Monthly Archives: April 2016

Hot Italian Sandwich

April 24, 2016Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorizedblog, bread, food, Italian food, main course, pepperoni, photography, recipes, sandwich, soppressatadmariebates

A good sandwich always starts with delicious bread. Some of the best bread comes from the bakery at your local grocer. I often find myself searching for different types of rolls for sandwiches when I want to make a tasty but quick family meal.

The other day I found two different flat rolls that inspired me to try a new sandwich. An Italian roll and a jalapeno roll. The Italian roll was sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and oregano while the jalapeno roll was sprinkled with a little grated Parmesan cheese with slices of jalapeno peppers baked into the top of the bread. Both rolls smelled heavenly at the bakery and were so inviting that I had no choice but to put a couple of each in my basket. The Italian roll inspired me to create a Hot Italian Sandwich which turned out to me a winner in the family. I have made this sandwich a few times since my first try and it continues to be something the family enjoys. The sandwich is packed with soppressata, capicola ham and pepperoni sliced from the deli.

Sandwiches are my go to meal whenever we are having a later than usual dinner because my son has a sporting event, school event or I have a bunch of errands after work. By the time we get home I don’t feel like preparing a complicated meal but I still want a balanced dinner. I really just want to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes so that we all still have time to relax before going to bed to prepare for another busy day.

Hot Italian Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 – 3 flat bread rolls (jalapeno, Parmesan or regular) sliced in half
6 – 9 slices deli pepperoni
6 – 9 slices deli soppressata
6 – 9 slices deli capicola
1 large tomato sliced thin
4 – 6 slices provolone cheese
4 – 6 slices pepper jack cheese
2 tbsp pesto
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp oregano
1 tbsp Italian dressing
1 cup of shredded lettuce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix Italian dressing with lettuce and set aside.

Spread pesto on bottom half of each roll. Place two slices of pepper jack cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Place on a cookie sheet.

On a separate cookie sheet pile 2 slices of capicola, 2 slices soppressata, 3 slices tomatoes sprinkled with oregano and red pepper flakes. Top tomatoes with pepperoni then 2 slices provolone cheese.

Place meats and bread in the oven until cheese melts approximately 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from oven and top bottom half of each roll with meat and lettuce. Place other half of roll on top of the lettuce and cut in half. Serve with chips or a cup of soup.

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Oxtail Stew

April 9, 2016Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorizedbeef, blog, food, main course, oxtails, photography, recipes, Stewdmariebates

My southern roots are showing. Oxtail Stew is one of those southern dishes that most folks up north don’t really know about. Surprisingly, more and more people are coming into the fold and are enjoying oxtails in various recipes. Historically, oxtails were considered a poor man’s dish since it was a cheaper cut of meat. Still, all across the world this cheaper cut of meat was also considered a delicacy. Oxtails were and are used in stews, soups and special sauces. Today, oxtails are no longer a cheap cut of meat. To the contrary. Oxtails are a little more expensive and can be found among the best choice cuts of meat at any grocery store that carries a variety of meats.

Because my mom is both southern and an amateur chef by profession it meant growing up we often had meals that included every part of an animal’s body. I can honestly say my mom can take any animal on the planet and prepare it so that it smells heavenly. I would also say that same animal probably tastes absolutely delicious but I draw the line at eating certain things regardless of how good it smells. Needless to say, the squirrel, rabbit, turtle and sweet bread dishes my mom made did not touch my lips but boy they sure smelled good cooking.

Back to Oxtail Stew. I was talking to my mom about recipes recently and she told me she had made some oxtails. I started thinking of how good her oxtails in onions and gravy were and how much I missed having them. I decided I should try making my own Oxtail Stew for the blog and create a new memory for my family. I was shocked when I got to the grocers and saw the price on the few packages of oxtail I found next to the Delmonico steaks. Since I had committed myself to making an Oxtail Stew I did a Mary Tyler Moore move and rolled my eyes, shook my head and tossed the oxtails into my shopping cart.

Oxtail Stew is one of those meals you eat with two types of utensils. A fork and fingers. You can use the fork to pull pieces of meat off of the bone then pick up the bone and suck all of those delicious juices and those tiny remaining pieces from the bone. For those of you who eat fried chicken with a knife and fork you would not understand what I mean. Just like most of us use our God given fingers to pick up chicken and eat it off the bone you need to do the same with oxtails. If you don’t, you will miss out on some serious flavors and good eating!

Oxtail Stew

Ingredients:
2 pkgs of oxtails
2 carrots chopped
2 scallions chopped (including green part)
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1 bay leaf
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups water
1cup beef stock
4 tbsp frying olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tbsp salt
½ tbsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger (ground or fresh minced)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ tsp nutmeg

Season oxtails with all seasonings. Place in a plastic zip lock bag and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown oxtails on all sides then place oxtails in a pressure cooker with ½ of the diced onions and 2 cups of water. Cook oxtails for approximately 45 minutes. Let pressure cooker cool (run cold water over the top of the pressure cooker to cool faster. Check out handling instructions.). Strain beef stock from pressure cooker and reserve 2 cups.

Saute remaining onions, scallions and carrots in the dutch oven over medium heat until slightly softened and onions are translucent. Reduce heat to medium then add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste, reserved beef stock and 1 cup of beef stock. Whisk together. Add oxtails and bay leaf. Cover and let simmer for 2 ½ hours stirring occasionally. Add additional salt to taste. Serve with rice.

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Bean Soup

April 2, 2016Main Course, Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorized, Vegetablesdmariebates

There are signs of spring everywhere as the grass begins to turn greener and the daffodils begin to bloom. Still, there is a chill in the air and even threats of snow from the weatherman as winter tries to hang on. All that means I am not quite finished making soups to warm my body and nourish my soul.

Bean Soup does both of those things. A very simple soup with only a few ingredients, Bean Soup is packed with delicious flavors from the beans, vegetables and ham hock broth. I really like making this recipe when I want a bowl of soup that will fill me up but won’t me feel heavy like a full meal does.

This soup practically prepares itself. Once you cook the ham hocks and add the broth to a pot with the other ingredients you can turn it on low and forget about it for 30 to 45 minutes. To jazz up the soup I sometimes add a big buttered biscuit or a wedge of cornbread. No matter what you decide to do, I know you will enjoy this Bean Soup recipe. Spring may be here based on the calendar but winter has yet to say good-bye.