A Duo of Treats

Today I had the pleasure of lunching at a little restaurant called Cafe Azul inside the Marriott at the Mesa Convention Center. This quiet little place provided an hour's respite from a teaching conference I attended. After surveying a menu peppered with such lovelies as grilled vegetable panini (featuring grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, fresh mozarella and baby arugula with sun dried tomato pesto and fresh basil), turkey mufaletta (with warm slices of roasted turkey breast, Virginia baked ham, bacon, and provolone with fresh olive tapenade), and farm salad (containing romaine lettuce, smoked ham, sun dried blueberries, fresh strawberries, sunflower seeds, and asiago cheese with red pepper vinaigrette) I settled on the Azul Salad - specialty of the house.

This beauty arrived on a large white ceramic plate with curlicues on the edges. The field greens and baby arugula contained the deep greens of Smoky Mountain summers and dark purple-reds of Southern falls. I love these kinds of greens for their hint of tanginess and the peppery flavor that lingers on the tongue after each bite. These were especially good adorned with warm bacon, roasted pecans, blue cheese, red pear slices, and a pink grapefruit and honey vinaigrette dressing. Each bite's explosion of textures and flavors sang to my senses. I was even glad I ordered water with lime as a drink so nothing could interfere with my enjoyment of the salad.

Upon finishing every morsel on the plate, I continued with my day only to have another treat for dinner tonight. Recently Jeff picked out some stuffed chicken breasts at Sam's Club. These were frozen raw, so they required about 30 minutes in the oven, but were well worth the wait. (Especially since I just added some buttered rice to round out the meal, which made for a super easy and super tasty dinner.) The breaded chicken breasts contained cheddar, brie, and mozarella cheeses with cranberries and apples. (The box says "Barber Foods Premium Entrees Raw Stuffed Chicken Breasts: Creme Brie" if you're interested in some of your own.) The two pound package contained eight pieces of stuffed chicken, and I baked them all thinking we could refreeze the cooked leftovers and heat them in the microwave for a quick snack at a later date. However, these were so tasty only one breast remained to be stored in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. (The boy ate three and - I'm sorry to admit - Jeff and I scarfed down two apiece!) As evidenced by how quickly these were devoured, I can safely say everyone will want to eat them again, and we'll be picking up more for our freezer. Not only did they make an excellent supper, with a couple of nice dishes and a glass of wine these could easily be an elegant dinner for two or a special occasion meal.