Ham and Brie Sandwich

When I first found out that I wasn't supposed to eat things such as raw fish in sushi, or cold cuts, and certain cheeses such as feta, queso fresco and brie because of the minuscule risk that they may give me listeriosis, well I almost died. Isn't it enough that I couldn't drink for 9 months? I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but so far so good. It's been 29 weeks and I have been able to deny myself all that food that I love...but I had an insatiable craving for brie the other day. I couldn't stop thinking of the brie sandwich my husband and I shared in Paris almost 3 years ago. But how could I recreate a similar sandwich without potentially contaminating my fetus with listeria? I mean, don't pregnant women in France eat brie? But, to be safe I created this sandwich. It was delicious and it certainly satisfied my craving.

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 sandwich)

• A demi French baguette
• Brie
• Thin sliced deli ham
• Dijon mustard
• Mayo

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the baguette lengthwise and smear a little mayo on one side and Dijon on the other. Place slices of brie on one slice of bread and top with several slices of the thin sliced ham. Bake the sandwich, open faced, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until brie begins to get melty. Then top the sandwich and squish it a little and bake another 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and slightly cool before eating with faux red wine, a.k.a. grape juice.

Pappardelle with Slow-Braised Leeks and Crispy Porcini Pangrattato

I bought a bunch of nice looking leeks at the farmer's market this weekend, and when I got home I didn't know what to do with them. Sometimes I'm one of those food shoppers that buys interesting or weird looking foods or vegetables if they're on sale. Anyway, I got some suggestions for leeks soup and vichyssoise, but I decided to try this pappardelle recipe with braised leeks. The original recipe (below) comes from Jamie Oliver, however I cut it down by 1/3 since it's just me and the peanut right now. I also used pancetta because I could not find Parma ham.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 big leeks, outer leaves trimmed back, washed
• Olive oil
• 3 good knobs butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• A small wineglass white wine
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pint good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
• 12 slices ham, preferably Parma
• 2 (8-ounce) packages fresh lasagne sheets
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 2 handfuls freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Pangrattato

• 1 small handful dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 ciabatta bread, preferably stale, cut into chunks
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

Halve the leeks lengthways and cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices and place in a large bowl of water to clean. Pat dry with a paper towel. Heat a wide saucepan, add a teaspoon of oil and a knob of butter, and when you hear a gentle sizzling add the sliced garlic, thyme leaves and leeks. Move the leeks around so every piece gets coated. Pour in the wine, season with pepper and stir in the stock. Cover the leeks with the slices of Parma ham, place a lid on the pan and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the leeks are tender, take the pan off the heat.

To make the pangrattato:

Whiz the mushrooms and bread with a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Heat a generous tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic cloves and the rosemary and cook for a minute, then fry the bread crumbs in the oil until golden and crisp. Keep shaking the pan - don't let the bread crumbs catch on the bottom. Drain on paper towels, discard the rosemary and garlic and allow the bread crumbs to cool.

Bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Lay the lasagne sheets on a clean working surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Place the sheets on top of each other and slice into 1/2-inch strips. Toss through your fingers to shake out the pappardelle, then cook in the boiling water 2 minutes or until al dente.

Remove the Parma ham from the saucepan, slice up and stir back into the leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan and the rest of the butter. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the leeks. Add a little of the cooking water if need be, to give you a silky, smooth sauce. Serve quickly, sprinkled with some pangrattato, extra Parmesan and any leftover thyme tips. Serve the rest of the pangrattato in a bowl on the side.

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus with Truffle Butter

I subscribe to a foodie newsletter called Gourmet Tastemakers and sometimes they come up with really interesting dishes. I jumped at the idea of this one because I personally love truffles. Of course, I've never had "real" truffles, just truffle oil or truffle butter, but hopefully one of these days I'll actually taste this quite elusive and expensive fungi.

INGREDIENTS (makes 18 to 20 hors d'oeuvres)

• 1 lb medium asparagus (18 to 20)
• 1/2 tsp white-truffle oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 9 or 10 large thin of baslices prosciutto (1/3 lb)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare a large bowl of ice and cold water. Trim asparagus to 5 inches long, then steam in a steamer over boiling water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to cold water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry. Season with salt.

Stir oil into butter until incorporated.

Cut prosciutto slices into roughly 3- by 3-inch pieces, then thinly coat with truffle butter and place an asparagus stalk at one edge. Roll up, leaving tip and end visible. Repeat with remaining asparagus and prosciutto.

Eggs Benedict

My dad's favorite breakfast is Eggs Benedict. I also love it, but it was one of those dishes that I would always order at the restaurant because making the hollandaise sauce scared me a little-- I'm not really good at making sauces. However, after making it for the first time this past weekend, I realized it was quite easy. You just have to be patient in the constant whisking of the egg yolks.

EGGS BENEDICT (serves 4)

• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• 2 English muffins, split
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Hollandaise sauce, recipe below
• Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Warm up the Canadian bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler.

Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain.

To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Croque Monsieur

Ooh, winter is here and this is when my food cravings go into frenzy. I tend to crave hot, gooey, carbo-loaded food during this time of the year. Recently, my husband has been on a baking kick, making such things as biscotti, poppy-seed muffins, and sugar cookies. But, what I crave the most is the simplest thing, soup and sandwiches. Last week we had the American staple of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, but tonight we are going French. This sandwich, croque monsieur, is a favorite Parisian sandwich. It's quite simple and quite divine. The sandwich itself is very indulgent, so I think Minestrone or even mushroom soup would go well with this. Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 sandwiches)

• 8 slices of good white bread
• 8 slices of ham (the good kind)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
• Butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Crème fraîche*
• Good Dijon mustard (optional)**

Pre-heat oven to 350F degrees.

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of grated Gruyere cheese and 1/2 cup crème fraiche. Set aside.
2. On 4 slices of bread spread the butter thinly on both sides.
3. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoon of the grated cheese, then lay 2 slices of ham on each bread, and then spread the crème fraiche mixture on top of ham, about 2 tablespoons per sandwich.
4. Cover with the second slice of buttered bread. **Here, you can spread a little mustard on each slice to give your sandwiches more flavors
5. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top of each sandwich.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and a little brown.

Sandwich Cubano

Cuban sandwiches are one of my favorite sandwiches. They are tasty and make a hearty lunch. The sandwiches have a submarine-style layering of ham, roast pork, cheese, and pickle between a sliced length of Cuban bread. The key to a great Cuban Sandwich lies in the grilling. A great Cuban sandwich is grilled in a sandwich press (called a plancha) until the ham, pork, and pickles have warmed in their own steam.

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 sandwiches)

• 1 loaf Cuban bread (Italian or French bread may be substituted)
• Prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 pound baked ham, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound roast pork, thinly sliced
• 8 thin dill pickle slices
• 1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Slice the bread horizontally to open. Spread a thin layer of mustard on top and bottom halves of bread. Arrange ham, pork, pickle slices, and Swiss cheese evenly over the bread. Cover the sandwiches with the top halves of the bread. Cut into 4 sandwiches.

TO GRILL:

Sandwich Press or Panini grill: Grill sandwiches in a hot buttered sandwich press until flat, bread is browned, and cheese has melted. Remove from heat; cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Waffle Iron: Turn over metal plates to the flat surface. Place sandwich in hot buttered waffle iron, close cover, and grill for 3 minutes on each side.

Griddle: Place sandwich on a hot griddle, and position a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich. Flatten the sandwich to about 1/4 of it original size. Grill the sandwich for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

George Forman Grill: May also be used.

Easter Sunday Brunch: Ham & Asparagus Toasts

I love Easter Sunday Brunch. My family usually makes ham and tamales and my Tia Bea's potato salad, but these toasts are a new addition to our Easter Sunday brunches. I got the recipe from 30 Minute Meals and boy are they good and easy to prepare. A nice, crisp Riesling or a mimosa will compliment this very well!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound thin asparagus spears
• Salt
• 1 loaf chewy, crusty farmhouse style white bread, cut into 3/4-inch slices
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons Dijon or grain mustard
• 1 1/4 pounds boiled, baked or smoked ham, order thick slices at deli counter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fontina, shredded or sliced

Holding 1 spear at each end snap off the tough stem of asparagus. Use this spear as a guide line to trim the bundle with a sharp knife. Simmer asparagus in salted boiling water 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Cut asparagus to fit the size of the toasts.

Toast 8 thick slices of farmhouse style bread under a preheated broiler 6 inches from heat. Combine softened butter and mustard. Spread the toasted bread with mustard butter.

Cut sliced ham into smaller pieces to process. Grind the ham in your food processor. Spread the toast with ground ham. Arrange steamed asparagus spears on top of the layer of ham. Top each toast with a few grinds of black pepper and a mound of fontina cheese.

Return toasts to hot oven under broiler and cook toasts until cheese melts and lightly browns at edges. Arrange ham and asparagus toast on a platter and serve. Yummers!

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals.