Gourmet Grilled Cheese

okay I saw the idea for this on a cooking special on PBS one night.


I used homemade wheat bread
mixture of shredded cheeses
Leeks
green onions
chives
garlic

You can use any bread you like the more gourmet the bread the more gourmet the sandwhich:) If you use plain white bread cut the edges off.
The original recipe used a variety of 6 different onion and she did not cook hers first.

I used leeks that I cleaned very well and cut small then sauted in olive oil with the garlic. I then added the green onions and chives raw.
I added my mixture of shredded cheeses( i would recommend hand shredding not store bought for the melting ability) to a couple spoon fulls of onion mixture onto bread that had buttered sides. Then cook as you would any grilled cheese.

Open-Faced sandwiches with Ricotta, Spinach, and a Fried Egg

I know you may think this looks a little weird. I did too but at the same time interesting and I wanted to try it. Pardon my funny looking eggs. I have been trying a couple different ways of cooking eggs.
This recipe came from the May 2010 issue of Cooking Light Magazine

4 (2 oz) slices whole wheat country bread
Cooking Spray
2 cups Spinach ( the mag called for arugula)
1 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt, divided
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 large eggs
3/4 c part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c grated fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese (i used parmesan)
1 t fresh thyme ( I sometimes used dried)

1. Preheat Broiler
2. Coat both sides of bread with cooking spray. Broil 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.
3. combine spinach, 2 t oil, juice, 1/8 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper, toss gently.
4. Heat remaining 1 t oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into pan; cook 2 mins. Cover and cook an additional 2 minutes or until whites are set. Remove from heat.
5.Combine 1/4 t salt, ricotta, Parmesan, and thyme; spread over bread slices. Divide salad and eggs evenly over bread. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.

Guac and Quesadillas

Guacamole

1 large avocado
1/2 t. lime juice ( can use lemon and or fresh squeezed)
1T chopped fresh cilantro
a few random fresh chives (optional, I had them so I used them)
1T Sour cream ( you could use plain yogurt or mayo, if using mayo 1/2 it, you can totally omit it adds creaminess)
1/8 t (sprinkle) cumin
1/8 t ( sprinkle) garlic salt

I chopped up the avocado and smashed it up with a wisk. ( if I was doing larger batch I would use a food processor) added the sour cream so it would mix better. Added the rest of the ingredients and continued mixing until it was creamy with a few chunks. None of the ingredients where over whelming so it was showcasing the avocado. The cilantro really made it fresh and bright.

And of course all my measurements are approximent and you can adjust to your liking.

Tip: the lime juice keeps the avocado from going brown as fast. I also like to spinkle a little on even if I am just using slices of avocado on something. Make the avacado right before use so it looks the best because it can start turning brown even with in 30 mins. For picking out a nice avocado that is not all black inside ( don't you hate that) if you plan to use that day or day after pick an avocado that when you press your finger on it it gives slightly any more than that will be to ripe. If it will be a few days buy an avocado that is hard and doesn't give when pressed. If you put them in the fridge they will stay that way for awhile, set it on the counter for it to ripen. I have heard that if placed by a banana it ripens faster. A hard avocado takes about 3 days sitting on the counter to get ripe.

Quesadilla

I just made a basic quesadilla with re fried beans and cheese
I took two flour tortillas and spread a thin layer of beans on it then added shredded cheese. The cheese is the key to keep the quesadillas together. The more ingredients that aren't cheese the more likely it will fall apart so keep your rations in mind.
I love quesadillas because they are so versatile and a great way to use left overs.
I usually just use a dry skillet but this time I spread a little butter on the side then placed in a hot skillet. I cooked each side about 2-3 mins or until the tortillas and golden brown and the cheese is melted. I don't think I will bother with the butter again it didn't make that big of a difference to be worth the extra calories:)