Whatever you were cooking, that recipe could give you a shot at a cut of $15,000 in cash and prizes from the Challenge Butter ‘Real Heritage Recipe Contest’.*

The homepage for the Challenge Butter Real Heritage Recipe Contest.

The key to this contest is sharing family recipes and the story behind them. To enter, you just need to have a recipe that includes Challenge Butter and describe how that dish became a family favorite. It can be an appetizer, main dish, side dish, or dessert.

Your opportunity to enter is closing soon though! Entries are being accepted until 11:59 PM ET, January 3, 2012. You can enter multiple times in each category. Just remember that each submission must include the usage of one or more Challenge Butter® products.

What’s at stake? Challenge is offering these prizes:

• Four grand prize winners in each of the four categories will receive $2,500 cash plus Good Cook® Cookware items valued at approximately $500.
• Twelve runners up will receive Good Cook® Cookware valued at approximately $250.

Just think of how proud Grandma will be if her shortbread cookie recipe takes the grand prize!

If you have questions, follow this link for the FAQ. If you want all the fine print and nitty-gritty details, follow this link for the official rules.

If you don’t want to enter but just want to see a collection of original recipes featuring butter – or maybe you want to check out the competition! – follow this link to see all of the recipes that have been submitted so far.

*I was introduced to this competition by representatives of Challenge Butter. When they told me about it I responded, “That’s the butter with the deer on it, right? I use that already!” None the less, they gave me a baking pan, a spoon, and a spatula from the Good Cook Cookware line and some Challenge Butter coupons in return for sharing this contest with you. If you submit a recipe, please let me know!

• Challenge Butter ‘Real Heritage Recipe Contest’
  Enter your recipes until Midnight, January 3, 2012
  http://heritage.challengedairy.com

Serving a Fresh Salad with Newman's Own Four Cheese and Pepperoni Pizzas.

As a participant in the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program, I was parterned with Newman’s Own to whip up a meal in 30 minutes or less using Neman’s pizza, salad dressings, and pasta sauces.  To make the experience even more immersive, the folks at Newman’s threw in a Flip video camera so I could record everything from start to finish.

I decided to cook a couple of the pizzas — Four Cheese and Pepperoni — and pair them with a ready-made salad from the grocery store.  To kick the salad upa notch, I added fresh cilantro, cucumbers, and a few other fresh ingredients.  Even though I was in a rush of sorts, the salad was a breeze to prep while I waited on the pizzas to cook.

Want to see how it all came together?  Check out the video below!

Thanks again to Foodbuzz and Newman’s own for partnering with me to put this video together.

Its really a treat working with Newman’s Own because they donate all royalties and after tax profits — as in 100% — to charities and education. How cool is that!?

If you’re looking for their products at your local grocery, make sure you print a coupon from this link first.  That way, you’re saving a little bit for yourself and helping others at the same time.  Cheers!

So for the real deal, I turned to my friend Shoshana, the voice behind Veggie 101.  She examined the book from cover to cover and tried a few recipes.  In this guest post, she offers her opinion on this very interesting cookbook.  Take it away, Shoshana!

Red velvet cupcakes. Peach cobbler. Chocolate cheesecake.

Heart attacks waiting to happen? No.

Drool-worthy desserts that are not only healthy and delicious, but also animal- and environment-friendly? Yes!

Vegan diets are beginning to hit the mainstream, and Donna Diegel is right on time with her new book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking ($16.95, Alpha Books). You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy these recipes, but you may quickly change your mind after tasting only a few of them.

The Complete Idiots Guide to Vegan Baking by Donna Diegel, Alpha Books.

Consider this your vegan baking bible: it contains almost every possible classic baked good you can think of (over 120 recipes!), and then some. Muffins and coffee cakes, danishes and scones, tarts and pies, cakes and cobblers, cupcakes and cheesecakes, cookies and brownies…I could go on and on. Many of the recipes contain variations on the originals, thereby adding even more options to try. There’s even a chapter for savory goods like breads and crackers, complete with helpful yeast baking tips.

Classic Chocolate-Chip Cookies, Recipe page 131

Recipes are easy to follow, and the book is easy to navigate. There are tips on freezing and short- or long-term storage for baked goods, which is nice because the recipes don’t necessarily yield the smallest batches (muffin and loaf recipes can easily be halved). Clearly marked information tidbits are plentiful, which include general baking knowledge, as well as vegan-specific ingredient descriptions. In addition, there’s a complete glossary of ingredients, terms, and techniques, which is nice for both the amateur and novice baker alike.

And speaking of ingredients, Diegel dedicates a very detailed chapter to vegan baking substitutions for things like eggs (super helpful!), butter, milk, and other dairy products. She names many well known vegan brands, including which ones to try, which work best, and which ones to avoid (her comparison of egg replacers is forthright and honest, which can really be appreciated), and this information makes it easy to veganize pretty much any recipe you want. Although some ingredients may be unfamiliar (nutritional yeast, soy lecithin, agave syrup, vital wheat gluten, etc.), many of them can be found at natural grocery and nutrition stores, such as Whole Foods or GNC.

Vegan Raisin Bran Muffins, Recipe on Page 33

Unfortunately, I did find a couple of editorial issues with the book. In one of the pie crust recipes, Diegel explains a long and drawn-out process that is basically that of a pastry blender; and then she tells you “…or use a pastry blender.” But the biggest horror occurs if you’re looking to make the Cream Cheese Danishes, only to find that the Cream Cheese Filling recipe alluded to in Chapter 22 is missing (gasp!).

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to start a vegan diet, eat healthier, or just try something new. It won’t disappoint, as the recipes will help you bake foods that are flavorful, nicely textured, decadent (yet light), and surprisingly “normal” tasting, even without any animal-based ingredients.

Try baking something from this cookbook for your next pot luck or party: you’ll be surprised at how many people will be fooled!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking, Donna Diegel, Alpha Books, 2011

Vegan Pecan Pie, Recipe Page 195

You would think the trait to have a such handle on nature would be a strong one; I’m guessing it skips a generation or two.

I admit, I enjoy planting and growing things but the results are far from what someone with a  “green thumb” could accomplish.  Take the jalapeno bush I planted last year.  Even with my love and affection it is currently in the final throws of a withering death with one small, stunted pepper clinging to the last bit of chlorophyll in its stem.

This spring, I’m excited to turn a new leaf — for lack of a better term — with some help from a review copy of Graham Kerr’s Growing at the Speed of Life: A Year In the Life of My First Kitchen Garden (links to Amazon.com).

Graham Kerr's "Growing at the Speed of Life".

I can’t really call “Growing” a cookbook because its so much more than that.  Along with 100 or so recipes, Mr. Kerr provides step by step instructions on growing, harvesting, and cooking an encyclopedic list of vegetables and herbs from artichokes to turnips.

I can only imagine…and I mean that literally…the rewarding feeling of cooking fruits and veggies that I’ve grown and harvested in my own backyard.

Since the garden at South Bay Foodies HQ is not at the peak of perfection, I spent some time reading “Growing” at the Manhattan Beach Botanical Gardens for inspiration.  I felt right at home around the sages, mints, thymes, and lovely flowers and trees.

"I wish my garden looked like this!"

In this book, Mr. Kerr has done a great job of covering everything for the gardener turned chef or the home cook that wants to grow their own veggies.  The book begins with considerations on preparing your space for gardening and gives tips on making sure your harvest is successful.  Along the way he gives examples of his short-comings (don’t over-water!) and successes which let me know I’m not alone in my struggle to get food from my own little farm to the table.

Each plant that is covered comes with a side view of the vegetable, seen as it should be planted.   Also included are dimensions for spacing around the plant, guidelines for watering, and even notes on the bugs that might try to get to your harvest before you do.

Even if my garden doesn’t turn out well, I can see me referring to this book quite a bit this summer.  After all, I can always get veggies from the grocery store!

On another note, Graham Kerr will be appearing at the upcoming LA Times Festival of Books.  He’ll be doing a cooking demonstration at 12:30 on Saturday, April 30 and will no doubt be whipping up something from the book.

If you’re interested in winning your own copy of Graham Kerr’s “Growing at the Speed of Life”, leave a comment below!  Make sure you include your name and email address where indicated. Let me know either what you’ve had success growing or why you need help getting plants to take root in your garden.  One randomly chosen green-thumb — or green-thumb to be! — will get a copy of the book from the publisher (who was kind enough to let me have a copy to review).  Deadline for comments is Friday, April 29 at 6 PM PST.  If you have dreams of growing olives in Spain, I’m sorry to burst your bubble; Only U.S. gardeners are eligible for this giveaway.

Happy growing…and cooking!

Before I start my story, I have to recognize Foodbuzz and the New Belgium Brewing Company.  They partnered through Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker Program to put beer in my hands to get creative with.  I say “Cheers” to that!

Its All About the Beer

New Belgium is a craft brewing company Located in Ft. Collins, CO.  You might know them for their wildly popular Fat Tire Amber Ale.  I’m a fan of Fat Tire, but while deciding what beer of theirs to cook with, I wanted a darker beer, like a dark ale or stout.

A Six Pack of new Belgium Brewing Company's 1554 Black Ale.

Fortunately, they have one in their line up:  1554 Enlightened Black Ale, named for its origin from a Belgian recipe written in 1554.  Upon sampling the beverage, I was immediately impressed with its chocolaty, malty flavor and an almost silky mouthfeel.

Now that I had my beer, I had to figure out what to do with it.

A Recipe That Even I Can Follow

To me, cooking with beer means sipping on a cold one while watching something sizzle on the grill.

While I tried to think of a more elgant approach to my situation, I came across a tweet from Erika of In Erika’s Kitchen:

Erika's Beer Bread Tweet

I knew right then I had been saved!  Checking out the recipe on her website, my thoughts were validated:  the ingredients were few and easy to find, the prep time was short (5 minutes!), and her kids loved the results.  I figured I couldn’t lose!

My only modification to the recipe would be to increase the bottle count from one to six:  one to enjoy while the oven heats, one for the recipe, one to sip on while the bread is baking, one more to enjoy with the bread, and two to share with friends while they admire your baking prowess.

Look! I baked a loaf of bread!

Here’s a link to the recipe for Erika’s Beer Bread:
http://www.inerikaskitchen.com/2011/04/beer-bread-recipe.html

Following are a few pictures of my preparation.

1.  Mixing the dry – I used a whisk to make sure all the flours and and other dry ingredients were well blended.

Mixing the dry ingredients.

2. Adding the wet – Pouring in the beer was fun!

Pouring in the beer.

3. Out of the oven – I let the bread cool for as long as I could stand it! Then I cut a few slices to enjoy, literally hot from the oven.  The bread was aromatic and dense, with a nutty, wheaty flavor.

4. Cheese Bread – I slapped a slice of pepper jack on top of a couple slices of bread and put them back in the oven for a few minutes.  The cheesy beer bread went great with barbecued chicken and a chilled glass of 1554!

This is a dark ale indeed. The glass is clear showing off the full color of this silky ale!

Thanks again to Foodbuzz and New Belgium for introducing me to a wonderfully textured dark ale, and thanks to Erika for the great bread recipe. Cheers to you all!

Fortunately, Alexia Foods has provided a fail safe solution for cooking sweet potato fries at home.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program, I received a sample of Alexia’s frozen sweet potato fries.  OK, they didn’t send me frozen food in the mail; although, how cool would that be?!  They did send a coupon for me to pick up a free sample from my local grocery store.

At $3.99 per 5 serving bag, I felt the price was reasonable given the time and effort it would take for me to peel and slice enough sweet potatoes to feed the four hungry people in my home.

Back at home, the fries were a snap to cook: heat the oven to 400 degrees, dump the fries on a cookie sheet, and bake ‘em for 20 minutes or so.  The instructions say to “stir them once or twice” while cooking but I did a complete fire and forget.

They turned out perfectly!

Hot, Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Just Out of the Oven.

The fries were crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, and the perfect blend of sweet and salty.  We paired the fries with grilled pork chops and a simple, homemade dipping sauce — thanks to Nicole.  She insisted that it was only proper to serve this fries with a sauce that would compliment them (recipe below).

Dipping the Fries in the Dashing Sauce!

In the end, I have to say thanks, Alexia, for opening my eyes to the wonders of easily making sweet potato fries in my home.

For more information, follow this  link for a  handy PDF document with product and nutrition details.

Dashing French Fry Dip

I call this the “dashing” French fry dip because it has a dash of this and a dash of that.  Taste as you go when you make it, adding more of what ever you feel is missing!  Makes about two servings.

½ Cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Dash of Cracked Black Pepper
Dash of Ground Cayenne Pepper
Dash of Powdered Garlic
Dash of Powdered Onion
Dash of Ground Thyme
Dash of Paprika

Mix ingredients together until thoroughly blended.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with french fries or anything else you’d like to dip!

A Tale of Two Tastes

As I started getting ideas for this recipe, I must admit I was stumped.  The effort that goes into Pizza time at my house usually involves picking up the phone and dialing for delivery or opening the package on something frozen and popping it into the oven.

I knew I needed to get an expert opinion and do some research.

I thought about my acquaintances in the pizza biz and immediately recalled Debbie of Fresh Brothers Pizza in Manhattan Beach.  I put in a call to get some advice on what makes a good crust and sauce, and how to compliment the two with the right toppings.

I decided to stop by the Manhattan Beach Fresh Brothers to do a little bit more “hands on” research.  As I pulled into their parking lot, I had an epiphany.  Fresh Brothers is right next door to Rubio’s Mexican Grill.  Rubio’s is famous for one thing: Fish Tacos.

An epiphany! Combine the taste of two restaurants: Fish tacos from Rubios and pizza from Fresh Brothers.

Right then, I had my recipe.  I’d take everything I loved about fish tacos — well seasoned fish, cripsy cabbage, and savory sauces — and transfer that to a cornmeal crust pizza.  Yes!

My Research! I decided to respond to the challenge with tacos and pizza!

The Crust — Building From the Bottom Up

I wanted my pizza to be reminiscent of a fish taco’s tortilla shell but to also have the crusty-flakiness of an Italian style thin crust pizza.  To get that, I knew I was going to have to make a cornmeal crust pizza from scratch.

I found a few cornmeal crust recipes online and opted for one without yeast.  I wanted a crust that was easy to make and also didn’t require time to rise.

The Sauce — Savory and Totally Green

I knew that a traditional, tomato-based sauce wasn’t going to work for this pizza.  I imagined a sauce that mirrored the flavors of the salsas at Sharkeez, my favorite spot for fish tacos.  Along with a traditional salsa they serve a salsa verde: a green salsa made from tomatillos, green chiles, and white onions.

Roasting the ingredients for the pizza sauce: tomatillos, Anaheim chiles, onion, and garlic.

On Food Network’s website, I found a great tomatillo sauce recipe penned by Tyler Florence.  I appreciated the simplicity of his recipe: get fresh veggies, roast them, blend them, enjoy!  My pizza sauce was locked in.

The Toppings — Best Two Out Of Three

While the makings of a fish taco are common — tortilla shell, sauces, and cabbage — the fish part varies tremendously.  I’ve had a few fish tacos in my day (ha!) and have seen several different types of fish worked into the recipe.

My favorites have been red snapper, salmon, and mahi mahi.  Not knowing which would be the best for a pizza, I decided to try all three and use the “taste as you go” method to see which one would be the best.

Grilling the salmon and red snapper for later use as pizza toppings.

The red snapper was a clear winner.  The taste off the grill was very reminiscent of a fish taco using a well seasoned white fish.

Not being able to find mahi at my local market, I substituted swordfish which has a similar texture and flavor.  After cooking it though, I decided the texture was a bit too firm for the “mouth experience” I wanted to get from my fish taco pizza.

The salmon was tasty.  It was the perfect middle of the road between the snapper and the swordfish in terms of flavor and texture.  I wanted to have it on my pizza too.

In the end, I decided that I would have the snapper and the salmon costar in my fish taco pizza creation.

Pulling My Pizza Together

With my crust, sauce, and toppings all on deck, I focused on cooking my final creation, a baja-style fish taco pizza.

I made the sauce first, wanting the flavors to have time to combine and intensify.  Letting the sauce rest overnight in the refrigerator was a hit; the flavor was tremendous.

Next, I grilled the fish.  You know me!  I love to grill so frying or baking was not an option.  I seasoned all three varieties and grilled them over high heat for about four minutes on each side.  Perfecto!

Finally, I started on the crust.  Mixing the ingredients was easy enough.  I had fun kneading the dough and rolling it out too.

When the dough was ready, transferring it to the pizza stone became problematic!

FAIL! Moving the rolled-out cornmeal crust turns into disaster.

Thankfully, kitchen technology was on my side.  I recovered from my dough-fail by rolling the dough out on a well floured, non-stick cookie sheet.  I was able to transfer the dough with ease!

Yay! A Peftectly made cornmeal pizza crust, ready to be topped.

With the dough on the stone, I topped it with the tomatillo sauce and then the red snapper before putting it into an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Topping the pizza with the tomatillo sauce.

Topping it all off with grilled red snapper

The aroma from the oven was amazing.  I could hardly wait for it to cook.

After 20 minutes of cooking, the crust was crispy and firm and the toppings were nicely browned.  With the pizza out of the oven, I topped it with cabbage, the salmon, and a sour cream based white sauce — a must for fish tacos.

To accompany the pizza, I added a cool salad of corn, black beans, jicama, and red peppers, seasoned with a light dressing of fresh lime juice, salt, pepper, and a few teaspoons of cumin.  Delicioso!

A salad of black beans, corn, jicama and red pepper.

Of course, no fish taco is complete without a margarita to wash it down.

At least one margarita is mandatory for any fish taco meal.

Watch Out Taco Tuesday!

As I enjoyed my fish taco pizza with Nicole and the kids, I was completely satisfied.  My satisfaction was more than the crispy crust, tangy sauce, and tender, grilled fish.

The complete meal: Baja fish taco pizza, corn and black bean salad, and a margarita.

I had taken the baja style fish taco — a Tuesday lunch time favorite in Southern California — and transformed it into something new:  a fish taco pizza.

The next time Taco Tuesday comes around don’t look for me at Sharkeez.  You’ll probably find me at home rolling out some dough.

I’ve been grilling for years and I’ve used plenty of different techniques to flavor grilled meats: rubs, brines, marinades, sauces, and of course smoke.

One thing I’ve never done is cooked meat on a plank; a plank of wood that is!  I’ve seen and sampled plank-cooked meats in restaurants but I’ve never tried it at home.

After doing a bit of plank cooking research, I decided to add this style to my grilling playbook.

Here’s the step-by-step approach I used for my first attempt at grilling on a plank.  If you’re following along, you’ll need:

Four half-inch thick Pork Chops
Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and other seasonings to taste
One untreated cedar plank
A charcoal or gas grill (or an oven in a pinch!)
At least 12 ounces of chilled beer or wine

Spoiler alert: It’s easy and the results are phenomenal.  Let’s get started!

1.  Soak the plank for at least one hour or more

Soaking the plank will keep it from burning when its on the grill.  It also contributes to the flavor and moisture that will be transferred to the meat.  If your plank floats, use a can or other object to weigh it down.

2.  Lightly season the pork chops

Use a light mix of coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, and other seasonings to flavor the pork chops.  Don’t go overboard with the seasonings, though.  Most of the final flavor will come from the wood.

3.  Set up your grill for indirect cooking with medium-high heat

Getting a grill ready for cooking is a lesson all by itself.  If you’re new to grilling, follow the directions on the charcoal bag. The directions on Kingsford brand charcoal do a great job of pointing you in the right direction.

Indirect cooking makes your grill cook with ambient heat — like an oven.  By pushing the coals to the sides of the grill, the middle becomes the prefect place to put the wood and meat to receive the heat moving around inside the grill.

4.  Heat the planks

Once the grill is prepped for cooking, put the planks on the grilling surface over the coals.  Let them heat up for three to four minutes.  Heating the wood will intensify the flavors transferred to the meat while it cooks.

5.  Flip the planks and add the meat

Once the planks are heated, flip them over so the heated side is facing up.  Place the meat on the heated side.

6.  Cover the grill and cook the meat for 20 to 25 minutes

At this point, relax!  Cover the grill and let the meat cook for 20 to 25 minutes while you enjoy the chilled beer or wine.  This is a very important step in the cooking process!

Do not open the grill!  Removing the lid will allow heat to escape which will make for a longer cooking time.  If you must look in the grill, use a small flash light to peer in through the open vents on the top.

After 20 minutes or so, open the grill to examine the meat.  The chops should be nicely browned and the scent from the grill should be highly aromatic from the cedar smoke.

Use a cooking thermometer to check the meat’s internal temperature.  It should be near 160 degrees Farenhiet for a well done chop.  If they are not done or at the right temperature, replace the grill cover and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

7.  Time to serve and enjoy!

Remove the meat from the plank and cover with foil undisturbed for three to four minutes.  That should be plenty of time to pour another glass of wine or get another beer from the fridge.

Enjoy your beverage with your delicious, cedar flavored pork chops!

Cedar plank flavored pork chops, plated with grilled sweet peppers and salad.

The wood flavor from these chops was enormous!  I felt like I was getting over because cooking with the plank was so easy and resulted in so much flavor and texture.

I’m so glad I added this style to my grilling techniques.  The next time I need something from the grill with a flavorful result — and not  much effort — I’ll be reaching for a plank!

Rolling Inspiration

The Nom Nom Truck

I have to credit two food trucks for my inspiration,  Nom Nom Truck and Eat Phammish.  They’re regulars on the Los Angeles street food circuit, carting their classic Vietnamese cuisine all over town.

Unfortunately, I can only catch these trucks when they come to my neck of the woods.  I figured it would be nice to know how to make one of these tasty, savory sandwiches if I got the craving for one and the prospect of tracking down a truck didn’t seem promising.

My goal was to make a sandwich as good as the pros.  One that would have me and my girlfriend Nicole (who is also a banh mi fan) making the “nom nom nom” sound as we ate our home made banh mi.

Wow! This Research Tastes Good!

As I thought about my recipe, I looked back at my research.  Of course, it involved eating sandwiches from the trucks!  I thought about how they prepared the sandwiches and the final presentation of the entree. I wanted to have that same taste and look in my dish.

Particularly, I wanted the savory flavor from the grilled pork, the crisp freshness of the toppings, and the crusty butteriness of the French baguette.

I searched online for ideas and came across a great recipe for a Black Pepper Pork Banh Mi. The website, Battle of the Banh Mi, is dedicated to making and appreciating these Vietnamese sandwiches.  I used their recipe to put my shopping list together and headed off to the market.

The Asian Market Next Door

While I’m sure I could have picked up most of these ingredients at any grocery store, I decided to take advantage of the South Bay’s abundance of Asian markets, especially the ones right down the street from my house!

I love shopping in Nijiya and 99 Ranch Market and could spend hours browsing the aisles of interesting and exotic foods.  I managed to stick to my list though, and quickly made it through the stores with the ingredients I needed.

Prepping the Sammie and Sides

Back home, I started preparing the marinade for the pork.  I modified the recipe slightly by adding some ginger, a flavor that I love in Asian foods but was absent in my reference.  While the pork marinaded, I prepped my condiments and also made an Asian inspired fruit salad with black plums and white peaches.  I prefer my banh mi on the spicy side and wanted a cool side dish to balance the heat.

The toppings for the sandwich were fun to prep, smell, and even just look at!  The ginger, cilantro, cucumbers, and peppers…they were so fresh and appealing I couldn’t wait to get them on the sandwich.

A Sandwich Worthy of Nomming

After the pork was marinaded and cooked, I prepped my sandwiches.  Wow!  Visually, they came together nicely with the green condiments playing against the white and orange of the carrots and radish.

Biting into the banh mi, I was pleased with the tenderness of the meat, the crunchiness of the fresh French bread, and the subtle heat from the jalapeño peppers.  The cool peach-plum side salad was the perfect accompaniment to the spice of the sandwich.

With affirmations from Nicole, my official taste tester, I knew I had a banh mi worth nomming.

Pork Banh Mi, serves 2

Inspired by Battle of the Banh Mi
1 French baguette, twelve to eighteen inches long
1 pound thinly sliced pork chop, loin, or shoulder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fish or oyster sauce
3 packets of raw sugar, about 2 tablespoons
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped ginger
3 jalapeños, sliced with seeds removed (for more heat leave the seeds!)
2 Gherkin cucumbers cut into thin planks
6 to 8 sprigs of cilantro
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
carrot and radish slaw (see recipe below)

1. In a large resealable bag, mix the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, onion, oils, ginger and 1 jalapeno.  Mix the ingredients until they are well blended and then add the pork.  Marinade the pork in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
2. Place a cast iron skillet over high heat until water sprinkled on the skillet quickly evaporates.  Add the pork slices, cooking one side at a time until both sides are brown and the meat is completely cooked through.  Alternatively, “scramble” the meat by cutting it into smaller pieces with a metal spatula and fork while the meat is cooking.
3. After the meat has cooked, remove the chunks of ginger and jalapeño.
4. Slice one side of the baguette making a pocket to hold the meat and the toppings.  Open the baguette and spread the mayonnaise on the bottom half.  Top with the cucumber planks and then the pork.  Add jalapeño slices, cilantro, and carrot-radish slaw.

Carrot and Radish Slaw, makes 2 cups

1 cup daikon radish, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Combine the ingredients and refrigerate.

Black Plum, White Peach Fruit Salad, serves 2

1 large white peach
1 large back plum
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice wine

Cut the plum and peach into slices or chunks.  Mix the fruit,  honey, and wine in a bowl until the fruit pieces are well coated.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

I chose to do “Fresh + Frozen”, fresh vegetables paired with frozen pasta as salads or side dishes.  Surprisingly, Foodbuzz selected my proposal and I received 10 shiny coupons in the mail to purchase my pasta.  Now all I had to do was get my party scheduled, stock my kitchen, and get the party started!

The golden tickets! Coupons for Buitoni Frozen Meals for Two.

Knowing Butoni’s other products but not being familiar with their frozen line, I decided to hit the market blind. I was thinking that cooking this meal would be like an episode of the Food Network show, “Chopped”.  I would open my basket to see what I had and then whip up something phenomenal.  Yikes!

I picked up a variety of fresh veggies to give me lots of options on the “Fresh” side: white peaches, baby squash, red peppers, sweet corn, zucchini, egg plant, and a variety of tomatoes.  Farmers market shopping in the summer is heaven!  I rounded things out with a big box of organic mixed greens.

Veggies on my counter waiting to be chopped and skewed!

At the grocery store, I checked out the entrees in the freezer section.  My local Ralph’s only had a few varieties so I grabbed those and then jetted to Albertson’s where I found the same ones plus a few more. I ended up with five entrees that I knew would pair nicely with my fresh veggies in one way or another.  I left one free agent — a meat lasagna — to sample with all of the sides.

With veggies on deck, and pasta in hand, it was time to get cooking.  Check out the pairings I came up with!

Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with Three Tomato Salad

Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli with Fried Sweet Corn and Red Peppers

Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli with Steamed Baby Squash

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni with Spring Mix, White Peaches, and White Balsamic Dressing

Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Grilled Veggie (and Chicken) Skewers

In my original proposal, I proposed fresh vegetable side dishes that could be made in the time that it took to cook the pasta.  Of course I made that assumption without knowing how fast these pastas cook!  For the raviolis, they’re ready to plate within 5 minutes from being added to boiling water.  For the cannelloni and lasagna, baking time is upwards of an hour but the microwave option gets these dishes to the table in about 20 minutes.

With that knowledge, I started prepping my skewers first; I knew they would be the long pole in the tent.  Lots of slicing, dicing, and skewering was involved to get them ready for the grill!

Prepping the Skewers with red peppers, yellow peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and chicken.

Chicken and veggie skewers on the grill.

The other dishes were quick and easy, just as I had hoped.  I purposely opted for salads and sides that were simple yet elegant so I could focus on cooking the pasta and grilling the skewers.

Its getting hot in here!

At the height of cooking, things did get a little hectic.  The microwave was whirring and beeping, flames were coming from the grill, and steam was coming from several bubbling pots and pans on the stove.  I kept a cool head, though, and everything came together nicely and just in time.  Which was good because hungry guests were showing up to eat!

We're hungry and we're here to eat some pasta!

I put each pasta out with its paired side dish and the box the pasta came in.  I wanted folks to be able to be able to read the caloric contents, cooking directions, and other information as they fixed their plates.  Although everyone was hungry, they waited for a few moments, giving me the chance to do my foodie work and take a few snapshots.

Southern Italian Style Meat Lasagna next to the box with all the info!

After I explained the pairings and everyone fixed their plates, we settled in for some great conversation and good times.  I put together some pics of each dish and the reactions they produced from me and my tasters.  The names have been omitted to protect the guilty.  Enjoy!

Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with Three Tomato Salad

Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with Three Tomato Salad: Heirloom, Roma, and Green tomotoes with salt, pepper, and celery seed.

This sauce is great!  It came with the pasta!?

I don’t like mushrooms.

I like the texture of the mushrooms.  They’re not soggy.  This one goes well with the wine I brought, too.

I don’t like tomatoes.

This tomato salad is good!  What kinds of tomatoes are in here? (Answer: Heirloom, Roma, and “Green”!)

Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli with Fried Sweet Corn and Red Peppers

Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli with Fried Sweet Corn and Red Peppers

So easy to make! Get chopped sweet corn, diced red peppers, salt, black pepper, herbs, and olive oil. Saute in a hot skillet until the corn is tender. Done!

I wish this sauce was a little bit thicker.  Its kind of light, like a vodka sauce.

Hey, there’s no stuffing in my ravioli!  Can I have some more?

This corn is delicious!  Its so sweet I could eat it raw, right off the cob.

Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli with Steamed Baby Squash

Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli with Steamed Baby Squash

This ravioli was the best in show! Awesome sauce and texture with big chunks of lobster!

WOW! This sauce is amazing.  It really completes the dish.  Tastes like something I would get in an Italian restaurant.

I like this one.  I just got a big piece of lobster in that last bite.

(To the kids:) YES you have to eat your squash!  I only gave you one little piece.  If you want more ravioli you have to get more squash too!

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni with Spring Mix, White Peaches, and White Balsamic Dressing

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni with Spring Mix, White Peaches, and White Balsamic Dressing

I really liked the Alfredo sauce on this one.  It wasn’t what I was expecting from a frozen pasta.

Yeah, I liked the sauce and the texture of the filling.  I thought it was going to be mushy but it was firm.

This salad is tasty!  The peaches on top are a nice touch.

(Kid) I’m not gonna eat this one.  I like chicken but I don’t like spinach.

Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Grilled Veggie (and Chicken) Skewers

Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers

Wait.  Wasn’t this supposed to be veggies and pasta?

Yeah, this one was meatless so I decided to add some chicken to the skewer.  I don’t see any problems with that!

(Kid) I’m not gonna eat this one either.  Spinach.

I really like the eggplant, it soaked up the flavor of the marinade like a sponge!

The sauce on this ravioli is just OK but this marinade is delicious.  I should put some on my pasta! (LOL) Seriously: Can I have some marinade to put on my pasta? (Answer: No!)

Wrapping Up

Wow!  I had a great time sampling all of these pastas. The friends and family that I shared everything with seemed pretty satisfied too.

Thanks, Foodbuzz and Buitoni, for the support and opportunity to put on this pasta party.  It was a treat and a challenge to match each pasta with a fresh veggie side dish that was delicious and easy to make.  I’ll be serving these up again soon.

Arrivederci!