yummy toasted sandwich

i love sandwiches and the more ingredients, the better :) one place in town i love to eat sandwiches at is the which-wich because i love their olive salad. well yesterday, i made up my own olive salad and it tremendously added to the yummy factor of my sandwich. so here's the recipe:
cut up 8 or so olives [i used the small green ones stuffed with pimentos] - drain them well or even let them 'sit' on a paper towel for a few minutes
add the olives to a tablespoon of real mayo and add a dash of black pepper, a pinch of dried red pepper flake and a dash of paprika
mix well and add to your favorite sandwich
i added mine to a grilled ham and pepperoni sandwich with american and cheddar cheese, heavenly......

nachos

my daughter asked me for nachos so i finally gave in.
1st day -
sort, rinse and soak 2 cups pinto beans overnight in large bowl with plenty of water
2nd day -
strain the beans, place in large pot and fill pot with plenty of fresh water
add one chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic (or garlic powder), cup of canned diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, ground cumino, dash of tabasco,and 2 or 3 large bay leaves*
you can also add diced ham, bacon or what my dad uses - good ol' salt pork
bring water to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low [but maintain a simmer] and cook for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally [actually as long as you have enough liquid and use low heat, you can keep your beans cooking all day!] a bottle of bock beer added near the end of cooking is nice too [add to the beans, not for the cook LOL]
3rd day -
grate your cheese of choice [we use longhorn cheddar] i don't recommend american or velveeta for this - 8oz for approx. 30 nachos, more if you LOVE cheese
slice up two to three large fresh jalepenos [removing seeds]
take 10 corn tortillas and cut into fourths
heat 3 inches of oil in small pan - you want the oil hot enough so that as soon as you put your chip in, it comes up to the surface immediately - fry for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes and flip to fry other side
remove and drain on paper towels, salt immediately if desired
set chips aside and in large pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil or butter/margarine
drain the cooked beans and add half to hot oil, after thoroughly heating them, smash them with a potato masher and turn off the heat
pre-heat oven to 350degrees
i always line my cookie sheet with foil to avoid melted cheese on my sheet
spread smashed beans on each nacho and top with grated cheese and a slice of jalepeno
bake in oven for about 4 to 5 minutes [all your ingredients are cooked and hot so basically you just need to melt the cheese]
too many beans on your nacho will make it soft but there's no such thing as too much cheese :)
enjoy with a cold beverage - milk is good if your peppers are very hot; i prefer an icy cold beer


*i heard that the bay leaves helps reduce the gassy nature of the beans but i have no scientific proof; not cooking the beans in the water they soaked in is also recommended for this too

pasta salad

[shown is a double recipe]

1 package 'wacky mac' or bowtie pasta, tri-color
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
3 green onions
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup green olives [pimento stuffed]
1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette [i use the bottled dressing type]

cook pasta according to directions, i add salt and olive oil to the water for favor and to avoid having the pasta stick together
as soon as you drain the pasta, put it into an ice bath [water with ice in it, enough to completely cover the pasta] this will stop the cooking process, drain after a few minutes

dice up all the veggies except the cherry tomatoes
slice the olives into thirds
mix it all in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper and the vinaigrette
sprinkle with dried parsley, cover and refrigerate immediately
pictured with fresh mint for garnish

mary's meatballs

1/2 lb italian sausage (or 3 links)
1/2 lb ground buffalo (or any lean ground meat of your choice)
place in bowl with garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano, sage, basil - approx 2 teaspoons of each
add 1/4 bread crumbs - i like to use crushed croutons but crackers work well also
and a dash of dried red pepper flakes
add one to two tablespoons of spaghetti sauce (or you can use an egg to bind it)

mix well, very thoroughly, with your hands - yes, its very messy but i've never been able to properly mix this up using anything else; i tried to use a fork, spoon, etc

form into small balls, slightly smaller than a golf balls (smaller balls will cook faster and i think they're cuter:)

heat a little bit of olive oil in skillet to prevent sticking and place balls into hot oil, stir constantly to brown on all sides being careful not to overload your pan; i usually cook these in two 'shifts'

remove from pan and drain on paper towels to get rid of excess grease then place in your sauce and cook an additional 20 minutes on low with lid on to prevent splatter

meatballs - part deux
since i was unable to open my jar of sauce AND found that my supply of dried herbs was basically non-existent, i finished cooking my meatballs in the oven, placing them in my glass pie pan, pouring a little red wine over them and then adding fresh sage, thyme and rosemary. i covered them with foil and baked them for 20 minutes in a 350degree oven.

serve over your favorite pasta (we use whole wheat spaghetti cooked slightly al dente)
nice side dishes include a green salad, steamed broccoli, and of course garlic toast

mary's easy and quick garlic toast
i start with a fresh loaf of pan frances from our local HEB grocery store
slice thickly and place on cookie sheet
pre-heat your oven to 350 or 400 for extra crispy bread (i like mine to be soft in the midde)
melt just under a 1/4 of margarine in the microwave and add paprika, basil, garlic powder, oregano and dried parsley, mix well and spread on your bread before baking in the oven til it reaches your preferred level of "toasted-ness"
enjoy!

Mary's Tex-Mex chicken soup

okay, some might call it tortilla soup but since it is only a topping and not an ingredient in my soup, i gave it my own name...

cook time: min 1 hour - its soup, you can let it simmer most of the day
prep time: less than 20 minutes

ingredients:
chicken [this can be whole or pieces, white or dark meat - what you prefer]

large can of tomatoes - my fav are the roasted ones, diced or whole okay

can of black beans, rinsed and strained [you can put dry beans in the beginning but it will color the entire soup and make your chicken meat look purple - taste is fine]

can of hominy, rinsed and strained [corn may be substituted, can or frozen]

onions and peppers to taste [i 'cheat' and use the onion/pepper stir fry frozen veggies]

carton of stock plus water to cover everything [i use veggie stock but you can use chicken if you prefer]

spices
salt and pepper to taste
two to three teaspoons of the following [you can add more later after you taste]
cumino
mexican oregano
aniote or paprika [mainly for color]
cilantro [use fresh as a garnish, a bit of dried while cooking is good too]
garlic powder unless you want to use fresh then diced finely and toss in with stock
and a sprinkle of dried red pepper flakes [optional]


put a little oil in a large pot and brown chicken thoroughly then remove and set aside

put in onions and peppers, tomatoes in juice and a little stock; loosen up all the crumbly brown bits from the bottom of the pan; return chicken and add spices and stock

bring up to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and stir every once and a while
after chicken is cooked, remove and de-bone it then add meat back in
at this time, add your can of beans and hominy [or corn]
cook at least 20 more minutes to meld all the flavors

for garnish, i slice up corn tortillas into strips and fry them quickly in very hot oil
[i use at least 2 or 3 inches of oil in a small cast iron pan]
other goodies include
shredded cheese
sliced avacado
fresh cilantro
salsa

freezes great!

pasta salad

i made a bunch of macaroni and then prepared 2 different pasta salads; one vegetarian and one with ham. i don't have exact measurements - i make big batches for potlucks and small for eating at home

for both salads you will need -

pasta* of your choice, salt and pepper to taste
one green and one red bell pepper,diced
several green onions or 1/4 of a red onion (more or less depending on your taste)
frozen peas, thawed in fridge
olive oil vinegarette dressing (i really like newmans' or you can make your own)

for the traditional salad you will also need
diced cooked ham
mayo

for the other salad you will need
olives (i like green so i use green you can use black)
diced cucumber


prepare two cups of pasta of your choice according to package directions
note: as soon as you drain your pasta, put it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and to avoid over cooking, drain after a few minutes

divide up the pasta, peas, bell peppers, and onions into two bowls
cover lightly with dressing
into one bowl add ham and mayo, and toss

in the other bowl, add the olives and cucumber and a little more dressing and toss

keep in fridge until ready to serve


*i've used the macaroni but the tri-color bowtie pasta is another good choice

mary's broccoli cheese soup

now that the weather is finally feeling like winter, i've been craving SOUP! one of my favorites is broccoli cheese soup but i was afraid it was too difficult to make at home. boy, was i wrong! after perusing many a recipe on food network, i finally one from emeril that i have modified to make it more "figure" friendly and of course, its a vegetarian version.

Mary's Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded medium cheddar

Directions

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, carrots, and the onions, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent and carrots are beginning to soften. Add the flour slowly and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 15 to 20 minutes. (to decrease this time, you can thaw out your broccoli ahead of time) Turn off the heat and break up any large pieces of broccoli with a wooden spoon. Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese a little at a time and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.