Makes 20 Mini Pita Pizzas

These Pita Pizza Bites are simple yet delicious and will round out your Superbowl menu perfectly.  These bite size pizzas have prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and a homemade tomato sauce.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 20 mini pitas
• about 4 large fresh mozzarella balls, sliced into 5 slices
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded
• 10 slices of prosciutto
• 5 large basil leaves roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce (see below for recipe)

Directions

1. Place the pitas on a baking sheet.
2. Dollop 1/2 of a Tablespoon of sauce on each pita.
3. Top each pita with a slice of mozzarella and 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese.
4. Broil in your oven on high for 2-4 minutes, watching to make sure they don’t burn.
5. Top each pita with 1/2 a slice of prosciutto and sprinkle with basil.
6. Serve.

Pizza Sauce Ingredients

• 1, 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup
• 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
• pinch of salt

Pizza Sauce Directions

1. Stir all of the ingredients together in a medium sauté pan.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and smash tomatoes with the back of a spoon.  Allow to simmer and reduce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Butterflying a chicken breast is a great technique for making a nice pocket to stuff the chicken breast or for reducing the size of the chicken breast allowing it to cook quicker.

Start with a long, sharp knife.  I use a slicing knife. Press your hand on the top of the breast  and with a sweeping slicing motion begin to cut into the middle of the breast.
Once you have a nice pocket, pull up on the top of the breast and keep slicing through.
Try to keep two equal halves of the chicken breast as you continue to slice.
If you want a butterflied breast do not cut all the way through. At the point shown to the right, open the breast like a book and you are ready to use.
If you would like to make Paillards, (two thin halves), cut right down the middle to create 2 halves.
That’s it, you’ve got a butterflied chicken breast!

This past weekend my husband and I traveled to Spokane, WA to visit our family, as we do several times throughout the year.  Most trips consist of good ole’ home cooking, but this trip came with an exciting new culinary experience.

The name itself, Sante′ Restaurant and Chareuterie, immediately spiked my culinary interest.  From the moment you walk in, the mood of local, organic and house-made is immediately set.

The ceilings are high and the walls are adorned with Spokane area photography from local artists. The tables are constructed out of wide plank oak with an elegant glossy finish. Atop the tables you won’t find salt or pepper shakers and certainly no Heinz 57 (they make their own ketchup), only a small vase holding an herbal plant growing in rocks and water.

At the top of their menu read: Early Fall Morning, 2009 September. Right there I knew I was in for a treat.

My eyes floated down the menu and settled several times on dishes like:

Crepe Suzette, orange mascarpone, shaved fennel, grand mariner and fennel gastrique – $8

Berkshire pork, terrine style, smoked bacon, tamarind and chipolte BBQ, mustard aioli -$7.

Finally, I my eyes stopped on the Gnocchi, guanciale, wine sauce, fried capers, basil tomato confit, pecorino, baguette – $10.

Let me tell you it was a symphony of flavors, each one playing a subtle role in the masterpiece.  The rest of the table ordered the soup of the day, tomato basil, it was a cup of heaven, silky and rich with a light drizzle of local honey and cream -$6.  WOW for these prices, you won’t find that level of culinary cuisine many places.   However the BLT and Le Parisian sandwiches were not the big hits at the table.

Overall, Sante′ is a great place enjoy a glass of wine and appetizers casually with friends or for a full meal and indulge in their 3 course menu option for only $25.  Or if you just want a nibble of what chef Jeremy L. Hansen creates, you can pick up some house cured meats, zesty mustard, BBQ sauce or rich ketchup to take home with you.

One thing is for sure, when we return to our home away from home, I will make sure to put Sante′ on the menu.

Sante′ 5 out of 5

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve walked by Frank’s Champagne Parlor and Oyster Bar a few times always wondering what it was like.  From the out side it looked like a throw back to  the 40s white leather bar chairs old time writing, and a curtain covering the bottom fourth of the window. The mystique and the name “champagne parlor” …..I was excited when I got a birthday invite to happy hour at Frank’s .

Once on the other side of the door, the 40’s mobster hangout turned into a fight between a 2009 loft and 40’s steak house.

The walls were planked with different shapes and sizes of wood, the chandelier was a dark metal with large round balls, yet the white wing-backed chairs  and antique furniture seemed to fit.

The happy hour menu was a nice mix of cocktails and munchies. We had the steak sliders with a horseradish sauce,  potato skins with fontina and white truffle salt and house chips with a feta dip.  All were delightful for under $6.

The non-happy hour cocktails were just like the décor, a few comebacks from the past mixed with new and intriguing concoctions. I had a “high tea” made from earl grey tea, gin, honey, lemon served in a martini glass with a lemon rind twist….refreshing and delicious.

Whether you want to go for a day or a long weekend, San Juan Island offers a wide variety of places to fill your senses.  I’ve put together some of my favorite places to go, from restaurants to wine tasting with a little history thrown in, San Juan Island is a perfect place to relax and enjoy a weekend “Island Style”.

Beer tasting at Front Street Ale House

Bakery San Juan is a great place to get a morning pastry or a fresh baguette for an evening appetizer.  Their hours are short on the weekends so make sure plan ahead.

Front Street Ale House, located in Friday Harbor near the ferry terminal, is known to the locals for serving great pub food and local brews. Their arrogant bastard ale is an A+ staple. Ask to do a beer tasting and try a sample of all they offer.

Sweet Re-treat Need an afternoon pick me up? Grab a latte or a chocolate milk shake at this little stand in the heart of Friday Harbor.

Historic Roche Harbor's Madrona Grill and Hotel de Haro

Roche Harbor offers several places to eat, but my favorite is on the deck for lunch at the Madrona Bar & Grill.  Start out with the blue cheese chopped salad, with eggs and almonds, then satisfy your hunger with the roast beef sandwich and be sure to add cheddar.  Wash it all down with a house specialty Berry Mojito.  This is a great meal to split for two as the portions are generous.

Duck Soup Inn
50 Duck Soup Ln
Friday Harbor, WA 98250-6929
(360) 378-4878

When approaching the Duck Soup Inn, keep your eyes peeled because the one small sign at the end of the drive way passes quickly.
Once you turn into the drive way the trees and grasses open up to a small pond and a quaint little cabin. Right away this sets the local mood. The inside is all wood with charming paintings hung on the wall. The service is friendly and knowledgeable. They serve a full bar, but have some great options on their cocktail menu. The wine and beer selection isn’t large but well appointed, offering some delicious local wines from San Juan Vineyards. The menu is well rounded and so far the steak diane (tenderloin medallions with shallots sherry and cream), The fillet mignon and the  Cheese soufflé are all winners on the set menu. They have nightly specials such as the Columbia river sturgeon with a cilantro burr blanc, corn relish and balsamic squiggle was executed perfectly. Each meal comes with homemade soup and salad, made fresh everyday.
The prices range from $24-$36 per entrée.
Overall the experience was just what I was looking for, local, fresh, creative and delicious. Chef, Gretchen Allison really puts a personal touch on every plate.

I have been blessed and traveled to some spectacular food destinations, but not until now will New York City be checked off on my list.
Every time I have flown through New York I have secretly wished we would have to have an over-night delay, just so I can get a nibble at what the Big Apple has to offer. Not even a small nibble was in my reality, until now. My wonderful husband wrapped a light birthday present for me and inside had a CD, written on it: PLAY ME. I put the CD in our player and started dancing and singing to Mr. Frank Sinatra. Not until the actual lyrics NEW YORK NEEEEWWW YOOORRRRK came out of my mouth did I realize we were New York bound. You can only imagine my excitement; I jumped around like I was back in my high school cheerleading days!! To top off the excitement he booked our trip to land right on our 1st wedding anniversary.
In preparation for our trip I wasn’t looking at what time the museums opened or how long the wait might be for the empire state building, nope I was looking up every restaurant I could, writing down the ones I want to eat at for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, dinner, cocktails and late night munchies that doesn’t even include the amazing street food I have been told is a requirement to try.
I am a woman on a mission I only have 2 and 3/4 days, and 2 nights to get my large nibble of NEW YORK.  Good thing they only weigh the baggage on the way home!

Ok, so I officially ate my way through New York City. Luckily we walked for hours on end so I didn’t tip the scales coming home!

We arrived at The Royalton Hotel on Thursday night about 11:30pm, dropped our bags in the room and headed out to get our first bite. Since we were about 2 blocks from Times Square I figured finding a unique place to grab a bite would not be an issue. WRONG!! Restaurants and bars were open late, but the only ones serving food were Olive Garden or Red Lobster. I thought to myself this is what the most popular place in New York City has to offer? Bummer.  We settled on going hungry and found a small Irish pub down a few streets for a pint or two. As luck would have it we struck up a conversation with two born and raised New Yorkers that showed us the way to the ultimate street cart, Halal food, on 6th by the Hilton. I had chicken and rice with “white sauce” and 1 drop of the off the scovial scale hot sauce. Late night munchies and street food…Check.

The next day after a morning of great sightseeing we tried Roxy’s Delicatessen, good food but HUGE portions. My husband and I had the Ruben, the corned beef was flavorful and tender, the portion was plenty for the 2 of us and that was a good thing cause the sandwich came at a steep $27!!  Roxy’s Delicatessen gets a 3 out of 5.

After walking off our large lunch we headed to Soho for dinner at  Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Mercer Kitchen.  We dined on Roasted lobster with artichokes, fingerling potatoes and spring garlic, New York strip with gingered shiitake mushrooms and caramel soy infused sauce and French fries. The only thing left on our plates was the lobster shells and the salt from the French fries. The sauces were simple yet had layers of flavor. The service was impeccable and since we had dinner at 7pm we beat the local rush. Mercer Kitchen gets 5 out of 5. Jean Georges did it again.

The next morning we hopped the subway back to our new favorite spots, Greenwich Village and SoHo for late breakfast at Balthazar. The intricate tile floor, old fashion mirrors and an abundance of seafood on ice brought back wonderful memories of a Paris. It was a good thing we called ahead for reservations cause it was packed with locals who seemed to be “biting the hair of the dog” with one of Balthazar’s signature “hangover drinks”.  But we were there only for the food. I choose the Eggs Benedict for a hefty $18.00 and my husband had the Brioche French Toast with smoked bacon for $16.00 dent.  The food was fine, yet over-priced and the service was average, Balthazar receives a 2.5 out 5.

Because we ate Brunch we were able to save our money until dinner, where we traveled to Little Italy. We walked up and down the streets trying to find the perfect place to enjoy our favorite cuisine. We looked as so many enticing menus that I totally forgot the name of the restaurant we actually ate at, but the food was unforgettable. I ordered Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce, and ravioli smoothed in a Bolognese sauce. My husband had a delicious Osco Buco. It’s a good thing we had to get to a Broadway show, because the desserts were calling my name.

Our Trip ended with a stroll through Chelsea Market, where Food Network Studios is located and a light lunch at Lusso. I tried the Poached eggs Polenta with bacon, it was delicious, but too rich I could only eat 5 or 6 bites. We also ordered the Parma Cotto Panini, baked ham with asiago cheese, it was delicious. The restaurant it was small, yet felt spacious because of the high ceilings and wall mirrors. Lusso for lunch scores a 3 out of 5.

This is where my big apple food adventure stops…until next time. I truly love New York City and miss you already.  CHEERS!

This past weekend I visited several wineries near Zillah, WA and I’ve noted some of my favorites below.

Silver Lake Winery

They have BBQs every Saturday and Sunday through the Summer with live music, BBQ and great wine.  And to top things off, they were having a 25% off sale when we visited!

Silver Lake at Roza Hills is the perfect place to start or finish a day of wine touring in the Yakima Valley. Located in the heart of Rattlesnake Hills, our tasting room in Zillah is open 11am to 4pm Thursday through Monday (December – March) and open 10am to 5pm daily April – November.