Can there be anything better than bacon? Yes, tempura battered, fried bacon. Morsels of the gods. That can be better.
Bill McDaniel…genius among humans.
Source: Thrillist NY
I saw this on Whole Foods as a good “game time” meal option. I don’t know about waiting for game time, I think I’m down to try this right now. It’s amazing what pizza has become. Not only is it perhaps the ultimate American staple, perhaps surpassing burgers and hot dogs, but it has become a vehicle for experimentation, typically with awesome results.
I joke about how tough it is to be a pizzeria owner now. You used to have regular and Sicilian…maybe pepperoni and a few other things. Spare setting, easy meal. Now, you have to have brick overs, granite counters, and every type of pizza option under the sun. Buffalo chicken, salad, whole wheat, taco, chicken francese. Everything goes on pizza..and it’s a mighty fine thing.
If anyone trys this out before me, please let me know! Enjoy.
Serves 4
You can’t go wrong with the best of family favorites, pizza and Mexican food, in one meal! For a vegetarian version, simply substitute sauteed zucchini or bell peppers and onions for the chicken. If you only have two mouths to feed, serve half of the pizza for dinner and pack the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
1 frozen whole wheat pizza crust, thawed
1/2 cup tomatillo salsa, plus more for serving
1/4 pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded, divided
1 cup no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen yellow corn, thawed
1 frozen boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast (such as Nature’s Rancher brand), thawed and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Method
Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange crust on a pizza stone or large baking sheet. Spread salsa over crust and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with beans, corn, chicken and remaining cheese and bake until crust is crisp and cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro, cut into 8 pieces and serve with more salsa on the side.
Nutrition
Per serving: 410 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium, 56g total carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 22g protein
Tags: Budget, Family Friendly, Quick and Easy, American
Note: We’ve provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember — we’re cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information. See our Terms of Service.
IN respect of another, hopefully, NY Giants late season Super Bowl run miracle, I would like to present the NY Giant cupcake:
Now I mention this, in part because I’m pulling like heck for Big Blue. But also, because it reminded me of a simply awesome cupcake (and other goodies) shop 5 minutes from my house called The Cupcake Contessas. Absolutely awesome. They’ve been doing it for a while. First, without a proper storefront in Huntington, NY (about 30 min east of me). I would be able to get them at a small, funky coffee shop called Cafe Mojo. It closed and I was Contessa-less. Them, about a year or 2 ago…magic struck. They opened a store close by in Williston Park!
Just as good as ever, but now I get to explore all their goodies, from Boston Creme to Holy Canolli to Mounds cupcakes. They even do non-cupcakes well, like crumb cakes and black and white cookies. They deliver by the dozen to your home and they make full blown cakes as well. I think the secret to many is the cream cheese filling. Genius and decadent…just awesome.
I know you’re hungry now. C’mon, give yourself a treat. If not here, then somewhere close by. Just take a whiff. You know you want to…
Go Big Blue!
Siggi’s Icelandic Skyr is awesome yogurt. I’ve been eating it for about a year or so I think. It’s a bit tart, like Greek style yogurt, but it’s even thicker. It’s ultra thick. Really, it makes Greek yogurt look like whip cream. It’s darn near solid. But trust me, in a very good way. It’s a great story, too.
It it pricey though, often times up to $2.50 for a 5.3oz cup! That’s why it’s really only a treat for me. That being said, the prices are coming down. They cam out at $3 and I have seen them show up in Target by me for $1.99. If Target really picks it up, then the prices will surely drop a bit more.
Since coming out with really only a few flavors, the lineup has expanded quite a bit. My favorite is still Grapefruit. The tart citrus of the grapefruit goes ridiculously well with the dense dairy, but I think it’s only for some people (Vera hated it). My second favorite would be Pomegranate and Passion Fruit. This one is unique and light. Another unique one is Orange and Ginger. Here’s the list.
As you can see, they are moderate in calories, most are fat free (though they now have some 2% milk flavors), yet they are super high in protein (about 14g) and low in sugar (about 11g, and they use agave syrup rather than sugar).
If you can get over the price, you would be well served to give this a try. It’s a NYC company with farmers in upstate NY, so I’m not sure how widely available it is. Whole Foods may have it nationwide.
You can find them on Facebook, too.
I’m sure many if not most of you have had a good, hearty stew or chili. Be it beef or lamb, be it Irish or Texan, you’ve likely come across it somehow. I for one love stew, especially in the winter. A with every other type of food, there’s a lot more out there than what you are used to. Maybe to spice things up and try something different, you could give a French Cassoulet a shot. It’s really very good and is not nearly as difficult or intimidating as most people think it is.
The cassoulet is about as iconic as it gets in the Southwest of France. Cassoulet was originally a food of peasants–a simple assemblage of what ingredients were available: white beans with pork, sausage, duck confit, gizzards, cooked together for a long time. And although it is essentially a humble stew of beans and meat, cassoulet is the cause of much drama and debate.
Andre Daguin, a famous chef of Gascony says, “Cassoulet is not really a recipe, it’s a way to argue among neighboring villages of Gascony.” Much like chili cook-offs in Texas, cassoulet cooking competitions are held, not only in France, but now even in the United States.
Since its composition is based originally on availability, cassoulet varies from town to town in Southwest France. But everyone agrees that, come spring, the last and best cassoulet of the season is made with freshly picked fava beans.
When making a cassoulet use as many confit meats as possible, which will impart the most flavor, but use only unsmoked bacon, like ventrèche. Don’t hesitate to cut open the upper crust to check if the cassoulet is drying out too much inside as it cooks. If so, add some liquid, like stock or demi-glace. The idea is to form a crusty top on the cassoulet, while maintaining a moist center, so breaking the film that forms as the beans cook is a good thing. Some cookbooks claim that it must be broken seven times to get the perfect cassoulet, but even breaking it and allowing it to reform twice will create a crusty and delicious finish on top (no crumbs needed!).
It’s even said that cassoulet tastes even better a day or two old, so don’t feel bad if you can’t eat the whole thing at one sitting! Enjoy the deepening flavors for days to come.
Here are few recipes. If you give it a shot, let me know!
If you have been to a Trader Joe’s, I would venture to guess that you like it. Most likely you like it quite a bit. There’s even a very good chance you love it. If you have not, I would recommend you try it.
I would say that I like it quite a bit. I would love it if there was one closer. I know, I’m lazy…there’s 3 or 4 about 15 minutes away.
That being said…TA DA…Fall 2012, there’s once coming up the block from me! http://www.galleryatwestburyplaza.com/ I will be going there quite often come 2012/2013.
You really can’t be the quality and obscure items they offer. And at really low prices for what the product is. It’s just a great vibe and I’m very pleased one will be close enough to frequent regularly. You even get more for your viewing with this list…28 items in all! And check out their Fearless Flyer…it’s an awesome read!
So, in honor of the new, near driving free location coming to Long Island, I give you TJ’s Favorite Products Of 2011:
*Candy Cane Joe Joe’s are available only during the holiday-winter season.
**Speculoos Cookie Butter is temporarily unavailable due to its overwhelming popularity. More is due to arrive soon, and it’s definitely worth the wait – it’s cookie butter!
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Bill is a guy trying to be dad and husband while running an online media company at home with his wife. Piece of cake.
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