To jump in the mouth....and then some!!!

I am so in the mood for something a little different...I know it's Lamb season but I am not sure the pricers at the local markets are in the know, regardless..... I am down for some yummy Italiano!!! I have been craving Saltimbocca.  Saltimbocca is a mediterainian dish..typically made with pulverized veal (scallopini style), prosciutto, marsala, sage and served over pasta in a thick butter wine sauce.. Now besides the fact that veal isn't at it's cheapest right now...the weather is also amazing and beautiful and sunny!! So I really don't want a  heavy hot dish, I just want the flavors... I was playing around with the ingredients and came up with a grilled Chicken Saltimbocca Sandwich on ciabatta bread brushed with a sage butter , topped with artichokes and rosemary ham with a  marsala mayo!!!
 This is easy unexpected and inexpensive!!! You can literally feed 6 people for just over 10 bucks!!! Have your friends bring over a nice bottle of  Pino gricio and maybe some italian flavored chips (lays makes a nice Tuscany inspired potato chip)then fire up the grill and you are good to go!!This would also pair well with a firey roasted red pepper soup.
The word Saltimbocca translates to "to jump in the mouth" I hope my original play on the dish has the same effect!
Grilled Saltimbocca Sandwiches                                      1/4 cup fresh sage diced fine
3 chicken breasts sliced in half length wise                        1 stick of butter melted
6 slices rosemary Ham (sliced)                                             1/2 cup mayo
1 loaf Ciabatta bread(sliced length wise)                            1/2cup marsala wine( reserve 1tbsp)
sea salt fresh pepper to taste                                             1cup artichokes cut in half
garlic salt onion powder and olive oil to coat the chicken                     

 Add fresh sage to melted butter.Slice the bread legnth wise and spread sage butter all over. Grill face/butter side down until grill marks appear. Set aside. Lightly coat the 6 chicken cutlets with garlic salt olive oil and onion powder. Place on grill.
In sauce pan add marsala and remaining sage butter. Add the artichokes cook 2 minutesadd the sliced up rosemary ham and remove from heat. In bowl add 1tbsp of the marsala to 1/2 cup mayo. Grab a big platter...cut the bread to make 6 sandwiches... when chicken is cooked (white all the way through) spread mayo on each sandwhich and then layer chicken  top with artichokes and ham mixture. Serve with a nice glass of white wine...Belisimo!
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Quick Fire Roasted Red Pepper Soup
3 red bell peppers (roasted and chared over open flame)then pureed
1 can chicken broth                                                       
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in soup pan and bring to boil then simmer and serve.

If hugs were a food they would be BREAD PUDDING....

I don't know if it's the weather or my just obvious lack of luck but I need a hug! And seeing how I  am lacking in the love department at this moment...I think a nice warm Rum- Bread pudding will definitely do the trick!

So lets start off with THE BARGAIN OF THE CENTURY!!!...Stop and Shop, every Friday,.fresh out of the oven , still warm,Italian bread..the whole loaf (lol) for only 99cents!!!! So needless to say you will be seeing allot more recipes with Italian bread on Fridays! If you have read my earlier blogs you are more than aware of my long standing love affair with bread. I think that if you are having a crappy week and maybe had a dream or two crushed and you are inclined to fill an empty void by eating your feelings nothing does the trick better than bread..in any form. But if you are feeling especially vulnerable then it only makes sense to add lots of sugar and butter and top it all off with some rum.. readers...here's a hug!:
Hold me Rum Bread Pudding
1 loaf Italian bread torn into pieces           1 cup diced bananas

1 cup brown sugar                                   1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup white sugar                                     3 eggs
3 1/2 cups milk                                               3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup rum                                                 2tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon                                           1/2tsp nutmeg

soak the bread in the milk and rum for 30 minutes. Pre heat the oven to 350. Spread butter all over the bottom of a baking dish. mix the rest of the ingredients into the bread milk and rum and then pour into dish and bake 30-35 minutes until brown...and smile!! Things will work out!:)

Welcome!

If you are new to Centsational Gourmet please take a minute and sign up as a follower. The site is currently under construction but I can't ignore the requests for recipes...definitely go back to some earlier posts ..I promise they are funny and there are some terrific Gourmet ideas!-Jade

Top of the mornin' to ya!...Hangover cures for your St. Patty's day left overs

OH BOY!!!...Here we go again!!! St. Patty's Day. Well ,aside from the obvious boiled dinner and tons of beer,  I like to grab a few other things and have on hand so I can use that leprechaun magic and whip up my "Pot of Gold" casserole for brunch on Saturday. It has a corned beef base and it consists of layers of sliced potatoes, apples and leeks. I tie it all together with a cheese creamy sauce and bake. The flavors are surprising and fresh. I of course LOVE my corned beef hash and that is typically made for the Sunday following St. Patties day. But my "Pot of Gold" casserole is one of those great recipes you can make and people can pick at and serve themselves all day. It is so yummy and really ties in the flavors of spring by incorporating those delicious leeks.
Now I like to boil extra potatoes with my boiled dinner so I have the potatoes all ready to go into my Casserole as well as my hash. By only adding a few extra ingredients you are creating two more wonderful meals out of one boiled dinner! Way to be Centsational! Happy St. Patricks day!
Pot of Gold Casserole
  2 1/2 cups leeks (only white and lt green parts)sliced    2 Tbsp butter
7 cups boiled potatoes sliced                                            1/4 cup white wine
1 cup sliced apples                                                         8oz Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced cooked corned beef                                    1 1/4cup light cream

Preheat the oven to 350*. in a large pot over med heat melt the butter add leeks. stir until soft. Add apples and potatoes with the white wine and cream and salt and pepper. Bring to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer half of the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle half the cheese top with remaining mixture..
sprinkle rest of cheese and cover bake for 20 minutes and then bake 10 minutes more until cheese is golden brown. Enjoy.


Sunday Brunch Hash(serve in place of canadian bacon for and Irish Eggs Benedict)
*take left over potatoes and dice about 1 cup add 1/2 cup diced onion. Heat 1 tbsp oil med heat .Cook until golden brown then add 1 cup diced corned beef with salt and pepper and 1 tsp onion powder and dash garlic salt. continue cooking until browned and crispy....

Rain rain go away...3 weekend recipes for the rainy day blues

Seriously?...I am so over this weather. I had a really crappy week and I get to celebrate with flood warnings in my area. Last year, two weeks after I purchased my car I was caught in a flash flood and had to have my entire engine rebuilt. So this weekend I refuse to drive anywhere except Crosby's Marketplace. I grabbed their circular and pulled out some of the featured sale items.
For years I stayed away from slow cookers due to memories of crappy pre-frozen meatballs and other staples you find at large gatherings of people. It kinda always tasted muddled , overly salty and over cooked...But then through trial and error I discovered what dishes really work and which ones you just slow cook the taste out of everything. Now EVERY weekend I always have something brewing in the "cauldron" as I like to refer to my slow cooker. It's perfect because there are always people in and out of my house and it's something you can do and people can just pick all day. That being said Pot roast is the most perfect rainy day meal and it is on sale this week for only $3.29 a lb. So I bought a little 2lb roast a couple large potato's grabbed a few handfuls of green beans and I already had some carrots and celery...I also bought a pack of Italian style sausages for $3.99 a large onion , a beautiful yellow pepper, a pack of fresh sub rolls and a gorgeous 16oz pint of fresh strawberries for only $2.99.(for a fabulous fondue) My bag of groceries came to just over $20!! And here's the kicker...all three dishes can be made in the slow cooker!!! That's enough to make you want to sing in the rain!

Slow Cooker Sausage Peppers and Onions
1 pack of Italian sausages        1tsp olive oil         1 pack sub rolls
 1 yellow pepper sliced            1 bay leaf              1/4 cup white wine
1 large onion sliced                  1tsp fennel seeds     Dijon mustard
 In slow cooker combine sausage white wine olive oil fennel seeds and bay leafs cook on low heat for 2 hours. Then add yellow peppers and onions mix around and cook for 30 minutes(check the inside of sausage to be sure its cooked add another 30 minutes if needed) then turn heat to warm and everyone can come grab a nice sausage pepper onion sandwich ..leave the rolls and mustard near by.
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Slow Cooker Pot Roast
2 lbs pot roast                     3 carrots chopped
3 large potato's quartered      3 celery stalks chopped
1 cup red wine                      3 cloves garlic mashed
1 onion diced                        1 packet beef onion dry soup mix
green beans(2 hand fulls)        1tsp olive oil/1 bay leaf/1 tbsp peppercorns

Put all ingredients in slow cooker on low and cover 4 hours until you can put a fork through potato easily. Turn to warm and again let everyone help themselves..
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Strawberry Fondue
1 pint strawberries                       1/4 cup brandy
1 cup semi sweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
Turn the slow cooker on low and heat the chocolate and cream until chocolate is melted stir frequently and then add the brandy...turn heat to warm. Place a bowl of fresh washed strawberries and stick next to the slow cooker and this is a terrific movie night dessert...YUMM!

It's gonna be a Good Friday!...(if you don't open your brown bag and find beef.)

I attended catholic school as a child. And this is the week that of course kicks off lent with Ash Wednesday. I can remember many a Lenten Friday sitting down in the gym / cafeteria and all the good little pupils unwrapping their tuna fish sandwiches or their little pb&j's...and I would dive into my brown bag and reach in and pull out a whopping roast beef sandwich extra rare with like a side of au jus....(I'm not kidding)Thanks mom!! :)
So aside from it being a catholic holiday/tradition it is a great way to start to incorporate more fish into our diets. Since the weekend is when we tend to do some damage to our health on a regular basis we can afford to do a little something better for our selves...especially seeing how fish is super cheap and on sale EVERYWHERE!!!(Nows the time to stock up on tuna as well it's 10 for $10 in every store!!)
so I have your first offering for our Fish Fridays...it's a tuna fish sandwich, for all those kids who had to en dour the shame and ridicule brought on by brown bags full of meat on their good Fridays..here's to you!(my mum's friend Joanne used to visit from England with her kids and she would make this tuna every time we went to the beach this is one of my favorite ways to eat tuna )
Joanne's English Tuna(serves 2)
 1can tuna                     1/4cup diced red onion
1tbsp mayo                      1/4 cup diced pickles or relish
1tsp mustard                    1/4 cup diced cucumbers
1tbsp chopped dill           1tsp old bay seasoning
1 dash onion powder       (2 onion bulkie rolls )

Mix all ingredients together and serve in bulkie rolls . If being sent via brown bag send a little love note on the napkin...it lets them know you care.

It doesn't end there!! ...(pulled pork w/ slaw and easy egg rolls)

So you enjoyed my stuffed cabbage sooooooooo much you have decided to really explore this yummy vitamin packed veggie and you have plenty left over to do so! This is exactly why cabbage is so amazing...one head of cabbage yields minimum 3 meals...So here are two more ways you can utilize the rest of that cabbage and enhance one of my weekday favorites...(Pms-friendly) Pulled Pork Sandwiches the sauce for this is tangy and sweet and salty and the best part...there's chocolate in there as well as a bit of sherry accompanied by some homade coleslaw! And for a change of pace ,amazingly easy Egg rolls with my special honey-chili dipping sauce!!!! (Including the stuffed cabbage you have three meals combined that will cost under $20 and will feed 4-6 people!!! This week pork loin was on sale at Stop and Shop so I grabbed one for $5.00 and then I grabbed egg roll wrappers for like $2.99 and the ground beef from yesterday was only $5.34 and then the herbs and stewed tomatoes fresh ginger and celery and onions and carrots)So start by shredding the entire head of cabbage you have left and seprate into two storage containers... one will be used for the slaw and one for the egg rolls!

Pulled pork 
1 pork loin(on sale)                              1/2 cup Sherry
1/2 cup ketchup                                    1/2cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar                    1tbsp cocoa powder
1 package pulled pork seasoning dry      1onion diced
 In slow cooker combine everything except pork loin stir well add pork and cover with sauce. Put the cover on and set for low (4-6 hours) Until Pork falls apart with touch of fork pull pork apart and make sure you really mix in sauce. Turn off heat and keep covered. Serve on your favorite rolls...

Homemade Coleslaw
1/2 head of cabbage finely shredded               1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp mayo                                                    1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cidear vinegar                             1/2 cup carrot shredded
1 tsp honey
Mix all ingredients together and chill in the fridge while the pork slow cooks...
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Easy Egg Rolls
1/2 finely shredded cabbage               1 package egg roll wrappers
1/2 cup shredded celery                      1 tbsp fresh ginger shredded
1/2 cup shredded carrots                     Oyster sauce
1/2 cup shredded scallions                   2 cups peanut oil
In bowl combine all the shredded veggies. Lay out egg roll wrappers and spread oyster sauce on them and then place large spoon full of mixture on the wrappers and then wrap.(if not familiar there are drawings on back of packages on how to wrap the egg rolls)place on plate and then in fridge for one hour. When ready to eat heat 2 cups oil in wok or skillet on Medium high heat for five minute then fry egg rolls until golden brown. Obviously do them in batches. Please be careful the oil splatters. Place fried rolls on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Honey Chili dipping sauce
1/4 cup honey
 1 tbsp chili sauce(known as cock sauce)
mix two ingredients together and enjoy!!! 

The "C" word.....(Cabbage)

Oh my god I frigging hated cabbage growing up....my mother and her boiled dinners, YUCK! I used to refer to this putrid smelling veggie as "the C word".Then I turned 19 and had gone to see my boyfriend play for St.Patties day. I had gotten so drunk. The bar was of course serving boiled dinners and after like, 30 green beers I found it necessary to my survival to eat one... cabbage and all.! And guess what?.. it was AMAZING!! (a paper napkin would have tasted just as good at that point)But, something had changed and I suddenly made cabbage a regular part of my fare. Experimenting with various recipes and various types of cabbage.
As I got older and had traveled to various places in the world I could see how in just about every culture theres cabbage and it is an intricate part of most peoples diets. The main reason is definitely the price...its one of those staples that keep families full for pennies.
If you have been paying attention to where the trends in food are going you would have noticed a throw back to the poorer staples that really represent the regions...where these foods are made to taste incredible,well, because they have too...
Now that it is cabbage season it is incredibly abundant and it is insanely cheap! This next recipe is my own creation. It is a savory stuffed cabbage that is really a combination of Greek stuffed leaves and traditional stuffed cabbage. It is carb conscious and the stuffing is made with lean ground beef, fresh dill , fresh mint ,plump golden raisins, lemon ,spices ,tomato juice and then wrapped in cabbage and baked in beer and stewed tomatoes. It is incredibly easy and quite delicate flavor wise...but look out come 11pm after everyone has gone you will be raiding the fridge and these are perfectly delectable cold!!...wrap up that cabbage! I have two Centsational recipes coming up for the rest!!
 Centsational Gourmet's Stuffed Cabbage
1lb lean beef                                                         1 cup finely chopped Dill
1 head cabbage with 6 large leafs pulled out           1 cup fresh chopped mint
1 cup golden raisins                                                1tsp old bay seasoning
juice from 1 lemon                                                  1 small onion finely chopped
1 beer                                                                     1 can stewed tomatoes
sea salt / pepper
In boiling water blanch leaves for 1 minute then remove to cool. Discard water. Heat oven to 425* . In mixing bowl combine beef spices herbs onions and raisins. Add 1/2 cup of the stewed tomatoes. Mix well. Break mixture into 6 balls. Then wrap each ball with a cabbage leaf and place in baking dish. cover with beer and then the stewed tomatoes and bake covered for 25 minutes then bake another 5 minutes uncovered.

A piece of the Middle East...

You can't turn the TV on without hearing about all the turmoil in Egypt and the surrounding countries... In honor of those brave revolutionaries I thought a delightful light dish called Lattoush would be a fine way to experience something wonderful that has come out of that part of the world.Lattoush is traditionally a Lebanese dish but variations are found all over North Africa and the Middle East. This is a super easy dish to make. It's also a vegetarian dish...so if you were looking for some great healthy lunch alternatives to your usual cheeseburger or sub this is an extremely tasty idea and super inexpensive. I have been trying to incorporate more meals making the vegetables or the grains the star of the show. In most cultures around the world the fare revolves around the veg and grain using meat products to flavor the food. And as we start to become more evolved food wise we are clearly seeing the benefits of incorporating more and more this way of eating...DO NOT GET ME WRONG...TOSS A RAW STEAK IN FRONT OF ME AND I AM ON IT...but being a Centsational Gourmet these great veggie/grain alternatives are extremely kind to my debit card and this allows for the extra little splurge and I am so down with that!...

 
1 cucumber (peeled and diced)                      3 Roma tomatoes diced
5 scallions chopped coarsely                           1 red bell pepper(roasted and diced)
1/4 cup calamata olives (pitted /diced)             1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (coarsely chopped)
1 tbsp lemon juice                                            1tbsp olive oil
Sea salt fresh pepper to taste                            bag Pita chips

Toss together all the ingredients except Pita chips...then portion into bowl and serve with crunchy pita chips