Chicken Rollatini

Weeknight meals can really be a challenge.
We all have busy lives, and by the time we get home we’re tired and hungry.
We open the fridge hoping that some food has magically appeared while we were out, but reality always hits us right in the face.
Sadly, there are no gnomes cooking for us while we’re at work, nor stealing the socks out of the dryer for that matter.
Sure, if you’re wealthy enough you can have a cook.
But for the rest of us who can’t afford having a cook on staff, cooking dinner every night can be a time-consuming task.
One of my go-to recipe when I’m short for time, is these chicken rollatini.

There Is Always Something To Be Thankful For...

102 Pilgrims arrived in New England aboard the Mayflower in the fall of 1620.
One year later only about half of those Pilgrims had survived.
Throughout the first brutal winter, most of the Pilgrims remained on board the ship, and perished through lack of shelter, scurvy, outbreaks of contagious disease and starvation.
In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first harvest proved successful, they organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the Wampanoag Indians.
That was the first Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims gave thanks to God for their first plentiful harvest.
Good harvests were vital back then, for in a world without commodity markets and adequate transport, food shortages often resulted in death due to starvation.

The Pilgrims led a miserable life when compared to ours.
The died relatively young, they had no medicines. People with ailments had to be treated in ways that were unspeakably cruel.
They lived in houses that were bug-infested and with neither privacy nor comfort. Few people knew how to read or write, and almost no one travelled past beyond their native towns.
They worked in the fields from sunrise to sunset, yet scarcity and hunger were all too common.
Yet they were grateful for what they had.

Today, we live a longer, healthier, happier, and safer life. We are not longer concerned with eating too little.
All too often we tend to overlook how lucky we are to live in such an abundant world.
So during this Thanksgiving holiday, let us give thanks for how blessed we are.
Life can be hard, but it was definitely harder back then.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Sweet and Sour Cranberry Sauce

It’s blackout Wednesday people.
For those of you that are not familiar with it, blackout Wednesday is the night before Thanksgiving, which is usually associated with binge drinking.
Since few people have work on Thanksgiving - and students are back home celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with their families - they hit the bar, and the alcohol flows.
Hence the name “blackout” -> because of the memory loss due to alcohol intoxication.
Blackout Wednesday is a big party night.
Especially in Chicago. The folks over there celebrate it BIG TIME, like in no other city. It’s even more popular than New Year’s Eve or St. Patrick’s Day.
Deals on shots, drinks specials, and at a few select local establishments, you can even find fried turkey testicles. Sounds cool, right?
Just remember: what happens on blackout Wednesday, stays on blackout Wednesday. Just like in Vegas.

Pumpkin and Carrot Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Fried Sage

Pumpkin soup. Perhaps the quintessential fall/winter food. That and casseroles.
But soup warms you from the inside out, like only tea does. Especially on days where the winter wind chills you to the bone.
Not that we have experienced particularly low temperatures at my latitude so far. To the contrary, it has been a fairly mild fall/winter.
But when temperatures will be dipping below freezing (much too soon unfortunately), we’ll all take refuge under warm blankets with a bowl of piping hot pumpkin soup.
By the way, has anyone tried eating soup literally under the blankets?
I don’t think it possible. You can barely move under the blankets; sure you can read, text or watch a movie on the iPad. But eating a bowl of soup? Not feasible. Unless you find pleasure in scalding hot soup on yourself.
Which got me thinking, maybe eating under the blankets is just one of those cliche’ things they do in movies.
Like the tree outside boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s house where said boyfriend or girlfriend can climb through. Or the love at first sight + kiss under the moonlight thing. Or convincing someone minutes before the wedding that you are the one they should really be with.
Or even worse: the mad and successful dash through airport security to talk to somebody, who you have a desperate to confess your love to.
That sort of things.
Truth is, you don’t need to be under the blankets to enjoy pumpkin soup.

Cauliflower Crust Quiche Lorraine

OK, I'm just gonna say it before someone else does “I am a liar. A Big. Fat. Liar!”
There, I said it.
Just two months ago I was telling you guys I had peaked at the cauliflower crust thing, that the cauliflower noodle lasagna was the last act of a heroic saga involving cauliflower used as the base for pizza, grilled cheese, breadstick, et cetera.
Yet, here I am today, posting another recipe labeled “cauliflower crust”
So yeah. What.A.Liar.

Sweet Potato Pie Waffles

Before we get to the cookery per se, let me rant a little: I refuse to acknowledge anything Christmas related until Thanksgiving is over. I refuse it, and you will not change me!
Christmas starts the day after I’ve had my turkey, stuffing, mashed, potatoes, sweet potato pie, etc.
NO EARLIER.
I refuse to acknowledge anything Christmas prior to Thanksgiving because it’s just a way to dilute the Christmas excitement.
If Christmas starts too soon, I get sick of it before the day rolls around, and it takes away from Thanksgiving as a special time in its own right.
I just wanna celebrate each holiday in turn. Is it too much to ask?
A couple of years ago I even decided not to shop at any place that was advertising Christmas before Thanksgiving — I wanted to make a stand.
Unfortunately, I had to desist because I didn’t have anywhere to shop anymore (except for the Deli down the street.)

The Feel-Good Equation

Eating well, being active, and positive thinking are the most important factors in the “feeling good/being healthy” equation.
Is it a hard equation to solve?
Of course it’s hard.
When was the last time you have done anything worth that wasn’t hard?
It’s so worth though.
The initial step is usually the hardest. But once you get started, there’s no stopping you.
What matters is that you make changes that you can stick with for a long period of time.
The road to being healthy isn't one that ends, it’s long. At first it might be tough - after that - it takes less and less effort.
You get used to the routine, the routine gets easier. You start feeling better and begin to change your life.

Sticky Harissa Chicken

It’s pretty clear that I’m a simple, straightforward guy.
I enjoy good food (nearly everything), good conversation, good music, and sports (triathlon, football, tennis, soccer, etc.)
[And if you've been wondering, no, this is not a personal ad for a dating site]
The way I blog reflects the way I live my life.
The recipes I create are often done on the spur of the moment.
Most of my inspirations come from whatever I have in my fridge as my goal is to utilize everything I have in my kitchen.

Homemade Harissa (Spicy Red Pepper Paste)

You guys know how I love me some Sriracha.
The other day I took the “How addicted to Sriracha are you?” quiz - created by TheOatmeal - and got “100% addicted to Sriracha”.
True story.
But wait, I’m not here to annoy you with another post on the notorious rooster hot sauce; today we’re talking about Harissa.
A fiery paste used in North African cuisine that - just like its Thai cousin - is hot, complex and totally addictive.
Harissa is a blend of hot peppers, garlic, various spices and olive oil.
In North Africa it’s used as a flavor base for stews and curries, as well as a condiment to cooked vegetables and meats, and even spread on bread for a simple snack.

Imam Bayildi (Stuffed Eggplant)

I love me a good tale and the one behind this Turkish recipe is truly fantastic.
Here’s how the story goes:
“A long time ago there lived a Turkish imam, well known for his appetite and love of good food. One day he surprised his friends by announcing his engagement to the beautiful young daughter of a rich olive oil merchant. At this stage, the imam’s friends were not aware of her abilities as a cook. Part of her dowry was a consignment of the very finest olive oil. The wealthy merchant gave the groom twelve great jars of the prized oil, each one as big as a man.
Following the wedding, the young daughter quickly revealed her talents as a Turkish cook and every day prepared a special dish for her new food-loving husband. Stuffed aubergine in olive oil was his absolute favorite, and so he asked his wife to make it for him every night as the centrepiece of his dinner. Being a good wife, she did as she was told, and made the delicious dish for twelve days in a row. On the thirteenth day, however, when the imam sat down to dinner, his favourite aubergine dish was starkly absent. The imam demanded to know the reason for its disappearance. The bride replied, “My dear husband, I cannot make your favourite dish anymore, for we have no more olive oil. You will have to buy some more.” The lmam was so shocked by the news that he fainted. And so ever since that day, his favorite dish has become known as ‘Imam Bayildi’,(the priest fainted).”

Potato and Kale Gratin

Do you remember life before kale?
Seriously, WHAT was life before kale?
An empty meaningless void, like being in an airport without wifi, a series finale, your favorite restaurant updating its menu, Gmail telling you to pick a new password, admitting that your favorite pair of jeans is too worn down and finally throwing them away.
That sort of void.
In other words, could life before kale really be considered living?

Persian-Style Pasta

I took this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook Plenty More.
If you don't know who am I talking about, Yotam Ottolenghi is one of those chefs. 

The ones whose names sell millions of cookbooks around the world, and influence the food community like no other — and not just on a culinary level.
If you’ve recently eaten a shakshuka, or yogurt and sumac with your turkey burger, it’s probably because of chef Ottolenghi.
In only a few years, the Israeli-raised, London-based chef has become a prominent figure in the culinary community.
His first cookbook, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, was a bestseller. The following one, Plenty, almost instantly became a blockbuster when it was published in 2010. Jerusalem, published in 2012, is a richly evocative celebration of the culinary DNA of his homeland and one of my favorite cookbooks of all time.
With Plenty More - published last month - Ottolenghi focuses on vegetarian cooking, combining recipes from all over the world: exotic, innovative, irresistible, dazzling, and easy-to-make dishes. Vegetarian recipes ‘that even meat eaters want to eat’.

Eggplant Gratin with Tomato, Herbs and Creme Fraiche

You guys know that on average 20 lbs (roughly 9 kg) of eggplant contain about the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette?
In fact eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco are all nightshades. They all share some similar properties to different degrees.
Still eggplant is specifically notable because it has the most concentration of nicotine of any edible plant. So, sure, tomatoes have some nicotine as well, but not to this extent.

Beer-Flavored Chicken Teriyaki

First and foremost: Beer is not paleo. Sorry [Insert sad trombone noise here].
Secondly, I don’t care. Actually, I don’t give a rat ass if it’s not paleo.
There, BOOM, in your face!
Beer - let me rephrase that - a good beer, is like nectar from gods. It’s one of the best tasting, most complexly flavored beverages in the world.
And man...getting home from work (or from training), plopping on the couch, and opening up a nice craft beer is the greatest feeling ever.
There’s nothing quite like it.

Vanilla Maple Almond Cashew Butter

It’s Halloween week people. Time to raise the dead.
Nah, more like put your kids in a cool costume: it's time for some Treats 'n Tricks!
I’ve just heard on the news that the most popular kids' costume this year is going to be Elsa from Disney’s Frozen.
Apparently, thousands of girls have been waiting since December 2013 for their moment to 'Let it go’ this Halloween.
So expect a lot ice princesses knocking on your door.
It's such a phenomenon, someone has even suggested a new drinking game: “Drink every time a Elsa visits your house.”
Which might not be a very good idea after all - especially if a lot of Elsas will show up asking for candies. You don’t want to be “the drunk guy” that terrorises kids. Or do you?

Pizzadilla (aka Quesadilla Pizza)

Let’s get this out of the way. My name is Mike, and I’m addicted to reddit.
There, I said it.
I spend a lot of time on reddit, probably more than I should, but it’s definitely one of the first things that I check in the morning.
It feeds my need for novelty as it’s always filled with new information and pictures. Perfect.Addiction.Material.
If you don’t know much about it or have been puzzled by the site if you’ve ever tried to check it out, let me explain you briefly what it’s about.
Reddit is an entertainment/social/news site where users can submit content, from text post, to direct links, photos, gifs, music or just anything else.
Unlike Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, reddit is an open network — in that you don’t have to be friends  or have followers to see content or for others to see what you're doing.
Reddit is an unflinching democracy, where you can post/do/say (almost) anything you want. Making it a happy abode for all who enter.
Users can upvote or downvote content. The most frequently upvoted content gets to the top of the page, while content that’s ignored or downvoted isn’t likely to be seen by anyone.

Roast Pork Loin with Vinegar and Sage

This recipe is for my friend Tony.
Because he L-O-V-E-S vinegar.
Not as in drinking vinegar neat from the bottle, but as in brewing his own vinegar, using more vinegar than oil in salad dressing (or, as I like to call it, the “reversed ratio” dressing), and dousing fries in vinegar like it’s going out of style.
So when I told him about my mom’s recipe for a mean roast pork loin with vinegar he was like “Duuuude, I need that recipe! Please dude please dude really dude dude dude dude dude dude duuuude!”
So I was like “Dude, chillax. I’ll give you the d*!n recipe”
And he was like “Dude for realz. I need it!”
And I was like “Dude, give me a break!”
And he was like “Yeah dude”

Almond-Poppy Crackers

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I found myself flipping through my mom’s Martha Stewart Living magazines looking for recipes.
Which is odd for me.
Not the “looking for recipes” part, I do that all the time. But the Martha Stewart Living mag part.
First off, I'm admittedly a Food & Wine Magazine guy.
I love Food & Wine magazine; I would not trade it for any other food magazine out there. It provides me with recipes and tons of inspiration.
Together with Triathlete, Kinfolk, Time and The New Yorker, Food & Wine is the only printed magazine I think it’s still worth buying.

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

Who doesn’t love burpees?
Raise your hands up where I can see them.
Oh, wow, that many of you? Really?
Burpees are C-O-O-L! I don’t know why they get such a bad rep.

Thai Pork and Zoodle Salad

I was reading an article the other day about how to be successful in life. In particular, it talked about how the questions you ask yourself every day determine the kind of life you lead.
Because those questions trigger answers that lead to actions.
So if you ask yourself limiting questions, you’ll get limited results. If, instead you ask yourself forwarding questions, you set no boundaries to what you can achieve in life.
I thought about it for a moment: what questions do I most often ask myself every day?