Two really good sandwiches!

I’m know fairly well known for the absolute horror I will experience if mayonnaise even comes within a few inches of my sandwich. At Subway if the knife isn’t wiped off before cutting my sandwich, I will be all awkward and ask. Just because I hate it so much. With that in mind, I offer two very different and mayonnaise free sandwiches.



Turkey Bacon Avocado

2 thin slices of Italian bread (or any kind that you enjoy)
2 slices of turkey (smoked or peppered is yummy)
2 slices of pepper jack cheese
1 ½ slices of cooked bacon
3 slices of nice, ripe avocado
black olives (optional)

Place a slice of cheese on each piece of bread. Pile on the turkey, bacon, and then top with the avocado. Then lightly salt and pepper the avocado slices and add the black olives if that is your thing. Close up your sandwich and toast that sucker either in a sandwich press or in a pan with another pan placed on top of the sandwich to act as a homemade press. Or don’t. Don’t press it, don’t heat it, but I would suggest you do so.

Honey Fluffernutter

2 slices of very, very, white bread
peanut butter
marshmallow fluff
½ tablespoon of butter
½ tablespoon of honey

Make the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich. Don’t over stuff it, because when you toast it the excess will ooze out. Melt the butter and honey together in a microwave, and brush the outside of the sandwich with the mixture. Toast both sides and enjoy.

The little bit of honey and butter really compliment the peanut butter.

Mushroom & Leek Pasta

This is an easy and fast meal, that puts a new even lighter spin on pastas with cream sauces.

1 pound of pasta, shells or Farfalle are best
10 ounces of “Baby Bella” or cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 oz of bacon
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
½ cup of parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons of butter
½ cup of heavy cream
1/8 cup of pasta water
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the white and light green portion of the leek in half, then thinly slice. If you have a mandolin, this is a good time to use it. Place the sliced leeks in a bowl of water to make sure all the sand drains out. Gritty pasta would be pretty nasty. Slice the mushrooms and set aside. Dice the bacon into small pieces so it looks like flat lardons. Heat you favorite pan (that can eventually hold a pound of cooked pasta) over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Meanwhile to cook the pasta, bring a pot of salted water to boil. When the bacon is crispy add the mushrooms and some salt, and cook until browned and the water has cooked out of them. Drop the pasta and cook following the package instructions, usually anywhere between 10-14 minutes. When there is about 10 minutes left on your pasta add the drained leeks to the pan with more salt to help the leeks wilt. When the leeks are soft, add the butter and cook for an additional 2 minutes. When the pasta is done, make sure to grab that 1/8 cup pasta water prior to draining. Toss the drained pasta into the leek, mushroom, and bacon mixture, and add the pasta water and heavy cream. Finish by tossing the pasta in the parmesan cheese. Add pepper and additional salt if desired.

Also, here is my budget tip for the week. Buy a pound of bacon on sale, and separate it into 4 oz portions. Freeze. It seems that there are a good amount of recipes that call for or could benefit from a little bit of bacon. And now you have it waiting for you in the freezer. No more buying a new package, opening it, forgetting about it, then having to toss out what was once perfectly lovely pork.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Source

Finally a recipe where you can use up that cheap vodka that you bought for your friends that don’t know any better!

1 pound of pasta, spaghetti, penne, or cellentani are best
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, with some of the juice drained off
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, cut in quarters
12 basil leaves, sliced thin
½ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup vodka
½ cup parmesan cheese
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

Add the chopped onion to a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt the onions, and sauté over medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or two. Then add the vodka, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and pepper to the pan. Continue to cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the pan off of the heat, then puree the mixture using an immersion or standard blender. If using a standard blender, please work in batches, as this kind of stuff is kitchen Napalm. Return the sauce to the pan, cover, and hold over low heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water, and cook to desired doneness. Several minutes before the pasta is done, turn the heat up on the sauce slightly, and add the cream and heat through. Finally, combine the basil and drained pasta. Toss to coat, adding the parmesan cheese a little at a time.

DONE!

This is a really easy and fast weeknight meal, especially if you prepare the sauce ahead of time. Just don’t add the cream and basil until you reheat.