Best Panini/Grilled Cheese EVER!

I seem to be on a grilled cheese kick after making those yummy sliders a while back. And this is, without a doubt, THE best grilled cheese I've ever eaten. Bar none.

The other day hubby and I had a cheese fondue. I think I fell in love with my hubby (who was first a friend) when I first tasted his fondue. Gruyere, Emmental, Swiss, plenty of dry white wine for tang, and loads of garlic. I've never tasted better!

There was lots of leftover cheese that had to be used up, and I've always wanted to try it in one of my dry grilled cheese (or I guess a grilled panini might be more accurate) sandwich.

 

There's no real recipe for this, I just thinly sliced the cheese and added it to ham and Dijon on bread. The orange thing in the bottom left is a carrot. I made a stab at making this healthier.

Using my trusty PC Foreman grill (which I seem to use more for this purpose than any meats), I toasted the bread until it was golden and the cheese all melty. I can still taste this and want more.

See that lovely bit of melted cheese there? It gives me an idea... There is still plenty of cheese leftover and it melts beautifully... I might just have to make melted puddles of crispy goodness... Mmmm!

Baguette Biscotti

What do you get when you vastly overestimate your expertise in bread making?

 Baguette Biscotti...

I knew it wasn't going to work, but still I tried...

Kids, don't try this at home. Still, Lulu, REALLY liked it!

Turns out it tastes pretty good. Hubby likes it with butter and molasses, me with butter and honey.

I will try again, but we will not be using it for tomorrow night's planned fondue!

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is an easy entry into the amazing flavours of Thai cooking. With the tastes of fresh, tart lime mellowed by a sweet tomato-based sauce, it will have you looking forward to trying more.

Years ago I lived in the frozen north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories where there was little ethnic food to speak of. I had come from Vancouver, and was used to trying foods from all different cultures and fusions. So I had to learn to make this myself because flying home was not a regular option.

I found this recipe in a Canadian Living magazine years and years ago and have been making it ever since. I may have changed a thing or two, but I love the taste and it matches with my memories of the first time I ever experienced Pad Thai.

The ingredient list is long, and I'd advise you to have the sauce prepared and veggies ready to go before heating the wok. That's the thing about Thai cooking, it has a lot of steps, but it cooks very quickly, so you have to be completely prepared before beginning.

If you're not a fan of tofu, fear not, I don't like the stuff at all, but because this is such a flavourful dish, I don't mind it. It adds more filling protein, that's for sure. The recipe calls for some chili flakes, but it was not enough to provide heat, in fact, even Hubby used more hot chili sauce on his portion.

In the end, this recipe made a lot more than I remember, but it could be because I added an entire package of bean sprouts instead of just the two cups the recipe called for. It tasted just fine reheated the next day (on a plate in the microwave) and we're going for our third meal tonight.

Yum!

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Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a popular Thai dish for North Americans. This recipe uses ingredients that are easily found in your grocery store, and make a fresh tasting — and filling — meal.

Serves 4 to 6

1 pkg                                        wide rice noodles

1/2 cup                                     chicken stock

1/4 cup                                     granulated sugar

1/2 cup                                     ketchup or mild chili sauce

1/4 cup                                     fish sauce

1 tsp                                         lime rind

1/4 cup                                     lime juice

4 tsp                                         cornstarch

1/4 tsp                                      hot pepper flakes

6 oz.                                         firm tofu

1/4 cup                                     vegetable oil

3                                               cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp                                         minced gingerroot

2                                               carrots, grated

1                                               sweet red pepper, chopped

1 lb.                                          shrimp, peeled

2 cups                                       bean sprouts

6                                               green onions, chopped

1/4 cup                                     chopped peanuts

1/4 cup                                     chopped fresh coriander, coarsely chopped

In large bowl, soak noodles in warm water for 15 minutes, or according to the package; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together stock, ketchup, fish sauce, lime rind, juice, sugar, cornstarch and hot pepper flakes; set aside.

Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. In wok or large skillet, heat oil; stir-fry garlic, ginger over medium heat until cooked, but not brown. Stir in tofu, carrots and red pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. 

Add noodles; stir gently for about 1 minute or until beginning to wilt. Stir sauce and pour into wok; stir-fry gently for 3 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add shrimp, bean sprouts and half the green onions; toss gently for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. 

Remove to serving platter; garnish with peanuts, remaining green onions and coriander. Serve with hot and sour chili sauce and/or mild and sweet chili sauce.

Printable Pad Thai

Grilled Cheese Sliders

From one baker's daughter to another, thanks for this super idea for grilled cheese sandwiches that are crunchy and oh so tasty! I got this idea from The Dutch Baker's Daughter blog.

I am a big fan of the grilled cheese sandwich, but it's been a number of years since I've done the traditional butter the bread on the outside type of grilled cheese. Don't get me wrong, it's very tasty, but it's just so rich I can't do it anymore. I've been dry-grilling my sammies using my PC Foreman grill (as I affectionately call my President's Choice George Foreman Grill knock-off). I like the bit of crunch the bread gets.

Even better for me than grilled cheese is grilled cheese with meat and mustard — I LOVE it! I've come up with all kinds of blends. Ham with Dijon, mayo and spicy pear salsa, gouda with apple slices and balsamic fig olive jam, Montreal smoked meat with Dijon and Gruyere — even tuna melt sandwiches with veggies and mushrooms (it's tasty but a bit of a mess to clean the grill).

When I saw this oven method, and the lovely small bites, I knew I would love these sliders! Nothing pleases me more than to have variety.

I followed The Dutch Baker's Daughter's method, brushing the outside with olive oil, but I added crushed garlic and a pinch of salt to make it sing. I was having my young nephew over for lunch, so I made plain cheddar and a combination with ham and a Gruyere and Montreal smoked meat combination. Some I added Dijon mustard, but then realized each person could add their choice of condiment after they were baked. With 10 minutes at 350°F on one side, and 5 more minutes on the other side they were done.

So crunchy and delicious. These would taste beyond awesome in or with a bowl of French onion soup. Next time I will buy a baguette with a smaller diameter for even smaller sliders. This is a great way to mass produce grilled cheese for appetizers or a group lunch. Maybe this would work for the next Business Ladies Who Lunch meeting?

Mmmmmm!

Fully Loaded Potato Cheddar Soup

I realized after I'd started in on this recipe that I had made a something similar before, but this version has vegetables in it, which is even better. To my surprise, this recipe comes from the same site too! It's from Real Mom Kitchen.

For some reason it's called 'baked' potato soup. I wonder if it's because the recipe doesn't say to peel the potatoes? Anyway, I rarely peel my potatoes (even when making mashed) because I love the skins. I just scrub 'em, take off the creepy stuff and away I go.

I made a double batch and made a few adjustments to the recipe to suit my taste. I love onions in my potato soup, so I upped the onion factor. I also added garlic because there's room for garlic in pretty much every savoury recipe in my kitchen.

The other major change is rather than using full cream and milk, which equals to about 18% fat, I used only 10% cream all the way through. Just easier, and lighter, in my opinion.

Oh yeah, I also added Dijon mustard to give it a little bit more tang, and added the bacon bits into the soup, which gave it a lovely smoky flavour. Saves me from having to cook up bacon each time we serve it.

This soup is awesome with homemade no-knead bread! The easiest bread ever to make, but it does involve timing. It ends up being like ciabatta bread if you make the pot version. Next time I'll try a regular loaf and see what happens.

After eating this yummy soup for a couple of meals I froze the leftovers, which some people would poo-poo because it separates the cream and makes it a bit grainy, but trust me, it still tastes might fine!


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Fully Loaded Potato Cheddar Soup

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Serves 6

5 cups                                       diced russet potatoes (about 5 medium)

1/2                                             onion, chopped

2                                                 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp                                          salt

1/4 cup                                     flour

4 cups                                       10% cream

12 oz.                                        frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

2 cups                                       shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp                                      paprika

1 tbsp                                        Dijon mustard

6 slices                                      cooked bacon, chopped

                                                   pepper to taste

Place potatoes, onion, garlic and salt in a large pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Mash the potatoes a few times with a potato masher.

Whisk together flour and cream; stir in with the potatoes. Simmer until mixture is slightly thickened.

Add broccoli, paprika, and mustard; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more; just enough to warm the broccoli. Remove from the heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese and bacon. Stir until the cheese is all melted.

Printable Fully Loaded Potato Cheddar Soup

Salmon Chowder

I've been making this Salmon Chowder recipe since I found it a couple years ago at EatingWell.com. The thickness comes from the addition of potato flakes or mashed potatoes. It's tasty and filling — filling enough for a light supper with a slice of crusty bread to sop up the leftover sauce. Mmmm mmmm good!

This time when I made it, I decided I wanted something more and so I made some changes to the recipe, the most notable being the addition of white wine. I love salmon and white wine, but it's completely optional.

If I ever have mashed potatoes leftover, I'd try it that way to see what the difference is. I've just used up the last of the potato flakes, so maybe that will be next?

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Salmon Chowder

Adapted from eatingwell.com.

You would never guess this chowder is dairy-free by looking at it. The creaminess comes from potato flakes (buy the brand with the least number of ingredients, and therefore preservatives — often your grocery store’s house brand).

Serves 8

1 tbsp                                          olive oil

2                                                   carrots, chopped

2                                                   stalks celery, chopped

2                                                   cloves garlic, chopped

2                                                   French shallots

4 cups                                         reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups                                         water

16 oz.                                         skinned salmon fillet

1 16oz pkg                                 frozen cauliflower florets, thawed and coarsely chopped

3 tbsp                                         chopped fresh green onions, or 1-1/2 tbsp dried chives

2 cups                                        instant mashed potato flakes, or 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 tbsp                                        dried tarragon (or herbes de provence)

2 tbsp                                        Dijon mustard

1/2 cup                                     white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1 tsp                                          salt or to taste

       freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic and shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables just begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, water, salmon, cauliflower and green onions; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, maintaining a gentle simmer, until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the salmon to a clean cutting board. Flake into bite-size pieces with a fork.

Stir potato flakes, tarragon, mustard and white wine into the soup until well blended. Return to a simmer. Add the salmon and reheat. Season with salt and pepper.

You can substitute the cauliflower for broccoli to make the chowder more colourful.

Printable Salmon Chowder