The Chattanooga Area Food Bank is gearing up for a great evening of fun for its largest annual fundraiser, HullaBowloo, to be held 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15. It's an evening filled with dancing, dining and a bowlful of creativity.
The Food Bank will take on an urban look, with "city streets," street dancing, roving musicians, a local watering hole, and a most appropriate feature: a community garden. HullaBowlooers will enjoy roaming the streets and dining on food prepared by area chefs Charlie Loomis (Greenlife Grocery), Rick Wright (University of the South), Tom Goetz (Girls Preparatory School), Gary Klein (Baylor School) and Cameron Mitchell (Covenant College). Plus, there will be food and drink from Big River Grille, Link 41 Sausages, Whipped Cupcakes and Stone Cup Roasting Co.
It's an interactive fundraiser, which makes it all the more fun. When you get your fill of great food, you can help with the Food Bank's Sack Pack program by helping to fill sacks with food to help feed area schoolchildren on weekends. Artist Lolly Durant will also be present, overseeing those wanting to make their own clay bowls. It's a fun process that brings out the creative edge in everyone participating.
Tickets to this event-filled evening are $50 per person and include all food and beverage. For reservations, visit www.hullabowloo.org or call 622-1800.
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After a couple of setbacks, the second location of Petunia's Silver Jalapeno has finally opened in the former food court at Warehouse Row. And apparently folks in the area are quite happy. I've heard it's been very crowded since opening last week. Check it out. The place looks great. And the food? Well, if you haven't had the barbecue or fish tacos, or some of the best guacamole I've ever tasted, you're missing out.
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I keep reading about the importance of limiting the amount of red meat we consume, so chicken and fish are filling my menu. As a result, I'm looking for more recipes, as marinated grilled chicken breasts and baked fish are getting rather boring.
Here's a recipe that came from the National Chicken Council that really revved up a recent meal. If you're a cherry lover like me, you'll like this dish. It's simple to make, though it uses items you probably don't keep in your pantry, so you'll need to take a trip to the grocery store. But, if you're like me, it's almost a daily chore.
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Sautéed Chicken Cutlets with Cherry Port Sauce
8 thinly sliced chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) tart cherries, drained and juice reserved
1/2 cup port wine
2 tablespoons dried cherries
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
In small saucepan, combine chicken broth and drained cherry juice. Boil over high heat and reduce to 1/2 cup.
In small bowl, combine port and dried cherries. Reserve. In small bowl, blend together flour and 1 tablespoon butter to make smooth paste. Reserve.
While broth mixture is reducing, sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. In large sauté pan, melt remaining butter and olive oil over medium heat. Brown cutlets until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to plate and cover with foil.
In the same pan, add shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 1 minute. Add port and dried cherries. Stir to scrape up browned bits on bottom of pan. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly by boiling for about 1 minute. Add reduced broth/cherry juice and lemon juice and boil for another minute.
Stir flour/butter mixture into the sauce. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Add cherries and thyme to pan. Stir to combine. Return chicken to pan along with any accumulated juices. Warm for one minute.
Serve chicken cutlets over wild or brown rice. Spoon sauce and cherries over cutlets.
Nutritional analysis (per serving): 320 calories; 12 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams fiber; 12 grams sugars; 26 grams protein.