Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I’m finally starting to feel like my self again after a pretty fun weekend away with some couple friends. We really showed the world we can still throw them back even though some of our members now come with babies. Even if some of us (me) fell asleep at seven-thirty in the evening on Saturday.  We also proved we are WAY too old to hang.

A really wonderful weekend culminated in me getting on the only freeway that was jam packed coming home early Monday morning on a holiday that I did not have off from work. Then getting lost after getting off said freeway and then proceeding to irrationally losing it on Wes.

Real nice Ange. Real nice.

But all is right with the world again. I’m home and back in the kitchen. Where I belong.

When I wanted to do a little remix on a night at a steakhouse for mom and pop, I was SHOCKED that I had never made one of my all time favorite indulgences. The wedge salad.

How have I not made myself some of this blue cheese and bacony goodness?

Well don’t worry. I made up for it. This thing was decadently delicious.

You will need…

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

3 slices of your favorite thick cut bacon

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

Start by cooking your bacon over medium heat in a large pan until crispy. About 7 minutes a side. 

Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease.

Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Removing the more damaged outer leaves, quarter the head of lettuce  and lay it on the platter.

Top the lettuce with the shallots, ½ the blue cheese and the bacon.

In a mason jar or food processor, combine the remaining blue cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Blend or shake until completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

3 slices of your favorite thick cut bacon

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

Start by cooking your bacon over medium heat in a large pan until crispy. About 7 minutes a side. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease.

Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Removing the more damaged outer leaves, quarter the head of lettuce  and lay it on the platter.

Top the lettuce with the shallots, ½ the blue cheese and the bacon.

In a mason jar or food processor, combine the remaining blue cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Blend or shake until completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve. 

Sweet and Tangy Mango Baby Back Ribs with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce

If you thought there is no way that I would have kept at cooking and blogging for over three years, I probably would have said you were right.

To be honest, I didn’t think I would do it for so long. I’ve always dabbled in different hobbies, so I didn’t really thing this one would stick. But I really like writing. And I REALLY like cooking. I may even say LOVE.

But when I started cooking and writing about it, I had a lot less responsibility. In life and at work. I had the time to have a drunken dinner party every Tuesday. I could make dinner no matter what work task came my way that day.

I’ve been blessed to be in a more valuable roll than I’ve ever been in, but it definitely cuts into my kitchen time.

Thank goodness I have an awesome mom who will do some shopping, prep work and photography when I’m running late at work. Just so I can come home and dirty her beautiful kitchen while I do what I love. And she barely complains when I spill things ALL OVER the kitchen.

She was gracious enough to get some ribs in the oven for me the other night. But the magic of the sauce was alllllllll me.

You will need…

2 racks baby back ribs

¼ cup ground coriander

½ teaspoon Chinese fire-spice

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 ripe mango, chopped

2 tablespoons palm sugar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the coriander and five spice. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the ribs in a roasting dish and rub the spice mixture all over both sides. 

Add in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce to the pan and cover it with foil.

Roast the ribs for 1 hour, until tender.

While the ribs are roasting. Combine the mango, Worcestershire sauce, sugar lemon juice, honey, red pepper and remaining fish sauce in a blender or food processor. 

Blend until smooth and set the glaze aside.

Rinse the blender or processor and then fill it with the cilantro, yogurt and lime juice and blend till smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When the ribs have roasted for an hour, remove them from the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Pour any excess liquid from the roasting pan and brush half of the glaze onto the less meaty side of the ribs.

Broil for 5 minutes until they are browning.

Remove the ribs from the heat once again and brush the remaining glaze on the fatty side of the ribs.

Continue to broil for an additional five minutes until golden and sizzling.

Allow the ribs to cool slightly, slice and serve with cilantro dipping sauce.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Sweet Mango Baby Back Ribs with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce

2 racks baby back ribs

¼ cup ground coriander

½ teaspoon Chinese fire-spice

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 ripe mango, chopped

2 tablespoons palm sugar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the coriander and five spice. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the ribs in a roasting dish and rub the spice mixture all over both sides. Add in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce to the pan and cover it with foil.

Roast the ribs for 1 hour, until tender. While the ribs are roasting. Combine the mango, Worcestershire sauce, sugar lemon juice, honey, red pepper and remaining fish sauce in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and set the glaze aside.

Rinse the blender or processor and then fill it with the cilantro, yogurt and lime juice and blend till smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When the ribs have roasted for an hour, remove them from the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Pour any excess liquid from the roasting pan and brush half of the glaze onto the less meaty side of the ribs.

Broil for 5 minutes until they are browning.

Remove the ribs from the heat once again and brush the remaining glaze on the fatty side of the ribs.

Continue to broil for an additional five minutes until golden and sizzling.

Allow the ribs to cool slightly, slice and serve with cilantro dipping sauce. 

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Rotini

Every October, when summer in southern California is winding own, I tell myself that next year I’m giving up teaching swim lessons.

Every autumn I tell myself that I’m too old to be doing swim lessons, and that I should just relax on the weekends.

But every June, I get back in the pool with the kiddos. I’m not sure what keeps me coming back, but it keeps me happy and in extra cash. A total win win.

It also keeps me in a batching suit. Which means I gotta keep my meals a little lighter. Still hearty and tasty, but lighter.

You will need…

¾ pound dried rotini

1 cup reserved pasta water

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup sun dried tomato halves, roughly chopped

3 tomatoes, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup basil, roughly chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water boils, cook the pasta to the packing instructions. Make sure to reserve a cup of pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat

When the oil is hot, add in the garlic, red pepper flakes and sun dried tomatoes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Add in the tomato paste, tomatoes, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and cook for an additional minute.

While rapidly whisking the tomato mixture, add in the Greek yogurt. Whisk until completely incorporated. Slowly add in the reserved pasta water until the texture of the sauce is creamy.

Toss in the basil and simmer for an additional minute.

Add in the pasta, toss to coat and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Rotini

¾ pound dried rotini

1 cup reserved pasta water

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup sun dried tomato halves, roughly chopped

3 tomatoes, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup basil, roughly chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water boils, cook the pasta to the packing instructions. Make sure to reserve a cup of pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat

When the oil is hot, add in the garlic, red pepper flakes and sun dried tomatoes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Add in the tomato paste, tomatoes, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and cook for an additional minute.

While rapidly whisking the tomato mixture, add in the Greek yogurt. Whisk until completely incorporated. Slowly add in the reserved pasta water until the texture of the sauce is creamy.

Toss in the basil and simmer for an additional minute.

Add in the pasta, toss to coat and serve hot. 

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

When you introduce your significant other to your family, you hope they get along. But even more than that, you hope they bond.

Luckily for me, Wesley and my brothers were able to bond quickly over a shared love. Their shared love is not of me. Yes they all love me, but I think they love Gushers fruit snacks even more.

Wesley loves Gushers so much that he actually spent some time this evening Googling them, their factory and reviews on them.

No, I am not making this up.

He stumbled across a negative review. The only negative review he could find.

What he found was so ridiculous that I had to share it. I don’t know anything about the woman that wrote it or her son. If he did indeed pass away, my heart goes out to her and I want her to know (in the off chance that she somehow reads this) that her and her son are hero’s and that I am in no way trying to mock her.

I am just really impressed at her ability to find parallels between Shrek Gushers and the war in Iraq. Very impressive.

To Whom It May Concern,

In 2004 my son died fighting an unjust war sold to the American people on lies. In 2006 I purchased a box of Shrek Fruit Gushers with "natural" Fruitomic Punch flavor. I have several issues with your Shrek Fruit Gushers and these are closely linked to the sadness I feel every Mother's Day when I realize that there will be no card or phone call from Casey. Your Fruit Gushers (Fruitomic or conventional) are waxy fruit candies full of juice that promise "an explosion of flavor", just like the IED explosion that killed my son, Casey. Very offensive.

I spoke to Hugo Chavez and he assured me that he supported my effort to bring our troops home and to receive a complete refund from your Shrek Fruit Gushers. Why do you only have two flavors in the Fruit Gusher pouch? I'm stricken with grief at the thought that even one more soldier will return home wounded from Iraq, buy a box of Shrek Fruit Gushers, and receive only two flavors.

I accuse you of false and deceptive advertising. There is a picture of Shrek on the box, yet the Fruit Gushers themselves vaguely resemble gems. What do gems have to do with Shrek? I have a t-shirt with Casey's face on it and I have a lot to do with my son. Maybe your Fruit Gushers taste like Shrek. I wouldn't know for sure, but what I do know is that they taste like lies. The same sort of lies Colin Powell told to the United Nations that got us into this tragic war. Flavor lies.

While I was visiting Cuba a few days ago I noticed that they did not sell Fruit Gushers anywhere in Cuba, yet Cuba has never launched a preemptive war based on faulty intelligence. Are the two connected? You tell me, Herr Crocker!!! I find that now when I place a Shrek Fruit Gusher in my mouth and bite down, rather than the explosion of flavor promised I find only the bittersweet burst of gooey forlorn hope. Hope for our nation's future and hope that our children and their children can live in a world of peace and refunds for unsatisfactory products.

Israel may support Shrek Fruit Gushers, but was that Zionist flavor explosion worth the life of my son?

Let me tell you, Betdolph Crockler, at a rally in New York City, Jesse Jackson spoke to over 5,000 veterans, Gold Star Mothers and friends and family of our troops and pledged to take up the fight to guarantee me a refund for these inferior Fruit Gushers. He insisted that I receive a full refund and not just coupons for more Betty Crocker products. It's what Casey would have wanted.

I want you to know right now I am crying. If I ever wore makeup it would be running down my cheeks. My tears are falling on this page so if some of the ink is running that is why. They accuse us of supporting cut and run, but I would rather support a new direction and a new refund. I cry for the loss of my son and the loss we all feel whenever we taste your terrible Shrek Fruit Gushers.

This is the only warning we are going to be giving. You know our demands and until those demands are met, myself and all Gold Stars Mothers (that star means their children died for a false war and bad Fruit Gushers) Against Shrek Fruit Gushers will be speaking to the media about your actions.

If these demands still are not met, we will begin camping outside your Fruit Gushers factory in Guadalajara, Mexico. I already have a suitcase fully packed with candles, card stock and markers as well as a whole notebook full of rhyming slogans we can yell.

Writing this letter because Casey can't,

Cindy Sheehan

On that note, I am going to leave you with something I hope is much less disappointing than Shrek Gushers. And much less controversial.

You will need…

4 small chicken breasts

¾ cup mango chutney

¾ cup Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

2 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup arugula

4 large rolls (your favorite kind)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the chicken until it is cooked through. About 20 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool.

As soon as the chicken has cooled enough to handle. Use 2 forks to pull apart the chicken until it is shredded.

Toss the chicken in a bowl with the chutney, lime juice, curry, scallions, cilantro and season it well with salt and pepper.

Toast the rolls and top them with arugula and ½ cup of chicken salad.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

4 small chicken breasts

¾ cup mango chutney

¾ cup Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

2 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup arugula

4 large rolls (your favorite kind)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the chicken until it is cooked through. About 20 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool.

As soon as the chicken has cooled enough to handle. Use 2 forks to pull apart the chicken until it is shredded.

Toss the chicken in a bowl with the chutney, lime juice, curry, scallions, cilantro and season it well with salt and pepper.

Toast the rolls and top them with arugula and ½ cup of chicken salad.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Creamy Tarragon Dressed Butter Lettuce with Crumbled Croutons

Unless you live under a rock, you are a ware that 2012 is an election year in the good old USA.

No, I am not about to spill my guts to you about all my political beliefs and then go on and on and on and on and on about why I am right and why you should believe what I think.

I don’t really care if you believe that the whole universe is run by a unicorn named Janice or that the earth is really just a marble in some alien kids pocket.

What I do know is that I find most of the political figures these days very similar to circus performers.

I just feel like people I can trust are few and far between. On both sides of the aisle. And more than wanting to convince others of my political views, I just hope as a whole our country can get to a more honest place.

And there is my deep thought of the week.

Even though I don’t trust politicians, I do trust a really REALLY good salad.

Ignore a politician, eat a salad.

You will need…

1 cup homemade croutons
 (store bought work fine) smashed

2 heads butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup shaved (you can use a veggie peeler) good Parmesan cheese

1 large tomato, diced

1/4 cup diced red tomato, plus and extra tablespoon

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

On a large platter, combine the tomato, lettuce, cheese, and ¼ cup of onion.

Then in a food processor or in a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Blend or whisk until they are completely blended.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Top with the crushed croutons, lightly toss again and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Creamy Tarragon Dressed Butter Lettuce with Crumbled Croutons

1 cup homemade croutons
 (store bought work fine) smashed

2 heads butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup shaved (you can use a veggie peeler) good Parmesan cheese

1 large tomato, diced

1/4 cup diced red tomato, plus and extra tablespoon

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

On a large platter, combine the tomato, lettuce, cheese, and ¼ cup of onion.

Then in a food processor or in a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Blend or whisk until they are completely blended.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Top with the crushed croutons, lightly toss again and serve.