Cooking with Coley

I don’t eat a lot of red meat.  You’ve probably noticed.  For some reason the other day I was craving it.  But no, I didn’t want a lean filet on the grill… I wanted a philly cheesesteak… pizza! I couldn’t just stop  with steak and cheese, I had the urge to add it to some doughy goodness.

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 lb dough per pizza
• 1 sirloin steak or whatever choice of meat you prefer
• Shredded 2% part skim mozzarella
• Onions
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt and Pepper
• Alfredo sauce (optional)
• Crate and Barrel Pizza Griller

Procedure:

• Grill steak on high heat for less than five minutes; meat should remain rare and only the outside will be seared
• Slice steak in thin pieces
• Spread dough over pizza grill pan
• Top dough with EVOO, garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onions, and cheese (if you use Alfredo sauce, that should be the base of the pizza on top of the EVOO)
• Layer steak on top of other ingredients
• Grill to your liking!

I only used the EVOO base rather than a cheese sauce which made it a bit leaner.  However, I think if you’re making a steak and cheese pizza, why not go all out right?  Next time I’ll try it with a creamy cheese sauce!

Check out my other grilled pizza recipes too! Buffalo Shrimp Pizza and Classic Basil and Cheese Pizza

By the way – did you check out the giveaway I’m hosting with CSN Stores?  You should enter! Today’s the last day – all entries must be received by 5pm EST.

Earlier this summer, I attended the Digital Content NewFront cocktail event at the chic Standard Hotel in NYC.  Among many other A-list guests, Rocco Dispirto took part and rose to the top of my star-struck evening.

I’ve always been a big fan of Rocco.  Maybe it is his confidence and swagger in the kitchen, his charming smile and dimples, or his two-season run on his NBC show “The Restaurant” that won me over.  OK, it probably wasn’t the show because he didn’t come off as Mr. Nice Guy.   I guess it’s a combination of the first two along with his recipes and cooking persona that many of us in the food world have grown to love.  Either way – I’m a fan.  And it was an honor to not only meet him but to chat with him about my blog!

He was just as nice as I could have hoped and didn’t portray that confrontational, angry chef from “The Restaurant.”  He actually asked me to try a recipe in his newest book, Now Eat This!, and then write a post about my thoughts and experiences with it.  OK, so maybe this was the salesman in him promoting his book, but when Rocco makes a request, who the heck wouldn’t do it?

More on his book and the recipe at a later date, but I want to end with a quick thank you to Rocco (in case his PR people happen to read this) for taking the time to chat with a little old blogger, wannabe chef like me.

By the way – did you check out the giveaway I’m hosting with CSN Stores?  You should enter!

This was delicious.  I’m not going to go into an intro’ because I think the recipe will speak for itself.  The fresh ingredients and sweet combination of lime, cilantro and cumin make your taste buds burst. Served over fresh salsa, rice and beans, the dish is light and delicate in your mouth.  Try it.  ASAP.

What you’ll need (for 2 dinner portions or 4 appetizer servings):

Shrimp

• 1/2 lb raw shrimp (cleaned and de-shelled)
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Ground cumin
• Salt
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Fresh Salsa

• 1/2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• handful of pepperoncini rings, chopped (plus some juice if you like extra spice!)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes (or whatever tomatoes you have – these are what I happened to have in the house)
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt
• Lime juice

Beans, Rice & Garnish

• 1 can black beans
• 2 servings rice
• Fresh lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro

Procedure:

This is actually a quite easy dish, and home cooks please don’t be intimidated by the presentation.  If you put it in a normal bowl, I promise it will taste just as good.

• For the shrimp, mix the cilantro, EVOO, salt, lime juice and crushed red pepper, toss shrimp in mixture; lightly sprinkle shrimp with cumin before cooking
• To cook the shrimp, either grill on skewers or do a quick pan fry.  If pan frying, make sure the heat is high and toss them regularly – this shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes or so
• For the salsa, combine all ingredients and puree (note: it doesn’t need to be completely smooth, a little bit of chunkiness is OK.  Do it to your liking); taste the salsa and add more of ingredients to get the taste profile of your preference
• Cook the beans for 10 -15 minutes on the stove top; I prefer to slightly mash them after 10 minutes of cooking them, so they’re more refried in texture
• Cook the rice according to the directions
• To serve, layer beans, rice, salsa then shrimp in individual bowls
• Garnish with lime wedge and cilantro
• Devour!

By the way – did you check out the giveaway I’m hosting with CSN Stores?  You should enter!

Update on 9/1 : The WINNER of the giveaway was Karine.  Thanks to everyone for entering and happy fall to all!

Summer is definitely my favorite season.  I’m a warm weather girl who loves long beach days, lots of pool time and BBQs, but I have to admit that I welcome fall with open arms and oven mitts.  With fall comes a renewed vigor for cooking; it means autumn recipes, apple picking and Sunday football. While many people like the cooler weather, the changing of the leaves,  or are just ready for a wardrobe switch, I (like many other foodies) look forward to the opportunity to transition to fall recipes – whether it’s simmering soups for hours on a Sunday or making warm and hearty dips for football guests on Sundays.

To celebrate the new season coming soon, I’m co-hosting a giveaway with CSN Stores to give you a chance to get some new fall dinnerware or platters for football entertaining with a $40 gift certificate to use on one of their many sites.   CSN Stores‘ sites offer up an unparalleled selection of online shopping in many categories including everything from cookware to travel gear and feature many of the top brands in home and office goods like Rachael Ray, Serta and Calphalon.

Here’s an idea of the range of what CSN Stores have to offer and what you can apply your gift certificate to to get ready for fall and football:

Wincraft NFL Snack Helmut , a Vitaclay Smart Multicooker or a Le Creuset Stoneware Serving Bowl

How to enter?  It’s easy!  All you need to do is one of the following:

1. Post on Cooking with Coley’s Facebook page what you would buy with the gift card
2. Comment on this post telling me what you like about fall
3. Follow me on Twitter (@nicolelawler), and retweet one of my Tweets re: this giveaway

You can enter more than once, if you do a combination of any or all of the above (maximum of 3 entries per person).

To reiterate – the $40 gift certificate can be used at ANY of the CSN stores.

Other things to note: The contest only applies to U.S. and Canada residents.  While all shipping is free from CSN Stores, shipping charges or international fees may apply outside of the United States.

The contest ends at 5pm EST on August 31.

Time to go brush up on football  knowledge for my upcoming fantasy draft.  Go Pats!

Most weekends when I am too cheap to go out for breakfast or brunch or am just trying to be healthy, I fix up a quick and easy breakfast sammy.   Comprised of ingredients I almost always have on hand, it’s a go-to option to start my day.

What you’ll need:

• 1 egg (I only use the whites)
• 1 Thomas Light Multigrain English Muffin (only 100 calories)
• 1 slice of light or 2% cheese
• 1 slice of low sodium ham
• Ketchup and hot sauce for dippin’

Procedure:

• Crack the egg white or full egg into a greased (with Pam) small round bowl; cover with an unfolded napkin. If  you use the yolk, you can scramble it or leave it plain; you can also add milk if you prefer.
• Microwave the egg (yes, microwave!), for 1 minute (or 45 seconds for egg whites only).
• Toast muffin in a toaster over, melt cheese on top and add ham ( you can also fry the ham if you’re feeling ambitious).  Note: feel free to substitute turkey bacon for ham, or a bagel or toast for the muffin.
• Stack muffin with cheese, ham and egg together and bam – you’ve got breakfast in under 5 minutes.

So many of you are probably still sitting there asking yourself, “Microwave, really? You call yourself a cook?”  Yes, it’s true. Although Gordan Ramsey and the likes would most likely grimmace with disgust (imagine me trying this on MasterChef!), I promise you it’s a great shortcut that eliminates time and dirty dishes.   Give it a shot before you criticize.

Home.  After nearly 15 trips to the Royal Resorts in the past  20 years, I can honestly say that’s what it feels like…home.  In fact, upon check in and your first greetings with many of the staff,  they warmly smile and say “welcome home.”

After all these years, I can happily say that the ambiance and feel of the resorts stays the same as does the reliable premium service and the quality and price of the food.  Royal Resorts owns four properties in Cancun – (from newest to oldest) The Royal Sands, The Royal Islander, The Royal Caribbean and The Royal Mayan.  Although the oldest and simplest, the Mayan will forever be my favorite of the group with staff that’s been around since I was 10, an open air, thatched-roof “Palapa” bar and Mayan decor giving an authentic Mexican feel to the villas and lobby.

I was a pretty lucky kid growing up.  While some families go to Disney or drive to nearby lakes and beaches, Cancun was our family vacation spot.  My grandparents bought our family a timeshare at The Royal Mayan, and we’ve been going nearly every year since.  If you’re wondering where I’ve been the past week, now you have your

answer.

The five-star resort complex bears plenty of delicious restaurants to choose from where you can indulge in Mexican classics like grouper tacos and Yucatan Lime soup (two of my favorites!).  Of course, there are also plenty of pool bars and beach bars with fruity beverages and Dos Equis and Sol to celebrate the 3pm happy hour kick off.  If you’re in need of a relaxing vacation with sun, white sandy beaches and the finest and friendliest service, The Royal Resorts are where it’s at.

This year, we also ventured downtown for dinner and discovered a new place to eat.  Although it is not part of the Royal Resorts, Cambalache is a paradise for meat lovers – from 14oz filets to slow roasted lamb on the wood fire grill, you won’t be let down in this place.  Portions are huge, but unlike a Ruth’s Chris or a Smith and Wollensky’s, Cambalaches prices aren’t so huge. In fact, a 14oz filet was priced at a mere $34 US.  When’s the last time you had a 14oz filet?   And while you’re thinking back, when can you remember paying under $50 for an 8oz filet at a steakhouse?   If you can conjure something up, please let me know!

Adios amigos!

I just tried my first varietal of Tandoor Chef’s new frozen pizzas.  Now we all know I love pizza, but have I mentioned I love Indian?  So the thought of pizzas made on Naan bread is a winning combination right off the bat.

Tandoor Chef has a line of “authentic tandoor cuisine,” and before tonight I hadn’t indulged in any of their products (unfortunately nor had I heard of them).  Among their line up of traditional Indian favorites including Chicken Tikka Masala and samosa appetizers, proudly stand four types of frozen pizzas: Cilantro Pesto, Margherita, Spinach and Paneer and Roasted Eggplant.

The directions were simple, like any frozen pizza – remove from packaging and bake for 10-12 minutes on the middle rack in a pre-heated over at 450 degrees.  My oven took the full 12 minutes.

The hand-stretched, artisan crust was perfectly crispy, and although I’m not sure if it resembled Naan as much as I anticipated with all the toppings and crunch, it was incredibly delightful.  The assortment of flavors were exotic and spicy with hints of cilantro and pesto lingering after every bite.

It comes in at 260 calories per serving (half a pizza), and it is made with all natural ingredients and has 4g of fiber and 11g of protein.   My boyfriend and I split it as part of our meal, and then had something on the side.   

The only downfall were the tomatoes.  They didn’t seem to hold well through the freezing process, and when thawed and cooked they became a bit watery.  The tomatoes wouldn’t stop me from purchasing this tasty pizza though.  With an SRP of only $2.99, the Cilantro Pesto pie will stand up tall against most frozen pizzas you’ll find out there!

Where can you find Tandoor Chef frozen meals? All over.  Check out their website for locations near you.

Stay tuned for reviews of the other three flavors coming soon to Cooking with Coley.

I can’t cook every day, but it doesn’t mean I want to eat out either. MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers are a great option when I want something quick and healthy for lunch or dinner.  At 120 cals, 11g of protein and 4g of fiber a pop, they’re guiltless and scrumptious.

I’ve tried some of MorningStar Farm’s other veggie burger flavors, and this one definitely stands above the rest.  My fondness for spice and beans make it a winning selection off the bat and the texture and flavor when you bite into one solidify its excellence in the frozen food category.

Topped with lettuce, onion and maybe a slice of light cheese along with some ketchup and/or Franks Red Hot sauce, and served on a 100 calorie deli flat, and you’ve got a hearty burger leaving you just as satisfied as a grilled all beef burger would.