Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Does the Chicken Breast above look like Opie or the guy on Mad Magazine or a Sock Monkey, or is it just me?  This is the Chicken Rorschach Test, a psychological test you can eat. 

Kitchen Exercise: Pounding Chicken — It’s all the rage for even (and faster) cooking.

I’m learning it’s best not to over-attend to certain things.  Simple is truly best.

The Chicken was flipped once after turning golden brown — I cannot put forth the process better than A Sweet and Savory Life, who helped me really get the best stove-top method.

Turkey Skin, it’s not the healthiest of Thanksgiving Day appetizers, but oh-so-good when extra crispy, with a little Salt — It’s become a family tradition to graze a comely Turkey homely.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.  Count your blessings today and every day.  We sure do.

OC Foodies lists several places to dine out in Orange County on Thanksgiving — Might one of the ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ feast at one of them, possibly but who cares.  Real OC housewives are most likely cooking and cleaning that day, and fakes are just big Turkeys.

Old Newport Boulevard could tell some tales, from Sid’s on down to the Chicken Coop and extending both directions.  Though Sid’s is no mas, we plan to enjoy the fair prices, neighborhood service, specials and specialties, complete meals, and good stiff drinks at the Chicken Coop, over and over again.  More to come soon — Read what Yelpers are sayin’ now.

Fortunata’s Oven at Inka Grill in Costa Mesa puts the emphasis on Rotisserie Chicken.

Finally discovered that it’s worth dining in or taking out at Rotisserie Chicken Inka Grill.

Our first bites included 1/2 a Chicken, Aji Sauce, Tortillas and Cilantro Rice.

Inka Grill reports to have “The Best Chicken on the Planet” and it’s certainly good, especially with their Aji Sauce (Serrano Chili Sauce).  All is deliciously spicy.  Reasonably priced and conveniently located, we’ll be going back again and again — We now see there’s more on the inside than the outside.  It’s a taste of Peru too.

We appreciate Summer days, grilled Chicken and having fun — All should happen often.

The pictured Chicken is reported to rival my family’s special recipe.

Providing IDEAS — Summer Salads with Strawberries and Cashews.

Strawberry Lemonade.

Homemade Hummus with Pita Bread.

Swimming.

A Water Balloon Fight — Enlarge the above photos for a better view.

The aforementioned Chicken this day was prepared with a Dry Rub by our friend David.

And then a Mop Sauce that’s applied to the Chicken while grilling.

He’s been making the recipe years and got it out of a BBQ cookbook to be linked here soon.

Food Tents help keep the bugs off.

The kids loved the Oreo Cheesecake Lollipops that were handed out this day.

Any Cookies will do.

My contribution was a Chocolate Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting and Raspberries.

Some of the best memories are made during Summer Pool Parties or near the ocean.

Preparing for what’s to come and grateful for important liberties.

Food, friends, family, fireworks, fun and freedom on the 4th.

Day before samples.

The Slow Roasted Turkey Breast wouldn’t be my first pick at Mimi’s Cafe, but one must ease into nourishment when returning from infirmity, where I unfortunately visited a couple days.  Eating for the first time after that, it had to be something good for me.  Had nothing in-house and didn’t want to cook, drive, or shock the system with something too adventurous (the status quo) — A reproduction of Thanksgiving dinner ended up being just right for an unfilled stomach and is now recommended by Dr. Me.  It provided agreeable sustenance at the time.

The Slow Roasted Turkey Breast is served with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cornbread Dressing, Vegetables and an Orange Cranberry Relish, and an added French Onion Soup for $2 more.  Luckily a Mimi’s Cafe is within easy walking distance.  When all was picked up, the server asked if I ever had the Turkey before — I said no, and she said… “It’s so good?”  I thought GREAT, but how good could it be?  It’s just a basic Turkey dinner, right!?

What’s GREAT about it is the quality and juiciness of the tender Turkey Breast.  The server was right.  The Dressing, Potatoes and Veggies were a little bland, but necessary at the time.  Overall, each item was appreciated for lunch, dinner and mini-lunch again.

Looks good, right?  They do now.  And they tasted good too.  Often times there’s a transitional period when things look a mess, before coming together.  This occurrence is true for many types of creations.  In this instance, it was the Cheese and Sauce that straightened out the look of these imperfect Chicken Enchiladas.  All happened brilliantly in the end.

How to make them — Cut or shred breast meat from a Rotisserie Chicken.

Add Green Onions.

Add Cheese — For ease, I cheated by using pre-grated Jack and Cheddar.

Mix ingredients together and set aside until Tortillas are ready to be filled.

Dip Tortillas in warm Sauce before filling them.  It makes them a little more pliable to roll.  The Sauce used for these Chicken Enchiladas was from El Matador Restaurant.  Got some to go — It’s almost the same price as a canned Sauce, but better tasting.  We recommend buying Enchilada Sauce from a good Mexican restaurant in lieu of canned, if you don’t make your own.

My Mom says I need to fry the Tortillas in Oil for a minute or so to make them even more malleable, but I always try to avoid that step and too often get the same bad result… cracking Tortillas.  She’s right, again.  And since the Tortillas were homemade and thicker than most, the breakage was worse, as shown below.

Cheese and Sauce to the rescue — Hide the Enchilada imperfections.

Now you can’t tell the Tortillas cracked and went off the deep end.

Aside from how they appear underneath, everyone liked how they looked coming to the table.  Their flavor and facade was dialed in with Cheese and Sauce.  Whew, they saved this meal.

We’ve previously posted about StoneFire Grill, but each time I go back I’m reminded that it’s so damn tasty — And it’s a great value, the food is high in quality, the ordering/dining process is efficient and comfortable and the service is always friendly.  I just can’t get enough.

We slip and slide as we fall in love and I just can’t seem to get enough of StoneFire Grill.

This Chicken was marinated with Olive Oil, Lemon, Rosemary, Thyme, Onion, Garlic, S & P, for a couple days — It was then fit to be tied, cooked and enjoyed for its aroma and flavor.

I haven’t used the Rotisserie much lately, since it has been less expensive to buy the cooked Rotisserie Chicken, which is fine, since it’s done — And seems especially good from Costco.

If otherwise economical, it’s quaint to heat and rotate fresh Chicken at home — It’s effortless and fills the air with home cookin’ goodness that goes particularly well with board games, rain and Mimosas.  To rotisserie or not to rotisserie is the selection, to instant or not so distant gratification.  Next stop is usually Stock.

As Orange County Food Examiner, I just posted a report regarding Endless Food & Fun in Huntington Beach.  It’s also reported about here, and we’ll be adding a slideshow to the Examiner.com review and more photos from Delicioso Restaurant here.

* Photo is of the Chicken Florentine at Delicioso Restaurant.

Although the pictured 14lb. Turkey cooked up too dry, it was only $3 and provided a lot of tasty meals.  I think the oven was too hot.  During the holidays, Turkey deals are everywhere.  It’s fun to get a giant Turkey for the price of a Chicken and better yet when it’s cooked well.  Lemon slices were placed under the skin of this one, unlike another Turkey we’ve shown.  Let’s see what happens next time — We try different methods and always shoot for juicy.

Prior to morphatizing the leftovers, we enjoyed the dark meat with Sage Mashed Potatoes (Potatoes, Butter, Sour Cream, Milk, roasted/fried Sage Leaves and Salt & Pepper), Roasted ‘What’s On-Hand’ Veggies (Celery, Carrots, Onions, Garlic and Sage Leaves roasted in the oven with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Salt & Pepper), and Cranberry Sauce made with fresh Cranberries, Water, Sugar and Orange Zest.

Then it’s on to make the Turkey Stock that’s strained through cheesecloth and skimmed of fat.  Prior to its preparation, most Turkey meat is obviously reserved to make the following or whatever YOU want.

We always have a Turkey Sandwich (or 10).  Sometimes it’s only Turkey Sandwiches, because they’re simple and good.  Sandwich variations are endless, but we often find basic the best.

This Turkey Chili was made with roasted and peeled Tomatoes and Chilis (Poblano, Anaheim, Jalapeno), Garlic, Turkey Stock, Chili Spices, drained Kidney and Garbanzo Beans, and large chunks of white meat Turkey.

Turkey Quesadillas with Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheese, Salsa and Sour Cream.

Turkey Noodle Soup made with the Turkey Stock and leftover Roasted Veggies (pictured above), that were pureed, then strained to leave behind the Celery fibers — The process produced a flavorful Soup base in which to add Noodles and Turkey chunks.

An attempt at Shepherds Pie in a Mason Jar was put forth with a thickened version of the Turkey Soup (using Arrowroot), minus most Noodles, which was then topped with Sage Mashed Potatoes and Paprika and baked in the oven.

The Shepherds Pie wannabe ended up cooking together.  It was pushed over its fine line of doneness, bummer — There was a moment when it looked great and was surely hot enough to eat.  It should’ve been pulled out then.

Happy Holidays — Give a cheap Turkey a good home, your stomach.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.  I’m thinking about placing Lemon under the Turkey skin before baking it — If I do, I’ll be sure to slice it thinly instead of in half, so not to have it turn out like this hoochie.   The photo was sent to me via an untraceable string of forwarded emails, thus I don’t know its origin.  If it’s your Turkey, I’d like to give credit.  It’s too funny!  I dare YOU to surprise your family with the same. 🙂

Thanksgiving in Southern California — Are you still deciding how to celebrate Thanksgiving this year?  As the Orange County Food Examiner, I recently posted a Thanksgiving Starter Kit that includes links to most local happenings.  It’s a great place to begin your holiday planning.  We hope it’s helpful.  Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

Nibbles of Tidbits is thankful for its many blessings, including YOU!

I’m advised that National Chicken Day is Wednesday, September 15th — Although there are plenty of places to find Chicken, El Pollo Loco is one of the best and this year they celebrate 30 years of flame-grilled perfection.  I’ve been going there since day one and have yet to find another “fast food” Chicken I like better.  To include guests in on their anniversary celebration, El Pollo Loco is offering daily coupons that can be downloaded directly from their website.  Guests who visit El Pollo Loco on National Chicken Day with their printed coupon will receive a FREE piece of citrus-marinated, flame-grilled Chicken (leg or thigh), warm Tortillas and fresh Salsa.  No purchase is required.  Print your coupon and mark your calendar.  I did.

I’m not sure how to accomplish it or what will pass for looking like one, but if YOU dress up like a cow and go into a Chick-fil-A restaurant this Friday, July 9th, you’ll GET A FREE MEAL.  We’re still contemplating the idea.  Below is Chick-fil-A’s Press Release regarding this crazy annual event — They’re celebrating Cow Appreciation Day!

Chick-fil-A is issuing a cattle call! On Friday, July 9, Chick-fil-A® restaurants nationwide will celebrate the company’s annual Cow Appreciation Day event by offering a FREE meal to any customer who visits one of the chain’s mall or stand-alone restaurants fully dressed as a cow.

Customers dressed “head to hoof” in cow attire will be rewarded with a free Chick-fil-A Meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner), which includes an entrée of choice, a side item and a Dr Pepper® (or other beverage choice). For those “too chicken” to wear full cow costumes, Chick-fil-A will award a complimentary entrée to customers partially dressed in cow attire, such as a cow-spotted scarf, purse, hat or other accessory.

Chick-fil-A has launched a special website dedicated to the occasion, http://www.cowappreciationday.com/. In addition to providing further details about the event, the site offers cow costume ideas and tips, as well as downloadable cow spots, masks and other bovine-themed accessories for customers to use to create their costumes. For the first time, the Chick-fil-A “Eat Mor Chikin®” Cows will embrace social media by tweeting, checking in on Foursquare and providing Facebook updates throughout the day from their profile pages.

Two online photo contests are also part of the festivities. A photo contest for adults is hosted on the Chick-fil-A Facebook page. A second photo contest for kids 10 and under called Show Us the Cow is available at http://www.showusthecow.com/. Both contests will award free Chick-fil-A products for a year to the best cow-dressed customers, and children will also have the opportunity to win a $1,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond and a digital camera through the “Show Us the Cow” photo contest.

Now in its sixth year, Chick-fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day continues to build momentum. Last year’s event – and the resulting turnout – confirmed that Chick-­fil-A has a strong following of customers willing to go to great lengths to show their appreciation for cows. More than 300,000 cow-clad customers stampeded Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country. Costumes ranged from simple cow-spotted t-shirts to full cow suits complete with furry ears, cow bells and homemade sandwich boards with personalized renditions of the “Eat Mor Chikin®” Cows’ quirky messages.

“Cow Appreciation Day continues to be one of our best indicators of the great passion our customers have for our brand,” said Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A’s senior vice president of marketing. “It takes a loyal fan to dress like a cow for a free meal and, based on the stories we hear from our restaurant Operators around the country, we have quite a large – and growing – base of Chick-fil-A fans. Cow Appreciation Day is our way of thanking them for their loyalty, not to mention a day simply to have fun!”

The additional excitement around Cow Appreciation Day each year offers further proof that the passion for Chick-fil-A’s beloved bovines is stronger than ever. For the past 15 years, the renegade “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows have entertained consumers with their desperate, self-preserving antics in an effort to convert beef eaters into chicken fans. The Chick-fil-A Cows and the “Eat Mor Chikin” campaign have enjoyed such widespread public success that the chain has evolved the campaign into a fully integrated marketing program. In addition to clever roadside billboards, the “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows are the focal point of Chick-fil-A’s in-store point-of-purchase materials, promotions, radio and TV advertising, and clothing and merchandise sales.

Here’s a simple way to enjoy Lettuce Wrap Tacos — We marinated Chicken Thighs in our favorite bottled Sesame Dressing by Feast from the East for a day, then grilled them on the BBQ.  The flavor turns out delicious and sweet.  Shredded Chicken goes well on an Iceberg Lettuce Leaf, with the addition of a little Soy Sauce, Sriracha and Sticky Rice.  Any Chicken part will do for this recipe, but Thighs (and Drumsticks) are cheaper and marinate quicker than Breasts.  Our Sticky Rice wasn’t that great, thus we have no instructions for it.

Note: This post was one of many drafts with previously uploading photos.  We’re reviving a few while working on technical issues with respect to the upload of new photos.

For years my friend has raved about the Parmesan Crusted Chicken at the Yard House, which I finally tried (above).  It’s served over Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a Sundried Tomato, Three Mushroom Sauce.  She’s right, it’s good, especially the Sauce, but I wanted a lot more of it.

Under the House Favorites portion of the menu, we also enjoyed the Penne with Chicken and the Summer Salad with Chicken from the lunch specials menu.  We always enjoy the food at the Yard House and have no complaints about this visit.  And we particularly like to go there during Happy Hour, when most appetizers are half price.

Past Happy Hours attended by Nibbles of Tidbits and more Yard House food photos are linked here.

Note:  We’re experimenting with a new-ish camera, thus the photos above are a little bizarre looking and don’t do the food justice.

Next month is March Mania at Chick-Fil-A.  What that means is… Visit a participating Southern California Chick-Fil-A on any Friday in March, keep your original receipt, then return with your receipt to receive the exact order FREE any day within the month.  For example, buy the pictured Nuggets and Sandwich on Friday, March 5th, then return any day after that in March for the same.  Pay nothing extra — Just save your receipt!

Why would you grab lunch elsewhere on a Friday in March?  One meal becomes two, thus four Friday meals become eight during March Mania.  It’s a super deal.

* I’ve been a long-time fan of Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Sandwich with extra Pickles, Nuggets with all Sauces, Chicken Biscuit Sandwich and Cole Slaw.  They run a remarkable corporation, provide superior service and are closed every Sunday.  God bless Chick-Fil-A.

Chef Lexi from Kids in the Kitchen is snapping photos of our Famous Family Chicken samples (below).  For years our family gatherings have included my Dad’s amazing BBQ’d Chicken — Before sitting down at a beautiful table setting designed by my Mom, we always enjoy samples that are now served by my lovely Chef Nieces.

* Check out the ingredients that make our family Chicken so unique — We post them here.

Happy Thanksgiving!  This Turkey was fall off the bone tender, one of the best made by my dear parents — I’m thankful for them and so much more.  And think-FULL, if you dig what I’m say’in.  It was a beautiful day in La Palma, the 90623.