Italian Sausage Sandwiches

I was so glad I decided to make these today because they are phenomenal!  You will likely have leftovers unless you split the recipe to 4. This recipe makes 2 large sandwiches or 4 smalls.


You will need:


-1 package Italian sausage (4 links)
-6 slices provolone cheese (8 if making small sandwiches)
-1 cup marinara (or spaghetti sauce)
-1 medium onion, halved and sliced
-1 medium green bell pepper, sliced same size as onions
-1 medium red bell pepper, sliced same size as onions
-3 large cloves garlic, minced
-1 loaf french bread*
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper

Cut your bread into halves or quarters depending on your need and cut open.  Place 3 slices provolone on bottom half and set aside (the cheese will melt better if it comes to room temperature.

Turn a medium frying pan to medium heat and pour in 3 tbsp oil.  Dump in onions and peppers, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix well, coating with oil. Sautee for approx 10 minutes, then cover pan and allow to cook down, stirring every couple of minutes for another 10 minutes. Add the garlic and mix in - the onions and pepper should be mostly soft by now.  Allow garlic to brown slightly, then remove from heat.

In a small sauce pan, heat your marinara over low.

In a separate pan, prepare your sausage according to package directions (you'll want to time it so they get done at the same time as your vegetables).  When done, cut in half and lay on top of cheese. Layer on your onions and peppers followed by half (or quarter) the marinara and top with your bread.

Be sure to have plenty of napkins as it can get a little messy.  But like Carl's Jr. says, "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face!"

ENJOY!


Sorry for the bad image. I'd already eaten half of it and wrapped the other half for later when I thought of this...

*I advise plain french bread with this - I used garlic-Parmesan french bread the first time and it was absolutely too salty.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is one of the easiest and most comforting foods around.  I was always a big fan of any soup that was chicken flavored be it Campbell's, Chef Swagger, Maruchan - you name it.  While canned soup is a staple in many homes, I've grown to prefer a "from scratch" version done up in a slow-cooker because I can throw most of the stuff in and leave it to deal with later.  Making it from scratch allows me to control the veggie to chicken ratio as well as salt content.


You will need:


-2 32 oz. cartons low sodium chicken stock*
-1 cup water
-4 ribs celery, sliced
-2 cloves garlic, diced
-1/2 lb string beans, cleaned (stems and odd ends removed)
-1 can corn, drained and rinsed
-1 large carrot, peeled quartered and diced**
-1 medium onion, diced
-2 large sprigs (should have 4-5 stalks) thyme
-2 sage leaves
-1/4 lb spaghetti noodles***
-2 tbsp butter
-salt and pepper to taste
-fresh tomato, seeded and diced
-fresh grated Parmesan cheese
-sliced green onion
-Your choice of chicken - You can use canned chunk or breast meat but I prefer leg and thigh meat for a more rustic take and flavor.  Besides, its cheaper


Put your slow cooker on high and add your fresh veggies.  Tie your herbs together with kitchen twine and toss it into the slow cooker (tying them together saves you from having to fish out individual stalks). Cover and allow to cook until vegetable are tender (if you plan to have it on for 8hrs or more, put it on low).  If you are using fresh chicken, cook it through and allow to cool before dicing. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a medium frying pan, melt 2 butter on medium-high. Break up spaghetti into three pieces and add to pan.  Allow to cook until mostly browned and then add to boiling water. Cook till al dente, drain. Turn off slow cooker and remove your herb bundle. Add your diced chicken, corn and noodles and allow to heat through - about 10 - 15 minutes.  Serve hot sprinkled with tomato, green onion and Parmesan and a side of crusty bread.

Enjoy!


*It is entirely possible to use your own chicken stock, I just never have that much on hand.  Chicken stock is basically chicken soup with all the chunky parts left out. When I make it, its usually after I've just butchered a chicken. Take the chicken carcass and giblets, put them in a large pot with celery, carrot, onion, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  Cover it with water, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about an hour to an hour and half.  Allow to cool slightly on the stove then strain into a container.  You can also make a lot of it before hand and freeze it in plastic containers so you have it available whenever.

**I use one carrot because I'm not a big fan of them.

***Browning the noodles brings out a nice nutty flavor.  If you don't want to use spaghetti you can always use just about any other noodle.  I've used alphabets, stars, bowtie, etc.  I also advise cooking the pasta outside of the soup because if you cook it in the soup, the starch will cause it to cloud and thicken a bit. Its also difficult to gauge when the noodles will be done when making in a slow-cooker.

OOOOOO Girl!

As many of you know, my job provides me with endless joy which is why I have to doodle all the time.  You know - to express it.  I usually end up giving the funny ones to my supervisor but decided to take a few home.  I know they aren't great copies because I can't be bothered to move the scanner and shit so we'll just have to make do with this for now.


The first is my absolute favorite line from RuPaul's Drag Race and I CANNOT WAIT until the ring tone comes out on the 30th.

The next is how I feel whenever people are asking me to play Draw Something.  I have a Blackberry and its only available for Android and iPhone.  No, I wont switch because I love my phone much more than I did my Android.

Bit harder to see but yeah.  In the 3rd panel, the Apple and Android are thinking "Draw! Draw! Draw!" and my poor Blackberry is feeling sad and left out.


I'm going to see if I can get copies of the other ones to share.


Until next time...






*blah blah blah no copyright infringement meant...blah blah blah please don't sue me.

Supermarket Shopping Rules

There are a few rules I am a stickler for when it comes to supermarkets:


1)Always enter and exit through the proper doorways (The ONLY time I break the first rule is when there are kids trying to sell me shit at the front door - then its a matter of survival and all doors are game).


2) Isles are like streets - stay on the right (feel free to jump lanes with your body but leave your cart where it is).


3) 20 items or less is a rule, not a suggestion.


4) The quickest way from point A to B is a straight line - do not walk diagonal across the parking lot. 


5) Always return your cart because you know how frustrated you get when someone left a cart in the parking spot you want. 




If we can all follow these simple rules, shopping would be so much less stressful.


Feel free to add your own in the comments section!

Chinese Enchiladas

I love pot stickers. I like to imagine everyone loves pot stickers because they're just fucking delicious.  If you don't like pot stickers then I suggest you take a moment to sort out your priorities.


I came up with this as a way to make a meal out of an appetizer without having to create each individual little pot sticker because honestly, who has that kind of patience when you're hungry?


For the filling you will need:


-1/2 - 1 lb ground pork sausage (depending on how many you're making)
-5 green onions, sliced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-1 tsp soy sauce

For the wrapper you will need:*


- 2 cups flour
-1 cup water, brought to a simmer
-1 tsp salt

For the sauce you will need:


-1 cup soy sauce
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 - 1/3 cup brown sugar

In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling and mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in fridge for up to an hour.

Pour flour into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Bring water just to a light boil and slowly pour into the flour, stirring to combine.  Form a ball (careful, it will be hot) in the bowl, cover with a towel and set aside.

In a small sauce pan combine sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 - 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.

Take out your meat mixture and let it come to room temperature.

Flour your counter/board/whatever.  Rip off a chunk of dough a little larger than a golf ball and roll it out to the size of a medium tortilla - be careful as it will be very delicate.  It doesn't need to be super thin, either. Place 2 tbsp or so of meat mixture in and brush edges with water.  Seal the edges together. If you notice any cracks, brush some water on and massage it til sealed. When you have used up all of your meat mixture, heat a large skillet to medium-high heat (electric stoves at about a 7ish) and place 4 - 5 of your "enchiladas" in the hot oil and brown for 3 - 5 minutes.  Take a quarter cup of water and pour into skillet and immediately cover with a lid.


Do not remove the lid until the water has boiled out.


Once its been boiled out, gently roll onto side and brown.  Brown each side and let rest 2-3 minutes on paper towels. Serve hot with warm sauce.  Goes great with fried rice!

ENJOY!


*Please note that I have never used wonton skins or anything like that when making these so I don't know how it will turn out.

Meatballs and Mushroom Sauce over Egg Noodles

I thought of this while I was at the grocery store one day.  In the freezer section they have those frozen dinners and one of them was "Swedish Meatball and Eggnoodle in a Sauce".  It sounded like it could be delicious - nevermind that they don't tell you what kind of sauce it is - but the image of it was just completely unappealing.  Later that night I set out to replicate the dish but with it actually tasting good.  This is what I came up with.


You will need:


-1 lb ground beef
-1 egg
-1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs, plain or "italian"
-1 small onion, finely diced
-3 garlic cloves, finely diced
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
-2 medium/large white mushrooms, chopped*
-2  packages mushroom gravy
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1 package egg noodles
-chopped green onion for garnish

-shredded Parmesan for garnish

Combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, half your diced onions and half of your garlic.  If mixture is too wet, add additional bread crumbs.  Mix well and form into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Pan fry until browned through, place on a sheet tray and set into a warm oven.

Prepare egg noodles according to package direction.

While the noodles are cooking, return the meatball pan to medium heat, add oil if necessary.  Sautee onion and chopped mushroom, adding the garlic the last minute or so so it doesn't burn. Pour in 2 cups water followed by gravy packets. Bring to a boil for 1 minute and reduce to simmer.  Once the noodles have been cooked, strain them and place them back in the boiling  pot.  Place meatballs in with noodles.  Add sour cream to your gravy and stir, allowing to cook til heated through.  Pour over egg noodles, mixing well to ensure its all coated.

Serve hot sprinkled with green onion and parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!


*If you want a thicker sauce, opt for 1 can of beef broth mixed with 1 can cream of mushroom soup instead of the gravy sauce.

Beef Chimichangas

These are delicious and spicy and super easy to make!  I always make some extras because they reheat well and are great the next day.

You will need:

-1 lb ground beef - I used 80/20 but you can always go for leaner if you wish.  This recipe also works well for ground chicken or turkey
-1/2 a yellow onion, diced
-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
-1 small can La Costena pickled jalapeno slices, diced*
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-cilantro
-2 - 4 tsp cumin (however much you really want)
-shredded cheese of your choice (I do a Jack/Monterey blend)
-large flour tortillas
-sour cream
-salsa verde


In a large tub, combine meat, peppers, salt, pepper and onion and let it rest for about an hour or so.  In a large skillet, brown the meat with the peppers and onion and drain off any excess fat.

Reheat skillet to medium - add 1 tbsp of oil if necessary.

Lay out a tortilla and put a small handful of cheese in the center, spoon in some of your meat, toss on a couple tomatoes and some fresh onion if you desire.  A few cilantro leaves give it some wonderful flavor. Top with more cheese.  Fold two of the ends over, they should overlap a bit as you don't want the filling coming out while frying, and then fold the other end and press to crease.  Lay seam side down in the hot pan and cook until golden brown.  Flip and brown the other side - it should stay closed - sprinkle with cheese and remove to a sheet tray in warm oven.

For the dipping sauce: mix 1 part sour cream with 1 part salsa verde.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

*I only recommend this kind because I have not looked for others.  I'm sure you could use fresh jalapenos but I prefer the taste of these.