The Wedgie

The sandwich I'm posting today is a recreation of the "Wedgie" sandwich sold at Tobey's (a pizza place) in Oil City, PA. We usually get them when we go there to visit family, but I though it would be fun to recreate it.

The sandwich isn't complicated but I would suggest making the meat in advance. I made it the day of, and was super tired after cooking and shredding the beef.

You could make your own pizza crust, but the precooked stuff you find in stores actually tastes more like the original.

The Wedgie
2 pre-made pizza crusts
sliced mozzarella cheese
3lb inexpensive beef roast
tomatoes
lettuce
mayonnaise
salt/pepper






Season the beef roast and place it in a big saute pan. Let in brown on one side and then flip, once it browns on both sides, add some water to the pan and cover it. (You could also use beef broth.)
Continue adding water as it evaporates. Cook until the roast is well done. Set aside and let cool, then shred.

(A/N: This may seem like a weird way to make roast, but this is the way my grandma does it, and the meat in the sandwich tasted exactly like her roast.)
Toast the pan crusts under the broiler then cover one with the mozzarella, put in under the broiler until the cheese melts. Then cover the cheese covered crust with the shredded beef and the other crust. Cut into 4 pieces and serve with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise so people can top it how they prefer.

Strawberry Pie

Sorry about the delay, I'm finally feeling better!


Last weekend I made some wonderful tartlettes, they were filled with raspberry sauce, which was covered in lemon filling, and topped with fresh strawberries. They were excellent.
I planned to blog them, but they were just too complicated for most people to make.
So I decided to share this recipe instead, its simple, delicious and still pretty awe-inspiring.
My mother made these pies once for a family reunion and then was forced to bring them again for several years, because everyone loved them so much.

I know a lot of you will be tempted to use a pre-made pie crust, but I highly recommend making your own. It's simple and once you get the hang of it, no trouble at all. You could bake the crust a day ahead of time if you want. The crust recipe should be doubled if you want to use it for a pie with a top crust.

Strawberry Pie
1 3oz packet of strawberry flavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/2 cup of sugar
1 pint of strawberries (buy extra though, I didn't have enough)

1/2 cup of shortening
1 cup of flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
A few tablespoons of cold water

For the crust:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt, use a pastry blender or fork to break up the shortening and mix it into the flour. Once the mixture is crumbly and the shortening is in chunks roughly the size of peas, add a few tablespoons of water, until the mixture comes together and will form a ball. (Don't over mix) Wrap in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for about an hour.
















Cover a flat surface with flour, and roll out the dough into as close to a circle as you can manage.
Transfer the dough to a pie pan (whatever you do, do not spray the pan with nonstick spray) and crimp the edges at the top, poke holes in the bottom.
Bake the crust at 375 for about 10 minutes, basically till it's light brown.
Let the crust cool.















Whisk the gelatin, 1/2 cup of sugar, water and cornstarch in a saucepan, heat on medium till boiling, then let cool to room temperature.

Once the glaze and crust are cool, pour enough of the glaze into the pie to cover the bottom, then cut the tops of the strawberries off and arrange them in the pie crust. Once the strawberries are in place, pour the rest of the glaze over the strawberries. Let the pie set in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
















This recipe is a product of my grandmother's pie crust recipe, and a strawberry pie recipe passed down on my mother's side.

Pea and Bacon Risotto

Risotto is a recipe that I can guarantee is going to make you feel like a fancy chef.
This is the kind of recipe you make when you want to show off.
It's delicious, simple and really seems to be "in" right now.
There are infinite flavor combinations.

But there's this one thing that seems to be keeping people from entering the risotto arena.
The stirring.

I'm not going to lie to you, risotto is a dish that requires frequent stirring and attention, but it is totally worth it.
I realized it was so special, when I got a text from my sister in the middle of class, requesting it. I'm a good cook, but my family members are creatures of habit so a new dish needs to be pretty amazing to make it into the regular roster.

Pea and Bacon Risotto
(The recipe is doubled in the pictures, because I love leftovers, but if you're feeding 2-3 people the amounts shown here will be fine)
2-3 slices of bacon, chopped
3-4 cups of chicken broth, always use low sodium in risotto*
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

Pour the chicken broth into a pot and heat to a simmer, it is important to keep the chicken broth hot while you are cooking the risotto. Cook the bacon in a saute pan, until it is crispy, and then remove. Pour the rice into the saute pan with the bacon fat, stir until the rice is coated in the bacon fat.


Pour about 1/2 cup (or a few ladlefuls) of the hot broth into the rice. Stir until it is absorbed.
Repeat. Repeat again. This is the time consuming part of risotto, but as it's cooking you should notice that the rice is giving off starch and is starting to get creamier. When you're running low on broth taste the rice, if it's soft, but still has a bite to it, it's done. If it's still too hard keep slowly adding broth.

Once the rice is at the right firmness add the peas and bacon, then add the parmesan cheese. Let the risotto sit for a few minutes, then serve. I served it with some pan-fried salmon.

**About low sodium broth: Because the broth is being cooked down and you're adding such a salty cheese, you need to be careful about the salt level. It's best to be safe and use low sodium broth, I never end up adding additional salt to risotto.

Garlic Scape-Completed

I was pretty satisfied with my garlic scape posts, but I thought I should share one of the ways to use up any leftover bean dip or pesto you might have.
This is my dinner (unfortunately captured by my phone, as the camera batteries are dead).

I had a turkey burger on ciabatta with tomatoes and garlic scape and white bean dip on it and smashed pesto potatoes.

There really isn't any recipe necessary just cut a piece of ciabatta about the size of a roll, cook a turkey burger, and assemble with sliced tomatoes and some dip. For the smashed potatoes, chop up a few potatoes, boil until tender (til you can spear them easily with a fork), then mash them about halfway with a fork or potato masher and add a little milk and a heaping spoonful of pesto. I also sprinkled a little feta on the potatoes.

Garlic Scape Part 2- Garlic Scape and White Bean Dip

This morning I decided that I was tired of being sick. I just started this blog and I'm just not ready to take a break from it yet, so armed with an Iced Caramel Macchiato I made my way to the grocery store.
Grocery shopping is my ultimate cure-all.
All I needed was cannelloni beans, but I picked up all the ingredients for tomorrow's risotto.

While this recipe has olive oil in it, you could just as easily omit it and double up the amount of chicken broth if you want to keep it fat-free. You could also substitute a clove of garlic for the garlic scape. Or you could throw in some roasted red peppers. You can treat it like hummus, put it on sandwiches (instead of mayo), and dip raw vegetables in it (instead of ranch). It's a tasty, healthy alternative.

Garlic Scape and White Bean Dip
15 oz can of cannelloni beans, drained
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of chicken broth, low sodium
1/3 of garlic scape, minced
salt/pepper
yellow tomato, chopped (for garnish)

Blend the cannelloni beans, garlic scape, broth, and oil together in a blender or food processor (you can use less liquid if using a food processor, but it took quite a bit of liquid to get my blender moving). Once the beans are a smooth puree, salt and pepper to taste.

Empty into a bowl and pile up tomatoes on top. (I think some shredded carrots would look pretty if you don't like tomatoes.)
Serve with toasted bread.

Wait...why isn't my bread toasted? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but after I sliced up some beautiful ciabatta bread and placed it under the broiler, I completely forgot about it. I got to it before anything terrible happened, but I wanted to include this as a warning.

***No matter what, never walk away from the broiler.***

Garlic Scape Part 1- Garlic Scape and Walnut Pesto

My first experience with garlic scape was a few weeks ago while I was perusing the produce section, I was immediately attracted (because I love garlic), but repelled by the $9.99/lb sign.

However I was handed a bag of them yesterday free of charge, when I brought a tray of tasty tartlettes, to a party yesterday. Maybe it was a challenge, maybe it wasn't but I decided to take it as an opportunity to explore several uses for garlic scape.

The first is probably the most obvious and very easy, pesto.

I found this recipe, but modified it based on what I had on hand.

GARLIC SCAPE AND WALNUT PESTO

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)

1/3 cup walnuts, crushed

About 1/2 cup olive oil

Salt/Pepper

Put scapes, cheese walnuts, and about half the oil in your blender/food processor (you may need more oil if using a blender). Blend and add more oil to your preferred consistency. I like it smooth so I added a bit more oil, but if you like it chunky blend for a shorter amount of time and use less oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto freezes well so feel free to make it ahead of time, but if you aren’t going to use it right away place a piece of plastic wrap tightly over the top to pretend it turning brown. It’ll last a few days in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer.

I plan to devour mine tomorrow with some crusty bread.

Cleaning out the Fridge Frittata

At our weekly gathering yesterday, I was talking to a friend about great recipes that clean out the fridge, she was talking about meatloaf, but it got me thinking about others.
I made mini frittatas a few months ago in a muffin pan, but I decided this time to make a full sized one.
In my research I found two methods for making them.
You can either make frittata in a pie pan and bake it (which takes 40-50 minutes) or partially cook in on the stove in a saute pan and then finish it under the broiler (barely 15 minutes).
So of course I went with the later.

So I sifted through my fridge and cooked up with Chicken and Bacon Frittata.
While I'm including the recipe, you should remember that it isn't set in stone. Use whatever meat, cheese, herbs (fresh or dried), vegetables and even pasta that you have on hand. My frittata had 6 eggs in it, but you can include an extra 2 eggs for each additional person you're making this for. (My version could easily feed 4 people though). I served mine with steamed green beans.

Chicken and Bacon Frittata
6 eggs
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1/4 cup shredded taco cheese (and extra for topping)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (less if you're not as in love with it as I am)
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried chives
salt/pepper

Heat up broiler.
Whisk together eggs.
Add chicken, bacon, both cheeses, herbs, and salt/pepper.
Butter/spray sauteed pan well.
Pour egg mixture into pan.
Cook on a medium heat, for 5-7 minutes, until the sides and bottom are set and just the top is uncooked. (Do not stir the eggs while cooking)
Top with extra cheese.
Place the pan under the broiler, for 2-3 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Remove from broiler, cut and serve.

I love whisking so much, my mixing is really starting to feel neglected.

Might as well keep using the whisk, why dirty another spoon?

Ready for the pan.

I was very paranoid about sticking, but I didn't have a problem with it.

Resist the urge to stir.
Getting close.
Top with extra cheese and it's time for the broiler.
Make sure to keep an eye on it at this stage.
Ready to eat!

Dim Sum Experiments

Recently had my first experience with steamed won-tons, at Haru in Boston.

I ordered the King Crab Dumplings which were delicate and delicious. I knew I couldn’t do them justice with the crab available to me, but I really wanted to steam some dumplings. I decided to experiment with ground turkey.

To ensure that my dad and sister would really like something I make tonight, I decided to make a back-up (inspired by these).

I wanted to make another dim sum, but couldn’t decide between the taco ones from the link above and these. I let my sister decide and of course she went with the taco version. I turned out to be a pretty good choice because after dropping off the taco dim sum for my dad and sister to try while I steamed dumplings, I returned to find all but two eaten (luckily I’d saved a few in the kitchen for myself).

All in all, the dim sum went over well, the sausage in the Italian won-tons was a little spicier than I thought it would be, and after making the soy vinaigrette I found out that my sister hates soy sauce. Nothing ever turns out perfect though.

Turkey Asian Won-tons

1/3 lb ground turkey

½ spring onion (minced)

2 tbs. stir-fry sauce

About 15-18 won-tons (I ended up with 16 filled won-tons)

Egg wash

Mix turkey, spring onion and stir-fry sauce.

Brush two sides of a won-ton with egg wash, place 1 tsp of filling in the center, fold the won-ton over, press to seal and then fold in corners. Repeat until you are out of filling.

If using a metal steamer, spray it with non-stick spray.

Place 6-8 won-tons in the steamer (don’t overcrowd) and cover. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until filling is firm.

Soy vinaigrette

2 tbs. soy sauce

1 tbs. rice vinegar

3 tbs. oil

4-6 drops of srircacha

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar and srircacha. Whisk in oil.

Italian Won-tons

1/3 lb Italian sausage

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 tbs. marinara sauce

15-18 won-ton wrappers (I ended up with 18 filled won-tons)

Mix sausage, parmesan cheese and marinara sauce.

Brush two sides of a won-ton with egg wash, place 1 tsp of filling in the center, fold the won-ton over, press to seal and then fold in corners. Repeat until you are out of filling.

If using a metal steamer, spray it with non-stick spray.

Place 6-8 won-tons in the steamer (don’t overcrowd) and cover. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until filling is firm.

Assembling the Won-tons

Get all your ingredients together.

Add the filling.Fold in half.

Fold in the corners.

And like magic you'll have...

Time to steam!

Taco Dim Sum

2 cups flour

2/3 cup boiling water (and a little cold water)

Salt

cilantro/parsley/something green

½ cup taco cheese

1 cup of taco meat

Mix the boiling water into the flour, once it gets crumbly and the water is absorbed, start kneading by hand. Once the dough is well mixed, roll into a ball and cover with a damp paper towel for 30 minutes.

Prepare taco meat and let cool.

Roll out the dough, get it as close to a rectangle as you can.

Cover with a thin layer of taco meat, cheese, and cilantro/parsley/something green.

Roll up and seal the edge with a little water.

At least point because I wasn’t cooking them immediately I wrapped

the roll up really tight in plastic wrap,

but this step can be skipped.

Slice into 1 inch thick rounds. Place rounds in a hot sauté pan (that you have sprayed with non-stick spray or added a few teaspoons of oil to). Flip when the bottoms are brown.