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

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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.

Indulgent Noms: Reese's Cup Pie

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8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 ½ tablespoons milk
3 cups of heavy cream, 1-2 cups of it whipped until medium peaks form*
1 9-inch prepared chocolate crust
8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate

Using a stand or hand mixer, whip the cream cheese and sugar together. Then add the milk and peanut butter and beat until well combined. Fold in 1-2 cups of whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture, then pour into the crust, making sure it is slightly below the top of the crust, and the filling is not mounded up in the middle. I usually have some extra, but it never goes to waste. Chill the pie in progress while making the ganache.

Finely chop the chocolate and place in a heavy ceramic or glass bowl. Then heat the 1 cup of cream to boiling in the microwave. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over, or you will have a nice mess to clean up. When the cream has come to a boil, pour it over the chocolate and start stirring until the chocolate has melted and it is completely combined. Let the ganache cool down, as you don’t want to cook your peanut butter and cream cheese mixture. Once it has cooled, pour over the peanut butter pie, and chill 2 hours before serving. Once again, you may have a some ganache left over, depending on how thick you want the topping. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

* I probably use somewhere in between 1 and 2 cups. If you do not use the full amount, throw a little sugar and vanilla in and whip it a little longer, then use it to garnish the pie when serving. That kind of stuff is classy, anyways.

Make this dish!

This is super fast and easy, plus it is damn tasty.

The base of this recipe is taken from the Joy of Cooking, which you should really consider buying if you don’t already own a copy.


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1 lb of fettuccine noodles
1 stick of salted or unsalted butter, room temperature (It depends on how much you want to control the amount of salt in the dish. I personally use salted butter, and think it works well.)
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese*
1 cup of heavy cream
1 – 1 ½ pounds of chicken breast, cut into medium sized chunks
10 oz of cremini or baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

Start boiling your big pot of salted water for the pasta. Meanwhile heat a pan and sauté the mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil until the water has been cooked out of them. Set aside. In the same pan add a touch of butter and some more olive oil and sauté the chicken. Meanwhile cook the noodles, following the instructions on the package. It usually takes me around 13 minutes to cook the noodles, and that is plenty of time to cook the chicken through. When the chicken is done, drain out any excess fat from the pan and add the mushrooms back in. Drain the noodles, and place the pot back on low heat. Throw in the stick of butter and let it melt. Put the noodles back in and add the cream. Stir to coat, and then start adding the parmesan cheese a little at a time. Once the noodles are nice and coated, add the chicken and mushrooms and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Seriously, try this dish. It is indulgent but SO much better than most of the Fettuccine Alfredo you get in restaurants. Of course it is rich, but not overly so. You can also easily adapt this in many ways. You can just go plain, more mushrooms, seafood, etcetera. Essentially whatever strikes your mood that day. It is also easily doubled, just in case you need to feed a crowd.

* PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not use crappy parmesan cheese for this dish. I’m looking at you Kraft stuff that doesn’t come refrigerated. You will notice the difference in the final product. It will not be as creamy, and the flavor will somewhat resemble kindergarten paste. If your supermarket offers BelGioioso parmesan cheese, go with that. If you live in Pittsburgh, Giant Eagle carries this at most stores. And it is available either in a wedge form or pre-grated.


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It is my Thanksgiving, and I’ll keep my Stove Top if I want to!

I was having a discussion with my crazy cafeteria cook mother last night about who is doing what for Thanksgiving. I offered to make the stuffing ahead of time and bring it over, especially because it is pretty easy. Two packages of Stove Top, a few add ins, and done. Having this as one of the key items on my Thanksgiving table may not fit in with my overall cooking style. I do generally prefer as homemade as I can get. I have even drifted away from using jarred pasta sauces even in weeknight meals such as baked ziti. BUT there is something very pleasing about keeping that dish as is. No tweaks, nothing fancy, and it is perfect.


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I have consumed homemade stuffing, and it was fine. Nothing was wrong with it, but it just didn’t have that THING I was looking for. I have zero interest in finding a new recipe, especially because most read like this to me:

3 cups Challa bread – homemade by an old Jewish grandmother – cut into chunks and sun dried under cheese cloth on a perfect 60 degree day
2 organic eggs (from your own hens is best)
1 onion, 1 stalk of celery, 2 carrots (again, home grown, or purchased from an organic farmer that only uses imported water buffalo shat as fertilizer)
½ cup cherries (picked yourself and dried yourself)
½ pound pork sausage (from freshly slaughtered pigs, please)
½ teaspoon thyme, and ½ teaspoon sage – soaked in ¼ cup warmed holy water blessed by the Pope

And people do all this for something that is going to be shoved up a birds ass and then baked for 4 hours? Yeah, I’ll pass.

What classic and not at all fancy family recipe is in the “do not mess with” zone for you?

Zuppa del Giorno: Butternut Squash

One of my cool weather favorites is butternut squash soup. Paired with a simple salad, it makes an excellent and easy meal.



Baby picture of the squash. Source


3 lbs of butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into half inch pieces
6 cups of chicken broth or stock
1 large onion, diced
1 cup of half and half
1-3 tsp of fresh rosemary
cayenne pepper to taste – I usually add 1 tsp, please keep in mind that the flavor profiles and texture of this dish allows the cayenne to really stand out
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in your favorite soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent and soft. Don’t let the onions brown too much. Add the squash and rosemary, and cook for an additional five minutes. Add the chicken broth, cayenne, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Partially cover the pot and simmer the squash until it is soft. Puree the soup using an immersion or regular blender (small batches, please, as hot soup spraying out of a blender will hurt).

Once the soup is pureed, return to heat and add the cream, and any additional salt and pepper if necessary.

This soup is excellent topped with candied pecans.

1 cup of pecans, cut in half
1 tablespoon of butter
½ to 1 teaspoon of cumin
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and add the pecans. Toast briefly, then add the cumin and brown sugar. Cook until the sugar melts and it coats the pecans. Turn the pecans out of the pan onto a sheet of wax paper and cool. Take care to not overcook this, as the sugar and nuts can burn easily.

Meat soaked in gravy? YES PLEASE!

Yesterday I was on the lookout for “an excellent” recipe for pot roast. One Google search later, I stumbled upon the extremely simple sort of recipe I was looking for.

Original Recipe

Of course, me being me, I had to tweak it some.

3 lbs chuck roast – silver skin/thick fat on the outside trimmed, but no additional fabrication necessary
2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup (use the Healthy Request variety of sodium intake is an issue for you)
1 package dry onion soup mix (1 ounce)
1 Knorr beef bouillon cube - This is optional, I like a little more beef flavor. You can add half of it, or none at all.
1 ½ cups of water
1 medium onion sliced thin
1 stalk of celery finely diced
4 carrots cut into ¾ to 1 inch chunks
8-10 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp corn starch
salt
pepper
flour

Lightly salt and pepper the meat, then dust with flour. Brown the meat on both sides in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Combine the water, condensed soup, onion soup mix, and bouillon cube. You will have about 4 cups of liquid at this point.

Place half of the vegetables and thyme in the bottom of a crock pot. Add the meat and then top with the remaining vegetables and herbs. Pour the sauce on, and let this sucker cook for at least 4 hours on high, and 8-10 on low heat.

When the meat is done, pull it out of the pot and chunk/shred it up. Or don’t, serve it in slices. Do whatever you want with it. Although I do suggest putting the cut up meat back in the gravy, because it makes it even better.

While the meat is out of the pot add the teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved with a little bit of cold water. This will help tighten the sauce up a little bit.

Serve with potatoes or noodles. I personally can’t get enough potatoes, so that is my default option.


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That isn't my rig, but it sure is pretty!

Whipped ‘Taters!

Today, I will share with you one of my favorite side dishes … WHIPPED (not mashed) POTATOES! And yes, it should be in all caps, because quite frankly who doesn’t like whipped/mashed/smashed potatoes?



5 pounds of white or Yukon Gold potatoes - not Russet, or “restaurant” or baking potatoes (more on this below)
1 stick of salted butter
1 cup of heavy cream – light or half and half are acceptable, but try to stay away from milk
½ tsp of baking powder
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes, place in a pot, and cover with COLD water. Do not salt the water. Cook the potatoes until soft (more than fork tender). Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Over low to medium low heat cook the potatoes until the water has mostly cooked off. Almost all sizzling ceases when this happens.

Meanwhile, heat the cream in the microwave. When it is close to boiling throw the stick of butter in, and melt that as well.

When the potatoes are ready, add the baking powder and then use your hand mixer to combine. Then add the butter and cream mixture. Don’t pour it in all at once, just in case the potatoes don’t need all the liquid. Whip to combine. Once everything is nice and smooth, and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy this with any of the many dishes that cry out for a whipped potato accompaniment!

I know this is not a very health conscious side dish. You can make your potatoes with milk, a touch of butter, and some chicken stock, but the end product will not be as good.

I demand the white or Yukon gold potatoes for this dish because those varieties have a lower starch content. This makes for a much creamier finished product. Obviously you can use Russet potatoes, and I do from time to time, but it is not going to be the same. If you are making a really nice meal, spend the extra two dollars for a special treat.

Easy Dinner: Spicy Lemon Pasta

My husband and I adore this dish, with its assertive flavors it is certainly not for all tastes, though.

This recipe is adapted from Mario Batali and it appears in his Molto Italiano cookbook.


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1 pound of linguini or spaghetti
3 lemons (JUICE AND ZEST but no seeds)
3 jalapenos sliced thin, seeds and ribs removed
1 medium sized red onion sliced thin
½ tsp to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 stick of butter, room temperature
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Remove the zest and juice the lemons. Combine and set aside.

Slice the onion and jalapenos and set aside in separate piles or containers.

Sauté the onions and red pepper flakes in olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) in a large pan until softened and slightly brown. You can add a little bit of salt to help the onion lose water more quickly. This takes about 8 minutes.

I like to do the previous steps ahead of time. The onions reheat quickly, so you don’t have to worry about timing too many things. Especially if you are preparing additional sides or meat to go with this meal.

Bring your salted pasta water to a boil and add the noodles. Follow the package instructions regarding the timing.

When the pasta is nearly done and the onions are hot, add the jalapenos and sauté over medium heat for one minute. Add the lemon juice and zest mixture and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute.

Once the pasta is finished and drained, take the sauce off of the heat. Add the butter and stir to combine. Then add the noodles and toss. Once the sauce is coating the noodles add the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!