The Junk Yard Special (My New Favorite Sandwich)

What could be bad about about turkey, provolone, fresh mozzarella, and roasted peppers? Nothing! Add in the other savory ingredients, and you have a sandwich that will satisfy the toughest sandwich critics.

This sandwich has a list of ingredients that I probably wouldn’t have ever gotten around to putting together, so I’m thrilled that someone else already did. Sure, I love every ingredient here on it’s own, but I’m not living in a deli. I have everything listed here in my kitchen in regular rotation, but not always at the same time.

It’s no secret that I love the Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” I mean--I love food, so in turn, I love hearing what other people are eating. I found these eggplant burgers from the show, and we just love those! We were watching a few weeks ago, and the episode was about delis. Adam Gertler was talking about the Junk Yard Special from Sarcone’s Deli in Philadelphia. You can see Adam’s show clip right on the front page of their site.

I knew that I had to have that sandwich. It was one of those things that reaches out and grabs you by the shirt and says “You. Want. Me.” I do, I do!

So! Couldn’t be any simpler. I bought some nice deli rolls and toasted them first. Did you hear Adam take that bite of his sandwich? It crackled. I needed to have that crackle, too. (By the way, as I write this, all I can think about is having one of these. Hungry!)

Junk Yard Special

Amounts are up to you. How many sandwiches are you making? You don't need a ton of each thing in one sandwich--a couple slices of meat and cheese per roll, etc. If you're making a lot, buy 2 bags of spinach since it really cooks down.

Sandwich rolls
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Sliced deli turkey
Thinly sliced Prosciutto
1 (7-8 oz) bag fresh baby spinach
Roasted Peppers with Garlic (jarred or fresh)
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Provolone Cheese, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, stacked up, rolled, and sliced across to form ribbons or strips
Dried basil
Dried oregano

Start by lightly sautéing the spinach. Heat a skillet over medium low heat. Add the spinach and a small amount of water--a couple tablespoons or so, and a touch of salt and pepper. Keep moving the spinach around until it's wilted and softened. Remove from the pan and place it in a strainer to let any extra water drain. Set aside to cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees to toast the rolls. If they're not sliced, slice them almost through, leaving them attached at the bottom, then place them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When your rolls are ready to go, you can make your sandwiches. Start by drizzling the inside of each roll with oil and vinegar. Layer the remaining ingredients in this order:

Sliced turkey
Prosciutto (I like to cut up the prosciutto, since it has a habit of coming out of a sandwich in one piece when you bite it.)
Sautéed spinach (Just give it a bit of a squeeze over a paper towel so it's not too wet.)
Roasted peppers
Fresh Mozzarella slices
Sliced Provolone
Fresh basil strips
Dried basil and oregano

That's it--dig in and pig out. Oink!

• These sandwiches have a wonderful balance of flavors. I can’t imagine them without the red wine vinegar, for instance. The peppers just belong in there. The cool, fresh mozzarella hits your tongue and is then followed by the sharpness of the provolone and the smokiness of the prosciutto. You can adjust these any way you like, but they’re perfect as is, I think.
• That said, they are versatile. Don’t like turkey? Try ham. I couldn’t find any roasted peppers at Trader Joe’s (weird), so I picked up a roasted pepper and eggplant garlic spread.
• Vegetarian? Leave the meat out. The rest of the ingredients are full of flavor so you won’t miss it.
• Want more of something or less of something? Up to  you--adjust to your liking.
• Hot summer evenings on the horizon? Don’t cook--make these sandwiches!

Le Creuset Pie Baker’s Set-Mother's Day Giveaway

Who doesn’t love pie? Today, I have for one of you, a chance to win a pie baking set from Le Creuset. The baker’s set includes: 1 (large) pie dish, 1 pie bird, 1 oven mitt and a French Trivet all in Cherry. And I’m here to tell you, it’s gorgeous! The pie bird--adorable.

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The giveaway is now closed. Winner is #56, Schmidty. Congrats! Thank you to everyone that entered! 

If you'd like to purchase your very own Pie Baker's Set, you can do so here at Le Creuset. Get FREE SHIPPING from May 14th, 2012 (9:00 AM) - May 20, 2012 (11:59 PM). The coupon code is PIE4.

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I don’t bake pies very often, but this pie dish may have changed my mind. It’s heavy duty, large (10 inch), and absolutely beautiful. Anyone could forgive a train wreck of a pie if it was served up in this cherry colored dish. When I say “train wreck of a pie,” I’m referring to my pie making skills.

I decided to tackle the classic apple pie to give this a go. It came out beautifully!

I just love Le Creuset. I have several pieces in my kitchen and they get used all the time. Seriously, all the time! You won’t be disappointed in this set!

What will you get? All in “Cherry” and all from Le Creuset.

• One (10 inch) pie dish.
• One sweet little pie bird. You can see how to use him in the above photos. Doesn’t he look like he’s singing to you?
• One oven mitt.
• One French Trivet.

And to sweeten the deal, I’m personally throwing in a copy of the brand new cookbook, Pie it Forward, by Gesine Bullock-Prado. I’ll ship that out separately.

The Rules. There’s only one, but it’s a must:

Go to LeCreuset.com and sign up on that page. It’s simple, and in doing so, you’ll be the first to know about new items, colors and exclusive deals. After signing up, come back and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did.

Additional Entries, and these are completely optional:

1. Tweet about this giveaway: "Win a #LeCreuset Pie Baker's Set from @LeCreuset  at @elleskitchen , plus a copy of Pie it Forward, from @gesinebp ! #giveaway"  Come back and leave an additional comment telling me you tweeted.
2. Share this giveaway on Facebook. Come back and leave an additional comment.
3. Stumble this page with a thumbs up and you’ll get one more comment. Be sure to let me know that you did!
4. Follow @LeCreuset on Twitter, and you guessed it--leave an additional comment here.
5. Like Le Creuset on Facebook and leave a comment here.

That gives you SIX ways to enter! Be sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you. The winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, May 11th, and will have two days to respond before I choose another winner. Open to US residents only.

Disclaimer: Sponsored by Le Creuset. I was given one of the baker’s sets to review, at no charge.

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni

I know it’s supposed to be getting warmer--it’s already May! But here in NH, it’s been very cool and overcast (and a bit rainy) for the last couple of weeks. As per usual--plus, we need the rain. I’m not complaining! I like it when we have actual Spring-like weather when we’re supposed to. It’s no fun having a super hot Spring leading right into a hot summer. As a result of this cool, damp weather, I’m still craving comfort food.

This Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni is pure comfort food. It’s creamy, of course, but it’s also homey, stick to your ribs food. I’ve hardly ever met a pasta dish that I didn’t like. This one is no exception. It came about when I was talking to Billy about making Mushroom Bourguignon. He was wondering if the mushrooms would be good in some creamy sauce over pasta. I said “Hell yes, of course they would be!”

While talking to my good friend Shaye a while back, she mentioned that she was making the Bourguignon, and she wanted to eat all of the mushrooms after sautéing them with the cognac. In my version, I’d left out the Cognac, simply because I didn’t have any on hand. Since it was obviously so good, I decided I had to give it a go. (If you’d like to add the cognac to the Bourguignon, add it after you sauté the mushrooms for the 10 minutes, and let it simmer for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.) Shaye was right! It’s worth getting the cognac to add. In this recipe I’m giving you today, I see no reason why you couldn’t use white wine instead, and if you wish, leave out the alcohol entirely.

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni

Serves 4

2 tbsp or so of olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, finely diced (about 3 tbsp)
20 oz sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
10 oz sliced white mushrooms
3 tbsp Cognac (use white wine if you wish, or leave the alcohol out entirely)
1/2 salt and 1/2 pepper
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme (if using fresh, use about 1 1/2 tsp)
1 cup chicken broth (or use vegetable broth and make it 100% vegetarian)
1 cup half and half
Small handful of fresh parsley
1 pound rigatoni (or your favorite pasta) cooked

Start the water for boiling the pasta.

In a large pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-medium high heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has mostly evaporated. If you find that the mushrooms are getting too dark too quickly, turn the pan down to medium heat.

Add the Cognac and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to the pan and sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms. Stir well to coat the mushrooms. Add the thyme. (If you're using fresh thyme, add it more towards the end, say when you add the half and half.)

When the pasta water is boiling, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Deglaze the pan by adding the broth of your choice, and scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan with your spoon or spatula. Turn heat to low-ish and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the half and half, get it at a good bubbling simmer and let it go until thickened and somewhat reduced, about 10 minutes, stirring often. (It should be the consistency of a cream soup when it’s done.)

Stir in the parsley, and then add the cooked noodles to the pan and stir to coat. Spoon into bowls and serve. This is good with some fresh parm grated over the top, too.

• The quantities on the mushrooms aren’t set in stone, those are just the sizes of the containers at Trader Joe’s. Use what you’ve got, even a bit more or less, if necessary.
• Silly of me, but I can't remember if I used garlic in here or not. I'm guessing I did--I usually do. If you want to, add 3-4  minced cloves of garlic along with the shallots and mushrooms.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Ice Cream

Scoopapalooza! It’s all about ice cream. Made with local ingredients, if we can swing it!

This one has local rhubarb and strawberries. Let’s face it, they’re the first dessert-type local ingredients we get here in NH every Spring. It’s still chilly here, folks--not too many choices yet. I made a Strawberry Rhubarb ice cream a couple years back, but I wanted to make another. That one was based on a simmered fruit sauce.

Something different. What to do?

“Elle, you could roast the rhubarb and berries first.” My brain seemed to say.

Oh yes! I’ve seen this before. So I roasted them with orange zest and juice, vanilla, and brown sugar. It makes the kitchen smell so pretty when they’re roasting, too! So that was the fruit component in this ice cream.

A good start, but I needed more. Cheesecake? Oh, cheesecake, I love you! Base ice cream: cheesecake.

Add ins? You guys know I love that good Ben & Jerry’s style of stuff-in-every-bite-of ice cream. Cheesecake has a crust, so that was a natural choice. Graham cracker crust, check. I love almond extract in all sorts of desserts and it just goes so well with strawberry and rhubarb, but I wanted chunks. I decided to go with my guilty pleasure, almond paste. Honestly. I can eat it right out of the tube. It’s too good! I have half a tube in the fridge right now. I could be eating it. I’ll refrain, otherwise I’ll get sidetracked.

This ice cream has everything I’d want in a cheesecake ice cream. It’s creamy, fruity, not too sweet--and it’s got chunks. Even the kids like it. Hey, it’s ice cream! They’re not crazy.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts.
Adapted from this recipe.

1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces
generous pound of strawberries, tops cut off and halved or quartered if large
zest of one orange
juice of 1/2 an orange
1 tsp vanilla extract (almond would be good here, too!)
3 tbsp brown sugar

16 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 - 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet your fruit is
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups of the roasted fruit, mashed up
2 cups half and half
3/4 cups graham cracker crust crumbs, either a homemade crust or store bought (see note below)
3/4 cups almond paste, cut into a small dice

Start by roasting the fruit. Heat the oven to 350. On a large baking sheet with sides, mix the rhubarb, berries, zest and juice, vanilla and brown sugar. Toss it all together with your hands, and place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool, and then put it in a container in the fridge to chill completely.

To make the ice cream: Set the graham cracker crust crumbs and the almond paste cubes in the freezer to chill.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, blend the cream cheese, sugar (start with the 3/4 cup and add more if it needs it), lemon juice, almond extract, chilled, mashed pureed fruit and the half and half.  Get it as smooth as you can, but don't worry if there are some small chunks of cream cheese left.

This makes a bit more than will fit into my ice cream maker, but I managed to squeeze in 3 1/2 cups of the mixture. There was a little left over that you can do what you want with. Like slurp it up with a spoon.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. In the last few minutes of freezing time, add the graham cracker crust crumbs and almond paste cubes. Finish the freezing process and place it in the freezer to harden up.

• This is a creamy ice cream, but like so many homemade (and premium) ice creams, it'll benefit from a few minutes on the counter before you scoop it. Or a few seconds in the microwave, like in my photos. I gave the container about 40-50 seconds in the microwave and it was perfect for scooping.
• The leftover roasted fruit makes a great ice cream topping, by the way. How about over your morning oatmeal? With yogurt! It’s also good eaten straight from the container.
• I made the crust on the side of the graham cracker crumbs box. Use your fave.

Grilled Chocolate and Parmesan Sandwich

Yeah, really. And it’s good. Damn good. Pairing the not so sweet dark chocolate with the nutty, tangy Parmesan cheese is pure genius. Don’t forget about the buttery-crispy grilled bread.

Who, me? Genius? Why thanks! But no, it’s not my idea. I read about it on The Huffington Post a couple weeks ago, and haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. I’d have made it right away, too, if it weren’t for those pesky kids eating all of the chocolate and bread. Moving on…

It’s Sunday afternoon, and it’s a rainy one, at that. Husband is out with one of the kids at Comic Con, and it’s just me and the rest of the kids. Who are busy playing the Wii and generally goofing off, which is good. No cries of “Mom, I’m boooored!" Yet.

I decided, after doing some behind the scenes stuff on my blog, that I should hightail it to the kitchen and make this before all the Parm was gone again. Good thing, too, because as you can see, there’s just a small chunk left.

Now, before you start thinking this is gross, read this, from the article:

“Each ingredient's volatile compounds (aromas) are quantified using gas chromatography and/or a mass spectrometer. The concentrations are then compared with their respective flavor threshold and finally matched with other ingredients that have similar compounds.”

So there! I double dog dare you to give this a try. (I know, some of you are already in the kitchen making this!) For those of you that are skeptical, trust me. It’s not cheesy. The chocolate and Parmesan compliment each other--think salty/sweet.

Grilled Chocolate and Parmesan Sandwich

Makes one sandwich.

For the love of all things good and cheesy, don't use the grated stuff. Get a good little hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and use some thin slices here.

2 slices of your favorite bread
2 ounces dark (semi-sweet) chocolate, chopped-not too coarse, you need it to melt
Enough thinly shaved slices Parmesan cheese to cover one slice of bread
Butter

Heat a skillet to about medium--maybe a little higher. Butter one side of each slice of bread.

Put one slice, butter side down in the pan, and cover it with the cheese slices. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over that, and place the second slice of bread, butter side up, on top of that.

Heat this until the cheese and chocolate get melty, and then carefully flip the sandwich over with a spatula. When both sides of the sandwich are golden brown to your liking, it's done.

Serve right away, with lots of napkins. If someone else wants one, tell them to make their own, you're eating.

• The next time I make this, I’m using sourdough, more cheese, and a little less chocolate.
• Even my nine year old loved this, and that’s saying a lot! He doesn’t like strong cheese or dark chocolate. He even asked for more! The sixteen year old swiped what I had left, too.
• Notice that I categorized this under main dish, lunch, and dessert. Because for some of you, chocolate or cheese could actually be a main dish. I know. It’s ok. Yes, I’ll hold you. What, breakfast? Hell, yes! With coffee.