Smoked Turkey Panini

To me, sandwiches are an essential comfort food. They can be a go-to late night snack, quick and easy lunch, or just convenient finger food. As a newly wed, I was very surprised to learn that my husband rarely ate sandwiches. He's basically a rice-and-curry kind of guy, not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, I've been known to go through rice withdrawal if I haven't had it for a while. But sandwiches? I can't live without them, either!

Because my husband usually takes lunch with him to work, (and because I'm the one who has to pack it) I slowly started introducing him to sandwiches. I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised at his response. At first, I couldn't tell if he really liked them or if he was just saying it to please me. My doubts were allayed when he began special requesting sandwich days! (Insert proud wifey comment here.) Of course, this doesn't mean he has given up entirely on toting his large thermos container of Guyanese food - nor would I ever expect him to. I'm just really happy that he's branching out and trying new foods, and I'm super excited to be the one introducing them to him! 

So for yesterday's lunch, the hubby asked if I could make him a deli turkey sandwich. Since I had sourdough panini bread on hand, I did even better than that and grilled up this scrumptious panini. Remember, the better your ingredients, the better your sandwich! I used smoked deli turkey, which I got from our local halal meat market. I also opted for a nice, smoked provolone cheese, but you can use any sliced cheese you like. 

Ingredients

• 4 slices of panini style bread (check your supermarket's fresh bakery)
• 10-12 slices of fresh deli-cut smoked turkey 
• 4 slices of smoked provolone (or other cheese)
• mayonnaise or mustard
• butter or margarine spread

Directions

1. Spread butter on both sides of the bread. I used Olivio, which is a lower fat alternative made with olive oil. You can also use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or a similar spread.
2. Heat a griddle or a crepe pan over medium heat. Place the bread on the pan, making sure it lays nice and flat (no overlap). Allow it  to toast for about 2 minutes on each side, or until it is just barely golden brown. (You will continue browning it later.)
3. Remove the bread from the pan and lower the heat. Working in batches, place the turkey on the same pan, cooking for only 20-30 seconds on each side. Use tongs to lift the slices off the pan and lay them on top of the bread in a crumpled fashion. Use about 5-6 slices for each sandwich, depending on how much you want or how big your bread is.
4. Place two slices of cheese over the turkey, slightly overlapping each other. Cover with the remaining slices, and return the entire ensemble to the pan. Use a pot lid or the back of your spatula to press down on the sandwich, this will flatten it slightly and allow the bread to brown crisply and evenly. 
5. After two minutes, gently flip it over and repeat the pressing motion. Remove from heat after two more minutes. Serve warm, or wrap in aluminum foil for later! Enjoy!

Original recipe

by me :)

Mini Chicken Meatballs

I've made this recipe twice, and both times I was surprised at the abundance of flavor and moistness in these little packets of poultry! This has easily become one of my favorites... a recipe that I would like to keep handy. The version below makes quite a few meatballs, so it's perfect for entertaining! I'd like to try serving them with toothpicks, as hors d'oeuvres.

However, it's also perfect to make for family meals. You can freeze half of the meatballs for later, and just cook the ones you are planning to serve!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup finely grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. whole milk
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
olive oil
4 - 6 cups of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce
fresh, chopped basil for garnish
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, garlic, onion, and seasonings. Stir to combine.  Then mix in wet ingredients: eggs, milk, ketchup.

2. Gently mix in ground chicken with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix, or you will get tough meatballs!

3. Use a mellon baller or a tablespoon measure to scoop and form meatballs onto a baking sheet. The mixture will be very soft and moist. Make sure your hands are moist as you shape the meatballs to avoid sticking.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, brown meatballs on one side for about 2 minutes. Gently turn meatballs over and brown on the other side, another two minutes. Remove meatballs and repeat with remaining batches.

5. In the same pan, create your own sauce, or add your favorite jarred sauce. Bring to a simmer, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (from the meatballs). Gently drop meatballs into sauce, cover and reduce heat to low. Allow sauce to simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.

6. Garnish with fresh, chopped basil and serve over your favorite pasta or as is. Enjoy!

Original recipe by
Giada de Laurentiis
(You can find it here.)

Avocado Grilled Cheese and Sweet Potato-Tomato Soup

I love a good grilled cheese sandwich. I mean, who doesn't? But I've never really experimented with it before, other than to try different bread or a combination of cheeses. I certainly never tried adding a 'filling.' However, I have been pushing myself to be a little more adventurous in the kitchen; so when I saw this recipe on a friend's blog, I knew I just had to try it. (By the way, her pictures are a lot more detailed then mine... check them out here!)

If you love guacamole, and you love grilled cheese, then you will most likely love the combination. But what's a grilled cheese without tomato soup? Well, I had to tamper with that a little bit as well, and I have to say that the results were quite delectable.  I created a Sweet Potato-Tomato soup - I know, the name is quite a mouthful. (Oh wait, that's a pun!)

The two items paired together quite nicely, and I can't tell you how satisfying it is to have nice hot soup on a cold winter day! I did also make chicken wings on the side, to add protein and complete the meal, but that recipe will have to wait for another post. 

Avocado Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 slices whole wheat bread (or any other type)
• 1 whole Hass Avacado
• 1/4 cup chopped tomato
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 2 slices smoked provolone cheese 
• 2 slices American cheese
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. softened butter

Directions

1. Spread butter onto one side of each bread. These will be the outsides of the sandwiches (and the part that touches the pan). Flip bread over and lay one slice of cheese on each piece. Set aside.

2. Peel and remove the seed of the avacado. In a small bowl, gently mash the avacado using a fork. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

3. Remove the liquid from the chopped tomato by placing it in a clean paper towel and squeezing gently. Add this to the avocado mixture. (Note: at this point, you can also add other ingredients that you may like in your guacamole, such as finely diced onions and cilantro. Just be sure not to add more liquid, as this will result in a soggy sandwich!)

4. Assemble the sandwiches by spooning half of the mixture onto each of the provolone-covered breads. Top with the remaining slices (American cheese).

5. Place a non-greased griddle to medium heat. Once it has warmed up, place your sandwiches on the griddle. (Remember, the buttered sides are facing outward.) Grill on each side about 2 minutes, or until the outside is nice and toasty and the cheese has melted.

6. Remove from heat and serve warm! (Preferably with the yummy soup below...)

Adapted from "For the Love of Dessert"

by Sneha Wager

Sweet Potato-Tomato Soup

Ingredients

4 to 5 very ripe, medium tomatoes

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 cloves of garlic

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken stock)

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry the tomatoes; cut off the stem and any imperfections. Spread the sweet potato chunks in a nice even layer in the bottom of a glass baking dish. place the tomatoes face down on top of the sweet potatoes. Add the garlic cloves to the dish, cover and bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through, and the juices are bubbling.

2. Remove from oven, uncover, and allow to cool slightly. In a small pot, saute the onions in olive oil until tender and translucent. 

3. Add tomatoes,  potatoes, garlic and onion to a blender and puree. Meanwhile, in the same small pot, bring vegetable broth to a simmer. Add the pureed mixture to the broth. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. 

4. Serve hot with grilled cheese or crackers. Enjoy!

Adapted from original Tomato Soup recipe

By Ina Assegef

Key Lime Cupcakes

It's been a very long time since I've made my own cupcakes - I'm talking years, not months. Both my husband and I love to indulge in the sugary treat every once in a while, and we usually try a local bakery. Anyway, I felt it was time to start making my own! I just couldn't decide on a flavor. I asked Shazad what he wanted, but he said he would be open to anything. So I decided to ask my family for suggestions since I would most likely be sharing some with them. My youngest brother wasn't interested in cupcakes.... he wanted Key Lime Pie (which my husband had made a while back, using a kit). That's when it hit me: combine the two and make Key Lime cupcakes!

With a simple search, I was able to find a very nice recipe. However, one thing I did not like about that particular version was that the cupcakes were green. I'm not completely adverse to using food coloring (or in this case, lime jello) in food, but there is just something about colored cake that seems strange to me. Because that recipe had got into my head, I did toy with the idea of coloring the frosting but I'm glad I didn't! I just love the way the tiny flecks of lime zest show through the creamy frosting.  I found this adaptation on a another food blog and tweaked it just slightly (I didn't have buttermilk). Here's my version of the dessert...enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• 1 Tbsp lime zest
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prep a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing after each. 
3. Then add the lemon extract, lime juice, and zest. The batter will curdle, but that's ok! 
4. With the mixer on, add part of the flour mixture. Allow it to incorporate, then add the sour cream. Continue mixing and add some more flour.
5. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the milk and the rest of the flour, and restart the mixer. Do not overmix! As soon as you see all the ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer and scrape batter off the paddle attachment. (Your batter will be light and fluffy!)
6. Divide batter into cupcake compartments. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until inserted tester comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

(makes 12-18 cupcakes)

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp lime zest
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp vanilla

(Note: Depending on how much frosting you like per cupcake, you could cut this recipe in half and still  make out ok. I have a lot of left over frosting in my fridge...)

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the lime zest, juice, and vanilla and continue mixing.
2. With the mixer still on, slowly add the powdered sugar, a 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. (Make sure to scrape down the bowl and paddle every little bit).
3. Pipe or spread onto completely cooled cupcakes.

(Ok, so my frosting technique needs improvement, but like I said - it's been a while!)

Mango Cheesecake...with a swirl!

Ok, so I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything new. The truth is, I just haven't had a chance to make anything post-worthy. I've been too excited about the arrival of five baby kittens in the family! Since I work from home, I took the opportunity to travel over to mom's house and visit the little furballs twice this week.

All five kitties are adorable! They are still so tiny and have barely opened their eyes. I can't wait till they are old enough to romp about on their own. I am definitely excited about the thought of adopting one! Now if only I could get my hubby to agree....

Anyway, I thought I'd share this lovely recipe with you. I made this cheesecake a while, and my mom loved it so much that she's requested I make one just for her! While I used pureed mango from a can (you can find this at an Indian store), this recipe can easily be made using fresh mango... the fresher, the better!

The original recipe has a basil-lemon syrup to serve over the cake, but I thought that would be too sweet for me. I think it tastes fine on it's own or topped with fresh fruit.

Ingredients

•          8 ounces vanilla wafer cookies
•          3/4 cup butter, melted
•          2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
•          1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
•          2 cups mango puree (you will need a little more if you want to create the ‘swirl’ effect)
•          4 large eggs
•          3/4 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease the inside of a 9-inch springform pan. Finely grind the cookies in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely.
3. Blend the cream cheese and ricotta in a stand mixer, fixed with the paddle attachment. Add the mango puree, eggs, and sugar and mix until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that everything is well incorporated. Do not overmix!
4. Reserve about ¼ cup of the batter to create the swirl effect. Pour the rest of the cheesecake batter over the crust in the pan.
5. Mix the reserved batter with additional mango puree to make darker, thinner batter. [Note: I kept adding mango puree because it wasn’t getting dark enough to stand out against the original batter. You can also use orange food coloring if you like.] Drop this new batter by spoonfuls in small batches right on top of the mixture in your springform pan. Run a knife through the batter in circular motions to create a swirled design. Be careful not to scrape the crust.
6. Once you are satisfied with your design, place the springform pan in a large roasting pan on the center rack of your oven. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

Original recipe by:

Giada DeLaurentis

Amazing Apple Cake

I gather inspiration to cook from all sorts of places, but my favorite of late as been internet videos. When you watch someone put together a recipe in 5 minutes, it looks so easy! Of course, it takes much longer when you attempt to do it on your own. That's exactly what I discovered when I made this delicious Apple Cake. It looked so effortless when Fabio did it on his show! To be honest, it really isn't all that difficult, but I did run into some snags when I tried to 'puree' the apples in my food processor. I guess I'm still getting used to it since I took it out of the box a couple weeks ago.

Anyway, this cake turned out very nicely. After sticking it in the oven, I found out that a friend had used the same recipe just a few days before me.  I was told that the cake would turn out 'soft and custard-like' rather than cake-y. This proved to be the case with mine as well, even though I used one less apple. I think if I were to make this cake again, I would add a little more flour (doesn't 1 cup seem like a scant amount?).

Ingredients:

3 ripe Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, plus one yolk

¾ cup granulated sugar

zest of one orange

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp golden brown sugar

powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.

2. In a small bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, pulse apples until you get a chunky puree. You should have about 3 cups of apple puree. Set aside. (Note: as the apples sit, they will start to brown. This is just oxidization, and is perfectly normal.)

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add eggs, sugar, and beat on medium until incorporated. Add orange zest and vanilla and beat on low speed, increasing to medium, then high, until the eggs are foamy and light-yellow in color.

5. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream.

6. Add pureed apples and mix until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix again on low speed until all ingredients are evenly incorporated into the batter. Be careful not to over-mix!

7. Gently pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.

8. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar. This will create a nice crunchy top crust as it bakes into the batter.

9. Bake for 1 hour, then cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 

10. To serve, remove the sides of the pan and place on a platter. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Recipe by:

Fabio Viviani

(You can view the video of the original recipe on Yahoo Shine here.)

My First Post.... Welcome!

Hello! Thank you for stopping by. After several months of debating whether to start a food blog, here I am! I intend use this cyberspace to post - among other things - recipes that I have tried to recreate in my own kitchen.

This is not the first time I've publicly posted my culinary creations (and some disasters!), but I decided to move them to a more 'formal' space rather than just random posts on Facebook and Instagram. Blogging is somewhat of a new experience for me, and I really hope that I can stick to it. ;)


Special thanks to those who encouraged me to create the blog... you know who you are! A shout-out also to my husband, who is usually the first victim to try my recipes. Please enjoy! And please feel free to leave 'constructive' feedback. :)