Sandwich de Monte Cristo

(I am so funny. lol.) 

Have you ever had a Monte Cristo sandwich? I've always wanted to try one ever since I heard about them, so I ordered one on Thanksgiving. Yep, on Thanksgiving. (My family went out to eat on Thanksgiving this year, and I had already eaten a Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the week, so it was no big deal for me to NOT eat it on the actual day.)

Anyway, I brought some leftovers home and decided to see if I could make something similar to the one I ordered. Here is what I came up with:

YUM!!!

Here is what you need:

• 4 thick slices of meat (I used leftover turkey)
• 1/2 cup sauce (I used leftover cranberry sauce, but you could use raspberry or peach jam)
• 8 slices of cheese (I used smoked swiss/cheddar)
• veggie condiment (I used sliced red onion)
• smidge of mayo (just enough to spread on one slice of bread)
• 8 slices french bread
• 3 medium eggs
• 1/2 cup half & half or milk
• pinch nutmeg
• 2 tbs butter

Here is what you do:

• Put the eggs, half & half, and nutmeg in a shallow dish. Set aside.
• Put all remaining ingredients, excluding the bread and butter, in an assembly line.
• Slice bread and place in front of assembly line.
• Layer ingredients on bread and spread mayo on one piece.
• Heat skillet. Add butter.
• Whisk eggs until well combined.
• Place sandwich in egg batter and then into hot skillet; repeat with a second sandwich.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Place heavy object over sandwiches, like a panini press. Cook for 2 minutes. (I used two large metal bowls and a piece of aluminum foil between so the bowls didn't get dirty.)
• Flip over and repeat.
• Repeat with last 2 sandwiches, adding 2nd tbs of butter to coat the skillet.
• Allow to rest on paper towel for 2 minutes before serving.
• Makes 4 servings.

Heavy object...

Seriously, you need to try this (or some variation that you come up with) soon. It is to die for!

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Quesadillas

Tonight I didn't feel like cooking so I wanted something quick and easy...and with bacon! So, I grabbed some eggs, bacon, cheese, and tortillas to see what they tasted like as a quesadilla. It was so delicious!

Here is what you need, for one adult serving or two kids servings:

• 2 wheat tortillas
• 3 medium eggs
• 2 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• pinch of onion powder
• pinch of garlic salt
• pinch of pepper

Here is what you do:

• Cook bacon and set aside to cool a tad; break into small pieces
• Whisk onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper into eggs
• Scramble eggs in bacon drippings; add bacon pieces when eggs are almost done
• Transfer scrambled eggs to a small dish
• Place one tortilla in same pan and sprinkle half of cheese on top
• Layer scrambled eggs and top with rest of cheese and second tortilla
• Cover pan and let cook on medium-low heat until cheese on bottom is melted
• Flip and cover again, cooking until cheese is melted
• Serve with ketchup, if desired

It was YUM-O, and I bet your kiddos will love it! 

Sloppy Joes with Hidden Zucchini

Here's an easy recipe for ya that will use up your zucchini and get your kids eating their veggies, and they won't even know it!

Here is what you need:

• 1 medium zucchini
• sloppy joe mix, or made-from-scratch
• 1 lb. ground beef
• grated cheese, to taste
• 8 slices of bread
• mustard, to taste

Here is what you do:

• Brown the ground beef.
• While beef is cooking, grate the zucchini.
• Add sloppy joe mix to cooked beef.
• Reduce heat to low simmer and add grated zucchini. Simmer for 3 or 4 more minutes.
• Toast the bread.
• Top toast with cheese, sloppy joe mix, and mustard.

Toasting the bread helps it stand up to the sauce a bit more. And, if you put the cheese on the hot toast and then cover it with the hot sloppy joe sauce, it will melt the cheese perfectly!

I'm not sure where the cheese and mustard thing came from, but I love it! If you don't, then feel free to leave it off.

This also holds up well in the freezer if you want to make it ahead and save it for later.

Orange Glazed Salmon

If you don't already love salmon, I bet you will if you try this recipe! I got the idea from MMM...Cafe. I had to switch out a couple of ingredients, though, because I didn't have what was called for.

Here is what you need:

• 3 tbs Asian seasoning (they used Cajun)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 boneless, skinless, salmon fillets
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate (they used marmalade)
• 1 tbs lime juice

Here is what you do:

• Mix Asian seasoning, brown sugar, and salt; rub over both sides of the salmon.
• Bring oil in pan to a nice, hot heat and then saute fillets on medium heat for 2 - 3 per side. Note: You want to make sure the pan and oil is super hot, but not smoking. The super hot heat will insure a nice flip when it is ready to turn over. Also, be sure to not move the salmon until it is ready. You'll know when it is ready because it won't flake apart when you try to turn it.
• Combine orange concentrate and lime juice. When salmon is cooked all the way, drizzle orange mixture in skillet until melted, flipping salmon over to get glazed all over. Note: Be cautious when adding the orange mixture. You want to make sure the salmon is finished cooking or the mixture will crystallize...

Seems like this would also be yummy with lemonade concentrate. Yum! 

Lemon Dill Salmon

I LOVE salmon! This is a newly acquired taste, however. So, I'm in a phase where I want to try salmon cooked various ways. My most recent endeavour was to make a lemon dill butter and put that on my salmon. It was subtle yet delicious!

Sorry--no pictures.

Here is what you need:

• 1/4 cup butter (I love butter)
• 2 tsp dill seasoning
• zest and juice from 1 small lemon, separated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 salmon fillets

Here is what you do:

• Mix the butter and zest together in a small bowl; mix and refrigerate
• Season fillets with salt and pepper then saute in butter
• After the fillets have cooked for 1 minute, drizzle a little juice over them
• After 2 more minutes, and if the fillet is easily removed from the pan, flip the fillets over to cook on the other side
• Repeat the process on this side
• Serve with your favorite vegetable side dish
• Put a dollop of the lemon dill butter on the hot fillet

YUM!!! What are some of your favorite ways to prepare salmon?

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

This year my mom asked for a waffle maker for her birthday. She doesn't usually eat waffles, so she's never purchased a waffle maker, but for some reason this year was the year of the waffles. lol.

So, for Mother's Day, I made Pumpkin Spice Waffles for her and boy, were they delicious. If I do say so myself. lol They were also SUPER easy!

Here is what you need:

• Waffle mix (we used the suggested serving size for 4 which actually ended up making more than that; we also used the store brand that is also good to use to make pancakes)
• 2 tbs pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp vanilla

Here is what you do:

• Make the waffle mix with either water or milk, whatever the box calls for
• Add the pumpkin spice and the vanilla
• Let the batter rest for 5 minutes; this is a good time to heat up your waffle maker
• Add a little batter to the waffle maker and cook according to the timing of your own waffle maker
• Serve with warm syrup and butter OR powdered sugar and raspberry jam

You could also change out the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and make a savory waffle with garlic powder and onion powder. Or, you could even add chili powder or taco seasoning for a Mexican flair. Then add hearty, meaty toppings instead. Doesn't that sound delicious? I may just have to try it and post the results.

Vegetable Medley

This veggie medley is like a happy little ditty for your taste buds! It is super simple to throw together in no time. All you need is a few veggies and some seasonings, and viola! Plus, the kiddos can help you mix it all up. It's a great way to get them involved in making this easy meal.

Here is what you need:

• 5 medium tomatoes
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 cucumbers, peeled
• 3 heads broccoli
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• lemon pepper, to taste

Here is what you do:

1. Chop all of the vegetables into small, bite size pieces. (Use a food chopper to make it much easier and less time consuming.)
2. Add all chopped veggies, oil, vinegar, garlic, and lemon pepper in gallon size zipper bag.
3. Close bag and shake to mix all ingredients. (Have the kids do that part; they will love it!)
4. Let the medley rest in the bag in your fridge for at least an hour before serving.
5. This makes one full gallon bag. 

So, now that you know how to make it, go grab some veggies and make this recipe with your kids. It may just encourage them to eat their veggies, and that’s always a good thing.