Hot Pastrami on Rye

My husband and I are nearing our 1 year anniversary of living in our loft downtown being "empty nester's". This past year has been pure bliss. We have settled into our life so nicely and every single day I find myself thanking the Lord for this wonderful life we have together. How time flies when you are having fun! 

Dwelling on my happiness and all the blessings that are in my life, often leads me to think of others I know that are miserable.  What keeps people in a miserable place? I think it is fear of the unknown. Something I have learned more and more as I grow older, is the more you try to hold on to something, the more it holds on to you. People get comfortable in their lives, even if they are miserable. They don't take a single step to change their circumstances, and they grow stagnant. Often times becoming more and more secluded because they are miserable people, so no one wants to be around them. 

I like to think I have a different mindset. I believe life is a gift. We are given time to make a difference. Find your purpose today. Really stop and take inventory of your life, your friends, our living conditions. What do you wish was different, and what steps can you take to make those changes?  Instead of looking at the mountain, look at the steps. Take one step at a time and change your life for the better. The happier you are, the better your relationships are. 

Now on to today's food. My husband loves a good hot pastrami sandwich. So naturally I wanted to surprise him with it. I always want to make him the things he loves. He said I nailed this one. Enjoy!

Hot Pastrami on Rye

Serves 2

1/2 lbs cooked and thinly sliced beef pastrami

4 slices havarti cheese

sauteed onions

coarse grind mustard

4 slices artisan rye bread 

1 cup beef broth

Saute your onions in olive oil, salt and pepper, for a few minutes.

Bring your broth to a simmer. Add pastrami and onions to the broth. Simmer until pastrami is hot. Reserve the broth for pouring over the sandwich.

Toast your bread and add coarse mustard to two of the 4 slices.

Divide cheese, meat and onions among rye bread. Pour your broth over the sandwich and close.

Serve hot. 

Asian Fish Sandwich

 
Sometimes it is hard to stay away from all the fast processed food out there. My husband and I have not eaten out, unless it is an organic farm to table restaurant, in a long time. Because I am so in love with my man, I want him around. I make sure he gets "real food" to eat. Not the chemically laden, genetically modified, processed food you get at most restaurants. 

So I have been recreating our comfort foods at home. I have been missing a good crispy fish sandwich for some time. It was time for me to create one, and this one did the trick. Way better than anything I have been served in a restaurant, and because it was made from scratch with wholesome ingredients, I didn't feel gross after I ate it.  I made them into sliders for easier eating. They are divine, I hope you try them!

Asian Fish Sandwich

For the slaw

1 1/2 Tablespoons Rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil

1/4 Tablespoon Sesame oil

1/4 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Tablespoon Fresh lime juice

1 pinch Cayenne pepper

1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes

1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Shredded Cabbage

flour dredge: 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper

2 eggs

Breading:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound fish fillets. I used snapper, but mahi, halibut, or any whitefish will work

2 Tablespoons butter 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

For the Yogurt Sauce:

1/4 cup kefir cheese (spreadable greek yogurt)

1 Tablespoon dill pickle juice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

6 dinner rolls of your choice

Directions:

Toss the panko crumbs with ginger, salt, paprika, and pepper.

Cut the fish filets to fit on your dinner rolls. 

Prepare a dipping station.  One bowl with the flour dredge mixed together. One bowl with your eggs whipped. One larger bowl with the breading. 

Start by dipping your fish in the flour and coat on each side.

Next dip in the eggs.

Lastly, coat the fish in the breading mixture. 

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and one tbsp olive oil in a skillet and add fish, cooking each side until browned, turning once.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Mix together all yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. 

When fish is almost done, prepare your buns.  Spread each bun with yogurt sauce mixture. Place cabbage slaw on each bun. Top with fish fillet. 

Dabble a little more of the sauce on the top bun and top the fish. 

Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomatoes and Bacon

The sandwich of summer, the BLT.

I think my laptop caught me drooling over the shiny new Macbooks because it decided to die last week, two days before classes started. Awesome. After running every recovery, repair, and restore program, the consensus was that the hard drive irreparably failed. I've noticed that Dell computers start having problems after a year, suspiciously only a few days after the one year warranty expires. Luckily, I purchased a four year warranty with this computer but that means three more years before I can finally make the switch over to Macs.

Absolutely everything was on that hard drive-a year of schoolwork, previous work files, blog stuff-everything! And stupid, stupid, stupid me didn't back anything up! Before I launched into a full-blown panic attack once I realized I had lost all of my beloved wedding photos and invaluable lecture notes, Steven was able to salvage everything. Whew! Crisis averted! But boy did I learned my lesson. Always back up on an external drive!

Because I was able to get all my files, I'm taking this as an opportunity to post some old recipes and photos I never got around to. These heirloom tomato photos are from summer 2008. This blog has seen three summers now and there isn't a single post about heirlooms. That's just criminal! Well to be fair, most of the time I eat them plain, no salt, no balsamic-not terribly exciting. I don't cook much with them but they are fantastic in sandwiches, especially the BLT. With so few ingredients, there is absolutely no excuse to use subpar tomatoes in a BLT. I'm one of those people that will add as much as I can to a sandwich (Thanksgiving is the best time for that). I try to show more restraint with the BLT because it's a treasured classic, but more often than not, the BLT evolves into a BLAT (avocado), then that turns into a BLATT (turkey). I always stop myself there otherwise I'll start adding cornichons and furitake flakes.


I love all the funky colors and names of heirlooms.

This really isn't a recipe because who needs one for a BLT anyway? If you're a purist, go with white bread and mayo. I like whole wheat and Dijon instead. Or if I'm feeling extra fancy, some homemade brioche, a rare treat. The bacon weave is no longer groundbreaking but it does make for an extra bacony BLT and who care argue with that?

I'm sure someone will make one blanket-sized one, if it hasn't been done already. Mmm tasty.

Summer is coming to an end and school starting again was quite the rude awakening. I don't think I fully adjusted to being a first-year medical student and now you're telling me I'm a second-year? And I have to study all weekend when it's sunny and 80 degrees outside because I have a test on Monday? Welcome back to med school I guess.


If only I could sleep in the sun all day like Mr. Bunnington.

Roasted Tomato and Quinoa Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwich

(updated from recipe archives)

My vegetarian friend complained that my blog has been leaning too far into carnivorism lately. I guess I have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone likes bacon food porn staring them in the face. To switch things up, I'm updating an oldie but a goodie.

Last time I made this soup, I spent a good half day slow roasting tomatoes but because tomatoes aren't in season yet, a good substitute is Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes. I finally got around to using the quinoa that's been sitting in my pantry since who knows when. Now I can cross off cooking quinoa for the first time off my list. I loved the texture and extra nutrition it added to the soup so I tried to convince Steven to let me add this superfood to our regular steamed rice. I can get away with sneaking whole wheat flour into baked goods and whole wheat pasta into spaghetti but messing with steamed rice? That was a no go.

Whenever I make tomato soup I have to make the obligatory grilled cheese sandwich. I debated if I should even bother posting a grilled cheese recipe. Short version: good bread + good cheese (my fav is Beecher's flagship, loooove it) + heat.

Long version (nothing groundbreaking)
- Use shredded cheese because it melts faster and evenly
- After I butter the bread, I pile on the shredded cheese and toast it slowly in a covered cast iron skillet over low or medium low heat. This way, the cheese has a chance to melt and the bread and butter won’t scorch.
- Sometimes if I'm feeling particularly unhealthy, I butter and toast one side, then flip over and butter and toast the second side and pile the cheese onto the first toasted side. Double butter, double delicious.
- If I feel fancy, I smear a little Dijon before adding the cheese, because I love Dijon.

Anyone have any other good sandwich making tips? (Don't say panini press because I don't have one and that makes me sad)

Roasted Tomato Soup with Quinoa
2 C roasted tomatoes (from 2 pounds tomatoes) or 2 cans of14.5 oz Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion or half a large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 - 3 C chicken stock or water, to taste
1/4 C quinoa, rinsed
1/4 C chiffonade* basil (optional)

*chiffonade right before using to prevent the basil from turning black

For Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
- Add half a cup of heavy cream right after cooking

In a Dutch oven or large nonreactive saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onions. Saute the onions until they are translucent and have softened. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scrape the onion and garlic mixture into a blender and add the roasted tomatoes or cans of fire roasted tomatoes. Blend until completely smooth, add a little of the chicken stock or water if the mixture is too thick.

Return the puree into the saucepan, add the dried oregano, and the chicken stock or water. Simmer on low to medium low heat for 10 minutes, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, add more stock or water if it’s too tomatoey, and add the quinoa. Continue to simmer until the quinoa are cooked through and opened, about 10 – 15 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the chiffonade basil. For creamy soup, stir in the cream after simmering the soup. Add basil at this time too.

Roasted Tomatoes
3 lbs tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Slow Roasted (adapted from Alanna and Kalyn)
Cut the tomatoes in half and get rid of as many seeds as possible. In a bowl, toss the tomato halves with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the tomatoes on a parchment paper lined metal sheet pan or skip the parchment and use a pyrex glass dish.

Roast in the oven at 300 degrees for 6 or more hours, depending on how dry you want them. I only roasted them for about 6 hours because I wanted to keep them juicy since they were going into soup.

Fast Roasted Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the tomatoes in half and get rid of as many seeds as possible. In a bowl, toss the tomato halves with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the tomatoes on a parchment paper lined metal sheet pan (do not use a pyrex in such high temps). Roast until the tomatoes start to color, about 30 minutes.

After roasting the tomatoes are easily peeled off. I forgot to peel them but the skins pureed in the blender and were not an issue.

Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwiches

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Steven and I went down to his parents’ house and the four of us had an epic day of cooking and eating (turkey at lunch... prime rib at dinner... unbelievably awesome). We carted home a ton of leftovers, and the best part is all the leftover turkey! For me, turkey isn’t particularly exciting the day of, even though his mom did an amazing job and it was super moist with great homemade gravy and cranberry relish, because it’s all about the sandwich and soup possibilities the days after.

It’s Friday night, the turkey stock is simmering and the first round of sandwiches have been eaten.

So now I present The Best Effing Turkey Sandwich Ever.

First, take 2 thick slices of sourdough or whatever bread you like, but it has to be thick and hearty, no wimpy white bread allowed for this sandwich.
Spread some butter or better yet, rendered bacon fat on one side of the bread slices.
Flip the bread over to start building the sandwich.
Generously smear it with Dijon mustard, Grey Poupon, Roland, Maille, etc. etc.
Layer on the leftover turkey, thinly sliced breast meat.
Then 2 slices (or more) of precooked extra thick bacon, cut in half. I wouldn't have a problem with adding more bacon.
Add 1 – 2 layers of Swiss.

Heat a skillet over medium low to medium heat and put the two slices in bacon fat/butter side down.
Cover the skillet and cook, use a spatula and check the bread frequently to make sure they’re perfectly toasted and not burnt.
Take the pan off heat, leave the meat and cheese slice of bread in the pan covered while you pile stuff on the other slice.
On the naked slice of bread, spread on some cranberry relish (recipe follows).
Follow with thick slices of avocado.
Finally, top with greens – baby spinach, watercress, or arugula.

Now the crucial step, bring the two pieces of sandwich together without anything falling out and eattttt. I will not be held responsible for injuries to your mouth caused by the crusty bread.

-nap-

Okay part two! The Afternoon Snack Turkey Sandwich.



This time start with an English muffin. Split it in half and add a little bacon fat on the inside – see a theme here? (or butter if you don’t have bacon fat). Toast it until it’s a little crusty, fluffy and warm.
Spread on some Dijon Mustard again.
Add the turkey, again thinly sliced breast meat.
Add some bacon. I’m telling ya turkey and bacon were meant to be together. Just like bacon and all other meats, and seafood, and meat substitutes… actually all foods...okay I digress.
Slices of extra sharp Cheddar cheese.
Relatively thick slices of Honeycrisp apples.
Top with the English muffin and eat again.

Recipes
Cranberry Orange Cornichon Relish
1 C raw cranberry
6 cornichons
6 Tbsp orange juice
Sugar optional

Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. Add some sugar if you like it a little sweeter.

The Best Effing Turkey Sandwich Ever
2 thick slices sourdough
Dijon mustard
Leftover turkey breast, thinly sliced
2 slices cooked bacon, cut in half
2 or more slices of Swiss cheese
2ish Tbsp cranberry relish
Thick avocado slice from roughly half an avocado
Handful of spinach, watercress, or arugula
Rendered bacon fat or butter for cooking (bonus points for using bacon fat)

Afternoon Snack Turkey Sandwich
English Muffin
Dijon mustard
Turkey
1 slice cooked extra thick cut bacon, cut into 3 pieces
Extra Sharp Cheddar
1/4 Honeycrisp apple, sliced
A little bacon fat (or butter) for spread

The Thanksgiving table before the onslaught of food.

Reuben

I got some wisdom teeth pulled on Tuesday and I've pretty much been in hibernation, sleeping for about 18 hours a day, ever since. Lemme tell ya, the novelty of eating milkshakes and soups wears off real fast. I've been in a real pissy mood lately because after 5 days of eating mush all I want is some real food, something with texture, something with crunch. I just want a goddamn burger and extra large side of onion rings. Sadly, I won't be eating that anytime soon. But I swear as soon as I'm able to open my jaw again, I am going to make the biggest and best burger ever. Heck, I'll even make the bun from scratch.

In my desperation for real food, I started looking through all the recipes I have yet to post, and unsurprisingly, that didn't make things any better. This is a prime example of what I can't eat right now, which also happens to be one of my top 3 sandwiches. :( A big, fat Reuben that's crunchy on the outside and hot, juicy, and gooey on the inside. *siiigh* It was delicious when I made it a week or so ago though.

Reuben Sandwich

Rye bread (dark is preferable, though personally I like marbled rye because it looks cool)
Corned beef or Pastrami (but then it would be a Rachel), thinly sliced
Sauerkraut, drained
Swiss Cheese, shredded
Russian Dressing or Thousand Island
Butter

Cheater's Thousand Island:
Mix equal parts ketchup and tartar sauce or mayo if you don't have tartar sauce. Add a little vinegar for acidity then some Worcestershire to taste.

Feel free to use a sandwich press or whatever sandwich-making gizmo you like (I hear a George Foreman works well). But I just have a plain old cast iron skillet.

Butter 2 slices of bread, place them butter side down on the skillet. Cover one slice of bread with corned beef, then add some sauerkraut, and top with some dressing. Add shredded Swiss on the other slice of bread (shredded cheese melts faster). Turn the heat to medium low and cover the pan to keep the heat in. Check the bottom of the bread periodically. You want the bread to be a lovely golden brown, the cheese to melt, and the meat and sauerkraut to warm up a bit. Avoid turning the heat up too high otherwise the bread may burn very quickly.

When both pieces of bread are golden brown, cover the meat/kraut piece of bread with the cheese covered bread (not the other way around or stuff will be falling off everywhere). Smush it down a little to glue the sandwich together, cut in half, and serve hot.