Chicken, Kale, Mushroom, and Cheese French Bread Sandwich

Do you ever just want something easy to make for dinner to compensate for lack of easy in your life?  I have my hand raised over here.  My weeks have been passing at warp speed, yet I still like to fix something for dinner I know we can sit down and enjoy together.  That is always a challenging task I might add considering my families diet seems to change on a daily basis.  

My normal self would say why not a six hour braised rack of something, but the saner version of me said, "How about just throwing everything into one delicious package!"  I kind of like her, I should probably listen to her more often.  I'm thinking she has a lot going on in the common sense department.

My mom always made a stuffed French bread sandwich for us with a ground, beef, spinach, and bread stuffing. My daughter really likes that version, but my husband insisted on grilling some steaks this weekend and he can only have so much beef (that is a seriously long story) so I decided to re-vamp the sandwich in a healthier way.

I was trying to sneak the mushrooms past my daughter, but she saw one and it was over.  I'm telling you, I'm thinking I'm just going to walk out to the curb and start giving away dinner to passer-byers instead of the rough regular customers I have.  If you share the same mushroom aversion as my daughter, feel free to leave them out.    

Chicken, Kale, Mushroom, and Cheese French Bread Sandwich
3 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small package baby portabella mushrooms or about 8, sliced
1 bunch kale, leaves only, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, diced 1/2"
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 loaf ciabatta bread or a regular French loaf

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Add 1/2 the oil to a large skillet and heat on medium-high heat for a minute or so and add the chopped onions. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until onions are starting to look translucent.  Add the garlic, stir and cook for an additional minute.  Add the mushroom, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the kale and stir and cook until the kale is wilted.  Stir in the salt, pepper, and thyme and place the whole mixture on a plate.

3.  Place the skillet back on the heat, add the remainder of the oil and the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes, you could also sprinkle the chicken with a little more salt and pepper at this point.  You don't need to cook the chicken through since you are going to cook it longer in the oven. Add the vegetables back to the skillet and add the cheese, stir until all the ingredients are combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4.  Cut the top off of the bread and remove the insides.  (I just set it aside for my daughter, turned out to be a good call).  In a small bowl combine butter and mustard and spread this mixture on the inside of the bread including the inside of the top piece.  Fill the bread with the chicken mixture.  Don't add all the liquid in the pan or the bread might get soggy.  Place the top piece of bread back on the sandwich.

5.  Wrap the whole sandwich in foil and place directly on the oven rack and bake for 40-45 minutes.

6.  Unwrap the sandwich and slice with a serrated knife.

You can easily get 4 good sized sandwiches.

I thought it was better than the original and healthier for sure; you will have to be the judge and let me know.

Enjoy,

Gina

Cheese Filled Rolls - aka Zombies

Christmas is over, yet the germs are still lingering in this house!  My daughter came home from college and brought with her a nasty virus.  Despite my best sanitizing efforts, we all got it.  I've been dragging the last couple of days, but today I wanted bread to make me feel better.  Not just any bread, Zombies to be exact. I never was a fan of the cafeteria in school, but one thing they did excel at was making Cheese Zombies.

Baking bread is one of those perks of being stuck in the house all day.  Santa was kind to me and brought me some lights for my photography.  He probably felt sorry for me since he saw this pathetic set-up the other day.  Little did Santa know but I was actually working on a post called, "Seriously Low-Budget Photography Tips!" 

I was feeling a little more chipper today and finally had the energy to set my new lights up.  My younger daughter was so excited; she decided we should have a photo shoot with Teddy.  I think she enjoyed it way more than he did.

Cheese Zombies

2 cups warm water 110 degrees

1 tablespoon dry active yeast

6 cups bread flour (all-purpose flour works fine also)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheese

Dissolve yeast in warm water, let sit for 5 minutes.  Add to mixer with dough hook.  Add flour, sugar, salt and butter; mix till it comes away from sides of mixer.  Put in oiled bowl, cover and rise until doubled.  About 1-2 hours.

Place dough on floured board and cut dough in half.  Then cut each of the halves in seven equal pieces.

Grab a piece of dough and dip it in a little flour and flatten it to a circle with your hands.  In the center of the dough this is where you can get creative.  For the kids I made pizza rolls, stuffed with mozzarella, sun-dried tomato pesto (or pizza sauce), and pepperoni.

My personal favorite, basil pesto and mozzarella cheese.  I just used store bought pesto since I haven't had any basil in the garden for a while.

Once your filling of choice is inside pull up outside edges to top and start pinching closed, twisting as you pinch.

Make sure and pinch them good, you don't want any of the lovely cheese leaking out.  Place them seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Cover the trays with a clean dishtowel and let rise for another 30 minutes to 1 hour until doubled.  

After they are finished rising, brush with an egg wash (1 beaten egg and 2 tsp. water).  My super secret finish is a sprinkle of Himalayan Pink salt; any coarse salt would work fine.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes till golden brown.

Serves 14.

Enjoy,

Gina

Asiago Augratin Potatoes with Thyme

My daughter requested I bring these potatoes with me when I went to visit last week.  They are one of my favorite side dishes; so I couldn't wait to share them with you. I thought I had a cold, but I upgraded it to the flu since I couldn't get out of bed this weekend.  I had resigned myself and almost even accepted, I may have to eat canned soup for a couple of days to get through.  The fighter that I am, I pulled out my pots and pans and camera and proclaimed; "The blog must go on"!  Or maybe, I just couldn't accept the whole canned soup thing.

First butter the inside of 8 (4oz.) ramekins.  I'm only showing 6 because I couldn't get the other two in the shot.  If you don't have ramekins, use a casserole dish.

Heat a skillet on medium low heat and to it add 4 tbsp. unsalted butter and 2 minced shallots, cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.  Then add 2 cloves chopped garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Add 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Add 2 cups 1/2 & 1/2 and stir till combined.  You can use lower fat milk, but I think it tastes better with the 1/2 & 1/2.  I thought I'd throw that out there; so the milk fat police didn't crack down on me!

Our mixture is gonna need a little seasoning now.  Add the leaves from a couple of sprigs of fresh Thyme.  I scored these lovelies in my garden.  Thyme is one of my favorites because it grows all year long.

Let's not forget one teaspoon of Mrs. Salt.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black Mr. Pepper.  Or is that Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper?  Please don't tell me you weren't subject to watching Blue's Clues with your toddlers!

Cook your sauce on low till it's nice and warm, and set aside.  Peel 3 large russet potatoes.

Cut the potatoes into 1/8" slices.  I like to use a mandolin for this task, but a knife works too, just try to make uniform slices so it cooks evenly.

Grate 8 oz. of Asiago cheese.  I love this cheese it adds quite a kick to these potatoes.

Ready to layer.  On the bottom of each ramekin, place a layer of potatoes.

Then add a layer of the sauce, just a couple of tablespoons.

Add a layer of cheese.

Repeat until full and place in a 375 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, until tender.  Stick in a knife to see if the potatoes are soft.

Hope you enjoy these potatoes, once you try them you will never go back to the box kind.

Enjoy,

Gina  

Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers w Jalapeno Jack Cheese Stuffing

I can't figure out how to use twitter, does that make me a twit?  I signed up, and basically just stare at the screen.  Jason at Ancient Fire Wines was kind enough to offer me a couple of tips about hash & tagging, but I'm not quite sure what he was referring to, I try and stay away from illegal activities.  So please any of my brilliant friends that are twitmasters could you please leave me a comment with your best tip? Maybe then I could crack the DaVinci code that is twitter.

***Just having a little fun with you all! Jason and his lovely wife Margot have a beautiful blog, you should stop by and pay them a visit, click Ancient Fire Wines, his last post with apples trees covered in snow made me swoon!***

Remember all the beautiful peppers I showed you from the farm stand the other day, well I went back, I couldn't help myself.  I scored some wonderful aromatic cubanelles, or banana peppers as I knew them growing up.  I love how they are flavorful, mild, and make a perfect vehicle for stuffing.  I used my mom's favorite bell pepper stuffing and gave it a little more heat, sorry mom here I am messing with your recipes again.

They are getting their suntan on, oblivious to what is going to happen next:

Ingredients:

8-10 cubanelle peppers

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp. canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cups tomato puree (I had some fresh puree, but canned will work fine)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup jalapeno jack cheese, shredded

1 - 1qt. jar marinara sauce 

First:  Cut tops off all cubanelles and pull out seeds, very easy to do since they are right on top, wash and set aside.

Next:  Chop onion, red bell pepper and garlic, set aside.

Here is a tip for you:  To peel garlic, all you have to do is lay your knife on top of the garlic and give it a whack with your fist, make sure and land on the backside, not the blade side.  I like this way for speed, but I also love a garlic press too and you don't have to worry.

Next:  Heat a skillet on medium heat, add oil, onion and bell pepper, cook for 5 minutes, till vegetables are starting to soften and get a little color, add garlic, cook for 3-4 minutes longer.  Add ground beef and cook till browned, drain off any excess fat.  Add rice to skillet, salt and pepper, cook for 1-2 minutes, add tomato puree and water, bring to a boil.  When boiling, turn heat down to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Once skillet is off heat add Parmesan cheese and jalapeno jack cheese, stir to combine.  Stuff peppers as full as possible, with a spoon.

Remember how I said I was working on the measuring for you, I grated the cheese and guessed 1/2 a cup, till I tried to stuff it in the measuring cup, so I'm calling it 3/4 of a cup instead.  Cheese is so good, is measuring it really necessary, is there such a thing as too much?

Next:  In a heat proof casserole dish add jar of sauce and lay stuffed peppers on top.  Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

If you are afraid of the jalapeno jack cheese being too spicy, you can substitute regular Monterey jack and it will taste great too.  I definitely didn't think these were too spicy, and the sweetness of the marinara helps balance it.  Matter of fact these were so good, I could eat them again, right about now!

Enjoy,

Gina