Nutella Wontons

I have something to admit. Lately, I've developed a near-fetish obsession with Nutella. If you've eaten Nutella and haven't experienced this phenomenon, then you should stop reading now.

For the rest of my fellow addicts, I have a quick recipe to share that will satisfy even the worst craving:

Nutella Wontons!

Oh yum.... yum yum yum yum yum.... mmmmmm..... gooooooooooooooooood.....

I love quick recipes that are simple and delicious. This is especially easy, as it contains only a few ingredients and no special equipment.

First, you need some of these:

Wonton wrappers

These babies are useful for all sorts of recipes. If you've never purchased them before, they can usually be found in the produce section (near where the bagged lettuces and such are). I always have a few of these left over after making ravioli, which is a great excuse to make Nutella Wontons.

You also need the yummy, chocolatey goodness that is Nutella:

Let's be honest. I could eat this straight from the jar and be happy. I only dress it up in wontons to appear more normal. It's also good in brownies, and truffles, and crepes, oh my!

Where was I? Oh yes. Delicious goodness.

Step one:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pull out a cookie sheet. Either line it with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. I prefer the spray because it helps crisp the wontons.

Step two: Line up your wonton wrappers and dab about a tablespoon of Nutella in each one, like so:

Step three: Lick your spoon clean and savor the moment. This is essential. 

Step four: Wet your finger and run around the edges of the wonton. Fold to seal. For this particular recipe, I also use a fork to create a pretty edge and really close in the filling. As the Nutella heats up, it will become runny and more likely to leak if the wonton isn't properly sealed. Place these on the prepared cookie sheet.

Step 5: Either brush the wontons with olive oil, melted butter, or an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 2 tablespoons of water). You can also use cooking spray.

Step 6: Bake just until the wontons brown, about 10 - 12 minutes, perhaps a little longer depending on your oven. If you want to be extra naughty, you could fry these instead. I'm doing my best to be a good girl, but I'm sure I'll slip up once in a while.

Step 7: Allow to cool for 5 minutes (This cooling time allows the Nutella to solidify a bit and not burn a hole in your tongue when you snarf these down). Dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired. I always desire ice cream.

And that's it! Simple, delicious, and sure to impress guests. The play of textures really makes this dish: crunchy on the outside, smooth filling on the inside.

Here's my super secret tip for you: Make extra! Don't come blaming me when you've eaten the whole sheet, ok? These go fast and in a hurry, especially if you've got a greedy husband (a.k.a. The Chocolate Fiend) like me.

Happy cooking, my friends! I'll be back soon with more recipes for my favorite peeps.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Blackberry Basil Grilled Cheese

Yep, you read the title correctly. Sounds a little weird, I know.

But weird or no, it's also DELICIOUS. Trust me here, peeps. Have I ever steered you wrong?

I found this excellent flavor combination on Pinterest. And then I started experimenting to see if I could re-create the fabulous picture which set my mouth watering.

Turns out, I can.

And so can you!

The ingredients are basic, and the method simple. Even the Hubs could make this yummy grilled cheese (not that he actually will, but he could. In theory). This was so good I, ahem... tested it several times, with different variations.

Let's get stated with the ingredients:

I know this doesn't look like my regular ingredients photo, but it's because I tried this several times. The first time, I used Italian bread, Monterey Jack cheese, blackberries, basil, and butter (for the bread). The second time around, I changed the cheese and bread. And the butter. (But I only changed the butter because our commissary started stocking Kerrygold, which is pretty much the best tasting butter you can get here in the States... that I've tried so far).

The word you're looking for is... ANYWAY.

Ahem. Back to the recipe.

What I've discovered is, this recipe is highly versatile. Naturally I have a few tips for you. But for the most part, this dish is pretty impossible to screw up.

SO. The bread. You can pick your favorite, but choose a thicker cut. You definitely don't want a skinny mini bread. The blackberry juice and gooey cheese will disintegrate a bread that is too thinly sliced. I found that I prefer to thickly slice my own French bread (Quick tip: If using French bread, you often find air pockets in the slices. Try to avoid them so your cheese doesn't melt through).

Next, the cheese. Again, choose your favorite. I found the Monterey Jack was quite good, but the white cheddar was a-maz-ing. I really like the zing and the sharp kick from the white cheddar. I might try this again with Asiago or Stilton. Oooh, or Brie. Have fun with it!

Now that you've got your cheese and bread (both essential to a grilled cheese), let's deal with the blackberries. Place the blackberries (6 oz) in a bowl with high sides. Why the high sides? Because we're going to squish those babies, and they splatter!

Use your fork to mash the blackberries, like so:

Don't completely pulverize the berries, but squish them up so they're not too chunky. I'm way technical, right? Ha.

Now it's time for the basil. Here again, you have choices. I prefer to chop my basil (about 15 leaves) and stir them into the blackberries:

You could also leave the basil leaves whole, and simply layer them on your sandwich later. This will still taste yummy and look pretty, but I find it harder to eat the grilled cheese with whole basil leaves.

With all the prep work done, this grilled cheese comes together in a snap!

Butter your bread, and warm your skillet over medium-low heat. Place two slices of bread in the skillet, butter side down. Add a single layer of cheese, and then top with a few tablespoons of the blackberry mixture. If you chose to leave your basil whole, then top the blackberries with a few basil leaves:

Blackberries with basil mixed in, and blackberries with whole basil leaves

Add another thin layer of cheese, then top with a piece of bread (Without the additional layer of cheese, the blackberries will soak your bread. Make sure there is something between your fruit and the bread!).

Do you want to know the best way to get a perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwich?

Leave it alone!

I know you may be tempted to move your sandwich around in the pan, or smash it down with your spatula. But please, please resist those urges. Your bread may stick a bit at first, but it will loosen... I PROMISE.

As the bread toasts, it will unstick from the pan. And that's when you know it's time for the flip. Wait patiently as the other side toasts as well. Don't turn up the heat, or any other crazy thing. The sandwich will cook about 3-5 minutes per side.

And, viola!

Enjoy the ooey gooey deliciousness that is Blackberry Basil Grilled Cheese.

Yes, it really is that simple. Like I said, so simple even the Hubs could do it.

Happy cooking, my friends! Please let me know if you try this with other cheeses or fruits, and how it turns out. As always, the traditional recipe is below.


UPDATE: Recently, I made this grilled cheese again, substituting the blackberries for blueberries. The result? YUM! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Blackberry Basil Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

6 slices of your favorite bread (I prefer French)

6 ounces fresh blackberries

15 basil leaves (either chopped or whole)

10 ounces cheese, thinly sliced  (your favorite, I prefer white cheddar)

Softened butter

Directions:

Butter one side of your bread slices, then set aside. Smash the blackberries with a fork. Stir the basil (if chopped) into the blackberries.

Warm a skillet over medium-low heat. Place 3 slices of the bread, butter side down, in the skillet. Add a thin layer of cheese on each piece of bread. Top with 2 tablespoons of the blackberry mixture. If leaving the basil whole, add several leaves on top of the blackberries. Finish with another layer of cheese, then top with the remaining bread slices.

Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy! 

Zuppa Toscana

There are so many times I've eaten in a restaurant and wished I could make a certain dish at home. Over time, I realized I could have my favorite dishes at home. All it took was a little perseverance and a lot of experimentation.

This soup isn't actually my favorite dish, it's the Hubs'. I can't count how many times I've asked where he wanted to eat, and he always answers, 'Olive Garden, soup and salad!' Specifically, he wants Zuppa Toscana. 

Naturally, I went to work, determined that I would outdo Olive Garden's recipe.

The Hubs thinks I succeeded, and that's good enough for me!

Of course, now he requests this soup every week. Though I love this zuppa (did you know zuppa means soup in Italian?), I don't want to eat it every single week. I like variety in life! The Hubs, on the other hand, will eat the same thing over and over until he never wants to eat it again.

It's a rough life, but I manage somehow.

Haha. Ok, so it's not that bad. But I do regulate the frequency of our zuppa intake, otherwise we'd be eating this all the time.

So let's get the party started! The ingredient list for this soup is simple:

The ingredients, minus one (as per the usual) 

Start with 1 lb. of Italian sausage. I like to use the 'mild' version, but you can work with the 'hot' if you prefer. The reason I like the mild is because I want to control the spice level myself. I do this by adding a bit of red pepper flakes to the sausage as I cook it (The red pepper is the ingredient not pictured. It wouldn't be one of my recipes if I didn't forget at least one ingredient in the picture).

Brown your sausage in a skillet, adding red pepper flakes if you choose. I only add 1/2 teaspoon (sometimes a little more, I don't always measure!), but you can add as much or as little as you want. The Hubs likes his extra spicy, so we add more to his soup at the end.

Once brown, drain the fat, then set your sausage aside. Pull out your soup pot. Add 4 slices of bacon (chopped into bite-sized pieces) into the pot. I have to be honest, we usually add an extra piece of bacon. Everything is better with more bacon!

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat. When it's about halfway done, add 5 cloves of minced garlic and one white onion (diced) to your soup pot. Continue to saute until the onions are translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.

Next, add 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth to the pot, along with 2 cups of water. I suggest the low-sodium broth because the sausage and bacon are both salty already. You can always add more salt later if you like, but you can't take it away if it's already in there!

Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then add 3 large Russet potatoes (peeled and chopped) to the pot. Keep in mind that your potatoes should be chopped into similar sizes so they cook evenly. Continue to boil until the potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Boiling broth

If the potatoes are tender, you're almost done! Stir 1 1/4 cups heavy cream into the broth, along with your cooked sausage.

Picture courtesy of Abby, from 1,000 Miles on my Own Two Feet

Allow this mixture to heat through before adding the final ingredient: freshly chopped kale. Kale is a wonderful green for soups, but there are substitutes if your local grocery doesn't stock it. Look instead for Swiss Chard or spinach (Don't use the spinach from a bag, use the fresh bundles instead). I actually just tear my kale into pieces, rather than chopping it. So much easier! Stir in as much or as little as you like, but we use about 3 cups or so.

The kale takes no time at all to wilt, so simply stir and you're done. Test your zuppa for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. And, viola! Zuppa Toscana at home.

Zuppa Toscana

The Hubs and I sprinkle our soup with a bit of fresh grated Parmesan cheese right before serving. It's the perfect final touch! For those of you (like me) who cook in advance when they can, this soup freezes well. Just let the zuppa cool to room temperature, then add to freezer-safe ziploc bags. Freeze the bags flat on a cookie sheet, then store until you need them. I like to make single-serving sizes as well, especially for those times when the Hubs is away. Just because you're cooking for one, doesn't mean you can't eat well!

What are your favorite restaurant recipes that you wish you could make at home? Please share in the comments, especially if you have a recipe! I've included the standard form recipe at the bottom of this post for you.

As always, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

1/2 - 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 large white onion, diced

4 slices bacon, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 ¼ cup heavy cream

3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cups kale, washed and roughly chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:

Sauté the Italian sausage with the red pepper flakes until done. Drain any fat from the pan and set aside.

In a large soup pot, sauté the bacon. When the bacon is a little more than half-cooked, add the onion and garlic to the pot. Sauté until the onions are translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and water to the soup pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are tender, bout 25-30 minutes.

Stir in the cooked sausage and the cream. Heat through before adding the kale. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh grated Parmesan. 

Candy Corn Butterfingers

Every fall I stock up on candy corn, for some insanely bizarre reason. Why so bizarre? Because I don't eat it! I don't even like it much, truth be told. Why buy it then? I have no idea. 

I get this odd compulsion when I see the bags stacked on grocery store shelves... Buy me, the candy corn whispers, You know you want to.

Does anyone else listen to those voices in their heads?! No? Just me? How about we forget I said anything, ok?

ANYWAY.

The Hubs...  now he can plow through a bag of candy corn in a couple hours. After, he's sick and moaning and complaining, and I rue the day I ever tossed those bags of candy into my grocery cart. And every year, I swear I'm not going to buy it again.

And then I do.

Something must be done to stop the cycle!

So this year, after giving into the compulsion, I yet again found myself with candy corn in my pantry. This time I took precautions against the Hubs and his compulsion to consume all things sugar. No matter the cost, I wanted to avoid the bellyache I knew he'd contract. So I buried the candy in the far recesses of my pantry, next to some rice cakes, ha! No way he would ever look there.

I'd long heard of a mythical recipe, where candy corn could be morphed into tasty Butterfingers. I heart Butterfingers, seriously. I knew I could use the candy corn for good instead of evil, simply by testing this recipe.

So that's exactly what I did.

And it worked!

Why it works, I can't tell you. I'm guessing it has something to do with the chemical composition of the dreaded candy corn, but who cares? These are delicious, and they taste just like the real thing. Best part? There are only 4 ingredients! Naturally, I forgot to include one of them in the picture.

You need a 16 ounce bag of candy corn, and equal amount of peanut butter (16 oz), 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 tablespoon of shortening.

If you think the ingredient list is easy, wait until you realize how simple these are to make!

I put my candy corn in a pot over medium heat, foolishly thinking this was a great way to melt the candy.

DON'T BE LIKE ME! 

You see, candy corn is sticky. And it will stick to your pot. Instead of repeating my foolish mistakes, learn from them. Melt your candy corn in a microwave-safe bowl instead. I suggest nuking in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the candy is melted.

Once I realized the candy corn would quickly ruin my pot, I threw the peanut butter right in. This step saved me and my pot. So, these pictures are from what I did, but let me repeat...

DON'T BE LIKE ME! 

Once your microwaved candy corn is all gooey and melty, then stir in your peanut butter. It will resemble the bottom photo at that point.

Next? Line a pan with wax paper. I used an 8x8 pan, but I think my candy bars were a bit on the thick side. A 9x13 pan might be a tad too thin. Use your own judgement here, and go with what works for you.

Spread the candy corn/peanut butter mix into your lined pan, like so:

Set the pan in your fridge for about 30 minutes. You don't want the candy to be rock solid, because then it will crack when you slice it. Shoot for a firm texture.

While the candy is in the fridge, do two things. First, line a cookie sheet with wax paper and keep it handy. Second, melt down your chocolate chips. Add them, along with your shortening, to a double boiler (if you don't have a double boiler, you can create one by placing a bowl atop a barely simmering pot of water). Stir continuously until the chocolate is smooth.

When the candy is chilled, pull your pan out of the fridge and slice into bars. Or whatever shape you prefer. But for the sake of argument, I'm going to use the word 'bars' from here on out.

Piece by piece, dip your bars into the melted chocolate. You can use a candy dipper set, or you can be like me and just use a fork. Shake off any excess chocolate, then set the bars onto your wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all your bars are covered in chocolate.

Place the bars back into your refrigerator to help the chocolate harden. This shouldn't take long, maybe 20 or 30 minutes.

And then eat! And realize that I am right... these taste just like real Butterfingers!

But try not too eat too many at once, ok? The Hubs can verify: too much sugar all at once will send you high, and then send you crashing back down.

So my friends, what have we learned today? I think the lesson is that my candy corn purchasing compulsion isn't an all bad thing! No, you don't agree? That's ok, we can agree to disagree on this.

However, when you find you've given in to the same compulsion, and don't know what to do with all that leftover candy corn, remember this recipe. It's an excellent way to take care of that problem for you.

Happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone! 

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or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

The Standard Form:

Candy Corn Butterfingers

Ingredients:

16 ounces candy corn

16 ounces creamy peanut butter

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening (like Crisco)

Directions:

Melt your candy corn in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals. Stir every 30 seconds until the candy corn is melted and smooth. While it’s still warm, stir in the peanut butter until combined.

Spread the candy corn/peanut butter mixture into a baking pan lined with wax paper. If using an 8x8 pan, the final candy will be thicker, a 9x13 pan and the candy will be much thinner.

Chill candy in the refrigerator about 30 minutes.

Once chilled, remove the candy from the fridge and cut into the desired size and shape. Bars are popular.

Add your chocolate chips to the top of a double-boiler along with the shortening. Melt over low heat until, stirring constantly, until smooth.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Dip your candy bars into the chocolate, shake off the excess, then lay onto the wax paper. Repeat with all the bars. Place in fridge until chocolate hardens and cools.

Eat!  

Baked Feta Cream Marinara

Oh-em-gee... this is one of my new favorite things. It's indescribable, truly. But if I had to try, I'd say it was scrumptious. Mouthwatering. Succulent. Heavenly. Mind-blowingly delicious.

What is this magical substance, you wonder? Mmmmm..... it's Baked Feta Cream Marinara!

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with a friend at one of my favorite restaurants, the St. Clair Winery and Bistro. There are only three locations, and they're all in New Mexico. If I have an opportunity to visit, then I do... you've got to take these opportunities when you can (if you're ever near one, stop in, you won't regret it!).

St. Clair's has an amazing appetizer menu. And lunch menu. And dinner menu. Oh, and don't forget dessert! And the wine.... good gracious. I always stuff myself to the point of embarrassment, because I never know when I may be able to go back.

I finally said to myself, enough is enough! I can't always hop in the car and drive to New Mexico (especially if we're in Germany or something). I need to craft my own recipes to mimic theirs. This way, I can have Feta Cream Marinara whenever I darn well want to.

So that's exactly what I did.

And now I'm going to share it with you, 'cause I loves you. All the world deserves yummy Feta Cream Marinara whenever they want it.

Since my buddy Abby shared in the original gorge-fest, I felt it only fair to invite her for the creation of the recipe. I love it when Abby comes over, not just because we have a great time (though that's the biggest reason), but also because she brings me fabulous, yummy things... like homemade pizza crust, and Focaccia bread, also homemade.

Don't you wish Abby was your friend too??!

On this particular day, she brought me both! I stored the pizza crust for later use, but the Focaccia bread was the perfect accompaniment for our dip.

The giver of pizza crust and bread dough, Abby 

Abby's job was to prepare the bread, because this is one thing I am really not good at. I buy all my fancy bread at Tar-jey. Perhaps someday I'll brave this unknown skill, but today is not that day.

You can use any kind of bread you want... toasted French or Italian would work well, even breadsticks.  I had a baguette on hand, but set it aside when I saw the Focaccia. If you don't have an Abby to bring you fresh bread, then I suggest the baguette. Slice it thin, and toast on one side. The slices make a great scoop for the warm dip.

As you can tell from the ingredient picture, I snapped this before Abby and the bread arrived. That's why you still see my sad, store-bought bread. Don't worry though, I found another use for my Tar-jey baked goods.

This recipe turned out to be super, easy simple. You'll need a jar of good quality marinara, or use your own. I was in too big a hurry for the homemade part. You also need 6 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. Get the good stuff!  We've had this conversation before. The picture shows a whole block of cream cheese, but you only need 2 or 3 ounces.

The oregano is optional: I used it to jazz up my jar of marinara. You don't have to do that if you don't want to. But if you do, just pluck the leaves, chop them up finely, and stir them into your sauce. Easy peasy.

Now the basil... this is necessary, people. Do not skimp on the basil! I don't know why, but the dip is not the same without fresh basil. If you don't have any, then go get some. Don't use the dry stuff, it's no good here. Buy the fresh stuff, open the package, and take a nice, long whiff. Thank me silently, then chiffonade the basil leaves.

When you're done, it should look a little something like this:

Set the basil aside for later. Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Now, we're going to mix up the heart of this dish. Add your feta cheese (6 oz) and cream cheese (2-3 oz) to a mixing bowl.

WARNING: Don't try this in a blender. Use a hand or countertop mixer. I have already made this error for you, and wasted valuable eating time with the cleanup. Learn from my mistakes. 

Blend the cream cheese and feta cheese together. It's ok if the mix is not perfectly smooth. Little nuggets of feta are a nice surprise. If you like things creamier, go with the 3 ounces of cream cheese. I used two, but I think a little more would have been nice.

Photo by: Abagail Austin 

Next, pour your marinara (about 18 oz) into an oven safe dish. You can use what you like, but a longer, shallower dish would not be so good. Think of something about the size of a cereal bowl. I used this Canopy square dish:

Time for the feta... I used an ice cream scoop in the hopes of having a perfectly shaped ball of the feta mix on top of my marinara. However, it looks a lot like vanilla ice cream!

Don't judge me. Please.

If you don't have a scoop, or you don't want your feta cream to look like actual ice cream, you can always shape the mixture a bit by hand before placing it in the center if the marinara.

Place the dish into your 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the dip for the last 5 minutes or so... it should melt and be creamy, but if any browning occurs, it's time to take it out of the oven.

To serve, top with fresh basil. Provide bread (your choice) for dipping.

NOM. Enough said.

Happy cooking, my friends!



The Standard Form:

Baked Feta Cream Marinara

Ingredients:

18-24 ounces marinara sauce

6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

2-3 ounces cream cheese

Fresh basil, about 12 leaves, chiffonaded

Thinly sliced baguette, lightly toasted, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a hand mixer, combine the feta cheese and the cream cheese until mostly smooth.

Pour the marinara into an oven safe bowl, cereal size. Scoop the feta mixture into a ball on top of the marinara.

Bake 10-15 minutes, until slightly melted and creamy. Top with basil, serve with baguette. 

Comfort Foods: Rarebit not Rabbit

Comfort food....  the words make me think of cold nights and hot dinners, snuggling on the couch and watching the fire crackle. It's the warm feeling in the pit of your stomach that reminds you of home and family, of good times that are never forgotten.

Everyone's idea of comfort food is different. Perhaps it's your grandmother's famous soup, your mom's lasagna, or your dad's Saturday morning pancakes. What is your comfort food...  Is it mac-n-cheese? Chicken noodle soup? Ahem... anything chocolate??

As much as I love absolutely anything chocolate, my comfort food is something else. When I'm sick, grumpy, missing home or missing my husband, my go-to meal is... grilled cheese.

That's right. Grilled cheese. 

Who doesn't love buttery bread and ooey, gooey cheese? (If the answer is you, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore). While I still whip up a quick grilled cheese on occasion, I've discovered a more grown-up version that really hits the spot. 

Welsh Rarebit. Not rabbit. RAREbit.   

It's shocking, really, how many people think I boil bunnies for dinner when I mention this dish. I promise, I'm not cooking up cute, fluffy bunnies!

What I am cooking is ooey, gooey, cheesy heaven on a plate.

I don't know how the name for this dish came about, so I wouldn't ask me if I were you. I just go with the flow. I do know Rarebit is a traditional British dish. And I know it's scrumptious. 

That is the extent of my knowledge. I think it's enough. 

Would you like some ooey, gooey, cheesy heaven on a plate? Of course you do!! Here's how to get started: 

The ingredients are basic enough, staples which I usually have on hand. Cheese, bread, butter (not pictured, oops!), beer (that's the 'adult' part), whole milk, flour, dijon mustard, chives, and various spices. Oh, and an egg yolk, which also didn't make it into this picture. You're used to me forgetting stuff by now, right? 

Before we get cooking, you'll want to prep a few things. Start by frying several slices of bacon (about 4) in a skillet. Once cooked, crumble the bacon and set it aside. Then, chop one package of chives into 1/4 inch pieces. Set these aside as well. Both will be used for garnish later.   

Also, be on the lookout for bacon thieves! I can't escape them... usually the Hubs is snatching the bacon faster than I can cook it, but this week I had to contend with a new opponent. My buddy, and fellow blogger, Abby!

In spite of her bacon-theft tendencies, I love her much! You might remember Abby from her blog, in which I recently wrote a guest post for: The Conquering of Cardiac Hill

Ok, now let's get down to the nitty gritty! 

The foundation for this recipe is the bread. I go for French or Italian bread. Please don't use regular sandwich bread. Don't do something you'll regret! Regular sandwich bread is just not the same, you've got to trust me here. This cheese sauce needs a nice, sturdy bread to stand up to it. 

So, toast your bread. Been there, done that, I rambled a lot. I won't go into a long explanation here, but if you need it, you can check out this post where I explain it all: "Cooking" for One: Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad.

Set the bread aside and get working on your sauce. Quick tip: Have all your ingredients measured and ready to go. The sauce only takes a few minutes. You don't want to be running around, looking for the paprika, and then find out you burned your cheesy goodness, do you?

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over low heat. Not high. LOW. Once the butter has melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour. This combines to make a little something called a roux. Keep whisking for 2 or 3 minutes, constantly. Don't let your roux burn!

From here, it's all downhill, nice and easy. Drizzle in 1/2 cup of whole milk (you can use heavy cream if you're looking for a richer sauce) and also a 1/2 cup of your favorite beer. For today, I used Blue Moon. No special reason, it just happened to be in my cabinet. Keep whisking as you add the liquids. We don't want any lumps!

Spices are next into the pot.

Here you have some leeway, and room to make substitutions if necessary. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. I like to use 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, but if you don't have it on hand (or just don't like it!), you can always add dry mustard instead.

A bit of spice is nice, right? I went for cayenne pepper, a few sprinkles or up to 1/4 teaspoon. Again, you can substitute here too. Tabasco works well. Add more if you like it spicy, less if it's not your thing. Or, leave it out altogether. Totally up to you.

Whisk all your spices in, until the sauce is smooth and well-blended.

Photo by: Abby Austin  

Here comes the ooey, gooey... slowly mix in 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Don't forget to grate it fresh! None of that junk in a bag for us. The secret here is to add only a little bit of cheese at a time, allowing one batch to melt before stirring in the next. You can handle that, right? I thought so. I have total confidence in you.

Let the cheese sauce cook for a few minutes, until melted and hot. Remove your pan from the heat, and add one final ingredient.

An egg yolk! No white, just the yolk. Don't know how to separate an egg yolk? Check out the tutorial here: How to Separate an Egg Yolk. OR, simply crack the egg into your hand (holding it over the sink or a bowl), and let the white slide through your fingers until you're left with nothing but the yolk. OR, buy an egg separator like this one: The Egg Yolky.

I'm rambling again. Oopsie.

So, where were we? Oh yeah... stir your egg yolk into the cheese sauce. Annnnnnnnnnnnnddddd, you're done!

Spoon the cheese sauce over your toasty bread, then top with the crumbled bacon and chives. Heck, add a dollop of sour cream if you want. Or leave it all off, and instead serve the sauce in a bowl with bread pieces for dipping. Be creative, try it your way!

Welsh Rarebit

I won't embarrass her by posting the picture evidence, but Abby and I both agree that Welsh Rarebit is something you lick your plate clean for!

What are your favorite comfort foods? Feel free to share in the comments below. Until then, happy cooking!



The Standard Form:

Welsh Rarebit (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 loaf of crusty bread (ex: French or Italian)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

½  cup whole milk

½ cup beer

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon paprika

A few dashes - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups fresh grated cheddar cheese

1 egg yolk

Chopped green onion

Cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions:

Slice your bread into thick pieces and toast. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until combined. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the milk and beer, whisking constantly, and cook for an additional minute. Add the Dijon mustard, paprika, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk to combine.

Slowly add the cheese in a bit at a time, whisking after each addition. Cook a few minutes, whisking constantly, until the cheese mixture is melted hot. Remove from heat.

Stir the egg yolk into the sauce, whisking to combine.

Serve immediately over the toasted bread. Top with the chopped green onion and bacon. 

"Cooking" for One

"Cooking" for one.... wondering why the 'cooking' is in quotes? Well, I'll tell ya. Technically, I don't think this recipe counts as official cooking. Sure, it's completely delicious. But something this simple, this easy... it couldn't possibly fall into the 'cooking' category.

Could it?

Well, I'll let you decide for yourself.

When the Hubs is away, mealtime warps into something sad. Cooking for yourself isn't that much fun; I much prefer having company. Most recipes are a 4-serving size... not so bad when there are two of you.  That means a great dinner on Monday, plus a Tuesday of no-cooking while you enjoy the leftovers.

BUT, if you're only cooking for yourself? I get pretty tired of lasagna (or whatever) after the first two days. On Wednesday, that still leaves several days of uneaten lasagna in my fridge. Not cool.

Unfortunately, the military life basically guarantees that, as a spouse, you will spend many nights alone. Those are the breaks, and we all knew what we were getting into. I used to fall back on old standbys for dinner... like Wendy's. Or take-out Chinese. Lean Cuisine. If you're a spouse, you know what I'm talking about! The quick and easy, anything that won't create too many unsightly leftovers in the fridge.

Lucky for you, I've seen the light! There is another way, I promise you. And because I love all y'all invisible internet people, I'm going to let you in on the secret (Woo, my southern is really coming out today!).

The secret is this: Simple, flavorful meals. Ones with small serving sizes, or ones that freeze easily. Today I'm going to share another quickie recipe with you. It's great for lunch or dinner. Plus, you can customize the portion. Just you tonight? No problem, this easily makes one. Having a friend over? No worries! Just as easy to make another.

Drum roll please......

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad Sandwich!

Man, that title is way long. What about Chicken Salad Sandwich? What about Strawberry Chicken Sandwich? How about just Sandwich? Or 'Wich?

I'm obviously having an identity crisis.

Whatever its name, this sandwich is super simple to make. You can be eating in less than 10 minutes if you so choose.

I so choose.

Here are your basic ingredients:

As you can tell, I was quite lazy with the 'chicken salad' part. If you want to make your own chicken salad, go for it! I do that sometimes too. But it's so easy to keep a container on hand, especially if the Hubs is gone. Simple is better for me in those times.

If you like the simple too, you can find this great chicken salad at a Target Superstore. I heart Target Superstores, seriously.

Mmmmmmmm..... it's magically delicious.

Ahem. Ok. Now that I've wiped away a little bit of drool, we can get serious. Start with your rolls, or ciabatta, or whatever bread-type substance you desire. I use club rolls (also from Target, bakery section).

I toast my bread first. You can pop it in your toaster, throw it under the broiler, or toast it in a skillet. I go for the broiler method so my bread only toasts on one side. Super simple... just spray your bread with a little non-stick cooking spray and toss it under the broiler for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning (been there, done that!), and pull it out at your desired level of brownness.

I can't believe I just spent a paragraph explaining how to toast bread. It's been a long day.

From there, build your sandwich! I have a little secret to tell you... before adding your preferred greens (I go for the spring mix or arugula usually), use a teeny, tiny shmear of the chicken salad on one half of the bread. This acts a little like glue, so when your greens are placed on top they don't squish around and out of the bread. Drives me crazy when that happens!

So, shmear of chicken salad. Then your greens. Next, a healthy pile of sliced strawberries...

Say what?! 


You heard me! I don't care how crazy it sounds, I don't care if it's the last thing you would ever put on chicken salad. Trust me. You won't regret it. And if you do happen to regret it (which won't happen!), it's a sandwich, people. Pull off the strawberries, moosh your bread back together, and keep on eating.

Now that we're past the difficult part... add a nice dollop of chicken salad on top of the strawberries. Prepare yourself, because we're about to add another mystery ingredient. The strawberries need a little somethin' somethin' to compliment their deliciousness...

If you've kept up with your reading, you'll know I've used this before. Quite recently, in fact. I also found this at Target, but if there isn't one near you, Amazon also carries this particular balsamic glaze. Or, you can make your own by reducing a bit of balsamic vinegar. For another quickie meal (easily customizable for one), think back to my Watermelon and Arugula Salad. This glaze is so useful!

ANYWHO... onward. Drizzle your sandwich with a bit of glaze (ok, I like a lot!). Top with the other bread half. And... viola!

A fun and creative dinner/lunch for one. Serve with a side of raw vegetables, fruit, or mac-n-cheese if that's your style! I went for some baby black corinth grapes, just because they were so cute and tiny.

What kind of meals do you make when your Hubs is away? More coming soon from my kitchen to yours...