Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken fried rice should not be something you only eat out of a box that was delivered to your door. With a few shortcuts it's uber simple to make at home.

1 lb chicken cut into bite sized pieces
6 cups of cold cooked rice - must be cold
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup peas
2 eggs
stir fry sauce to taste

I personally think it's nice to brown your chicken when preparing it for fried rice. That way it stands up to the rest of the dish. Most of the local place around here do not and I find the chicken gets lost in all the other tastes. With that said start by browning your chicken. When the chicken is about 85% done add the onion and carrots. Cook these for a few minutes. Add the eggs to the pan and scramble them. Once the eggs are done mix them in with the rest of the ingredients. Add the peas then add the cold rice and the stir fry sauce. You can add a much or as little of the stir fry sauce as you like. Mix everything together and bring it to temperature. Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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FoodBuzz Tastemaker: Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

I've had some pretty amazing ravioli in my days but the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti ranks! As members of the Tastemaker program at Foodbuzz (www.foodbuzz.com), we were sent the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti to try, and we're so glad they did! This is an amazing product. The semolina pasta is very thin and has a smooth texture and great bite. The true gem of this product is the pairing of the mushrooms, garlic, and cheeses that makes for an explosion of flavor in every bite.

There are so many amazing things you can do with this pasta. Given it was our first time with this product we decided to go down a very simple road so we could experience the essence of the agnolotti. All we did was sauté the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti in some sage butter. That's right we didn't boil the pasta at all - just right into some butter infused with sage. The agnolotti cooked for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. All I can say is every single bite made me smile. All I could think of was that I wanted more when my plate was empty - it's just that good.

The next time we make the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti I believe it's going to be simmered in chicken broth with a bit of baby spinach, crispy prosciutto, and maybe some extra mushrooms...

I've tried a few more pastas from Buitoni's Riserva line of pastas and they are all amazing! I'm all for making fresh pasta at home, but if you want a quick 20 minute from start to finish meal - give them a try!

1 Package Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
10 or so Sage Leaves chiffinade
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Saute sage in butter for a few minutes. Add the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Plate, eat, & enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Weber Fire Starters

was given a box of the Weber Firestarters to try out. If using a chimney starter they do a great job of starting the coals. Using a few balls of newspaper does the exact same thing - they light the coals. The biggest difference in using the Weber Firestarters is that you don't have newspaper ash to deal with in the end! That makes them worth their weight in gold if you ask me. Anyhoo - Below is a video of me trying them out...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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