Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

I am not a fan of the Pimiento cheese at all, until now! I made this version myself and using better quality ingredients really does make a difference. We love extra sharp cheddar in this household and it sends this grilled cheese over the top. The addition of spicy jalapenos won us over as well, especially with a plant that is still producing peppers in October. So on top of the delicious grilled cheese, this recipe turned out the most delicious dunk-able tomato soup. There are delicate bites of tomato throughout with hints of sweet and savory flavors - just delish! Check it out...

Grilled Cheese       

Serves 4-6

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz jar diced pimientos
• 1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
• 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp EVOO Mayo
• few shakes of hot sauce, or 10
• 8 slices bread
• butter

directions

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Divide this mixture on 4 slices of bread and top with remaining slices.

2. Heat a cast iron skillet and add a bit of butter. Cook the sandwiches for about 10 minutes on medium head, turning until both sides are browned and cheese is melty and gooey. Let rest on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes before slicing the sandwiches.

Tomato Soup       

Serves 4-6

ingredients

• 3 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 cups chicken stock

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º. Place tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with the EVOO, S&P to taste. Place the garlic in the center of the baking sheet in some aluminum foil, drizzle with oil, S&P and fold to create a packet.

2. Roast for 45 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Transfer to a food processor and process until to your desired consistency. Transfer to a pot and simmer with the chicken stock for 30-45 minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning while the soup simmers.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Cook This Not That, Skinny Comfort Foods.

Bone in Ribeye, Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onions and Roasted Asparagus

I don't have one specific recipe that I used for this - it all really just came together on a whim last weekend. It felt like a really special meal that we were in a fancy restaurant eating such a fancy meal. BUT, we were in the comfort of our own home and  didn't even have to change out of our comfie clothes to enjoy it.

Bone in Ribeye, Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onions and Roasted Asparagus       

Serves 2

Bone in Ribeye, Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onions and Roasted Asparagus

Bone in Ribeye

 

ingredients

• 1 bone in rib eye steak

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1.Heat the grill over medium high heat, place a cast iron skillet on the cool side of the grill. Season the steak with S&P on both sides.

2. Sear the steak on each side until browned well and crispy. Once both sides are browned, move the steak to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until it's cooked to the temperature you prefer (this will vary based upon how thick the steak is and the temp of your grill). We cooked ours for about 5-10 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

 

ingredients

• 5-6 large red potatoes, scrubbed and peeled, chopped into equal size chunks
• fresh parsley & chives, chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup milk
• Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 head roasted garlic

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Cut top half of a head of garlic off and drizzle the bottom half with EVOO, S&P. Wrap tightly in foil and roast for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove, let cool and squeeze out onto a cutting board. Using the back of a knife, smear the garlic on the board to make a paste. Set aside.

2. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, keep warm.

3. Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain, place pot back over low heat and using a masher begin mashing until smooth.

4. Add the milk/butter sauce, S&P to taste, roasted garlic paste, herbs and mix until smooth. You might have to add a touch more milk if they are too dry. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Roasted Asparagus

 

ingredients

• 1/2 lb asparagus ends trimmed
• EVOO

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. Toss the asparagus on a baking sheet with some EVOO, S&P. Roast for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

These recipes were created by Me.

Quick Fettuccine Alfredo

Here is another really simple and quick meal that you can whip together with very few ingredients in no time. It is a much lighter take on the usual Alfredo sauce as the base is the starchy pasta cooking water and not a whole lot of cheese. But it's still delicious and has wonderful flavor - just make sure to use a good quality Parmesan. Another helpful hint is to use freshly cracked black pepper - I've learned over time that it really does add a lot of dimension to any dish.

Fettuccine Alfredo      

Serves 2

Fettuccine Alfredo

ingredients

• 1/2 lb fettuccine nests (pasta)
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook noodles according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water right before draining the noodles and set aside.

2. Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the pasta water. Whisk in the butter until melted and 1/2 cup of the cheese and simmer. Add the cooked noodles and the remaining cheese, stir until the pasta is coated evenly with the sauce. Add S&P to taste. Serve immediately.

Add a simple salad dressed with vinaigrette as a side dish.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Sloppy Joes, Sausage Style

Sloppy Joes, Sausage Style        

Serves 6

ingredients

• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 lb Spicy Italian Sausage
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 6 sesame buns, split & toasted

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO to hot pan and then the sausage and cook breaking it up until browned. I like to let it sit to caramelize a bit before moving around in the pan to get a nice crust on one side, as it adds lots of flavor. Scoot the sausage to one side of the pan and add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt to the empty space and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.

2. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the brown sugar, simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Spoon onto toasted buns and top with cheese and pickles, if desired.

We made a yummylicious pizza with the sloppy joe leftovers so I call that Leftover Love. It was divine....

Sloppy Joe Pizza

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Chicken Paillard Salad

The recipe has this fancy Paillard name in it... not really sure what that means, I could look it up but the salad was phenomenal (so who cares what it means). This meal is really great for a weeknight (I pulled it from the 5 in 5 Michael Simon cookbook), it takes no time to pull it together. The warm chicken an top of cold, crisp lettuce lightly dressed - they were meant for each other. I used fresh tarragon from our garden in the dressing which was incredibly tasty as well.

Chicken Paillard Salad      

Serves 2

ingredients

• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped tarragon leaves
• 2 cups lettuce (mixed greens, romaine or iceberg will work)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add 1/8 EVOO to the hot pan. Season the chicken on both sides with S&P. Sear each breast until golden brown on each side, 3 minutes per side.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar, mustard, 1/8 cup EVOO, tarragon, S&P together in a bowl to make a vinaigrette. Add the mixed greens and onion and toss until well coated.

4. Serve the salad on each plate topped with the chicken.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from 5 in 5, Michael Simon.

Pasta with Sausage & Kale

The combination of sausage and kale is so scrumptious, especially this time of year for some reason. We both really enjoyed this pasta dish. You can make it with any kind of pasta you like - rigatoni, penne, orecchiette, shells, etc. I would add even more kale next time I make it to bump up the greens in this dish but otherwise it was on point for great flavor.

Also, I  had bulk spicy sausage on hand, so I doctored it up to make "Spicy Italian". It was probably better in my opinion, because the spices were freshly added to the meat. I made it by combining the following to 1/2 lb pork:  1/2 tsp each fennel seeds, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder and dried parsley. 1/4 tsp each of onion powder, dried rosemary, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Grind these up in a molcajete and add to the meat and mix gently by hand. There you have it...spicy Italian sausage.

Pasta with Sausage & Kale      

Serves 4

Pasta with Sausage & Kale

ingredients

• 1 lb bow tie pasta
• 4 Tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 lb spicy Italian Sausage
• 4 cups roughly chopped, stemmed kale
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions call for. Reserve 1 cup cooking water before draining, set aside.

2. Heat a cast iron dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil once pan is hot. Add sausage and cook until well browned, 5 minutes or so. Add the kale and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon to get up the browned bits on the pan. Add the pasta, stir to combine well.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and 2 tbsp EVOO. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.