The Monte Cristo ~ A Brainy Guy's Gourmet Sandwich!

I discovered that most bread has a short shelf life. And, I discovered that you can make a quick gourmet meal using up that one or two day old bread - The Monte Cristo Sandwich!

If you haven't heard of the Monte Cristo, then you are being introduced. The traditional Monte Cristo is a ham or turkey sandwich that is battered and fried. For a light crispy batter, add 12 ounces of beer, 1 cup club soda water and 1 tbs baking powder to 1 cup cornstarch and 2 cups flour.

Make your sandwich like you would normally (plenty of meat and cheese)... though, do not put fresh tomato or greens on at this point since you will be frying in hot oil.  In a large skillet, heat your cooking oil (1inch deep). Batter up your sandwiches, and fry, turning then over to get both sides.  Once brown on both sides, transfer the sandwiches to a warm oven and keep going til you have as many as you need.

These little lovelies are a brainy guy's gourmet. I suggest staking them on a plate and drizzling both savory and sweet oils/dressings (Smoky Hot Raspberry Chipotle) over the top and around the plate edges, toss on a sprig of fresh green. Or, put out a small dish of creamy garlic sauce for dipping.

Amazing as in Awesome ~ Exceptionnelle!

Pierogi and Smoked Sausages!

Guys let me tell you that if you ever have to cook for yourself, the simplest and most delicious hearty guy food is a plate of pierogi and smoked sausages. All you have to do is boil some water for the pierogi. The sausages, (bought fully cooked from your favorite Polish deli) just need to be warmed in the microwave. There is no need to fry them as you will lose flavor and juices from the meat.

10-12 Pierogi need about 8 min. in a rolling boil, water salted to taste.

Sour cream and bacon bits on the side are a must...

Enjoy! I sure did, and...a nice glass of
beet root juice to cleanse; my after dinner drink!

Brainy Guy Food for Wintery Weekend Get Togethers!

Cajun food is spicy and hot. You just can't go wrong with jambalaya because its just so creative; and boudin sausage which is just so yummy. The boudin, I buy in a ready to cook and eat state. The jambalaya I buy all ingredients separately if I don't have on hand. As I said, jambalaya is what you make it - creative.

Get the boudin sausage going in one skillet and in the other - the basic for any creative jambalaya. I like it juicy and so I advise you to cook your meats (using either pork butt, pork stew meat or even beef/lamb ground and used as meatballs, and even some roasted chicken and or turkey breasts) first and then add water and your seasonings which you can buy prepared or use your own combination... and that I do.

First, brown your meat in some olive oil and chopped garlic and onion. Then add 1/4 cup of whatever stock you have on hand. Now, since I like my jambalaya spicy, I put in lots of red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika and dried herb seasonings * rosemary, oregano and basil. Simmer all this on the stove til your meats are tender. When nearing the finish, put in as much fresh (out of shell and de-veined) shrimp as you like.

Rice is always cooked on the side til tender and never added to the jambalaya. Pour out onto larger serving platter and top with your jambalaya.  Toss on some fresh chopped green or dried parsley and Ahhh eee!  The hot sauce is of course the ultimate dressing... make sure its good and hot!

The boudin can be set out as a side dish... why not.

Why I Love Farfalle!

Guys like juicy food and why not juicy pasta. This recipe is the juiciest by far. I love the farfalle pasta. Why? Because, the juice stays in the crevices. Take one pound of ground pork and one pound of ground breakfast sausage. I buy it at the meat counter, freshly mixed, not packaged in a tube. Mix these meats, save 1 pound for another meal. Take the mixed one pound and set aside while you chop a whole onion and chop as well as one large clove of garlic.

In a covered skillet, drizzle in 3 tbs of olive oil, turn the flame to med. and add your onion and garlic. Saute til edges are brown. Add your ground meat ~ 1 pound of the mixture saving the other pound. I also had a few slices of left over bacon that I diced and added. My wife's nonna would do that, whatever was leftover and she thought could be added so as not to waste, she just put it in. Stir, breaking up the ground meat. Now add your can of roasted diced tomatoes and stir, cover and simmer for 20 min. If you like it extra juicy, you may want to add another can of tomatoes. And, don't forget any amount of dried herb seasoning *rosemary, mint, oregano or basil.

Boil water for the pasta. Once it rolls, add the farfalle, stirring occasionally. Once it is tender, drain and pour onto to large platter, pour your juicy sauce on top, grate some parmesan and yowsa!... which only means Mmmm Whew!

Sunday Brunch on the Terrace~ Brie and Rasberry Jam!

Incredibly impressive and yet so brainy and frugal...

All you need is one cylinder of refrigerated croissant dough and two Brie rounds. This will feed 2-4 people; four if you serve them in halves. Otherwise, plan on one whole Brie per person; and thus, if serving 4 you will need two dough cylinders and 4 Brie rounds.

Heat the oven to 425. Open the cylinder and containers of Brie. Wrap each Brie round with dough slices and place on a pizza pan with foil. 

 Bake for 25 min or until Brie rounds are brown and crusty.

Serve with toast and jam!

~ Tutti a Tavola

Focaccia Bread the Brainy Way!

What? Yes, focaccia bread can be made in a very quick and brainy way. How? Using pizza dough, that's how. You can either make the dough homemade or buy pre-made in the frozen section at the supermarket. Opting for the pre-made, just thaw it out and plop it down on a greased baking sheet. Let it rise if the directions call for prior to baking. After it has risen, top with half a package of onion soup mix, drizzle with olive oil and fresh dried herbs.

Meat and Potatoes ~ Satisfy!

Swiss Steak with mashed potatoes satisfies a meat and potato man like myself. For this dish, I like to use good quality round steak with little marbling as possible. Prior to cooking, marinate with olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar and a several sprinkles of meat tenderizer. When you are ready to cook, get out a large stove top pot with lid. Then cut your round steak into about palm sized pieces. Pour some olive oil in your pot and set on med heat. Toss in one whole chopped onion, saute until browned. Lay in your steak, brown on both sides.

Next, pour over the steak 1 and 1/2 cup of beef stock and add 1 small can of Red Gold tomato paste. This amount of liquid and paste provides a thick gravy. Cover and simmer on the stove for about 45-50 min on low heat. In the meantime, boil potatoes to mash. If you like, prepare a green veggie side or salad. And... Bob's your uncle or maybe he is not; just a saying I remember hearing from my aunt who was a great meat and potato cook in her own right.