment they appeared on the table. Chorizo is a magical sausage that has a distinct and amazing flavor. Find it and eat it! These enchiladas come with a choice of green, brown or red sauce. She selected red (pictured above). The red sauce was fairly mild and mild is my speed. I don't care for food where the capsaicin takes over your entire face and you can't taste anything but burning. While Nancy snuck bites of my guacamole and pico, I kept reaching for her refried beans. We love refried beans!

It was the perfect comfort food for the dribbling rainy weather we were having that day, but I encourage you to go no matter what kind of day you're having. It's probably great apocalypse food too. Our only regret was that we didn't leave room to try the coconut flan, but don't worry, we'll be back.

-Matt

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Out: Sushi Red

Sushi Red is probably the closest you can come to a traditional Japanese sushi joint in CT. The owner and chef (the same guy) respectfully bows as you enter and directs your seat. We chose the bar for that up close and personal experience. I've been here before, but Nancy thought the open air kitchen stood out. A lot of sushi restaurants will make the sushi up front for you to see, but the entire kitchen behind the chef is exposed. The chef has nothing to hide and we agreed it makes for a refreshing setting.

$9.45 is a fair price.

We're compelled to order a Dragon roll when we go to a sushi place, because I've been doing that since I started frequenting Japanese-American restaurants. We had options: Dancing Dragon Roll, Red Dragon Roll, and Orange Dragon Roll, but decided on the standard one. The maki is light and simple compared to it's garish cousins doused in eel sauce and loaded with cooked eel. It is a no frills version of what we're used to, but it still delivers on freshness and flavor. Certainly, the artful zen garden-like slices in the avocado invite you to take another piece.

6 pieces of nigiri sushi and 4 pieces of sashimi isn't overboard is it?

Of course, we didn't stop there, this is me we're talking about! While hunting through the menu I had a feeling the sushi would be excellent and boy was I right. The chef winked as he slipped extra tako (octopus) on our plate and it was telling of his feelings about his dishes and his customers. The fish is very fresh and very tasty. The chef knows what he is doing when it comes to simple traditional sushi. The accompanying sauce drizzled over the tako was a nice touch albeit unusual. His rice had something we couldn't put our finger on, but we didn't ponder it long as we were busy stuffing our faces. Also, the soy sauce is noteworthy featuring a hint of tanginess. At the end of our sushi binge we were given free mochi ice cream. What flavor? Do you have to ask? Green tea of course! And it was a generous gesture. Sushi Red is hands down a fantastic, local, one-man-show sushi place.

GO NOW!

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Location: 450 East Street Plainville, CT 06062

In: Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Behind my parents' house there is a field and every year there seems to be something different planted there.  This year, it's squash.  After a brief visit with my mother this weekend Matt and I returned home with several acorn and spaghetti squash.  In an effort to branch out from my usual baking of acorn squash with butter and brown sugar (which is still delicious by the way) I turned to my favorite recipe site, Food.com.  There, I stumbled across the following recipe which came very highly rated.  Luckily, I had also just returned from apple picking! Yay for local, fresh ingredients!

I <3 Fall

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Source:
http://www.food.com/recipe/sausage-and-apple-stuffed-acorn-squash-146036?oc=linkback

Ingredients:
Servings: 4
Units: US
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1 lb pork sausage (regular seasoning)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped (macintosh)
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine the melted butter, garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoons sage; brush over cut sides and cavity of squash. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Bake in a large roasting pan, cut side up, at 400 degrees F for 1 hour, until squash is tender yet still holds its shape.
3. Meanwhile make stuffing: Fry pork sausage until light brown. Remove pork to a colander to drain. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings from frypan. Add onion, celery and mushroom; saute 4 minutes. Stir in apple and saute 2 more minutes.
4. Combine the pork, vegetables, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
5. Taste and season with sage, salt or pepper if needed (depending on your sausage you may not want to add more seasoning).
6. Stir in the egg and parsley.
7. Fill the squash halves with stuffing-they should be slightly mounded.
8. Return to oven and bake, covered, for 20 more minutes, until the egg is set.
9. Garnish as desired with parsley and shredded romano cheese.

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

So this was pretty easy to make and was delicious! The combination of the sweet apple and spicy sausage (I ended up using half italian, half hot sausage) was perfect. Also, since the food groups were all represented in this dish (well most) it was a nice to not have to worry about preparing a bunch of sides to go with it. If you are looking for a new way to use acorn squash as we enter this fall season, I highly recommend you try out this recipe.

Enjoy!
-Nancy

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