Ruben Sandwich – The “In A Mini Skirt Way”

Today’s post is a quickie. Mostly because I’m not feeling well, and because I haven’t posted in ages and I’ve been meaning to post this for some time. But anyway, back to my insane love of Russian Sauce. Which seems odd when paired with a Rueben sandwich, but it’s so perfect. So creamy. So “hit-the-spot”, that I just don’t seem to have any other words to describe how I love this sauce.

The cast of characters.

I some how forgot to photograph the sauerkraut and the garlic. Mostly because the ‘kraut was on the stove in a pan of melted butter, warming up. Must use warm ‘kraut! Oh, and by the way, that is wild horseradish in the jar. YUM! And I forgot the garlic until I looked at the bowl and said to myself, “Something’s missing?”.

I’m only including the recipe for my version of Russian sauce, and the proper layering of my version of a Rueben sandwich.

Russian Sauce

Mayo
Hot Sauce
Dill pickles, or dill pickle relish
Worstecshire sauce
Horseradish sauce
Sour cream
Lemon juice
Red Onion
Garlic

No clue on actual measurements. I think it’s about 3/4 of mayo and 1/4 or the sour cream. Couple tablespoons of horseradish sauce and lemon juice. Couple teaspoons of red onion, garlic, hot sauce, dill pickles and Worcestershire sauce.

Mix it all in a bowl and set aside. Sometimes I add a little ketchup because I like that little bit of sweetness, and sometimes I don’t. Depends on your individual taste.

Now, the key to a good Ruben is all in the layering.

Warm the corned beef in a pan just so it’s warmed through. You start out with Rye bread. I like seeded rye bread but that’s just me. Take a 2 slices of bread, slather them with Russian sauce. Put a piece of Swiss cheese on the bread, and then slather the cheese with Russian Sauce. Place a piece of corned beef on top of the bread, and then slather the corned beef with Russian Sauce. I usually add a couple red onions and then the ‘kraut and then a layer of Russian Sauce. Add another piece of corned beef, and then you guessed it…slather it with Russian Sauce. (See the pattern?) Add a piece of swiss cheese. Add the 2nd piece of rye bread and place on top of the cheese to form a sandwich. Now, butter one side of your sandwich, and place in a prewarmed pan. While that side is cooking, butter the other side. By the time I get it buttered, it’s time to flip the sandwich. Do that. And then I have a sandwich weight, but you can use a plate and a smaller sized lid to lightly press down on your sandwich. You want it all to melt together and get gooey!

Remove from pan, cut, and serve with extra Russian Sauce for dipping.

How do you make your Rueben Sandwich? What sauce do you use? I wanna hear from you!

I’m dying to hear from you!

Well okay, so I dunno about the dying part. Being sick sometimes makes me melodramatic.

And needy!

Have a fantastic week!

A simple, easy down home meal. I’m really saddened that you can find these in the frozen food section of your grocery store. There are even some that are microwavable. *gasp* There really is no comparison to the real deal. The buttery, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth crust and thick, rich, savory beef and veggie filling that make up a Beef Pot Pie, made from scratch, just can’t be replicated in a microwave version.

I’m posting one of my versions here. This is the quick, spicy version that I make on a regular basis.

I usually have crusts on hand from a recipe that my granma gave me years ago. However, I have made these with a Pillsbury crust and the results were fantastic. I just happen to really prefer my pie crust recipe. Which, I shan’t be posting here. Sorry. Girls gotta keep a few secrets, right?

Beef Pot Pie

1 pound  beef stew meat, or sirloin steak, cubed
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
cumin
1 14.5 oz can of beef broth
3 large carrots, sliced into rounds
2 celery stalks, sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

Sprinkle the beef with the cayenne, onion and garlic powders and ground cumin. Toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I don’t have exact measurements. I just guess, like I do everything else.) In a saucepan, brown beef of both sides. Once beef has browned, add enough water to just cover, turn heat down, and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until beef is tender.

While beef is simmering, add potatoes, carrots, celery and beef broth to a pot and let slowly boil until veggies are almost tender. Remove beef to a bowl, but keep sauce pan. Drain liquid from veggies into sauce pan, and then add veggies to the same bowl as the beef.

Disolve cornstarch in 1/3 cup water. Slowly add to broth in saucepan and simmer until thickened. (sometimes I have to add a little extra water if it seems to thick). Salt and pepper to taste.

Line a 9″ pie pan with one of the crusts. Add veggie and beef mixture. Pour gravy over veggies and beef and then cover with 2nd pie crust. Bake in 350º F oven for about 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

How do you fix your Beef Pot Pie? Variations? What do you do differently!

Good Morning!

I meant to post this yesterday as part of the ongoing “Copper Hue’d Monday’s” series, but I was so wrapped up in looking at all the copper on Etsy, I ran out of time.

Enjoy!

Clicking on the image above will take you directly to my Etsy Treasurey, where the items are located.

What are your plans for Holiday decorations this year? Going with the old stand by? Or trying something new?

Today is National Potato Day, and next month is National Potato Month.

As a kid, we ate a lot of potatoes. They are one of those foods that the majority of people really like, and you can fix them in a variety of different ways. They are perfect for thickening soup or stews, and help keep growing kids full in between meals. I’m no food expert, but potatoes are a staple in my home as they keep well and regularly go on sale at the grocery store, and I use them a lot.

Here’s my recipe for Grilled Potatoes, Onions and Yellow Squash.
And, as usual, these measurements are not exact. I hardly ever cook anything with exact measurements. That’s how I learned to cook.

2 or 3 red potatoes (you can use whatever you have on hand, doesn’t have to be red)
1 small onion
1 medium yellow squash
1 or 2 garlic cloves (use more or less depending on your preference)
butter
salt
pepper
flavored olive oil (my recipe will be at end of post)

Wash your vegetables. With veggies wash or with soap. Make sure to rinse well
Slice potatoes in 1/4 inch slices
Slice onion in roughly the same size rounds. Use as much or as little onion as you’d like.
Slice squash slightly thicker than potatoes and onions as they cook faster.

On a piece of aluminum foil, place three pats of butter. Next, layer potatoes on pats of butter. Next layer onions, then squash on top of potatoes. Place three more pats of butter on top, and place garlic on either end of foil. Finally, drizzle with flavored oil and fold aluminum up into a tight packet. Place on grill at about 300° F. Leave on grill until potatoes are tender.

Flavored Oil
This really is a huge cheater recipe.
Get one packet of “Herb and Garlic” salad dressing mix
3/4 cup olive oil.

Combine and shake/whisk/mix together. I keep this in the fridge, and use on a variety of foods.

See those little browned bits on the side of that potato? That’s the absolute best part of this whole recipe. YUM!

Oh! Notice the crack in my counter top? That, along with the wretched outdated counter tops themselves, is why I’m redoing my kitchen. GAG!

Sometimes I play a bit of a game when I reach into the freezer to pull meat out to thaw for supper or dinner or breakfast. (Yes, sometimes I’ll eat a steak for breakfast and sausage for supper). Well it’s not much of a game because there are usually only two types of meat in the freezer, beef and pork. Sometimes there’s a whole chicken in there, but rarely do I have the chance to eat chicken. Because frankly, we don’t butcher a lot of chickens, and I can’t afford to buy chicken when I raise beef and pay to have a whole or half beef slaughtered, cut and wrapped. Just doesn’t make sense.

So my reach into the freezer garnered a “Cubed Bottom Round” steak. Most people would make Chicken Fried Steak with that, but not me. I grill those babies up and love every minute of eating them, unbreaded and not smothered with gravy.

You’ll notice there is no seasoning what-so-ever on the steaks themselves. Our beef can hold it’s own. The mushrooms and onions have a little butter, salt, and cracked pepper. Because that’s how I like them. They don’t need to make up for flavor that might be missing in the steak either. I just like grilled mushrooms and onions.

These are hot off the grill. Perfection as far as I’m concerned and since I’m eating them, that’s all that matters to me.

And the final…cut with a butter knife.

About a week ago, while in deep twitter conversation, the idea of doing a “mini saga” was created and is now being put into fruition. Honestly, the idea of putting my dating life out their on the internet seems a bit, well, lame. Is anyone even going to think it’s as funny as I do? Am I the only one that asks myself the question…”What vibe am I sending off?” And if people think it’s funny are they just laughing at me? Or the guy? Or the whole scenario?

So, procrastination and second guessing being firmly pushed to the side, I bring you the first installment of “Dating Whoa’s: The Saga”. Whoa # 1.

I’m starting with one of the more recent date requests. I think I’ll digress into this meandering tale of whoa’s, that way I can really relive my past horrors.

Ball Cap. Seriously. I’m opening this story with those two words because frankly I don’t think it’s exactly my lucky penny accessory. Nothing good has ever come out of a date request, when I’m wearing a ball cap. I think from now on I’ll just wear a ball cap in order to add more stories to my already embarrassing list of “Whoa” date moments and keep the laughs coming.

On an idol Thursday evening in the early spring of this year, shortly after the closing of the ski hill and prior to the real start of fly fishing I decided I needed a few items at the local Target. Now, I don’t normally shop in Target unless it’s for beauty products or Giada De Larentiis kitchen products. Sometimes Target will have lower prices on items in other areas of the store that I may need, so I usually do a quick run through looking for lower prices, and this is how I found myself in the “Automotive” aisle, scanning the prices on car care products. Engrossed in my price comparisons, I vaguely realized the same guy had walked by the aisle four times and it wasn’t until his fifth trip past that I became aware of his scrutiny. Now, from a side view he was good looking, but had a bit to much of the shaggy boy look going on, even under the knitted ski hat. About this time I’m done looking at items in the automotive aisle, and move towards the beauty products aisle, and I can hear footsteps behind me. I start to walk faster and still, footsteps following me. I’m waiting for the scary Frankenstein music to cue, the lights to go off, and thunder to start crashing around me.

Eureka! I almost shout, upon reaching the Almay aisle. I figure I’m in the clear because not to many guys are going to be willing to be seen pacing the main aisle in front of the makeup aisle, right?

(to be continued…)

I’m leaving you with my version of Iced Tea.

(I’m not entirely and ogre and leaving you with no goodies after starting a story…)

Mini Skirt Iced Tea

1 quart size jar (Mason, Ball, Kerr…)
3 Good Earth Original Sweet and Spicy Tea and Herb Blend (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR ANY OTHER BRAND OR FLAVOR OF TEA)
Hot water, almost boiling, but not yet boiling water
Cold water
Mineral water (San Pellegrino is the brand I prefer)

Place the 3 tea bags in the jar, leaving the tags hanging over the side. Make sure you have the proper lid and band for your jar.
Pour the hot water in the jar, filling three quarters of the way. Let the tea bag steep for about 3 minutes and then finish filling the jar with cold water. Put the lid and band on the jar and set outside in the sun for a few hours. Then, bring inside, remove tea bags and chill in fridge.

When ready to server, place ice cubs in a glass, and fill glass about 1/4 full of mineral water, and then add desired amount of tea. You may have to adjust this ratio to your tastes, but this is the ratio I prefer. I love the effervescence of the mineral water, and the clean sweet, spicy flavor of the tea. Enjoy!

Have a Mini Skirt of a Day!

When I’m pressed for time for a few days and I know I want something fresh and not from my freezer, I make “Busy Night Pasta”. I don’t have exact measurements, as usual, so you’ll have to bare with me as best as possible.

spaghetti pasta
salt
pepper
ricotta cheese
Parmesan and Romano cheese (yes, in the shaker)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 cup zucchini, sliced

The cooked spaghetti pasta is roughly 2 or 3 cups. Add salt to the water. Boil water and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. While pasta cooks, in a saucepan over medium, heat olive oil and add chopped onion, garlic, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper. After onions and garlic have sweated, add tomatoes and zucchini. Cover and let simmer until zucchini is tender, but still has some bite.

In a large bowl mix about 1/2 a cup of ricotta cheese, dash of salt, dash of pepper, Parmesan/Romano cheese (yes, the kind in the shaker. You can use fresh to if you have it, but I never have it on hand). Mix thoroughly.

Now for the fun part. Usually I use a small saucepan so I will mix everything in the pot that the pasta cooked in. Toss the vegetable and pasta mixture together. Now, transfer this mixture to the large bowl containing the ricotta cheese mixture, and toss again. If the mixture seems a bit thick, add a few teaspoons of the reserved pasta water and continue to toss until it reaches your desired consistency.

Garnish with chopped chives or scallions and serve with some crusty bread.

YUM!

Have a wild mini skirt of a day!

Jenny

It’s hot. Miserable, sticky, sweltering, hot.

I’d like some snow please. Even just a skiff.

When it’s this hot out, I use my outdoor grill. Mostly because I don’t have any air conditioning in my home, and partially because I love grilling a steak and hearing that initial sizzle. Frankly, it’s a little piece of heaven, right here on earth. This being said, any time I don’t have a lot of time to whip up supper, and I’m starving, I make these. I keep chicken breasts thawed in my fridge for this very reason.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
(I know…I’m leaving so much to the imagination with this title)

Spread
Half a package of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
Fresh dill, chopped (I use a lot, but this really is up to your tastes)
Salt
Pepper

Mix cream cheese and sour cream together. Add salt, pepper, and stir. Fold in dill.

Chicken
Bar B Que sauce
Salt
Pepper

Rinse off chicken breast. Pat dry. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper and then brush both sides with Bar B Que sauce.

Grill on low until desired doneness.

Spread butter on a hamburger bun, and grill on the grill until lightly browned. I like to thinly slice onions and grill on the grill as well in a foil packet with butter. Spread cream cheese mixture on buns, add grilled onions and sliced chicken breasts and serve with macaroni or potato salad. I sometimes add spinach to my sandwich, if I have it, which I didn’t last night.

ENJOY!

Blackberry Cobbler Bread

5 c Fresh blackberries
1 1/4 c Sugar
3 1/2 tb Sifted flour
Butter

Dough:
2 c Flour
2 tb Sugar
4 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Cream of tartar
1/2 c Butter
1/2 c Milk

Toss 5 cups fresh blackberries with 1 1/4 cups sugar and pour them into a well buttered 1 1/2 quart oblong baking dish. Sprinkle 3 1/2 tablespoons sifted flour pver the berries, dot them with butter, and set them aside.

Into a bowl, sift 2 cups flour with two tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoons each of salt and cream of tartar. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. With a fork, stir in 1/2 cup milk and form the mixture into a ball. Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick on a floured board. Cover the blackberries with the dough and trim the edges. Cut a vent in the center of the dough and sprinkle the top generously with sugar. Bake the cobbler in a hot oven (400F.) for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Drizzle a little heavy cream across the top, and enjoy.

Sweet Potato & Noodle Soup

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover vegetables.

Ingredients
sweet potatoes (3 large potatoes)
onion (1 medium or half a large onion)
garlic (1 or 2 cloves)
celery (4 or 5 stalks)
carrots (3 large or 5 small)
water (enough to cover vegetables plus about a cup extra)
noodles (I use Country Pantry – Homemade Style Egg Noodles. You want a thicker noodle, so regular egg noodles won’t work well and will be mushy.)
basil
oregano
sage
salt
pepper
butter
cinnamon

cream

Peel carrots and potatoes. Slice into even sized pieces. Slice celery. Chop onion and finely mince garlic. In a small sauce pan melt butter, and add onion and garlic. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent, and you get some browning on the bottom of the pan. In a large stew pot add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Fill with water to completely submerge vegetables and then add another cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and bring to a slow boil. After boiling add basil, oregano, and sage. I have no clue how much I add. Maybe a teaspoon of each. Let simmer until potatoes are falling apart and carrots are softened. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and about a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Add noodles and let simmer until noodles are softened. Now, this is where the recipes can get a bit dicey. If the soup hasn’t thickened, add roughly a 1/2 cup to 3/4 of a cup cream and simmer for a few minutes longer. This should thicken the soup and make it rich and creamy. However, if your soup has thickened enough due the the potatoes and noodles absorbing the water you can choose to leave the cream out if you’d like a bit of a healthier version. Or, add the cream in even if it’s thickened.

Garnish with several triangles of Havarti cheese and avocado. You can garnish with bread croutons or eat this with a grilled chicken breast and a slice of crusty bread.