Barefoot Bloggers: Croque Monsieur

You don't need your passport to get a taste of France--Ina Garten's come up with another winner and it's the classic French ham and cheese sandwich known as Croque Monsieur. A simple sandwich that the French have transformed into heaven on a plate, the Croque Monsieur is surprisingly easy to make. This "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe from Ina's Barefoot in Paris cookbook took me no more than half an hour start to finish. Thanks to Kathy of All Food Considered for a great choice! This would be great with a simple salad for lunch or dinner--and it would be a big hit as lunch for your girlfriends. Bon appetit!



CROQUE MONSIEUR
from Barefoot in Paris

INGREDIENTS

2 T unsalted butter
3 T all-purpose flour
2 C hot milk (I used skim)
1 t kosher salt (I used less, knowing Ina's a bit of a salt freak)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed (Ina prefers Pepperidge Farm white bread--I used supermarket brand no-
name white bread and it was fine)
Dijon mustard
8 ounces--or more (at least 8 slices) baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin (I think I used French ham from the deli

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Let's Take a Trip Back to the '80's (Minus the Shoulder Pads) or Sonya and Maureen's Appetizer Vegetable Pizza

When I was young, single, and employed--- back in the 80's, I worked for a big company in a department with several fabulous women. We all got along and socialized both in and out of work. Occasionally we organized what we called a "Food Fest" at the office--essentially, a potluck lunch where everyone on the floor brought a dish to share. My friends Sonya and Maureen once brought this yummy cold vegetable pizza which was a big hit. I brought this to many, many get-togethers during the 80's and I think it's time for an encore. After all, everything old is new again, isn't it?



VEGETABLE PIZZA

2 pkgs. Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 regular size packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 8-oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened (I use light cream cheese)
slightly less than 1 C mayo (I use light)
chopped broccoli (I used about 2 cups, finely chopped)
chopped cauliflower (I used about 2 cups, finely chopped)
chopped scallions (about 3-5 scallions, green part only)
chopped tomatoes (about 2, seeded and chopped)
chopped black olives (one can large olives, minus a few that fell into my mouth)
grated Cheddar cheese (about 2 to 2 1/2 C--can also use a mixture of cheeses--Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, mozzerella)

Preheat oven to 350º. Lay the crescent roll dough flat on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, pinch together any gaps, poke a few holes in dough with a fork, and bake til just golden--about 10 to 14 minutes. Let crust cool. After it cools, mix the Ranch dressing with the cream cheese and mayo. Spread mixture on the crescent rolls and top with all toppings, ending with cheese. Cut into squares and enjoy.

NOTE: You can add or substitute any toppings you like--these are just the ones I use. Or should I say--the ones Sonya and Maureen used!

Dark-Haired Julie's Mother's Cookies or Ro's Cherry Drop Cookies

There were a lot of girls named Julie in my school when I was a kid. Julie, Laura, Jill, Lisa, Debbie, Amy, Susan, Beth.....the list goes on and on. For every Julie, Beth, and Laura then---there's an Olivia, Emma, and Hannah now. I have two friends named Julie and for some reason my aunt can never remember which one is which. Apparently last names are too much for her. So she calls them blonde Julie and dark-haired Julie, as in, "I ran into blonde Julie at the grocery store today and we talked for 15 minutes about our snow plow service problems." Or, "I saw dark-haired Julie at the mall today. We were both buying underwear for our husbands." All stuff I need to know. Anyway, dark-haired Julie's mom Ro makes these fabulous Cherry Drop Cookies which have the most scrumptious chocolate frosting. I used to make the cookies without the frosting because I don't like chocolate and fruit together, but yesterday I baked some cookies for a teachers' lunch at school and frosted them. And tasted them. Just one or two broken ones. And....I'm a convert. These cookies MUST always be made WITH the frosting! They are easy and delicious. If you take the butter out the night before it will take you about five minutes to mix up the dough. Make sure to make the frosting AFTER the cookies cool--if you make it too soon it may be difficult to dip the cookies into the frosting. Thanks, dark-haired Julie. Thanks, Ro!

DARK-HAIRED JULIE'S MOTHER'S COOKIES OR RO'S CHERRY DROP COOKIES

1 C butter, softened
3/4 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/2 t salt (I use kosher salt)
2 1/4 C flour, sifted (I must confess that I don't!)
1/2 C chopped maraschino cherries, drained well
1/4 C walnuts, finely chopped, optional (I omit)

Preheat oven to 350º. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the butter and cream. Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt.
Blend in flour. When flour is incorporated completely, add cherries and nuts (if using).

Roll dough into small balls (I use a very small scooper to scoop and then roll by hand) and place on parchment paper or Silpat on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. When done, bottom will be golden but cookie top will still be light. Let cool on baking sheet and then move to cooling rack. Cool completely before dipping top of cookie into chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/4 C butter (1/2 stick)
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3-4 T buttermilk
2 1/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla

In microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, cocoa powder and 3 T buttermilk. Bring to boil in microwave. (I am very impatient and usually just microwave til the butter is melted--and it turns out just fine) Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Frosting should be thick but not too thick--you may have to add a little extra buttermilk while you are using the mixer--I usually do. You want to be able to dip the cookies into the frosting and not have the frosting run off the cookie.

Barefoot Bloggers: Chinese Chicken Salad

Today's recipe from "Barefoot Bloggers" is Ina Garten's Chinese Chicken Salad. This recipe was chosen by McKenzie of Kenzie's Kitchen. and is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook. I just got back from a weekend away AND am trying to get ready for Passover, so I decided to make my life a bit easier and use a rotisserie chicken from Costco. I have roasted chicken breasts per Ina's instructions before and they turned out great, but the store-bought chicken worked out fine in this recipe. I also omitted any extra salt, as the soy sauce contains plenty of salt, and many commenters said that the recipe as written was too salty. I felt that the 1/4 C of peanut butter was a bit too much and added a bit more vinegar and soy to compensate. Next time I would start with 1/8 C of peanut butter and taste before adding more. I also added a package of Chinese noodles and some snow peas, making this a Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad. The salad was delicious and I would definitely make it again. Ina, although a bit of a salt freak, certainly knows her stuff!

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

INGREDIENTS

4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 T white sesame seeds, toasted

FOR THE DRESSING

1/2 C vegetable oil (I would probably use a bit less next time)
1/4 C good apple cider vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T dark sesame oil
1/2 T honey
1 clove garlic, minced (I grated it using a Microplane)
1/2 T peeled, grated fresh ginger (I also used a Microplane to grate this-and I probably used more than 1/2 t)
1/2 T sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 C smooth peanut butter (I would start with less and taste before adding more)
2 t kosher salt (I omitted)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces. (Or just go buy a rotisserie chicken and shred.)

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers into strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Passover: Fantastically Fabulous Matzoh Toffee

You don't have to be Jewish to love this delicious Passover confection! Simple to make and addicting to eat, it is sure to be a treat that you will make year after year. I make some with nuts and some without to make everyone happy!

MATZOH TOFFEE

4-6 unsalted matzohs
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 C coarsely chopped chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet and I don't chop them)
chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line one or two baking sheets completely with foil and then with parchment paper. Place the matzohs on the baking sheet, covering completely. You may have to break some of the matzohs into pieces to fit onto the sheet.

In a saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil--about 2-3 minutes. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely. Spread to cover if needed.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking every couple of minutes to make sure nothing is burning. If mixture or matzoh seem to be burning or browning too fast, remove the pan and lower heat to 325º before replacing pan.

Remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with the (chopped) chocolate chips. Let stand for several minutes, then spread the soft chocolate over the matzoh. If chocolate is not spreadable at this point, turn off the oven and place pan back in oven for a minute or so until chocolate is spreadable. After spreading chocolate, sprinkle on nuts if you are using them. Break into pieces while still warm. Chill in pan or on plate, in freezer until set.