April 14
Gambling with Leftovers
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- Batter-Dipped Ham and Cheese Sandwich [View Recipe]
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Ingredients
- 3 slices bread
- 1.5 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 2 slices cheese
- 3 slices ham
- 1 large egg
- .25 cup milk
- salt
Instructions
We start by getting the sandwich together. We divide the butter into ½ tablespoon for the bread and the rest for the pan-frying. We place the tablespoon of butter into a large skillet and set it on the stove.
We butter one side of the bread with less than ½ teaspoon of butter. We put the bread down on the cutting board, butter side up. We layer on the swiss cheese. We butter another slice of bread on both sides with less than a teaspoon of butter. We place this on top of the cheese and then layer on the ham. We use the rest of the butter for the bread on one side of the remaining piece of rye. We set it down on top of the ham, butter-side down.
In a medium bowl, we beat the egg with the milk and add a pinch of salt. We place the pan on the stove over medium heat to melt the butter. When it is melted and hot, we dip the sandwich into the batter on both sides and on the ends. We want the bread to soak up some of the milk/egg mixture but not get so wet that it will fall apart. We put the battered sandwich immediately into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes of each side. We also hold the ends of the sandwich, with tongs, in the butter to brown lightly.
When the sandwich is nicely browned and the cheese is melted, we place on the cutting board and slice in half.
- Sofrito Black Bean Soup [View Recipe]
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Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 tablespoons [object Object]
- salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 14.5 ounces tomatoes
- 20 ounces black beans
- lime
Instructions
In a large pot, we heat the oil over medium-low heat. We add the sofrito ice cube and start to break it up with a wooden spoon. We cook for a couple of minutes until it is defrosted and fragrant.
Next we add a pinch of salt and the cumin and stir. We open the cans of tomatoes and black beans and add these to the pot (along with the liquid from the black beans). We raise the heat to medium and bring the soup to a boil. When the soup is boiling, we lower the heat, partially cover it, and cook for about 15 minutes to meld the flavors.
We then remove about 1 cup of the soup and puree it in our blender. We add this to the remaining soup and it makes the soup wonderfully creamy. We taste for salt and keep the soup on low heat until ready to serve.
We serve our soup with a lime slice.
- Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
- Easy Caramel Yogurt Brownies [View Recipe]
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Ingredients
- vegetable spray
- 1 box brownie mix
- 8 ounces yogurt
- .5 teaspoon vanilla
- .5 cup chocolate chips
- sugar
Instructions
We start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees. Next we prepare our 8 inch square glass baking dish by spraying it lightly with the vegetable spray.
We pour the brownie mix into a large bowl. We open the yogurt and pour off into the sink the small amount of liquid that separated out. We mix the yogurt with a small spoon, and add it to the brownie mix. We add the vanilla extract and then, with a sturdy big spoon, we mix the ingredients. Once the dry mix is incorporated, we keep stirring for another minute. The mixture will be rather thick and shiny. When the mixture is ready, we stir in the chocolate chips.
We pour the brownie mixture into the prepared pan, distributing it with our spoon into the corners. We place the pan into the oven and bake for 37 minutes.
We take the brownie pan out. It is starting to pull away from the edges of the pan but it is still a bit soft in the center. We set it on a cooling rack and leave it for a couple of hours (ideally!).
When the brownies are cool we heat a butter knife in hot water and make a cut. We wipe the knife and then heat and cut again. The brownies are very fudgey so it is easiest to cut with a clean hot knife. We cut into as many small squares as we need and cover and refrigerate the rest.
We serve the brownies dusted with confectioners' sugar.