Oven-Grilled Reuben Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 TBL sugar

1 16 oz. bag of coleslaw mix

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

8 slices hearty rye bread

8 slices Swiss cheese (about 1/2 lb)

1 lb sliced corned beef (you can cook a corned beef brisket in a slow cooker, or buy at the deli!)

2 TBL butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Place a baking sheet on the oven rack and heat oven to 450 degrees. Bring vinegar and sugar to boil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, add coleslaw, cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until coleslaw is tender (8-10 minutes). Remove lid and simmer until liquid has evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine mayonnaise and mustard in small bowl. Spread 1 TBL mixture on each slice of bread. Brush the other side of the bread with melted butter. On the mayo/mustard side of the bread, layer 1 slice cheese, 1/2 cup coleslaw, 1/4 lb corned beef, and 1 slice cheese. Top with second slice (mayo/mustard side down). Repeat to make 3 more sandwiches. 

Transfer sandwiches to preheated baking sheet and bake until toasted- about 10 minutes. 

I served with fresh veggies and dip and periogies (made with sauteed onions and mushrooms)

Shrimp Piccata Pasta

Have you noticed that we love shrimp pasta recipes? This is just another version, for some variety! Probably not my favorite, but something different!

INGREDIENTS:

2 TBL extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (I used more because I like some spice!)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 8 oz. bottle clam juice (you can find this near the canned meats section)

3 TBL lemon juice

Salt/Pepper

1 lb linguine

3 TBL drained small capers (you can find these near the olives)

1/3 cup chopped parsley (fresh is best!)

4 TBL butter

DIRECTIONS:

Bring water to boil in a large pot, salt and cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 TBL oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until just opaque (about 1 minute). Transfer to a large plate. Heat remaining TBL oil in empty skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add wine, increase heat to high, and simmer until liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add clam juice and lemon juice, bring to boil and cook until mixture is reduced, about 8 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking pasta water, and drain the rest. In a large bowl, toss pasta, sauce, shrimp, capers, parsley and butter until the butter melts and shrimp is warm. Add reserved cooking water if the sauce is dry (I only added about 4 TBL worth of the water). Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

I got this recipe from my aunt, Mary, and... it is delicious! I could eat this as a meal because I love it that much!! 

SALAD:

1/2 lb pecan halves

1 lb Spinach (I just buy the bagged kind!)

1 pt. Strawberries, washed and halved

DRESSING:

1/3 c. red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 c. oil

1/2 TBL dry ground mustard

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 TBL minced white onion

1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Brown pecans on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and add to the dressing before putting on the salad.

PW's Chicken Spaghetti

Can you tell I'm in to the PW's cooking?! Tonight we had her Chicken Spaghetti. It's been fun to try her recipes... and this one is definitely going to be repeated around here! YUM! I added mushrooms to the recipe, and it was delicious. I do have to point out that the onions and green peppers stay crunchy- and we both loved it that way, but if you prefer, you can sautee them before adding them into the casserole, and they will be soft and the flavor won't be so strong. We had it with crusty french bread and white wine. A perfect meal... oh and I suggest having ice cream for dessert.

Roast, Round 2

For just 2 people, a pot roast always makes way too much meat for just one meal! I like to mix it up with the leftovers to make something kind of different. I saved the broth from the roast to cook the egg noodles in (cooking any noodles in chicken or beef broth or seasoned water really makes a difference in the taste!). I broke up the roast into bite size pieces and put that, along with more beef broth/drippings over the noodles. You could add mushrooms and sour cream to make a beef stroganoff flavor. I served it with potatoes and a side-salad. Delicious! 

Chuck Roast and Veggies

This is the epitome of a home-cooked meal... and SO easy! Just throw the chuck roast (I used a 3.5 lb one) in a slow-cooker, sprinkle kosher salt, ground pepper and an onion-soup flavor packet, along with can of beef broth. You can add any veggies you like- I use carrots, potatoes and onions. I sprinkle those with salt and pepper, too... and set the slow cooker on low. By the time dinner comes around- you have a delicious meal and your house smells great! You can whisk the drippings with flour to make a gravy... or just enjoy it as is! YUM!

More PW Cooking!

I made Marlboro Man's Second Favorite Sandwich and Crash Hot Potatoes tonight. Both were delicious!! When you click on PW's link, you will find other ideas on what to make with both dishes incase you don't want to make them together. Either way, I highly recommend both! Just be sure you cook the potatoes long enough, and use plenty of salt! 

Homemade Pizza

This pizza dough recipe is from Andy's Mom! Making homemade pizzas is a family favorite- fun and yummy!! She uses a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and Dough hook- but you can mix by hand, too.

Pizza Dough:

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp olive oil

2 1/2-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cornmeal

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in warmed bowl-  let stand 5 minutes. Add salt, olive oil and 2 1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 5 minutes. 

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk- about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Brush 14 inch diameter pizza pan with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold filling. Top with toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Topping Ideas:

Canadian Bacon/Pineapple

Veggies- Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Banana Peppers

Meats- Chicken, Sausage, Pepperoni, Hamburger, Bacon

Really, anything! :) I use a canned sauce- anything from Ragu to a speciality sauce would be good! I also use mozzarella cheese- but different cheese would be good with different toppings. This recipe is especially fun for little ones to help make their own pizza. 

Chicken Strips

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 Chicken Tenderloins

2/3 cup Bisquick (I use low-fat)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I use low-fat)

1/3 cup italian breadcrumbs (or any other flavor)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 450. Line a cookie sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. In a large ziplock bag, mix the bisquick, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt and paprika. In a small boil, lightly beat the egg. Dip each tenderloin in the egg and then put into the ziplock bag. Close the bag and shake- allowing each tenderloin to be heavily coated. Line them on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-20, or until chicken is no longer pink and crust is lightly brown. Turn them over halfway through cooking, to prevent burning and to help them evenly cook.

These are a good, healthy way to have chicken fingers (no frying!), you can dip them in barbecue sauce, honey mustard or ranch dressing for extra flavor! This recipe is also a good way to make chicken parmesan- just cover the finished chicken in marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese- over ziti pasta and bake. Yum! Today, I served them with macaroni and cheese (which looks dark because I use whole wheat noodles) and green beans. 

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS:

1 head iceberg lettuce

3 TBL hoisin sauce

2 TBL soy sauce

2 TBL water

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp ginger (fresh grated is best)

2 tsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

2 TBL peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 lb ground chicken- made from a mix of light and dark meat is best (or can use ground turkey)

Salt and Pepper

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine

5 scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Remove 8 large, bowl shaped lettuce leaves from head of lettuce; rinse and let air dry. Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce and water together in small bowl. In another bowl, combine garlic, ginger and 2 teaspoons oil.

Heat 1 TBL oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, stirring to break up clumps, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. 

Add remaining TBL oil to skillet and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper, water chestnuts, and scallions and cook until pepper softens, about 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken, sauce and stir until thickened- about 30 seconds. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves, wrap and serve. 

Rice and Stir Fry are good sides, or you can use this as an appetizer to another meal. You can also use a food processor for the red pepper, water chestnuts and scallions if you don't like the "chunky" vegetables. 

Cinco De Mayo

Well, no pictures... sorry...but the food was gone before I had a chance to get any! I cooked up some Mexican themed food to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. I made Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas, Guacamole, Rotel/Velveeta Dip, Salsa and Chips and a Sugar Cookie Pizza Dessert. You can click here to get to PW's recipe. I personally wasn't as impressed with the enchiladas as I have been with her other recipes. They lacked in spice (of course, I like things HOT!) and the canola oil was a little too strong for my tastes. It might have been me more than the recipe, but it does make a BIG mess and my house smelled like enchiladas for days afterwards... not sure I'm going to be making them again anytime soon! 

Here is the Sugar Cookie Pizza Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough (I used the Great Value brand)

1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip (I used fat free)

1 brick of cream cheese (I used 1/3 fat free)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Fruits:

Strawberries (washed and sliced)

Kiwi (washed and sliced)

Mandarin Oranges (drained, out of a can)

Pineapple (small chunks- drained, out of a can)

Blueberries (washed)

You can use pretty much any fruit you want to and it will be delicious!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Form the cookie dough into a ball and press down onto a pizza stone. You can use a roller to even out the dough even more, but you want it to resemble a pizza crust. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown (but not too brown, you don't want it dried out!) While that's baking, mix together the cool whip, cream cheese and sugars. It helps if you let the cream cheese soften, and you might use an electric mixer to blend it better. You can use more or less sugar to fit your tastes. You will want to let the dough cool about 5-10 minutes before you spread the topping on. (If you want to serve it on a platter, you should try to remove the cookie before putting the toppings on... I always just keep it on my stone.) During the cooling time, you can wash and slice your fruit. Once the dough has cooled, spread the cream cheese/cool whip topping on (like you would pizza sauce on top of the dough). Using the fruit like pizza toppings, place them on top. I don't leave any empty space- my entire "pizza" is covered in fruit. Cover loosely with foil or clear wrap and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Yum!