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!

This recipe is a true experiment. It’s basically goulash, but kicked into a bit of a heat overdrive.

I’ll have photos for this at a later day. It’s to dark tonight to take any.

Beef and Bow Ties

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
2-4 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 – 1 cup of zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can pork and beans
2 cups bow tie pasta (or wagon wheels)
Worcestershire
paprika
chili powder
cayenne powder
dried cilantro
basil
salt
ground black pepper

Boil water for your pasta. I added salt, a tablespoon of butter, and a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar to my pasta water. Because frankly, I loved the taste of balsamic vinegar and noodles, and it adds a light salty sweet flavor to the pasta. I’m sure I’m breaking a cardinal cooking rule. What can I say…I’m a bad, bad person! Add pasta and boil until Al Dente.

In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onion, pepper, garlic. Saute until onions are soft. Add beef and zucchini, a shake or two of salt and a little ground black pepper. Cook until burger is browned. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta. In the pasta pot, add soup, tomatoes and beans. Also, add Worcestershire, paprika, chili powder, cayenne powder, dried cilantro, basil, salt and ground black pepper. I don’t know exact measurements, because I just add until it looks good. About even portions of all spices, except chilli and cayenne powders. Use your discretion there. If your family likes it hot, add more, less for milder. Use a dash or two of salt and a couple grinds of pepper. (anyone lost yet?)

Let the sauce simmer on stove top for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef mixture to sauce mixture and let simmer another 10 minutes. Add pasta, and simmer 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, and add a tablespoon or 2 of butter and stir in. This is something my grandma has done for years to about any meat and pasta dish she makes and I acquired the trick from her. I love how it helps smooth the texture and tastes and really blends everything.

Eat.

I added a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

I’d love to read comments. *hint hint*

Have a wonderful evening!

I pretty much just threw a bunch of stuff in a couple bowls, beat it, baked it, whipped it, and spread it on top of the cake.

Then I got the whips and chains out, for the real fun.

Sorry. Sometimes this stuff flows from my fingers faster than I can engage my brain and hold the deluge back!

Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a glass 13″x9″ baking dish with non stick cooking oil. Or grease and flour. I usually grease and flour.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teasp. baking power
• 2 teasp. baking soda
• 1/2 teasp. almond extract
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, power and salt in a mixing bowl. In another bowl combine oil & sugar. Beat on medium until combined. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk. Begin and end with flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Stir in coffee and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Frosting

• 1 package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup marmalade
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 table. coffee
• 1/2 teasp. almond extract

Combine cream cheese and marmalade, mix on medium until smooth. Add powdered sugar, coffee and almond extract. Beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.

Eat!

Store in refrigerator.

Continuing on with my Harvest based recipes I bring you…

Harvest Quiche

1 1/2 lbs of zucchini, grated and drained
4 medium eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic – I love garlic, so I usually use 2 gloves
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tbsp. of butter
1/4 teasp. salt
1/4 teasp. dill
Pinch of black pepper

Saute’ onion, mushrooms and garlic in butter until tender.

Mix the cheeses and zucchini together in a large bowl. Add onion, garlic, mushroom mixture.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a lightly greased 9″ pie plate. (No crust needed)

Bake in 350˚F oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Another variation is to brown 3 strips of bacon. Remove bacon, but keep bacon fat in pan, and saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in the bacon fat. Crumble bacon and add with zucchini and cheeses. Continue on with recipe.

Fantastic for lunch or supper, this recipe can be halved for couples and singles. Serve with a light salad and croissants.

Enjoy. Should you use this recipe, please let me know your thoughts!

I’m pretty certain no one ever thought they’d see the words “Corn Chowder” and “Mini Skirt” in the same headline….

I’m going to warn you all right now. When I make soup or chili, I make a lot so that I can freeze it. This recipe freezes really well.

Here goes.

I usually use corn from the garden, but frozen corn can be substituted.

Place 4 ears – 6 ears of corn in a pot and about 6-8 cups of water, until the corn is floating. I then throw in a dash of sugar and salt and boil until the corn is soft. I don’t know how to tell if it’s actually done, I just know from boiling a lot of corn. I usually do this step the night before I make Corn Chowder. I drain the water, and let the corn cool, and then place it in a zip lock bag in the fridge. When I’m ready to make Corn Chowder (usually the very next day) I pull the corn out and using a knife cut the kernels from the cob.

Then the real fun starts.

6-8 cups of water
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed. I use red or Yukon gold usually.
1 onion, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 large carrots, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced. I like garlic so I usually use more, but this is really up to you.
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cup of vegetable broth/bouillon, or chicken broth/bouillon or beef broth/bouillon.
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. Lawry’s or other salt free seasoning
Pepper to taste – fresh ground pepper is the best
3-5 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 cup. scallions, minced
1/2 – 1 cup of heavy cream or half and half
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced

Bring water to a boil and add potatoes, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Return water to a boil and add sage, thyme, oregano, sea salt, Lawry’s or other salt free seasoning and pepper. Cover, and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Add the 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups of broth or bouillon, corn and continue to simmer. In a sauce pan, melt butter and add scallions. Saute until scallions turn bright green, approximately 3 minutes. Stir into simmering chowder. Add the heavy cream and dill, and simmer for about 15 more minutes. Stir regularly. If this seems runny, you can add a little milk to some cornstarch and add to Chowder, stirring continuously.

This is just the basic chowder recipe I use. I serve this just like this. Sometimes, however, I’ll add:

Cooked cubed chicken or ham, bacon, browned ground beef, other vegetables, and sometimes shrimp.

If you make this, please leave a comment, I’d love to know your thoughts, suggestions or any changes you made.

Chocolate Apple Pie and Wheat Bread Recipes

I am just going to link to the Chocolate Apple Pie Recipe from Kayotic Kitchen. I couldn’t help it. I love eating Hersey’s chocolate with a slice of apple, and I can only imagine how wonderful this will taste. I’m going to try to make time to whip this up this weekend. Wish me luck! With the lovely spring-y weather we are having, I’m going to want to be outdoors digging things up I’m sure.

Also, I’m posting a recipe I found for Wheat Bread. I have been on a bread making kick after hearing that my hours will be cut to 32 for the time being. I’m scared. And definitely trying to find ways to pinch every last dollar. This is a very tastey recipe. The cost will also be kept down because my family is going to start grinding it’s on wheat, so I’ll have wheat flour coming out of my ears, and not have to purchase any.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups bread flour
• 6 cups whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Dissolve brown sugar in 1 cup hot water. Add shortening, and stir to melt. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 4 cups warm water. Add white sugar, salt, and bread flour. Beat well. Stir in shortening mixture. Stir in enough whole wheat flour to make a stiff but not dry dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a large, well oiled bowl. Cover, and allow to rise until dough doubles in bulk.
4. Divide dough into four equal parts. Shape into loaves. Place in greased, 9 x 5 inch pans, turning each loaf over in pan to grease top. Allow to rise until dough doubles in bulk.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

This came out beautifully and the flavor and texture are perfect. This has to be my favorite wheat bread recipe so far and I’ve tried several.

If anyone else has any wheat bread recipes, send them to me. Also, any suggestions about grinding and using your own wheat? Love to have you send me those also!