Name: Bacon Ranch Roll-ups
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 ounces cream cheese, softened; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon dry dill weed; 1 teaspoon dry parsley; 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 4 8-inch flour tortillas; 8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled; 4 leaves romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped; 1 large tomato, seeded and diced

Bacon Ranch Roll-ups

September 9, 2015

Bacon ranch roll-ups are just what they sound like. Plus they’re simple, quick, and delicious. They are a great way for me to break my lunchtime routine monotony!

So, school’s been back in session for a few weeks now, which means that I am officially in the place in my life where I have spent several weeks eating cheese, crackers, Vlasic Snackers baby dill pickles, and fruit for lunch every single day. Call it an adult lunchable. It’s easy, portable, and tasty. But gah, it gets old.

You guys have heard it all before….I spend a good portion of my work day in my car. It’s rare for me to have access to a microwave at lunch time, or really to even have access to a table or even a desk to eat. Unless I know I’m going to be in my office at lunch time (a rare occurrence indeed) or somewhere else where I know people and feel comfortable pulling up a chair and pulling out my lunchbox, I eat in my car. Leftovers are out, and it’s rare that I feel brave enough to take something that requires the use of a fork or a spoon (like a salad or a Thermos of soup).

Cheese and crackers and pickles can get pretty old, though, and let’s be honest…the endless adult lunchables are really just a result of laziness on my part.

Sometimes I want to eat something with just a little more substance. Every once in a while I’ll pull myself together enough to make some pimento cheese, or maybe some chicken salad (or pimento cheese chicken salad!). Nothing, though, makes me quite as happy as my rare BLT day. Even better when I mix ranch dressing spices into some cream cheese and turn a BLT into a bacon ranch roll-up. Oh yes, yes I did.
I made 4 of these and packed them away into the fridge. I should have eaten them all but I shared them with Philip because that’s just the kind of wife I am. These bacon ranch roll-ups were a welcome break from the cheese and crackers monotony and definitely made me look forward to lunch a little bit more!

Mary

Yield: 4 servings

Bacon Ranch Roll-ups

10 minPrep Time:

10 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry dill weed
1 teaspoon dry parsley
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 8-inch flour tortillas
8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled
4 leaves romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and diced

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, herbs, spices, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined.
Divide the cream cheese mixture among the tortillas and spread to the edges.
Divide the bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas. Cut in half if desired. Secure with toothpicks. Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Prep time does not include time to cook bacon.

https://chattavore.com/bacon-ranch-roll-ups/

Bacon ranch roll-ups are just what they sound like. Plus they're simple, quick, and delicious-a great way for me to break my lunchtime routine monotony! | recipe from chattavore.com

Couch’s BBQ – Ooltewah, Tennessee

September 7, 2015

Couch’s BBQ is a popular, family-owned barbecue restaurant in Ooltewah, Tennessee, near Chattanooga.

When Philip and I were trying to decide on a place to try this past weekend, I had two criteria: it needed to be somewhere that I would not regret not ordering the burger (I’m taking a month or so off from burgers after writing the list) and I didn’t want to have to walk any sort of distance to get there, as grass or ragweed or something that is blooming is killing me. That second caveat effectively killed just about any place downtown. We went to McKay’s to peruse their used books (where I found Sarah Wu‘s Fed Up with Lunch, about which I was pretty excited) then decided to head over to Couch’s Bar-B-Que in Ooltewah, just a few short miles away.

Couch’s BBQ came highly recommended, as Amanda from Dish T’Pass had told me a while back that it was her family’s go-to barbecue joint and Southern Living recently proclaimed Couch’s Bar-B-Que one of the top fifty barbecue joints in the South. Besides, it’s been around since 1946, so they are clearly doing something right.

It was around 2 when we arrived but there was still a fairly hefty lunch crowd (though we didn’t have any trouble finding a seat). A friendly server brought us our waters while we checked out the menu and we ordered fried pickles because, you know, I have a rule (i.e. if fried pickles are on the menu I’m required to order them). I was a little disappointed when they turned out to be the same frozen fried pickles we were served at Choo-Choo BBQ and Kevin Brown Burgers, but oh well. Fried pickles are like pizza…even when they aren’t great they’re still pretty good.

I considered ordering a barbecue sandwich. The sandwiches here are topped with lettuce and tomato, which I find to be an interesting concept and I’m certain one that I would enjoy. In the end, though, I decided to order the pork “Couch Potato”, which apparently is somewhat of a claim to fame for the establishment as they have several signs stating that they are the “home of the Couch Potato”. In my opinion, the potato here is a cut above most other places around town-they are crusted in salt then topped with a generous but not exorbitant amount of butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, and whatever meat you choose. They are also served with a couple of rolls (pre-packaged).

One thing about the pork here, as you may notice in the picture, is that it is not pulled or even sliced but rather shaved. According to Grant, who writes the blog Marie, Let’s Eat!, Couch’s BBQ uses uncured hams rather than the usual Boston butt (aka pork shoulder), smokes them, then shaves them on a deli slicer. It is definitely a different barbecue experience, but not different bad or even different good-just different. We liked it; the meat was flavorful (if maybe just a smidge dry) and paired well with both of the housemade sauces (signature and sweet, which had a telltale molasses hit). The fact that they make their own sauce here is a huge advantage, as I have found very few places around here that do. There is nothing that I hate more than walking into a barbecue joint and being greeted with a food service container of sauce sitting in plain view.

Philip decided to get the pork plate, which is served with three sides and rolls. He decided to get the slaw, baked beans, and fried okra. Honestly, he was fine with all of the sides but didn’t think that they were anything outstanding. The okra was the familiar frozen okra and he couldn’t really tell if the other sides were homemade or not. I will say, again, that Grant touts their hot slaw on Marie, Let’s Eat! as delicious albeit “magically weird” (actually, in his first review of the spot he says, “It has a smell-the-back-of-your-brain kick and leaves a sharp and very strong aftertaste. It is all kinds of fantastic. I have no idea what is in it. I am absolutely clueless, but they don’t list it as a side on the menu so you have to know to ask for it.”) I’m not sure if Philip forgot to ask for it or just decided against it.

If we hadn’t been so full, I would have loved to have had a slice of one of their homemade pies: coconut, pecan, buttermilk, key lime, and (I think) chocolate. We just. couldn’t. do it. So, instead, we paid our bill ($21.03 pre-tip) and headed back toward home.

Couch’s BBQ was good, but it’s quite a drive for me so I don’t think we’re going to become regulars anytime soon. As seems to be par for the course, they pay a little less attention to their sides than to their meat, which I guess makes sense for a barbecue restaurant but good grief, I just want to find a spot that fries their own okra. Still, I’d definitely go back to Couch’s Bar-B-Que, and I highly recommend the Couch potato.

Couch’s Bar-B-Que is located at 8307 Old Lee Highway, Ooltewah, TN 37363. They are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. You can call them at 423-238-4801. You can check out Couch’s website, www.couchsbbq.org, and like Couch’s BBQ on Facebook.

Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link for the book Fed Up with Lunch, because I think it’s so eye-opening that you should read it if school lunches affect you in any way. If you click through and buy this book from this link, I will make a small commission. For more information, read my disclosures/privacy policy.

Pumpkin Quick Bread from Domestic Chic

September 4, 2015

This pumpkin quick bread is a delicious way to welcome the coming season. The recipe comes from chef Kristin Sollenne’s cookbook, Domestic Chic.
We still have a couple of weeks left of summer, but I’ve been seeing an awful lot of posts about college football (apparently that starts this weekend? I watch from time to time but don’t really keep up) and pumpkin spice lattes. So why not pumpkin quick bread?!?!?!

This pumpkin quick bread recipe comes from the book Domestic Chic: A Fashionably Fabulous Guide to Cooking and Entertaining by the Seasons, written by chef, television host, and nutritionist Kristin Sollenne. Sollenne, head chef of the three kitchens of Bocca di Bacco in NYC, has made appearances on several Food Network shows and a host of news shows. She’s made a name for herself making traditional Italian foods in a healthy and lightened up way.

When Kristin’s publisher, Waldorf Publishing, contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing Kristin’s book, I have to be honest, I wasn’t familiar with her name. We canceled our cable a few years back and I haven’t watched much Food Network since. That means, though, that I was able to read her book with no bias.

Domestic Chic is arranged by season, which I absolutely love. I am not always great about cooking by season, but I really do try as much as possible and I believe that this is the first cookbook that I’ve ever read that was set up this way. For each season, there is a series of menus (16 menus in all), such as a New Year’s Eve Bash menu in the chapter entitled “Winter Wonderland” and a non-traditional Thanksgiving menu in the “Harvest” chapter.

While Kristin’s book centers around healthy Italian food, it’s not all Italian….there’s even a St. Patrick’s Day menu featuring tarragon-spiced deviled eggs, paprika corned beef, and Irish soda bread. And while you might expect a “healthy” cookbook to feature lots of low-fat products and not a lot of rich ingredients, Kristin instead focuses on portion size and fresh, seasonal ingredients; in fact, the book opens with two decadent recipes: Christmas morning cinnamon rolls and easy caramel sticky buns.

Kristin’s pumpkin quick bread was quick and simple to throw together. Her recipe makes two loaves but I halved the recipe and only baked one. It smelled absolutely amazing baking up in the oven, and it tasted even better, spread with a tiny bit of butter (though it would be just as delicious with some cream cheese or with nothing at all).

Kristin Sollenne’s book Domestic Chic is available for purchase today!

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of Domestic Chic to review. I received no other compensation and, as always, all opinions are my own!

Yield: 2 loaves

Pumpkin Bread (adapted slightly from Domestic Chic by Kristin Sollenne)

15 minPrep Time:

1 hr, 30 Cook Time:

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Ingredients

For candied pecans

1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
pinch salt

For the bread

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups granulated sugar (I subbed in brown sugar for 1/3 of the sugar in the recipe)
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups pumpkin
2/3 cup water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 standard loaf pans or spray with nonstick cooking spray. While the oven is preheating, make the candied pecans. Heat the pecans, brown sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar and butter have melted into a syrup around the pecans. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices (I used an equal amount of Alchemy Spice's Wake & Bake Blend in place of the spices).
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar, canola oil, and eggs. Once completely blended, beat in the pumpkin.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the water a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Divide between the two loaf pans and sprinkle the tops of the loaves with the nuts.
Bake the loaves for 90 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely.

Notes

I actually mixed this by hand. In one bowl, I combined the dry ingredients and in another bowl, the wet (including the sugar, which is almost always considered a wet ingredient). I then added the wet ingredients to the dry and used a rubber spatula to completely blend the ingredients. As I mentioned in my post, I also halved the recipe.

https://chattavore.com/pumpkin-quick-bread/

Click here to print the recipe for pumpkin quick bread!

This pumpkin quick bread is a delicious way to welcome the coming season. The recipe comes from chef Kristin Sollenne's cookbook, Domestic Chic. | chattavore.com

Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad

September 2, 2015

Pimento cheese chicken salad is just that-pimento cheese chicken salad. It’s so simple that I feel just a little bit guilty even sharing it here because it’s.so.flippin’.easy. But I’d never even thought of putting those two things together so I thought some of you may not have either….

When I think of ladies who lunch, I think of two very specific foods: chicken salad and pimento cheese. Okay, maybe cucumber sandwiches too….but those are more live hors d’oeuvres and chicken salad and pimento cheese are the main dish.

Chicken salad and pimento cheese are two pretty classic Southern foods. And I am pretty obsessed with both of them. Funny thing, I used to hate both of these things. Or, well, I had never eaten them and was convinced that I hated them because some reason. In college I started eating chicken salad (and I am not sure why I haven’t shared my favorite recipe here) and then I started eating pimento cheese when it was served on Friday sandwich day at the school where I worked. I never, ever thought, though, of combining the two.

Enter Cook’s Country. Man, I do love those Cook’s Country people. I buy as many of their books as possible because those people do a classic regional recipe right. As I was flipping through a copy of The Cook’s Country Cookbook, I noticed an assortment of chicken salad recipes…including one for pimento cheese chicken salad. PIMENTO CHEESE CHICKEN SALAD????? That was my reaction. Like whoa. I’d never thought of that!

So when I made a sandwich that included some poached chicken and some pimento cheese and had a bunch left over, I shredded up the chicken and threw it into the pimento cheese. Voilà. Pimento cheese chicken salad…perfect for your lunchbox.

This post contains an affiliate link for The Cook’s Country Cookbook because it’s so full of amazing recipes!

Yield: About 3 cups

Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad

10 minPrep Time:

15 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

1 red pepper, halved and seeded
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Instructions

Place a rack at the highest setting in the oven. Place the pepper halves on a baking sheet and place them directly under the broiler. Broil until the skin has blackened. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for fifteen minutes. Remove from the bowl and rub off the blackened skin.
Place the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne in a bowl. Dice the roasted pepper and place it into the bowl as well. Add two tablespoons of the mayonnaise and stir to combine. If you would like for it to have a looser texture, add the remaining two tablespoons of mayonnaise.
Stir the chicken into the pimento cheese. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

If you don't feel up to making your own pimento cheese, feel free to use a large container of good store-bought pimento cheese instead!

https://chattavore.com/pimento-cheese-chicken-salad/

Click here to print the recipe for pimento cheese chicken salad!

Pimento cheese + chicken salad = pimento cheese chicken salad. Boom. | chattavore.com

FEED Co. Table & Tavern

August 31, 2015

The FEED Co. Table and Tavern is a fabulous restaurant on Main Street in Downtown Chattanooga serving great Southern food and other classics created by Chef Charlie Loomis.
When it was announced a while back that Dustin Choate of Tremont Tavern fame, Miguel Morales, own er of 1885, and Charlie Loomis, 1885’s chef, would be joining forces to open a new restaurant, FEED Co. Table & Tavern, in the Craftworks building on Main Street, I got awfully excited. I was a fan of Chef Loomis’s cooking at the now long-since defunct Elemental, which Loomis left to take the helm at 1885 Grill. I adore 1885’s dressed-up Southern food and the amazing atmosphere and service there. And, of course, Tremont has won me over with their amazing burgers.

I was decidedly against the idea of having a burger today. There are several places that people have suggested that we needed to go to try burgers but y’all, Ima have to pace myself. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers over the last few months. They’re one of my faves, but I didn’t want to go to any of those suggested places. Not just yet.

I made a short list of places to check out and let Philip pick. He chose Feed Co. since we went to Clyde’s a couple of weeks ago (so I could get a picture of their burger) and saw people going in. We had actually kind of forgotten until then that they were open. We parked on the street (which is free if you can find a space). If you can’t find a spot on the street, there’s a Republic lot behind Clyde’s. For lunch, you enter on the Tavern side (the Table side doesn’t open until dinnertime).

The hosts told us that the wait would be 15-20 minutes and took our phone number to text us. We had barely walked down the sidewalk to get a few shots of the outside before they texted us, though. We were seated at a bar in front of the arcade games (really!) and our server, Brian, immediately greeted us and took our drink order. They have an extensive beer list and Philip ordered a Yazoo Sly Rye Porter. They also have lots of specialty cocktails…I entertained the idea of ordering a 50 Shades of Pimm’s martini (Pimm’s No. 1, muddled strawberries, orange mint, and cucumber, fresh lemon juice, and Pure Sodaworks strawberry jalapeño soda) but ultimately decided against it.

Brian suggested the Brussels sprouts & artichoke dip, served with fresh farm bread, which did indeed sound delicious. However, I of course noticed the fried pickled green beans. So did Philip. Fried pickles are fried pickles, you guys, regardless of whether the pickles are cucumbers or green beans. So of course we ordered them. All I can say is oh.em.gee. They were fantastic, briny and tart with a light tempura-like batter, served with ranch dressing for dipping.

My eye went straight to the fish & chips as I was deciding on what I would order for my meal. I briefly entertained the idea of ordering the sloppy Joe (grass-fed sloppy joe, yellow mustard, Niedlov’s bun) because how many restaurants serve sloppy Joes?!?!?!?! In the end, though, I went with my gut instinct: CBC beer-battered cod, house cut fries, house pickles, cole slaw, and malt vinegar tartar sauce. The batter on the fish was thick and just slightly bitter with the flavor of the beer, the fish just cooked through. The fries were ultra-skinny, skin-on, and perfectly seasoned. The slaw was a little creamy, a little vinegar-y, with cabbage, carrots, red onion, and Brussels sprouts, and the tartar sauce had the unmistakeable tang of malt vinegar with chopped pickles and a little whole grain mustard. Those house pickles were pretty on point too.

Philip decided to step out of his comfort zone and go with the hempnut burger with a quinoa & hempseed patty, pickled okra, basil mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion. He ordered tater tots as his side (other options include the fries, buttermilk whipped potatoes, french green beans, cole slaw, and vegetable succotash). The burger had an unmistakeable grilled flavor and the texture was much more “burger-like” than you might have imagined. We weren’t really sure whether the pickled okra made it into the burger somehow…Philip said he didn’t taste or notice it. Not that it mattered…he really loved the burger. The only complaint that he had was that it was a tad crumbly, but the flavor made up for it. The tater tots were pretty standard.

The atmosphere at FEED Co. Table & Tavern is fantastic. The tavern side is completely laid-back and casual with a huge patio for outdoor dining and, as I mentioned, arcade games for killing a little time (or if you just need a Dr. Mario fix. I am not kidding. Angie, we gotta go!!!). The “table” side is a little more dressed up but still completely cozy. The menu is great-inventive but not off the deep end. I would expect no less of Chef Loomis. Our service was wonderful-Brian was very friendly, attentive, and professional. The FEED Co. Table & Tavern has definitely won our seal of approval.

The FEED Co. Table & Tavern is located at 201 W. Main Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. The food service hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and the “tavern” hours are 11 a.m.-12 a.m., Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. You can call FEED Co. at (423) 708-8500. You can check out The FEED Co. Table & Tavern’s website. You can like The FEED Co. on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

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