Catching up. Again.

Damn, I'm way behind again. This month has passed too quickly.
So, instead of bogging this blog down with all of the dinners we've made the past, well, almost month, I'm going to hit the highlights. Which, for the most part, will be the entrees. If you want tips on the sides (which were pretty basic across the board), just send me a quick note.

So, first up: Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas.

Nothing too revolutionary here, but I'm getting drawn more and more to the simple yet flavorful. It's a basic principle in my favorite cuisine, Italian, but it can easily be implemented in any recipe. For this recipe, the simple guacamole was the standout. I like guacamole, but I'm not known to pig out on it. But this....this I could have eaten in bulk, with or without tortillas or tostadas. I did make a few basic changes to this recipe. First I cooked some split chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika because I am not the biggest fan of the rotisserie chicken in the grocery store. I'm not totally against it, so if that's all you have time to do, go for it. Secondly I omitted the cilantro, because I am one of "those people" who just do not like that herb. To me, it tastes like dish soap. Again, go for it if it's up your alley.

Next: Crunchy Lemonade Drumsticks.

This is perhaps the oddest mix of ingredients I've used in a while, but the results were tasty. I particularly liked this recipe because it had the texture of fried chicken without the unhealthy side effects of frying (instead, it's baked). If you're like me, you'll start making this recipe and, halfway through, will really start to think, "What the hell? This is going to be interesting." But stick it out to the end--it's worth it. I'm a big proponent of Panko, and while you don't necessarily think of an Asian-inspired ingredient meshing with the old standby of country-style chicken, it works. It works very well. My only issue was in the baking. In the original batch, I went with what was recommended in the recipe (baking the chicken on top of a rack placed on top of a baking sheet). It kind of worked, meaning one side turned out perfectly golden. The other side, even with the use of copious amounts of cooking spray, stuck to the rack and required the use of a pair of tongs to pull off and reassemble the skin. Which is not ideal. The second time around (which was the next day using a new batch of drumsticks and thighs) I decided to omit the use of a rack over the baking sheet and instead used a parchment-lined baking sheet. This worked only a tiny bit better. I was still pulling skin off of the sheet when I went to flip the meat. So, next time I make this, I may just be using a glass casserole dish, non-lined. We'll see how that goes.

Finally, Roasted Pepper Pasta.

The salad wanted center stage. But the pasta is in the background.

Again, this is a relatively simple recipe. I highly recommend roasting the peppers as instructed, as well as the garlic. Sure, you can buy both already processed and bottled in the grocery store, but where's the fun in that? (Plus, god y'all, I've gotten sucked into Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has burrowed itself into my brain and is starting to affect all of my food choices and has made me question the "efficiency" of buying what is in the grocery store; I'm contemplating a completely separate blog to discuss this book. But I digress for now...) Go pick up some peppers from your local produce stand or farmer's market along with some garlic and roast it as suggested in the recipe. Seriously it only takes 8 minutes. Worth it.

Seriously, just roast the peppers and garlic. Don't cop out and use the jarred stuff. Be connected to what you eat!

Anyway, I omitted the almonds in this one (I had plenty of crunch from the roasted peppers) and also opted not to rinse the rigatoni after boiling because, I don't know, I always thought it was a sin to rinse off pasta and all of the good starches that keep the sauces sticking to the pasta. That's just me. You do what floats your boat. Overall, we found this a very light but flavorful pasta--definitely worth keeping in the recipe "index."

Oh, and just kidding about that pasta being the final recipe in this post. I'm going to throw in a dessert, something we rarely eat now (except for fresh fruit). I decided to make a granita, a very light, Italian-style dessert.

The first time in years we have used our martini glasses. Though doesn't "Mad Men" make it look ridiculously cool?

I used 2 c. of pomegranate juice (you can use whatever juice you like) in which I dissolved 1/3 c. sugar over medium heat (the mixture does not need to be boiled, just stirred frequently until the sugar is dissolved). Remove from heat and add 1/4 c. lime juice (this will produce a pleasant tartness and a very cool sheen effect). Pour the mixture into a glass casserole dish. Set in the freezer for about 5 hours total; every hour or hour and a half, pull the granita out of the freezer and run a fork through the mixture to break up the granita so it does not set into an ice block. I served these in chilled martini glasses. Simple, easy, and flavorful.

As mentioned, I plan to do a post about The Omnivore's Dilemma as soon as I can get my head wrapped around everything it teaches. It's a lot to digest, a lot to absorb. But I think for the better.