Croque Madame?  Oui! Oui!

As most people know I try to stay away from Roux's if at all possible!  The traditional form of this recipe calls for a Béchamel sauce, but what caught my eye about this recipe is that it uses a "faux" version of the sauce by using sour cream.  Not only is it quick and easy, but has a great flavor and is healthier than using butter and cream, which you would use for a typical Béchamel sauce.  I have to give Melissa d'Arabian from the Food Network credit on this one!  The things I added or changed to this recipe were: nutmeg, canadian bacon and arugula.    -Rachel

Ingredients

• 4 large slices country-style bread
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pieces of Canadian bacon
• Fresh arugula
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 eggs

Directions

Preheat the broiler on low.  Toast the bread just until a light crisp forms.  In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the white wine and allow to sit.

Swiss cheese soaking in wine!

In another small bowl mix together the sour cream, garlic, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. On a baking sheet, lay out the bread slices. Take less than one-quarter of the sour cream mixture and divide evenly among the bread slices, spreading thinly to coat 1 side of each slice. Next, evenly distribute the ham on top of the bread. Divide the rest of the sour cream mixture over the ham. Spoon the cheese on top of the sour cream mixture, blotting lightly before adding to remove any excess wine.

Preheat a large, nonstick saute pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry, either over-easy or sunny-side up, according to your preference.

While the eggs are cooking, place the open-faced sandwiches under the broiler until very bubbly and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Watch closely and don't let the topping burn. Place each sandwich on a plate. Top each sandwich with arugula and then place 1 egg on each sandwich.  Salt and pepper to taste.  (Note: If you use Canadian bacon instead of deli ham it has a tendency to be pretty salty, so watch your salt seasoning!)  Garnish top with arugula sprigs and serve with a side of soup.  

After broiling

We served with Tomato Soup

Mission Possible: Operation Freezer

Last weekend we were forced to unplug and clean out our big freezer in the garage.  This left us with the "oh so fun" task of pulling out all of the frozen food we had in there.  I regularly buy things that are on sale at the grocery and stick them in the freezer with the good intentions of using them up quickly....or in this case, not so quickly!  Since the kitchen is my domain Frank has no idea what I have in there.  This was kind of like a game of "lost and found"!  I got a few looks from him that were hilarious!  Here's a quick list of some of the things we discovered frozen:  lobster tails from the Keys, a pork tenderloin, mahi-mahi, ground buffalo, Brunswick stew, ground pork, pork chops, bacon, a whole chicken, frog legs (ewwwww!), crab cakes, a lasagna, homemade chicken and ham stock, a brisket,  ham bones, pheasant, and deer jerky.  *Note: the pheasant, deer jerky, and frog legs were gifts from my Dad to Frank*

So I gave myself a challenge:  buy only the necessities and the grocery store to accompany my freezer finds.  Thus far I have managed to only spend ~$70 on food for 2 weeks!  We have used up the lasagna, Brunswick stew, and pork chops.  This week I am trying out a roasted chicken recipe, the pork tenderloin, and we may even squeeze in a buffalo burger.  I found this roasted chicken recipe that looked very easy: 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/lemon-and-herb-roasted-chicken-with-baby-potatoes-recipe/index.html


I hope that this post inspires you to look inside your frig, freezer, and pantry and go through all of the things that you have stored up!  And if any of you want some pheasant, frog legs, or deer jerky I am happy to share!  :-D

College Friends Reunited!

On 1/6/13 Faith, Ali, and I gathered at Katie's house to meet the newest addition, baby Frank!  Coincidentally it was Frank's one month birthday!  My Mom always brought people food whenever she visited them for life events so that they wouldn't have to worry about cooking.  I thought this visit was a perfect opportunity to pamper Katie a little bit and bring her lunch!  Ali also brought a casserole and salad for Katie to reheat at a later time.  My Mom swears by this recipe and I have made it once at home.  It is quick, easy, and delicious!  She found it in a magazine and I have had a copy of it in my recipe binder for quite some time.  While I don't have a picture of the soup I do have a couple of cute pics of Frank with us!

Tortellini Florentine Soup

9 oz package of refrigerated tortellini
2 cans chicken broth (14 oz each)
3 cups of baby spinach
10 oz alfredo sauce
2 cups of roasted chicken
1/2 cup sundried tomato strips packed in oil
1 oz Parmesan cheese

In 4-quart Dutch oven cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the same Dutch oven combine broth and Alfredo sauce. Stir in chicken and tomato strips. Heat just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Add cooked tortellini and spinach to chicken mixture. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through and wilt spinach. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings.

*If you like to look at recipes online rather than copy them down here is the link:  http://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/tortellini-florentine-soup/

Emeril's Braised Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

One of my Christmas gifts was a new crock-pot so I wanted to try it out.  The prep for this meal does take about 20-30 minutes, but is well worth it.  Definitely is a perfect meal for a cold winter's day!  The only thing I did differently was that I used a pork tenderloin cut into 2" steaks, and I used Crown Royal whiskey instead of brandy.  I also used the Spanish "smoked Paprika" as I love the deep flavor of this spice...and omitted the marjoram and caraway seeds.  The pork was so tender you could cut it with a fork so I highly recommend using a tenderloin.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

6 center-cut pork chops, 1/2 inch thick (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions cut into 1/4- inch slices

1/3 cup Calvados or other brandy

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low- sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/4- inch slices, sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning if sliced ahead.

Cooking Directions

Combine the kosher salt, paprika, and cayenne and mix well. Using paper towels, lightly pat the pork chops dry, then season the chops on both sides with the salt mixture. Lightly dredge the pork chops in 1/4 cup of the flour.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium- high heat. Add the pork chops, 2 at a time, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to the crock of a 6- quart slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining pork chops, adding a tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan with each batch.

Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil to the pan along with the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the Calvados, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is lightly browned and smells nutty. Whisk in the stock, bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 1 minute. Pour over the pork chops and add the caraway seeds, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and half of the herbs. Top with the onions, then cover the slow cooker.

Set the temperature to high and cook until the pork chops are very tender, about 4 hours. Check the pork chops once or twice during cooking, gently shifting them around in the crock so that they are evenly submerged in the cooking liquid to promote even cooking. During the last 45 minutes, push the onions aside and layer with the apples. Cover the apples with the onions and finish cooking. Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve hot with a side of your choice.

We served with green beans and "smashed potatoes".
A wild rice would be a nice compliment to the dish as well.