Special Edition: Feeding Chrissy - Woozy Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

I didn't think I would be cooking anything legitimate this week - well I thought wrong.

Nick is in Vegas for work (with the lobster pics)  but Chrissy, my little, 22 year old brother, is in town, needed to borrow the spare car AND the washing machines in his building are broken.  He never has an opinion and is very difficult - however, I was able to cook a meal he enjoyed!

Woozy Burgers
Woozy (Worcestchire Sauce)
ground beef (however much to make your burgers)

Pretty normal procedures for these burgers.  We sprinkled about 2 teaspoons worth of woozy on the meat and made two patties, put them in the frying pan and cooked them, and put cheese (fresh mozz) on the top.

Sweet Potato Fries for two
1 large sweet potato
1+ tablespoon of each, salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

I used olive oil and in the future I would probably try veggie oil.  I liked the taste it gave the fries but I believe it would not have taken as long and that the fries would've been crispies, nonetheless they were THOROUGHLY enjoyed.

Slice up the potatoes.  Honestly, any shape will do but try to make them all similar in size so they cook evenly.  I put the garlic in with the oil and heat it some.  When it was close to being warm enough to fry the potatoes, I added them and salt and peppered them.  Before they started to crisp and darken, I sprinkled the brown sugar on them.



This was definitely a good combo and a pleasant surprise, as I was not planning on cooking anything this week.  ENJOY!! 

Christmas Dinner on January 11

First of all, I am aware that it is practically a week later and that Christmas was two weeks prior to that however, for the last time for awhile hopefully, we were travelling a lot and on all different flights which is why Christmas dinner for Nicky and me was on January 11. 

Being of Italian descent, Christmas Eve consists of seafood so naturally, why would I want to not have an excuse for an expensive home cooked meal.  On Nick's final flight home after a weekend with the boys in Jersey/NYC he saw a recipe for a stove top lobster clambake.  Good compromise.

Lobster Clambake (no pics yet sorry, they are on Nick's camera en route to Vegas... lame)
2 live lobesters (stressful. I know)
2-4 ears of corn
8 fingerling potatoes (or whichever, just tiny potatoes)
1 lb of pork sausage
1 lb of clams

The recipe called for seaweed to steam the lobsters on, but it also said you could  use a bed of rocks.  We used the cleaned husks from the corn.  Fill a pot of 3 to 4 inches of water and lay the corn husks in the bottom.  Put the two live lobsters on the husks (I suggest not being on the phone because it is possible you may drop the lobster on the floor like Nick did.).  Arrange (or SQUEEZE, like we did) the corn, potatoes, and cut up sausage.  Honestly, boiled meat is not really my thing.  I don't really think the sausage gave much to the taste of anything and it didn't pick up much of the seafood taste.  I will probably leave it out in the future.  Place the clams on top so they steam until open.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn it down and cover.  Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the clams open.

Take all the contents out and spread over a large platter to serve (or admire your work!).

The recipe suggested using garlic butter and serving with hot sauce.  Nick went all out with both.  I stuck with the garlic butter, definitely a plus from just regular butter especially since we always buy unsalted. 

I will say one thing, without the pictures for now, its hard to express how AWESOME this meal was, but pay special attention to the corn because IT WAS SO AMAZING cooked with the lobster and clams. 

Nick and I ate this in near silence because it was SO GOOD!

Quickie with No Veggies

Neither of us even got home from work until right before 8pm. BUMMER.

Nick was starving and eating everything in sight!  So we had to come up with some dinner FAST!

We had Lemon Garlic Tilapia and Garlic Knots (no veggies).

1 lb of tilapia (4 pieces)
1/2 a lemon
2 cloves of garlic
bit spoonful of butter
salt and pepper
1 tsp. parsley

Melt the butter in the frying pan and sautee the garlic.  Salt and pepper (heavier on the pepper) the fishy.  Cut your half a lemon into quarters. Put the fish into the pan, we cooked it slow or low so it would be done at the same time as the knots. Squeeze one half right away and leave lemon in he pan.  Cook covered for a little, flip the fish and squeeze the other part of the lemon into the pan.

For the garlic knots I just used dough from Laurenzos (which I am sure I explained previously).  Cut a roll 1 by 1 inch squares, and tie into knots, or you can just cross them like awareness ribbons.  Bake for about 8 minutes at 375.  Toss rolls in one minced clove of garlic, a little bit of of melted butter and a little bit of olive oil. 

SO FAST. SO GOOD. NO VEGGIES - oops!

New Year!

Well, after a series of trips home, some unexpected, we're back.  Well, we got back nearly a week ago but through a series nights drinking with friends in town combined with getting back in the work grind, grocery shopping definitely took the hit.

Today we had our own recipe we made up!

Baked Mango Chicken with sweet potatoes - to die for.

1 small whole chicken
1 mango (very ripe work best)
3/4 cup of brown sugar
olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the foiled pan)
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves

Preheat the oven to 375.  Place the chicken on foil (big enough to hold the chicken and the juice) and cover with olive oil.  Rub and cover the chicken with brown sugar then lightly salt and pepper.  Peel the mango and cut as much off the pit as you can.  Pepper the mango.  Halve the 3 cloves of garlic.  Stuff the chicken with the mango pit, most of the mango pieces, most of the garlic and 3 tablespoons (approx as always) of brown sugar.  Put the remaining mango pieces, a little more brown sugar, and the remaining garlic around the bottom of the chicken in the foil.  Close the foil so no juice can leak out and poke holes in the top.  Bake for 2 - 2.5 hours.

I just wrapped the sweet potatoes in foil and poke holes through the foil and into the potatoes.  I cooked it in the same oven as the chick for about 45 minutes (until soft).  Put the remaining brown sugar on your sweet potato with butter.

Incredible.  Sweet but sweet like an Asian dish.  Delish. Good Night!