Pomegranate Teriyaki Chicken

This idea just popped in my head.  I had a bunch of pomegranate juice in the house and was in the mood for some teriyaki, so I thought the combination would bode well.  I looked at how to make a basic teriyaki sauce on several sites, and the recipes were all similar or the same.  This Food Network link is the recipe I followed most closely for teriyaki sauce.

Ingredients

1/3 Cup of Soy Sauce

3/8 Cup Pomegranate Juice 

2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Rice Vinegar

1/2 Spoonful of Minced Garlic (I didn't have any garlic cloves in the house-probably use 1 or 2)

6 Boneless Chicken Breasts 

Instructions

Mix sauce, pomegranate juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar and garlic until all the sugar has dissolved.  Marinate chicken breasts in the concoction in a resealable bag for several hours.  Bake chicken with marinade in a pan for approximately 35 minutes at 350 degrees

I thought it came out pretty well.  Next time I would have added some more pomegranate juice for a more intense flavor, but definitely good.  I served it topped with sesame seeds with some greens and Israeli couscous with roasted nuts on the side.

Music:  Lupe Fiasco - Paris/Tokyo 

Warm your Hearts with some Chili

I have a fatal weakness for veggie chili.  I guess you might call me a connoisseur of sorts.  So I broke out the 1960s retro cooking pot and made me some chili.  With the aid of English teacher extraordinaire, Cheryl Irving, for the basic recipe, I added my own zest, and made what I think is a delicious chili.  I used a small can of stewed tomatoes and a small can of kidney beans, and it easily fed two for dinner with some leftover for the next day's lunch.

Ingredients:

1 Small Can of Stewed Tomatoes

1 Small Can of Kidney Beans

Olive Oil

2 Celery Stalks

2 Carrots

1 Bell Pepper

A Few Cloves of Garlic

Basil

2 Mushrooms (Shitaki)

2 Bay Leaves

Chili Powder

Cumin

Tabasco

Orange Juice

Instructions:

Chop veggies, however way you please.  I used my Alaskan Wedge Chopper (totally made up the name, but it is from Alaska).  Heat your stove and add in two swirls of olive oil.  When the pot is warm add the veggies and sauté.  Drain the kidney beans and after a few minutes add the stewed tomatoes and the beans.  Stir... Add in the following ingredients to taste:  Chili powder, cumin, tabasco and orange juice.  I used about 5 shakes of chili powder, 3 pinches of cumin, a swirl of tabasco and a splash of orange juice.  I also added in around 5 basil leaves and two bay leaves  It had a kick to it, just the way I like it.  Let the pot simmer on low heat until served.  The great thing about chili is that proportions have little effect on overall taste.  It is a perfectly customizable dish.  Enjoy!

Music:  John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Marvin Gaye

Scrambled Egg Panini Wrap? SOS

So, I was feeling breakfast for lunch today, and thought, why not make an omelet wrap.  When push came to shove though, the omelet became more of a glorified scrambled egg.  And, though I tried valiantly to make a panini wrap, the wrap was too stale to toast, and the egg amalgamate fell to pieces.  With that being said, although my grandfather might call it SOS, shit on a shingle, it was nonetheless tasty.

Ingredients:

Two Eggs

Grilled Bell Peppers (Red and Green)

Water

Chopped Onion

Wrap (a fresh one)

Basil

Hoagie Spread

Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Whisk two eggs in a bowl, adding a dash of water, with some salt and pepper.  Chop up you veggies.  I used onion and peppers because that was what was in the fridge.  Add eggs first to the pan, followed by the veggies and cook.  Put the omelet on the wrap, adding a basil and hoagie spread, fold, and toast in a panini maker for around 3 minutes.

Music:  Squeeze