This Recipe is compliments of my own Auntie Julie.
GRILLED BEEF GYROS
Marinade
1 Medium Onion Chunked
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Mustard
2 Tsp Fresh Ginger Minced
1 ½ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ Cup Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Water
Blend until smooth in blender or food processor.
Meat
2 Lbs Cubed Lean Sirloin or Round Steak
Mix marinade & meat & marinate for 24 hours.
Cucumber (Tzaziki) Sauce
1 Medium Cucumber Peeled, Seeded & Cut Into Chunks
4 Garlic Cloves
½ Tsp Sale
1/3 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Blend until smooth in blender or food processor.
Instructions:
Drain meat & skewer on shish kabob skewers.
I add vegetables that will hold up on the grill. Tomatoes & potatoes are risky.
Cook on grill until done.
I use the Cucumber Sauce as a dip for the meat & veggies. You can also stuff pita halves with the meat & add tomatoes & onions & top with the Cucumber Sauce.
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Abbie's variation (because she did not have time to follow the recipe prep exactly):
Buy 1 container of Trader Joe's Tzaziki Sauce (similar to Aunt Julie's but chunkier).
Buy 2 4oz Omaha Sirloin Steaks.
Defrost the Sirloin in bowl of hot water. While it's defrosting, Preheat the George Foreman Grill AND get a small bowl and shake the following spices into the bowl - it's all to taste, no measuring.
-Dried Minced Onion
-Ground Ginger
-Ground Black Pepper
-Cayenne Pepper
-Garlic Powder
Then get the Mustard and Soy Sauce out of the fridge for the next part.
When steaks are mostly defrosted, but still cold to the touch - lay them on a plate or in a flat bowl. Squirt a small amount (maybe a nickel size) Mustard, then soy sauce (use about 2 tblsp) on top the steaks. Massage with your fingertips. Use pressure so that not only will the flavors rub in, but the meat is getting tenderized. Turn steaks over and do the same on the other side.
Sprinkle dried spice mixture (from above) on to the steaks. Massage in the spices. Turn steaks over, repeat.
Put Steaks on George Forman Grill, cook to desired level of done-ness. Unplug Grill.
Place cooked steaks on plate, spoon Tzaziki sauce on side or on top of steaks.
Serves 2.
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I did side salad of spinach leaves and strawberries in balsalmic vinagraitte dressing, and glass of Lodi Zinfandel Wine.
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Enjoy!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Hatch Green Chile and Revolutionary Road
Photo Credit
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Soon after we discovered that Trader Joe's carries canned Hatch Green Chile, we started buying it and making all sorts of yummy foods. Target Super Center also carries Hatch Fire Roasted Ranchero Sauce and Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. We are in heaven! We started off Saturday with Huevos Rancheros. Then Saturday night I made my version of Matt's favorite recipe of Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. It's similar to lasagna,baklava, or Trifle in that it is a layered dish. WARNING: This is not a meal for the calorie-shy.
Ingredients
1 bag of 4 inch round soft Corn Tortillas
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 16 oz bags of Shredded Mexican Cheeses
1.5 cans Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
2 cans of chunk chicken breast meat
Cumin (to taste)
1 small can of V8
Olive Oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In Medium sauce pan, mix cream of chicken soup, and Enchilada Sauce. Heat on med-low, stirring occasionally. Don't want to leave unattended, basically you are letting the flavors meld, and keeping it warm. I used only 1 can of sauce but I underestimated the cream of chicken muting the spicy flavor, so I would recommend using at least 1.5 cans of the enchilada sauce, or more (if you like it more spicy).
Meanwhile, In Skillet, pour in olive oil (enough for at least an 1/8 inch level in the skillet), heat to medium with lid partway on (cracked a little so it heats slowly). Once oil is hot enough, reduce heat to med-low. Using Tongs, soften the corn tortillas in oil. I just layed them in the pan, one at a time, turning once, letting it crackle a little and coating the tortillas, but not letting them get crispy. After done softening the tortillas, I put them in a bowl temporarily to cool off a bit. You may not actually get through the entire package of tortillas. I only used about 3/4's of the bag for my recipe - until the olive oil was mostly gone.
In the same skillet (the olive oil is mostly gone, so it's okay to keep the leftovers in there) reduce heat to low, pour in 1/2 can of V8, and add the canned chicken, sprinkle with ground cumin. Gently sautee the Chicken, letting the flavors meld. Seperate chunks into smaller pieces with spoon. Let simmer on low heat while you get to the next step.
Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with a bit of the enchilada sauce mixture. Tear the softened tortillas into strips, and add layer of tortillas to the baking pan. Scatter a layer of chicken pieces over the tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese layer over the chicken. Pour thin layer of enchilada sauce over the cheese. Repeat layers again - Tortillas, Chicken, Cheese, Sauce, and so on, until you are out of sauce. The top layer should be tortillas (to seal in the layers), and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the top tortilla layer.
Put pan in the oven - at 350 - for 25-30 minutes. Mixture should be bubbly and edges on the top layer of tortillas & cheese should be getting crisp. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Serve in squares, garnish with sour cream and Ranchero or enchilada sauce (if desired). I did not realize how MUCH food this was going to be. There's at least 10 servings in one pan (it's now day 4 and we still haven't eaten it all!!!)
Recommended side dish would be Refried beans. I used large can of Kroger brand refried beans, but I heated it while adding salt and half n half cream - for better flavor.
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We watched Revolutionary Road this weekend. It reminds me a LOT of Mad Men, except perhaps that they fight a lot more. In Mad Men everybody disagrees, but they argue more with glares, glances, and their eyes. Revolutionary Road is a bit more verbose in its arguing. Phenomenal performances by both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. What a year for Kate! She was in The Reader AND this movie. It takes a special kind of person to pull off that emotional drama in one year without going slightly bonkers. Good for her! I know I couldn't have pulled it off.
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Sunday we watched Formula 1 Valencia, and next weekend is Formula 1 SPA! Belgium!
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Well this week is off to a good start. It's beginning to get cooler in the mornings and evenings, but the daytime hours are still blazing hot. I am looking forward to fall.
Friday, August 21, 2009
De-Lovely
I finally had the pleasure of watching De-Lovely. Words cannot express what an absolute joy it was to see a movie of such quality and talent. It was superbly edited, and the story flowed well with the music. I was quite impressed and highly HIGHLY recommend this movie about Cole Porter's music, life, and love. I was surprised to learn that I knew so much of his music already, and that he did Kiss Me Kate (one of my FAVE musicals) - can't you just hear them singing "So In Love" ?
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I must have been one of those red lipped brunettes in a former life... considering I'm such a fan of musicals and Mad Men...
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Also, just for fun and a quick pick-me-up (hey, work has been stressful), I also watched Confessions of a Shopaholic and He's Just Not That Into You.
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We are also dog-sitting for Sport's girlfriend, Radley. She is a sweet puppy, and is mostly obedient, although she is very insistent when she wants to be petted. I do see a streak of selfishness in Sport though. He growls at her if she gets too close to his toys or if she beats him to the ball I threw for fetching. I'm trying to nip that behavior in the bud. I don't like having a possessive doggie. He isn't like that with humans though, thank goodness.
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Matthew (the best husband in the whole world), took me out for dinner last night to this new place in Brookhaven called Valenza. It was absolutely delicious! Fabulous wine list too! We had a bottle of the Chianti Castiglioni Frescobaldi. I had swordfish over polenta with heirloom tomatoes, and Matthew had the seafood risotto nero. Dessert was Ricotta Zeppole. mmm heavenly!
-
I must have been one of those red lipped brunettes in a former life... considering I'm such a fan of musicals and Mad Men...
-
Also, just for fun and a quick pick-me-up (hey, work has been stressful), I also watched Confessions of a Shopaholic and He's Just Not That Into You.
-
We are also dog-sitting for Sport's girlfriend, Radley. She is a sweet puppy, and is mostly obedient, although she is very insistent when she wants to be petted. I do see a streak of selfishness in Sport though. He growls at her if she gets too close to his toys or if she beats him to the ball I threw for fetching. I'm trying to nip that behavior in the bud. I don't like having a possessive doggie. He isn't like that with humans though, thank goodness.
-
Matthew (the best husband in the whole world), took me out for dinner last night to this new place in Brookhaven called Valenza. It was absolutely delicious! Fabulous wine list too! We had a bottle of the Chianti Castiglioni Frescobaldi. I had swordfish over polenta with heirloom tomatoes, and Matthew had the seafood risotto nero. Dessert was Ricotta Zeppole. mmm heavenly!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Mad Men returns
Last week was busy, I suppose busy as usual.
We had Wine Club - Viognier on Wednesday the 12th. It's a bit sweeter than I usually like my white wines (I prefer dry), but it was still a tasty varietal!
I'd also like to announce the Debut of the Twits Wine Club Blog. Enjoy!
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Friday I took a day off to drive myself (and the doggie) up to visit Grandpa. We had a nice visit with him. Even Auntie Julie and Cousin Amy were there. Grandpa said he was feeling the best he had in a long time, so I am very glad of that.
Click for Photos of the trip.
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Sunday I returned home just in time for a nice dinner (we had Filet Mignon steaks rubbed with Emeril's spices, fresh snap beans, broccoli, and cheesy potato balls), with a nice Bordeaux of course. And then, the big finale of the evening - MAD MEN season 3 premiere! It was every bit as good as expected, and then some!
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Which Mad Men Character are you? I took the quiz and I'm
Jane Siegel - Secretary, Sterling Cooper
"You're new in the office. When it comes to clothes, you favor the low cut look. When dealing with others, you play your hand well. You love poetry, but that doesn't mean you're good at it. You have trouble with the truth, and this gets you in trouble. Luckily, you're sexy and wily enough to attract powerful allies to rescue you. Where this will get you in the long run, however, remains to be seen."
-
Later this week, we are dog-sitting one of Sport's girlfriends (as her owner is in Hawaii right now), and I plan to visit the Hair Lounge for a touch-up and trim this weekend. Other than that I am hoping to just clean the house (it needs a good vacuuming right now, and the toilets need new hang-on thingies in the bowl), and relaxing!
-
Although, in hindsight (yes this is a pun, you'll get it in a moment), maybe I don't want to vacuum with TWO dogs in the house all weekend. hmm. dogs playing, and fur everwhere. maybe I should wait to vacuum? (now you get the pun, right?)
We had Wine Club - Viognier on Wednesday the 12th. It's a bit sweeter than I usually like my white wines (I prefer dry), but it was still a tasty varietal!
I'd also like to announce the Debut of the Twits Wine Club Blog. Enjoy!
-
Friday I took a day off to drive myself (and the doggie) up to visit Grandpa. We had a nice visit with him. Even Auntie Julie and Cousin Amy were there. Grandpa said he was feeling the best he had in a long time, so I am very glad of that.
Click for Photos of the trip.
-
Sunday I returned home just in time for a nice dinner (we had Filet Mignon steaks rubbed with Emeril's spices, fresh snap beans, broccoli, and cheesy potato balls), with a nice Bordeaux of course. And then, the big finale of the evening - MAD MEN season 3 premiere! It was every bit as good as expected, and then some!
-
Which Mad Men Character are you? I took the quiz and I'm
Jane Siegel - Secretary, Sterling Cooper
"You're new in the office. When it comes to clothes, you favor the low cut look. When dealing with others, you play your hand well. You love poetry, but that doesn't mean you're good at it. You have trouble with the truth, and this gets you in trouble. Luckily, you're sexy and wily enough to attract powerful allies to rescue you. Where this will get you in the long run, however, remains to be seen."
-
Later this week, we are dog-sitting one of Sport's girlfriends (as her owner is in Hawaii right now), and I plan to visit the Hair Lounge for a touch-up and trim this weekend. Other than that I am hoping to just clean the house (it needs a good vacuuming right now, and the toilets need new hang-on thingies in the bowl), and relaxing!
-
Although, in hindsight (yes this is a pun, you'll get it in a moment), maybe I don't want to vacuum with TWO dogs in the house all weekend. hmm. dogs playing, and fur everwhere. maybe I should wait to vacuum? (now you get the pun, right?)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The City of Brotherly Love
August came in with a "gust" of activity again.
Saturday the 1st, we dropped Matt's car off at the Mazda dealer to finally get his Aux port made available. LONG story and it's totally Mazda's fault, but in the end he is now able to play an MP3 player or iPhone/iPod through his speakers in the car. Yay!
I did a quick brunch with Ruth at Cafe Intermezzo, a brief visit from Erika, and then later in the evening we went to CosmoLava to celebrate Janssen's birthday! He surprised us by having a nice VIP area reserved. Woo hoo! It was fun, and I also got to rock my new one shoulder dress from Victoria's Secret Catalog! As usual, Matt and I ended the night with the dirtay nachos from Taco Cabana!
-
Sunday was a bit more relaxed, and Erika slept over, so we had coffee and eggs on the screen porch and chatted about the previous night's activities. Later, we did a photoshoot at Erika's Spa Waverly. And last we ended the evening with a better-than-expected-comedy Get Smart.
-
Monday was a hectic, as I finalized my packing, went in for Allergy Shots and Nutritionist appointment, grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy's, and finally Matt gave me a ride to MARTA so I could ride to the airport and catch a plane to Philadelphia for work.
The flight was fine, and then I got on the Shuttle to the hotel. I swear, this guy drove his 12 passenger capacity van as if it was a SPORT BIKE in NYC traffic. SCARY! Talk about bad driving, cutting people off, and hard braking. Anyhoo, I did get a nice little tour of the city from the backseat. AHH!
The hotel was perfect, and I had a restaurant recommendation for RAW Lounge, which was within walking distance. The OhToro was delish, and so was the Matsu. I recommend trying it! During Happy Hour they have $5 drinks also. Unbelievably, Philly was JUST AS HOT as Atlanta, and humid too. Yech!
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Tuesday I met my boss for breakfast, and then he showed me how to get to the office (since its kind of hidden). We did a nice lunch at Paganos Market, and then after work we checked out the Liberty Bell and Maggiano's.
-
Wednesday was work work work and I ended up staying in and ordering room service (so tired!), but they DO have an excellent Crab Cake entre!
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Thursday was more work work work, but I did get off work at a decent time and then hopped a bus to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I went up the steps and was thinking of paying to see the place, but turns out I would have only had 45 mins before closing time, and they were still charging full price (bastards!), so maybe next time. However, this was the ONE of the nice cool days in Philly. It was a breezy 75 and sunny, so I took a nice long walk down the parkway from the top of the museum, and all the way to the City Square, then down Market Street to the waterfront. I passed by the Rodin Museum, Ben Franklin Institute, and many other lovely buildings. I finally came to a stop at the PennsView Hotel's Il Bar to have a flight of wine. They have a special system called a "cruvinet" - and can offer over 120 wines by the glass.
-
Friday I worked from the hotel room, then hopped a cab to the airport, and whisked back to Atlanta again. Photos of the City of Brotherly Love.
Marybeth was visiting us this weekend, and so she was kind to meet me at MARTA, then we walked to her car to get home. She brought her daughter Catherine with her this time, so we had a nice evening at Season's 52 for dinner, and then later Matthew & I went to Gulru's Housewarming Party near Peachtree Battle.
-
Saturday, we went to Goldberg's for breakfast, and then Matt went home to mow the lawn, but the ladies and I went off to the Atlanta Zoo. Why we did this in such ungodly heat? well, opportunity struck, so off we went. I'm ashamed to say I hadn't seen our zoo yet, so why not do it now? Armed with a cooler of water bottles, and carrying some more in hand, as well, we bravely sweated our way through the Panda's, Lions, Tigers, and Monkeys. LOL. Later, we met up with David and Matt for dinner at Chow Baby. Finally, we headed back home to view our photos of the day, and then finally fall asleep.
-
Sunday, our guests departed (for the Aquarium and then the airport). Matt and I took it easy and went to Get Coffee for breakfast, stopped at Target to get Matt some nice new dressier/casual shirts, and then drove up to "Alph-Alaska" to see a friend who had just had hip surgery. She loves Prosecco, so I brought some for her (along with some St. Germain and strawberries for a different option). Awesome! Finally, we went back home to do laundry and relax. I made Spaghetti for dinner, and we ended the night with the movie Watchmen. I decided my two favorite characters were Silk Spectre and Rorschach. Both were played by amazing actors! Loved the writing too! Some scenes were a bit violent for my taste, so I hid my eyes and had Matt tell me when it was over, but for the most part it was pretty good. BTW it's a 3 hr movie!!!
-
Finally back to normal (?) this week? We'll see.
Saturday the 1st, we dropped Matt's car off at the Mazda dealer to finally get his Aux port made available. LONG story and it's totally Mazda's fault, but in the end he is now able to play an MP3 player or iPhone/iPod through his speakers in the car. Yay!
I did a quick brunch with Ruth at Cafe Intermezzo, a brief visit from Erika, and then later in the evening we went to CosmoLava to celebrate Janssen's birthday! He surprised us by having a nice VIP area reserved. Woo hoo! It was fun, and I also got to rock my new one shoulder dress from Victoria's Secret Catalog! As usual, Matt and I ended the night with the dirtay nachos from Taco Cabana!
-
Sunday was a bit more relaxed, and Erika slept over, so we had coffee and eggs on the screen porch and chatted about the previous night's activities. Later, we did a photoshoot at Erika's Spa Waverly. And last we ended the evening with a better-than-expected-comedy Get Smart.
-
Monday was a hectic, as I finalized my packing, went in for Allergy Shots and Nutritionist appointment, grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy's, and finally Matt gave me a ride to MARTA so I could ride to the airport and catch a plane to Philadelphia for work.
The flight was fine, and then I got on the Shuttle to the hotel. I swear, this guy drove his 12 passenger capacity van as if it was a SPORT BIKE in NYC traffic. SCARY! Talk about bad driving, cutting people off, and hard braking. Anyhoo, I did get a nice little tour of the city from the backseat. AHH!
The hotel was perfect, and I had a restaurant recommendation for RAW Lounge, which was within walking distance. The OhToro was delish, and so was the Matsu. I recommend trying it! During Happy Hour they have $5 drinks also. Unbelievably, Philly was JUST AS HOT as Atlanta, and humid too. Yech!
-
Tuesday I met my boss for breakfast, and then he showed me how to get to the office (since its kind of hidden). We did a nice lunch at Paganos Market, and then after work we checked out the Liberty Bell and Maggiano's.
-
Wednesday was work work work and I ended up staying in and ordering room service (so tired!), but they DO have an excellent Crab Cake entre!
-
Thursday was more work work work, but I did get off work at a decent time and then hopped a bus to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I went up the steps and was thinking of paying to see the place, but turns out I would have only had 45 mins before closing time, and they were still charging full price (bastards!), so maybe next time. However, this was the ONE of the nice cool days in Philly. It was a breezy 75 and sunny, so I took a nice long walk down the parkway from the top of the museum, and all the way to the City Square, then down Market Street to the waterfront. I passed by the Rodin Museum, Ben Franklin Institute, and many other lovely buildings. I finally came to a stop at the PennsView Hotel's Il Bar to have a flight of wine. They have a special system called a "cruvinet" - and can offer over 120 wines by the glass.
-
Friday I worked from the hotel room, then hopped a cab to the airport, and whisked back to Atlanta again. Photos of the City of Brotherly Love.
Marybeth was visiting us this weekend, and so she was kind to meet me at MARTA, then we walked to her car to get home. She brought her daughter Catherine with her this time, so we had a nice evening at Season's 52 for dinner, and then later Matthew & I went to Gulru's Housewarming Party near Peachtree Battle.
-
Saturday, we went to Goldberg's for breakfast, and then Matt went home to mow the lawn, but the ladies and I went off to the Atlanta Zoo. Why we did this in such ungodly heat? well, opportunity struck, so off we went. I'm ashamed to say I hadn't seen our zoo yet, so why not do it now? Armed with a cooler of water bottles, and carrying some more in hand, as well, we bravely sweated our way through the Panda's, Lions, Tigers, and Monkeys. LOL. Later, we met up with David and Matt for dinner at Chow Baby. Finally, we headed back home to view our photos of the day, and then finally fall asleep.
-
Sunday, our guests departed (for the Aquarium and then the airport). Matt and I took it easy and went to Get Coffee for breakfast, stopped at Target to get Matt some nice new dressier/casual shirts, and then drove up to "Alph-Alaska" to see a friend who had just had hip surgery. She loves Prosecco, so I brought some for her (along with some St. Germain and strawberries for a different option). Awesome! Finally, we went back home to do laundry and relax. I made Spaghetti for dinner, and we ended the night with the movie Watchmen. I decided my two favorite characters were Silk Spectre and Rorschach. Both were played by amazing actors! Loved the writing too! Some scenes were a bit violent for my taste, so I hid my eyes and had Matt tell me when it was over, but for the most part it was pretty good. BTW it's a 3 hr movie!!!
-
Finally back to normal (?) this week? We'll see.
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