Culinary Adventures: Muss and Turners

A few weeks ago my brother and I met up with my old boss to talk shop and catch up at Muss & Turners in Smyrna. Kat talked a big game about this place and they did not disappoint. First, the decor is so cozy and quaint, but the real showstopper was the bar/speakeasy hidden behind the freezer door.

 Our waitress asked if we wanted to sit on the patio (which in this GA heat was not going to happen) or if we wanted to sit inside. Winner! But then she told us about the speakeasy in the back of the restaurant. WHAT?! She told us to go through the freezer door and keep walking. *pause* The freezer door??! Well, what would you know, there was a hallway there.

My brother walking through the door

The wine cellar we walked through. How awesome is this?

The good stuff is in a locked case built into the wall.

The racks above the bar. Sorry to blurry.

 After walking through the wine cellar you come out into the bar area. Although it's not big, I can totally see someone having a private party back there. There is a two-way mirror that looks like windows when in fact, they look out into the restaurant. Cool! There are nothing but booths back there and the actual bar. The lighting is low but you can see just fine. It definitely reminded me something of the Prohibition era back there.

These were behind our booth.

Creative decor. A stand up bar.

The full bar area. 

"The Bucky Goldstein" -  House smoked beef brisket, Carolina BBQ demi glace, sliced sour pickle, fried tobacco onion rings, Dijon mustard, French bun

Pimp's Cup...no seriously, that's what the drink was called that my brother had. 
 Pimm's No. 1, Cognac, Lemon, Mint, Cucumber
Go on n' brush yo shoulda off...

Yummy yummy fries

S.B.L.T. - Muss' kippered salmon, applewood bacon, lettuce, roma tomatoes, remoulade, honey wheat

I plan on taking my parents to lunch there in the next few weeks. They would really like it.

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

Every now and then I like to experiment with meatless dinners. Not only is limiting your meat intake good for you but it also gives you a chance to experiment with a few ingredients that pack a powerful punch. This Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers recipe is courtesy of Can You Stay for Dinner? Check out this cute blog about all things life, food, weight loss and healthy living.

I like to stuff stuff. Chicken, turkey, tacos, bras, cookies, potatoes, brownies, bellies… any old thing, really.

It’s almost always a fabulous idea (well, not the bra one). Take these skinny red peppers for example. They would have been happy, relieved even, to just sun themselves on the grill and mingle with black beans and rice.  But how could I let them? They had such stuffing potential.  Instead I slowly simmered and spiced black beans with onions and garlic, stirred in sweet corn, and spooned the mixture inside the bellies of the peppers. And because cheese makes all of life more lovable, I introduced the peppers to Colby Jack and set them under the broiler until a greasy sheen rippled across their tops. I slipped a fork into their gooey centers while they sat, cooling, in the pan upon my counter, and the spices salsa danced across my tongue.

So go. Make them and eat them piping hot from the oven with sour cream and a glittering of minced fresh cilantro, and I will have indirectly stuffed you too.  See how this works? Don’t fight it. I’ve got a stuffing fetish.

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

Preheat your oven to 400°F. You’ll need two small peppers. I used long, sweet red peppers because I loved their funky skinny shape, but use any peppers you’d like.

Cut a long slit, lengthwise, along the center of each pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, until the skins are beginning to blister and soften.

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan set over medium heat and add your chopped onion. Saute for 3 minutes, until it begins to soften and turn translucent.

Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add your drained and rinsed black beans along with 1/4 cup water.

Stir in your spices.

Cover, set the heat to low, and let the beans simmer in spices for at least 15 minutes but the longer the better.

After simmering, the beans should be thick and slightly mushy.

Add corn and stir to combine.

Divide the bean mixture into each pepper and sprinkle them with Colby Jack cheese. Broil for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

(serves 2)

• 2 small peppers- any kind you’d like
• 1/2 medium sized onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch cayenne pepper for a little heat
• 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese, or any cheese you like
• fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut a slit through the entire length of each of your peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until the skins are softened and beginning to blister.
2. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add your onion and saute for 3 minutes, until beginning to soften and turn translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Stir in your black beans along with the water.
5. Add your cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Stir, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans for at least 15 minutes, but up to 30 minutes.
6. Stir in corn. Divide the bean mixture evenly among the two peppers and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Broil for 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream if you’d like.

Sunday Dinner: The Anniversary Edition

Happy Sunday folks! I hope many of you are enjoying your weekend away from the kitchen while I slave away in mine. I've been in my kitchen since first thing this morning preparing a big Sunday dinner in honor my parents and my uncle and aunt's wedding anniversary. My family looks for any excuse or reason to celebrate something and we usually do it with food. Our menu today is pretty simple (in my opinion) but hearty. We will definitely be playing the Kinect after this to burn off the calories. 

Baked chicken in cream of chicken soup

Ribs with bbq sauce

My famous macaroni and cheese

Field peas with snaps and smoked neckbones

Honey glazed cornbread

A huge pot collard greens

Fresh fruit salad for dessert for the non-sugar eaters

A pitcher of freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade

Not pictured is the apple pie and ice cream for dessert since its still in the oven. :)

Repost: Thai Chicken Pizza

I found this recipe over on Munchin' with Munchkin and boy does it look good. Can't wait to try and recreate it next week.

Sometimes the best meals are complete accidents. This Thai chicken pizza came about from an impromptu fridge cleaning. On Sunday we we’re a little stumped for dinner. We had marinated chicken in the fridge that I had intended to make on Friday, but never got around to it. We also had a ball of pizza dough and vegetables for a stir fry. In an attempt to use all our leftovers before going grocery shopping, I thought of a pizza I used to enjoy in high school.
My friends and I would often stop for pizza after class on Fridays. Our school was sandwiched between a residential neighborhood and and an industrial area which gave us very few food options. There was a Lebanese restaurant, a Tim Hortons, and a pizza parlor. The pizza toppings were fairly standard at this restaurant, however there was one that stood out among the rest; Thai Chicken Pizza. The sauce was a spicy peanut sauce and it had grilled chicken, green onions, carrots, bean sprouts and cheese. The first time I tried it I was hooked and from that day on, it became my standard order.

Relying on fond memories, I whipped this pizza together while Greg grilled our chicken. It was the perfect Sunday night dinner, enjoyed with a cold beer and great company. The leftovers were also a great lunch the next day at work. This pizza can easily be made vegan as well with a few minor adjustments. I would recommend replacing the grilled chicken with the grilled tempeh from my Thai Spring Roll recipe and using almond cheese instead of mozzarella.

What’s your favorite toppings for pizza? Do you prefer the classics or trying something new?  I’ll eat almost anything on a pizza except for anchovies and red onions. How about you?

Thai Chicken Pizza

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

TOPPINGS:

• 1 14 oz ball of prepared pizza dough
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tsp. sriracha
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup broccoli, shaved
• 1/4 cup carrots, shaved
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup mozzarella

SAUCE:

• 2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-4 drops chili oil
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 green onion, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a sealable container, combine sriracha, one tablespoon of sesame oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Toss chicken breast in sauce and marinate for a minimum of one hour.
2. Grill the chicken on a barbecue until internal temperature reaches 170 F. Remove from grill and dice into bite size pieces.
3. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 475 F.
4. Unroll the dough and sprinkle the bottom with one teaspoon of cornmeal. Transfer to the pizza stone and bake for 7 minutes.
5. In the meantime create the sauce. Combine sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chili oil, red pepper flakes and green onions in a small bowl.
6. Remove the pizza dough from the oven and drizzle the crust with prepared sauce. Top with cheese, grilled chicken, shaved broccoli, shaved carrots, red pepper slices, diced green onions and bean sprouts.
7. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more until cheese melts and crust is golden. Slice and serve.

Potatoes and Sausage

Sometimes you just a need a quick meal using things you have the refrigerator. This particular dish only required 4 ingredients. Yes, 4! Meals can be easy, filling and quick with a little imagination and standard staples in your fridge.

Peel and chop about 5 white potatoes. I sauteed mine in olive oil until they were soft. You may want to add a little water to the skillet, cover and stir occasionally until they are done.

Once the potatoes are done, put them off to the side and  chop up one green pepper, one  onion and a packet of sausage. Add the sausage and cook until done. Once the sausage is done, toss in the veggies and cook until they soften up.

Combine the sausage and peppers with the potatoes in a casserole dish. Mix together and let rest for about 15.

Serve up to your family and enjoy!

Curry Chicken

To stay in the spirit of my quick meal wave, I decided to grab a packet of curry chicken from Publix. There are so many meal options at Publix that will save working mom on a tight budget. To add some spice to my curry, I add a bit of crushed red pepper and boy was it yummy!

Add a little oil to the skillet and throw the chicken in

Toss until its brown

Add one cup of water or one cup of coconut milk if you want thai curry. Cover and cook for 45-55 minutes on medium heat.

When you remove the cover, prepare to be slapped in the face by this delicious sight

Serve over rice and with some corn on the cob