The White

Posted on August 21, 2013 by kiwiandpeach

Remember last week when I told y’all all about my awful luck with restaurants staying in business and I shared one of my favorite places to eat in Athens {Georgia not Greece}? Well wouldn’t you know it…

Just kidding. They didn’t close. {Freaked you out there didn’t I, Mama?}

Oh man, now I’ve really jinxed it.

But really how could they with all the delicious things that have going on. Today’s recipe was inspired by my Mama’s favorite, the White Pizza. Being the queen of neutrals that she is, it really isn’t surprising that she’d go for the most monochromatic option, but what is surprising is how flavorful that sucker is! It’s strong on the garlic and has the perfect blend of melty cheeses and crisp, buttery focaccia.

The White

The Mix
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1-2 cloves of roasted garlic
1/2 tsp salt

The Assembly
2 large wedges of focaccia
4-5 fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/2 ball fresh buffalo mozzarella

In a medium sized bowl, mix the cheese, garlic, and salt together well.

Split your focaccia wedges down the middle to make two slices. {You know like for a sandwich.} Liberally spread the mix on both slices. Sprinkle the bottom slice with the basil strips and then cover with chunks of your mozzarella.

Pop everything in the oven on broil {or grill for y’all Kiwis} for about 5 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted. When its finished top it off and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken and Caramelized Onion Sandwich

Posted on August 13, 2013 by kiwiandpeach

I have really terrible luck when it comes to restaurants I like staying in business. My hometown gets a great brunch place next to a farmers market. Closed. One of my favorite beach restaurants opens a branch in Athens, and I can get sweet potato fries with blue cheese dipping sauce whenever I want. Nope, closed. Find a brunch place with the best chicken salad ever. Closed. When I moved to Munich there was this delicious, farm-to-table place that I absolutely loved. Closed. A unique, quirky coffee shop where my friends would have our coffee dates with the friendliest barista in town. Closed. We finally locate a place that does spicy {and reasonably priced} takeaway mexican food. Closed.

I think I’m jinxed.

So it’s with a lot of fear that I mention this next place to you. There would be real tears if this place closed. I just don’t think I could handle it. This place called Transmetropolitan. Now, this isn’t new news to anyone who has ever been to Athens {Georgia, not Greece}, but Transmet is the place to go for a delicious, substantial, and cheap slice of pizza. Seriously, you can get a slice of sicilian bigger than my face for like 2 bucks. College kids can’t beat it. My staple, during the college years, was the Johnny Hector’s BBQ Pizza. It had these amazing caramelized onions and a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce that really set it apart from other BBQ pizzas I’ve had in my day. So. Good. Y’all.

If you’re ever in Athens, please promise me you’ll check them out. Pretty please. You don’t want to see the tears.

So what’s a girl to do when she’s half way around the world and craving a Johnny Hector? Obviously we are going to make our own.

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

The Onions
½ red onion
2 tsp butter
1 tsp brown sugar

The Chicken
1 chicken breast
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp bbq sauce

The Assembly
2 buns
2 Tbsp bbq sauce
1/4 cup cheese {gouda is good} or 1/2 ball of buffalo mozzarella

Start heating a pan on medium high heat. Slice your onion and when the pan is hot, drop the butter in the pan, add the onions, and then sprinkle with brown sugar. Give it a stir and cook for 10 minutes or until they are caramelized to your liking. When they are finished, put them in a small bowl and set them to the side.

While the onions are a caramelizing, slice your chicken breast into strips and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the strips. Once the pan is free, add the olive oil and chicken to the pan. Seal the chicken on one side and then let it cook on the other side, undisturbed for about 3 or 4 minutes and then flip. After a few more minutes, pour the bbq sauce over the chicken and give it a stir until the pieces are completely covered. Let it cook until all the bbq sauce has been reduced then remove from the heat.

While the chicken is cooking, grate your cheese {or slice your mozzarella} and your buns. Spread bbq sauce on each side of the bun. When the chicken is finished, load the bottom halves of the sandwiches with the chicken, onions, and grated cheese. Pop them in the oven on broil {or grill for y’all Kiwis} until the cheese melts {3-5 minutes depending on your oven}.

Put the top on and get messy!

The Green

Posted on June 13, 2013 by kiwiandpeach

I’m going to fill y’all in on an embarrassing little secret. Up until about 2009, I ate everything in layers. By everything, I mean everything. Sandwiches obviously, but burritos and pizza too. My family has no idea where this little neurosis came from, but from the time I could feed myself that is how I ate. I’m sure it has something to do with them trying to trick me into eating carrots, but ever since I can remember I ate things ingredient by ingredient so that I knew exactly what I was putting in my mouth. {Hi. My name is Lauren, and I am a bit of a control freak.} Thankfully, I got that under control, and I can now can enjoy and appreciate all of these exciting ‘new’ flavor combinations with minimal angst.

That said… I am a big fan of open faced sandwiches. Why? Well first of all, you can fit twice as much yummy sandwich goodies on there so they are more filling. Secondly, much to no one’s dismay, I like it because I can see what all is happening on the bread, so I enjoy it angst free without fear of carrots. Needless to say, I make these a good bit. They are perfect for weekend lunches, but if you want to make it a meal, throw some roasted veggies on the side or whip up a salad.

I’m curious. Did you have any weird eating habits as a kid? The Kiwi swears he didn’t, but I question his recall.

The Green

4 slices of bread
1/4 cup pesto
4 large basil leaves {or spinach}
1/2 of an avocado
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Spread the pesto on each slice of bread and top with the basil leaves and avocado slices. Grate the parmesan cheese and sprinkle a healthy bit on each slice. Pop it in the oven on broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the leaves have wilted a bit.

Fried Egg BLT

Posted on June 7, 2013 by kiwiandpeach

Today was mad crazy for me. Most days I really look forward to cooking dinner. My evenings in the kitchen are my me time, and I love that I get to create something everyday. But we all have off days. Today was one of those days. I needed something quick and easy that required minimal brainpower because it’s Friday and I’m running on severe sleep deprivation. Today’s recipe is the perfect dinner for a busy day, and, bonus, you probably already have all of the ingredients in your fridge.

Fried Egg BLT

The Goods
4 slices of bacon
2 eggs
1 tomato, sliced
2 lettuce leaves
2 buns

The Dijonniase
2 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp whole grain sweet mustard
1 tsp whole grain spicy mustard
pinch of salt and pepper

Fry the bacon on medium heat. If you can get maple or peppercorn bacon, do it! It’s super tasty. Since the only bacon we can get here in Munich seems to be the basic stuff {or in large chunk form}, I always add a couple of grinds of pepper and a bit of maple syrup to the pan when I’m cooking the bacon, but I’ll leave that to your discretion.

While the bacon is cooking, prep for the rest of the sandwich. Slice your tomato, grab your leaves of lettuce, slice the bread, and make your dijonnaise.

We don’t use dijonnaise very often, so there really is no point in taking up valuable space in our tiny fridge with a jar of it—especially since it is just a combo of mayo and mustard, which we are going to have in the fridge anyway. You can whip this up in a fraction of a minute. Promise. Just mix it all together.

When the bacon is done, set it to the side and get to frying your eggs. The bacon grease should be enough for your eggs not to stick, but if you want to add a bit of olive oil to be on the safe side go for it. Crack your eggs into the pan and let them cook until the bottom is pretty solid. Carefully flip them over. The goal is to not break the yolk. Depending on how you like your yolk {runny, completely done, etc.} cook them for a bit more. I like mine runny so I usually only do about 30-45 seconds on that side.

When your eggs are done, its time to build your sandwich. Spread the dijonaise on both sides of the bun and layer up your goodies. On days like this I serve it with salt and vinegar potato chips {my weakness} and tell myself we have enough veggies on the sandwich. If you’re feeling ambitious, whip up some sweet potato fries or green beans.