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What did you have for dinner? -Part dois

Pesto Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Spinach.

Made it in a Instant Pot yesterday afternoon, 20 minutes to pressure, 4-6 minutes to cook. I used a 1.5 lb bag of creamer potatoes (red and yellow). It was quite delicious and easy to make.

Pesto Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Spinach
Place 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth with 1/3 cup basil pesto in an Instant Pot. Add 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs and arrange in an even layer. Layer 1 pound potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces on top of the chicken. Lock on the lid, make sure the pressure valve is set to seal, and set to cook for 4 minutes under HIGH pressure. It should take about 20 minutes to come to pressure. Quick release the pressure, then turn the pressure cooker off. Stir in 5 ounces baby spinach until wilted. Taste and season with salt as needed.
 
Tonight baked stuffed acorn squash. Stuffed with mushrooms, scallops, green bell pepper, yellow onion, dates, pine nuts, all coarsely chopped and mixed. Drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with ginger, black pepper, fresh thyme and lemon juice. Baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes with a pan of water at the bottom of the oven. Braised snap peas on the side with green onions and cucumber slices. Tuscan bread with olive oil for dipping. Iced tea. Mint green tea ices for dessert.
 
Vegetarian turkey and cheese with garden tomatoes and Aioli / chips. My wife likes crap wonder bread, so I'm using that up.
 
the recipe called itself keto chili. In reality, its a chili recipe minus the beans.

quite good though!
 
ChezC3 said:
No worries

Mine was Gino's East way back in the day. Would go up to the Loop in the summer and walk around then end the day there. They moved and have gone to **** last I've had them.

I learned about Lou's a little later, probably when I was 15-16. Turned into the new fav immediately.

The pizza as you describe it -- square cuts (or what I found out in my time living in Kentucky and Virginia, Chicago cut...that was a trip) was what I grew up on...and was always packaged like that.

With the exception of a little later, yeah, I've always been fortunate with good pizza, there is a place in the South Subs of Chicago, they've got a lot more now but I actually was at the original last weekend in Homewood that is King -- Aurelio's Pizza. Boy do I have stories about how Joe got into the business, wouldn't be right to put them out here but man, got plenty on Joe Jr. too, but man, the stories I could tell... Anyway, Aurelio's is still probably the best thin crust pizza around. They got one out of Blue Island -- Beggar's that's pretty good, and there use to be one in Glenwood called Sanfrantello's that was a close contender, and even another in Glenwood Arrenelo's that was good, but Aurelio's is still the king.


There's a place in the Rockwell Corridor called The Pizza Art Cafe' It has a nice anchovy and tuna pizza. Woodburning oven, artisanal style pies... Not bad, not to be confused with The Art of Pizza on Ashland and Nelson. That place is a hidden gem has phenomenal pizza up there with Lou's and the rest...


Now, a little story I will give about pizza...


So I was around 17 getting ready for the Navy and I use to hang out at this pool hall. It was quite a busy place a good location always packed on the weekends. At the front door there was this pizza stand. This old dego and his little tween and teenage girls selling deep dish pizza by the slice. This pizza was phenomenal. One of the best I've ever had. Easily put it in contention with Chicago's top restaurants right? There was this little redhead girl about 11-12, working the counter, handing out people's order's and giving it back to the smart ass teens as good as she got, her older sister ran the register and the old man worked the oven. I think there was someone else in the back, but I couldn't tell...nor did I really pay that much attention to anything but how good this pizza was.

Well, in the next 15 years I went off to the Navy, got out, rambled my way through a few states before I finally made it back home. Met a cute little sassy, redhead I got set up with from a friend..

Wouldn't you know... I ended up marrying that little redheaded girl who served me pizza those many years before.
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That's a really great story! You're lucky. You can't invent circumstances like that, and having first and foremost always considered myself a 'neighborhood guy', there's something very special about having & keeping these old neighborhood relationships alive. I can imagine the relationship is even more special, when it involves the girl that becomes your life partner.

My old neighborhood has gotten demolished by economic & culture changes that have not been kind to it. Consequently, I picked-up my family and flew-the-coup for greener pastures. But I still maintain many close friendships developed in my old neighborhood, and they are my most cherished and comfortable. Yeah, we've all gone our own ways and followed our own paths. And there's some things with some of them that I can't always relate, anymore. But regardless, whenever any of us get together it's literally 'old home' week! I'm totally in my element, and totally in my comfort zone, and just as importantly these guys know everything about me from the very earliest days, so they can call me out and keep me grounded if I ever forget where I came from. This last is priceless, along with warm glow I get for days after one of our reunions.

I'll try to come back to the thread soon with a bit more pizza talk in detail; it's a subject that's dear to my heart!
 
vegetarian salami sub with cheese, garden tomatoes, and light mayo
kettle chips with dip
 
Egg McMuffin minus the Canadian bacon
small fries
 
The local fish here is pretty cheap, so I just fried up a fillet of milkfish in olive oil and garlic, stir fried green beans, and steamed rice. Worked out pretty well.
 
Last night

Shrimp & Guac Torta

Sweet Potato

Broc & Cheese

Tonight

Angel Hair w/ Marinara

Garlic bread
 
Put a chicken and some sweet potatoes on the Traeger and worked on my leaves. They were good......

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salad sub with garden tomato slices from my waning supply
baked Ruffles with dip.
 
Home-made White Bean and Escarole soup.

Side Salad

Tomato and Onion Flatbread
 
We had homemade black bean burritos.
 
vegetarian hot dogs on a toasted bun w/ relish and mustard
kettle chips.
 
Charcoal grilled boneless rib-eye steaks, with Brussels sprouts seasoned in olive oil and oven grilled, and Foster's beer.
 
Butternut squash soup with kale over rice.
 
Lovebug said:
Butternut squash soup with kale over rice.
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That sound really good Lovebug. Very healthy. Yesterday we went to our daughter's for a visit. Three of the 4 kids and my future grandson-in-law showed up because they learned the g-parents were coming for a visit. The kids who are all over 20 except the youngest wanted to carve pumpkins so the kitchen was being used for more important things than preparing a meal. ;). So hubby went to KFC and got two of the family size chicken tenders meals with a bunch of sides. Not exactly healthy but was perfect.
 
grilled vegetarian turkey and cheese
Southwestern vegetable soup.
 
pigs in a blanket made with Morning Star veggie dogs
mashed cauliflower
green beans
 
Pad Thai with tofu.
 
Roasted Red Potatoes with garlic, onions and spinach

Salad

Pasta e fagioli
 
Veg chili concoction made with mushrooms, acorn squash, beans. It was good. We have leftovers for today.
 
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