Category Archives: Guest bloggers!

Chicken Panini (Guest Blogger Michala!)

Posted on July 30, 2014 | Leave a comment

Hey everyone, Michala here. I’m guest blogging for my dad today because he inspired me to start cooking and he also let me use his newest kitchen device before he got the chance to!

I decided to make Chicken Panini’s with two of my girlfriends because we recently got a new Panini press from Pampered Chef!

 

Chicken Panini Ingredients:

Bread
Olive oil
Chopped cooked chicken
Tomato
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Mayonnaise

Chicken Panini Method:

Start by spreading olive oil on the inside of the bread. Place the bread in the grill pan or panini press with the olive oil side facing down. Put the panini press on top of the bread and let sit for 1-2 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown.

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Then, take the bread out of the skillet and form the sandwhich. Add the mayo, cheese, chicken, and then tomato. You can also add red onion or anything else you’d like on your panini.

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Place the panini back on the skillet with the panini press on top. Leave for a minute or two, until the bottom is golden brown.

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Then, flip the panini over so it is upside down and wait for the top piece to get golden brown also. When the cheese is melted and the bread is golden, remove it from the skillet and enjoy!

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Ciao, Michala

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Chipotle Burgers!

Posted on June 30, 2014 | Leave a comment

This burger is simply the best burger I’ve ever eaten! Shout out to Dave and Shannon Rapp! This burger has now become a tradition for the first night arrival for our trip to Wrightsville Beach, NC. We’ve started two great weekends with this meal and both ended up being the most amazing food experiences I’ve had in my life!

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Chipotle Burger Ingredients:
Ground Beef(about 3 lbs makes 12 burgers)
1 large can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, chopped
1 small white onion or half a large (chopped finely)

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Chipotle Burger Method
Chop the chipotle peppers finely and add to the ground beef along with all of the Adobo Sauce. Add the onion and mix all ingredients. These burgers are very spicy so if you’re timid, cut this down to your taste. Make burgers and grill! Top with your favorite toppings! We added an egg and it was amazing!  Ciao! Mike!
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Posted in Best thing I ever ate!, Guest bloggers!, Recipes

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Bruschetta and more! (Weekend in Wrightsville!)

Posted on June 25, 2014 | Leave a comment

For several years my family and I have been visiting Wrightsville Beach, NC with our friends John and Peggy Davenport. Each year it turns into a full weekend of amazing food and this year was no different. Peggy is a very talented cook and it’s always fun to learn a few tricks from her. What I love most about her is the people she surrounds herself with! There have been some amazing weekends in Wrightsville with great friends such as the Gregory, Stermon, Gurley, Hughes and Rapp family but this time it was with new friends and it proved to be another amazing food event!

I’m highlighting the Bruschetta that Joelle Cote made in this post but stay tuned for many of the amazing dishes we had this weekend with Del And Joelle Cote, Colleen Lewis, Meredith Pratt, John Kennerty, Shannon and Dave Rapp (with much help from Quinn), and of course Peggy and John Davenport.

I have made Bruschetta for years. It’s usually always a hit. I don’t think you can really go wrong with it. Fresh Tomatoes, a good olive oil and a nice crusty loaf of bread really can’t be bad. My Usual method is to chop tomatoes, add basil, chopped garlic, add olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar and put it on a toasted slice of a baguette topped with a good amount of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Joelle made an amazing version of this great appetizer. Here is a start to a series from three amazing days in Wrightsville!

Joelle’s Bruschetta Ingredients:
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Red Onion
Chopped Kalamata olives
Fresh basil chopped of sliced (chiffonade)
Olive oil
Italian or French Baguette Sliced
One or two cloves of fresh raw garlic

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Joelle’s Bruschetta Method:
Mix all ingredients and add olive oil, just to coat all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.
Toast the bread in an oven or toaster and rub with a clove of raw garlic. Don’t miss this step and do it just as the bread is finished toasting. It adds an amazing flavor! Top the bread with the tomato mixture.

Enjoy (as I did!)

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Ciao, Mike.

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Posted in Appetizer, Guest bloggers!, Recipes

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Spaghetti and Meatballs!

Posted on March 8, 2014 | 1 comment

My friend Mike Shanks tried the recipe for meatballs and sauce and sent me this pic! Nice job Mike!  Hope  Traci enjoyed it! I loved yourMike Shanks Ciambotti Meatball Pasta – one word to describe – DELICIOUS!! This will be the basis for all my future pasta sauces comment on facebook!

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