*Two Breasts Are Better Than One*

Now, now...I'm talking about chicken breasts, of course! Having recently "left the nest", I've had to learn some crafty tricks to living on a tighter budget. I've embraced my freezer, started buying in bulk, and become a magician! I kid you not. I have the power to turn ONE chicken breast into TWO. Seriously. I buy a package of 6 chicken breasts, and shazaam! We now have 12 chicken breasts. With nothing more than a sharp knife and a cutting board, you, too, can become a chicken magician. Pay attention, Houdini. Here we go!

Ingredients:

1 boning knife or sharp paring knife
1 carving knife
Chicken breasts
Cutting board
Freezer-quality plastic storage bags
Sharpie


Directions:

Gather your utensils. Label and date your ziploc bags- things can start to look alike in the freezer!

*Left= Boning knife, Right= Carving knife (The goofy colored tape was from having to identify our personal utensils in culinary school- it's grown on me!)





Check out this price for TWELVE meals.



Label and date the bags. I mean it.



Trim all the yucky fat off the breasts using your sharp boning or paring knife.







Now there's a clean, fat-free piece of chicken. Carry on for the remaining breasts.



All finished with the gross part. Now comes the magic.

Break out the carving knife. Lay your chicken breast with the thicker end aimed towards your knife.



Place your non-cutting hand firmly on top of the chicken.



Holding your knife horizontally, split the chicken breast right in half. Be very, very careful!



Ta da! Two pieces of chicken. Repeat for the remaining breasts.







Put these chicken breasts in the labeled/dated ziploc bags and store them in the freezer until you're ready to eat them. Take them out the night before or the morning of and keep them in your refrigerator to thaw out.





Trust me, you won't miss that extra quarter-inch of meat, and this is an easy way to save some dough (and calories). They cook quicker and more evenly, too. If you're squeamish about frozen meat, it is a FACT that freezing has no effect on the quality or integrity of poultry. None whatsoever. Your chicken will be as fresh when you thaw it as it was when you bought it. Happy cooking, everyone!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Bye Bye, Smoothie King!

I'm a huge sucker for a smoothie. Back in my high school days when Smoothie King was a couple blocks from my house, I collected those frequent-buyer tickets like baseball cards! BUT, man are they expensive- and a 20 oz. Caribbean Way has upwards of 400 calories. You feel like you are indulging in a healthy, fruit-filled drink, but it's really just like eating 12 Oreos, with a tad bit more nutrition. Yikes! I also have trouble sitting down with a bowl of fruit in the morning with breakfast, not sure why, but it's never come natural to me. My solution to both problems: Make my own smoothies! It takes all of about 2 minutes to make (less time than you'd spend in the drivethru at a Smoothie shop) and you can control the flavors and sweetness and size. It's much more cost effective- a frozen bag of mixed fruit which easily allows you to blend up 5+ smoothies will cost you less than one of those sugar-packed wallet-drainers from Smoothie King.


Homemade Strawberry-Banana Smoothie


Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (fresh)
Handful of frozen strawberries
Handful of frozen mixed fruit (peaches, pineapple, grapes, raspberries, etc.)
1/2 cup of natural fruit juice, not from concentrate (I use V8 Splash)
*Optional for more sweetness: 1 Tablespoon of Honey

Directions:

Peel and break up the banana. Toss it into the blender.
Add in the frozen fruit.







Now add in the juice to help the smoothie blend up nicely.



Now add a little honey, if you like it sweeter!



Now...blend! Let it run for a while so it gets very, very smooth.





Enjoy!





Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

On a regular Wednesday afternoon, just like any other...

...an herb garden was born! I have this cute little rock patch next to the stairs leading to my front porch-



-which made for a PERFECT faux graveyard on Halloween...





....but yesterday afternoon was the first pretty one in quite a while, so Taylor and I up and decided to plant an herb garden there instead. :)

After a couple hours of picking up pebbles, tilling the soil, having several earthworms tossed my way...a substantial trip to Lowe's for top soil, plant food, and HERBS....the garden was born. I can't wait to start harvesting and using home-grown herbs in my dishes. It will be so much more satisfying than using the uberexpensive packaged herbs from the grocery store.

From top to bottom, left to right: Rosemary, Basil, Tarragon, Cilantro, Dill, Curly Parsley, German and Lemon Thyme, Cayenne Peppers, and Jalapenos.





View from the porch.



Take a couple hours (seriously! That's all it took!) on the next pretty afternoon to make your own little garden. Gardening is a good form of excercise, forces you to get off the computer and spend some time in the great outdoors, encourages a healthier lifestyle by making fresh herbs/fruits/vegetables readily available to you, reduces stress, and gives you a great sense of accomplishment when your creation flourishes! I'm sold.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Copy-Cat

Ever had a dish from a restaurant that was so delicious, so beautiful, so extraordinary...that you simply couldn't wait to have it again?? You spent the entire meal planning your next visit to the restaurant to order that very dish once more? Yea, me too. Well, when that restaurant happens to be in Maui, Hawaii, it's pretty difficult to have it more than once in a lifetime. I was recently blessed to be able to take a week-long vacation to Maui with my wonderful family- and it was at the Pineapple Grill in Kapalua that I had one of the best dishes of my life. After a couple moments of heartbreak walking out of the restaurant, realizing that I will more than likely never have that dish again, or at the very least, it would be a LONG time before I'd be back in Maui...I remembered that I am a chef! I had taken a couple photos, taken in-depth mental notes about my meal...Alas, problem solved. I would simply recreate the dish myself once I returned to the mainland. And without further adue, here is my recreation of the Ahi and Salmon Tartare at Pineapple Grill.


Ahi and Salmon Tartare
with Mango Salsa, Avocado Relish, Soy Glaze and Chili Oil

Ingredients:

1 Ripe Mango- finely diced
1 Red Onion- finely diced
1 bunch of Cilantro- finely chopped
2 limes
1 Red Bell Pepper- finely diced
Generous squeeze of Honey
Generous sprinkle of Cumin and/or Adobo
1 Ripe Avocado- small dice

1 Ahi Tuna Fillet (SUSHI/SASHIMI GRADE!!)
1 Salmon Fillet (SUSHI/SASHIMI GRADE!!)

NOTE: Sushi or Sashimi Grade fish has been frozen to -4 degrees Fahrenheit, to kill and destroy all bacteria that would otherwise be killed by cooking. This makes the fish safe to be consumed raw.

*Optional: Soy Glaze (1 cup Soy Sauce, 1/2 cup Light Brown sugar- brought to a boil, reduced to a simmer, let reduce by half until a semi-thick syrup. Put in a squirt bottle for garnishing)
*Optional: Chili Oil (in the ethinc food section- very spicy, be sparing!)

Directions:

1. Dice all of the fruits and vegetables for the Mango Salsa and Avocado Relish. Chop the cilantro.



Save a bit of this onion for the Avocado Relish.





Again, save some of this cilantro for the Avocado Relish.



Next comes the lime juice.



Add in the honey and cumin and/or Adobo. Then stir to combine everything! Be sure to check and see if it suits your tastes.





Mango Salsa= Finished! Now, chop the Avocado and stir the rest of the ingredients together to make the delicious Avocado Relish. Remember- always taste everything to make sure it suits YOUR pallate! It may need more lime juice/salt/etc. for your liking.



Make perpendicular slits (be careful not to cut through the shell into your hand!) then spoon out the avocado meat. Add this to the previously chopped onion and cilantro. Add the juice of one lime.





Avocado Relish= Done! Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the tartare.


Last, dice the raw tuna and salmon VERY finely. Morimoto style. :)









To assemble, you need a ring cutter or ring mold or biscuit cutter..something circular to allow you to layer the ingredients and maintain their shape. I chose to layer the salmon on the bottom, then the avocado relish, then the ahi tuna, then the mango salsa on top. CAREFULLY remove the ring mold to reveal a beautiful tower of deliciousness. It looks like this:



For a beautiful presentation and dramatic effect, drizzle the soy glaze and chili oil around the plate. If you have some, you can also sprinkle the plate with Red Hawaiian Sea Salt (one of my favorite souveniers from my trip!)





This dish may look fancy and difficult, but it really wasn't at all. It just takes a little time to do all the chopping and such, but it was well worth the trouble! I served it with some exotic chips that I found at a specialty food market. Give this recipe a try and impress your friends and family! Thank you, Pineapple Grill. Or should I say, "Mahalo!"

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

*Mixing Bowl*

Hi, friends! Happy Tuesday. :) About a month ago, I somehow stumbled upon the holy grail of cooking/recipe sharing/food-centered social networking websites....called www.MixingBowl.com. And as of today, March 9th 2010, I am officially obsessed. It is the Facebook/Twitter/Myspace for Foodies. You can create a profile, share recipes, upload food pictures, get updates from "friends" who share recipes with you, rate recipes, comment on recipes, ask questions, join Recipe Contests....it is amazing. I promptly check Mixing Bowl every morning to make sure there aren't any new contests available that I have yet to enter- gotta make it on the first page! If you haven't yet signed up, I highly suggest you join and enjoy the plethora of culinary fellowship at your fingertips. My username is TheChefNextDoor, of course! I will try my very best not to neglect the blog, now that I've entered the wonderful world of Mixing Bowl. Join today and start sharing all things food! (And vote for my recipes, or upload your own.)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door


Click here for the recipe for these delicious crostinis!

Hannah Lee's Bridal "Coffee"

One of my absolute favorite types of functions to cater is a Bridal Tea or Shower. I love everything about them. The pretty, dainty foods; the punch; the gifts; the flower arrangements; the tablescape; and getting to use all my pretty serving pieces (or should I say, my mom's serving pieces!). Love them! They are as fun to plan as they are to set up and cook for. The latest Bridal function I catered was referred to as a "Coffee"...instead of a "Tea" or "Brunch". Very unique, I'd never heard that before. We created a menu of breakfast finger foods, a coffee flavored punch, a mimosa bar and coffee bar. It was a huge success and so beautiful! Several of the old ladies congregated around the coffee punch and kept guzzling glass after glass. Such a fun function and a nice change from a traditional Bridal Tea or Brunch. Here is the menu as well as some photos of the "Coffee". Enjoy! Happy Sunday. :)


Cheers,

The Chef Next Door


Menu:

Breakfast Casserole
Classically made with whipped eggs, breakfast sausage,
fresh white bread, and sharp cheddar cheese

Assorted Pastries and Mini Muffins
Pastries: Cinnamon Danish, Bear Claws, Cheese Pockets, and Plain, Cinnamon, and Cream Cheese Meltaways
Muffins: Mini Blueberry, Orange Blossom, and Lemon Poppy seed

Warm Bacon Swiss Dip in Phyllo Cups
Creamy cheesy dip with crumbled bacon
in tiny crispy phyllo cups

Fresh Fruit Skewers
Freshly cut Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Pineapple,
Strawberries, and Grapes on a mini skewer

Savage’s Tiny Ham and Cheese Biscuits
Delectable mini Cheese Biscuits stuffed with sliced Deli Ham

Cheddar Sausage Balls
Made with sharp cheddar cheese and fresh breakfast sausage

Coffee Punch
Creamy coffee-flavored punch with chocolate, vanilla, and coffee ice cream balls and swirled with fresh whipped cream

Champagne Mimosas and Orange Juice
Ice Water and Coffee Bar