Ham and Salami French Bread Sandwich



The title is pretty self explanatory, and it's just a sandwich, for Pete's sake. But, goodness is it delicious. I first had this on our honeymoon, and I was hooked. Most of the time in Switzerland, I would just order dishes not really knowing what they were or what all of the parts entailed. This was one of those times. I had learned enough German to say "good morning" and "thank you" (thanks to my friend Brittany!) so needless to say I was quite limited. Thankfully, most menus have the German name and the English name, except sometimes the meanings got a little lost in translation.

Such is the case with this sandwich. I knew it was a ham sandwich, but that was all. So I risked it, and ordered it anyway. When it arrived, I noticed it was not only ham, but salami, and it was on French Bread, and had the always present Swiss cheese. The odd thing was what else was on the sandwich...lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and boiled eggs. Strange combination, but all together pleasant additions. It was a fabulous sandwich that could not be recreated exactly (because seriously, think of the quality of Swiss cheese in Switzerland!), but it doesn't stop me from trying.

As our 2nd anniversary was quickly approaching last week, I decided to make this as an homage to our honeymoon. After a quick depression about not being in Switzerland to really enjoy dinner, we happily gobbled up these sandwiches toasting our almost two years of marital bliss.

Pictures are from actual sandwich in Switzerland

White Bean Salad

Nine times out of 10, I plan our dinner while at work.  A craving will hit, and I'll go with it.  I sometimes consult Adam, but it's always the same answer, "I don't know. What do you want?"  So, then I take things into my own hands and plan our evening.

Yesterday, about 10 a.m., I started craving a burger.  It was settled, burgers it would be.  Then it was on to the sides.  Adam loves onion rings so they made the cut.  I wanted some kind of salad, but I was just about sick of lettuce so I decided that a vegetable salad would be a nice change of pace.  And it was even better that I could make a great salad by just cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator. 

White Bean Salad

1 15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 medium tomato chopped
2 green onions, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian Dressing, recipe follows

Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Spoon 3 or 4 teaspoons of the italian dressing over veggies.  Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Italian Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 red wine vinegar
3 garlic homes, coarsley chopped
1/4 tsp. whole peppercorns
1/4 tsp. each of dried oregano, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and whirl until mixture is smooth.

Super Bowl Party

Since we've moved into our awesome new and roomy house, we have had several parties for various occasions.  We've had a football party, two baby showers, a few family dinners and most recently, a Super Bowl party. The party yesterday was slightly more subdued than the college football party, but definitely more rowdy than the baby showers.  For a Sunday night, it was the perfect crowd with the right amount of energy.

Obviously I can't throw a party without making an abundance of food.  Our friends are really, really great and always bring something to add to the food table.  I feel it's the hosts' duty to provide the majority of dishes, but a few extras peppered in adds to the fun of tailgating pot luck.  I mean, one of our friends smoked a pork but for 10 hours. Now that's generous and not to mention, delicious.

My contribution was a mixture of old favorites and new recipes.  Ina always says not to try out new recipes when you're having a party, but mom thinks that's the best time to try something new.  I trust mom.  So I made our usual suspects...Buffalo chicken dip (Adam wouldn't show his face if that wasn't on the table) and pepperoni pizza bites (another of Adam's favs).  As for the new guys, I chose a spinach and feta dip and cheesy jalapeno pull  bread.  And can I say, both were incredible.  I also bought some lobster dip from Costco that was an impulse buy after the free taste test.  I swear it's good!

I have to say the cheesy jalapeno pull bread was fabulous, but the spinach and feta dip was so unexpected.  I mean, how can you pass up a recipe that amps up regular spinach dip with FETA?!?!  Feta is a huge weakness for me, and let me tell you it didn't disappoint.  The empty bowl was proof enough for me.

Spinach and Feta Dip

2 cloves garlic, coarsly chopped
3/4 cup reduced fat mayo
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
zest from half a lemon
a liberal squeeze of the half lemon
one box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, add the chopped garlic, mayo, sour cream, feta, zest and lemon juice.  Process until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with carrots and pita chips or crackers.

Poached eggs

Picture from this awesome blog.

There are few things I like better than a perfectly cooked egg, and right now I'm on a huge egg kick. If I'm at a restaurant and see anything topped with a poached or fried egg, I'm sold. Sometimes I just crave that runny yolk on a piece of toast.

I used to poach eggs a lot, but I found that they take longer and require a lot more care than other methods. But if I have the time and patience, I definitely go with the poached variety. I like the consistency of the whites that have been cooked in hot simmering water. They are soft and velvety, yet thick enough to hold up after you rupture the delicate yolk.

Eggs and salad have a special place in my heart. Every time I think about a salade Lyonnaise, I am immediately transported to an outdoor French cafe getting ready to devour that iconic French dish. My attempt to bring France to Augusta was futile and typically American (since I didn't have the completely necessary frisee or lardons, zut alors!), but it did curb my hankering for a perfectly poached egg and real French dressing, that is, until tomorrow.

Salad with Poached Eggs and Dijon Vinaigrette

Baby salad greens
2 strips of cooked bacon, broken into pieces
1 egg
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tbs Dijon vinaigrette (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a small sauce pan with about 2 inches of water and heat on medium until almost boiling or you see small bubbles covering the bottom. Add vinegar to the water. Crack an egg into a small cup. Slowly slide egg into water. Cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for firm whites and a runny yolk. Place salad greens in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Plate the salad and top with bacon. Lift egg out of water with a slotted spoon to drain water off and place on top of salad. Season egg with salt and pepper.

For the vinaigrette:
1 1/2 tbs Champagne vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
half a clove of garlic
1/4 olive oil
salt and pepper

In a small bowl, add Champagne vinegar and mustard. Using a microplane, grate the garlic into the bowl. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Picture borrowed from this site

I've already expressed my loved for all things buffalo in an earlier post. But probably the most craveable version of the buffalo chicken wing would have to be the hot, bubbly, calorie-laden, heart-attack-in-a-dish, buffalo chicken dip. There is no way to fully explain how delicious it is with out making my stomach growl and my mouth start to water. I seriously have to eat a few bites and then create a 5 foot barrier around it because I have no self-control when it comes to this stuff.

The internet is full of recipes for the "perfect" dip, but I had to take elements from a lot of those recipes to create my ideal buffalo dip heaven. I'm pretty sure my version is a winner because I get request after request after demand for this every time Adam and I go to football parties. I even got yelled at by Janna because I agreed to make it for the UGA/FL game and didn't follow through. Trust me on this, make it at your own risk, and don't promise it out and not deliver. Worst mistake ever...

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 lb. chicken breast
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1/4-1/2 c. Franks Red Hot (depending on how hot you like it)
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. blue cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 350. Boil chicken breasts until cooked through. Let it cool and chop or shred it. Mix the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and hot sauce. Add chicken and stir until incorporated. Place in a 9x13 baking dish (I spray mine with a little Pam). Top with blue cheese crumbles and cheddar. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve with celery, crackers or Frito's.

Our New House!

Good news: Adam and I bought a new house in June!  Bad news: We still haven't moved in...  Good news: Much bigger kitchen!  Bad news: Power has been out for a month and may have ruined the refridgerator...  Good news: We got a pool!  Bad news:  Sissie has no backyard...  Good news: We have 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms!  Bad news:  Nothing!!

A sad little picture, but you get the idea

Moving has always been an adventure for me.  I'm not one of those people who hates moving, of course I hate the actual moving part, but I love moving because I know the next move is going to be so much better than the last.  We started looking at houses even before we were married, but didn't get serious until the beginning of this year.  Luckily we had an awesome real estate agent, who just happens to be like my second mom, who spent so time and had great patience with us until we found the perfect house for our little family.
When we found it, we sold our house (which was only on the market for 2 weeks before we had a contract!!), and put an offer on our new home.  It all went like clockwork, until the renovations started.  It's a great house and has fabulous bones (Adam hates that term), but it needed a lot of "love" and some updating.  Adam and I are not decorators or contractors so we enlisted the help of our friend Brittany who took on the project and went full speed ahead.  We have new sheetrock, new paint, new recessed lighting, new stove hood, and so much more.

We have been living with my very wonderful and tolerant parents since June 17th.  It's been relatively seemless, but we are ready to move on and get our new life started, and give back mom and dad theirs.  So tonight, we hope will be our first night in our new home! 

On the agenda, swim, grill out, watch our brand new tv and drink wine!  Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?  We can't wait!

 

Homemade Pasta

Picture is terrible, but I only had my phone to work with!

I have never attempted to make homemade pasta. It always seemed like such a daunting task. Temperamental dough, a stand mixer with pasta attachment, a big floured mess in the kitchen. It's just too big of a commitment for one dinner. That is until yesterday, when I saw an episode of Everyday Italian. Giada created this almost impossibly easy pasta recipe for her Ravioli Caprese. I have to tell you that as soon I saw the show, I was at the computer printing out the recipe.

Luckily, we were at mom and dad's (house sitting again), and she had all the ingredients on hand. Dinner is so much easier to prepare when you don't have to go to the store. This ravioli is so light and fresh that it screams spring. This is definitely a close second to my favorite French pasta. Next time, though, I will make two recipes so we can have it for leftovers the next day. Yeah, it's that good.

Ravioli Caprese
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Dough
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup very hot water

Filling
3/4 cup fat free ricotta
1 egg
2 tbs. fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Sauce
3 tbs. really good extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs. fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
zest from 1 lemon
Salt & pepper

For the dough:
In a large bowl, combine flour and hot water. Using a wooden spoon, mix ingredients until you form a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

To form the ravioli, cut dough ball into four even pieces. Leave one on your floured board, and wrap plastic around the other three. Form the piece into a 2x6" rectangle. Flour a rolling pin and roll it out to a 4x14" rectangle about 1/8" thick. Place 7 teaspoons of filling about 1 inch apart down the middle of the rectangle. Fold dough over filling and seal with your fingertips. Using a ravioli cutter, cut the pasta into rounded squares making sure each side is sealed. Place finished ravioli on a baking sheet.

In a big bowl, make the sauce. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt. Add the ravioli and cook over medium high heat until they float, about 3-4 minutes. Using a spider, transfer hot ravioli to the bowl with the sauce. Toss ravioli in sauce and serve immediately topped with fresh black pepper and parmesan cheese.