Slowly, but surely, this city is getting back on its feet. Power has been restored to much of downtown Manhattan, but subways are still not running below 34th st. Many of the Broadway shows opened on Halloween, but theatres downtown were without power until yesterday - so they are just beginning to check everything and hopefully open today and tomorrow. (I hear The Public (425 Lafayette St) is giving away free tickets to Giant today and tomorrow - if you can, go! It's an absolutely terrific show.) The road to recovery will be a lengthy one, but we are on our way. The NYC Marathon was cancelled. I understand why Mayor Bloomberg wanted it to go on - rally the troops, show things getting back to normal, etc. etc., however, I'm glad they finally saw sense and cancelled the race. They said it wouldn't take away from relief efforts, but that's just not true - and all resources should be going to helping those devastated by Sandy. For an interesting look into the New York attitude of things, check this out.
Carolyn and I were extremely fortunate. We had power and water through the whole fiasco, and only got a bit of rain. It's still hard for me to wrap my mind around the utter havoc wreaked upon my beloved city. I was at a class on 36th and 8th the other night, and as I was leaving I looked downtown and saw utter blackness. It was very eerie, to say the least. I've heard that many of my friends have had their power restored, and hopefully it won't be too long before the rest of Manhattan is again properly illuminated. Below is a picture I found the other day, looking at the city from Jersey. Chilling.
Because we were blessed with power, and had nothing else to do really besides sit around and watch tv, I ended up cooking. A lot. This was because, 1. I had no clue if we were going to lose power at some point, so better to cook up as much as possible so we could at least eat it cold, and 2. I was really bored. Carolyn was sleeping most of the day Monday, and I was just sitting around, not really feeling like reading. So, I cooked. And man, did we finally come across some winners this week. Grab a cup of cheer, dear readers, it's gunna be a long one.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Chicken Breasts
5-7 pieces bacon per chicken piece
Cream cheese (I used a little less than 4oz)
Garlic salt
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Other spices - optional
Chicken Breasts
5-7 pieces bacon per chicken piece
Cream cheese (I used a little less than 4oz)
Garlic salt
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Other spices - optional
1. First off, you're gunna need to flatten your chicken breasts.
I was an idiot and accidentally bought breasts with bones - so I had a fine time ripping them off. I saved them to make soup or something with later. And as I don't have a meat tenderizer, I got out my trusty hammer to get the job done :)
Wrap them in some saran wrap and go to town!
I was an idiot and accidentally bought breasts with bones - so I had a fine time ripping them off. I saved them to make soup or something with later. And as I don't have a meat tenderizer, I got out my trusty hammer to get the job done :)
Wrap them in some saran wrap and go to town!
2. Once the breasts are a manageable size (hehehe ;P) lay out your bacon on a plate (hehe...). As you can see, I did 3 across and 2 down - you can add more bacon where necessary to completely wrap your chicken. (Ok, seriously, I'm not meaning to write all these euphemisms. Food is dirty. Ahem. Moving on.).
3. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and put some slabs of cream cheese on top. You can also add any other spices you so desire.
3. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and put some slabs of cream cheese on top. You can also add any other spices you so desire.
4. Sprinkle copious amounts of shredded cheese on top...
...then wrap that baby up! (Lengthwise then Width-wise - and use a toothpick if it won't stay.)
5. Flip it so the seam side is down, put on aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 min, turning halfway through. Then turn up the oven to 500 degrees (or broil) until the bacon is crispy :) (If bacon is not fully cooked, flip over and cook another 15min or so).
6. Dig In!!
My illustrious roommate (pictured above), absolutely loved this recipe. I thought it was pretty excellent, but I think I used too much cream cheese - I'm very sensitive to dairy, and it ended up giving me a headache. I'd definitely try this again with less cream cheese. But man, the bacon sure brings out a most wonderful flavor in the chicken!
Plain and Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
2-3 Frozen Bananas (peel and then freeze in small chunks)
1-2 Tbls Cocoa Powder
2-3 Frozen Bananas (peel and then freeze in small chunks)
1-2 Tbls Cocoa Powder
1. Blend bananas until smooth and creamy. This will take a little while and you'll need to scrape and smush them down often - but it's well worth it! They became soooo creamy and absolutely yummy, even though I used bananas that had been in the freezer for months. The plain is great on its own, but feel free to blend in a bit of cocoa powder to make it chocolate flavored.
Super easy. Super healthy.
Super easy. Super healthy.
Pumpkin Pie Roll-Ups
2 pkgs Crescent Rolls
4 oz cream cheese
1 C pumpkin puree (I see now the recipe called for 1 can, but I used 1 C and still had leftover batter)
2 Tbls Pumpkin Pie Spice (or a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice)
3-4 Tbls sugar
Topping: 3 Tbls Sugar, 1 Tbls pie spice
2 pkgs Crescent Rolls
4 oz cream cheese
1 C pumpkin puree (I see now the recipe called for 1 can, but I used 1 C and still had leftover batter)
2 Tbls Pumpkin Pie Spice (or a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice)
3-4 Tbls sugar
Topping: 3 Tbls Sugar, 1 Tbls pie spice
1. Beat everything (except rolls and topping) until creamy. Spread onto crescent rolls.
2. Roll up and dip into topping mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25min.
These little guys were super delicious and a great snack. Best served cold.
These little guys were super delicious and a great snack. Best served cold.
Tuscan Steak with Crispy Potatoes
*I had to modify this slightly, based on the ingredients, so below is what I did, but definitely check out the original recipe!
Small, baby potatoes - I used 5-6 small red potatoes cut into quarters, scrubbed, with skins left on)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
A smattering of Red Pepper Flakes
A bit of Rosemary, chopped fine
Steaks
1. Put potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover by 1in - add some salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer 10min. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil until it shimmers. Add in potatoes and toss to coat in the oil. Cook without turning until they're nicely brown (about 5 min). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then turn and cook another side - again without stirring, 5 min more. Stir and cook 9-10min more until all sides are browned and crisped.
3. In the meantime, or when the potatoes are boiling, mix together in a small bowl the Vinegar, 2 Tbls olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and rosemary. Brush the steaks on both sides with the marinade, place on aluminum foil and broil - several minutes per side, depending how thick the steaks are - be watching them so they don't burn. Tent with foil and let rest 5min.
*I had to modify this slightly, based on the ingredients, so below is what I did, but definitely check out the original recipe!
Small, baby potatoes - I used 5-6 small red potatoes cut into quarters, scrubbed, with skins left on)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
A smattering of Red Pepper Flakes
A bit of Rosemary, chopped fine
Steaks
1. Put potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover by 1in - add some salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer 10min. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil until it shimmers. Add in potatoes and toss to coat in the oil. Cook without turning until they're nicely brown (about 5 min). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then turn and cook another side - again without stirring, 5 min more. Stir and cook 9-10min more until all sides are browned and crisped.
3. In the meantime, or when the potatoes are boiling, mix together in a small bowl the Vinegar, 2 Tbls olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and rosemary. Brush the steaks on both sides with the marinade, place on aluminum foil and broil - several minutes per side, depending how thick the steaks are - be watching them so they don't burn. Tent with foil and let rest 5min.
The potatoes were heavenly. Carolyn said they tasted better than restaurant potatoes, and I have to agree! They were crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, and utterly flavorful. The steaks were good, but would've been much better had they been a better cut of steak (like the original recipe calls for) and if they'd been grilled instead of broiled. However, those were the only cuts of steak I had, and I don't have a grill. But the marinade was very tasty. An absolutely delicious meal all around - a must make!
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