Potato Crisps

I have an alarming addiction to potato chips. I love the way they smell when I pull open the bag. I love the way they look when I peer into the open bag. I love the way they sound when I take the first delightful bite and it crunches. I love the way they feel against my teeth as I bite and how they rub lightly across my tongue. Mostly, I love how they taste. The salt, the flavor, the oil. I mean, why would I eat low fat chips? If I'm going to eat potato chips, after hours of literally working my butt off at the gym, they're going to be the full-fat variety so it's worth every single crunchy bite.

I'm quite particular when it comes to the brand of chips I'm eating. Lays are the best. I'll settle for Ruffles when necessary, and I've eaten Clover Club in a pinch, but Lays are really where it's at. I like a variety of flavors, but most of the time I'm happiest with the Classic Lays. I mean, why mess with a good thing? Sometimes simple is best... or at least that's what I thought until I went to England and experienced Walkers Potato Crisps. Walkers is the Lays of Great Britain. So, if it's the same company and same product, why are Walkers so much better than Lays? Because the Brits are freaking awesome!

They love the weirdest flavors: Cheese & Onion, Steak & Onion, Smoky Bacon, Roast Chicken, Prawn Cocktail, Pickled Onion, Tomato Ketchup, and Worcester Sauce . I mean, who doesn't love that? How did they come up with these flavors? I'm here to tell you that Prawn Cocktail and Pickled Onion and much better than they sound... so much better that my mouth is watering at the mere thought of them. When I was in England I bought a new crisp flavor each day so I could try them all. Luckily we walked about 10 miles a day, so the extra calories were negligible (and I lost 15 pounds).

I do wonder, when Brits come to the U.S. do they think our chip flavors are weird? I mean, maybe Sour Cream and Onion sounds as vomitous to most of them as pickled onion does to most of us. Regardless, I am left begging the question, "Why, oh WHY doesn't Lays sell those fantastic flavors in the United States?" I simply must have a bag of Worcester crisps RIGHT now!

Italian Pesto Pasta Salad

I made this recipe for the first time about four months ago for a large family function. I started with The Olive Garden dressing, but have since switched to Kraft Italian Pesto Dressing & Marinade. I consistently have requests to bring my pasta salad to parties. As always- you'll have to experiment to find the quantities and combinations that work best for you.

Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep time 1 hour
Serves A Lot

Ingredients
1 bag of your favorite pasta (I recommend the Garofalo brand available at Costco) in Fusilli, Radiatori, or Penne shapes. (You could also use macaroni or bow ties, but I recommend the other shapes.) If you're making a small quantity you will obviously want to only use a portion of the pasta instead.
1 English cucumber (I recommend English cucumbers because you don't have to peel them, they taste superior, and they are prettier)
2-4 roma tomatoes
1/2-1 whole red/purple onion
1-2 cans whole, black olives
1 package pepperoni (you could use bacon instead, or no meat at all)
1/2-1 whole bottle Kraft Italian Pesto Dressing & Marinade

1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated hard cheese (I recommend Parmeseano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano. They are all available in the Kirkland brand at Costco for very reasonable prices. The great thing is that they stay good for months, so it's fine to have a large quantity on hand.)

Directions
Fill a very large pot with cold water. Add 2 Tbsp salt. (I know it sounds like a lot of salt, but in an Italian cooking class I just finished taking we were taught to add quite a bit of salt to the water when boiling pasta. It really does make the pasta taste better and requires you to use less salt in the rest of the recipe, therefore making it healthier.) Bring to a boil and then add the pasta. Cook until el dente. While the pasta is boiling, chop the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion into very small pieces. I recommend cutting the cucumber and tomatoes in half and then, using a spoon, remove the seeds. This will make the salad keep longer and it doesn't become "slimy." Often dishes with cucumbers and tomatoes look and feel "slimy" because the seeds are left in. After removing the seeds, continue to cut the vegetables into very small chunks. I like to put the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large glass bowl and sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on them. Cut the pepperoni into quarters (You may not use the entire package. I often only use half.) and add the pepperoni to the cucumbers and tomatoes. Cut the onion into very small pieces and add it to the other items. Add the olives. Grate the cheese. By now the pasta should be done. Drain it and let it cool completely. You could prepare the pasta one or two days in advance if desired. Once it is completely cooled you may add it to the mixture. Add the grated cheese. If the pasta is not cooled the cheese will melt, and you don't want that. Mix everything together and then slowly add the Italian Pesto Dressing until it "looks" and tastes right. It's really a personal preference how much dressing you add. I recommend keeping it in a glass bowl as plastic and metal can change the taste of a dish. You can refrigerate it for several hours before serving, or serve immediately. The salad will keep for several days, if refrigerated, as long as you've removed the seeds from the cucumber and tomatoes.

On a side note, I also like to take red leaf or romaine lettuce and "fill" several pieces with the pasta salad and then wrap it up like chinese lettuce wraps and eat it. That just helps me get an extra serving of vegetables in :) If I'm just making it for myself, I'll double the cucumber and tomatoes in the recipe to help me get extra vegetable servings. Also, be creative! I've added marinated artichoke hearts and green, red, yellow, and orange peppers in the past with great success. Have fun and enjoy!

Bleu Cheese Chicken

I love stinky cheese! It's so yummy in my tummy... well my mouth anyway. Even if you're not a bleu cheese fanatic you'll probably like this recipe. You really must make the dressing from scratch though as the bottled variety just isn't the same. I'd like to thank Ashley for directing me to this bleu cheese dressing recipe on the food network. I always make the dressing first and then put it all together. The dressing will stay good, if refrigerated, for up to two weeks and I think it tastes better after being in the fridge for at least 24 hours. After you've made the bleu cheese dressing you are ready to put it all together. The chicken tastes great as leftovers and will stay good, if refrigerated, for one week. I usually only cook for 1-4 people, so adjust this as necessary.

Bleu Cheese Chicken
Prep Time 15-20 minutes
Cook Time 30-60 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders (quantity depends on how many you're serving)
Favorite variety of mushrooms (quantity depends on how many you're serving)
Bleu cheese dressing (you may need to double or triple the recipe depending on how many people you're serving)

Directions
Make the bleu cheese dressing recipe (found below). Line the bottom of your baking dish (I recommend glass or Corningware) with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders. Chop up your favorite mushrooms (I like baby portabello) and generously cover the chicken. Then cover the mushrooms and chicken with the bleu cheese dressing. You'll see that it's an extremely white food at this point.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (about 30-60 minutes, depending on the quantity). When it comes out of the oven there will be dark brown spots, which is perfect.

It tastes great served over rice, baked potatoes, or pasta. Enjoy!

Bleu Cheese Dressing
makes about 3/4 cup

Ingredients
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (more if desired... I usually double it for the chicken recipe)
2 Tbsp sour cream (may use reduced-fat variety)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise (may use reduced-fat variety)
1/4 cup buttermilk (can double the sour cream and mayonnaise instead, but it does taste better with the buttermilk)
1 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped scallions (or finely chopped white onion)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, and blue cheese in a small bowl. Stir in buttermilk, vinegar, parsley and scallions. Season with salt a pepper.