tres leches for mom

my mom is a simple gal.
she grew up in Argentina, practically raised on her grandfather's farm. breakfast, lunch, and dinner came straight from the earth. the cows were milked in the morning. if you wanted an apple, you picked it from the tree.
a simple, but rich, life.
she likes her fruits, her vegetables, her soy milk, her whole grains.
but she also loves a gooey, creamy dessert.
(no chocolate for her.)
tres leches cake is one of her favorites: vanilla cake soaked in a concoction of three different milks and slathered with whipped cream.

does it get any better than this?

a friend gave her her recipe, but it never quite worked out. the call for boxed cake mix should have been the red flag. after numerous attempts, she decided buying a slice at the grocery store was her best bet.

when I saw Alton Brown make the cake, I knew it would be perfect. the man can do no wrong.

so this past mother's day I made her the cake.

and she had a big cake all to herself.

sweet, moist, creamy, perfect.

the mix of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half and half make for a winning combination.

and when you pour it over the cooled cake, you'll think you've made some horrible mistake.

(so much liquid!)

but in about 5 minutes, you'll realize it was no mistake at all. it was just right.

a cheeseburger

To be honest, if I had to pick one favorite food it would have to be a cheeseburger. A greasy, gooey, cheesy cheeseburger.

And I don't mean a big, fat patty on a big bun. Although, that's ok, too.

I'm more of a fan of the thin patty charred perfectly on a flattop so you get the crispy outside and a juicy inside. And a big slab of cheese to melt all over it.

It's my kind of meal, what can I say?

Well, I can say that I have been living off of these cheeseburgers for a couple of weeks now.

Bacon turkey burgers. Is there anything else in the world?

Unlike those who prefer to season the outside of the patty, I'm a firm believer in seasoning the meat and mixing it up.

A big sprinkle of salt, a decent sprinkle of pepper, and a dash or so of garlic powder. A good char on a grill and a slab of cheddar (though I also had some manchego laying around and that was all sorts of delicious).

I also like to cook my bacon on the grill, too. Lay a piece of tin foil down and use that as a skillet almost. The bacon crisps up beautifully.

All other rules remain: flip only once, don't press down. Oh, but cook it all the way through.

This is not the place for a medium burger.

The result is one tasty, juicy, healthier option.

Gouda and Cheddar Cheeses.

for the -aholic in all of us

I am a serious chocolate-peanut butter-aholic.

And because I am a serious chocolate-peanut butter-aholic, I absolutely could not pass up this little gem when I came across it at Target last week.

It's been hanging around ever since, sort of mocking me with its "I'm so awesome, what exactly are you going to do with me??" grin.

I contemplated something simple to really highlight those chocolate and peanut butter flavors: maybe a simple cookie or cupcake or even a blondie.

And then I decided why not just make it a chocolate and peanut butter explosion??

I went with this recipe that I've been making for who knows how long (substituting the chips for the peanut butter cups).

It's funny, brownies were always the one thing I made terribly. And then one day that brownie recipe came along and I was no longer the terrible brownie maker.

But once I added peanut butter to the mix it went way beyond no longer being the terrible brownie maker. They were deee-licious.

Dusted with a little flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom.

You could very easily make basic brownies, but honestly, once I made the peanut butter ones, I haven't (except for rare occasions) gone back.

They are just too good.

And they are the perfect treat for the chocolate-peanut butter-aholic in all of us.

Sometimes, all you need is a fork.

springtime lunch

I can't pinpoint the time I started making this chicken salad, but I remember vaguely getting the idea after watching Ina Garten make a dish with chicken and grapes.

I wanted to combine the idea of chicken salad with the idea of potato salad with the idea of egg salad. Get the idea?

I've been making this salad for quite a while now and I really, truly love it. Sometimes I forget how good it is, take a bite, and think "wow, this is fantastic."

True story.

And it's like most of my cooking: guess amounts, throw stuff in, taste, repeat.

The main component, and the most important, is the chicken. In the times I've made this, I've tried roasting, grilling, even pan-frying. The absolute best bet is poaching.

And if you're like me, you just cringed.

The only memories I have of poached chicken are rubbery, dry, tasteless ones.

The idea is to not boil the crap out of it; the idea is to impart flavor and simmer gently.

When you create a poaching liquid, think about flavor. I throw in chunks of carrots, celery, onions. I crush garlic cloves and peppercorns. I add some bay leaves and thyme leaves. Even some parsley stems. And instead of just plain water, I add in some chicken stock.

Simmer the chicken in the liquid gently for about 15 minutes, cool it and shred it and you've got chicken that stays moist and delicious and is the perfect component for chicken salad.

Everything else? well they're just star supporting actors. The hard-boiled egg adds interesting taste, the basil adds that fresh, herby background, and the grapes add the perfect sweet surprise.

Happy spring lunch.

Chicken Salad

Use good quality mayonnaise. Miracle Whip is not acceptable.

The poaching is recommended, but optional. You could even purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred.

Poaching Liquid:

3 cups total water and chicken stock

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 carrot, cut into chunks

1 celery stalk, cut into chunks

1/4 onion, sliced

1 bay leaf

bunch parsley and thyme stems

salt, peppercorns

slice of lemon or lemon peel

1 lb chicken breast

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 c grapes, halved

2 T (or so) basil, chiffonade

handful parsley, chopped

1 hard-boiled egg, diced

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 c mayonnaise

salt, pepper

1/4 c almonds, optional

1. Add the poaching liquid ingredients to a shallow pan and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the chicken. If the liquid does not quite cover the chicken, add some more until it does.

2. Poach gently (do not boil), uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the liquid, cool and shred.

3. In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, carrots, grapes, herbs, egg, and lemon juice. Mix well. Add in mayonnaise and mix to coat and combine. Taste for seasonings. Add almonds if desired.

4. Serve atop spinach or baby arugula or a soft, toasty bun for a light lunch.

Makes 4 servings.

therapy

In between the boredom of dressing myself and the baking disasters (banana bread brownies, anyone?), came this little gem.

Thursday night and I was craving something chocolatey, gooey, delicious (what else is new?).

It was a tough week, it was going to be an even tougher weekend, and I was in need of therapy.

I picked out a recipe for chocolate cookies that I had recently found in a cookbook and looked at it: over one pound of chocolate?!

I have a feeling this is going to be good.

I'll admit I was nervous. A lot of chocolate was about to be sacrificed for my fat ass, but I was ready.

The result was kind of fantastic: a warm brownie in cookie form.

Gooey, chocolatey, really, really delicious; the kind of cookie I was aiming for when I made the chocolate peanut butter ones.

They're oddly delicate with a crackly top. They're not the prettiest girl at the cookie exchange, but the one everybody wants.

And at the end of the day it's safe to say chocolate really is the best form of therapy.

Pure Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A couple of notes: I'm wary of making any cookie without salt. I did it once, it was terrible, never again. The original recipe doesn't call for any salt, but I added 1/4 t in. Also, these cookies are really tasty cold from the fridge. They retain their brownie-like chewiness and they're fantastic slathered with peanut butter (my breakfast the next morning). Oh, and I left out the 1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate.

Adapted from Fran Bigelow's Pure Chocolate.

12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick + 2 T butter, room temperature

3/4 c + 2 T brown sugar

2/3 c granulated sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla

3 eggs

1 3/4 c cake flour, sifted then measured

1/4 t salt

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. In a double boiler, melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates over low heat. Also, you can melt the chocolates in the microwave in 30 second increments. Once melted, set aside.

3. In a mixer, beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time until each is fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl.

4. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix to combine.

5. Fold in the flour and salt until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Chill for one hour.

6. Using a scoop or spoon, spoon a good hunk of cold batter onto lined cookie sheets. Space them a couple of inches apart because they will spread a good bit while baking. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cracked and slightly puffed. Cool completely. Or, you know, devour while still warm and gooey with a glass of ice cold milk.

my belated valentine

Sure you could wait to make these next Valentine's Day, but really, if you ask me, it's always a good time for heart-shaped coconut cakes, dunked in raspberry ganache, and coated in M&Ms and Reese's peanut butter cups.

a work in progress

There really is nothing like chocolate and peanut butter. The quintessential combination of salty and sweet is perfection. Seriously.

So I set out to make a cookie to emulate that perfection.

It’s Tuesday night and we want some cookies. The husband mentions peanut butter. I peruse through my newly-organized (and super fantastic!) recipe binder and stumble upon a recipe for chocolate peanut butter cookies. Not chocolate chip peanut butter, mind you, but chocolate peanut butter.

The recipe - which I don’t know where I got - seemed a bit off to me, so I tweaked it. I added some things, I took away some things, I rearranged some things.

The final result is still a work in progress. While I wanted a fudgy, gooey cookie, I ended up with a cakey, fluffy product.

Still, it was a tasty cookie. With layers of buttery goodness and tasty crumbs.

While I will continue to work on it, this may kill the chocolate peanut butter craving just the same.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

½ c butter, softened

½ c peanut butter

1/3 c granulated sugar

1/3 c brown sugar

1 egg

1 c all purpose flour

1/3 c cocoa powder

½ t baking soda

¼ t salt

½ c chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone mat.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butters and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down occasionally to incorporate fully.

3. Add in the egg and mix until combined.

4. In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Add them to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips.

5. Place by tablespoon-fuls on the cookie sheets a couple of inches apart. These cookies won’t really spread, but puff, so don’t worry about leaving too much space between. If you want a flatter cookie, you can press them down before baking.

6. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, keeping a close eye. It’s hard to gauge when they are done because they’re chocolate, so I usually look at and touch the tops of them. If they look done and don’t feel gooey (but still leave an indent), they’re done.

Enjoy with a glass of ice cold milk. These cookies are also, surprisingly, really tasty (perhaps tastier) when cold from the fridge.

game day cheese fest

When the husband and I moved into our apartment, we decided to throw a Superbowl get together. It was fun (almost a little too fun), but in terms of food, there were some hits and misses.

And the end of the day, the best food for a game day should be fun finger food. Calories be darned, the stuff should be tasty.

The pigs-in-blankets were big hits, of course, but so were the spinach and cheese dip and cheese football.

Too much cheese? Depends on who you ask. I'm a bit of a cheese-o-holic.

This cheese ball I actually make every year for Christmas time as well. (You can see the little snowman hands and feet spreaders).

Whatever works for you this Sunday, these cheesy recipes will make delicious additions.

Cheese Football

Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

8 0z sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 strips bacon, diced and cooked until crisp

dash pepper

1-2 stalks green onion, minced

1 c chopped walnuts

pimento strips or green onions

1. Mix cheeses, bacon, pepper, and minced onion in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

2. With your hands, shape into a football shape. Refrigerate for an hour or more. This is great to make in advance.

3. Roll football in nuts to coat. Add pimento or green onion strips for football lacing. Serve with crackers.

Spinach and Three Cheese Dip

Adapted from The Sun-Sentinel and (now-defunct) Dan Marino's Fine Food and Spirits. The original recipe does call for Tabasco, but I always leave it out. And while it does call for frozen spinach, fresh is just as great. The recipe also says to sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses on top and then bake. I usually throw half in with the dip to melt in and sprinkle the remaining on top. More flavor, I think. Optional garnishes include: sour cream, diced red onion, and bacon.

1 1/2 T butter

3 T flour

1 1/2 c half and half

1/4 t salt

1 T Tabasco sauce (optional)

1/2 c + 2 T parmesan cheese

1 (10) oz box frozen spinach, well drained

4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add in the flour and cook for a minute or so, constantly stirring.

2. Add in half and half, constantly whisking to ensure no lumps. Add in salt and Tabasco, if using. Bring to a boil until thickened. Bring down to a simmer.

3. Slowly whisk in parmesan cheese. Add in spinach and 2 oz each mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. At this point you can pour it into an oven safe dish and refrigerate.

4. When ready, preheat oven to 450F. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and cheddar cheeses on top and bake until golden and bubbly. Serve with crackers, chips, or toasty bread chunks.

Let's go anybody but Tom Brady!

katie is 21

A girl always needs a good birthday cupcake: slathered with butter cream and sprinkles, covered in pink and pretty.

But sometimes that just won’t do.

Especially when the said girl is turning 21.

So I whipped up a batch of cookie dough cupcakes, dipped them in silky chocolate ganache, dotted them with star-shaped sprinkles (a little sprinkles never hurt), and then adorned them with…well…

Sure, I considered sticking the booze IN the cupcakes, but why do that when you can just raid the liquor store and stick them on top??

And maybe your favorite isn’t even on here. Maybe you’re a Johnny Walker kind of guy or a Jack kind of gal (-raises hand-), but can you really turn down some Jose and sweet and tasty raspberry vodka?

Didn’t think so.

And, yes, they were a hit.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

The idea is to have a yummy chocolate chip cookie baked right in the middle. And it does work. I have used both store bought dough and homemade and, quite frankly, I’m more partial to the homemade. They’ve just got a better taste overall. But if you’re in a pinch, store bought cookie dough is fine. So is boxed cake mix. I know, I know, but it’s just so foolproof. If using boxed cakemix, switching out the vegetable oil for butter and the water for milk really helps in flavor and texture. And one very important thing to remember about these cupcakes is to NOT over-bake them. Over-baked they become dry and the middle not as cookie-like as you’d like. These cupcakes are best at room temperature, but if you do decide to place them in the fridge, let them come to room temperature before eating.

Vanilla Cupcakes

½ c butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ c all-purpose flour

½ t salt

1 t baking powder

½ c milk

1 t vanilla extract

12 (heaping) teaspoons chocolate chip cookie dough (either homemade or store bought)

Chocolate Ganache

6 oz cream

4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Whipped cream, optional

Sprinkles, optional

Liquor, optional (but, really…)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners

2. In a mixer (or large bowl), mix butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. Add in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each one.

4. Combine dry ingredients in a separate, small bowl. Add 1/3 of the dry mix.

5. Once the dry mix is incorporated, add in half of the milk. Repeat with the dry mix, the milk, and finish with the dry mix again. Add in the vanilla and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix at this point or you will have a tough cupcake.

6. Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling ¾ of the way full. Place one heaping teaspoon of dough in the middle and press down slightly. Top off with a spoonful of batter to cover up the cookie dough.

7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, keeping a close eye. Once they have a golden brown color on top, they have been over baked.

8. Once done, let cool completely on a cooling rack.

9. For ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. While heating up, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Once you notice little bubbles along the edges, take cream off of stove and pour over chocolate mixture. Let sit about 20 seconds then whisk to melt and combine.

10. Dip cupcakes, one by one, into the vat of ganache. Decorate with whipped cream, sprinkles, or liquor bottles, if preferred.

Makes 12.

brio

I work in an Italian restaurant and sometimes I just have no desire to go out for Italian. I mean, really?

So when the husband suggested we head out to Brio Tuscan Grille (grille? I hate that) because he happened to have a gift card from the holidays, I obliged, figuring I’d just order some chicken parm and call it a day.

Upon entering Brio (located in the wonderful Pembroke Gardens), I was pleasantly surprised. The inside is big, but manages to still remain cozy with perfect lighting, crisp white tablecloths, and comfortable booths. The open kitchen is impeccably clean and actually fits in beautifully with the ambiance, not just sticking out like a sore thumb.

Starting off with glasses of signature and white peach sangria (pitchers also available), we then decided on the daily bruschetta special of fontina cheese, wine caramelized onions, asparagus, and prosciutto.

They offer a number of bruschettas and flatbreads ranging from the more rustic and traditional - margherita, roasted red pepper, ricotta - to crowd-pleasing favorites - sliced steak, bbq chicken, chorizo and blackened shrimp. Our eyes skimmed the selections, but were really intrigued by the special.

The sangrias (which arrived with some warm bread and crackers) were delightfully delicious. The signature red sangria was sharper, drier, not as sweet, but robust and flavorful. The white peach sangria was crisp, light, refreshing, and perfectly sweet. I was a fan.

The wine list is rather large and their signature cocktails seem to be served with either a wine, sparkling wine, or up.

Skimming the menu some more, the sweet potato and chicken risotto called my name. Normally, this would send me into slight panic. Risotto can be such a gummy disaster in the hands of the wrong person, but I seemed to be feeling trustworthy today. The husband opted for the penne gorgonzola, an avid blue cheese fan.

The bruschetta was beautifully presented on a long wooden board. They sat neatly side by side, as if arranged delicately with precision. The real star was the wine caramelized onions. The sweetness is fantastic, with just a hint of the wine, and an underlying sweetness - perhaps honey? - coating your tongue. The asparagus had perfect crunch and the prosciutto lent itself perfectly to create that salty-sweet combination. Unfortunately, the fontina cheese was too mild of a cheese to really compete with all of these robust flavors. Maybe a sharp provolone or even a smoked cheese would have worked better?

Regardless, it was fantastic.

The entrees arrived shortly after.

So can I say that apart from some minor setbacks (some of the sweet potato pieces weren’t fully cooked) this may very well rival the best risotto I’ve ever had?

It was luxurious, creamy, decadent. The bacon added that perfect salty bite that only bacon can add, the toasted pine nuts gave way for contrast in texture, the specks of thyme hit the right herby note, and the chicken was the biggest surprise of all.

This was not overcooked, dried out, diced up chicken thrown carelessly into the pot. This was moist, flavorful, juicy chicken tenderly pulled apart and stirred into that wonderful risotto.

I was so pleasantly surprised, so happy with the selection.

And yes, the husband loved his penne gorgonzola, too.

We opted out of the dessert selections - your basic carrot cake, chocolate cake, mascarpone-something-or-other - instead going for some hot tea (for me) and an irish coffee (loaded with Jameson - for him).

But I will make it a point to head back to Brio, a delight in Italian food. Not cliché, not boring, not the same. Different, and delightful. And so delicious.

breaded away

While sometimes a good ol' can of grocery store Panko does the trick, sometimes I like to make my own breadcrumbs.

Mind blowing, I know.

And while you can use up stale bread you have laying around, I usually just use plain whole wheat bread slices.

This is a blank canvas that lends itself so well to any flavor - spice or herb-wise. The result is always fantastic and definitely superior to the grocery store stuff.

And it takes minutes to prepare and can hang out in your fridge for a while. Perfect.

Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs

Due to the cheese in this recipe, these breadcrumbs do have to be refrigerated. If you'd like your breadcrumbs to be drier and resemble store-bought, place the breadcrumbs on a sheet tray and let them toast up in a 300 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.

4 slices whole wheat bread

handful Italian parsley

handful basil

3 sprigs thyme, leaves pulled off

zest of half lemon

1 T salt

1/2 T pepper

1 t smoked paprika

1 t garlic powder

2 T (or so) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place bread slices, parsley, basil, and thyme leaves in food processor. Pulse for a second to get the ingredients chopped up.

2. Add in remaining ingredients and pulse until everything is ground and combined.

3. Taste for seasonings. The lemon flavor will be very strong so you can gladly reduce the amount or omit it altogether. Also, do not under estimate the need for salt in this recipe. Transfer to a bowl to be used or in the fridge.

Recommended usage:

Breaded, baked chicken cutlets served alongside roasted broccoli with Parmesan and a baked sweet potato. I love a good square meal.

a homemade holiday

Last year's cookie tins!

To be honest, the husband and I have spent a small fortune on Christmas presents this

year.

And it's ok! Really.

We love to buy presents. There's nothing better than buying someone you love a really great present you know they will enjoy.

But at the same time, these aren't exactly the best of times.

And before you go into a panic about how you haven't even started your Christmas shopping yet, let me remind you that it doesn't have to be synonymous with copious amounts of debt.

For most of my presents, I give away little Christmas cookie bundles.

I make about 5 or 6 different cookies, tuck them neatly into little cookie boxes and tins lined with pretty Christmas tissue paper, make a name tag out of some construction paper (th

ough scrapbook or even wrapping paper can work), and call it a day.

And you know what? Everybody loves them.

Because it came from the heart and you took the time to make them and it's much better than going out and getting some gift card.

Which, ahem, I actually also love to give and receive.

But I digress.

Below I'm listing some homemade gift options that I think are really great. I hope you like them, too.

As for me? This year will hit all the notes: chocolate, coconut, fruit, gooey, chewy, nutty, and delicious.

Cookie Mix in a Jar

via

The easiest gift to make, and it just looks so pretty! Take your favorite cookie recipe and a mason jar and begin! Layer all of the dry ingredients, leaving out the wet (butter, eggs, extracts). Attach a name tag along with instructions and they may just love you for life.

Just about any recipe will work. I'm partial to the good ol' chocolate chip and peanut butter varieties.

via

Similarly, you can scratch the cookie mix idea and fill a mason jar with pancake mix. Yes, pancake mix. Homemade pancake mix, mind you. Label a tag with "Christmas morning pancake mix" and pack it up alongside some hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. Talk about one lovely breakfast.

Nigella Lawson's Instant Pancake Mix

Adapted from Nigella Express or Nigella Kitchen. I can't remember..

4 c all-purpose flour

3 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Separate into jars or tins, containing 1 cup of pancake mix each, or pour into one big jar.

2. For each cup of pancake mix, add 1 egg, 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Mix batter and make pancakes. Each cup makes 15 3-inch pancakes.

Optional: you can even add mix-ins to the dry pancake mix like chocolate chips or granola. yum.

Limoncello

via

Who doesn't love a good holiday liquor?! And this year, why buy one when you can make one. Oh yes, make one.

Limoncello is fantastic. Seriously.

Like the lovechild of tequila and lemonade. Sort of. Ok, maybe not.

Served as a digestif and meant to be sipped, not shot (calm down there frat boys), it's a really smooth, syrupy-sweet, delightful lemon liqueur.

Most recipes you'll find for it, like this one, call for vodka. When we used to make it at the restaurant, we actually used 190-proof Everclear grain alcohol. We covered it up nice and tight and let it sit for about a month in a dark, cool place.

And if you took off the plastic wrap and didn't stand back, you would get one big alcoholic punch in the face.

While letting it sit for 3-4 weeks was great, it's not entirely necessary. You can leave it to sit for as little as 4-5 days and it will be ok.

As for the best storage? The freezer. Limoncello is meant to be served ice cold in a nice, frosty glass.

You could pour the limoncello into a decorative jar and pack it alongside some shot glasses and you, my friend, have become the life of the party.

Similarly, you could omit the lemon and go for orange or grapefruit instead. OR. You could infuse vodka with another flavor altogether.

Possibilities are endless!

Exercise your creativity. Give homemade. And have yourself a merry little wallet.

it's all greek to me

Up until a couple of days ago, it was still pretty hot.

And while the sun still shines quite bright, there is a nice breeze that has come around and cool air that has come with it.

This is a good thing. This is a great thing.

Cause I don't like sweaty armpits in winter.

Anyway, last week, in the midst of the heat, the husband and I decided to try out our new grill and make a nice grilled lunch.

Some grilled chicken, some grilled zucchini, some grilled broccoli, and some grilled ciabatta - for the Greek bruschetta, of course.

And this should really be called "Greek" bruschetta, because it's really no more Greek than Taco Bell chalupas are "Mexican" or Olive Garden is "Italian".

But moving on!

I found this recipe in a Kraft foods magazine and loved it the second I made it.

The original recipe is a bit different than mine and calls for kalamata olives. I'm actually not a kalamata fan, so just opt for the delicious green spanish olives instead.

You can use day-old or stale bread for this, which is great. I usually find myself with a rock-hard piece of leftover bread and instead of throwing it away, this is a great use.

And on a winter day, this is a little bit of summer sunshine.

Greek Bruschetta

Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

2 tomatoes, diced

1 cup olives, diced (kalamata or any kind, your choice)

1/2 cup feta, crumbled

2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste

3 stalks scallions, finely diced (optional)

handful parsley, chopped

handful basil, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 T olive oil, plus extra for bread

salt, pepper

1 loaf ciabatta, or other bread, split lengthwise

1. Mix all ingredients, minus the bread, in a bowl. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Let sit in fridge for about 5-10 minutes. (This can even be made a day or 2 in advance).

2. Lightly drizzle oil on cut side of bread. Place on grill to get a good char.

3. Top grilled bread with tomato-olive mix. Enjoy.

encore

This was honestly the first year I had enough leftovers to really revel in the leftovers. You know, turkey sandwiches for days.

Except there was also a turkey omelette, turkey frittata, and then the turkey shepard’s pie.

And how incredibly fitting since shepard’s pie was created as a way to use leftovers.

And I used them all up. It was the easiest cooking I’d done in a while.

Open Tupperware container, pour out contents, repeat.

Fantastic.

And did I mention so delicious?!

So she’s not the prettiest girl at the Thanksgiving party, but she is the tastiest.

After Thanksgiving Turkey Shepard’s Pie

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 cups turkey, diced

½ cup leftover vegetables (I used my glazed carrots here)

½ cup spinach (I used the leftover spinach salad with a bacon vinaigrette. Hellooooo)

½ cup stuffing

¼-½ cup gravy, or chicken stock

1-2 cups mashed potatoes

2 T parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Heat up oil in a medium saute pan. Cook garlic. Add in turkey, vegetables, spinach, stuffing, and gravy. Add in some chicken stock if necessary to make a bit of a sauce.

3. Stir together until heated up and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

4. Pour into a baking dish, top with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

Thanksgiving reborn!