Beef Dips

Originally published on November 22, 2014

Beef dips are pretty interesting. Another common name that they go by is “French dips,” but they’re not actually French at all. The name seems to come from the fact that the roll they’re served on is very often French bread or a baguette. The sandwich originated in Los Angeles, but even there you’ll find some debate between two restaurants, both established in 1908, and that both lay claim to being the inventors of this now iconic sandwich.

You can use just about any kind of beef (or even other meat) in your beef dip. I had leftover pot roast so that’s what I used, but you can also use roast beef, steak, or anything else you’ve got on hand. I was also forward-thinking when I made that pot roast, so I saved the drippings, but if you don’t have any, use beef broth instead. I don’t believe the traditional sandwich calls for mushrooms and onions, but I had some lying around and I just couldn’t resist.

Ingredients:

1 – 2 pounds of leftover pot roast
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups beef drippings, or beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 baguette, sliced into 4 pieces, or 4 sub rolls
1/2 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Place two tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan set over medium heat. When hot add the onion and mushrooms and toss to coat in the fat. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to carmalize and soften. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3.) Place the beef drippings or stock into a large saucepan. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add the cooked beef, stir, and let simmer for another 5 – 10 minutes, until the beef is heated through.

4.) While the beef is warming, place the butter in a small bowl and add garlic and chopped parsley. Stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly. Use this to butter both sides of all 4 rolls and then heat a skillet or indoor grill to medium-high heat. Place the rolls, butter-side down, onto the grill or frying pan and toast for 2 – 3 minutes, just until the buns are toasted and crispy on one side.

5.) Place open rolls onto a baking sheet. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef out of the pan and divide it among the four rolls, piling them high. Keep the au jus warm over medium heat.

6.) Top the beef with the onion and mushroom mixture, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top, dividing it evenly among the four sandwiches.

7.) Place the sandwiches into the oven and cook just until the cheese has melted completely, about 5 – 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour some of the au just into small bowls or ramekins to serve alongside individual plates.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Ravioli Lasagna

Originally published on December 1, 2014

When people start thinking about different ways they can make lasagna, often they limit themselves to thinking only about the filling of the actual lasagna. I know that’s usually where I start when I’m on the path to making a new and creative lasagna dish. But, don’t stop there. What about the actual noodles, or the actual pasta that you use? As I recently learned, when you swap out traditional lasagna noodles and use something like…..ravioli, the results are stupendous. And dare I say, this lasagna might just be better than the old way of doing things. It’s certainly easier.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 packages (9 oz. each) large frozen cheese ravioli
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:

1.) In a large saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stir, and cook about 3 minutes, until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, red wine, oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly.

2.) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender and beef has browned. Add the roasted red peppers and the basil; set aside.

3.) Spoon 1/4 of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ casserole or baking dish. Arrange one package of the ravioli on top, and spoon half of the beef/mushroom mixture over top. Spoon another 1/4 of the tomato sauce over the beef mixture and then top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers starting with another 1/4 of the sauce, then another package of ravioli, then the beef mixture, more sauce, and the cheese. If you’re making this dish ahead of time, you can wrap it up at this point with aluminum foil, and place it in the fridge for 4 – 12 hours. Be sure to let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

4.) If you’re making the casserole today, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake, covered, for 50 minutes then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Cajun Chicken

Originally published on December 3, 2014

When I started cooking at one of the first restaurants I worked at, Cajun Chicken was one of the things I remember cooking the most. It was a simple dish for the somewhat fancy-pants cafe, but it was always one of my favourites to make. Recently when I was staring down some chicken breasts that were in the fridge, I decided to go back to my kitchen roots and go Cajun with it. At the restaurant we used to slice it up thin and use it to top our Cajun Caesar Salad, but it would be great in pasta, on sandwiches, or just served with a delicious side. I think I’m even going to start making some just to keep in the fridge for those times when I need a delicious little something.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons cumin 
3 tablespoons coriander
3 tablespoons paprika 
1 1/2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1.) In a bowl combine the cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Mix to thoroughly incorporate all of the spices together.

2.) Rub the spice mix over the chicken breasts and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

3.) Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a cat iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until it is nicely seared. Cover partially and cook for another 10 minutes, flipping once.

4.) Remove the chicken from the heat, cover with the skillet lid or aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Mexican Potatoes

Originally published on December 11, 2014

Ah, it’s that time of year again. The time of shopping, parties, decorating, and celebrations – and we still have work and families to take care of during all of it. Sometimes it amazes me that most of us seem to make it out of these holidays still in one piece. For the first time in a loooooooong time, I’ve had to divide my days between a job outside of the home and everything else that goes with the holiday season and man, it is tough. On one particularly busy day, Paige wandered into the kitchen where I stood, aimlessly looking into our fridge wondering what on earth I was going to make for dinner.

“Can we have tacos?” she asked. Bless her heart! There was a package of ground beef on the shelf, and she just gave me the perfect quick supper to make for us.

“Sure!” I replied.

“Oh,” she said, as she turned to walk away, “And can we have something other than Spanish rice to go with them?”

With that, I gave a small sigh. Spanish rice is my go-to side dish for tacos, and now I still have to think of something?

Luckily, I found some cooked, frozen home fries in my freezer, which actually sped up the cooking time for me, and I already had a pretty good idea of how I could “Mexicanize” them – and it would only take three ingredients. If you don’t have frozen home fries, just dice up some potatoes and toss them with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Put them in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes, and then continue on with the recipe. Be sure to make extras though, so you can freeze some of them and eliminate a step for yourself the next time you go to make these. Because you’ll come back to this recipe, I promise.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked, frozen home fries (do make sure they’re home fries – cooked, cubed potatoes – and not hash browns) 
1 1/2 cups salsa 
1 – 2 cups Cheddar cheese, depending on how much you like 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a square baking or casserole dish.

2.) Place home fries in a large bowl and add salsa. Mix to thoroughly combine and cover all potatoes in the salsa. Transfer potato/salsa mixture to the greased casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.

3.) When oven is preheated, place potatoes in and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, just until the entire dish is hot throughout.

4.) Remove dish from the oven, remove the foil, and cover with the Cheddar cheese. Place back into the oven, uncovered, for another 20 minutes or so, until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Dec

Breakfast Casserole with Potatoes, Eggs, and Pancetta

Originally published on December 13, 2014

I really don’t get the big deal surrounding pancetta. I’ve only had it in the chunky, already-diced variety that you can get at just about any grocery store these days, and maybe I would feel differently if I tried it thinly sliced instead. But really, what they say is true – pancetta really is just Italian bacon, and I’m not really a huge fan of bacon. That’s right, I said it. I don’t love bacon!!!!! However, I also don’t hate it, so if you don’t want to fork out big bucks for pancetta (or are like me and don’t get the big deal,) just use bacon in its place. Or, venture out and try sausage. Now that would be phenomenal. Because as indifferent as I am about bacon and pancetta, I love that other breakfast meat so much!

Ingredients:

4 cups potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds,) thinly sliced (use a mandolin to get them perfectly even and thin)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup pancetta, diced 
2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper 
A bit of butter for the baking dish 

Directions:

1.) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta, cook until lightly browned, stirring regularly. When finished cooking, remove the pancetta from the skillet and set on a plate lined with paper towel. Turn heat under skillet to medium-low.

2.) Add onions to the skillet, stir to break up the pieces a bit, and cook for 20 – 30 minutes, until they are lightly browned and very tender. Remove from heat. Add the potatoes and pancetta to the skillet with the onions and gently stir everything together.

3.) Lightly butter a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish. Transfer the potato mixture into the greased casserole dish, spreading it out evenly as you do.

4.) In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the Swiss cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper and beat until all ingredients are blended together. Pour this mixture over the potatoes in the casserole dish. If this is a make-ahead dish, at this point you can cover and place in the refrigerator for 4 – 24 hours. Or…

5.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place casserole in oven, uncovered, for 45 – 50 minutes, until the dish is golden and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Garlic Cheesy Bread

Originally published on December 15, 2014

Garlic cheesy bread doesn’t sound all that complicated to make, and it’s really not. But if you try to just spread some garlic butter on a bun or a piece of bread, sprinkle cheese over top and throw it in the oven, all you’ll end up with is soggy bread that can barely stand up to the melted cheese on top. But do it this way instead, and you’ll end up with that delicious snack or appetizer you were hoping for. I start it on my indoor grill because I like the grill marks (no, you can’t see them once the cheese is on, but it makes me feel better,) but you can also use a skillet or frying pan.

Ingredients:

2 sub rolls, or a baguette cut into pieces about six inches long
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper 
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:

1.) Make a compound butter by combining the butter, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Spread this butter generously over the surface of the buns, rolls or baguette (making sure that the buns have been split open, of course.)

2.) Heat a dry indoor grill, skillet, or frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, place the sub buns or rolls face-down on the pan. Press down gently to get the buns toasted very well so that they are brown and just slightly crisp.

3.) Preheat the broiler and place the toasted bread on a baking sheet. Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over top the surface of each bun, roll, or baguette.

4.) Place the bread into the oven and broil for 1 – 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown. Keep a close eye on it so that the bread doesn’t burn – it can happen in an instant when using the broiler!!!

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Originally published on December 20, 2014

Amid all the crazy Christmas stuff this week, we also had a very special occasion to celebrate in our house this week – it was Brent’s birthday! Oreo cheesecake has become kind of a tradition in our house for his birthday. This year, it was too little too late when I remembered – the day before his birthday and just as I was about to run out to work – that I no longer had a springform pan. It had gotten all bent out of shape during our last move and would have been useless to me even if I had kept it. But what was I going to do now? All the ingredients were spread out on my counter, they had all come to room temperature (a must when making cheesecake,) and there was no time (and no accessible car) to run out and buy another pan.

But guess what? You don’t need a springform pan to enjoy cheesecake! All you need is a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and some parchment paper to help you lift it out when it’s finished baking. After enjoying this delicious cheesecake, which had turned into cheesecake bites, Brent told me that he actually enjoyed these better because he didn’t “get sick of eating it halfway through.” I don’t know what that means for the other cakes that I made him – that were actually cakes – but I know that it turned out well this year; and that I might be making him bites next year, too.

(If you want to make these bites as an actual cheesecake, springform pan and all, follow the instructions as they are but leave it in the oven to bake for about 10 – 15 minutes longer, until the centre is almost set and has just a bit of jiggle left to it.)

Ingredients:

40 Oreo cookies, divided (1 package was more than enough)
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar 
1 cup sour cream 
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup chocolate (milk or dark, whatever you prefer), melted 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with parchment paper, making sure that it sticks out the ends some to give you handles to take it out with once it’s done baking.

2.) Place 26 cookies, cream and all, in a food processor and pulse until they turn into fine crumbs. Coarsely chop about 10 cookies, and set aside in a bowl. Cut remaining cookies in half and place these in a separate bowl.

3.) Mix the cookies you’ve turned into crumbs with the melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish and up the sides a little bit, about half an inch or so.

4.) Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with the sugar and beat until everything is well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat the mixture thoroughly after each addition, making sure the egg is totally incorporated before you add another.

5.) Fold in the cookies that have been coarsely chopped (not chopped in half,) until they are also well blended with the rest of the mixture. Pour the entire thing over top of the crust in the casserole dish.

6.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, until the centre is almost set and jiggles just a little bit. The rest of the cake should be entirely set.

7.) When the cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges to loosen it a bit. Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before placing it in the oven for 4 hours to let it cool and set completely.

8.) Remove the cake from the fridge and gently lift it out of the pan, using the parchment paper. Cut into small squares and using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over top. Place half an Oreo cookie into the centre of each square.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Breakfast Burrito

Originally published on December 23, 2014

We make a breakfast burrito at the restaurant when we serve brunch on the weekends and I have to tell you, it’s delicious. I strongly suggest you use the larger 10″ or 12″ tortillas, but if you don’t have them you can take the much longer, slightly more difficult route that I did – lay out two small tortillas so that they just overlap each other slightly. Place some cheese in between the portions that overlap and heat it slightly in a frying pan over medium heat. The cheese will act as a glue and will keep your shells together while you roll them up. Or, just make a quick trip to the store to buy large tortillas. I promise you it will be much easier that way.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 strips of bacon
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup salsa
2 12-inch tortillas 
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Place bacon strips in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning every so often, until bacon is brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. (Once some of the oil has drained from the bacon, you can choose whether to leave it as is or chop it up. I personally like to give it a rough chop, as I find it easier to eat and don’t end up pulling the entire strip out so that it hangs out of my mouth while I try to eat somewhat gracefully.)

2.) While bacon is cooking, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. While heating, beat the eggs lightly with the heavy cream and add these to the frying pan when the pan and oil are hot. Make scrambled eggs by letting the eggs sit for a few minutes, then scraping and turning them until they are set. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3.) Assemble the burritos. Lay the tortillas flat and in the centre of each place half of the scrambled eggs. Top each with three pieces of bacon, salsa, and Cheddar cheese.

4.) Fold one of the longer ends of the tortilla up and over the filling inside, tucking it in underneath the filling as you do. Then pull up both of the shorter ends as far as they will come without breaking the tortilla. Keeping your hands on the seams as best you can, roll the tortilla up as much as you can, keeping the burrito tight as you go. (Keep in mind that if you’ve used two smaller tortillas, you may not be able to roll up the shorter ends as you would be able to with a larger shell.)

5.) Once the burritos are made, you can toast the outsides of them a bit in a dry frying pan over medium heat, turning regularly, or you can simply cut them in half and serve.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Originally published on December 27, 2014

I think these might be the only cookies I’ve ever made that get better tasting the longer they sit after being cooked. I’ve experienced this a lot with savoury dishes, but don’t think I’ve ever come across it in a cookie. My mom was the first to notice, for instance, that the orange zest becomes much more detectable the day after these cookies have been baked so if you want to add more, just beware that they might end up tasting more like chocolate orange cookies than they do sugar cookies. And even though I do love the orange zest, the thing I love the most about this cookie is that one batch makes 7 or 8 dozen, which is perfect when it’s this time of year and you’ve got a lot of cookies to bake for a lot of people.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter (1 pound)
4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate (if you buy the kind that comes in two bars, this is one full bar)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line two (or more, depending on how many you have) baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the 1/2 cup white sugar in a small bowl to use later.

2.) In a double boiler or a microwave, melt the butter and the chocolate together, stirring occasionally as you do. Once melted, stir the mixture smooth and transfer them to a large, cool mixing bowl. Add the 1 cup of white sugar and the powdered sugar and stir the entire mixture thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

3.) When the chocolate mixture is cool to the touch, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating them after each addition.

4.) Add the vanilla, orange zest, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir to ensure that the entire mixture is thoroughly mixed together.

5.) Add flour in roughly half cup increments, making sure that the entire is mostly mixed together after each addition. The main reason for doing this is so that you and your counter don’t end up wearing the flour after adding it, so don’t be too worried about getting the measurement exact when you add it.

6.) Once all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together, use your fingers to roll it all into one-inch balls and then roll in the bowl of sugar you’ve set aside. Make sure the cookies are entirely coated in sugar and then place on your baking sheets. Flatten them slightly, just so they won’t roll off the tray or move too much when you go to put them in the oven.

7.) Bake the Chocolate Sugar Cookies for 10 – 15 minutes, until the bottoms just begin to brown. Remove from oven, let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Originally published on December 28, 2014

Oatmeal raisin cookies aren’t your typical Christmas cookie. They don’t include any icing or chocolate, and you don’t roll them and cut them out into cute holiday shapes. But, when people heard that I spend many afternoons baking cookies at this time of year, I actually had quite a few requests for oatmeal raisin. Being that this is my very favourite type of cookie, I was happy to oblige. But I did want to do something different with them, just to make them a little more special than your average oatmeal raisin cookie. I mean, it is still the holiday season, after all.

My plan was to also add chopped pecans to them. But after all the cookies had already been spooned onto baking sheets, with some already in the oven baking, I realized I had left the nuts on my cutting board and not one had made into my cookies. Not one to give up so easily, I decided to make a second batch, this one with pecans in them. But, when it came time to make that second batch, I realized I had very few raisins left. Still deciding to forge ahead with the task at hand, I instead used some toasted coconut along with pecans, honey, and the handful or so of raisins. I was left with a culinary dilemma of the best kind – I couldn’t decide which batch I liked best! The moral of the story here is to use whatever sweet treat you have on hand. Butterscotch and chocolate chips work, as does candy such as M&M’s, or even small bits of fruit, like bite-sized pieces of apple.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup raisins, chocolate chips, or other sweet treat
1/2 cup nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds (optional)
1 cup boiling water, if using raisins

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two (or more, depending on how many you have) baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.) If you’re using raisins, place them in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 10 – 15 minutes, until they are soft, plump, and reconstituted a bit. Then, drain and set aside.

3.) Mix the softened butter, the brown sugar, and the white sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high until the three ingredients are thoroughly mixed and starting to become light and fluffy. Add the honey and beat on high again for two more minutes.

4.) Turn the mixer to medium and add the eggs. Beat until the eggs are fully incorporated.

5.) Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.

6.) Add the flour, half a cup at a time, making sure that everything is fully blended and incorporated after each addition. Don’t worry about being exact here. The main reason the flour needs to be added slowly is so that it doesn’t fly out of the bowl and end up all over you and your counter while you’re trying to incorporate it.

7.) Keeping the mixer on low, add the oatmeal, then the nuts and sweet treats.

8.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl, remove the bowl from the mixer, and give it a final stir by hand.

9.) Wet two tablespoons (so that the mixture doesn’t stick) and use one to scoop some of the mixture out of the bowl. Use the other spoon to scrape down the back of the first one, releasing it from the spoon. Continue with the rest of the mixture, placing about 12 tablespoons on each baking sheet, giving you one dozen for every sheet.

10.) Bake for 9 – 15 minutes, depending on how large you’ve made your cookies. The cookies will be done when they are fairly brown on the bottom and just beginning to brown on top.

11.) Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

12.) Serve and enjoy!