02-23-10
Croque Monsieur-Style Monte Cristos with Fig Salad
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Preheat a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the preserves, shallot and vinegar. Whisk in the EVOO; season with salt and pepper.
- In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 1 1/3 cups milk and cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the mustard and turn off the heat.
- Spread the sauce on 1 side of each bread slice. Top each of 4 slices with 1 cheese slice, 2 folded ham slices, another cheese slice and 1 of the remaining bread slices.
- Beat the eggs with the remaining 2/3 cup milk and coat the sandwiches twice in the batter. Wipe the griddle with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter nestled in a paper towel, then add the sandwiches to the griddle and cook, turning once, until deep golden, about 8 minutes. Halve the sandwiches diagonally.
- Add the romaine, frisée and figs to the dressing and toss. Serve with the sandwiches.
02-15-10
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Ham, Mustard and Honey
Makes 25 Biscuits
Ingredients:
1 3/4-pound red-skinned sweet potato (yam), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of cayenne pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup chilled buttermilk
Dijon mustard
6 ounces thinly sliced country ham or Black Forest ham
Honey
Directions:
Cook sweet potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and mash.
Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.
Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add cubed butter to flour mixture; toss to coat and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes and buttermilk in medium bowl. Add to flour mixture; toss with fork. Gather mixture in bowl, kneading until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and pat into 1-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits, flouring cutter after each cut. Gather scraps; pat into 1-inch-thick round. Cut out additional biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once).
Arrange biscuits side by side in prepared cake pan. Brush with melted butter. Bake until puffed and golden on top and tester inserted into center biscuit comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn biscuits out and gently pull them apart. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise.
Spread bottom half of each biscuit with mustard, then top each with sliced ham and second half of biscuit. Serve with honey.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 88 calories; 4.2 g fat; 0.6 g fiber; 9 g carbohydrates
02-04-10
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Makes 8 Servings
Ingredients:
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic and just enough water to cover (about 1-1/2 cups). Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar and a few drops hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks.
- Boil the sauce, skimming occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shredded chicken and heat through. Spoon the mixture onto the rolls and top with the cheese.
02-02-10
Spinach and Feta Pita Bake
As seen on the following website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-and-Feta-Pita-Bake/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=30896238&prop26=HealthyBites&prop27=2010-01-27&prop28=Main&prop29=Recipe&me=1
Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients:
6 (6 inch) whole wheat pita breads
1 (6 ounce) tub sun-dried tomato pesto
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch spinach, rinsed and chopped
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spread tomato pesto onto one side of each pita bread, and place them pesto side up on a baking sheet. Top with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, feta cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven or until pita breads are crisp. Cut into quarters and serve.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 350 calories; 17 g fat; 7 g fiber; 34 g carbohydrates
02-02-10
Southern Pulled Pork
As seen on the following website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Southern-Pulled-Pork/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=31080199&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2010-01-30&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1
Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds boneless pork roast
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups water
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
Directions:
Cut the pork roast into large chunks. Season generously with the Cajun seasoning. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, and brown on all sides. Remove from the skillet, and transfer to a slow cooker.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes until tender. Stir in the water scraping the bottom to include all of the browned pork bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour the whole mixture into the slow cooker with the pork. Stir in liquid smoke flavoring.
Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, or until meat is falling apart when pierced with a fork. Remove pieces of pork from the slow cooker, and shred. Return to the slow cooker to keep warm while serving.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 178 calories; 10 g fat; 0.5 g fiber; 2.5 g carbohydrates
01-27-10
Pot Roast and Arugula Panini’s
Makes 4 Sandwiches
Ingredients:
8 slices seven-grain bread, about 1/4-inch thick
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 ounces creamy Havarti, thinly sliced
2 cups (about 12 ounces) leftover shredded pot roast, at room temperature, from Sunday Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy recipe
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat a large well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.
Lay the bread slices on a work surface and spread about a teaspoon of mustard on each slice. Divide the sliced cheese among all 8 slices. Evenly spread the meat over 4 cheese-topped bread slices, followed by 1/4 of the arugula. Season with salt and pepper and cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread.
Working in 2 batches, if necessary, put 2 of the sandwiches into the skillet. Weight the sandwiches down with a bacon press or cover them with a sheet of parchment and set a slightly smaller skillet directly on top. Put a can of tomatoes or a brick in the top skillet to weigh the pan down. Cook until the sandwich bottoms are golden and cheese is beginning to melt, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon press or top skillet, flip the sandwiches, return the press or parchment and top skillet to the pan and cook until golden brown, an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches.
Slice the panini on a diagonal and arrange on a serving platter. Serve immediately.
01-10-10
Southwestern Chicken Panini
Makes 2 Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, packed
4 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 lime, juice of
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon canned chipotle chile puree (*)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
butter, softened
4 slices bread, 1/2 inch thick
2 ounces monterey jack pepper cheese, thinly sliced
3 ounces rotisserie cooked chicken, torn into pieces
Directions:
1. Puree a can of chipotles in adobo and keep in a jar in the refrigerator.
2. Process cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice and salt in food processor till minced. Slowly drizzle in oil while machine is running, forming a paste.
3. Mix mayonnaise, chipotle puree, and sugar in a small bowl.
4. Spread each slice of bread with butter on one side. Spread cilantro pesto on the other side of two slices and top with cheese and chicken. Spread the other two slices with the mayo mixture and place on top of the chicken, butter side up. Toast in Foreman grill or in a skillet with a weight on top. (Cook over medium heat. When first side is browned, flip over and cook the other side, weighting again.).
10-29-09
Herbed Turkey Meatball Subs
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients:
Directions:
- In a large nonstick skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium heat. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve the skillet. Using a food processor, pulse 1 hoagie roll into crumbs; add 3/4 cup crumbs to the bowl.
- Using the food processor, finely chop 1 cup onion slices and the garlic. In the reserved skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic-onion mixture and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes; add to the bowl, wiping out the skillet. Using the food processor, finely chop 1/4 cup basil; add the pancetta and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the bowl along with the turkey, egg, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix together.
- Shape the meat mixture into 16 meatballs. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onions and cook until browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the meatballs and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with foil and cook until the meatballs are firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler. Partially split the remaining 4 hoagie rolls; arrange cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil until toasted. Top each roll with 4 meatballs. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup basil and stir into the tomato sauce; spoon over the meatballs. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and broil until the cheese is melted.
10-29-09
Open-Faced Ricotta-and-Hazelnut Butter Sandwiches
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, cook the olive oil and garlic cloves over low heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the garlic oil.
- Using a blender, puree the garlic cloves; reserve 1/2 tablespoon. With the machine on, add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons reserved garlic oil until combined; season with salt.
- Using a food processor, pulse the whole hazelnuts until coarsely ground. With the machine on, pulse in 2 tablespoons reserved garlic oil, the orange peel and orange juice, the reserved 1/2 tablespoon garlic puree, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon lemon peel and the sugar; add more garlic oil to thin the mixture to a spreadable consistency as necessary.
- Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with garlic oil; toast until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a work surface. Spread each toast with one-quarter of the hazelnut mixture and 1/4 cup ricotta. Sprinkle the remaining lemon peel and the garlic-lemon vinaigrette on the ricotta and top with the chopped hazelnuts and parsley.
09-10-09
Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups store-bought tomatillo salsa or salsa verde
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
- 4 crusty sandwich rolls, split
- 4 slices Swiss or monterey jack cheese
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the crème fraîche. Stir in the chicken to coat.
- Pile the chicken mixture on the roll bottoms. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Set the roll tops in place and serve with the chips.