Pressed Caprese Sandwich 31Dec08

Last post for 2008! It’s New Years Eve and this year we decided to stay in, make some of our favorite sandwiches in our new panini press. One of my favorite of all time is the classic caprese sandwich. I used to get them all the time at Le Dijonaise in Culver City - they never grilled theirs though. Urth Cafe also does a great caprese but they add an olive tapande - sometimes a bit too much. I prefer the classic caprese, it’s pretty simple to make, I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 slices of thickly sliced artisan loaf bread - olive, onion or sourdough rye works really well
3 bocconcini cheese balls - sliced OR 1 buffalo mozzarella - sliced
(it depends on where you’re at and what they call their cheese, bocconcini = mozzarella just smaller)
5 basil leaves
3 slices of tomato
1 tablespoon of pesto
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Step 1: Assemble
Spread about a tablespoon of pesto on the inside of one slice of bread. Then layer the bocconcini slices on top of the pesto. Then on top of the bocconcini, layer with fresh basil leaves and then top off with tomato slices. Drizzle a little be of balsamic vinegar on top of the tomatoes - just a little bit so it doesn’t soak the bread too much. Finish with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Cover with the other slice of bread, and we’re ready to grill!

Step 2: Grill
If you have a panini press, brush on very lightly some extra virgin olive oil on the outside of the sandwich (both sides) and throw that sandwich on the press for about 5 minutes.

If you don’t have a panini press, we grill this on a pan with the help of a cast iron pan for the “pressing”. Heat a regular sauce pan and a cast iron pan separately. Make sure cast iron bottom has been cleaned well and very hot. Place your sandwich in the regular pan after brushing with extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Place hot cast iron pan on the top of the sandwich to press it. Should be ready in about 8-10 minutes, you’ll know when it looks toasty and the cheese is melting.

You can also do this without the cast iron press - just grill it on a pan on medium heat on both sides for about 5 mintues each.

That’s it! Hope you like it. Happy New Year!!! There’s lots to expect in the upcoming 09 - like a redesign!

Posted by: Maggie Ha
Category: food, mmmm, recipes
Tags: cooking, food, recipe, recipes, sandwich, snacks, vegetarian

{2 comments}

Leftover Thanksgiving Frittata 1Dec08

What to do with leftover turkey! I made a frittata for breakfast - the boys loved it! Unfortunately I still have about 2 containers worth of turkey left… eep! I’ll have to cook some more turkey things. The frittata is really easy to make. It’s basically a fancy baked omelet.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cubed turkey meat
1/4 cup of leftover stuffing
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of whole milk
4 tablespoons of leftover gravy
1/3 cup of cheddar cheese
1/3 cup of diced onions
2 tablespoons of butter

preheat oven to 390°F or 200°C

Step 1: The onion
In a oven proof pan or cast iron skillet (I highly suggest cast iron skillet, both for cooking quality and for taste), melt the butter all around the pan. Throw on the chopped onions and let them sweat - till they’re a little see through.

Step 2: The mix
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until a little fluffy. Now mix in the chopped turkey chunks and fold it until well mixed. Now mix in the stuffing. Then the cheese. Once this is ready, scoop off the onions that have been sweating on the pan and fold that into the mixture. Pour this whole thing on the skillet. Spoon on some dollops of gravy - straight from the fridge is perfect. And let that cook on medium-low heat for about 8 minutes - timing isn’t that important on the stove, it’s just to start the cooking before you pop it in the oven.

Step 3: The baking
So about 8 to 10 minutes later, toss the skillet in the oven on the top shelf and let that bake for 30 - 35 minutes. You want it golden brown on top. The gravy should be melty on top and the edges should look a little dark brown and crusty.

Posted by: Maggie Ha
Category: baking, food, mmmm, recipes
Tags: baking, cooking, eggs, food, recipe, recipes, thanskgiving, turkey

{1 comment}

Garlic Mashed Potatoes 1Dec08

I apologize for the poor photos, I didn’t get a chance to take as many as I wanted… and I had poor lighting. Regardless, the food still tasted great! So Garlic Mashed Potatoes… this recipe is incredibly easy to make. It’s your basic mashed potatoes but I’ve gotten some feedback… people don’t know how to make mashed potatoes! Here it is, very simple!

Ingredients:
10 potatoes, washed, scrubbed & peeled - in America I would go with russet idaho potatoes, here, I picked some browned ones that looked closest to russet
5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
6 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of heavy cream
3/4 cup of milk

Step 1: Boil away
After scrubbing and washing the potatoes, make sure they’re peeled and pat dry with a paper towel - this will help to avoid slipping. Personally, I like keeping the skin on and mixing it in with the mash but this time I thought I’d try to make them look creamy and smooth without the brown chunks of skin. It’s Thanksgiving, it’s all about presentation right?! OKAY, cut the potatoes into large chunks - probably around 2 or 3 inches. Throw them into a large pot of boiling water and let that cook for about 15 - 20 minutes or until soft. Poke a fork in a chunk to see if they’re ready, you want them soft but not at the point where they’ve crumbled to the bottom of the pot. Drain and throw them back into the pot.

Step 2: Mash and mix
If you have a masher, great, start mashing! Make sure the heat is down to as low as you can get it. Pour in the heavy cream while you’re mashing and get it all mixed in. Once it’s all mashed, slowly pour in the milk and keep mixing. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and throw in the garlic. Let that simmer and bring out the flavors for about 5 - 8 minutes. I personally like to brown my garlic but most people like the garlic to be an added flavor and not too overpowering so I just let it simmer a little bit. Pour in that garlic and butter mixture into the potatoes and mash away.

Step 3: Serve
So Australians don’t eat their mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives, I guess it’s an American thing. I think only a couple people used the garnish. You can mix in the sour cream and chives right into the mash before plating so it’s all mixed in or you can keep it separate. I like keeping it separate so I can put a heaping spoonful

Hope this comes in handy! You can vary the recipe as much as you want to taste, that’s the best part about mashed potatoes. Add in bacon bits, cheese, whatever!

Posted by: Maggie Ha
Category: food, mmmm, recipes
Tags: american, cooking, food, potatoes, recipe, recipes, thanksgiving, vegetables, vegetarian

{1 comment}

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows 1Dec08

Unfortunately, I cannot find a decent photo of this dish. I will have to remake and repost the image. For now, this will have to do… it’s blurry I know… deal with it, it tasted delicious! But before I forgot what I did, here’s the recipe!

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes or yams (depending on where you live and what they call them)
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
5 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
fresh ground pepper - to taste
1 - 1 1/2 cup of small marshmallows

preheat oven to 350°F or 170°C

Step 1: Pre Cook
Scrub and wash the sweet potatoes and then peel them. Cut into about 2-in chunks, make sure you keep them around the same size so they cook evenly. In a large pot, bring some water to boil and throw in the chunks. Boil for about 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and arrange evenly on a baking pan - I used about a 10 x 10 dish.

Step 2: The Glaze
In a saucepan, slowly melt the butter at a medium-low heat. Throw in all the spices and sugar and let them melt together. Once the brown sugar is melted and start to thicken, pour on top of the cut potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are covered with the glaze and throw it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Step 3: The Marshmallows
The glaze should be thick and sticky on the potatoes. Evenly spread the marshmallows on top of the glazed potatoes and throw them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Be careful to not put them in for too long, they will catch on fire if you put it too close to the top (that happened last year!). You want them just turning brown and starting to melt.

Enjoy! This was one of my favorite dishes this year, the glaze really does make it taste amazing.

Posted by: Maggie Ha
Category: baking, food, mmmm, recipes
Tags: baking, cooking, food, recipe, recipes, thanksgiving, vegetables

{1 comment}

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