Cooking with the Husband

Saturday Mr. Scott really was bored, possibly beyond bored. He therefore decided he wanted a snack. I was not feeling the greatest so I was changing up dinner plans but needed a side dish to go with dinner. While we were watching one of Jamie Oliver's shows (I think it was like his version of 30 minute meals) he was making a risotto. Wha-Bam! Side dish idea! Mr. Scott also has been talking about making calamari at home for basically all eternity. Saturday was the day that is finally happened. Off to the store we went to acquire the needed items for our snack and the rest of dinner.

Now I do have a fondness for some fried calamari but like shrimp, I am clueless/scared to cook it at home. I however am not afraid to Google and look up a garlic aioli recipe! So that became my task while Scott handled Mr. Squidward. Here is where I pat myself on the back for my skills in whipping up a nice thick homemade aioli!

oooo look at that lovely quality aioli made by yours truly!

Mr. Scott determined after cutting up Mr. Squidward that we should have gotten Mrs. Squidward and possibly Little Squidward Jr. to make a better snack. Oh well, it was our first time and now we know that to have a more sizable snack that we need more than one!

Fry away Mr. Squidward!

Our snack... See we needed more...

Oh boy oh boy! That was some tasty calamari! Cooked perfectly with a lovely aioli to dip it in! Go Team Wondrasek!

That's right we had a little white wine going on with it :)

Ignore my horribly unmanicured hands

He wasn't supposed to start eating it before I took a picture of it dipped in the aioli

Now onto dinner... Since I wasn't feeling the greatest, I was also a little lazy. I was lazy in the fact that I bought a risotto pack so that my risotto was not totally from scratch. I know shame on me for not being super woman in the kitchen every day. I did saute some extra mushrooms to add if that counts for anything? For dinner we had Mushroom Bruschetta Chicken. Basically the chicken replaces the bread in the bruschetta factor. This turned out to be a very satisfying foodie kind of day!

My plate before I dived into it

My plate after I inhaled half of it.

Recipe time!

Roasted Garlic Aioli (adpated from Aunt B on a Budget)

1 head of roasted garlic
1 egg yolk
1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Either in a blender (with the removable cap off but lid on) or with an emulsion stick blender, add egg yolk and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the aioli reaches the consistency you like. More oil for thicker, less for thinner. Next add the garlic, mustard, salt and lemon juice. Blend until incorporated.

*Side note! We've made this before with balsamic vinegar in place of lemon juice for burgers. I just happened to master the getting it thick factor :)*


Mushroom Bruschetta Chicken (adapted from Kraft Foods)

1 lb mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 lb chicken breasts (2 pounded thin or 2 cut thinly)
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese
Olive oil

Cook the mushrooms and onions in a large nonstick skillet, with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, and thyme. cook for about 5 minutes longer. Either transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl and keep warm or push to the sides to make room for the chicken.

Add the chicken and cook for 5 min. on each side or until done. Make sure to stir mushrooms occasionally to keep from sticking to pan.

Cover chicken with mushroom mixture and melt cheese on top. Serve while hot.