Week 43 - Toasty Deli Hoagies

My goodness, this was a tasty sandwich. If I owned a deli, I would definitely include this as an option on the menu. It would work well in almost any restaurant that serves lunch.

• 1 loaf (1lb) French bread
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lb thinly sliced deli turkey (flavor of choice) I used peppercorn crusted.
• 1/2 lb thinly sliced deli ham. I used honey ham.
• 6 slice hard salami
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienne
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese
• 1-1/2 cups guacamole

You toast the bread in the oven even prior to stacking the ingredients. Then after stacking everything but the gaucamole, you bake it an additional 7-8 minutes and then broil for 3 minutes so that the cheese is lightly browned.

The mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic sauce combination worked quite well. It added that elusive magical pop to that sandwich. There really isn't anything that I would change about this recipe.

The first rendition was delicious. I can think of so many purposes for this sandwich. I think it's going to be on the menu for my next tailgate get together.

I think it would be interesting to experiment by adding banana peppers or jalapenos. It might also be tasty with pepper jack cheese. There are definitely variations that one can try. Even by switching up the peppers, from yellow to red or orange, it might contrast nicely.

Overall, I will give this 8.5 out of 10 stars. The sandwich gets a bit big and can be difficult to eat. Other than that, there are no complaints from me.

Week 42 - Parmesan Breaded Porkchops

I don't know what my problem is but I am not able to make anything breaded to save myself. Here is yet another attempt to bread a hunk of meat...

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (I used townhouse)
• 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 boneless pork loin chops

I think several things went awry in this particular attempt.

1.) The meat had an old, gamey flavor to it. I suspect that regardless of the seasoning and preparation, the meat probably would not have turned out as well as it could have.

2.) I don't think I cooked it long enough. Instead of a gold brown crust, I had soggy, buttery mush. It somewhat reminded me of pig food... Ironic, given that it was pork.

3.) I think it needed more seasoning. Townhouse crackers aren't exactly known for their aromatic properties...

I am bound and determined to figure out how to bread something properly. However, I think I need to look elsewhere for a better concept. I give this recipe 3.5 stars out of 10. It just didn't quite do it for me. I actually threw some of it away which is almost unheard of for me.

Week 41 - Glazed Mushrooms

I attempted to make mushrooms with a soy sauce glaze only to realize that I didn't have any soy sauce available in my culinary arsenal at the time, much to my dismay. So instead I made mushrooms with a worchestershire sauce glaze. It turned out quite well.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced white mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce
• ground black pepper to taste

There really isn't much to say about this. It was simple, yet tasty.

In this blogging process, I really am just trying to expand upon my cooking techniques and recipes. I want to then document my adventures. Sadly enough, I was never exposed to something like glazed mushrooms when I was a child.

I think one could even serve this as a side dish. This would work quite well alongside a grilled steak. To some extent, worchestershire sauce and soy sauce are very similar. It can be a bit salty at times. So definitely take that into consideration when you are throwing this together.

Overall, I give this 7 out of 10 stars. It seems too basic to warrant more and doesn't really stand as a meal on it's own. Otherwise, it was good!

Week 40 - Chicken Marsala

So I decided to deviate from my normal Chicken Marsala recipe.

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast tenderloins, pounded 1/4"
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• fresh basil, shredded

I may or may not have added a bit of whipping cream to that. Egads! (Sorry, I must have made this last January or February. That's how far behind I am. This is completely unacceptable!) Anyway, I think I will add the whipping cream next time. It sounds like it might enhance the flavors a bit. Also, it would be interesting to add some sort of cheese as an accent to final product. I enjoyed the sherry in this recipe. It added a nice complexity. This is essentially the main deviation from my initial recipe. I can also guarantee you that I added more mushrooms than what I have listed above. I always use the full 8 oz.

Overall, I enjoyed this rendition. The sauce was a bit thicker and creamier which has me nearly convincd that I did add the whipping cream... Oh memory, why do you fail me. I really enjoy chicken marsala, so I will definitely continue to play around with this. For now, I will give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Week 39 - Eggplant Indian Concoction

This was the first time that I ever tried cooking with eggplant. There are days where I plan my entire meal around a new ingredient.

• 1/2 Eggplant, cubed
• 3 potatoes, cubed
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• olive oil
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• fresh parsely, chopped

This recipe taught me one thing. I don't really think I like eggplant that much. When it comes to food, there is an internal struggle. I feel as though there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to appreciate all types of food and ingredients (within reason of course). Eggplant, good lord, is throwing my entire equilibrium for food appreciation off. I still haven't given up on it completely though. Perhaps it just needs a different recipe or different method of preparation. The original recipe called for an entre eggplant but I prudently decided to use half of the eggplant and then substituted more potatoes for the other half. It certainly wasn't an awful recipe but I found myself picking around the eggplant the entire time when eating it. I wasn't able to allow the flavors to blend together as it were intended. This would be a good base recipe for various vegetables. It has a flare of Indian flavor but isn't really what I would consider true Indian food. (Nevermind the fact that it was given to me by an Indian friend..lol ) It has a relatively basic spice combination. I would consider adding garam marsala to it or tumeric in the future. So overall, I give this recipe a 5.5 out of 10 stars.

Week 38 - taco dip

I was given "strict" orders to bring the authentic taco dip for this past Christmas. Normally, I would have put up a fight since I really enjoy my taco bean dip. However, given the ease of this recipe and the frenetic pace of the holidays, I completely submitted.

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) container nonfat sour cream
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2-3 chopped tomatoes
• 3-4 chopped scallions
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, drained
• Optional - 1/4 head of lettuce

Overall, this recipe was quite suitable for the standard taco dip. I didn't add the lettuce on this particular attempt. I really am not convinced it belongs on a dip despite the outcries of my younger sister.

Overall, I would give this recipe 7 stars out of 10. It was good for a taco dip but I am only a moderate fan of the concept. I will make it again if and when taco dip is requested.

Week 37 - Nacho Cheese Beef Bake

Oh this looked soooo good on paper... The end result was disappointingly bland. I guess that's what I get when I try to use processed cheese soup as the main form of seasoning.

• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14-1/2 oz)
• 1 can (10-3/4oz) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream on the side

I found this recipe in the Taste of Home magazine. It needs more depth of flavor. The original recipe did not call for any spices whatsoever. This is very curious because it certainly needed. Even at the end of the day, the cheese flavor went missing in action. If I were to make this again, I would try including jalapeno peppers and try to spice it up with some Italian or Mexican-based spice combinations. I would also consider using a different type of cheese. Perhaps Velveeta would bring out the flavor that I was looking for? However, that is an insanely processed food. There probably isn't even any cheese in Velveeta... In general, I would like to limit the processed foods that I consume if at all possible. If I were to adhere to that goal, I think it kicks this recipe to the curb. The only other way to possible change up the cheese sauce would be to use a combination of cheeses such as cream cheese, cheddar, and a few other cheeses in somewhat of a thicker cream sauce. I am looking for any combination that emulsifies nicely. I would need to do a bit of research on this.

As written, I give this recipe 6 stars out of 10. It has potential but it is in need of some improvements. It was far too bland given the caloric load to even consider making on a frequent basis.

Week 36 - Chili

This was a random attempt at chili. I didn't follow a recipe of any kind.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 TBSP chili pepper
• dash of white pepper
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp of cumin
• 1-2 cups of tomato juice
• salt and pepper to taste

This was pretty good. I think I am still waiting for that recipe that knocks my socks off. This was serviceable but not superb. I think I would like to try making it with steak next time. I also think I rely too much on chili powder. I need to build the base of flavors with different spices. I have seen chili made with beer and coffee. This perhaps is something to consider.

Overall, I will give this recipe 6.5 stars out of 10. Improvement is needed but it offers a decent base for chili.

Week 35 - Chicken Fajitas

Oh dear, I have no idea where my fajita recipe ran off to. I think I pulled this from the back of a seasoning packet. So here is my best attempt to recall the recipe.

• 2-3 chicken thighs, sliced
• 1 fajita seasoning mix
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 green pepper sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tortillas
• sour cream

Overall, I enjoyed this attempt at culinary exploration. Next time, I would like to try making my own seasoning. I also made this with chicken thighs which tend to have a higher fat content. I sort of wish I would have used chicken breasts with this concoction. The chicken thighs took on a weird "leftover meat" flavor after the first meal. If I make it again, I will likely do that. Otherwise, there was a nice kick to the seasoning. The peppers and onions fulfilled their role in the customary fajita. Outside of that, there really isn't much more to say.

I give this recipe 7 stars out of 10. I would like to make it again with a few changes.

Week 34 - Italian Spaghetti with Meatballs

I seem quite insistent on making spaghetti and meatballs. Quite honestly, I don't even know if I like meatballs so why is there such an urge to perfect the meatball?

MEATBALLS
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 egg, beaten
SAUCE
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1(28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1(28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

This was anything but a perfect attempt. My biggest mistake was thinking that I could use brownberry stuffing mix for the bread crumbs. That just ruined the meatballs. I'm fairly certain that Brownberry was attempting to encapsulate the flavor of "stale" in their breading. So I can't be completely to blame for the failure of this attempt.

The original recipe called for two cans of whole peeled tomatoes. I substituted a can of diced tomatoes instead. I don't know if this was a good or bad thing. Overall, I feel like there needed to be a true tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes in there somewhere. My substitution probably wasn't ideal but it strikes me as being better than what the original recipe called for.

I have not given up on the meatball yet. I will try making it with fresh bread crumbs next time. The recipe itself has potential. However, I struggled eating the leftovers from this concoction. I threw over half of it out. So as a result, I can only rate my rendition at a 4.5 out of 10 stars.

Week 33 - Chicken Rice Soup

I think this recipe came to be due to my hankering for some wild rice.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 cups half-and-half

I think the half-and-half was a bit too much in this recipe. The recipe would have stood up on its own without the half-and-half. If I were to ever make it again, I would definitely omit it.

Another peculiarity with this concoction was the relatively tough chicken. I think it had something to do with the cut that I bought. Unfortunately, I don't exactly remember what I bought... That's nothing short of unfortunate. I think I will try chicken tenders next. I seem to remember a chicken that created this odd frothy chicken congealment as it cooked. This is something that rarely occurs. So this is unacceptable.

I give this recipe 6.5 stars out of 10. It has quite a bit of potential. I just need to make a few tweaks.

Week 32 - Caramel Apple Dip

Notice the apple theme? I still had some leftover apples that I needed to find ways to use. I ultimately failed at that endeavor, sadly enough.

I have had caramel apple dip in the past but this was the first time that I have ever made it on my own. I would have to say that this version is better than what I've had in the past.

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

There isn't anything that I would change about this recipe. In the past, I always had to deal with a grainy and/or clumpy texture. This obviously is not ideal. However, I am happy to report that this version was absolutely as smooth as can be. It had a memorable tang from the cream cheese with a sweet aftertaste. In short, it was perfect. It paired quite well with a half-sweet, half-tart apple.

I will give this 8.5 stars out of 10. I will definitely make this again if I have extra apples on hand.

Week 31 - Caramel Apple Pie

The Caramel Apple Pie was one of the best pies I've ever had. It was amazing! Rich, but exquisitely amazing.

• 1 double pie crusts
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups thinly sliced apples
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 20 caramels, halved (I reduced the number of caramels)
• 2 tablespoons milk

I believe this was my first attempt at a dessert in 2011. I had needed to find some useful purpose for the apples that John and I picked this past fall. This recipe seemed too good to pass up. I would compare the apples to the Gala apple; it's crispy with a hint of sweetness as well as a bite of tartness.

It was absolutely perfect in consistency. There wasn't even that much of a need for all of the caramels. I think it probably would have been too sweet had I used all 20 caramels.

I am still in amazement. I don't even like apple pie that much. This recipe completely changed my outlook. It's not very often that one single event can have that much of an impact on an already established preference.

I am going to give this recipe a 9.5 out of 10 stars. I would have given it a 10 if I actually gave out 10 stars - but I don't! There is nothing that I would change in this rendition of an apple pie. Now I just need to find justification to make it more than once a year. It's tough making rich desserts frequently when one lives alone. It's just too much sweetness.

Week 30 - Chicken Pot Pie

I had never made anything like a Chicken Pot Pie before. In the past, had there been a top and bottom crust, it was immediately classified as a dessert. This was a pleasant change-up.

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1-1/2 cup cubed potatoes
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Overall, this was a good first attempt at a chicken pot pie. The flavor was rich and satisfying. It was also insanely filling; I couldn't eat more than one piece. I added cubed potatoes to the original recipe. I think my only complaint was that the filling seemed a bit too thick. If I were to make this again, I would use less flour than what is called for and perhaps a bit more milk. I want the sauce to just oooooze!

I will give this recipe 7.5 stars out of 10. It definitely has potential for the future.

Week 29 - Italian Beef Sandwiches

Here is my attempt at Italian Beef sandwiches. I have no idea what Italian beef is supposed to taste like. So I have no idea if this is truly an authentic attempt. To some extent, I think this should be called beef and pepperoncini sandwiches. It really didn't seem very Italian... Anyway, onto the ingredient list.

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast
• 3 (1 ounce) packages dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 cup water
• 1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini peppers
• 8 hamburger buns, split

These Italian Beef, I mean Beef Pepperoncini sandwiches were respectable as a recipe on their own. I just don't think they adhere to the concept of Italian Beef. The Italian seasoning was completely lost by meal time. There was also a mildly overpowering pepperoncini flavor present. In short, I think this serves as a base recipe; it needs additional tweaking with the spices unless one has a oddly strange craving for pepperoncini juice.

I will give this a 6 stars out of 10, only because I could see myself having such a craving!

Week 28 - Exquisite Pizza Sauce

Here is my first attempt at a "regular" homemade tomato-based pizza sauce. Once again, I acquired this from allrecipes.com.

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• salt to taste

This was a serviceable attempt. I would use this again as a base recipe. However, it needs a bit of tweaking. Tomato paste has a tendency to be a bit strong in flavor. It needed a bit more depth in flavor and less tomato pastiness. Perhaps I should follow the original recipe and put in anchovy paste... Just kidding! Perhaps...

Unfortunately, I failed at updating my blog in a timely manner; shame on me! As a result, I don't really know with certainty what could be done to this pizza sauce to make it "pop". However, it was good enough to try again in the future. Now I just need to acquire a pizza stone and I should be one step closer to the perfect homemade pizza.

Given it's usefulness as a base recipe and my willingness to make it again, I am going to give this attempt a 6.5* stars out of 10.

*I can only base the rating on a distant memory.

Week 27 - Bowtie Pasta with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

I am way behind on my blogging. This is completely unacceptable.

Anyway, on to the recipe... This was quite tasty. However, the concept is very similar to a tortellini recipe that I enjoy. I don't think there is anything I would change with this particular variation.

• 1 (12 ounce) package bow tie pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

I really enjoy the tomato and cream based sauces. The italian sausage adds depth to the flavor while the red pepper flakes compliment the meal with a bit of a kick. The bow tie pasta serves as a recepticle to collect the sauce.

Overall, I will give this recipe an 8 out of 10 stars. Not only is it tasty, it is quite convenient as well.