This is the new home of The Foodie and the Dog, and with this first post, I’ll start with my round plates entry. Every so often, I’ll use this title to showcase some recent foods that bring a smile to my face and a fullness in my heart…um…belly.
Starting with breakfast, follow instructions for the batter and spoon in blueberries or chocolate chips. For smaller, very custom-made waffles that are rough around the edges, I pour a little into the waffle maker. Or try this flaky biscuit pull-apart dish. Cut biscuit dough from the carton into quarters. In a pan, brown breakfast sausage or bacon, also caramelize onions and peppers. In a dish, add the raw dough; cooked meat, onions, and peppers; shredded cheddar cheese; and a beaten egg to mix it all together. Bake until golden brown. Pull apart with your fingers.
Skipping to appetizers, I’ve heard that I put the aahh in guacamole. I love making it, so that’s the first ingredient in my version. I remember the first time I tried making it—I had just moved to San Diego. I took a big batch of it to a party and was laughed at because I didn’t think to put in the lime juice…oops.
Head over to the grill with sliced Italian or French bread, topped with fresh diced tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil. Grill until they’re toasted and the cheese begins to melt. Then drizzle balsamic glaze on top.
Or maybe a big-ass salad, a panzanella with croutons from that same bread, toast or grill bits of bread drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper until crunchy, then mix into a bowl of fresh greens and lightly grilled veggies, finish with a drizzle of vinaigrette.
For dinner, make your own pasta, it’s really not that difficult, maybe a little time-consuming, but with practice, it gets easier. You can vary the shape and width of the pasta, and it’s so meaty in itself, if that makes sense. For this dish, I made more of a linguini. Sear some scallops and remove from pan, then caramelize onions and peppers in the same pan. Cut sweet potatoes into cubes and boil, then add drained potatoes into the pan, add the scallops, and pour a little heavy cream in and simmer.
Or go for southern comfort food. I grew up on my dad’s chicken pastry (sometimes he went meatless and used potatoes). I used to watch him whip up everything so effortlessly. For me, much effort goes into everything that I do it seems. He used to make his pastry from scratch, and really, it’s just a pappardelle pasta. I use a food processor to mix the flour, water, and egg into a ball (I get squeamish touching eggs), then I roll it just enough to prepare it for the pastry maker to flatten the pasta. Dad used a roller and a lot of elbow grease. Place each piece of pasta into boiling water and once the pieces float, it’s done. Lower the heat. You can use rotisserie chicken or bake it. I add the chicken and also boiled potatoes (optional) into the pot of cooked pasta and let it all mix together on low heat. Dad always topped it with freshly cut bell pepper slices.
That does it for now, besides, I’m too full for dessert!
the foodie and the dog 