Monte Cristo with Bacon

Oh man, I had the best sandwich today while Jon and I were out to lunch. I set out to recreate it for my family's dinner. Twice in one day, not enough. If I weren't so full I would eat another. ;)
Start out with sourdough bread, dip it in a French toast batter then grill 'til toasty. Add mayo, ham, turkey, extra sharp cheddar, bacon, and BBQ chips. The restaurant had jam on it (a traditional Monte Cristo has strawberry jam I believe; the restaurant had apple butter). Then enjoy with a Jubelale!
Sooooo good!

Ranch Dressing & Some Fried Chicken, Too

OK, confession time: I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I love Deb and her quirky stories and how she takes beeeeeeeeeauuuutiful photos of everything she makes. But, in the absence of (a)An expensive camera and (b)A lot of time to edit/retake/learn about how to take great pictures, you will have to live with these sorry ones. But maybe her chicken recipe will make it up to you? And if you decide to click on her link above, make sure you type "Devil's Chicken Thighs" into the search engine, make it for your family/friends, and prepare to receive lots of compliments, commendations, and requests for the recipe.
Panko Fried Chicken
Wash, dry, & pound your chicken until thin. Set out three shallow bowls or rimmed plates: one for flour, one for 2 beaten eggs, one for Panko Bread Crumbs--Seriously, the best bread crumbs for breading! Dredge your chicken in each, then either put them right into the hot oil or pile them up high on a cookie sheet and pop 'em in your fridge until you're ready to cook 'em. Make sure you make nice, neat rows, cuz it'll cook better. Just kidding--like I said, I pile it.

I like to use a little Grape Seed Oil to shallow-fry them in, it has a very high smoke point and EVOO is too heavy for this. These cook very fast (remember how you pounded them?), like 3 minutes or less per side.

Dig in--Jon and I pop them on a salad, that way we don't feel like we're going to have a heart attack right away after (We can only speak for tonight, folks). Speaking of salad...
This Ranch is yum. You'll want to eat it with a spoon...or ladle it out that way, at least.

E's Favorite Ranch

1 C Mayo (appx--I never measure this, so I'm just guessing)
4 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp dried Dill
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/4-1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients in your bowl--if it's too thick, add a Tbsp or so more of vinegar. If it's too tart, add a tad of Buttermilk.
Enjoy!

You Can Tell

It's spring for the Brawleys when every meal on the menu is either served with a salad or IS a salad...(see side-bar for menu!)

Menu & Recipes for Last Week

Per Jamie's Request:

Mon--Crockpot Tostadas:
1 lb ground beef, browned
2 cans refried beans (or black beans)
1 envelope taco seasoning
8-oz can tomato sauce
1/2 Cup water
Combine in slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours. Spread on tostada shells and top with your fav toppings. These are super yummy! Recipe from "Fix-It and Forget-It" slow cooker cook book.
Tues--Chicken Arrabiata with Linguine & Salad:
6 ounces fresh linguine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup prechopped onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 T evoo
Grill/saute chicken breast with italian seasonings....
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm. Heat tblespoon oil in pan. Add onion, minced garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or just until sauce begins to thicken. add chicken to pan and cook 3 more minutes. Add parsley to the pan, stirring well to combine. Serve over pasta.
Wed--Lentil Soup with Sausage & Bread:
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 chopped onion
3-4 cloves diced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
Saute all 3 in EVOO until nice and soft and slightly brown. Add some thyme, salt and pepper, baby carrots, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 cup lentils and 4 C chicken broth. Simmer for at least 1 hour.
Thurs--Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce, Salad, & Mashed Potatoes:
Cook your chicken however you want and top with this delish sauce:
1 Cup whole milk
1/2 Cup gorgonzola cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
Shortly before serving, warm the milk over medium heat in a small pot. Add the cheese and melt it into the milk. Stir sage into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Recipe from Rachael Ray.
Fri--Rosemary Chicken Potato Pizza:
Boboli pizza crust, homemade pizza crust, or a loaf of foccacia bread, sliced in half width-wise (to make two big pizzas)
garlic sauce (2T garlic to 2T melted butter; i usually 3x it)
cooked/chopped chicken
fresh rosemary finely chopped
fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
3 boiled and sliced thin small red potato
shredded Mozzarella
combine and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe from my sis Jamie!