Lunch with the family...

We arrived at my parents house for the holidays and my mom and I immediately sat down to plan out a few menus for the coming days. My mom came across this recipe from the September 2008 Bon Appetit magazine and it was an easy and delicious lunch that she quickly whipped up while I rode the exercise bike.

Smoked Turkey, Blue Cheese, and Red Onion Sandwiches

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 20 minutes
To take the sandwiches on a picnic, use ciabatta rolls—they will stay firm despite the mayo.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 8- to 10-ounce red onions, cut into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
* 3 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 6 cups trimmed large arugula leaves (about 4 ounces), divided
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise
* 8 1/3-inch-thick slices seeded wheat bread (such as La Brea Bakery) or four ciabatta rolls, cut horizontally in half
* 12 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey
* 3/4 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese (such as Maytag; about 3 ounces)

Preparation

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and lightly browned, breaking up onion rings, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chop enough arugula to measure 1 cup; place in medium bowl. Mix in mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Spread about 11/2 tablespoons arugula mayonnaise over each cut side of bread. Divide turkey slices among 4 bread slices. Top with crumbled blue cheese, dividing equally. Top with red onions, then whole arugula leaves and bread.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, September 2008

Christmas at the E's

Mr. E. and I have had a tradition for the last 5 years where he makes a spectacular dinner for the two of us for our own Christmas celebration. This is followed by the opening of presents and perhaps a holiday movie. When we lived closer to the ocean this meal usually involved scallops and bacon but now that we reside in the midwest, Mr. E is more taken with steaks and such so he whipped up filet mignon from our local organic farm with blue cheese and two sides from one of my new cookbooks--"Spain, A Culinary Road Trip" .


Spinach Catalan-style

2 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3 T pine nuts
3 T dried currants
1 large bunch spinach, washed and spun mostly dry (leave enough water to help cook the spinach)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat or over a hot grill fire. Add the nuts and the currants and stir for a minute or two, until the nuts start to brown. Add the spinach, in batches if necessary and stir and cook until the spinach is properly wilted, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.


Mushrooms with egg yolk

Serves 4
1/4 c. plus 1 T EVOO
1 pound porcini or mixed wild mushrooms, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 large eggs
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley or 2 tsp. dried
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are nicely browned and softened. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Fry the eggs sunny-side up in the remaining 1 T oil in a large nonstick skillet until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Transfer to a cutting board and cut away the whites from the yolks (discard the whites). Spoon the mushrooms onto four plates and sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. Make a little space in the center of each portion of mushrooms and nestle the yolks in the mushrooms. As you eat, mix the yolk with the hot mushrooms to create a rich, silky sauce. Yum!

Recipe from " Spain, a Culinary Road Trip; Mario Batali with Gwyneth Paltrow" by Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow, 2008.