Quick French Dip Sandwiches

By Cheri in Beef, Main Dish 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Quick French Dip Sandwiches

I’ve made many a homemade beef dip. Mostly from scratch. I’ve thrown it in the slow cooker, cooked it on the stove top, but nothing ever turned out quite right. My hubs is a huge fan of beef dip so, even though I failed, I had to keep trying. Wouldn’t you know, the simplest and easiest of recipes turned out to be just right. And, I won’t complain about that. :)

I figured this time around I’d leave the cooking of the beef to the experts and make it more of an assembly process. First you top crisp and airy ciabatta rolls with garlic, butter and cheddar cheese, broil till bubbly and then pile on the beef. Serve them alongside a spiced up beef broth and dinner is served. Easy peasy and crave-worthy delicious.

Quick French Dip Sandwiches

These make very hearty sandwiches. For smaller appetites you could easily stretch the meat to 5 or 6 sandwiches. Use your discretion according to your family’s appetites and the size of the rolls.

  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 ciabatta rolls, split
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef

Melt butter in a small skillet, over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, until softened. Place rolls on a baking sheet and brush or drizzle with garlic butter. Top with shredded cheese. Place under broiler and let bake until cheese is bubbly.

Place broth, salt, pepper and thyme in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and toss in roast beef. Once beef is warm remove from heat.

To serve: Remove beef from broth, place on prepared rolls. Pour broth into ramekins or bowls, to dip sandwiches.

Serves: 4

Adapted from Taste of Home.

(Small Batch) Mixed Berry Jam

By Cheri in Condiments, GF Sides 4 Comments Tags: , , , ,

(Small Batch) Mixed Berry Jam

Making jam seems to be my preferred Sunday afternoon activity. There’s something relaxing and comforting about getting a pot of fruit bubbling on the stove and relaxing on the couch while it fills your house with the scent of berries and maple. This recipe especially, is so simple. No slicing and dicing, just a quick rinse and a toss in the pot, and you let your stove top do the rest.

This recipe calls for fresh berries and I already had some (surprisingly) delicious fresh blueberries in my fridge (thanks to an awesome sale from my grocer) but since I didn’t have any fresh strawberries I used a bag of frozen ones instead. To my delight the frozen ones worked great, I just needed to add a few minutes to the simmering time. I imagine you could use all frozen berries and have it turn out, as long as you feel comfortable going by sight rather than cooking time. Allow them to thaw first and don’t drain away any of the tasty juices.

One of the big draws to me for this jam was that it uses maple to sweeten it, instead of sugar. By now I’m sure you’ve noticed my love of anything maple. It adds just a little something extra to the jam and it’s not overly sweet like some homemade pectin-free jams seem to be. I also love that it makes such a small amount. It feels like no work and you get delicious results in no time.

We enjoyed it while it was still warm, wrapped up in fresh crepes with a side of bacon. Mmm.

Mixed Berry Jam

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 4 cups)
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Place berries in a medium-sized saucepan, lightly mash berries. Add remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 50-55 minutes or until the mixture passes the jam test (below). Cool completely before storing, covered, in the fridge for up to 1 month. Freeze for longer storage.

Jam Test:

This applies to any jam that is made without using pectin.

Place a small plate in the freezer while you make your jam. Once you think the jam is ready place a dollop on the frozen plate and return to the freezer for two minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and push through the jam with your finger, there should be a slight film on top that wrinkles as you push. If it’s not ready yet, boil it for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

Makes approximately: 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from Giada at Home.

Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

By Cheri in Breakfast, Cakes, Snacks, Sweets 10 Comments Tags: , , ,

Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

It took me four hours to get this coffee cake in the oven. This has no reflection on the difficulty of the recipe but rather my life as a mom. From exploding diapers to early bath times to bedtime tantrums this cake went through many waiting periods. I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s a foolproof recipe.

I’m a big fan of coffee cakes. They’re not overly sweet and, just like muffins, they’re really just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. :) This cake is light in both taste and texture. A refreshing break from all the heavy and rich baked goods that are everywhere this time of year.

My hubby isn’t a fan of pears but he loved this (LOVED it). So did I. It’s one of those cakes that’s hard to stop eating. Breakfast. Coffee. Dessert. Too many excuses to steal a little slice.

Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Streusel & Filling
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup cold butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
Cake
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter , softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the streusel topping and filling: Stir together walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl grate cold butter into flour and break up with your fingers to make coarse crumbs. Stir 3/4 cup of the nut mixture into the flour mixture to make streusel. Set remaining nut mixture and streusel topping aside.

For the cake: Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl beat the softened butter until smooth. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in flour mixture and sour cream, in three additions, starting and ending with flour.

Spread two-thirds of the batter into a greased 9 inch springform pan. Sprinkle with the reserved nut mixture. Layer pears on top. Carefully spread remaining batter over the pears. Sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. For a crunchy topping, sprinkle with the 1/2 cup walnuts. Bake an additional 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the side of the springform pan. Cool one hour before serving.

Makes: 12 servings

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.

Spicy Bean Burritos (Freezer Friendly)

By Cheri in Lunch, Main Dish, Meatless 4 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Spicy Bean Burritos (Freezer Friendly)

I had high hopes for these burritos after spotting them on Annie’s Eats (I trust that woman with my taste buds) and they were even better than I thought they were going to be. That doesn’t happen too often. I find that beans tend to zap the flavour out of dishes and I was a little afraid that would be the case here, but these were so flavourful – thanks to the beans being simmered in a spicy broth until they soak up every last tasty drop.

This recipe helped me knock off yet another of my 2012 food goals – meatless meals that the whole family enjoys. I’m on a roll! ;) Max did have a little bit of trouble eating a full burrito just because it was a little bit too bean-y for him, so I turned his into a quesadilla and served the “salad” on the side (the guys likes his veggies!) and he gobbled it right up.

It’ll definitely be a regular at our table, especially since I almost always have the ingredients on hand. It’s a perfect last-minute meal when you’ve had a tiring day and just want to get something quick and healthy on the table. I’m planning on serving it with Quick Mexican Rice with Beans (minus the beans) next time, to round out the meal.

Growing up we used to heat up those store-bought spicy bean burritos and top them with salad toppings, sour cream and salsa. I’m planning to make my own version by filling some 6 inch tortillas with this bean filling and some cheese, rolling them up and freezing them for quick lunches during the week. To serve, we’ll treat them just like the store-bought burritos and top them with the sour cream and veggies instead of having them in the wraps. I’m already excited to eat them again!

Spicy Bean Burritos

Don’t throw out the extra chipotles! Put them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. When you need some for a recipe, chop off as much as needed and thaw to use.

Bean Filling
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 6 tablespoons salsa
To Serve
  • tortillas
  • shredded cheese
  • diced tomatoes
  • chopped lettuce
  • chopped green onions
  • sour cream

Cook garlic in a small amount of oil just until fragrant (30-60 seconds). Add spices, broth and beans. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa.

Spoon bean filling into tortillas, top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and sour cream to serve.

Adapted from Pink Parsley via Annie’s Eats.

Mocha-Chip-Fudge Cheesecake

By Cheri in Cakes, Chocolate, Creamy, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , ,

Mocha-Chip-Fudge Cheesecake

In all my time in Norway not once did I see a block of cream cheese. Spreadable cream cheese was everywhere but the one time I tried to make a cheesecake with it (in my desperation) it did not end well. Three years is far too long to go without a slice of cheesecake!

So you can imagine that it was at the top of my list of things to make when we moved to New York. And, I can now say, it was worth the wait! It was pretty hard to decide which one to make first but I’ve been craving coffee lately (I credit that to the exhaustion of furnishing an entire house from scratch in one week. Whew.) so I decided to go with Mocha Chip. It was a great choice.

On a whim I added a mocha fudge topping because I thought it might pretty it up a bit. In the end I can’t imagine the cheesecake without it. It gave it a much more intense chocolate flavour that I think would have been lacking without it. I don’t think I need to go into much description about how good this tastes. Mocha. Fudge. Cheesecake. Enough said right?

In order to help myself have some self-restraint and not be wasteful (who wants to waste cheesecake?), I decided to slice these into individual servings and freeze them. That way if we’ve got company, or are craving an indulgent dessert, I can just pull out as many as we need, let them thaw and then serve. I love the idea of having something in my freezer to serve guests that doesn’t take any work but is more special than just cookies (although there’s nothing wrong with “just” cookies).

I was a little nervous about making cheesecake again. It had been such a long time that I’d built it up in my head as something difficult. But it couldn’t have been more easy. I hope you try it soon.

Mocha-Chip-Fudge Cheesecake

My springform pan is almost 10 inches and it worked fine for this recipe. I just didn’t press the crumbs as far up the sides of the pan.

Crust

Combine cookie crumbs and sugar, stir in butter until evenly coated. Press into the bottom and approximately 2 inches up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.

Mocha Chip Filling
  • 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in flour until well combined. At low-speed, beat in eggs just until combined.

Mix together cream and instant coffee. Let sit for 1 minute, stir to dissolve. Add to cream cheese mixture along with vanilla. Stir just until evenly distributed. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

Pour cream cheese mixture into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 325ºF for 50-60 minutes or until centre is almost set. Let cool completely at room temperature.

Mocha Fudge Topping
  • 6 oz. (1/2 of 12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Put all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 50%. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread on top of cooled cheesecake.

Cover cheesecake with foil and refrigerate overnight.

To serve: Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Warm a sharp knife under hot tap water, wipe it dry with a clean kitchen towel and cut one slice. Rinse it clean under hot tap water and repeat.

Makes: 14 servings

Adapted from TasteofHome.

Kids in the Kitchen: Tortilla Pizzas

By Cheri in Kids, Lunch 8 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Kids in the Kitchen: Tortilla Pizzas

I think it’s great to get kids in the kitchen early and even to arm them with recipes so that once they’re a little older, and staying home alone, you know they can take good care of themselves in the kitchen (without you having to worry about the house exploding while you’re gone).

I first came up with this idea just before we moved. Our house was becoming more and more depleted of ingredients and we had some leftover pizza toppings and an opened package of tortillas. My hubby was gone on a business trip so I wanted to make something quick for me and Max. This was the first thing that popped into my head and I must admit, I didn’t expect us to like it so much.

This is a great recipe for kids to learn to make on their own – my son had so much fun and was so proud to make a pizza all by himself. And, they won’t be the only ones enjoying it, it makes a yummy quick lunch for us adults too. :)

It’s also a great project to do to when the kids are bored out of their minds, being stuck inside all winter. Take a little extra time on lunch and watch them get excited about making their own creations and then eating every last bite.

A Few Topping Ideas

These personalized pizzas are a great way to use up those leftover scraps of veggies and meat that you’re not sure what to do with. Here are a few ideas.

Sauce:
  • pizza sauce
  • pesto
  • dressing (such as southwestern ranch)
  • salsa
  • leftover bolognese/pasta sauce
  • cream cheese
  • refried beans
Meat:
  • leftover chicken
  • sandwich meat
  • taco meat/fajita filling
  • leftover ham
  • vegetarian: beans
Veggies/Fruit:
  • bell peppers
  • mushrooms
  • green onions/onions
  • pineapple
  • corn
  • spinach
And don’t forget the cheese!

Tortilla Pizzas How-to

A step-by-step guide for the kiddos.

Step One:

Assemble ingredients and place a tortilla on a baking sheet. Top with pizza sauce.

Step Two:

Put on desired toppings – be as creative as you like. :)

Step Three:

Top with cheese. (Mom and Dad – avoid the urge to help them make it perfect.) :)

Step Four:

Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven. Bake at 450ºF (or under a broiler) until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp. Make sure to keep your eye out for the “boiling” cheese! :)

P.S. If you’ve got one, you could make these in a toaster oven to be more kid-friendly.

Step Five:

Remove from the oven, cut into slices and enjoy!

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