Fifty Cent Soup

I found some soup I had I bought on clearance for 50 cents.  It expired in 2008.  This was a perfect recipe for it.  

Easy Beef Sandwiches

Serves 6

1 pound seasoned deli roast beef

1 can of beef broth

Rolls

Provolone cheese

Place beef and broth in a slow cooker.  Heat on low until warm, about 20 min.  Place on a roll.  Top with cheese.  Use the juice for dipping the sandwich in, if desired.

It Can Always be Rinsed

Even if chicken is cooked and has turn dry yet slimy, the slime can still be rinsed off.  Then to moisten it add back the slime, like say mayonnaise. 

Chicken Salad Sliders

From Paula Deen

Serves 12

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 cups finely diced cooked chicken
1 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup slivered almonds
12 mini slider rolls 

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt. Toss with the chicken, celery, and almonds in a medium bowl. Serve on mini slider rolls or any small roll.  

Fresh Zucchini

Use shredded zucchini like shredded lettuce. Like in tacos or sandwiches. If you pick your zucchini before it grows into Godzilla, you will get more. Is that good?

The Next Day

Hide the salvaged salmon under a pile of bacon in a salmon BLT.

A Pilgrim and a Closed Door

Here are two tantalizing turkey recipes for your left overs. Turkey leftovers are fondly referred to as turk around here. Was that sarcasm or socratic irony? Please limit your response to 50 words or less.

Pilgrim Sandwich
From The White Gull Inn
Serves 4

8 slices dark rye bread
4 T. mayonnaise
1 pound sliced or shaved cooked turkey breast
3/4 c. cranberry orange relish
4 oz. Cheddar cheese, sliced
8 lettuce leaves

Place slices or rye bread on work surface. Spread mayonnaise on 4 of the slices. Top with turkey, relish, cheese and lettuce. Cover with remaining 4 slices rye bread and cut in half to serve.
Closed Doorwich
Adapted from The White Gull Inn
Serves 4

8 slices dark rye bread
softened butter
12-16 oz. sliced turkey
1 recipe caramelized apples
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, more if desired
Smoked mayonnaise

Pre-heat skillet on medium low heat.

Butter one side of each slice of rye bread. Place one slice, buttered side down in pre-heated skillet. Top with turkey, warm caramelized apples and cheese. Top with remaining slice of rye bread, buttered side up. Cook until bread is hot and toasted. Turn over. Press down on sandwich with a spatula. Cook until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. If cheese doesn't melt, remove from heat and cover briefly until the cheese is melted. Remove from skillet and cut in half. Serve immediately with smoked mayonnaise for dipping.

Variation: Used smoked turkey and apple cider mayonnaise (see below)


Caramelized Apples
Serves 4

5 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter

Placed prepared apples in mixing bowl. Add sugar and gently mix. Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat until bubbly. Add apples. It is best if they are in a single layer. Allow the sugar to melt and apples to brown. Gently check with a spatula. Once they have browned, turn them over with a spatula. Keep cooking them until the apples are browned and the sugar is caramelized. Total cooking time is about 30 min. Be careful not to burn the apples. Reduce heat if necessary. Serve immediately.

Smoked Mayonnaise
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 to 1 t. liquid smoke (start with 1/2 t. adjust to taste)

Blend until smooth. Can add 1 T. apple cider or apple juice or frozen apple juice concentrate.


Apple Cider Mayonnaise
1. c mayonnaise
1 T. apple cider (can use apple juice or frozen apple juice concentrate)

Blend until smooth.

Grilled Meatball Subs and Zucchini Oven Chips

I found a meatball grill basket at Williams-Sonoma for $10. I couldn't refuse. But you don't need one to grill meatballs. Most grill baskets would work. You could even fry them in a fry pan on top of the stove or even broil/bake them in the oven. These can be made a day ahead kept in barbecue sauce in a crock-pot.

Grilled Meatball Subs

From Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup torn pieces of crustless white bread (1/2-inch pieces)
• 2 yellow onions
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 jar smoky bacon barbecue sauce
• 4 sourdough sandwich rolls, each about 5 inches long, halved lengthwise
• 4 slices provolone cheese, each 1 oz., cut into 1-inch strips

Directions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.

In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread and stir until evenly moistened. Set aside.

Finely dice half of 1 onion. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to prevent browning. Let cool to room temperature.

Add the cooked onion, ground beef, parsley, thyme, the 1 tsp. salt and pepper to the bowl with the bread mixture. Using a spoon or your hands, gently mix just until the ingredients are combined.

Spray the wells of a meatball grill basket with nonstick cooking spray. Using about 3 Tbs. of the meat mixture for each meatball, form the mixture into balls in the bottom half of the wells (the side with the handle). Close the lid on the basket.

Thinly slice the remaining onions. In a bowl, stir together the onions and the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Transfer the onions to a mesh grill-top fry pan and place on the grill. Cover the grill and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season the onions with salt and pepper; keep the onions on the grill. (I sauteed mine on the stove).

Place the meatball basket on the grill. Cover the grill and cook, turning the meatball basket over once, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 14 minutes total. Meanwhile, continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized.

Remove the meatball basket from the grill but keep the onions on the grill. Pour the barbecue sauce into a 5-quart Dutch oven, add the meatballs to the pot and place on the grill. Heat until the sauce is warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

Arrange the sandwich rolls, cut side down, on the grill and toast until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. To assemble the sandwiches, layer the onions, meatballs and cheese on the rolls, dividing evenly; spoon on more sauce, if desired. Place the sandwiches on the unheated side of the grill, cover and heat until the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. ( I toasted the buns and melted the cheese at the same time in the oven). Serve immediately. Serves 6 with 2 meatballs per person.

For the barbecue sauce, make or buy your favorite and add bacon and liquid smoke to it to achieve the smoky bacon flavor. I bought a bottle of Annie's smoky maple barbecue sauce and it was too spicy. I added T-Dawgs sauce to it and liquid smoke to taste. (When adding liquid smoke, start with a small amount. Add more to taste.) Instead of adding bacon to the barbecue sauce, I put bacon on the sandwiches. The meatballs can be made a day ahead and kept in enough barbecue sauce to cover them. I kept them in a crock-pot and reheated on low for several hours.

Zucchini Oven Chips
From Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:61 (28% from fat)

Fat:1.9g (sat 1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:3.8g

Carbohydrate:7.6g

Fiber:1g

Cholesterol:5mg

Iron:0.6mg

Sodium:231mg

Calcium:87mg

Butter Crust Sandwich Bread

I wanted to make BLTs but didn't have bread in the house. I decided to make some. I ran across this recipe when I did a search for sandwich bread. As I read the mixed reviews I thought "perfect." It's got disaster written all over it. My kind of recipe. Better yet, my yeast is practically from ancient Egypt. What could go right? I would have blog entry. Like I need more material for that. But after following the recipe carefully (even weighing the flour), it turned in into a great bread for sandwiches.

Butter Crust Sandwich Bread
Touch guides you in three ways as you make this bread: Knead the dough until it feels smooth and elastic; press it to see if it has risen enough; and then tap the baked loaf to determine if it has finished baking. Serve toasted with preserves, or use for sandwiches.
Tip: Bread is done when it has reach an internal temperature of 200 degrees.

Yield: 1 loaf; 10 servings (serving size: 1 slice about 2 oz. each)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, divided
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (about 14 1/2 ounces) Weigh it!
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 3 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.
Roll dough into a 14 x 7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place roll, seam side down, in an 8 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat surface of dough with cooking spray, and cover; let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Uncover loaf; drizzle surface of loaf with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, gently spreading with a pastry brush. Cut a (1/4-inch-deep) slit lengthwise down center of loaf using a sharp knife.
Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until the bread is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

187 (16% from fat)

Fat:

3.3g (sat 1.5g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

5.3g

Carbohydrate:

33.7g

Fiber:

1.2g

Cholesterol:

7mg

Iron:

2mg

Sodium:

264mg

Calcium:

38mg

The Brown Spotted Pear

The young brown spotted pear is an elusive creature as it quickly becomes mature and develops into the brown pear. It can be found the world over but is most likely to be seen in areas of procrastination and general goofing. It is, however, quite tasty. It it recommended to remove the most soft parts. The mature adult, the brown pear, can be eaten as well but only in select dishes.

Grilled Ham and Cheese with Pear

8 slices country style white bread, sliced 1/2 inch think
Ham, thinly sliced. I used about 1 3/4 to 2 oz of baked ham per sandwich
12 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced
2 pears, peeled and thinly sliced
Butter, softened

Pre-heat skillet on medium-low heat.

Assemble sandwich: Place cheese, ham, pear, more cheese on bread. Top with remaining bread and press to hold sandwich together. Spread top generously with butter. Place buttered-side down into skillet. Slightly press again. Generously butter the remaining side. Cook until cheese is slightly melted and bread is browned, slightly pressing on sandwich with spatula as it cooks. Flip and cook, slightly pressing, until cheese is thoroughly melted and sandwich is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Variations:
Vary the ingredient amounts to your taste.
Use apple instead.
Spread Dijon mustard on the inside of the sandwich.

A Perfect Match

Cheese pepper rolls that are too hot. Old marinated sun-dried tomatoes.

Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Sandwich

8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup diced sun dried tomatoes
Pinch salt



Combine the goat cheese and cream in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip together the cheese and the cream. Stir in the tomatoes and salt. Spoon onto cheese and pepper rolls (purchased at Sam's Club). Makes 4-6 sandwiches.

Since my tomatoes are well marinated (read old) in spices I only use 1/3 c. dried tomatoes.

Christmas Ham

I cleaned out my freezer to make room for the 80 lbs. of strawberries that I froze. I found a smoked ham that was from last Christmas and guess what? It was still good. Except that was in June. It has deteriorated since then but I will not surrender. Mmmmm, ham butter. This is a popular dish on Derby Day but the ham won't keep until then. I didn't use biscuits as I have some old rolls I need to use up.






Ham Butter
Serves 12
Serve on hot biscuits

1 cup cubed ham
1/2 stick butter, softened

In a food processor, grind ham into small pieces. Add butter and pulse until combined. Split hot biscuits in 1/2, and fill each biscuit with about 1 tablespoon of the ham mixture.

Thanksgiving Stuffing 2008

Stuffing Sandwich

Bread
Turkey
Stuffing (can be formed into patties and heated)
Cranberry sauce
Add gravy or anything else you would like
Grill it or eat cold

Homemade Bread, Corn on the Cob

Fresh Friday. I made my own Hawaiian bread for Cuban sandwiches and we had fresh sweet corn on the cob picked at a farm nearby.

Corn on the Cob

• Fill your pot with water.
• Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar.
• Drop in your corn.
• Bring everything to a boil, making sure the sugar is dissolved in the water.
• Boil for no longer than 8 minutes.
• Remove from the water and let it cool enough for handling and eating.
• Handle it and eat it.

Hawaiian Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, potato flakes, sugar, yeast, salt and ginger. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water, butter and pineapple juice to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Shape each into a ball. Place in three greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Dried Up Pork

I have some pork I need to use. I think I will make Cuban sandwiches. I like to use Hawaiian rolls/ bread as the recipe indicates use a sweeter bread. A non-sweet Cuban bread recipe follows.

Classic Cuban Midnight (Medianoche) Sandwich

From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 4 sweet bread rolls
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1 pound thinly sliced cooked ham
• 1 pound thinly sliced fully cooked pork
• 1 pound sliced Swiss cheese
• 1 cup dill pickle slices
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Split the sandwich rolls in half, and spread mustard and mayonnaise liberally onto the cut sides. On each sandwich, place and equal amount of Swiss cheese, ham and pork in exactly that order. Place a few pickles onto each one, and put the top of the roll onto the sandwich. Brush the tops with melted butter.
2. Press each sandwich in a sandwich press heated to medium-high heat. If a sandwich press is not available, use a large skillet over medium-high heat, and press the sandwiches down using a sturdy plate or skillet. Some indoor grills may be good for this also. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, keeping sandwiches pressed. If using a skillet, you may want to flip them once for even browning. Slice diagonally and serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 1453 | Total Fat: 88.4g | Cholesterol: 275mg

Cuban Bread
From Carrot Jello
 
5-6 cups flour
2 T yeast (yes Tablespoon is correct)
2 T sugar
1 T salt
2 cups hot water
 
Mix 4 cups of flour with yeast, sugar and salt. Pour in hot water and beat with mixer for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour until no longer sticky. Knead the dough right in the bowl you were mixing it in (no need to make a huge mess on the counter with flour, just keep it in the bowl). Let rise 15 minutes in a greased bowl. Punch down. 

Divide into two round loaves and place on a baking sheet.  Cut an X on top of each loaf. Put in a cold oven. Add a cake pan filled with water onto the bottom rack of the oven. (This is the secret to crusty bread) Heat oven to 400 and bake 40-50 minutes.