Cambridge, MA start-up focuses on Celiac disease

Hey all --- check out this quick little article that is in the Boston Globe today!

ImmusanT Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company, said it has established its operations in Cambridge as it looks to develop an immunotherapeutic vaccine and a companion diagnostic and monitoring tool for celiac disease.

The company, which said in a press release that it has secured seed financing from angel investors, is calling its drug candidate vaccine Nexvax2. Celiac disease is a lifelong autoimmune disorder that is triggered by foods containing gluten, the main protein in wheat, rye, and barley.

"With the formation of ImmusanT in Cambridge, we will have broad access to resources, capital and potential partners required to advance development of Nexvax2 and our companion diagnostics," Leslie J. Williams, founder, president, and chief executive, said in a statement.

Link to article.

oh. em. gee.

it's 11:45 and I'm still in the office - NOT COOL.... AND I worked sat/sun.

hence... the reason I am not posting on here. I am not cooking, I haven't even had time to clean my house!

yikes. thanks for allowing the complaining... I'll stop now. hopefully out of here soon --- have to wait on changes/edits.

that is all... definitely taking a few days off later this week! I want to bake something for Better Batter's Recipe contest, check it out! First prize is $400!


**UPDATE: I left the office just before 2am! longest day/night ever! glad it's in the past....

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Not my photo - we ate ours too fast for me to grab the camera.

I've been seeing a lot of recipes for enchiladas recently and realized I've never made them! Yesterday I re-read a few of them and did my own version last night (although this very easy version was my inspiration - perfect for getting home late & wanting to make something quick)!

Ingredients:
Rotisserie Chicken (shredded with a fork)
Mexican Shredded Cheese (or go with monterey jack)
Corn Tortillas (GF of course)
Enchilada Sauce (canned to be fast, or make your own)
Sour Cream
Jalapeño's (husband ate these, not me)
Guacamole if you've got it or sliced avocado

Preheat oven to 425. Shred rotisserie chicken with a fork and place in a bowl. Mix in some cheese & a little pepper. Add some red pepper flakes if you want more heat. Put a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of an oven safe pan.

Wrap corn tortillas (I did 3 or 4 at a time) in a damp paper towl and microwave for about 20 seconds (not burning hot, just to warm) -- add chicken mixture and then a little more cheese (also feel free to add anything else here - spinach, beans, guacamole, etc etc).

Roll up tightly and place in pan. Fill pan, then pour enchilada sauce on top, then sprinkle with cheese (and jalapeño's if you want) and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes!

I added a dollop of sour cream to the top of each one on my plate.

That's it! SO easy and really really yummy. We literally ate all of them before I even thought to take a picture - they were so good and I was STARVING.

I'll definitely be making these more often in the future.

Exciting Gluten Free News!

I just was reading the Gluten Free Appetite blog and saw that Kellogg's will be debuting new gluten free cereals (and snacks) around 6 months from now and there will be gluten free Rice Krispies! Woo hoo! Hoping they make a few more cereals GF as well.

Big news! I need to tell my sister - she is a cerealholic. Not a word, but you know what I mean.

Anyway - check out the GFAppetite blog for more information!

View from my office the other night

How gorgeous? Love that the sun is going down later & later.... cooomme on spring! you can do it!

(have a STACK of recipes I need to start working on --- heading to VT for a long ski weekend, will blog when I'm back!)

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

How is it Friday already?! WOO HOO - long weekend.

So, the meal plan fell apart last night - but I think we'll nix the veggie cassoulet, and do shrimp & grits tonight for movie night with the hubs.

I did make the Buttermilk chicken recipe (that I found here) on Wednesday night though. I thought this was OK. I probably wouldn't make it again, although I would make breadcrumbs like this again and switch up the recipe a little bit. Here it is:

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

• Vegetable oil, for baking sheet -- I just sprayed EVOO spray on baking dish
  
• 8 slices bread --- I used UDI's of course, and only 4 slices
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 1/2 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 pounds chicken parts (preferably legs, thighs, and wings), rinsed and patted dry --- I used chicken breast & legs, and only used about 2 lbs
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously rub a baking sheet with oil. In a food processor, pulse bread until it turns into coarse crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk, hot-pepper sauce, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
3. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat evenly. Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from liquid, letting excess drip back into bowl; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat evenly. Place coated chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Here is the bread in the food processor, before:

And after: My little assembly line dunking the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, then crumbs, then baking sheet:
Finished product:
Not bad.... for some reason this tasted better as leftovers... I think the mix of hot sauce & thyme was a little weird... Maybe more seasoning, no hot sauce next time! I also sliced & roasted brussel sprouts in a little olive oil and season salt, and red potatoes on the side!

OK - now I have about half a carton of buttermilk left -- what should I make with it??? Have a FABULOUS weekend everyone!

Tuesday: Pressed Mozzarella Sandwiches

I forgot that I had a dance class yesterday on the later side, so I didn't have time to do the Buttermilk Chicken -- that will be for tonight!

Instead - I made the pressed mozzarella sandwiches that I had seen, and drooled over, here. I knew it would be pretty fast, and I had just gotten a jar of Giada's Pesto last weekend at Target that I wanted to try.


Really liked this pesto! It tasted fresh, and had a hint of sweetness that I really liked.
These sandwiches were YUM. Pulled out the panini press (which has been gathering dust as of late) and used the following:

UDI's Whole Grain Bread
Giada's Basil Pesto
Fresh Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella
Red Pepper Flakes
EVOO spray

I was pretty impatient and didn't wait long enough to let the cheese melt all the way through, but my husband did. His regular bread also held up a little better to the pesto, but we both loved this & will definitely have it again for a quick & easy dinner.