Grill Pan!

So this past weekend, we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get new sheets and serving stuff for our upcoming party. There, I found the Grill Pan. It was four dollars.



This is the best investment I've made in cooking since my Kitchen Aid. I sliced portobello mushrooms, sliced Vidalia onions, and fresh spring asparagus, and added 1tbs of olive oil and 1 tsp of sea salt, a pinch of celery salt, and a hefty dose of black pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Toss and let sit 10 minutes.



Grill on medium high for 9 minutes, tossing ever 3 minutes or so...



Now for the steak...



Take two 1.5 inch ribeyes and sprinkle them with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried lemon peel, and dried sage. Rub them like they're your true love and let them sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle them with a few shakes of soy sauce and a few shakes of Lea&Perrins. Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.



Get the grill hot and add the steaks. Cook for 5 minutes on high (propane, 450 degrees F). Flip and cook for 4 minutes on the opposite side. Using a meat thermometer, check the temp. If it's 145, remove it immediately and wrap it in aluminum foil. This will make it medium-rare. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then enjoy!!

Chicken Cacciatore

okay, so, tonight my beloved asked for something with tomatoes, shrimp, chicken, wine and vegetables. I thought for a moment, and then I came up with Cacciatore. True, Cacciatore doesn't include shrimp, but I thought I could do a basic chicken Cacciatore with shrimp added at the end! In Italian, Cacciatore means “hunter." In cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style," which basically means rustic and hearty. This is not a fancy dish! My recipe:




1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces and dusted with flour
(Note: I think this works better with chicken thighs, but since the bf doesn't like them, I used breasts)
1 strip bacon, diced
1 tbs diced fresh garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup carrots chopped
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper chopped
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup medium-bodied red wine

For this dish we picked a red wine from Lisbon that's a blend. It's awesome! Behold Lab Red!



Add bacon to a hot pan and cook until it starts to sizzle. Add the olive oil and swirl until it gets hot, just before the smoke point. Add chicken quickly on high heat in batches and remove until all are browned. Add garlic. Add onion. Cook for 5 minutes on medium. Add wine. Cook for 5 minutes on high. Add broth. Cook for 10 minutes on low and slowly add the tomatoes, pepper and carrots. Stir and cook on low for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

While pasta is cooking:

Add shrimp and cook for two minutes while sauce is still bubbling!

This shrimp was fresh and had to be cleaned and deveined, but you can get pre-cleaned ones at the store (it's just costlier).



Don't cook the shrimp too long! Remember, this is a hunter's stew, modified to meet certain tastes! Don't cooke the shrimp for more than 5 minutes....