Grilled Turkey and Gravy Sandwich

Best way to use Thanksgiving leftovers: scrumptious turkey and gravy sandwich. 

Melted and broiled to perfection. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Mine was really great. And all the cooking went perfectly. I was especially proud of my turkey. Flavorful, moist and crispy on the outside. And I was really surprised, given that it was my first Thanksgiving dinner. So yes, I pulled it off. And this was for sure one of many more to come.
And today, here is my lunch: an amazing sandwich with leftovers from yesterday.  This is inspired by a croque monsier sandwich. You know the amazing French grilled cheese and ham. Just with turkey (not ham), and gravy (not white sauce). With lots of cheese and mustard and broiled to perfection.
It tastes at least as good as it looks. Believe me! It was so hard to look at the bubbling cheese and gravy right out of the oven, not being able to take a bite. Not until I took all the pictures for this post! The good thing, I'm a quick photographer. I truly took at least 100 shots of this sandwich in less than 5 minutes. So by the time I was finished, it was still warm and delicious.
Follow my directions and transform a plain turkey sandwich into a delicious meal, that you will think about the next time you cook a turkey.

Ingredients: to make one sandwich

• 2 slices of bread, I used freshly baked French loaf
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of gravy
• 2 tablespoons of Gruyere cheese
• 2 slices of roasted turkey breast

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Directions:
1. Warm up two tablespoons of gravy in a small pan and preheat the broiler. Toast the slices of bread sprinkled with the olive oil, until slightly golden on both sides.

 2. Arrange the bread on parchment paper on a baking sheet or oven rack. Spread both slices with a thin layer of mustard.

 3. Drizzle one slice with one tablespoon of gravy, and sprinkle with one tablespoon of shredded Gruyere cheese.

 4, Top with the slices of turkey breast. Close the sandwich, and spread the remaining gravy and Gruyere cheese on top.

5. Place in the oven, and broil until golden and melted. Cut the sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Traditional Made-From-Scratch Pecan Pie

Make your Thanksgiving special with this deliciously sweet and nutty pecan pie

Nobody will turn down this dessert, no matter how much turkey and stuffing they ate!

This year I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner. For the first time! Yes, I've been in the US many years and every single year I managed to NOT cook on Thanksgiving day. Just eat! A dessert, an appetizer or a salad to bring to friends' house is all I have ever done. This year is different and I will try, really hard, not to mess it up. I have been doing lots of research on perfectly cooked turkey, deliciously tasty stuffing, and oh-so creamy gravy. I will try my best, and I will let you know. Wish me luck!
So far, the one dish I prepared is this traditional pecan pie. My Thanksgiving favorite dessert. Sweet, but not excessively sweet. Perfectly nutty and buttery. All made from scratch. And check it out: no corn syrup in this recipe!
Ingredients: to make a 11 inch tart
For the crust:

• 1.5 cups (225 gr) of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 oz (1 stick, 115 gr) of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of cold water

For the filling:

• 4 oz (115 gr) of butter - 1 stick
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of granulated white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2  cup (50 gr) of chopped pecan
• 1 orange, zest
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• around 1.5 cups (150 gr) of pecan halves for decorating

Preparation time: about 1 hour and 45 minutes
Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter cut in pieces, and with the tip of a knife cut it in smaller pieces,mixing with the flour, until you get a  coarse mixture, with pea size small butter lumps.

2. Add cold water, about half a cup total, adding a few tablespoons at a time, and mixing with a spoon. Add enough water until the flour is all combined and the dough comes together.

3. Grease the pie pan with butter and flour. Place the dough in the middle and with your finger and palm press down evenly, all around. Sprinkle with flour the top if too sticky. Pay attention to the edges, removing any extra dough with your thumb. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350º F (175º C). Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork, bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.

5. Melt the butter in the microwave, by cutting in pieces, checking and mixing every 10 seconds. In a large bowl mix the brown and white sugar  with the eggs until creamy.

6. Add the melted butter, the salt, the orange zest and the vanilla extract.

7. Mix in the chopped pecans, and pour the mixture into the crust. Decorate with the pecan halves, making circles starting from the edge, moving in. As you can see, I ran out of pecan halves, and used chopped pecans for the middle part ... yes! next time I need to carefully read the bag of pecans at the store! :(

Bake for 50 minutes, until the filling is set. Wait for the pie to cool down before removing from the pan, or it might break.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

HOMEMADE CHEEZ-IT CRACKERS

OK, it's confession time, I love Cheez-It crackers. I don't stock them in the pantry (for obvious reasons), so when the urge ambushed me the other day, I was very happy to find this easy recipe.

These crackers really do taste a lot like Cheez-It crackers, except fresher and more flavorful. They are quick to make and take require ingredients I always have in my kitchen (a win-win for us since we live 10 miles out of town).

 

 

 

CHEEZ-IT CRACKERS

 

8 ounces extra SHARP cheddar cheese shredded (see note below)

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons UNSALTED butter (room temperature)

1 teaspoon salt (divided)

4 to 6 tablespoons ice water  (see note below)

 

Put the shredded cheese and room temperature butter in your food processor and give it a few pulses to blend.

 

Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne into the flour, then sprinkle it over the cheese-butter mixture and pulse a few times until the mixture looks a little clumpy but well mixed.

 

Next, with the food processor running, add 4 tablespoons of the ice water. Run the food processor until the dough forms a ball, then stop. See tip below on the amount of water to use

 

 

Divide the dough in half and cover and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll the dough very thin (as thin as you can get it), like a pie crust (1/8")or thinner (see note below) and cut into 1" squares.

 

 

 

Sprinkle squares remaining salt and poke a hole in the center of the square. Place squares on ungreased cookie sheet (they can be pretty close together but not touching).

 

Bake in preheated 400° for 10 to 12 minutes or till golden (see note below). Remove crackers from baking sheet and cool them on a bakers rack (so air can get to both sides of the cracker). Cool to room temperature before eating them (they will get crisper as they cool down).

 

TIPS:

This recipe really needs extra sharp cheddar cheese and make sure that you grate it yourself.  Commercially grated cheeses have a starch coating on them so the shreds don't clump together. This starch coating really effects how cheese melts (and tastes)

 

The recipe didn't say what kind of salt to use, but I used a light sprinkling of kosher salt because it is large and flakey, but that's just my personal preference. On one batch, I put salt on both sides of the cracker squares and it made them too salty  (well, the dog didn't think so, but we did).

 

 This recipe calls for 4 to 6 tablespoons of ice water. When I made these, it took the full 6 tablespoons, but then the amount of water you use depends on the humidity of your flour, etc. etc. etc.  Just start with 4 tablespoons and then if the dough doesn't come together nicely in a ball, add a little more.

 

This dough is extremely easy to roll out and doesn't crack or break apart. Just make sure you roll it VERY thin. No matter how thin you roll them, they will still puff up a little while baking, so keep that in mind. Just remember, the thinner you roll them, the crispier the cracker will be.

 

And finally, the recipe says to bake them 10 to 12 minutes. I have the best luck cooking them for 10 minutes then switching to the broiler for the last 30 seconds. It gives them a wonderful golden crispy top.

 

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container.

 

ENJOY !!

 





Traditional Venitian Bigoi in Salsa - Bucatini with Anchovies Sauce

Savory, simple and fast. This typical Venetian pasta is the perfect last-minute dinner.

And check it out: only 4 ingredients!

Last night was one of those night: my fridge was mostly empty, and everybody was starving. With no much time and not many ingredients to work with, I'm glad I thought of making these bigoi in salsa! This traditional Venetian pasta is a perfect last-minute meal. All you need are anchovies, onions and olive oil... and the bigoi of course.
Bigoi is the Venetian name for bucatini, a thick and long tube pasta, that looks like spaghetti but with a whole in the middle. Barilla started to make this pasta shape in their new product line. I found it at my local grocery store. Whole Foods or other Italian Deli might also sell them. In case you can't find bucatini pasta, you can always substitute with thick spaghetti. Still delicious!

Ingredients: serving 2

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 can (2 oz, 55gr) of anchovies, flat in olive oil and salt
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 6 oz of bucatini pasta (I used Barilla)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the onion and saute' in a large pan with the olive oil, over medium heat. It should take between 5 to 10 minutes for the onion to be fully cooked and slightly golden. Add some of the water from the pasta if you need.

2. Add the anchovies, drained from the oil of the can. Cook for a few minutes and, with a fork or wooden spoon, break the anchovies until dissolved with the oil and onions. Add the chopped parsley if you are using it. Lower or turn off the heat if ready before the pasta.

3. As soon as the water boils, cook the pasta al dente. Drain when ready and toss it in the pan with the anchovies. Mix well and serve immediately.

Buon Appetito!

Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

This Italian recipe is perfect for the fall: 

organic zucchini halves, carved out and stuffed with a delicious mixture of ground beef, Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic - of course! 

All the organic zucchini I found at the farmers' market this morning inspired me to prepare this dish: baked, carved-out zucchini halves filled with a savory ground beef stuffing. Very tasty and definitely one of my favorite. Great for the kids too! If you have a picky veggie eater, this is a perfect way to "hide" the zucchini.
I like to prepare this as a main dish for my family. I served it with some homemade, super soft and savory rosemary focaccia bread. Yummy!! Or it could also be an impressive side dish for your next fancy dinner party!
Note, you can be prepared it head of time, and warm it in the oven at the last minute. Left overs are always welcomed! Here is the recipe.
Ingredients: serving 4

• 4 large organic zucchini
• 2 eggs
• half pound (225 gr) of lean ground beef
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup, plus one tablespoon of plain bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons of fresh Italian Parsley chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• salt
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation time: about 60 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 º F (175º C). Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the inside flesh of the zucchini, trying not to break the "shell". I used a small pointy knife. And if you like, you can help yourself with a spoon.

2. In a large bowl combine half of the zucchini flesh cut in small cubes, the ground beef, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs, parsley and salt. Mix until all combined.

3. Place the zucchini halves in a baking pan, sprinkle with salt, fill with the stuffing.

4. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of breadcrumbs, one of Parmesan cheese and drizzle with the olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover and finish baking for 15 more minutes or so.

 Buon Appetito!

CROCK-POT MASHED POTATOES

This is a great method of making mashed potatoes for a crowd. It seems like I'm always short on time (or a burner) when it comes to last minute side dishes during the holidays, so this method is a big help.

 

TO FEED A BIG CROWD
5 pounds peeled potatoes cut into 1" cubes
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups HOT half and half (divided)

The ABOVE ingredients will take a large

(7 quart) crock-pot:

If you are just feeding a family of 6, cut the above ingredients in HALF and

it in a

4 quart crock-pot:

 

 

In either case, spray the crock-pot with cooking spray and put your raw cubed potatoes and butter pieces in the crock-pot.

Mix the water with the salt and pepper and pour it over the potatoes and butter pieces:

 

Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4 hours (or till tender). TIP: If you put a couple of potholders on the top of the crock-pot lid (as shown in the above photos), then the potatoes will be cooked in 3 hours instead of 4.

 

After the potatoes are tender, DO NOT DRAIN. Give the potatoes a rough mash with a hand held potato masher first, then add one cup of HOT half and half and finish whipping them with a hand held electric mixer (right in the crock-pot). Add the final half cup of half and half if you think the potatoes need it.

 

These mashed potatoes can be kept on the warm setting of the slow cooker for up to two hours.

 

Even if your crock-pot doesn't have a warm setting, you can still keep these mashed potatoes hot by covering the whole crock-pot with a heavy towel. They will stay hot for quite a while. 

 

 

 

 

ENJOY !!