Greek Veggie Wrap

I am going to tell you a story about my journey with food.

Let's start with my parents.  Growing up, especially when I was young, my mom did a lot of cooking.  She made all the 80s and early 90s favorites like beef stroganoff, tuna casserole, swiss steak, tuna salad, cream chipped beef, meatloaf, roasts, goulash, etc.  But my mom is also 50% Italian, so she also made family recipes like huge vats of homemade marinara with ribs, meatballs, and sausage, stuffed artichokes, salads, sausage and peppers, stuffed peppers, stuffed squash, etc.  Like most families at that time, mine was influenced by popular food culture and marketing.  I think we were all brainwashed into thinking that buying fresh produce was somewhat of a luxury.  Therefore, we ate plenty of canned veggies.  Did the cream of mushroom soup thing.  Plenty of velveeta.  Margarine happened (it is healthier, duh!)

But my mom's core food knowledge was real food.  My family definitely followed the pre-made, packaged, canned food trend, but didn't stray too far and for too long from the real stuff.

My dad also did a lot of cooking.  I remember him making things like drip beef sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, stir fry, etc.  Also, I think for a good 5 years of my life, my dad ate a large, fully loaded salad for dinner.  Every night.  And I share many of my dad's taste buds.  We both like spicy food and now that I am an adult, I realize I share my dad's lack of a sweet tooth.

As a result of mostly positive food influences, I was never in too bad of shape with my general food knowledge.  Especially since my extended family and friends have taught me a lot too.

However...I, too, fell for much of the crap (aka "food") out there at your typical large supermarket.  When I went off to college and started 100% feeding myself, I started with what I knew.  Diet drinks and Sweet N' Low were a part of my regular diet.  Thought it was healthy.  Once I came to my senses and stopped (it was easy), I started noticing it was in EVERYTHING.  Anything labelled "light", which at the time, I thought meant "light on the sugar".  For example, light yogurt, I thought just had less sugar...but no, it just had fake sugar.  I was so mad.  Furious.

And probably my saddest realization was "coffee creamer".  I bought it thinking it was just cream.  Like what comes from a cow.  At one point I was looking at my Coffeemate bottle and noticed it said non-dairy.  WHAT!?!?  Non-dairy?!?!  That is when I decided to start seriously looking at labels and not be tricked again.  This was about 10 years ago.

As I have been continuing to grow my food knowledge and trying more and more types of foods and recipes, I (like so many others) have come a long way.  I never thought I would eat homemade granola for breakfast (and not be able to buy it from the store...)  I never thought I would prefer whole grain wraps to white wraps.  I never thought I would eat a pound of beans each week and only eat meat on occasion.  I never thought I love kale and other dark greens.  I never thought I would be such a...hippie.

Ok, that is a lie.  I always hoped I would.

The point is...I started out with a good relationship to food.  With reasonable knowledge.  With a decent diet.  But it wasn't easy to sort through all the crap that is thrown at us at the grocery store.  You almost have to have a PhD in Food to understand what food trends to follow and what marketing is actually true.

This is the reason that you should never let any package tell you what is good for you.  If food needs to convince you to eat it, they are probably lying.  Have you ever picked up a head of broccoli and pondered whether or not it will do your body any good?  No.  Broccoli has dignity.

Everyone has a journey with food.  I just thought I'd share mine.  Maybe you are at a different stage in your journey.  And I hope you are enjoying it!  :)  My journey is partly being recorded on this blog...so the archives hold my deepest and darkest secrets.  Don't get too excited though.

Now, here is another "burrito" for you.  This time, I went with a Greek-ish filling.  We have baby spinach, a warm chickpea mixture, a greek salsa and some feta cheese all wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla.  It is summer in your hand.  I will remind you one last time (ha...), buy the feta that comes packed in a liquid.  It is about 7 times better.

Greek Veggie Wrap

2 14.5 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ tsp of coriander (heaping)

a pinch (or more) of cayenne

½ of an English cucumber, diced

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

¼ of a medium red onion, finely minced

handful of kalamata olives, chopped

2-3 tbsp of finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1-2 tbsp of white/red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

2 burrito-sized whole wheat tortillas

feta cheese, crumbled

several big handfuls of baby spinach

salt and pepper

Prepare the bean mixture:  put the chickpeas, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper, and a good splash of water in a skillet.  Cook over medium high heat until water evaporates.  Taste, adjust seasonings and repeat process (add more water, cook until evaporated, taste), until desired texture is reached.  I usually do the process twice.

Prepare the Greek salsa:  combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, vinegar, and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare wraps:  warm a tortilla over an open flame, the microwave or in the oven.  Put a healthy layer of baby spinach down.  Top with bean mixture, feta cheese and salsa.  Wrap, burrito-style. 

(Servings:  2, Prep time:  20 min., Cook time:  20 min., Difficulty:  Easy) 


Printable Version


foodforscot Ratings:  


Shanon (taste):  8/10
Scot (taste):  7/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Prosciutto, Artichoke Heart, and Leek Panini

It isn't like I was wondering if this would be delicious.  Let's put crack dip in a sandwich with pork fat and check to make sure it tastes good.  That is what I did.  And I put some greens in there just to make sure we didn't die.  

Don't be scared.  This sandwich IS good.  And you will be fine.  Just eat it with a salad.  

Prosciutto, Artichoke Heart, and Leek Panini

8 thin slices of prosciutto

1 leek, sliced and rinsed

1/4 yellow onion, sliced

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1-2 tablespoons of sour cream

8 slices of sourdough bread

2-4 tablespoons of cream cheese

a couple handfuls of baby arugula

olive oil

salt and pepper

In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, crisp up prosciutto and set aside on a paper towel to drain.

Add some olive oil to the pan, turn down heat to medium and slowly cook and caramelize onions and leeks. After about 10 minutes, add artichokes hearts and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and mix in sour cream.  Set aside.

Prepare Panini: To make 1 sandwich, spread cream cheese on two slices of bread.  Top with a small handful of arugula, a spoonful of the artichoke/leek mixture and two slices of crispy prosciutto. Grill in a Panini press or on a griddle until bread is crispy.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Beef Congee (Rice Porridge)

Thank you for all your votes!  Forever and always.  If you can, please keep voting.  Every 24 hours.  Until Friday.  It is a lot to ask, I know.  But I love ya for it.  Let me know when you vote and you could win some cookies.  

I have been wanting to make congee for forever.  For forevs.  I have had it in various strange situations, including on a camping trip.  A few summers ago, I went on this canoeing trip to the boundary waters in Northern MN.  It was actually my friends "hikelorette".  She wanted a wilderness experience before her HUGE Vietnamese wedding that summer.  The girls on the trip had varied levels of experience with camping.  Some had never even car camped.  Some were more experienced backpackers.  

Too soupy, but still delicious

We went during bug season.  And when I say bug season, it doesn't mean like you may want to bring along some bug spray.  It means you need full body protection, a bug net mask/hat, and Deet.  There were swarms of bugs flying around your personal bubble at all times.  Especially your face.  

One of my favorite parts of the trip was all the delicious food we had.  With all the Asian influence on the trip, we had a lot of Asian food, including congee.  It was the first time I had it and they made it very clear that the texture of our backpacking version was not correct.  That is why I love the Asian cultures.  They know their food.  They respect it.  It is just a big part of their lives.  

I chose to make this beef version of congee.  It was extremely amazing.  And I loved everything about it.  Even though it does have some Asian flavors, it actually felt like a comfort food for me.  I think it is ground beef and the starchiness from the rice that reminds me of the meals I grew up eating like meatloaf, beef stroganoff, swedish meatballs, etc.  But this is also extremely easy to make.  I guess it is more of a breakfast or lunch type dish.  However, it is great for dinner but definitely needs something else and probably a veggie (no veggies, ahhh!).  It is often made without meat and then there is some yummy meat served on the side.  

Let me discuss some of the Asian ingredients that you will (not) need to get at your favorite Asian grocer.  First, there is this crazy "Thousand Year Egg".  I pretend like I am an adventurous eater and I usually will try anything.  However, this is some egg that has been preserved in clay, ash, salt and lime for weeks to months.  Hmm.  I'll pass on that one.  The second, is the dried shrimp, which I have wanted to try for a while.  So, I did get some.  They are actually in the frozen section of the Asian Market.  They are also kind of disgusting.  Definitely edible.  And I did include them in my congee.  But I don't see the point of them, so I would skip them too.  This means that all the ingredients are very easy to find!  Last note, for me, it was a little soupy day one of making it.  But after it sat and was reheated for leftovers, it was the perfect texture.  But I liked both.  I wonder if I rinsed my rice too many times?  

Not worth it.

Beef Congee (Rice Porridge)

from Steamy Kitchen

1 cup raw rice

1/2 lb ground beef (marinated in 1 tbl soy sauce, 1 tbl cornstarch, 1/2 tsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbl dried shrimp (optional)

10 c water or stock

1 1/2 tbl soy sauce + ground pepper to taste

Toppings: minced scallions, cilantro, deep fried wonton skins, shredded ginger or Thousand Year Egg (optional of course)

Wash rice, drain and repeat 3 more times until the water runs clear. Marinate the beef for 10 minutes. Soak dried shrimp in 1/2 c hot water and drain.

Heat large stockpot over med-high heat with 2T cooking oil. When hot, add ground beef, dried shrimp and garlic. Fry until ground beef is browned. Add the stock or water, soy sauce and rice. Turn heat to high. When boiling, immediately turn heat to low. (If you want Thousand Year Egg – add it now) Simmer 40 min. Taste and adjust with more soy and pepper if needed.

(Servings: 5-6, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:  

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  1/5

Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Thai Tempeh Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

For breakfast and lunch, we have a routine.  I hate routines, but they do make life easier.  For breakfast, we do cereal and OJ.  And I have never been a cereal person.  But Scot's life and happiness depends on cereal.  When he is working out a lot, I can't even tell you how many bowls he eats (we both sit and eat breakfast each morning...at least 20 minutes).  So, basically, I became a cereal person.  We do switch it up, have bagels, oatmeal or something special, but 90% of the time it is the standard.  

Oh, and we secretly eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Sometimes.  Yeah, yeah, it has a lot of sugar.  But you brush your teeth right after breakfast, so it all goes away.  We eat other cereal that literally looks like gerbil food, therefore, it all evens out in the end.  

For lunch, we eat yogurt, fruit, and a main dish.  Every.  Single.  Day.  I swear!  Are we lame?  The main dish is usually some leftovers.  Back up is often PB&J (which I could really live without, but I can choke it down).  Sometimes I do cheese sandwiches (my favorite, not Scot's).  But every once in awhile, I like to spice things up.  Actually MAKE something for lunch.  And a wrap is always a great lunch item. 

This particular wrap is made up of some tempeh marinated in soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes with some fresh veggies and spicy peanut sauce.  Tempeh goes really well with Asian flavors.  And these wraps hold up nicely with time and taste great cold.  

Notes on the peanut sauce:  I would recommend using the oil instead of the coconut milk if you want a looser, wetter sauce.  I liked having a thicker sauce for the wraps because it keeps it from getting too drippy.  And also, you can use the rest of the sauce to make the noodle dish on David Lebovitz's website, which is where the peanut sauce recipe is from.  

Thai Tempeh Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

8 ounces of tempeh

2 tbsp of soy sauce

2 tbsp of rice vinegar

1 tbsp of honey

1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

light cooking oil

4 large leaves of green leaf lettuce

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 small cucumber, seeds removed, julienned

1 package of bean sprouts

1 handful of cilantro, big stems removed.

1 lime

salt and pepper

1 cup of peanut sauce (recipe below)

4 large wraps or burrito sized tortillas

Mix together marinade for the tempeh: soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, crushed red pepper flakes. Thinly slice tempeh, toss in marinade and let sit for about 20 minutes.

Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium high heat. Drizzle light cooking oil over the pan. Cook each slice of tempeh (drained, marinade discarded) until golden brown and crispy.

To assemble wrap, lay out a tortilla. Smear some peanut sauce on the tortilla (if it is thin enough, you can simply drizzle it over the top in the end). Top with one piece of lettuce and place all the veggies and cilantro on top. Season with salt and pepper and a fresh squeeze of lime. Place tempeh pieces on last. Wrap and roll. Repeat for other three.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Peanut Sauce

by David Lebovitz

2 cups (300g) dark roasted unsalted peanuts

1/2 to 3/4 cup (125-180ml) hot black tea

1/2 cup (125ml) oil, preferably peanut or coconut milk

1 tablespoon (10g) peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 small chiles, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan pepper (if available)

1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lime or lemon juice

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste or chili oil

1/3 cup (15g) packed cilantro sprigs or chives

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Put the peanuts, 1/2 cup (125ml) of hot tea, and the oil or coconut milk in a blender. Turn the machine on and let it run for a few minutes until the peanuts are almost smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients and let the machine run until the sauce is pureed.

Check the consistency. If it’s too thick for your liking, add up to another 1/4 cup (55ml) of tea.

Storage Tips: The peanut sauce can be made up to one week in advance and refrigerated, or frozen for up to two months. The chicken breasts and the noodles can be cooked and refrigerated up to one day ahead.

(Makes 2 cups, Prep time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Allllll summer I had been craving two things:

1.  Tomato sandwiches/BLT sandwiches (I am calling that one because they are so similar)

2.  Fried green tomatoes.

Also, because you can't have a fried green tomato without thinking about the movie.  I have to say that movies fall into 3 categories for me.

1.  My faves.  Movies I have seen way too many times.  Movies I would start watching halfway in if it happened to be on T.V. and I missed the first part.  

2.  Movies that I watch once and either love or hate.  But either way, I am really only interested in watching them once.  

3.  Movies that I fall asleep to.  And can never finish.  Even after trying 3-5 times.  

Guess with category Fried Green Tomatoes falls in?!?  

1!

Want to know some of the 1. category movies?  Sister Act II.  Center Stage.  Little Rascals.  How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.  Yeah.  I don't have the best taste. 

Are you wondering what a 3. category movie is?  Harry Potter.  Lord of the Rings.  Spiderman?  Or what was the one series?  Superman?  Yikes.  I think you get the idea.  And you may hate me.  I'm sorry?

Anyways, let's just get back to the Fried Green Tomatoes.  The movie.  That is a pretty good one, I think.  And you cannot watch that movie and not want to eat a fried green tomato.  Or a candy bar.  Or human.  

Combine that with toasted bread, mayo, bacon, lettuce and a fresh red tomato.  It is awesome.  And it gives a little more substance to the BLT sandwich.  Don't get me wrong.  The BLT is basically perfect.  But, for the hearty men in the world, adding a little substance is always appreciated.  

Fried Green Tomato BLT

by Closet Cooking

4 strips bacon

1 green tomato (sliced 1/4 inch thick)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

1 egg (lightly beaten)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn meal

2 slices of bread

1 tomato (sliced 1/4 inch thick)

2 leaves bibb lettuce

1 tablespoon mayo

Fry the bacon and set it aside retaining the grease in the pan.

Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper.

Place the flour into one bowl, the egg into another bowl and mix the flour and cornmeal in another bowl.

Dredge the green tomato slices in the flour, then dip them in the egg and finally dredge them in the corn meal mixture.

Fry the breaded tomato slices in the bacon grease (or oil) until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side.

Assemble sandwich.

(Servings: 1, Prep time: 5 min., Cook time: 25 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  6/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Grilled Cheese and Roasted Green Chile Sandwich

This is named Pioneer Woman's favorite sandwich.  Since roasted chiles are one of my top 10 favorite things of all time.  And also because I love PW.  I knew this sandwich would be amazing.  

We went down to southern-ish Colorado at visit the Happy Apple Farms yesterday.  And the desert landscape made it impossible to fool me into thinking this farm was anywhere close to a true midwest farm/apple orchard/pumpkin patch experience.  However, it was an awesome little CO farm.  

We met the owner/farmer immediately upon our arrival.  I love farmers.  He greeted our dog and welcomed him to run free in the fields as we picked raspberries, blackberries, apples and pumpkins.  The farm was small but cute and quite busy.  

This is one of the few apple orchards I have found in CO, but what also intrigued me was that they roasted chiles and served a BBQ beef brisket for lunch.  Even though I am skeptical of CO farming potential, I thought that they could surely win me over with the chiles and brisket.  And btw, the BBQ brisket was totally good.  They only serve it on the weekends and start it on Tuesday.  

And we bought a 1/2 bushel of roasted green chiles.  Big Jim variety.  They have a little kick, but mostly mild.  And when we got home, Scot personally peeled and seeded the entire bag.  His hands burned until 6 am but, you know what, he made it.  

I used some of those green chiles to make this wonderful grilled sandwich.  It is such a delicious sandwich.  You can also just buy Hatch, whole green chiles, canned.  Or you could roast like an anaheim or poblano.  Or even a roasted red pepper would be good if you aren't into the spicier stuff.  The rye bread, the dijonaise, the two different cheeses, tomato, red onion and roasted green chile.  Love this combo!

Grilled Cheese and Roasted Green Chile Sandwich

adapted from Pioneer Woman

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, to taste

1 tablespoon mayonnaise, to taste

2 slices mild cheddar

2 thick slices of tomato

several thin slices of red onion

1/2 - 1 whole roasted green chile

2 slices Monterey Jack cheese

2 slices rye bread

butter

First, make the sauce. Measure 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and mix the together in a small bowl. Spread a very thin layer onto the inside of both pieces of bread.

Place two slices of mild cheddar on one slice of bread. Top with tomato slices, red onion, roasted green chile, and then the two slices of Monterey Jack cheese. Place other slice of bread on top. Butter the outside top.

Heat a skillet (non-stick is preferable here) over medium-low heat. Place the sandwich (butter side down) in the skillet. Butter the other side now that it is on the skillet. Cook it for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board and cut in half.

(Servings: 1, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time; 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10
Scot (taste):  7/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Egg Salad Sandwich

I have been majorly craving eggs lately.  Not really normal for me.  

I have been eating scrambled eggs on toast (spread with goat cheese) and REALLY enjoyed some deviled eggs at game night.  When my friend asked me for an egg salad recipe lately, I couldn't help but make myself a sandwich too.  

I have learned recently that two of my friends don't like eggs.  And my sister in law is not a fan either.  Seems pretty common.  I have gone through small spurts of being uninterested in eggs.  But I have mad respect for the little guys.  They are pretty much the most useful ingredient out there.  So those spurts never lasted long.  And right now I am in an egg obsessed spurt.  

Random side story that does not flow at all:  When I was little, we used to have hard boiled eggs.  We just ate them.  Not sure if this was just around Easter, I feel like it was more often than that.  But, my brother and I were the perfect egg pair.  He liked the whites and I liked the yolks.  I ate both, but he did not eat yolks.  And we always traded everything...nothing in life is free.  You don't just get my egg yolk for doing nothing.  Therefore, I often gave up my whites.  Yikes!  Glad I am not still on an egg yolk only diet.  

Make this sandwich.  It was so amazing.  

Egg Salad Sandwich

from Closet Cooking

2 eggs

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 stalk celery (sliced)

1 green onion (sliced)

salt and pepper to taste

2 leaves of lettuce

2 slices of bread

Place the eggs in a sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.

Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for seven minutes.

Transfer the eggs to a large bowl filled with cold water and let cool.

Peel the eggs and mash to the desired consistency mixing in the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, celery and green onions.

Assemble sandwich.

(Servings: 1, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 0 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Parmesan Crusted Grilled Turkey Sandwich

A sandwich is one of my number one favorite foods ever.  We have them all the time.  And I hate how sandwich night is so hated on.  If done right, sandwich night is like totally the best thing ever.  Duh.

This is one of my oldest creations.  I didn't make this up but I am going to pretend I did.  But I did originally make this when I was 16.  Because that was when I was a cook at IHOP.  They only hire the best.  

The kicker here is that instead of just buttering the bread, you also sprinkle some parm on top of the butter!  Then, inside you have some grilled turkey, cheddar cheese, thousand island dressing, tomatoes and red onion.  It is a classic combination.  

I always grill my deli meat when I make grilled sandwiches.  I mean you have to.  And, when grilling the sandwich, always start with it open, add the ingredients and closer 'er up after a few minutes.  That's how the pros do it, guys.  And if you have a nice big two burner grill pan, you can just do this all at once.

Parmesan Crusted Grilled Turkey Sandwich

2 slices of sandwich bread

butter

2 tbsp of grated parmesan

2 slices of cheddar cheese

olive oil

2-3 slices of deli turkey

1 tbsp of 1000 Island dressing

2 slices of tomato

a couple of thinly sliced rings of red onion

Butter both slices of bread. Sprinkle the buttered side with the grated parmesan and press into the bread slightly.

Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Drizzle in a little olive oil and add the turkey. Grill until warmed through and some browning occurs. Remove from pan and set aside.

Place both slices of bread in the skillet, butter and parm side down. Put cheddar cheese slices on each piece. On one piece of bread, add dressing, grilled turkey, tomato and red onion. After the bread has been grilling for about 2-4 minutes, sandwich the bread that only has the cheese on with the rest. Cook, flipping occasionally, for 3-5 more minutes until warmed through and golden brown.

(Servings; 1, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Tuna Sandwich With Tapenade

This is one of my favorite sandwiches.  It is one of the things I make several times a year when it is hot out.  It is best with a crusty baguette (but still soft enough to make it sandwich-able.)  The tuna steak is grilled rare and then sliced to place on the sandwich.  There are lots of toppings.  Roasted red peppers, red onion, lettuce, dijon-aise and tapenade.  I can just eat tapenade with a spoon.  And I do.  

This is also a nice way to stretch a somewhat expensive type of fish.  One steak serves 4 people in this sandwich.  

I served this with a cucumber, radish, dill creamy salad and Boulder Canyon potato chips.  The salad is just thinly sliced cucumber and radish tossed with sour cream, salt, pepper and fresh dill.  

Tuna Sandwich with Tapenade

by Giade De Laurentils via Food Network

4 (6-inch long) pieces of baguette bread, halved horizontally

1/3 cup pitted green olives

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives

1 tablespoon drained capers

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 anchovy, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (12 to 14-ounce) tuna steak

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup purchased roasted bell peppers, drained and sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips

4 thin slices red onion

4 romaine lettuce leaves

Prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill the baguette pieces, cut side down, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Combine the olives, capers, 1 tablespoon of oil, lemon juice, parsley, lemon zest, and anchovy in a food processor. Pulse just until the olives are finely chopped. Season the tapenade with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the tuna with the remaining oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the tuna until golden and seared on the outside, and just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes per side.

Stir the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl to blend. (The tapenade and Dijon-mayonnaise can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Bring the tapenade to room temperature before using.)

Spread the Dijon-mayonnaise over the bottom and top halves of the baguette pieces. Top with red peppers and red onion. Cut the tuna steaks across the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the tuna slices atop the onions. Spoon the tapenade over the tuna. Top with the lettuce then the baguette tops, and serve.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 5 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Panino

Sorry, this will be my last goat cheese recipe for a while. I honestly can't get enough.

I had this sandwich when I was in Portland a few months ago at a cool restaurant that my aunt took me too. I reallllly liked it. I wasn't sure if there was much more to it, other than just butternut squash and goat cheese. I decided to just add a more grilled cheesey-cheese (a jack cheese) and spread it with a little Dijon post-pressing. And honestly, it tasted just like what I remembered. It is so good.

Also, it was called a panino rather than a panini at the restaurant. I, of course, asked the server what the difference was. He said nothing. But, wikipedia explains that panino is what they call them in Italy and means "small bread roll". And panino imbottito means "stuffed panino" refers to the sandwich. And panini is the plural for panino. I guess outside of Italy, people use the plural form as the singular sandwich. And pluralize panini as paninis. I like to call it a panino because it sounds cool and a lot fancier than grilled cheese...which is what it really is.

As always, the bread is very important in a sandwich (maybe most important). I got a nice crusty Italian round loaf from Whole Foods. We also picked up some of their amazing soup to eat with the panini (did you get that proper use?) We tried two kinds: Yam Poblano and Ginger Carrot. Both delicious, as always. We liked the Yam Poblano best.

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Panino

2 pieces of crusty bread

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-3 slices of Monterey jack cheese

~2-3 thin slices of roasted butternut squash

1 oz of crumbled goat cheese

salt

pepper

olive oil

Spread Dijon mustard on one side of bread. Layer onto one piece of bread the Monterey jack cheese and butternut squash. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Crumble goat cheese on top. Top with other piece of bread and press down to close. Drizzle olive oil on both sides. Grill or cook in Panini press.

(Servings: 1, Prep time: 5 min., Cook time: 5 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Simple Chicken with Cucumber Salad

I am dedicating this blog to the best dog in the world. Copper! My dog! Why? Well, first the pics for this dinner are horrible. In fact, only one is semi-non-blurry. I need a new camera!!! Yeah, that is the reason. Second, I just love my dog. He is seriously the best dog. Ever.

I have been spending a lot of quality time with the guy. And, my favorite thing about him, is his never ending quest for sun. Or heat. Even if it means he is taking someone's seat. Or he has to sit really awkwardly on a thin slice of couch...he'll do it. It is worth it. In fact, in most cases, the heat he is craving will be too hot after about 20 min. So, he'll have to move to a cooler spot. Cool down. Maybe get a drink. Then, repeat.

And if you are in the only spot that has sun? That is a real problem. And his only goal in life is to get you to move enough so that he can sneak in.

Another source of heat...our blankets, which are all fleece for the most part. Copper doesn't understand how insane I get when dog hair covers everything. I am getting better.

Well, at least he looks extremely refined.

Back to dinner...here it is!

It is really a leftover remix. I have had this for the past two nights. What is it? First, I just did a simple pan fried chicken breast. Last night, just seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked it in olive oil. Tonight, I dredged it in flour too. The cucumber salad is just: sliced cucumbers, fresh chopped dill, a little sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. And I served it with warm pita bread and diced tomatoes. To eat, just fill pita pockets with the chicken, cucumbers and tomatoes. It is just a basic, easy dinner. Takes about 15 minutes to make.

Cucumbers and tomatoes are my two favorite veggies. Well, maybe. It is hard to pick. But, nothing beats a homegrown, ripe tomato. When I was living at home, we had endless supplies of cucumbers and tomatoes. And in the summer, I would live off of cucumber and tomato salads and tomato sandwiches.

I need a garden!!! And I need summer!!! Boulder is so confused. It keeps snowing! "March is 2nd snowiest month in Boulder." I don't care!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

And the last recipe from the brunch! Broccoli Cheese Soup. The recipe is from cdkitchen and lots of people claim that it is a great Panera knock off. I often get the Broccoli Cheese Soup from Panera. And I love it. And this is pretty close. I think the texture is different. But I think I like it both ways. It could be that I didn't immersion blender it long enough. But, either way, it was tasty.

I served it with some nice crusty bread from Panera. This soup should marry crusty bread. I don't think it is the same without it.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

by CDKitchen

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half-and-half

2 cups chicken stock or bouillon

1/2 pound fresh broccoli

1 cup carrots, julienned

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Reubens

When I was in college (some may say, Shanon, you are still basically in college), but anyways, my roommate would leave messages on our dorm voice mail for me. One in particular, I will never forget. See, after approximately my first year, I decided, I needed to start filing my documents. And I thought I was pretty cool. I mean, the fact that I even had documents. Anyways, I obviously couldn't have a filing cabinet since I moved every 5 months. Instead, I had a box. And it was a filing box. And I named it. "Shanon's Box of Important Things". Written in permanent marker on the top. Very visible.

This box had my passport, birth certificate, social security card, financial aid documents, etc. Important stuff. One day, I got home from class, saw the red flashing light on our dorm phone, got really excited because messages are what I live for (still) and then, of course, checked it immediately. "Hello Ms. Shanon. This is Sally from the office of administration." The woman was very administratively official, kind of nasally. It went on (and on, this message was about 10 minutes long), "I have a report here that your box, your box of important things has gone missing." My heart started racing and I began to look around the room to try and remember where I kept that box.

Then, the message starts to get weird. And not really make sense. The story keeps changing. And then, all of a sudden, I am in trouble for misplacing this box. Then, after seriously like 5 minutes, Sally ends the message by saying, "Please keep this in mind as you go throughout the day." What I was supposed to keep in mind, wasn't really clear. The point is, I seriously believed this message for several minutes and thought my box went missing and someone was reporting this to me. Turns out, this was just the one of many phone messages from my roommate. She's pretty good. Or I am pretty bad. Either way, I still have my box, now a file cabinet. And yes, that makes me feel even cooler.

This has nothing to do with Reubens. I have mentioned my extensive experience (6 months at IHOP) in cheffing up diner sandwiches. I thought I would share my procedure with you all. Honestly, I think I am pretty awesome at grilling sandwiches. Even though, I still burn them every once and a while.

Reubens

Rye bread

Butter

Swiss cheese

Corned beef

1000 Island dressing

Sauerkraut

A pickle

Preheat a griddle to medium heat. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Laybread, butter side down, on hot griddle. Put some slices of Swiss cheese on each piece of bread. Put corned beef directly on the griddle to warm it up. On one

piece of bread, put a little dressing and some sauerkraut. Once beef is warm (and even a little browned), stack it on top of the sauerkraut. Put the other slice of bread on top. Flip sandwich, as necessary, until it is nice and golden brown.

Serve with a pickle.

(Servings: ??, Prep time: 0-5 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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