Breakfast Bruschetta
The other day Victor was flipping through channels and found Rachael Ray making an open-faced sandwich of sorts with pesto, roasted peppers, and fried eggs on top. We didn't really catch the whole thing, but the gist of it was toasted inch-thick Italian bread spread with pesto, red peppers, and whatever else. Intriguing, to say the least.
I have to admit that a lot of Rachael Ray's recipes do not have me running into the kitchen saying I have to try this. She's a very good cook and I enjoy her shows, but a lot of things just don't seem like recipes to me. I'm not really her target audience. And if it hadn't been for the combination of pesto and fried eggs, I may have passed this one over, as well. But it really did intrigue me. I definitely wanted to try this one!
I searched all over for the recipe - but couldn't find it, so I decided that I had the basics, I'd just create something. I think she even said something about topping it with different things, using it as a hangover cure... In typical Tim-fashion, I was staring at the plate trying to deconstruct it more than I was listening.
And what a yumlicious something, it was! A definite surprise hit.
I grilled inch-thick slices of Italian bread and spread them with homemade pesto. (We just happened to have some in the freezer from our bountiful summer crop of basil!) Atop the pesto went roasted red peppers. On top of the peppers went slices of fresh mozzarella cheese.
That went under the broiler for the cheese to melt. Meanwhile, I fried the eggs.
I topped the mozzarella with crispy-fried cubed pancetta and slid the eggs atop. A few extra pieces of pancetta went atop the eggs.
And some fried hashbrowns on the side.
This was definitely a keeper. The pesto was just perfect with everything. It came through with every bite, but wasn't overpowering. It was definitely the "unexpected" flavor in the dish - and it would not have been nearly as good without it.
There are just a million different things one could do with this. Sauteed spinach or arugula would be great. Paper-thin slices of ham or prosciutto... any number of cheeses... But the pesto will always take center-stage.
It rocked!
Thanks for a great idea, Rachael!
Patty Melts
When was the last time you had a patty melt? It's definitely been a while for me. I think the last one I had was at the local diner Maybe a year or more ago.
So when I got home today and Victor said he was craving a patty melt, I knew just what to do. Start frying onions.
The secret to a good patty melt is the onions. Cooked in butter until they're deep golden-sweet. I had a small red onion and a small yellow onion. I sliced them both up and let them cook for about 30 minutes.
I fired up the grill and grilled the burgers, brought them in, put the sandwiches together - with American cheese - and set them into a hot skillet.
They were dynamite!
They were even better than I thought they were going to be - and I knew they were going to be good!
Gooey cheesy-oniony heaven.
The potatoes were over-kill. I think I ate three of them. I was focused on that burger and didn't want to put it down.
It really was that good.
So if you haven't had one of these in a while, I highly recommend you taking the time to make one.
And go easy on the potatoes.
Gooey-Cheesy Chcken Sandwich
One of the great things about Fall around here is the drop in humidity. That means crispy, crunch baguettes. And crispy crunch baguettes mean ooey-gooey sandwiches!
I am definitely a sandwich-lover. I love different things between - or on top of - different breads. I love the concept. I love everything about them.
The concept for this sandwich started with a sandwich my friend Ruth made years ago - mushrooms and a cheddar cheese with caramelized onions. It was yum. For this incarnation, I started with a small wedge of pepper jack cheese. A mild cheese with a bit of spice but nothing overpowering. It's a great melter.
I sauteed mushrooms and slices of chicken breast with a tiny bit of butter and olive oil. When it was pretty much cooked through, I added a pinch of S&P and a couple of tablespoons of enchilada sauce I had in the 'fridge. When it was all hot, I stirred in the shredded cheese.
Onto baguettes it went with fries on the side.
It was properly ooey-gooey with lots of crunch. Substantial and filling.
Sandwiches are my friend.
Cheesy Chicken Sandwiches
I love sandwiches.
Anything-and-bread. My kind of meal.
Sandwiches really can run the gamut from simple to extravagant - and it doesn't really take a lot to go from simple to way over the top. A couple of ingredients and a little imagination.
One of my favorite tricks is to use tapenades as sandwich spreads. Roasted red pepper and artichoke tapenade on a roast beef sandwich?!? Excellent. Add cheeses, something green and crunchy like lettuce, pickles, sprouts, pea shoots... And then put it on focaccia or ciabatta, or another rustic-type bread and it's over-the-top. Grilled cheese sandwiches with Happy Hal's Jalapeno Relish... Turkey with lingonberry sauce, onions, and spicy mustard... So many concepts, so few meals...
Tonights sandwich was cheesy chicken with mushrooms and bell peppers on a french roll.
I chopped up a couple of small chicken breasts and sauteed them with bell peppers and mushrooms. When all was cooked, I stirred in a Welsh cheddar with chives and shallots. Creamy goodness! The cheese just coated everything and every bite was crusty bread, cheesy chicken, and crunchy peppers with little bits of mushroom.
Really good. And really simple.
It doesn't take a lot of effort to change the ordinary to extraordinary.
Use your imagination next time you're making a sandwich and take it over the top!
Panini with Pane Pugliese
The downside to fresh-baked bread is that it doesn't stay fresh-baked for long. A couple of days really is the most you're going to get from a loaf - and then it's bread pudding, stuffing, or bread crumbs. None of which are bad, but...
One way to extend the life of that loaf is grilled sandwiches... and if you're fortunate to have a panini press, all the better.
Grilled sandwiches are fun - and can have absolutely anything in them - and a score of things on the outside, as well. Butter, olive oil, even mayonnaise works well for grilling - and each adds its own unique flavor.
So today's sandwich was Pane Pugliese with cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, and Tomato Jam that I made a while back. I used a combination of butter and olive oil on the outside.
I really like adding different spreads and tapenades and such to grilled sandwiches. It's the unexpected that really makes them stand out.
Two sandwiches done in no-time flat and now plenty of time to think about dinner...
Leftovers
Yes, it's true. We eat leftovers.
Sometimes they're planned leftovers - like the breaded chicken breasts I made the other night but, evidently, never wrote about - and sometimes they just are - like the roast beef from Tuesday. The smallest roast at the store is too much for the two of us at one meal...
So every now and again, we're faced with several different things in the 'fridge that need using up. And when there are also rolls that need using up, the only correct solution is sandwiches!
Sandwiches... They're named for the 4th Earl of Sandwich, but he really didn't invent them. They had been around forever under many different names and guises. He just got the credit - and for a while, the Sandwich Islands. (That was the name Captain Cook gave to Hawai'i before the locals killed him for killing a local.)
But I digress...
It doesn't matter to me who they're named after or who first thought about them... anything between - or atop - slices of bread is okay with me. I really do love the fact that they lend themselves to absolutely anything and everything. The day after Thanksgiving would never be the same without turkey sandwiches on squishy white bread, dressing, cranberry sauce, and mayo! It's just about the only time store-bought white bread is in our house. And every different bread makes a different kind of sandwich. I remember a restaurant at Tahoe in the '70s that made a rather dry 9-grain bread, but used it for an avocado, tomato, cream cheese, and alfalfa sprout sandwich that was to die for - especially after smoking a big ol' joint. The dry bread worked perfectly with the rather moist filling. I don't remember the name of the place but I think it was in Kings Beach. And any sort of grilled sandwich or panini... or tuna salad with potato chips, salami on a sourdough roll, Andronico's Turkey with Lingonberry Sauce, a Monte Cristo, a Croque Monsieur, a PB&J... or... or... or...
But I digress, again...
Tonight I had the aforementioned roast beef and the aforementioned rolls and chicken. Since I was doing two different meats, I wanted to tie them together with other fillings. The basket of cherry tomatoes were my inspiration; more candied cherry tomatoes! Tomight I had some proseco that I used as the wine of choice and I added a minced cayenne pepper from the yard. I cooked them down a bit more - and then refrigerated it to get it ooey-gooey.
Mayonnaise and thinly-sliced red onion, candied tomatoes, and crispy breaded chicken breasts or cold roast beef on teeny little rolls were the perfect meal.
They were really messy with stuff oozing everywhere. It was a numerous-napkin-meal.
And worth every bit of the mess.
And speaking of leftovers... in about an hour, we will be ready for more Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Cake.
Leftovers are good.
Birthday BLT's and Chocolate Raspberry Cake
It's the 38th Anniversary of my 21st Birthday.
A momentous occasion. Considering there are plenty of reasons why I probably shouldn't have lived to see my 30th birthday, this is a pretty remarkable achievement.
I actually spent my 21st birthday on the USS Ranger (CVA 61) floating off the coast of San Francisco. We had been back from Viet Nam for about a month and were just going out to sea for three days for a little waste of taxpayer money. I put in for a three-day leave but when our Leading Chief found out it was for my 21st Birthday, he denied it. He just didn't like my attitude and he had the power to keep me on the ship. It seems that even then I had issues with stupid people telling me what to do. Alas, I hadn't learned how to hide it very well at that young age.
38 years later and things are just a bit different. Okay. They're a lot different! And how sweet it is! No more stupid people telling me what to do and the ability to have what I want for my birthday dinner.
Victor was planning something a bit more elaborate, but I said that BLT's on little rolls and Tater Tots were really what I wanted. Being the extremely intelligent man that he is, he readily agreed. He didn't even argue when I said I'd cook. As I said - smart man!
Thick slices of applewood-smoked bacon and thick slices of tomato from the garden. It was gastronomic perfection. I forgot to get the iceberg lettuce but did have some arugula. It made for a nice little twist.
Home-grown tomatoes... I have been waiting for these. They really are just too wonderful for words. And it looks as if we're in for a bumper crop! I'm psyched. There is just no comparison to those things that are called tomatoes at the grocery store. In fact... you should read Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook. I did. I had issues with tasteless supermarket tomatoes before. I don't see myself buying many more - and I definitely will want to know their parentage.
But back to those delicious home-grown tomatoes...
It was the perfect birthday dinner and in about an hour I shall be eating a (large) piece of the perfect birthday cake! A flourless chocolate raspberry cake!
Victor made this while I was at work.
It is based upon Tyler Florence's Chocolate Cracked Earth Cake.
Victor's Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 1 stick butter
- 9 large eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pt raspberries, mashed with a fork
- 1/4 cup strong espresso coffee
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.Melt chocolate and butter together.
Beat egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Stir in a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs then mix in the rest of the chocolate mixture. Stir in coffee and raspberries and mix well.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan.
Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Birthdays are a good thing.
***UPDATE***
Under that mound of whipped cream is the most luscious feather-light, rich, decadent, chocolate-raspberry cake on the planet!
OMG!
I am so having a piece for breakfast!
Mushroom and Cheesesteak Sandwiches
I may have changed my mind more times today about dinner than I have in a really long time. Or, I had so many ideas going I couldn't decide on one. I dunno. All I know is dinner pretty much came to be as I was getting off work.
The weather played a major role today. It's rather ridiculously hot outside. I decided early on that grilling was out. I'm just not interested in being outside right now.
Ravioli were looking good - as was a San Francisco favorite, Joe's Special. I almost did salads. But in the end, it was baby bella mushrooms, shaved beef, and colby jack cheese. And french fries.
Ooey-gooey-cheesy-goodness on a roll. How could it be wrong?
And we have not one, not two, but three different varieties of ice cream for dessert. I even toyed with the idea of making an ice cream cake for dessert but decided cooking french fries for 15 minutes was enough oven time for the day.
Did I mention it's been a bit hot outside?
The next couple of days are going to be even hotter. Oh joy.
Maybe we'll just have ice cream for dinner tomorrow. And fruit-pops for dessert.
Chicken Sandwiches
This was going to be a salad.
I had the chicken in the 'fridge, lettuce, a few cherry tomatoes from the garden. Salads.
I picked up some bacon and focaccia - bacon to crumble and focaccia to nibble - and before I knew what happened, my salads turned into sandwiches.
I think there was an underlying bacon-and-chicken-and-melted-cheese-thing going on that had me subconsciously before the conscious brain kicked in. It's as good a theory as anything else.
I had a bit of onion in the 'fridge and a single bell pepper from the garden, so they got sliced and went into the skillet, first.
I cut the chicken breasts into scallops and they went into the pan with the onion and pepper - and some garlic, salt, and pepper. Bacon was cooked in the oven.
I split the focaccia, covered both halves with cheese and stuck them under the broiler just to melt.
And then the sandwich was assembled.
And consumed.
Sandwiches are fun food. Absolutely anything can go between two slices of bread and they really are limited by your imagination - and ingredients on hand.
Go make a sandwich - and have fun with it!
Porchetta in Norristown
This past Saturday night I worked a function at the Elmwood Park Zoo. It was a fundraiser called Beast of a Feast and local shops donated their wares for charity. The event attracted close to 500 people from all walks of life and the vendors were just as diverse.
The table next to ours was from an Italian deli/cafe called Sessano. They were making huge roast pork sandwiches on great bread made locally in Conshohocken. Naturally, I had to schmooze with the owner and get one for myself.
And was I ever glad I did. It was totally different than anything I had had before. And absolutely delicious.
This was actually the first time I had ever had Italian pulled pork. I have made pulled pork many many times, but I always do it with a southwestern/Mexican style. I've also had it many times in may restaurants, but, again, with that southwestern flavor profile.
It was impressive!
I had read about Italian porchetta in La Cucina Italiana magazine a while back. Street food of Italy. It was a bit (okay, a lot) more labor-intensive than I wanted to do. I filed it away. But after having it Saturday, I knew I was going to Norristown on Monday to get some for home.
The folks working the booth were really, really nice. Fun, friendly, and justifiably proud of their product. The kind of folks you would want to shop with and support.
One of the guys working the event was behind the counter and recognized me the minute I walked in. In a matter of minutes I was heading home with two pounds of porchetta, a container of peppers, and another container of extra broth.
Heaven.
The flavor is rich and vibrant.
It's beautifully balanced and at the same time screams Italy! You can taste the Italian herbs but they're not overpowering. It's easy to see how they have won numerous "Best Of" awards over the years.
There are a few things in this world I just never make because someone else makes them too good to even bother. Sessano's porchetta has just been added to the list. Out of this world good. I know I shall be doing a monthly trek to Norristown to get more. It's only $7.50/lb. Worth every penny and the travel time to get there!
I used Italian rolls and sliced thin slices of aged provolone from a ball I picked up earlier. Topped with the hot peppers. I didn't have to do anything to it. It was done for me. My stomach is smiling.
Sessano Cafe and Deli is in a fairly nondescript shopping center and you could easily pass by without seeing it. I had a GPS and still missed it the first time around. The center looks like it's getting a nice face-lift, though. Lots of building going on. A good sign!
Sessano Cafe and Deli
1840 Markley St.
Studio Centre Norristown
(formerly Logan Square Shopping Center)
Norristown, PA 19401
610-270-9607
Happy Hal's Grilled Cheese
The most simple of foods can be turned stellar and extravagant with just a simple tweak. Such is the case of the simple grilled cheese sandwich.
On its own, a grilled cheese is one of the passages of childhood. Bread, butter, and cheese, grilled to a toasty-brown. As we get older, the sandwich tends to fall to the wayside as our palates (and pocketbooks) expand.
And then we start longing for that comfort-food of our youth, but the adult palate wants more than a bowl of Campbell's Tomato Soup along side.
Enter Happy Hal's Jalapeno Relish.
I've been a fan of Happy Hal's for several years, now. So much of a fan that I went out of my way to meet the owner Susie Spurlock and her husband Joe at the Whole Foods Farmers Market in Devon. And then to offer my services redoing their website.
I like the stuff! It has two ingredients - jalapeno peppers and vinegar. That's it. No fillers, no binders, no gums or other ingredients designed to make you think you're eating something better or higher-quality than it actually is.
Two ingredients.
I have used it as a relish on hot dogs and burgers, made Jalapeno Hollandaise Sauce, put it in deviled eggs, tuna salad, baked macaroni and cheese... The possibilities are endless.
So for my more grown-up grilled cheese today, I merely spread a heaping spoonful of Happy Hal's in the sandwich before grilling. It went from ordinary to extraordinary in a snap.
Oh... and Happy Hal is having a Salute to the Troops Sale during May. One dollar off every jar online.
Head over and pick up a couple, today!
Corned Beef and Cabbage By Any Other Name...
It was my plan all along to make some corned beef sandwiches this week. Even before Marie's phone call. We're heading west on Saturday so there's only so many meals to be had this week. Tonight seemed the perfect night since the new backsplash is being installed tomorrow. I don't know how long it's going to take or how long it will take me to finish the electrical.
I'm definitely a Reuben kinda guy. I lovelovelove the Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and sauerkraut. A big added plus is that it's grilled. Victor, on the other hand, would starve to death before putting sauerkraut to his lips. His sandwich of choice is a Corned Beef Special.
The Corned Beef Special, as far as I can gather, is pretty much a Philadelphia thing. It's corned beef, russian dressing, and cole slaw on rye bread. It's corned beef and cabbage in a different form. How could it be bad?!? Reality is, it's not bad. In fact it's a pretty good combination.
So... I decided to make both.
I cheated and bought deli cole slaw (and deli potato salad) but did make the russian dressing.
Russian Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup chili sauce
- 1 tbsp horseradish
- splash worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp minced onion
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
Mix and chill.
There's a bazillion variations out there. Some include vinegar or lemon juice. I kept it simple.
And the ooey-gooey Reuben was just what I wanted.
The potato salad was barely mediocre. I know better but was feeling lazy.
I always pay for being lazy.
But both sandwiches rocked!
And there are cupcakes and Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake for later...