Super Easy Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This one really IS super easy.
You can cook chicken specifically for this recipe, or do what I often do and use leftover chicken (either your own or a store-bought rotisserie hen.)
Just removed skin from cooked chicken, shred it with your hands or two forks, place it in a pan with BBQ sauce (your favorite brand, or homemade). Heat gently until warmed through ~ you may want to add a little water as it's heating to keep the meat moist.
I usually top these with good vinegary coleslaw ~ again, homemade or store bought.



This time I served the chicken on homemade "Moomie's" Sandwich Buns (an old King Arthur Flour recipe), but your favorite kind of bun or sturdy bread will do just as well.  I like to toast the buns and top with a little garlic butter before assembling ~ but that's up to you.
A really easy meal when you don't want to spend much time in the kitchen.
If you give them a try, I hope you enjoy!

Have a good day friends.

Peace,
~m. xoxo

Tomato-Zucchini Soup 2 ways, with Cheese Toasts

~Tomato Zucchini Bisque with Cheese Toasts~

Recently I've been sampling recipes from the  Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook:  Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond from New York's Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant   
authored by the owners   DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg.

After collecting cookbooks for so many years,  these days I am particular about any that I add to my  (groaning) bookshelves.   However after reading the reviews on amazon.com,  and reading through the book in person ~   I'm really happy I decided to get this one.  I'm currently working my way through some of their fantastic recipes. It's a beautiful cookbook with plenty of gorgeous full page photos of many of the recipes.


(Click the link to take a free look inside the cookbook)

While their bakery and restaurant are noted as being  New York's number one breakfast spot by many fans  (and famous for their long waits to get in the door)  attesting to their popularity. 
And the bonus is the cookbook also includes recipes  for many items from their lunch and dinner menu.  
The first thing I cooked from the book that isn't a breakfast/brunch  item was this Tomato Zucchini Bisque, which I tweaked just a little bit.  And if you're eating Dairy Free, you can simply omit the milk or cream, and it's still delicious.
To make the bisque, first you cook the vegetables, then smooth it out by running the mixture through the blender in two batches; at this point you add the cream if you're using it.  I did ~ and yum!!
And since this recipe yields  8 to 10 servings, I only processed half of the recipe;  the rest I servedas a Chunky Tomato-Zucchini soup,  without the cream. I garnished with shaved Parmesan  and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.   I'm not sure they serve it chunky-style at the restaurant (it's not mentioned in the book)   it was delicious as well!
I used a creamy goat cheese to make the Cheese Toasts, but you can substitute any cheese that melts well.


~Yummy Chunky Tomato Zucchini Soup~


Since we couldn't decide which version we preferred~ 




I served both!
  This made a hearty, and delicious dinner on a dark, stormy night.  (And great lunch the next day as well!)

If you would like my version of these recipes with my own tweaks, hop on over to my recipe blog.
To learn more about Clinton Street Baking Company you can take a look at their website (and their menus.)
Do you have a favorite comforting cool weather soup? I'd love to hear about them!
Thanks for stopping by, friends. xo ~Mari

Spicy Smokey Chicken Sandwiches & Flavorful Give Away!

Ciao!
Recently I was given the opportunity to sample a set of natural herb seasoning blends offered by  the Ariosto Spa Buccinasco company in Italy.
And the exciting news is that the kind people from this fine company have invited me to have a drawing for the same gift pack to two of my followers!






Here is the generous gift two winners will receive ~ full size containers of a variety of herb seasonings, specially blended, using all natural herbs and sea salt, sent to you directly from Italy!
I've been having fun in the kitchen using the seasonings ~ they are perfect for adding unique and delicious flavors to grilled, roasted, or sauteed meats, poultry, vegetables as well as eggs and stews.
Most recently I made these  Smokey-Spicy grilled chicken breast sandwiches.




Just brush or spoon the marinade ~ (recipe below) over boneless/skinless chicken breasts, (sliced in half lengthwise, to make them thinner.) Allow to marinate while your grill is heating up. 
You can grill them outdoors, or inside on a stove-top grill.  They only take a few minutes to cook ~ and during that time you can mix up the simple Lemon-Aioli for the sandwiches.
Ingredients for Sandwich:
For two servings:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise  to make 4 thin cutlets.
Marinade:
In a container large enough to hold the sliced chicken,  mix together: 1 teaspoon Aristo meat poultry seasoning  1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 1 tablespoon good olive oil Spread/brush mixture on both sides of chicken slices.
2 Sandwich Rolls Lettuce, washed and chilled  Tomatoes, sliced
Lemon Aioli:
Blend together 1/4 cup good mayonnaise, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice until thoroughly blended.
Grill the chicken, mix aioli, toast sandwich rolls if desired. (While chicken is on the grill mix aioli.)  Spread 1/2 of the aioli on the base of  each sandwich bun, top with 2 chicken slices, lettuce, sliced tomatoes ~ and enjoy! 
These received high praise here ~ and that always makes me happy.

This recipe was adapted from Donna Hay ~ I must say, the additional herb blend from Ariosto Spa Buccinasco truly put the flavor over-the-top!


~*~*~*~*~ The Drawing Details 
Open to the continental USA and CANADA! :)
1.) Be a Google Follower of my blog (upper right column) and  leave a comment here just saying you want to be a part of this drawing.
2. Another chance to win ~ if you are a member of facebook click "like" on
Ariosto Spa Buccinasco's page
and mention it in your comment here on my blog.
3. One MORE chance to win ~ spread the word on your blog and/or facebook about this give-away, and mention it in your comment here for another chance to win.
Entries will be accepted from Tuesday, October 23rd until October 30th, 2012 @ 9PM (Pacific Time).
Winner will be announced here on November 1, 2012.


~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a pleasure to be given the Herb Sampler Library  and the opportunity to review these products from Ariosto Spa Buccinasco.

Thank you for stopping by and best of luck to all who enter!  
~ Mari 

Grilled Burgers with Roasted Green Chile Aioli

For the Labor Day holiday (here in the US) on Monday I grilled   burgers using roasted Hatch New Mexican Chiles in two ways;  as a spread as well as adding a few strips tucked beneath the burger.  Yum!
A vendor at our local Farmer's Market sells a variety of  fresh peppers and they also roast peppers on site in a large,  expanded metal, rotating drum fired with a propane burner. I love the fragrance of the chiles roasting ~ sensory pleasure!! 
This past weekend I was happy to find they had  Hatch New Mexican Chiles, warm and freshly roasted. :) (You could use any mild, roasted green chile  if you cannot find Hatch Chiles.) This sauce/spread is also good served with slices  of roasted pork, grilled chicken, shrimp, as well as a spread on BLT sandwiches, and in chicken or egg salad.
Here's all you need to make the flavorful Green Chile Aioli:

A cup of mayo, the chiles, roasted garlic, and a little fresh lime juice.

Simply mince the peeled and cleaned chiles, and stir into the  remaining ingredients.  I opted to mix it up in the  small food processor instead, giving it just a couple of pulses.


Besides the Chile Aioli and chile strips, I served the burgers on  crispy La Brea Bakery Torta sandwich rolls, a slice of  Monterey Jack cheese (added a few minutes before removing  the burgers from the grill), ripe garden tomato slices and fresh greens.
Oh, and I highly recommend McCormick's Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning (no compensation from the company ~ I just love this seasoning for burgers!)

These were voted right up there among the best burgers we  ever have had.  They were very good ~ I hope you'll give them a try!

For a printable copy of the Green Chile Aioli recipe click here.

Thanks for coming by today!
Blessings,  Mari xo

Chicken BLT with Chipolte Mayonnaise and Roasted Tomatoes

Do you need a "recipe" for this sandwich? Heck no, the title tells it all.
Do you need to see a hundred pictures of this sandwich? Of course not.

But the sandwich was really delicious . . .


And the sun made a rare appearance (yay!) which compelled me to get the camera out to have some fun. (Why yes, the sandwich is just as good when it's luke warm.) :P

No recipe needed... but here's how I put it together:First I baked the applewood smoked bacon in a shallow pan on a rack in the oven @ 350* (F) until done to perfection. The cherry tomatoes were rolled in a bit of olive oil, salted lightly then roasted in the oven until slightly charred and beginning to pop.


To make the chicken extra flavorful I marinated it in a little fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh oregano, and olive oil for about 10 minutes before grilling. You can purchase ready-made chipolte mayonnaise, but I just whirred some mayo with enough chipolte from the can to make it as spicy as desired... slathered it on the grilled baguette, then continued to build the sandwich with crispy romain and baby spring greens.






It was very, very good.And the taste of it (along with the sunshine) made my mind turn to spring and summer. :DIf you try it, I hope you love it as much as we did.Enjoy your weekend everyone! xoxo

Tyler's "Everything" Tuna Sandwich ~ TFF & FF

This is my selection for Tyler Florence Fridays this week.

(click to learn more)

I was looking for a light, easy to prepare dinner on a warm summer evening and came across this recipe of Tyler's ~ this looked like it would fit the bill perfectly.

Not wanting to make a trip into town to the store for a couple of the ingredients, I made some minor changes which I've noted below.

His recipe is quite similar to our favorite tuna salad; mayo, lemon juice, dill, cornichons, capers, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Tyler's version is served on a toasted "Everything" bagel, smeared with cream cheese, topped with Bibb lettuce leaves, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, then the tuna salad.

However, since I was using fresh basil leaves instead of lettuce in the sandwich I omitted the fresh tarragon his recipe calls for; and substituted snipped fresh chives instead as I think they compliment each other very well. I also roughly chopped the capers.

Again, wanting to avoid a trip to the store I substituted ciabiatta rolls for the bagels. I think the seeds and minced onions from the "everything" bagel would be delicious and I'll plan on trying it that way next time.

I used solid white albacore, packed in olive oil (well drained.)

One other note ~His recipe calls for three cups of canned tuna (for two servings?!) so I reduced the amount by half, allowing a generous amount for each sandwich, but still there was plenty leftover. I figure his sandwiches must be substanially larger than the ones I made.

All in all, it was a delicious sandwich which received thumbs-up around the table; I would definitely prepare this one again, next time on the 'everything' bagel, as well as with the tarragon and lettuce.

A printable copy of Tyler's recipe is available by clicking HERE.

Click above to visit Tyler Florence FRIDAYS

Please click logo to visit Foodie Friday at Michael's blog

Designs by Gollum.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Sure you can buy them ready-made...

But there is nothing in the stores that compare to homemade, fresh from the oven Pita bread!

I love the satisfaction of creating bread from a few simple ingredients ~ the aroma that wafts from the kitchen is heavenly. There is nothing like the taste and texture of fresh bread.

Pita bread is exceptionally easy to make, and it's always a surprising delight to watch the flat dough discs dramatically puff like hollow pillows during the first few minutes after being placed in the hot oven.

The recipe I followed this time is adapted from Beth Hensperger's excellent bread machine book~

The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook

I am a person who enjoys making bread from scratch, and by hand ~ but there are times when I gladly turn part of the bread-making process over to the dough feature on my bread machine.

The recipe makes 10, five to 6-inch pitas, perfect for portion control. :)

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you can find the recipe on my alternate recipe blog;

Once Upon a Plate Recipes.

If this recipe looks interesting to you, I hope you'll give it a try!