Presley's Pantry

A toasted bollio smothered in refried beans and sprinkled in cheese. I could eat these delicious snacks morning noon and night. They are fast to make and even easier to eat. Find my quick how to video over at Babble. #FamilyFunNight

I am an enchilada freak. I love them in green, red, pipian, mole, you name it. I don’t always have the time to make them, but the stacked enchilada solves the problem of making them a time consuming effort. Find my video and recipe on Babble that I made using Old El Paso green enchilada sauce.

Do you have a go-to tool that you use to bribe your kids with? These easy to make Orange Buttermilk Donut Pops have been my negotiating leverage lately. Read how I use them to convince my son to be a good boy and use his words. The recipe along with step by step photos and story is over on Babble.

Disclaimer: Thank you GigaSavvy for providing me with 2 tickets to give away to one lucky reader. This is not a compensated post. However all opinions in this post are my own. 

As we slowly creep into fall I welcome the early sunset and the cooler weather. Fall has always meant thick sweaters and Halloween celebrated at Knott’s Berry Farm. In my opinion it is one of the best things to do in Southern California. I have celebrated this annual event on numerous occasions with friends. When I was in my young adult years I remember packing into the car only to arrive at the gates of Knott’s already scared out of my mind and ready to be frightened to a new level. I anticipated a ghoul at every corner and my heart would race at an exhilarated speed as I tried to rush through the mazes. I’d wake up the next day with my voice completely gone and wished I could visit again or longer….. Those were the good old days. Fast Forward to 2013 and many things have changed, but the scare is just the same. Knott’s Berry Farm now has a Early Admission Boo-Fet, better known as the Haunt Meal. You can munch with the monsters before there is nowhere to hide, followed by early entrance into Halloween Haunt! If you find you’re too scared to drive home, or would like to make it into an over night adventure, Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel is now offering some great package deals, starting as low as $149 (+tax), which include room accommodations, TWO Haunt admission tickets, and complimentary parking. I can’t wait for Sept.26th…. opening day, where I will get my grub on at the BOO-Fet! I will be there trying to hide from some goblin who would love to pick my brain!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! CONGRATS ISELA…. YOU’RE GOING TO KNOTT’S #SCARYFARM

Would you like to go to Knott’s #ScaryFarm this year! For a Chance to WIN a pair of tickets (2 total) please follow the steps below! Please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can account for them.

• Please ‘like’ Knotts Berry Farm on Facebook
• Please follow Knott’s Berry Farm on Twitter
• Please follow Knott’s Berry Farm on Instagram
• Please tweet, by using this sample tweet: ” Enter for a chance to #win a pair of tickets to @Knotts #ScaryFarm @Presleyspantry http://wp.me/p1mJLS-23s “

  

Open to U.S. Residents only. No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Contest ends September 16th, 2013 at 9:00 PM, PST and one (1) winner will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org, and contacted by email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond with a mailing address, or the next winner up will be chosen.

Labor Day weekend is here… and for food lovers living in Los Angeles that could only mean one thing. Buy tickets and head to The Taste, hosted by The Los Angeles Times. This will be the third year I attend, and seriously find this to be the best Summer event. It will takes place at Paramount studios, where the best of the best food and drink come together for a weekend of culinary delights!  If you are located here in Los Angeles and ready to make your taste buds explode…. I highly recommend you head to The Taste this weekend.  The schedule is listed below. See you there!

Buy tickets by clicking here!

• Field to Fork – Hosted by Russ Parsons, Times Food Editor, and Michael Cimarusti, Chef/Owner of Providence, Chef/Partner of Connie and Ted’s; Sat., Aug. 31^st, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  Spotlighting seasonal and sustainable dining, this event will feature demos by Ari Taymor (Alma), Sherry Yard (Helms Bakery), Ray Garcia (FIG), and Cimarusti, who will also participate in a panel, “Fish or Famine: Sustainability & the Seafood on Your Plate” with Parsons moderating. Wine experts will share tips for pairing the perfect glass with locally-sourced dishes at twotasting sessions. Participating restaurants include Bibigo, Canelé, DOMA, Farmshop, good girl dinette, Hamasuku, Michael’s on Naples, Momed, Mr Chow, Muddy Leek, Nobu, Pizza Antica, RivaBella, Sun Café Organic, The Curious Palate.

• ·         Flavors of L.A. – Hosted by Jonathan Gold, Times Restaurant Critic, and Sang Yoon, Chef/Owner of Father’s Office and Lukshon; Sat., Aug. 31^st, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.
  An homage to everything that makes the Southland a world-class dining destination starting with a compelling look at “The Power of Pop-ups” led by Gold with Gary Menes (Le Comptoir), Craig Thornton (Wolvesmouth) and Nguyen Tran (Starry Kitchen). Cooking demos from Yoon, Brooke Williamson (Hudson House/The Tripel), Bryant Ng (Spice Table), Josef Centeno (Baco Mercat/Bar Ama) and a mixology session with Robin Chopra (Corazón y Miel) will round out the locally-flavored programming. Participating restaurants include 800˚ Degrees, Angelini Osteria, Border Grill, Bulgarini Gelato, Chakra Indian Cuisine, Chichén Itzá, City Tavern, Mayura, Meals by Genet, Pinches Tacos, Wood & Vine.

• ·         Labor Day Block Party – Hosted by Noelle Carter, Times Test Kitchen Director, and Nancy Silverton, Chef/Co-Owner of Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza; Sun., Sept. 1^st, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  This end-of-summer bash will offer an inside look at barbecue with “Going Whole Hog: Tales from Masters of Competition BBQ,” a panel led by Carter that features Ryan Chester (The Rub Co.), Sylvia Curry (Lady of Q) and Neil Strawder (Bigmista’s Barbecue). Attendees will also be treated to cooking demos from Silverton, Evan Kleiman, and Fred Eric (D’Elish), and TimesColumnist Steve Lopez’s crowd-pleasing Firehouse Cook-off. Participating restaurants include BOA Steakhouse, Brite Spot, Café Gratitude, Coni’Seafood, Freddy Smalls: Bar & Kitchen, Got Kosher?, Haven Gastropub, Juan’s Restaurante, Kings Row Gastropub, Pizzeria il Fico, Pono Burger, Rosebud Cakes, Waffles de Liege.

• ·         Cocktail Confidential – Hosted by Betty Hallock, Times Deputy Food Editor, Jessica Gelt, Times Food & Night Life Writer, and Cocktail Chef Matthew Biancaniello; Sun., Sept. 1^st, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.
  Blurring the lines between cooking and bartending, the final evening will center on a farm-to-glass craft cocktail demo presented by Hallock, Gelt and Biancaniello. Taking it a step further, some of L.A.’s boldest pairs, Michael Voltaggio and Gabriella Mlynarczyk (ink), John Sedlar and Julian Cox (Rivera) and Kuniko Yagi and Brandyn Tepper (Hinoki & the Bird), will share their inspiration for food and drink combinations. Participating restaurants include Chi Lin, Cliff’s Edge, Jitlada, L&E Oyster Bar, Manhattan Beach Creamery, Mexikosher, The Pub at Golden Road Brewing, Stella Barra, The Cake Mamas, The Corner Door, The Counter, The Park Restaurant, Worldwide Tacos, Zengo

 

Thank you to NatureRaised Foods for sponsoring this article. Learn how NatureRaised Foods is “Doing What’s Right, Right from the Start™” in your area.

It’s as if the grill beckons me once the hotter temperatures start to set in. As you know, I love cooking but am not always up for being in the HOT kitchen during these scorching summer months. With that being said I want to spend less time inside and more time outside. I start to dream up meals that could be prepared on the grill with very little prep inside the house. Yet, I don’t want to just throw anything on the grill, I still want my meal to be wholesome and nutritious.  Majority of the time I want tasty grilled chicken, and NatureRaised Farms® brand chicken makes that part easy…..  They are accountable when needing to feed my family something that is right, right from the start.  Here’s an important side note….  They do not add antibiotics ever, in fact their chickens are fed a 100% vegetarian diet (no animal protein and no bakery by-products), with no added hormones or steroids. I like knowing that and thought you would like knowing that too. No wonder it tastes so good…. It’s 100% all-natural. Okay, I’ll stop with all the scientific part of it and get back to my grilling and chicken love.

One of my all time favorite dishes to make on the grill is chicken panzanella salad. I always start it the night before when the kitchen is nice and cool. I whip together a little marinade drop it in a bowl with my chicken and let it stand over night. Then I chop all my veggies and place then in another bowl and place them in the fridge till I’m ready to eat the next day. It’s so easy. The next day I grill my chicken (depending on my mood, I’ll either use breasts or if I want some dark meat I’ll use thighs) and couple slices of bread. Chop both the chicken and bread, then add it into the veggies. Crumble some feta on top and give it a splash of salad dressing and there you have it….. one of the best salads I know how to make in a matter of minutes. The best part is…. It’s super fresh, yet filling with the bread, and hearty with the grilled chicken. It’s almost like having a deconstructed chicken sandwich but with way more veggies in it. Plus it’s a meal in itself…. No need for anything else on the plate.

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Panzenella Salad:

• 1 – package NatureRaised Farms® chicken (either breasts or thighs)
• 2 – tablespoons brown mustard
• ½ – cup white wine
• ½ – onion (sliced into big pieces)
• 3 – tablespoons olive oil
• 1 – tablespoon chopped garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 – hothouse cucumber (cut into ¼ of an inch slices)
• 1 – pint cherry tomatoes (I use both yellow and red) (cut in half)
• 1 – red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
• 1 – yellow bell pepper (sliced into strips)
• 1 – red onion (sliced thinly)
• 1 – bunch of asparagus (blanched and chopped into 1 to 2 inch pieces)
• 1 – French bread loaf or mini sourdough loaf (grilled and cubed)
• 5 – leaves fresh basil (chopped)
• 5 – ounces crumbled feta cheese
• ½ – cup Italian dressing

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Chef Merito. All opinions are 100% mine, and it is an absolute pleasure and privilege to be associated with the official carne asada spice of my beloved team! VIVA LOS DODGERS!!!!

I am a true blue Dodger fan. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and have been making my way to Chavez Ravine for as long as I can remember. It started with my Momma who was head over heels in love with the Dodgers in the 70’s and 80’s…. the years of Steve Yeager, Ron Cey, and Steve Garvey.  Those were the first players I remember following. Everyone in my family bleeds Dodger blue. It is one of our favorite pastimes and we make it a point to enjoy as many games as possible.

Some things never change…. Fast forward to 2013 and I am still trekking up to the stadium to catch my boys in blue. When I am not in the thick of the crowd amongst the fans, then I am firmly cemented to my seat in front of the television set watching at home. I load up on snacks and make BLUE cheese burgers to celebrate my hometown team. I spice my  ground beef up with Chef Merito spices and grill my patties then top them with monterey jack and a pile of blue cheese. Chef Merito is the official carne asada seasoning for the Dodgers, but I’m here to tell you the meat seasoning taste great on burgers too. Whether at home or at the game…. I just love celebrating my boys of summer. Don’t miss Viva Los Dodgers every Sunday home game, 2 hours before the national anthem is belted out…. Chef Merito is one of the sponsors, and it is a great afternoon of fun, food, and entertainment.

Ingredients for Dodger Blue Cheese Burger:

• 2 – lbs of ground beef
• 1 – egg
• 2 – tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 – tablespoon Chef Merito meat seasoning
• 1 – teaspoon Chef Merito garlic salt
• 1/2 – cup grated jack cheese
• 4 – hamburger buns (toasted)
• 4 – teaspoons of mayo
• 4 – teaspoons mustard
• 4 – teaspoons thousand island dressing
• 4 – tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese
• lettuce
• tomato slices
• sliced dill pickles
• sliced onion

Directions:

1.  Mix beef and egg in a bowl together. Use your hands to mix thoroughly.
2. Form meat evenly into 4 patties.
3. Place a grill over a medium flame and add oil to grill. Allow it to get hot.
4. Lay the patties on the grill and season with meat seasoning and garlic salt. 
5. Cook burger patties on one side for 7 minutes then flip and cook other side for 5 minutes. 
6. Add 1/8 cup of jack cheese to each patty. Allow cheese to melt while burger is still cooking for an additional 5 minutes. 
7. Place each patty on a toasted bun, then top patties with 1 tablespoon of blue cheese each.
8. Slather the other half of each bun with mayo, mustard and thousand island dressing.
9. Pile on lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion.
10. Stack and enjoy!

See the picture below… that is a wonderfully loaded spice basket that Chef Merito is giving away to one lucky reader of Presley’s Pantry. Enter for a chance to win by following the simple steps listed below!

You can have up to 4 entries each; please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can account for them.

1.  Mandatory entry: Comment below and tell me what dish you would love to prepare with Chef Merito products
2. Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook
3. Subscribe to Presley’s Pantry channel on You Tube
4. Tweet about the giveaway and come back here letting me know that you did. Sample tweet: Enter for a chance to win a basket of @ChefMerito products via @Presleyspantry: http://wp.me/p1mJLS-22E 

Open to U.S. Residents only. No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Contest ends September 4th, 2013 at 9:00 PM, PST and one (1) winner will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.