Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich

My mom made this for lunch one day while Patrick, Nora and I were visiting, and we really enjoyed it, so I got the recipe and made it for us today. It was the perfect game-day dinner - quick, easy and super tasty. I made it during a commercial - it's that fast!

Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich
Courtesy of Campbell's
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell's condensed French Onion soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 pound thinly sliced roast beef
4 hoagie rolls
4 slices provolone cheese
Drained pickled banana pepper rings

Heat oven to 400. Heat soup and Worcestershire sauce in a two-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Add beef and heat through, stirring occasionally. Divide beef mixture among rolls. Top beef mixture with cheese slices and place sandwiches onto baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes or until sandwiches are toasted and cheese is melted. Top each sandwich with banana pepper rings.

Asian Grilled Salmon

In my continuing effort to cook healthier meals (once or twice a week), I thought it wise to try to add some fish to our diet. We both like fish, but I never cook it because I'm not comfortable with it, and, frankly, it's stinky. I have a super sensitive sniffer and a lot of smells bother me, especially bad smells. And I just happen to think that fish is one of those bad smells, especially when your bedroom, clothes, etc. all smell like fish. I like to eat fish, but I don't want to smell like it ... especially three days later!

Thus, we tend to only eat fish when we eat out. Which, since we have a four-month-old baby and live on a budget, isn't often.

But, my wise mom suggested that we grill the fish instead of cooking it on the stove or in the oven, and I thought it was a great idea. Plus I got to hand Patrick the cooking reins for the evening. Win-win!

This was super easy. It has only five ingredients, four of which I always have on hand. All I had to buy was the salmon. (I was shocked at how much it cost, though - $14 for two fillets. They were large, but still.) Patrick was very careful while he was grilling; he didn't want one ounce to fall through the grates! We ate these with roasted asparagus and roasted potatoes. The next day I had the chilled leftovers on a salad. Yum!

Asian Grilled Salmon
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, aka Barefoot Contessa (who bears a striking resemblance to my mom)
1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Start grill or light charcoal; brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits. (Patrick was concerned about ours being undercooked so he cooked them a bit longer, probably 7 minutes on each side.)

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Chinese Slaw

A few weeks ago I had the challenge of making a Chinese/Asian appetizer. I don't fry, and Whitney had already claimed the edamame, so I had to come up with something. I remembered a yummy side dish that my Aunt Susan made for a family get together, and thought it would be perfect. She graciously shared her recipe with me and now I'm sharing it with you. It make a lot, so it's perfect for a crowd. And it is great left over, too. Enjoy!

Chinese Slaw
Recipe from Aunt Susan
1 bag of slaw (regular or broccoli)
Noodles from 2 packages of beef Ramen noodles, crushed
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 beef flavor packets from the Ramen noodles

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the oil, vinegar, sugar and beef flavoring in a small bowl or saucepan. Heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave or on the stove, until sugar and beef flavoring is dissolved. Mix well. When the dressing has cooled, pour it over the slaw mixture and toss to combine.

Upcoming recipes:
Turkey and artichoke stuffed shells
Peach Cobbler
Tostada pizza

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

I am always on the hunt for quick, easy, healthy side dishes. I always seem to make the same ones over and over again (roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli are my faithful standbys), but as much as we like them, sometimes you just need something different.

And that's where this recipe comes in. I usually only make it in the spring and summer. Something about asparagus just says "spring" to me. I have no idea if asparagus has a season or not, but I say it's spring!

Until I made and ate this asparagus, I had no idea that I liked it so much. This recipe is super easy, quick and delish. The asparagus gets nicely roasted but doesn't get soft - soft asparagus is a no-no in my book.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Oven-roasted asparagus
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
3 pounds fresh asparagus*
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted*

Wash and dry asparagus. Snap off and discard tough ends; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds. Makes 8-10 servings.

*Patrick and I certainly can't eat 3 pounds of asparagus, so I usually buy just shy of 1 pound for the two of us. I eat quite a bit with dinner, and then we have a few left for leftovers. When using less than 3 lbs. I just reduce the rest of the ingredients as needed. For example, I made this the other night and used just under one pound of asparagus. I used a little less than a tablespoon of olive oil, one garlic clove, 1/4 tsp. salt and just a couple of shakes of pepper. I don't use almonds because I'm not a fan of nuts with my veggies, but if you like them, have at it!

Campanelle Pasta Salad

A few weeks ago when I was at Target (I go way too often, by the way) I noticed that Giada De Laurentiis had launched a new line of products exclusive to Target. The ceramic/stoneware bread pans looked nice, but I was drawn to a box of orzo pasta. Not that I've ever cooked orzo, but I was really interested in seeing if there was a recipe on the back of the box.

Yup, there was. It was an orzo/tuna recipe, and it intrigued me. I didn't buy the orzo because it cost almost $2.50 for a one-pound box, and I knew I could buy it at Publix for about a dollar less (non Giada branded, however, but the brand name is certainly not worth my $1).

So, two weeks later I was still thinking about that recipe. Obsess much, Kara? I couldn't find it online (of course not -- they want me to shell out $2.50 for a box of pasta), but I did find an incredibly similar Giada recipe, made with campanelle pasta instead of orzo.

Worth a shot, I figured. And I might as well feed the beast that had been obsessing over tuna and pasta.

So, I made it for dinner tonight and was pleasantly surprised. Neither Patrick nor I are big fans of fresh tomatoes, but we both liked the cooked cherry tomatoes, and they gave the pasta nice flavor and color. It was a nice flavor change of pace for us, too; while we tend to eat copius amounts of pasta, we don't typically eat fish (at least not at home).

This was a quick, easy meal, too, perfect for weeknights.

And, to Target and Giada (cause I'm sure they'll read this ...) -- how about a line of Giada-inspired clothing? I always like the shirts she wears ... but would wear a cami underneath. No cleavage in the kitchen for me!!


Campanelle Pasta Salad
Slightly modified from the original Giada De Laurentiis recipe, found on foodnetwork.com*
1 pound campanelle pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12-ounce) can tuna in oil, drained
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried chopped thyme
4 teaspoons chopped dried parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a 14-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the tuna to the skillet and, using a fork, break into chunks. Add the cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pasta, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and the parsley. Toss until all the ingredients are coated, adding a little pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.

*I used 12 ounces of tuna instead of the 6 called for in the recipe, and am glad I did. I don't think that 6 ounces would have been enough to taste. I also didn't feel like buying fresh herbs, and already had the dried herbs on hand, so that's what I used. I modified the quantities above to account for using them instead of fresh herbs. For the original recipe, click here.

Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

Y'all know what a fan I am of fast, easy, and delicious meals. This recipe has it all, folks, plus veggies, too! A hometown friend of mine, Dawn, created this fab dish and was gracious enough to share it with me.

The first two words I saw in the recipe were "goat cheese." SOLD!! I love goat cheese, but rarely have the opportunity to eat it, much less cook with it. The rest of the recipe could have included sardines and sauerkraut (two foods I wouldn't cook or eat), and I would still have made it, just for the goat cheese. Thankfully, Dawn's recipe included yummy ingredients like sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and mushrooms. Mmmmm!! And did I mention this takes no time at all to make? 30 minutes, and you're sitting at the table, enjoying a scrumptious meal!




Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta
Recipe courtesy Dawn Norris
2/3 box of penne rigatte (must use the rigatte…it soaks up the sauce better)
1 package of broccoli-in-the-bag
1 tablespoon butter
Olive oil
½ of medium onion, diced
1 package of sliced mushrooms (if you're like my husband, you can pick these out or omit them. I happen to think mushrooms are quite yummy)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jar (or more if you love sun dried tomatoes) of sun dried tomatoes, julienned (I couldn't find a jar, so I just used the package from the produce section)
½ of roasted chicken, cut up in big chunks, or 1 package of the precooked Tyson chicken strips
1 jar of Sun dried Tomato Alfredo pasta sauce (Classico is best)
Salt
Pepper
Container of goat cheese crumbles
1/3 cup of parmesan (optional)

Boil your pasta. Use about 2/3 the box of penne for about six people.

While pasta is boiling (that is literally all the time it takes to make this dish), put “broccoli in the bag” to steam.

Put butter and about two turns of olive oil (I always use some of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar) in LARGE sauté pan on medium to high heat. Begin sautéing onions. Once onions start to soften, place the mushrooms into the pan and begin cooking. When mushrooms are beginning to brown, add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, broccoli, and jar of sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Add salt & pepper to your liking. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Lower heat to very low.

At this point, the noodles should be done. Add the noodles to the sauce pan directly from the pot using a slotted spoon or strainer (you want a little of the pasta water to get into the sauce mix—it helps the sauce stick to the pasta better).

Pour into a big pasta bowl (this feeds at least 6 people). Mix in the container of goat cheese crumbles and sprinkle on parmesan (optional).

Enjoy!

Quick weeknight meal - Beef Teriyaki

When perusing cookbooks, magazines and websites for recipes, I tend to find myself drawn to Italian and Mexican-influenced dishes for some reason. Perhaps the fact that they tend to be coated in cheese has something to do with it.

I've been trying to broaden my cooking repertoire lately, and while thumbing through my trusty "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook," found an Asian-inspired dish that looked tasty. It was also labeled "fast." That, of course, caught my eye. It wasn't labeled "will make your stove a mess," though. But my stove, oh, it was a mess when I was done. Something to do with popping oil and such leaves a stove all messy. Oh well, nothing a little stove cleaner and elbow grease can't fix. And, even though I overcooked the meat just a smidge, the dinner was still great. I even ate rice (a lot of it), and I'm not usually a fan of rice. Broadening my horizons folks, broadening my horizons. We ate it with some steamed broccoli, too, which is always a good side dish for Asian-beefy type dishes, in my opinion.

We give this recipe two thumbs up and will definitely be making it again.


Beef Teriyaki
From America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mirin, sherry, or white wine
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds top blade steak, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick (you can also used 1 1/2 pounds of flank steak if you can't find top blade steak)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 scallions, sliced thin

Whisk the soy sauce, sugar, mirin (sherry/wine), ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes together and set aside.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the meat, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and meat.

Briefly re-whisk the soy sauce mixture to recombine, then add to the skillet. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Return the meat with any accumulated juice to the skillet and toss to warm through. Transfer the meat and sauce to a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions.

(In the interest of total disclosure, I couldn't find sesame seeds or scallions during my weekly grocery run - I went to Wal-Mart, need I say more? - so I went without. I don't think it hurt the recipe at all, but I suppose they would have added two more levels of flavor that my dish was lacking. Oh well. I hate when I can't find what I want at the grocery store.)

If this icing were on a piece of cardboard, I'd eat it.

I feel slightly dumb posting this recipe here because, well, it comes from the back of a cocoa box and I really should just put a big ole sign on here that says "Y'ALL GO BUY SOME HERSHEY'S COCOA AND MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICING EVER" and my point would be made. But, brevity is not typically my strong point, so, here we go. (Plus, it's pretty much all we ate here at the Witherow house this past weekend.)

Y'all have probably learned by now how much I like, along with the quick and the easy, desserts. If I had my choice between breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, I would always, always, always choose dessert.

Did I mention that I like dessert?

So, on Friday, I got a craving for some chocolate, and three Little Debbie Fudge Rounds did little to satisfy said craving. (You think I'm kidding? I'm not. And no, I'm not pregnant. Just pathetic.) So, I dug through the pantry and lo and behold, found a box of chocolate cake mix. Now, after making the yummy not-from-a-box chocolate cake (recipe below) a week or so ago, I had vowed to never make a cake from a mix again, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I ripped that box open faster than you could say "Hershey's."

Now, this post is not about the cake. The cake is just an average, run-of-the-mill cake-mix cake. I don't even know what brand it is. It's the icing that is its saving grace. Oh, the icing. Two words - butter (one whole stick) and cocoa. Need I say more? Divine.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
Ripped right off the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed of an electric mixer to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.

Seriously. You could just skip the cake and eat this icing. It's that good.

We ate this so fast there was no time to take a picture - Tuscan Ravioli

That's how stinkin' yummy this dinner is, y'all. It's so good. Hear me on this. Do not let the lack of photo deter you from trying this recipe. I implore you. For the love of all that is good and right, try this recipe. If you need backup, just head on over to Suzanne's blog and ask her what she thinks of it. She'll give you the scoop. Her family digs this dinner, too.

So that's my pitch.

As I think I mentioned last week, Patrick and I have a standing dinner date with the Akins family every Thursday evening. It's a ton o' fun. They're a family with four kids four-years-old and under - what's not to love about that?? We get loads of kid and baby time (and good adult hang time, too), and also get to have great meals each week with six of our favorite people. A while back, I introduced them to this ravioli dish, and it was an instant hit. Everyone loved it, and it's one of Patrick's favorite meals. It's become a staple on the Witherow and Akins menu rotations ever since. Once you try it, you'll understand why.

Oh, and one more thing. It's super fast and super easy. Again, I love this recipe.

Tuscan Ravioli
Adapted from a Southern Living recipe
1 package frozen cheese ravioli
1 jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce*
2 tablespoons white wine**
1 can petite diced tomatoes***
1/2 cup chopped basil
Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a large saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar, cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in tomatoes and chopped basil; cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta; top with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4-6 servings.

If you're planning on having bread with this dinner (bring on the carbs!), put it in the oven before you start making the ravioli. Cause I'm telling ya, this dinner takes no time to make. The ravioli take about 5 minutes to cook, and the sauce takes 5. SO FAST!!

*I use Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce. Sometimes Publix has it buy-one-get-one-free and then I stock up!
**I don't know anything about wine and use Fairbanks Sherry instead. I use it for anything cooking-related that calls for white wine.
***I use Hunt's petite diced tomatoes, and it seems to have less liquid than some of the other brands. If you use something else, I would recommend draining the liquid first. You'll have less sauce, but that's okay. (Draining the liquid is actually what the "real" recipe recommends, anyway, but we like the sauce and want lots of it.) You could also be all fresh about it and chop two medium-size fresh tomatoes, but I take the easy way out of things. Hello - quick, easy.

Aloha!

It seems like all of my recent recipes have been of the "fast and easy" variety. Well ... I guess when you're a working woman, that's what you like to cook after a day of working - something fast and easy - but still delicious!

These little sandwiches certainly fit the bill. They take all of 10 minutes to assemble (if that), and 20 minutes to bake. Who doesn't love having dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less? These could also double as lunch, or as appetizers/snack food if you're throwing a party. They're quite the versatile little sandwich.

I got this recipe years ago, from one of my closest friends, Whitney. She claims that she can't boil water, but she can make a mean Hawaiian sandwich! And her mom, Rose, introduced me to butterbeans when Whitney and I were roommates at Ole Miss. Oh my word. I didn't know what I was missing until I had one of Mrs. Canterbury's butterbeans. Pure delight. Whitney - please get your mama to send me some of her recipes so I can try to make them! The Canterburys sure know how to put out a game-day spread in the Grove, too. Grovin' was always more fun when they were in town!


Hawaiian Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Whitney Puckett
1 package of King's Hawaiian sweet rolls (the original kind)
Lunch meat and cheese of your choice (I use turkey and ham, and colby/jack or cheddar)

Topping:
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine melted butter, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and mix well.

Spray pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Slice rolls; fill with meat and cheese and top with bread. Poke holes in top of rolls and drizzle topping over the top of all. (It's best to use a pan with sides so that the topping can pool in the bottom.) Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep covered with aluminum foil until the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Mama Mia!

I love pizza. I could eat it daily. I also really like Caprese salad. Fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes ... mmm ... so good.

Put them together and what do you get? Pure deliciousness, that's what!


This Caprese Pizza is a quick, easy recipe (my favorite kind!), perfect for an after-work, weeknight meal. It's also a meatless dish, so it's great for any vegetarians out there. It's light and summery, too - just right for the hot, hazy days of August!

Caprese Pizza
Bake at 425 degrees
Toppings:
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
Coarsely ground black pepper

Crusts:
1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 package refrigerated pizza crust
1 clove garlic
1 oz. (2 tablespoons) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Slice tomatoes into 1/4" slices. Place onto a paper towel-lined cutting board. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt; let stand 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for crusts, lightly brush pan with 1 tsp. of oil. Unroll dough onto pan. Press garlic into prep bowl and combine with 1 Tbsp. oil; brush over dough. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over dough.

3. Cut dough lengthwise into thirds. Carefully move dough slightly apart to separate. Bake 11-12 minutes or until bottoms of crusts are light golden brown.

4. While crusts bake, finish toppings. Chop basil; combine with oil and set aside.

5. Blot tops of tomato slices with paper towels. Slice mozzarella cheese into 1/4" slices. Arrange tomato and cheese slices in overlapping rows on baked crusts. Brush basil oil over pizzas and sprinkle with black pepper. Return to oven and bake and additional 4-5 minutes or just until cheese melts.

Ciao; Enjoy!

The "key" to dessert success

So, as you know, Patrick and I visited my parents this weekend, which meant I got a few days reprieve from cooking. My mom is a great cook, so we got to indulge in a night of her cooking. We went out and got some great fresh seafood in downtown Savannah on Saturday night. One thing we were able to enjoy all weekend was a homemade Key Lime Pie. It's one of Patrick's favorite's, so Mom had made one and it was waiting on us when we arrived Friday evening. There was even enough for us to each bring a slice home to eat tonight. It's tart and slightly sweet - the perfect key lime pie.


My mom and I use the same recipe - the one that is on the bottle of Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice, but we double the recipe so that the pie is thicker. We don't want a skinny, wimpy pie! Here's our modified recipe:

Kara's Key Lime Pie
adapted from the Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie recipe
9" graham cracker pie crust
2 - 14 oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks (whites not used)
1 cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice

Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating.

An identity crisis

One of the new favorite meals in the Witherow household has an identity crisis; it can't decide if it's Italian or Mexican. Whatever it is, we love it. And, it's one of the fastest, easiest weeknight meals ever. Gotta love that! I'm eating leftovers now ... so yummy!


Mexican Chicken Penne Pasta

1 package (16 oz.) penne pasta
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (if you want to be really speedy and easy about this, like me, use the Purdue Shortcuts chicken)
1 1/4 cups salsa con queso dip
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, queso dip, milk and salt together. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Top with black beans, tomato, onions and cheese.

If you try it and like it (ohmyfriend, you will love it), I can't take credit for the recipe. Thanks to Suzanne and Carter for the goodness; Thursday nights are one of my favorite nights of the week because of them and their family! Plus, they have introduced us to some wonderful meals!