Paseo Pork Cubano Sandwich with Garlic Mayo, Carmelized Onions, Cilantro, and Jalapenos

Even better than it looks

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. Perhaps it was the visit to Ipswich to my childhood home, sleeping in my old twin bed with my feet tucked just so to escape the cold winter air that clamors and claws to get in. Or maybe it was the most recent Seattle snowstorm that brought our little neighborhood six inches, and brought the city to its knees. Whatever the reason…I’ve been feeling oddly unsettled as though something is missing but I can’t seem to remember what it was.

Whenever this happens I inevitably find myself in the kitchen, cooking up a storm, and usually inviting dear friends (who won’t care that the house is messy with puppy paw prints) to come over and enjoy it.

The Cuban sandwich from Paseo‘s is utterly epic in Seattle, but since they are on the north end of the town, and I the south, I seldom get to enjoy it anymore. (see?? There I go again with the nostalgia)

So I did what any amateur cook and aspiring food blogger would do. I set out to recreate it for myself. And I called all our neighborhood friends to come enjoy the yummy, messy, utter deliciousness that is this sandwich.

My oh so helpful (and loud!) assistants

This is how it went…

Paseo Pork Cubano Sandwich with Garlic Mayo, Carmelized Onions, Cilantro, and Jalapenos
Based on a few recipes (including Use Real Butter) and good ‘ol fashioned trial and error
Serves 10-12, invite all your friends. You will be more popular after they eat this.

2 French baguettes like used in Banh Mi sandwiches (Vietnamese markets, like Q Bakery, sell these for a dollar or two a piece and they are the best…you want something so crusty that when you cut it you make a big mess)
garlic mayo (see below)
roast pork (see below)
2 large yellow onions
olive oil
cilantro
pickled jalapeño peppers

roast pork
3 cups orange juice
2 tbsps olive oil
1 lime, juice of
2 tbsps garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 oz. rum
4 – 5 lb. pork shoulder (bone in)

garlic mayo
1 bulb garlic
olive oil for drizzling
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsps olive oil
1 lime, juice of

1. Make the pork
   1. Combine the orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and rum in a large bowl.
   2. Add the pork and marinate in the fridge for 3 – 24 hours, flipping occasionally. Obviously the longer it marinates the better.
      

      Marinating Pork..the longer the better.

   3. Once marinating is complete, pull the pork from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours. (don’t discard the marinade!)
   4. In a large lightly greased skillet or cast iron pan, sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned.
   5. Remove the meat (don’t wash the pan!) and add to a slow cooker along with the marinade and cook on high for 4-6 hours, turning each hour, or until fork tender and literally falling off the bone. (Thanks Katie from Oregon for the inspiration to try this in the slow-cooker!)
   6. Remove from marinade, shred with two forks, and keep warm.

1. Make the garlic mayonnaise
   1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
   2. Slice the top off the garlic bulb and place it in a small baking dish or on a piece of foil that has been pulled up at the edges (to form a bowl).
      

      Garlic ready for roasting.

   3. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft.
   4. Peel the skins off the garlic cloves and mash the garlic into a paste.
   5. Combine the garlic with mayonnaise, olive oil, and lime juice. Stir until blended.
      

      Oooey Gooey Yummy Garlic Mayo

1. Caramelize the onions
   1. Peel and slice the onions into 1/4-inch strips.
   2. Heat a little olive oil on medium flame in the same pan you used to sear the pork.
   3. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
   4. Remove from heat when the onions are caramelized.
      

      So delicious

1. Assemble the goodness
   1. Cut an 8-inch long piece of a baguette
   2. Slice it in half, lengthwise.
   3. Spread garlic mayonnaise on both pieces of bread and bake or toast in a 350 degree oven until the mayonnaise starts to bubble and puff.
   4. Remove from the oven.
   5. Layer the pork, onions, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and more garlic mayonnaise on one piece of the bread.
   6. Top with the other half of the bread and evolve into culinary bliss.
      

      Perfect with a bottle of bubbly

Winter Musings: Old English Toffee

When you grow up in a small New England town, simple pleasures become the events around which life exists. In the summer, the options are endless; building bonfires on the beach, skinny dipping, and watching the sun rise, meeting at the barn for midnight bareback races through the fields, and simple suppers out on the boat where even the most basic of meals taste delicious.

In the winter…the options are decidedly less endless…particularly when you’re young, broke, and your car only starts with a 50% probability rating. Once the sledding hill had been exhausted, and Meghan had kicked all our butts skating on the pond, I often ventured back inside to see what trouble we could get into in the kitchen.

This past weekend I jetted home for a whirlwind visit complete with high school basketball games, lobster multiple days in a row, beach walks, late night talks, and lots of huddling by fires. The most impressive fire of all was the Newbury bonfire where nearly 500 Christmas trees had been gathered and lit in a celebration of winter and, as my brother Ben put it, “because, really, what else is there to do around here in January?”

Big Ben and his Favorite Sister and Mother. All photos courtesy of www.schleipman.com.

Oddly pagan if you ask me.

Drinking hot cider and rum to try and stay warm.

Me and my Mama.

This toffee is the ultimate winter dessert and also makes lovely gifts. You’re going to see in the directions it says “Don’t panic” and you’ll probably think, “That’s ridiculous, who would ever panic while making toffee?” Well, rest assured you probably will because there’s going to be a moment when you’ll be convinced you’ve wasted $20 worth of chocolate and who knows how much of almonds…but I promise you, it will come back together and be worth every second of anxiety.

Old English Toffee

They make beautiful, and coveted, gifts.

1 lb butter

1 lb finely chopped almonds, toasted

1 lb semi sweet chocolate (I like Ghirardelli )

2 cups sugar

Candy Thermometer (this is critical)

1. Toast nuts at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet about 5 minutes, until brown on the edges. Don’t allow to burn!
2. Combine butter and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan until sugar melts, over medium heat.
3. Add 1/2 the nuts and cook to 310 Degrees Fahrenheit, stirring constantly. Pending on how high your heat is this could take up to 20 minutes. During this time it’s likely that your butter and sugar will separate. DON’T PANIC. Turn up the heat, keep stirring, and they will combine again.  Note: The candy turns quickly near the end, so be careful not to burn. Will be a caramel color.
4. Pour into a cookie sheet, spread to desired thickness and cool at room temperature.
5. Melt chocolate in double broiler or microwave. Spread over cooked caramel, sprinkle with nuts, and allow to cool completely before breaking up and bagging.

New Years Eve: Cranberry Delight

Cranberry Delight before popping into the oven...doesn't this look cool?

Every family has their own holiday traditions. Some festive and fun, others thoughtful and giving, and if we’re being honest probably the occasional temper tantrum and meltdown thrown in for good measure. Growing up our family covered all of these in the bustling weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. There was the opening of the Fox Hunt on Thanksgiving Day complete will mulled cider and pinks (Festive), the careful crafting of Christmas Wish Lists (Fun), the sneaky questions and leading suggestions to figure out what my Mom wanted besides bird seed and socks (Thoughtful), and the UNICEF box at our dining room table we put change into each day to go to children in need (Giving).

There was the selecting of the tree and the inevitable fight that ensued between my brother and myself (Tantrum) and the decorating it “just so” to match my Mom’s Victorian sensibilities (Meltdown).  [To be fair I should admit that I subsequently insist on decorating the tree "just so" with white lights and wooden ornaments, so who's laughing now?]

There were also the meals that came along with each of these activities…Spicy New England Pot Roast (a favorite of my Dads), German Apple Pancakes (Brother Ben’s coveted Christmas Morning meal), and Cranberry Delight which held, and holds, universal appeal.

This is quick to make and is even better the next day so is a perfect dessert for that Holiday festive dinner. The tartness of the cranberries makes it a nice complement to a rich meal, and just try to forget immediately upon making it how much butter and shortening you’ve just put in. It’s worth it.

Happy New Year!

Cranberry Delight

Voila!

Filling:

8 cups cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Crust:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening melted together

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Spread cranberries in a greased 13×9 baking dish

1. Sprinkle w/nuts and 1 cup sugar
2. In a large mixer, beat eggs well. Add 2 c. sugar gradually until blended. Add flour and melted butter to egg/sugar mixture; beat well.
3. Pour batter over cranberries.
4. Bake 6o minutes until toothpick comes out clean

 

Slumber Party: Seared Sea Scallops on Bacon Polenta Topped with Chanterelles

Seared Sea Scallops on a bed of Bacon Polenta Topped with Chanterelles

When and why did we ladies ever stop having sleepovers? They are a brilliant invention:

1. Feigning to be wearing PJs, you can show up in stretch pants and thereby begin the evening already with an elastic waistband.
2. You don’t need to pretend that you have any self control since no one has to drive so you can consume as much wine as you possibly can.
3. The next morning you all get to wake up, relive the funnier moments of the evening (“Remember when Liesel told her adorable little dog that was just sitting there to ‘Shut Your Face!’”), and then enjoy a boozie brunch, while still wearing said stretch pants.

Yes, they are a brilliant invention indeed and I intend to bring them back. Hold onto your hats ladies, this could get wild.

 

These scallops were not slumber party fare, but I did make them a few nights ago and they are out of this world. I had something similar at Matt’s in the Market a few months back (Sea Scallops, Bacon Grits, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Fried Leeks) and was determined to recreate it ever since. This was pretty damn close and just as delicious. It isn’t inexpensive to make because the scallops and chanterelles can be a bit pricey, but it’s definitely worth the splurge and a great dish to make if you want to really impress your guests.

Seared Sea Scallops on Bacon Polenta Topped with Chanterelles

Serve with a white wine such as Tru’s Chardonnay which was perfect with it.

Serves 4 as a main

1 lb dry Sea Scallops (always get dry if you can…”wet” scallops have been treated with a solution called STP (sodium tripolyphosphate) which is gross for lots of reasons.)

1/2 lb chanterelle mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and coarsely chopped

6 TB Butter

Splash of dry white wine

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 cup yellow cornmeal

4 slices bacon, cooked and coarsely crumbled

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Cheese (Parmesan or cheddar would also work)

1. To get as much moisture out of the scallops as possible, set on a paper towel and set aside.
2. In a large, non-stick skillet melt 2 TB butter and add the chanterelles. Cook on low, stirring occasionally until tender, throw in the wine and lemon juice and stir until evaporated, keep on low to keep warm and give it a stir every now and then. Try and resist the temptation to eat the mushrooms right out of the pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat melt 3 TB butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in and bring to a boil 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup water. Stir together remaining 1 cup water and 1 cup cornmeal. Gradually add the cornmeal mixture to the boiling water, reduce the heat to low, and cook stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the cornmeal is very thick and leaves the side of the pan as it is stirred, about 20 minutes. Add in bacon and cheese, and stir until combined. Put the pan top on and remove from heat.
4. In a cast iron skillet melt the remaining butter until very hot (nearly smoking), add the scallops, being careful not to crowd the pan (cook in batches if necessary) and cook until carmelized and golden, but not rubbery, about 3-4 minutes if you’ve got your pan hot enough.
5. Plate the polenta, add the chanterelles, and top with the seared scallops.
6. Voila!

The Dessert Lottery: Winter Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Have you ever seen such a beautiful list?

With Thanksgiving complete and Christmas hot on its heels, I have a lot to be thankful for. This morning though, this sunny Seattle morning the day after Thanksgiving, the thing I am MOST thankful for is the fact that my Mom, aka Marnie Poppins, aka Expert Pie Maker Extraordinaire, has decided that her pies need work and this week (while visiting from Boston) is the week to tackle it. Have you ever heard of anything so awesome? So while I’m sitting here in my bathrobe writing this post, she’s off to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for FIVE days of back-to-back pies. Like I said, I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.

We’re already two pies into the week having brought a Pumpkin and Strawberry-Rhubarb to Thanksgiving Dinner last night. Lucky for me these didn’t turn out exactly like she wanted…so now it’s time for the Pie Jackpot. That said, I actually loved the Strawberry-Rhubarb and via using frozen rhubarb and frozen strawberries it becomes a wonderful taste of summer in the middle of winter. Make it when you’re craving something sweet, yet tart…just don’t make it too perfectly, or you won’t get a week of pies baked just for you by your loving Mama.

Winter Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1. Prepare Flaky Pastry Pie Dough
2. Pre-heat the oven to 425 and place rack in the middle of the oven.
3. Roll half the dough into a 13-inch round, fit into a 9-inch glass pie dish. Leave the overhanging dough as is since you’ll be making a lattice top as pictured here. Set in refrigerator to chill.
4. Meanwhile take 5 cups of frozen rhubarb, pre-cut into 1″ pieces.
5. Add to that 2 cups frozen strawberries.
6. Combine with 1 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt
7. Mix well and allow to stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Because you’re using frozen fruit you’ll see there is a fair amount of liquid in the bottom of the bowl as it thaws. This is okay.
8. After fifteen minutes scoop out the fruit with a slotted spoon and put into the prepared pie crust. Discard the liquid (probably about 1 cup). Dot with 2 TB unsalted butter cut into small pieces.
   
9. Brush the overhanging edge of the bottom crust with cold water. Cover with the lattice, then seal the edge, trim, and crimp or flute.
   
10. Lightly brush the top with milk or cream.
11. Sprinkle with 2 tsp sugar.
12. Bake 10 minutes at 425, then reduce to 350 and bake another 30-40 minutes until thick juices bubble through the vents.
13. Let cool completely before serving.

Happy as a Clam: Or Baked Oysters with Garlic Breadcrumbs

No matter how old we are, it’s good to be kids again. This weekend I’m happy as a clam because my Dad (aka Big Tim) is visiting from New England. In a family as big (and admittedly self-congratulatory) as The Malarkeys someone is always having a birthday, graduation, bon voyage party, welcome home party. You name it…we’ve celebrated it. Tomorrow we’ll be raising our glasses to toast Topher’s Birthday at Dinette. Before we do though, there have of course been multiple family dinners and meals to be had.

One of the things I love about cooking with my Dad is that if it’s possible he loves meal planning, and cooking, and talking about food, and brainstorming over the next feast almost more than I do. Yesterday we went to three grocery stores to get all the goodies for a delicious dinner of Cider Braised Pork Shoulder, Homemade Biscuits, Steamed Broccoli, and Tim’s very own gingerbread cake that was out of this world.

Big T Baking up a Storm in the Kitchen

To start though we had absolutely delicious baked oysters from Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen cookbook. I’ve been wanting to make these for a while and they didn’t disappoint. The reserved oyster and lemon juice helps keep the flavor typically lost when baking oysters. The garlic breadcrumbs are so good I could eat them on their own, and served on rock salt it makes a very festive and pretty dinner appetizer.

Team Malarkey

Serve them when you couldn’t be happier to have your Daddy in town for the weekend and you get to be first and foremost a daughter.

Baked Oysters with Garlic Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen

These were so good we actually rationed out how many we could each have.

1/2 cup Garlic Breadcrumbs

3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

3 heaping tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly cracked pepper

24 Penn Cove Oysters (Ethan recommends kusshi, but they’re twice the cost of Penn Cove which for this I think are just as good)

Rock Salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Extra-virgin olive oil.

1. Pre-heat the boiler on the lowest setting.
2. Combine the breadcrumbs with the garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper.
3. Shuck the oysters over a bowl to catch the liquid. Discard the top shells. Put an inch or so of rock salt in a 9×12 baking dish. Stabilize the bottom shells in the rock salt and return the shucked oysters to that shell.
   
4. Strain the reserved oyster liquid through a strainer and add the lemon juice. Divide the liquid among the oysters.
5. Sprinkle the oysters very liberally with the breadcrumb mixture and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.

Garlic Breadcrumbs

1/2 pound stale bread, sliced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, smashed with a knife

Kosher Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted and dry, 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through. While the bread toasts, place the olive oil and garlic in a saute plan and set over low heat. Cook gently, allowing the garlic to infuse the oil.
3. When the bread slices are toasted, place in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the crumbs to the garlic oil and stir gently until coated. Season to taste with salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the oil is absorbed. Remove the garlic cloves. Will keep in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

Small Triumphs: Polenta Gratin with Kale and Cremini Mushrooms

First of all…wow! Thank you all for the support, encouragement, comments, and words of wisdom. “I’m not writing in a vacuum! There are people out there! Hooray!” Thanks to you all, Old Spice Man generated more hits in one day than any other post, save for when Food & Wine re-tweeted my Short Ribs (which I was embarrassingly excited about.)

But enough whining and philosophizing about The Writer’s Process…let’s get back to the food. And damn good food at that.  This year we had the pleasure of participating in Hand-Farmed Organic‘s first community supported agriculture (CSA) project. We signed up for a half-share, which proved to be plenty for two of us, so every other week Casey would drop by our house at the end of the day and deliver a wax covered cardboard box brimming with beautiful vegetables. Perhaps the only one more excited about its arrival than I, was this guy, who proved to be a veritable vegetable lover.

His Royal Highness, the Duke of Tacoma, 10 mos old

Duke would eat just about anything…carrots, squash, and what quickly became his favorite…the radishes which he would bat around the house, sneak up on, and dive bomb from the top of the stairs until it rolled under the couch at which point he would flop down and look at his lost treasure beseechingly until Matt or I caved and got it back out for him.

In each and every box there were delicious fruits and vegetables…and then there was the kale. The freaking kale that just kept coming and coming and always seemed more bountiful and plentiful than the week before. I tried making Kale Chips like my friend Karla, but they weren’t nearly as good as hers…I made a Kale and Gruyere Frittata, but there’s only so many of those you can eat, and once or twice I guiltily yard-wasted the kale when the new box arrived and I still hadn’t done anything with it.

Up until last night it was Kale: 10, Erina: 0.

Photo Compliments of handfarmedorganics.com

Until last night, when trying to think of a starch I could make for our friend CJ who is wheat intolerant I stumbled across a polenta and spinach gratin. I love all gratins (I mean, what’s not to love, creamy unhealthy deliciousness), and thought there’s no reason I couldn’t substitute kale for spinach.

It was outstanding. The polenta in the tube couldn’t be easier, and the recipe calls for 8 cups of Kale, which totally cleaned out my supply and rendered me obnoxiously triumphant.

The perfect side to a yummy fall dinner.

Polenta Gratin with Kale and Cremini Mushrooms
Adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (5 cups)

1 large shallot, minced

8 cups kale, center stems removed, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (I used rice flour)

3/4 cup beef stock (or vegetable stock)

1/2 cup whipping cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

One 18-ounce log of prepared polenta, cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the shallot and cook over moderately low heat for 3 minutes. Add the kale and cook over high heat until the kale has wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the kale and mushrooms evenly in a 2-quart baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour over moderately high heat. Add the stock, cream, and nutmeg and whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and pour over the kale. Arrange the polenta slices on top of the kale in overlapping concentric circles, pressing to submerge the polenta slightly. Sprinkle the Gruyère on the polenta, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Uncover the polenta and broil 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, or until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 Make Ahead The unbaked gratin can be refrigerated overnight.

 

 

What Old Spice Man and Amanda Knox have in Common

Tonight I attended a dinner where the lead speaker was Jason Bagley (Creative Director at Wieden & Kennedy), the mastermind behind the hunk-a-hunk-a burning love Old Spice Man.  Also in attendance was David Marriott, the man currently being heralded with having a critical role in shifting Amanda Knox’s  public persona from “she-devil” to “all American girl” being penalized for anti-American sentiment by a corrupt Italian legal system.

Jason’s talk was on: “HOW TO ABSOLUTELY 100% GUARANTEE SOMETHING GOES VIRAL (MAYBE).”

Now, since it’s my shameless dream to become a famous food blogger like the lovely Molly Wizenberg of Orangette, or perhaps even better yet, become a famous food critic who travels the world eating in amazing restaurants while still miraculously maintaining my size four (ha) figure, I paid close attention.

He had ten tips for how to absolutely 100% guarantee something goes viral. Unfortunately for me…the ones I really liked are still a bit out of reach (hire a team of geeks and get random celebrities like Michael Bolton and Fabio to do TV spots for you), but there were a few that also resonated that I’m going to try to employ into my blogging.

Note: This is where you, reader, come in.

1. Be Nimble – It’s easy to start overthinking something like a blog. “Who’s reading it? Is anyone reading it? It can’t just be my mom reading it…can it? Do people think I’m funny? Do they think I’m pretty? Do they like my food?” The more that little voice goes off in my head the longer it takes for me to post. So resolution #1 – Don’t get so hung up on being perfect. Just Shut Up & Cook.
2. Be Controversial – It’s not my nature to be controversial (unless you count Foie Gras or pink headbands at funerals), but I’m going to try to stretch the limits a little bit here. Even the title of this post is beyond my comfort zone. I promise I won’t make penis cupcakes or anything like that…but get ready for some wild times here at ‘ol Shut Up & Cook.
3. Keep the Conversation Going – This is your blog too. Tell me what food you love, what you hate, what you can’t seem to figure out. A new reader from Pennsylvania is interested in, “Healthy breakfast muffins! I have eaten the same quinoa carrot muffin every morning for too long now!” What do you want to talk about? Come on….comment people! Please?

And with that I’m going to curl up with my man and my dogs…no recipe, no distraction, no crappy iPhone picture,…and commit myself to Jason’s last piece of advice as it applies to this blog and my pursuit for it to be your favorite (and your friend’s favorite…and your friend’s friends favorite), which is:

Fail Harder.

You should just see how terrible some of the Old Spice ads were before Isaiah Mustafa graced us all with his devilish good looks and gorgeous abs.

I’m going to take a deep breath, hit “Publish”, dive into bed, and definitely, not at all, not even a little, feverishly check my site stats to see how many of you have read this thereby satisfying Jason’s ABSOLUTE 100% GUARANTEE SOMETHING GOES VIRAL.

The Classics: Knife and Fork Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

I almost never make the same thing twice. Perhaps it is because the ever-growing pile of cookbooks and magazines in my kitchen creates a minor level of anxiety that “I don’t have time to make that again!!! Do you have any idea how many recipes there are in the world??”

And yet, as I look at the search terms that consistently drive people to Shut Up & Cook, it’s the same few items over and over again.

• “white sauce for fish tacos” or “fish taco white sauce”
• “quinoa with feta“
• “duck choo chee“

There are also the slightly ridiculous search terms. A few favorites include:

• “shut up and cook chili”
• “how to pronounce seared”
• “big butt cupcakes” (isn’t that awesome?)

So yesterday when I was starving and thinking about what to make, what I really wanted was a good ‘ol fashioned Chicken Parmesan Sandwich. And without fail, the little voice in my head went off, “You can’t make that!! You just got a new Food & Wine. Do you have any idea how EASY and BORING that is?!?!”

Fortunately for me, sheer hunger took over as did our impending trip to Ikea and I threw my culinary snobbery to the wind, grabbed the bag of prepared Chicken Tenders from our freezer (yes, gasp, I know) and made a massively delicious sandwich.

To be fair, I dressed it up with slow roasted tomatoes and cilantro pesto, but it was still damn easy and damn good.

Sometimes we need to remember it’s okay to stick with the classics, and not always reinvent the wheel…remind me of that when I forget, would you please?

Knife and Fork Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Knife and Fork Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

As the name implies, this is definitely a knife and fork sandwich. Delicious with a glass of red wine such as a Syrah.

Serves 2.

• 4- 6 Breaded Chicken Tenders, pending on size. Costco has some good options here
• 2 Ciabatta rolls, cut in half
• Cilantro Pesto – Recipe coming soon or store-bought would be fine
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes – Recipe coming soon or store-bought would be fine
• 2 Slices Mozzarella
• Handful of Arugula

1. Preheat oven to 450. On a cookie sheet lined with foil place tenders and cook for 20 minutes until beginning to brown. Turn half-way through.
2. Meanwhile, spread approximately 2 TB pesto on the top half of each ciabatta. Top with a slice of mozzarella. Spread approximately 1/4 cup slow roasted tomatoes on the bottom half of each ciabatta.
   

   Slow Roasting Tomatoes

3. Pull the cookie sheet from the oven, and leaving the chicken tenders on there, add the bread next to the tenders, with the pesto/cheese and tomatoes facing up.
4. Add back to the oven and cook until bread is toasted and cheese is bubbling. About 10 minutes.
5. To assemble sandwiches take the bottoms, add the chicken tenders, add a handful of arugula, and top with the upper halves.
6. Enjoy with a knife and fork!

Best You’ve Ever Had: Carrot Muffins

It is admittedly cliché to write about the season’s changing. But since Fall is officially here, and I am officially procrastinating writing the copy for my company’s new corporate brochure, I thought I’d give in to the temptation and embrace it.

After a Summer in Seattle that was slow to start and ended beautifully but fleetingly, it seems that Fall has arrived. The mornings are cool and crisp, back to school aspirations abound anew, and I find myself doing something I haven’t done in months.

Baking.

Perhaps it’s an indication of lack of vision or creativity or something, but come Summer, all I want is grilled deliciousness, and tapas boards, and salads.  Come Fall and Winter, it’s back to slow-braised meats with hearty red-wine sauces and pasta dishes that I pretend I have less often than I do. I also find myself baking this time of year, and making profound resolutions about all the exercise I’ll do to offset it.

Part and parcel with our Fall traditions is our annual CiderFest where we invite friends and family over for a day of delicious food, good laughs, and more cider than you know what to do with. All told we had 30 people join us this year, ranging in age from 3 to well….older than 3. The kids did manual labor, the adults enjoyed cider and whiskey, and I enjoyed an excuse to spend a day cooking for those I love.

Maggie working it.

Thanks to CJ and Matt we had a plethora of apples from neighbors and parks.

These carrot muffins are surprisingly delicious (little Wesley, age 3, ate one for each his year and was pushing for a fourth) and are a great way to use up all those extra carrots you’ve got in your garden. Moist and mildly spicy, they keep well and wrapped in foil will stay yummy for a few days.

Carrot Muffins

 

Makes 12

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees. Grease a standard 12-muffin pan or line with paper cups.

Whisk together thoroughly:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking power

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a separate large bowl, which together:

2 large eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

Stir in and let stand for 10 minutes:

1 1/2 cups packed finely shredded carrots (the food processor makes this a breeze if you have the right attachment)

Stir in:

1/8 cup molasses

1/8 cup water

5 TB vegetable oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup raisins

Add the flour mixture and fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix; the batter should not be smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Let cool 2-3 before removing from the pan. Allow to cool fully on a rack and store in an airtight container…or better yet…enjoy right away with a delicious cup of cider or tea!