Food Blogging

Yes, this is going to be a post about food. Specifically, it's a post about food that I made. Don't worry, Carp Dime is not becoming a food blog. There are plenty of food blogs out there. While I may not fall into a specific niche, I know I don't want to fall into that one.

Not that there's anything wrong with food and cooking blogs. I follow several on a regular basis. It's just that it's a rare occasion that I actually cook these days. But I did this week and it was fantastic.

Last week, I got an invitation to a potluck dinner. At first I was concerned that I would be forced to bring something store bought, as has been the norm for the last couple years. Then I realized that, thanks to Spring Break, my roommates would be out of town. This gave me full command of the kitchen in my apartment. Days like these are far too rare to cheapen with sandwiches and frozen pizza.

Around the same time that I decided I'd be able to actually cook, I came across a recipe that I really wanted to try. It was a true moment of serendipity.

It was an entree that I found on one of those food blogs I follow, The Girl Who Ate Everything. The recipe was for something called Chicken Quesadilla Pie. It looked delicious in the pictures I saw. The ingredients and directions are as follows:

• Ingredients:
• 1 (10-inch) flour tortilla (burrito size)
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• (optional) 1/3 cup drained jarred pickled jalapeños, chopped
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Press tortilla into prepared pie plate and spray lightly with cooking spray. Toss chicken, cilantro, jalapeños (optional), 1 cup cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl until combined. Spread filling over tortilla.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl until smooth. Slowly pour over filling, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until surface is golden brown, about 16-20 minutes, and when knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve. 

 

I think it turned out pretty well. It even tasted good. I took the Chicken Quesadilla Pie to the potluck (which happened to fall on Pi Day) and I assume it was a hit. It was all eaten by the time I left the party. Anyway, I liked it. And it was easy to make. So I'll definitely be making it again.

Since it came out like more of a quiche than a pie, I hope The Girl Who Ate Everything doesn't mind if I renamed it the Chicken Quiche-adilla (a name which got a decent laugh at the potluck).

But that's not the only thing I made. The girl hosting the gig, who you may remember as Michaelangelo from the Best Birthday Ever, is, I'm pretty sure, on a Vegan diet. That meant that she would not be able to enjoy the Quiche-adilla deliciousness, what with the chicken and the cheese and the eggs. So a second serendipitous moment took me to Pinterest, where I found the Sugar Cookie Fruit Cups.

This was simply a visual recipe, which you'll see to the left. No words were needed to complicate things. Should be simple enough, right? I mean, it's just sugar cookie dough cooked in an unconventional way. Add some sliced up fruit and, BAM! you've got your dessert.

First Attempt - Nailed It

Yeah, not so much. Like I said, it's been a while since I baked anything. Sure didn't take into consideration the fact that cookie dough will spread out as it cooks. So I used way too much on that first try. How way? Way way.

I could have thrown in the towel and decided not to take a dessert. But I was not to be deterred. I went back to the store, got more sugar cookies and tried again.

This time, less was more...

I filled the cups with strawberries, blueberries and bananas. I also provided Cool Whip to anyone who wanted to top the fruit off with a spoonful. They were delicious, if I do say so myself. Think I'll be making those again as well. They really are easy to make, as long as you don't cover the bottom of the muffin pan with dough. Oh, and, by the by, I checked the ingredients on the sugar cookie package. The dough contained eggs. So, I think I'd fail as a Vegan.

So if you're having some kind of potluck type of get together in the near future, remember, this guy can make a mean Quiche-adilla and some pretty impressive edible fruit cups.