Nachos, Nachos & Nachos

Nachos began in the city of Piedras Negras-Coahuila, Mexico in 1943
by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya.

Nachos of course are good as a snack or a full meal.
Typically the chips are made from corn and you can
literally throw any topping on them. You could seriously
make over 50 different types of Nachos.
Below are just a few to give you an idea...

BBQ Chicken Nachos
Buy already roasted chicken or chicken breast and shred
with your fingers or a fork. Then simmer BBQ sauce on
medium heat in a pan and toss the shredded chicken in
the BBQ sauce. Lay some nachos in an oven safe pan.
Add some shredded cheddar cheese on top and bake until
the cheese melts and throw some chopped scallions
on top if you'd like.


You could do a Buffalo chicken one as well. Top blue cheese
on top of the shredded Cheddar on this one!

Pulled Pork Nachos are good with topped pineapple chunks,
bell peppers, shredded jack pepper cheese, cilantro and a little
juice from a fresh lime.



Veggie Nachos can have sauteed red bell peppers, zucchini,
mushrooms, red onions, corn and shredded cheddar or monterey jack.
Also good with sour cream on top after it comes out of the oven.

Cheesesteak Nachos usually have sliced roast beef and caramelized
onions, cheese whiz, and is good with diced hot peppers.

Frank and Bean Nachos have sliced hot dogs that you first cook in a
pan and baked beans from a can that you simmer on the stove.
Add the frank and beans on top of the tortilla chips and then the
shredded cheddar with some chopped scallions and relish if you want.

Margarita Shrimp Nachos are good with shredded white cheddar cheese
and muenster cheese. Throw the LIME flavored chips in the oven until the
cheese melts and then top with sauteed shrimp that you sauteed on the
frying pan with a little garlic salt. Squeeze some juice from a fresh lime
to top off your shrimp margarita nachos.
Mushroom Nachos... dice up some button, shiitake, portobellas and
saute in the frying pan in olive oil adding some season salt or a
splash of soy sauce and throw onto the tortilla chips with
shredded provolone cheese.

Send me a comment with a Nacho that you came up with or favor!

Win Win Win With Crispy Peking Raviolis

These fusion ravioli's are a win, win, win.
Easy to make, really cheap and so yummy.
All you need is a pack if wonton wrappers
(usually near the organic section
of the produce section in most supermarkets)


you want to mince all the items below into really small pieces
3-4 button mushrooms
3-4 shittake mushrooms
1/4 of a small onion
2 cloves garlic
3-4 stems of flat leaf parsley
and a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce

mix the filling well and take a small spoon
and spoon into a wonton wrapper...
put a little egg or water on a 2nd wonton wrapper
and put on top folding the sides up or over or any fun way...
fry in a pan with a little olive oil...

drizzle a little soy sauce before eating....

Pica's Restaurant in Upper Darby, PA

Pica's pizzeria was opened in 1941 by Frank Pica Sr. in West Philly. It was a small, old fashioned establishment that became a special part of the neighborhood. In 1959, Frank Sr. together with Frank Jr. moved the restaurant to 7803 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby where it resides today.

The draw to this very large seating restaurant is that everything is made FREEESHH! There is nothing like fresh, daily made - pasta.  You will notice immediately the difference between this and the boxed pasta that you've been getting at probably every other restaurant in the Philadelphia area.

Next is their famous pizza.  Their sauce is soooo good that they make their pies upside down (sauce on top of the cheese).  Some say they don't like that style, but trust me, try Pica's.

Reservations are definitely recommended for this busy Italian Restaurant (especially on the weekends). Any time of day you pass this restaurant (could be 2pm on a Monday or 4pm on a Wednesday), the parking lot is packed with cars.  On the weekends, it's almost incredible to see how many times in a 15 minute period someone goes in/out of the special takeout door.

This restaurant has to get 5 stars as the food is so good, so plentiful, and so budget friendly, that even the outdated decor or being in Upper Darby (which is relatively safe) won't cause a loss of a star.

http://picas-restaurant.com/

Keating's River Grill

Keating's River Grill is located on 201 South Columbus Blvd. in Philadelphia by the River- inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel.


 
The positives seem to outweigh the negatives at Keating's River Grill.

The positives:
They have complimentary valet service up to 4 hours.
It's also right next to the River Rink so dinner & ice skating in the Winter can be a plus. 

The food is very good and the ambiance is nice as well. Two winners on the menu were the Bruschetta Flatbread and Roasted Salmon Cavatappi. The roasted salmon dish is served with asparagus while the sauce is a creamy pesto sauce made with pine nuts and white wine. The Bruschetta Flatbread is made from grilled bread with mozzarella, parmesan, tomato and a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar.

Food Your Face!

You have eaten a lot of food... but
what kinds of food have you put on your face?


~ egg yolks are high in vitamin A and a common
ingredient in acne-fighting products. Spread the yolk
on your face and neck and leave it on your skin for
about 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
~ egg whites are good for getting a lifting effect as the protein
in egg whites dries onto your skin. Beat 1 egg white with a fork
until it gets frothy and then spread it on your face, especially the
side of the eyes. Wait until it dries and then rinse it off
with warm water.
~ grapes contain antioxidants, called polyphenols,
which help combat aging. You can cut one grape in half
and rub lightly all over face or mash several grapes up & smear
on your face like a mask. You do need to be laying down for this one.


~ bananas are one of the most nourishing fruits
available because they contain many vitamins such as
magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine, folic acid
and vitamins A, B, and E.  You can easily mash one overripe
banana and spread it all over your face.
Rinse it off well after 15 to 30 minutes with warm water.


~ baking soda has a gentle abrasive action where you can
actually use it as a pretty cheap but more importantly effective
exfoliant for your face by adding it to your regular cleanser.

~ olive oil is a good source for moisturizing. Some people
actually drink a shot daily. Really. Vitamins A & E are found in
olive oil and are good to put on chapped lips over night.
~ cucumbers are great for hydrating your face and is often
used in beauty products, particularly cleansers. They are great
for around your eyes, for reducing puffiness, and revitalizing
tired skin. They are also great for keeping cool on a really
hot summers day. They are ice cold on your skin.

Saucy...

Soy and Ginger dipping sauce (great for dumplings)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 inch of grated ginger
1 tsp of sugar (substitute- grate half an apple)
best if you whisk together 15 minutes before you serve

Lemon and Garlic sauce (great for chicken breast)
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 TBS of fish sauce
1 TBS sugar (substitute Splenda or grate an apple or pear)
stir in 2 chopped red chili peppers and
3 grated garlic cloves
whisk while simmering on medium heat to blend all together


Sweet and Sour sauce
2 TBS sherry
1 cup pineapple juice
3 TBS white wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 TBS brown sugar (substitute Splenda or grate an apple or pear)
2 TBS tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce or paste)
1 small capsicum finely diced (or 1/4 of red bell pepper)
1 TBS cornstarch


Easy Cranberry sauce
1 can (8oz) whole cranberry sauce
1 tsp grated orange peel
3 TBS orange juice
1 tsp ground ginger (powder)
simmer on medium heat until cranberries breakdown

Creamy Mushroom sauce (great for chicken or pasta)
1 inch of butter
handful of button mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 TBS chopped chives
cook on a pan until mushrooms are cooked


Chinese Lemon sauce (great for fried dumplings, egg rolls, spring rolls etc...)
3 TBS lemon juice (optional-add a few slices of lemon for visual prettiness)
3 TBS chicken stock
1 TBS honey (substitute 1/2 TBS of agave nectar)
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 TBS cornstarch
1 whole scallion sliced on a diagonal
cook all together on medium heat until it thickens

Sweet Chili dipping sauce (great for chicken wings or a stir-fry)
1/2 cup rice vinegar (substitute white vinegar)
1/2 cup white sugar (substitute Splenda)
1/4 cup water
3 TBS fish sauce
2 TBS sherry
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2-1 (depending on spiciness level) dried crushed chili seeds
1/2 TBS & water of cornstarch (equal parts stir together water & cornstarch)
simmer on medium heat until it thickens... then cool in a jar or container to cool


Korean Hot Pepper dipping sauce (good for lettuce wraps and more)
2 TBS hot pepper paste
2 cloves of garlic grated
1 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions chopped small
2 tsp sugar (can substitute Splenda)

Pomegranates

Pomegranates are red fruits that were mostly native to
northern Pakistan, India, Iran, the Himalayas and the
surrounding areas. Spanish settlers introduced the fruit into
Latin America in 1769 and since then has been cultivated in
parts of Arizona and southern California.

Pomegranate juice provides vitamin C and is a good source
of vitamin B5 also. They also have high-fiber that is contained
in the edible seeds which also supply unsaturated oils.
You should really eat the whole seeds to get the nutritional
benefits rather than just squeezing for juice and tossing.

Grenadine syrup is made from thickened and sweetened
pomegranate juice.



Once you cut the fruit in half, you just want get your hands
in there and separate all the thin layers of skin. if you break it
a part and place everything into a big bowl of cold water the
inner skin starts to naturally float to the top, making it easier to
separate the seeds from the skin.



Pomegranates are great to eat whole, squeezing for juice.
They are great for adding to any salad as well. Even something
as simple as spinach, crumbled cheese, and pomegranate seeds
with Italian, Balsamic salad dressing or any dressing.