My Impatient Family's Attempt At Guy Fieri's Garlic-Onion Tortilla Stack

This past weekend was our family's early Christmas.  We've been doing this the last few years to avoid the chaos but still be able to celebrate together, it works out wonderfully.  After a smooth flight we arrived just in time to join the family snuggled onto the couch in pjs with wine (& other festive bevies) and a Christmas movie.  It was heaven, the Christmas spirit caught up with me in one evening.  The next day the baking began.  We had every surface of my sister's kitchen covered in flour, cookie cutters, measuring cups and sweets.

Mimmo and the twins.

Those who have read my previous posts know I have been caught off guard many a time by the oh so annoying overnight resting period. After actually reading the directions ahead of time for this garlicky, oniony appetizer I  wanted to make for Sunday supper I got to chopping onions first thing Saturday morning at the furthest end of the kitchen next to the windows.  This didn't help one bit.  I even applied the trick I had just learned in a cooking class taught by Mary herself from Tante Marie's to keep the freshly cut side down then slice long ways almost all the way through left to right then cutting perpendicular all the way through to create a tearless, perfectly diced onion.  I imagine the fact that the onions they grow down in San Diego are 2 pounds a piece may have had something to do with my streaming eye faucets.  Thankfully I was raised in a family who has held on to the tradition of handkerchiefs and the twins thought my temporary blindness was hysterical rather than scary (what a difference a year makes).

 

That's one onion! 4 cups!

If you are up for the tear challenge continue scrolling down.

 Food Network presents

Guy Fieri's Garlic-Onion Tortilla Stack

Ingredients

3/4 cup roasted garlic (Although we love garlic in my house we can't take a whole lot of it so we roasted approximately a bulb & a 1/2.)
Olive Oil
2/3 cup canola oil
4 cups small-diced red onion [about 2 lbs.] (We used white.  You may want to consider pre-cut onion.)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (We used fresh sage & oregano from my sister's garden.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (I always used lots of black pepper, I love it!)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
Twelve 8-inch flour tortillas (We had fresh raw tortillas, which you probably don't want since you have to fry them up individually, although they do taste amazing.)


Directions

Add the garlic to a skillet over low heat with a little olive oil and cook until the garlic just squishes. (I normally roast my garlic in the oven.  The end bits got a little charred, but it was quick and worked well.) 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned but not overly dark, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the butter and sugar and cook until the onions have thoroughly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the roasted garlic, Parmesan, mayonnaise, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

4 hours...perfect time for a hike!

This looks promising...

Hike? Right! It took us 45 minutes just to get out of the house!  Then we started with the no scooters, trail only plan.  Switched to the two scooters, paved roads while being followed by Alice the house cat walk...which lasted about a block.  We finally made it around the corner with two kids, a papa, one scooter and no cat.  Ten minutes later we had a kid a half a mile in front of us careening down a steep slope, the other one stopping at every bush looking for possible birds nests for me to carry home and papa turning back (smart man).

30 minutes and 1 mile into our hike/nature stroll we rested because "all this walking is boring".

A grueling 20 minutes later we are back at the house.  After a quick rinse it's tortilla baking time. 

Reserve one-third of the mixture in the refrigerator to use to make the dipping sauce. Evenly spread the remaining mixture on the top of 11 of the tortillas. Stack the tortillas on top of one another and top with the remaining tortilla. Wrap the tortilla stack in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to set up.

This is where the family stepped in and took over.  After suffering through the intoxicating aroma of onions, garlic and cheese for hours they wanted it now, not 12 hours and certainly not 24 hours from now.  Ten minutes later I was trying to hold together pie shaped stacks of tortillas over a hot grill without turning myself into a Fire Marshall Bill sketch.  I have no idea how no one in my family ended up a lawyer.

Preheat a grill to medium. Cut the stack into 16 wedges. Using tongs, grill each wedge on the cut sides until it's warmed and grill marks appear. 

Our stack didn't have a chance to meld together properly since it was basically smooshed together between two heavy plates while the grill warmed up.  This should be a lot easier if you follow the recipe.  The top and bottom flaps kept falling off and got pretty crispy. 

Mix the reserved onion mixture with the balsamic vinegar to make a dipping sauce; season to taste. Serve the wedges with the dipping sauce.

This was gone in seconds! I really should have doubled the recipe.

I know this doesn't shout Christmas like a lot of recipes floating around this time of year but it's better than a fruitcake and since we cut down on the garlic we didn't have to hide the mistletoe.

Happy Holidays!

The AGC: Adult Grilled Cheese

On most occasions any grilled cheese will do but I am like a bee to honey when it comes to AGCs.

When it comes to comfort food there is nothing like that rich, tangy, savory combination.

Now that Autumn has arrived (my favorite season), everything goes...the warmer, the gooier, the richer, the better. 

On a crisp but sunny Saturday afternoon we ventured down to College Ave. ~ Rockridge in Oakland.  I love, love, love it here!  The people are so laid back, it's rarely crowded and there are so many little shops and eateries that you couldn't possibly dislike it.  I mean check these out!

From The Sock Shop on College Ave.

The best thing to do in Rockridge is window shop and restaurant hop so that is what we did.  First stop was Oliveto's  because it was literally the first place we saw, we flow like that on days such as these.  We sat at the bar right in front of the wood oven pizza where we watched the chef make magic.

Whole-milled Italian heirloom Floriani red flint corn polenta topped with a fried farm egg, toasted garlic, chili oil and Parmesan cheese.

The reason why I am telling you about my romp through Rockridge is this...

Oliveto's is where I witnessed the perfect roll slice for my Adult Grilled Cheese!  It's a simple V but it had never occurred to me.  They piled their sandwiches so high yet everything stayed together.  It was magnificent!  

So I'll wrap this up and get to my recipe...

Eventually we ended up at Wood Tavern which we adore.  Again, up at the bar amidst the action.

House made Whiskey Chicken Liver Pâté , Duck Rilettes and creamy cheeses.

They have wonderful cocktails and delightful bartenders.  There are also some incredible spots for dinner such as À Côté and A16 that we didn't quite make it to, next time.

NOW FOR THE ADULT GRILLED CHEESE!

 Ingredients:

Basil 

Leeks

A Fresh Jalapeno

Cherry Tomatoes

Cracked Pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Crumbled Goat Cheese

Crumbled Feta

French Rolls

Butter 

*Bacon Drippings

*Optional

Roll Prep:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

Line a baking tray with tin foil

Cut your rolls with a V angle long ways and remove the wedge

Butter the cut of both the top and bottom of the roll

Put it in the oven

Keep an eye on it while you are prepping the filling.  

The top wedge will be removed when golden.

Filling Prep:

Halve the cherry tomatoes

Slice the leeks (only the white and light green sections)

Remove the seeds of the jalapeno and dice half of it (use the whole pepper if you want the extra kick).

I wish I would have sauteed the above in bacon drippings but I went with a little butter because I was afraid it may be too salty once the cheese was added.  It wasn't.  The bacon drippings would have added more depth so if you have some you should use it.

Sprinkle with cracked pepper

Directions:

Hopefully you have kept your eye on the buns in the oven and pulled them out if they were golden.  If not they should be fine, the prep doesn't take too long.  Pull them out now and start filling the bottom in.  The lightly crispy inside will help prevent your roll from getting soggy.  

 

Once you've filled the bottom press the vegetable mix down with your fork.  In a bowl mix together the two or more crumbled cheeses and add some cracked pepper.

Pack on the cheese blend and put it back in the oven.

Now you take your basil, roll a few leaves and slice them into shreds.  Wash them with balsamic vinaigrette, I prefer Newman's Own it's all natural and has additional spices.

When your Adult Grilled Cheese is partially melted and golden remove it from the oven and add a layer of tangy basil.

The top wedge can be brushed with more balsamic, a chipotle mayo or kept crispy and buttery.

It goes without saying that this is a rich sandwich so I served it with tomato basil soup which cut the flavor nicely.  Washing it down with a dark beer is quite delightful...I'm just saying.

I was able to have a nice home cooked meal sandwiched (see what I did there?) between the madness of work and school.  Anytime I can make something this good in about a 1/2 hour I am really happy!

Sarah's Hallelujah Chicken Pot Pie With A Biscuit Top

Guest Blogger (and my twin) Sarah

Presents

Dear Kitchen Goddess...please get my kids to eat this (and maybe even love it)!

I’m a mom; a mom of two little food critics of the pickiest variety. You would think that the spinach that I have the audacity to put on their plates was fished out of a stinky old swamp by the looks of suffering on their faces. But, I’m determined – I will not be beaten by vegetables. So, when I find recipes that are packed with veggies and my kids not only eat it, but love it, it’s one of those shout-it-from-the-mountaintops kind of moment.

So, here is the recipe for my 
“Hallelujah Chicken Pot Pie with a Biscuit Top”

Hope it gets your mini-critics singing its praises and you jumpin’ up on that mountaintop with me! 

Warning, I don’t watch calories. I do things in old fashioned ways with the stuff my mamma still uses today (Bisquick is genius and I love my seriously old cast iron skillet!).

Ingredients for Pie:

2lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1” pieces (I like thighs cuz they don’t dry out very easily and dry chicken sets off my 4' critics!)

1 ½ tsp salt

¾ tsp pepper

1 tblsp olive oil

3 tblsp unsalted butter

1lb button mushrooms, sliced

1 ½ cup minced onion

½ cup minced green pepper

¾ cup minced carrot

½ cup peas

¾ cup minced celery

1 tblsp minced garlic

¼ cup flour

4 cups chicken stock

1/2lb  Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

1 tbsp minced fresh sage

Ingredients for Biscuit Top:

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp dried parsley

·         Put your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat – just makes me happy to use that heavy old thing!

·         In a large bowl, toss the chicken with 1tsp of salt, ½ tsp of the pepper and the olive oil. Cook the chicken in batches till it starts to brown (4-5 minutes) then pull the chicken out and place it in a bowl.

·         Add the butter to the pan and when it melts, add the mushrooms and remaining salt and pepper till they are soft (3-4min). Then add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook till soft.

·         Add the flour and cook stirring for 1 minute till the flour gets lightly browned. Add the stock, browned chicken, potatoes and sage.

·         Preheat the oven to 475

·         Bring the liquid to a boil then turn down the heat so it just simmering and cook the mixture till the potatoes are soft, about 35 minutes. 

·         While the filling is simmering, make the biscuits: Mix the Bisquick with the milk then add the shredded cheese and fresh tarragon.

·         Stir in the peas and then pull the pan from the heat.

·         Using two spoons drop the biscuit batter onto the pie, making sure that they do not touch each other.

·         Slide the Pie into the oven. (I put a cookie sheet under it in case I filled it a little to high.) Cook it for 10-12 minutes. While it’s cooking, take the melted butter and add the dry ingredients to it. When the 10-12 minutes is up, pull them out and brush the biscuits with the seasoned butter. 

·       Slide it back into the oven for another two minutes so the butter has a chance to sink into the biscuits.

Stand back and reap the rewards of happy kids eating more vegetables in one plate than you ever thought possible! . . . and those darn biscuits so good they get the kids coming back for more!