Monte Cristo Quesadillas

EACH YEAR AFTER THANKSGIVING, we make Monte Cristo sandwiches, using slices of turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese. The sandwiches are dipped in an egg mixture and cooked in a hot skillet, much like French toast. The sandwiches are then sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with cranberry sauce.

These Monte Cristo quesadillas are not made with Thanksgiving leftovers because I don't yet have any. But I did have some tortillas I wanted to use, left from making Pot Roast Quesadillas. I used deli sliced turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese and served them with homemade Strawberry Ginger Jam.

I did not dip these quesadillas in custard before cooking but I did consider it. . .

Monte Cristo Quesadillas
2 large tortillas
2 - 3 oz. sliced turkey
2 - 3 oz. sliced ham
2 - 3 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
Powdered sugar
Butter for pan

Layer turkey, ham, and cheese slices on one tortilla. Top with the other tortilla.

Heat a pat or two of butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Put the stacked tortillas into the skillet and cook until well browned then flip over and cook the other side until browned and the cheese is melted.

Remove from skillet and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with berry jam or maple syrup.

Repeat steps for additional quesadillas..

Grilled Asian Glazed Tuna

Today, I found this unfinished post in my drafts folder. It was dated 4/17/2010. I don't know why I never finished it. And now, two years later, I don't even know how I made it. Too bad, because I sure would like to have this for dinner tonight.

I can see that I used fresh ginger and garlic, olive oil, and it looks like I was quite generous with the freshly ground black pepper. Most likely there was soy sauce involved. I can see that I grilled in on my cast iron grill pan.

And then I served it with rice and these darling baby carrots. As I said, I wish I had that for dinner tonight.

Do you ever start a post, never finish it, then later don't know how you did it?


 

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce

Several years ago, I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. I made it then and have made it several times since. Everyone always loves it and compliments it. I have used it on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, even tofu and it is always delicious.

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce
(adapted from Bon Appetit)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (12 oz.) bottles chili sauce
8 oz. cherry preserves
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. or more Tabasco sauce (I like much more)

Saute onions in olive oil until golden. Stir in garlic. Add chili sauce, cherry preserves, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for 1 hour.

Remove from heat; stir in Tabasco sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let cool completely.

Grilled Ratatouille

Three weeks ago, a tractor-trailer truck with a load of locally grown tomatoes, over-turned on one of our narrow, steep and winding rural roads.  Tomatoes were all over the place! Many, many boxes of the tomatoes were rescued but were deemed (by whatever authority) unsaleable, due to the accident. Many were donated to local food banks and soup kitchens. Lucky for me, I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and found myself the happy recipient of two 25 pound boxes of beautiful, large and plump Roma tomatoes.  No one wanted to see these tomatoes wasted.  (And no one was injured in the accident).

I canned one box of them for the winter. With the other, I have made all kinds of tomato-ey things--tomato sauce, tomato soup, pizza, salsa, grilled cheese with tomato sandwiches, two pans of oven dried tomatoes, and I still have a nice bowl full of them to finish off this weekend.

Another thing I made is Ratatouille, which is a delicious dish to make and eat in very late summer to early fall, when the fresh, local, tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, and squashes are still available. Ratatouille can be eaten cold with crackers and cheese when the weather is balmy. Or it can be treated as a hot and comforting stew for blustery autumn evenings, served with french bread and brie. 

There are many ways to make Ratatouille, and here is one.

Grilled Ratatouille
3 large onions, roughly chopped
3- 4 plump cloves garlic, chopped
2 bell peppers, any color, quartered, seeds removed
8 Japanese eggplant, split in half lengthwise
6 summer squash, split in half lengthwise
4 very large ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Olive Oil

In a large soup pot, cook onions, in olive oil, over medium low heat, until tender. Meanwhile, drizzle peppers, eggplant, and squash with olive oil, and salt and pepper them. Grill until tender. Chop the grilled vegetables to desired size and add to the pot with the onions. Add the garlic. Stir together, and simmer for a few minutes. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and the fresh rosemary. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Hobo Dinner

I was a Girl Scout Extrodinaire. Of course, I could not have been without the dedication of our Leaders and the bonds formed with the other girls in my troop. We had 3 leaders and 18 girls that went from Brownies, to Girl Scouts, to Cadettes, to Senior Scouts. Everyone in our troop earned the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle.  We earned every badge in the Girl Scout Handbook. 

We did a lot of wilderness camping, built a lot of campfires, told so many ghost stories we were too scared to sleep while out in the middle of the woods. We always pitched and trenched our tents and in most places, dug our own latrines. Almost every member of our troop was also in the glee club, so we sang some beautiful campfire songs. 

We gathered our own firewood--tender, kindling, and fuel, then cooked delicious food over the campfire. Anyone who has spent much time outdoors, knows what an appetite occurs and how totally delicious everything cooked in the open tastes. 

We used to make these Hobo Dinners and I still love them. Of course I have such beautiful memories attached.

Hobo Dinner

Sheets of foil

1/4 lb. ground beef

Several slices onion

Slices of potato

Sliced carrot

Salt and pepper

Wrap packets up tightly and cook on hot coals of a campfire until done.  Serve with ketchup.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Mixed Grill

We eat meals like this a lot in the summer. It may not look exciting, but there is plenty of flavor and texture here, and this made a perfectly delicious and satisfying meal for our 4th of July picnic for 2. 

When we cook like this, I do all the kitchen prep and Pritchard Parker is the master of the grill. 

Here, I started with the ribs, trimming them and cutting into serving size portions. Next, I coated the portions with my favorite spice rub for pork and let them marinate for about an hour.  Afterwards I cooked the ribs for 10 minutes on the steamer rack of the pressure cooker.  Once they were ready for the grill, they were technically "done", though quite unappealing looking. Finishing on the grill made them perfect.

While the meat was marinating, I worked on the vegetables, which were zucchini, Vidalia onions, corn on the cob, asparagus, and new potatoes. The zucchini were cut in half length wise and drizzled with rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil. The Vidalia onions were cut into thick slabs, skewered, then topped with a bit of honey and cayenne pepper. I skewered the asparagus to make little rafts, which I then drizzled with olive oil, squeezed on some lemon juice, and salt and pepper. For the corn, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

The potatoes were also drizzled with olive oil in addition to finely chopped fresh rosemary, coarse sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.




First, Pritchard Parker cooked all the vegetables. Then the meat and potatoes.



We served the ribs with Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce.



Grilled Ratatouille

I suppose there are as many recipes for Ratatouille as there are cooks to prepare it. If you didn't know this very popular French dish before, you probably do now from the movie of the same name.

Ratouille is a wonderful dish to make in the summer, while all the vegetables are abundant and at the peek of freshness, which is also when they are the most affordably priced. I went on a trip to the Farmers Market for my vegetables. I bought 8 Japanese eggplants, 6 summer squash, 3 large Vidalia onions, 1 each red and green bell peppers, and 4 very large and perfectly ripe and lucious tomatoes, all for under $8. And I made a huge pot of Ratatouille.

I posted a version of Ratatouille with roasted tomatoes, which are delicious, last year, but it was already into the fall when I made it. Right now, I'm not roasting anything! For this version, I grilled most of the vegetables.

Making Ratatouille does involve quite a lot of vegetable chopping, so I hope you have a good cutting board, a sharp knife, and enjoy the quiet meditative process of working with fresh, lovely vegetables.

Grilled Ratatouille
3 large onions, roughly chopped
3- 4 plump cloves garlic, chopped
2 bell peppers, any color, quartered, seeds removed
8 Japanese eggplant, split in half lengthwise
6 summer squash, split in half lengthwise
4 very large ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Olive Oil

In a large soup pot, cook onions, in olive oil, over medium low heat, until tender. Meanwhile, drizzle peppers, eggplant, and squash with olive oil, and salt and pepper them. Grill until tender. Chop the grilled vegetables to desired size and add to the pot with the onions. Add the garlic. Stir together, and simmer for a few minutes. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and the fresh rosemary. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with French bread and brie. Ratatouille is also delicious with steak, and equally satisfying with brown rice. It is good hot, cold, or at room temperature, and the flavor improves after a couple of days of refrigeration.

Perfect Back Yard Burger

My husband charcoal grilled the perfect hamburgers! The only part I did was to pat the ground chuck, gently, into patties, and add salt and pepper.


Back Yard Burgers
1/4 - 1/3 lb. ground chuck per burger
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cheddar cheese, sliced
Thinly sliced Vidalia onion
Slices of home grown tomato
Lettuce
Ketchup, if desired

Pritchard Parker nailed it. The burgers were perfectly done, juicy, and delicious.

All I had to do was watch the baby splash in her pool.

Saturday Steak Supper for a Soldier

The Soldier in our family is leaving for his deployment to the Middle East. I had told him I wanted to cook a dinner for him before he left and asked what he would like. Without hesitation, he replied, "Steak and a baked potato."

His wife helped me hone the menu. How does he like his steak cooked? Does he want a sauce? How does he like his baked potato? Don't forget the chives she advised me--he is always disappointed when he orders a baked potato in a restaurant and they don't have chives. What kind of salad dressing does he like? He loves cheesecake.

Menu to Honor a Service Member

***

Charcoal Grilled Angus Beef New York Strip Steak

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Classic Caesar Salad

Yeast Rolls

Cheesecake with Summer Preserved Figs

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 Tbsp. softened butter
2 Tbsp. snipped chives

Scrub potatoes very well under cold running water. Dry them, then rub all over with olive oil. Place onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Cook bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towel.

Slice off the top quarter of each potato. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving a quarter inch of flesh on the skin. Place all the scooped out potato into a bowl and mash with a hand masher. Add the butter and sour cream and continue mashing until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and the reserved bacon, crumbled. Stir in the chives. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the potato mixture back into each of the potato shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce

I almost always have a batch of the hot and sharp Eastern North Carolina barbeque sauce on hand because my husband loves it so much. It is best served with smoked pulled pork, of course, the traditional way, but it also enhances other meats, including the pork loin I recently oven roasted.

Eastern North Carolina Barbeque Sauce
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. (up to 1 Tbsp.) cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco or Texas Pete
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake very well to combine, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using, shaking every now and then.

Moussaka

Eggplant has been especially beautiful and abundant at the Farmers Market this summer and I have bought many sizes, shapes, and colors of it. Moussaka is an eggplant dish I have been familiar with, but not eaten or cooked before. With all these gorgeous eggplants around, it seemed the perfect time to try it out.

I turned to the internet for a recipe and found many variations and much passion for this dish. The only constant, really, is the eggplant. Bechamel or cheese? Cinnamon or no cinnamon? Sultanas? Lamb or beef?

I decided on a Tyler Florence recipe which uses feta and parmesan cheeses rather than bechamel, and also a small amount of cinnamon. I tampered with his recipe of course. I used 1 pound of ground beef, rather than 2 pounds of ground lamb. I grilled the eggplant, rather than fried it. I used fresh, rather than canned tomatoes, and I did not peel my eggplant. I still consider it Tyler's recipe and I was surprised and delighted by how delicious it was.

Moussaka

3 - 3 1/2 pounds fresh eggplant

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive Oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lemon, sliced into thin circles

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cinnamon stick

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 pound fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Slice the eggplant, lengthwise, into 1/4 inch slices. Salt and pepper both sides and grill, on a lightly oiled grill, until tender.

While the eggplant are cooking, heat some oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, lemon, oregano, and parsley. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, stirring to break up the meat. When no longer pink, stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon stick, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with a third of the eggplant, leaving no gaps. Spread half of the meat sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle with half the feta and Parmesan. Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant. Cover the top with a layer of bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cherry Barbeque Sauce

This is a delicious barbeque sauce I made several times last summer, for grilling. I made a batch a couple days ago with barbeque chicken in mind. I had planned to be lazy and buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts. At the store, I saw that a package of 3 (three!) breasts was over $9.00. Egads. I then spotted a large package containing, six plump, bone in, skin on breasts, on sale for $4.35. I made the obvious economic decision to buy twice as much food for half the price. I easily removed the skin, and we managed the bones perfectly fine as we ate.

Cherry Barbeque Sauce

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Vidalia onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
One 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
One 12 oz. jar cherry preserves
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. (or more to taste) Tabasco sauce


Saute onions until golden, add garlic. Stir for about one minute, then add the next 5 ingredients. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring ocassionally. Remove from heat and stir in the Tabasco sauce. Let cool completely.

Texas Hots

Although not a part of my usual repertoire, I do enjoy a good hot dog a couple times a year or so. This recipe has nothing to do with Texas, other than the name. It is my understanding it is originally from Upstate New York and was the recipe of a Greek immigrant. Serve the dogs with spicy brown mustard, minced onions, then a couple spoonfuls of this spicy chili.

Texas Hot Sauce

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups water

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. celery seed

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. mustard powder

1 Tbsp. no salt added chili powder

1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. salt

Brown ground beef and onions, then drain off fat. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, then all the spices. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.

Grill Day

Salmon slightly veiled with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, with grilled lime juice.




Zucchini and Cremini mushrooms sprinkled with balsamic vinegar, ready for the grill.

Tomatoes stuffed with bread crumbs, blue cheese, and a little olive oil. Vidalia onion slabs drizzled with sourwood honey and sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper.