Croque Madame

I had this sandwich several times while in France and it is delicious.  It is a Madame because it has an egg!  Get it?  A Croque Monsieur is the same thing but without the egg.  But I think the egg makes it delicious.

8 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, sliced into 24-32 1/16-inch-thick slices
12 ounces smoked ham, such as Black Forest, sliced into 12-16 1/16-inch-thick slices
4 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fleur de sel or kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

To assemble the sandwiches:
Set half of the slices of bread buttered side down, and cover them with the cheese slices, folding them back in toward the middle if they extend past the edges of the bread. Place 3 or 4 slices of the ham in an even layer over the cheese, and place the top slice of bread over the ham, buttered side up.
Grill the sandwiches in a two-sided grill or on a heavy-bottomed pan, using clarified butter and turning once. Place on serving plates.

To fry the eggs:
Crack two eggs into two separate bowls to check that the yolks aren’t broken. In 2 6-inch non-stick skillets, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat, until it starts to bubble. Pour 1 egg into each pan, being careful not to break the yolks. Add a teaspoon of water to each pan, sprinkle the eggs with fleur de sel, and cover the pans with lids. Cook the eggs for about 3 minutes for a soft-cooked egg and 5-6 minutes if you like your eggs firm. Wipe out the skillets, and fry the other 2 eggs in the remaining butter in the same manner. Center a fried egg over each of the grilled sandwiches and sprinkle with pepper.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Eat with a knife and fork!

*recipe from www.epicurious.com

- Sarah

Bean Salad

A summer favorite -- fresh and delicious.

Ingredients


1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cut green beans, drained and rinsed
half of a small red onion, sliced thin
2/3 cup white/cider vinegar
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup Splenda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T Dill Weed


Mix all ingredients together and chill.


- Sarah

Coconut Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

Ingredients


2 cups heavy or whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup half-and-half
half can Cream of Coconut (found in Hispanic section at Grocery store)
half batch of partially baked brownies from a box cut into bite-size chunks


Preparation


Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base
Pour the cream into a mixing bowl.  Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.  Pour in the half-and-half and whisk to blend.


Sarah's Additions

Whisk in half can of cream of coconut.  Churn/freeze ice cream according to your ice cream maker.  I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker so I churn for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes add chunks of halfway cooked brownies while it continues to churn for about 5 more minutes.


Pour into container and put in freezer for at least a few hours before eating.


It's so delicious!


- Sarah

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini **
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes. 

** Grating zucchini is actually quite easy.  You just use a cheese grater - skins, seeds and all. **

- Sarah


*Recipe from Paula Deen

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

So fresh and delicious!

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
2 zucchini or yellow squash, or one of each, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 package (15-16 oz) frozen gnocchi (I used non-frozen, vacuum-sealed gnocchi and it was fine)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 T grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or parmesan, and much more of it!)
1 T butter
2 t. fresh lemon juice


Preparation

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions.  Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet.  Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce.  Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

- Sarah

*Recipe from Everyday Food Issue 63

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak with Grated Potato Pancakes

This is a very simple and healthy recipe with few ingredients.  It didn't take long to make and I served it with steamed zucchini squash!  Enjoy!

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in a glass or plastic dish, and stir to combine. Add skirt steak, and coat well with marinade. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. Preheat broiler or grill. Remove steak from marinade, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Season meat generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Place under broiler or on grill, and cook about 3 minutes, turn over, and cook for 3 minutes more for medium rare.
3. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain, and serve.

**Martha Stewart Living, May 2001

Grated Potato Pancakes

• 2 Idaho potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Peel potatoes, and grate on the large holes of a box grater. Place grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze tightly, removing all excess moisture.
2. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 teaspoon canola oil. When very hot, add grated potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to press potatoes into a flat, round shape. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, shaking pan periodically, until pancake is nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip pancake, and add remaining teaspoon of oil, drizzling around the edges of pancake. Gently swirl pan to distribute oil. Season again with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes more.
3. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

*Martha Stewart Living

Happy Cooking!!!

~Lynn

Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

With asparagus now in season, this is an excellent recipe to try! It comes from the fabulous book, "Eat This, Not That." It's super healthy and full of taste too.  Hope you enjoy it!

1/2 C instant brown rice (measured dry)


1 tsp canola or other cooking oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 C mixed chopped peppers

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 C chopped raw asparagus

8 oz shrimp
1 tbsp soy sauce

hot sauce to taste (like sriracha)

Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Prepare the brown rice according to the package directions. Add the oil to a large saute pan or wok and place over high heat. When the oil is smoking, add the onions, peppers, garlic, and asparagus, then stir fry for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have browned slightly. Stir in the shrimp, soy sauce, and hot sauce and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
 
Enjoy!