Garlic Roasted Squash Grilled Cheese

It's that time of year when my backpack starts to get real heavy. Not from schoolbooks but from squash and pumpkins! Nothing says fall more then seeds roasting in the oven.

Roast a squash and you will have the base for a variety of meals from squash soup to ravioli. Today's recipe takes a classic grilled cheese and ups the ante by adding in garlic roasted squash. It's a perfect dish for left over squash or try it with pumpkin too.

Use any squash you prefer, I had butternut squash on hand. It's low in fat, filled with fiber and offers significant amounts of potassium  (important for bone health) and vitamin B6 (essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.)

Add a squash to your shopping  bag and lift from your legs, not your back for this gooey, delectable Fat and Happy sandwich.

Cheesy Squash Breakfast Sandwich

Fall is is just another name for squash. And while I love a good roasted squash, I can only eat so much of it at one sitting. The outstanding questions is what to do with the leftover squash.

Sear it, add garlicky carrots, goat cheese, sprouts and a runny egg, then smash it between two pieces of toast. Done.

An egg sandwich is the bomb and only gets better with the addition of squash. Sauteing the carrots with garlic while searing the squash adds a little crunch to the sandwich while the sprouts add a fresh flavor.

This breakfast sandwich came out better than expected- even Dave gave it two thumbs up. I happened to have left over roasted squash, but you can roast a fresh one. Do slice and sear it to get that nice, golden brown crust as noted below.

Whip up a new option for squash with this delicious fat and happy squash sandwich. It's perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Beet Salad Sandwich and Sweet Potato Bruschetta

Beets are notorious for showing up on salads. Usually on a bed of lettuce or sprinkled with goat cheese. So I wondered why couldn't beets find comfort in a creamy dressing the way chicken, ham and tuna do?

They can and in this recipe they do; only difference is the lightened up dressing. This beet salad is creamy and earthy with a crunchy bite from the celery and pistachios.

Pile the beets salad between two hearty pieces of bread along with some kale and you get a super filling sandwich. Or try topping a slice of sweet potato for a fun bruschetta appetizer.

Either way, beets find a home in healthy fat and happy way.

Cream Cheese and Green Chili Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Happy hour drinks landed a  few friends at our house for some wii, a game of darts and a final round of libations.

It was one of those nights when the fridge was nearly void of food; thankfully we have thousands of restaurants just waiting on stand by to bring us much needed nourishment.

The downfall of the delivery system is the 60 to 90 minute wait. Snacks were need stat!

Armed with cream cheese and the remnants of a pumpernickel snack loaf, simple grilled cheese sandwiches were already in the works. I then found a small can of green chilies in the cupboard, just the thing to take these cheesy morsels to the next level and tie us over until the delivery boy made his way to us.


Nothing complicated. Nothing fancy. Just peppers and cream cheese melted together on toasted bread. But there is something fat and happy about tipsy snack making.

Spicy Strawberry and Mint Grilled Cheese Quesadilla Sandwich

You decide to have a party for Cinco de Mayo- yet your Southern friends want to know if they can view the Kentucky Derby as well? Could be a fun mix of cultural exploration. But how are you going to pull off the the food and drink to satisfy both?

Margaritas and stuffed pork quesadillas versus mint juleps and Benedictine cucumber sandwiches. Of course, we all know each event has an immense more to offer than tacos and bourbon, but today we are seeking one recipe that can tie them together seamlessly. 

This Spicy Strawberry and Mint Grilled Cheese Quesadilla Sandwich is a crazy exploration into marrying these two festivities through one recipe. Imagine you are walking around the party while munching on a warm, cheesy quesadilla and you trip - but catch yourself by landing your cheese filled hand into a fellow party-goer's mint julep, which proceeds to knock into a bowl of fresh strawberries. Yup, that's what this is. Cue the fireworks.

Sure it's far fetched, but it could happen. More important is the how the warm Grand Marnier kissed goat cheese envelopes the sweet strawberries and fresh mint. Simple toasted walnuts add a touch of luxury and refinement to the sandwich while the spicy jalapeno jelly lingers on the tongue. I know it sounds odd, but it's a fun little appetizer; could even be a light lunch on the right day.

Argentina Street Meat; Turkey Fenel Slaw Sandwich

Grilled meat as far at the eye could see. That pretty much sums up Argentina.

One of my favorite grilled grub was the simple street meat we encountered on our final day in Buenos Aires. Along a bike path overlooking a bird sanctuary, we encountered a mile-long stretch covered end to end with street vendors slinging grilled sandwiches.

Smoke billowed across the sky as the vendors flipped strips of meat and plump chorizo sausages. The difference between each vendor wasn't the meat or the grill. Nor was it the ridiculously long sandwich itself (each individual loaf resembled my forearm!)

The real difference filled dozens of large bowls strewn out on long brightly colored tables. Each bowl carried a mystery topping and no two looked alike. Marinated tomatoes, pickled onions, salted lettuce, chimichurri salsas, and even a creamy blue cheese-like concoction. Every bowl held a different flavor and an opportunity for endless sandwich creations.


Hungry patrons weren't limited by standard American trimmings of ketchup, mustard and pickles. Next to the infinite salad topping accoutrements sat unlabeled squeeze bottles oozing with local goodness. Regulars grabbed their favorites with ease while we stood baffled by the countless choices. Tip: ordering your sandwich 'completo' will gain you a slice of ham and and a fried egg.

Brown Bread with Honey Butter

Somewhere in my warped mind I tell myself that I'm going to cut out carbs. Carbs! As in pasta, potatoes and bread. Honestly, like that's really going to happen. I say I'm going to cut down on carbs and I end up making 2 loaves of bread and a batch of ravioli.

I was actually going for a Russian Black Bread...it came out more of a brown bread. A delicious, delicious brown bread! The only thing missing was sweetened butter, but a little honey took care of that!

Pear and Blue Cheese Quesadilla

 An old friend sent a message on the Fat and Happy Facebook Page recently asking for more recipes involving tortillas. With the fall produce making their first appearance, sandwiching a little pear and blue cheese into a crunchy and healthy snack was irresistible

If you need the extra protein, thinly sliced turkey meat from the deli would pair quite well with all the flavors and offer a slightly heartier option.

Elevate your tortillas with cool-weather fruit, then pair this gooey, cheesy, messy quesadilla with a spinach and walnut salad for a tasty Fat and Happy meal.

Slow Cooked Porchetta with Macadamia Nut Pesto

It's no secret how much I'm into grilling. Yet there are times, yes even in the summer, that a slow cooked crock pot dish is the right choice. Case in point, we were hosting an evening barbecue for a friends birthday ... after an afternoon Cubs game ... in the Bleachers!
 
How that was ever agreed to is still beyond me. The most important point of the day is that the food needed to be easy to put together with all of the work done ahead of time.  

Without getting into too many details, porchetta is traditionally an Italian street food in which a pig is stuffed with herbs, roasted over a spit then sliced for sandwiches. I enjoyed this while in Amondola, Italy some years back and still crave it today.


My version takes on a different form being slow cooked in the crock pot, but it's still tasty and juicy; admittedly not the original though. However adding the macadamia nut pesto to this sandwich takes it in a whole different direction.

Glorius Green Picnic with Mason Jar Turkey Chickpea Salad with Minty Pea Vinaigrette

For many people, the word picnic conjures up torrid memories of soggy sandwiches, sun-baked potato salad and watered down lemonade. Yuck. Even the ants are left feeling unsatisfied. If that wasn't bad enough, how often were the remnants so carefully placed on top of an overflowing garbage can it could have been mistaken for an intense game of jenga?

'Pack it in Pack it out' should not be a phase left for crazy, large-calved hikers taking on a fourteener, which, by the way, is so high that there isn't even enough oxygen for trees to grow. Urbanites and Suburbanites alike should be proud to bring garbage home, or better yet, make less garbage in the first place.

The mason jar picnic is not only green but also offers a super tasty picnic meal that isn't soggy and doesn't become nasty, poisoned mayonnaise. Layers of tender turkey, crunchy apple and hearty garbanzo beans are drizzled with a fresh minty pea dressing. Bring along a few seasonal fruits, roasted nuts and a simple dessert like this basil polenta cake with limoncello glaze to round out your picnic. Ooh, and since the mason jars have lids, there is no need to worry when you are tossed the frisbee mid lunch. Just catch, seal and go.

Sandwich Series: Quinoa Filled Rice Paper with Pistachio Citrus Vinaigrette

 
When you hear the word sandwich, does your brain immediately conjure up slices of meat and cheese between two slabs of bread? Welcome to the modern sandwich age where bread, meat and cheese are not required

But what does that leave you with, you ask? For starters, how about wrapping a quinoa salad with see-through rice paper. It's a great change from a salad, delicious and healthy! The quinoa is loaded with protein and the addition of fresh spinach rounds out the nutritional value.

To really punch it up, the pistachio citrus vinaigrette takes advantage of pistachio oil with its deep complex flavor derived from pistachio nuts. Plus this is another Strange Ingredient sent by great friends of the Fat and Happy blog!

Take a walk on the wild side of sandwiches with a fat and happy quinoa filled rice paper wrap. Who knows where this crazy new-age inspiration might lead you after lunch!


Tips and techniques:  Easily substituting rice in place of the quinoa for a simple change in flavor and textures.


Sandwich Series:  Quinoa Filled Rice Paper with Pistachio Citrus Vinaigrette

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 tomato
1 apple
1 small yellow pepper
4 radishes
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 celery stalks
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
salt and pepper

Pistachio Citrus Vinaigrette

zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
chives
2 Tbls grape seed oil
3 Tbls pistachio oil
1 Tbls sugar
salt and pepper

For the sandwich

4 Rice papers
2 cups fresh spinach (1/4 cup per sandwich)

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. While that is cooking, dice up the vegetables, place in a large bowl and add the quinoa when it is ready.

Whisk together the vinaigrette, add salt and pepper to taste, you'll need about a teaspoon of each. Drizzle a tablespoon of the dressing over the spinach along with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss. Pour the remaining dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss well.

Fill a large, shallow plate with warm water. dip the rice paper in the warm water to soften it.  Place a layer of spinach on the middle third of the rice paper. Add one cup of the quinoa mixture. Slowly begin to roll the paper, folding in the edges. Remoisten the final edge to hold the paper together if needed. Slice in half and enjoy.

Sandwich Series: Shredded Pork in North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce with Carrot, Blue Cheese and Caraway Slaw

 I don't claim to know North Carolina BBQ sauce, but I like it. This vinegar sauce is fashioned after that, but stops short of a tomato (ketchup) base. The tartness of the vinegar is soothed by the creaminess of the blue cheese. On it's own, the vinegar sauce packs a serious wallop, don't judge the sauce until it's paired with the meat, though. And if you've haven't married caraway with blue cheese before - you are in for a treat!

Remember, I'm not in any way saying this is a true North Carolina sauce so remember that before you write in your comments lambasting me on this. The combination of the vinegar, blue cheese and caraway seeds creates a super playful fun mixture on your palette. It's simple Fat and Happy sandwiches that rocks.

Tips and techniques:  Recipe makes 2 -4 sandwiches depending on the size of the naan. For the pork, see my posting for a classic crock pot pork.   


Shredded Pork in North Carolina Vinegar Sauce with Carrot Blue Slaw

2 cups shredded pork
Vinegar sauce (recipe below)
Carrot Blue Slaw (recipe below)
Naan bread, 2

Putting it all together: Warm the naan bread by wrapping in tin foil and placing in a 300 degree oven. Place the pork in an oven-proof dish and cover with the vinegar sauce, place in the oven next to the bread for about 15 minutes.

Remove the warmed bread and pork from the oven. On the naan bread, layer on 1 cup of pork with a drizzle of the vinegar sauce and a few scoops of the carrot blue slaw. Fold the naan bread over, enjoy immediately.

Vinegar Sauce

1 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbls brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan, heat all the ingredients over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Use immediately or store in the fridge for later use.  Pour over the shredded pork, allow the pork to sit in the the vinegar sauce to pick up the flavor.

Carrot, Blue Cheese and Caraway Slaw

2 carrots
1 celery
3 radishes
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (can substitute mayo or sour cream)
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 ounce blue cheese
salt and pepper

Using a box grater, shred the carrots, celery and radishes, place in a bowl.  Add the yogurt, caraway seeds and a good pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir to combine. Sprinkle the blue cheese over the top.

Sandwich Series: Shredded Pork with Balsamic Onions and Apple Lemon Slaw

Sandwiches are all the rage, why else would Graham Elliot, Tom Colicchio, Rick Bayless (among others) open simple sandwich shops?  And while I say these are simple sandwich shops, lets be honest - there was an extreme amount of planning that went into each mouthwatering handful as dutifully noted by the high prices!

With a large piece of pork begging for attention in my freezer but limited time to pay it proper attention, I dropped it in the crock pot for a day, thinking an idea would hit me later. Allowing cheaper cuts of meat simmer all day will render them tender and ready to use for a quick addition to many applications - a great addition to pasta, a topping for polenta, a lasagna layer, perfect filling for an omelet and a strata, toss with rice and beans for a quick salad or use in a sandwich.

In this sandwich, the sweet balsamic onions play off the tangy apple lemon slaw while the havarti brings a creaminess to entire bite. The great thing about pork is that the flavor is slightly salty and versatile enough to marry with these sweet, tart flavors.

Spending ten dollars on a sandwich is worth it sometimes, you probably can't afford to do that every day (I can't, anyway.) You don't have to. Invite your friends over, make amazing sandwiches at home and spend your money on a great beer or wine to wash it all down with. The Fat and Happy Sandwich Series is here for your tastebuds' enjoyment.

Tips and techniques: For the pork, see my posting for a classic crock pot pork. If havarti cheese isn't available, try Jarlsberg or a Swiss.


Sandwich Series: Shredded Pork with  Balsamic Onions and Apple Lemon Slaw Sandwich

4 cups cooked, shredded pork
1 green apple
2 lemons
2 ounces havarti cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls grainy mustard
4 bread rolls
Salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic Onions
Saute onions and 1 tablespoon olive oil until the onions get deeply caramelized, have patience as this will take up to 15 minutes, add more olive oil if needed. Add in the balsamic vinegar and simmer 5 minutes to thicken the balsamic. Remove from heat, stir in the mustard and juice of 1/2 lemon, set aside until ready to use. Can do this step ahead of time, hold in the refrigerator until ready to use, warm over a small skillet adding in additional balsamic if the onions become dry

Apple Lemon Slaw
Slice the green apple in long, thin strips; I use a mandolin but this can be done by hand. Place the apples in a bowl, zest the lemon over the apple sticks and then squeeze all of the juice over the top. Toss well. This will give the apples a zesty zing while keeping them from turning brown.

Putting it all together
Warm the pork, place in an oven proof bowl, add a few drizzles of liquid (if the pork you are using does not have it's own liquid add in about 1/4 cup of broth or water) cover tightly and bake about 10 minutes until warm. If your pork needs more seasoning, now is the time.

Putting it all together:  Preheat a broiler to high.  Cut the bread rolls open and begin to layer the ingredients- place the shredded pork down first (roughly 1/2 - 1 cup of pork per sandwich depending on your meat to bun preference.) Add a layer of the balsamic onions, drizzling a little sauce as well, and then add 1/4 of the lemon apple slaw.  Cover the apple slaw with a few tablespoons of the shredded havarti. Brush the top half of the bun with the remaining olive oil.

Place both halves of each bun under the broiler (the top bun will get just a little crusty giving a great texture to the sandwich while the cheese will melt over the bottom half.  Remove from the broiler when the cheese melts, top each sandwich with the crusty top bread and enjoy.

Toasted Nut Butter and Roasted Grape Sandwiches

 I knew a guy once who ate only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day.  Every day!  And he was in his 30's.  Blech.

Recently I started this infatuation with roasting grapes; it started because of a bunch of sad grapes slowly deteriorating in the fridge. They sat too long and were forgotten, but I wanted to rescue them and this seemed like the only viable option.

Through roasting, the grapes become sweet and tart at the same time.  So I
got to thinking about these roasted grapes as I was popping them into my mouth, and decided they could be used in place of jelly, on a sandwich, in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich more specifically.  But this would be an  upscale version of PB & J considering the roasted grapes, so regular old peanut butter wasn't going to work.

This called for home made nut butter, made with the random nuts in the house - almonds, pecans and walnuts. It's a simple process of blending the nuts with a pinch of salt and sugar (see my yummy cashew nut butter recipe here). 

The result?  Yup, it's an upscaled PB & J.  Great as an afternoon snack or this could be served as a little bruschetta appetizer for a fun party twist!  But as yummy as this is, eating it every day does not interest me in the least; why limit your fat and happiness to one dish?

Tips and Techniques:  Definitely use seedless grapes.  Last thing you want is to try to spit little grape seeds out of a nut butter covered mouth.  My preference is red, but if green is your thing, go with it.  Have patience with nut butter, if you add too much oil too soon you'll end up with a runny nut butter- that happened to me as you can tell from the photos, still delish though!

Toasted Nut Butter and Roasted Grape Sandwiches (aka peanut butter and jelly sandwich)

1 bunch of seedless grapes
1 cup nuts (almond, pecan, walnut or mix and match)
1-3 tsp of sugar
pinch of salt
1-2 Tbls of pistachio, walnut or olive oil
baguette or sandwich bread

Lay the grapes on a baking sheet, leave them connected to the vines and place them in bunches.  Sprinkle them with a little olive oil.  The grapes will need about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven just until the nuts begin to brown, 5-6 minutes, watch them closely as they will burn in a blink of the eye. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.  Place in a blender with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the nuts with the oil and blend on high. You will need to have patience and scrap the sides down often, adding small drizzles of oil as needed. If you add too much oil early on, you will end up with a runnier nut butter (that's what happened to me!)

Assemble your sandwich or bruschetta.  I liked this with toasted bread but if you prefer the classic, soft bread just do that.  Spread the nut butter on one side, pick the grapes off the stems and place on the nut butter. Enjoy while the grapes are warm for the best flavor.

Turkey Chorizo Sandwich

To me, a sandwich should be bursting with flavor, dripping with goo, touting a super fun bread and almost too tall to fit in your mouth.  We are not kids any more, it's time to grow up past the white bread and bologne zip locked baggie sandwich.  There really isn't much that can't be made into a sandwich so your sandwich creativity should never be limited; afterall- someone had to come up with the ice cream sandwich at some point!  See my Kahlua sandwich bar recipe here.

Get cooking, get tasty and get messy.  This Turkey Chorizo Sandwich is the perfect way to break out of your lame sandwich rut.  While I love, love, love bacon, I feel it's getting 'overused'.  Chorizo however, chorizo is the new bacon. You heard it here first, actually I think this at least the second or third time I've said that on this blog. Chorizo is simply a wonderful mexican sausage, it's extremely excellent with eggs.

Chorizo sauteed with fennel, garlic and carrots is the star of our sandwich.  The thin slices of roasted turkey breast and the creamy goat cheese bring it all to life while the hearty pumpernickel bread completely finishes it off.  Put it together as a sandwich you pick up with your hands or as an open faced sandwich to eat with a fork, either way it's messy, it's hearty and bursting with so much flavor your tastebuds will be utterly fat and happy.

Tips and Techniques:  Try not to sautee the crunch out of the fennel and carrots, it's great to have a crunchy texture in the sandwich. Invite friends over and serve with Modela for brunch.


Warm Turkey Chorizo Sandwich

1/4 cup onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup fennel, sliced thin
1/4 cup carrot, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chorizo

handful of chopped Parsley
small handful of Fresh Thyme

Turkey breast
2 Tbls Goat cheese, per sandwich
Dijon Mustard
Pumpernickel bread


Lightly sautee the onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil for a about 5 minutes and then add the fennel and carrots, toss often, sautee for about 2 more minutes. Add in the garlic and chorizo, toss and continue to sautee until mixture is nicely combined.  Turn off the heat and finish with the fresh chopped parsley and fresh thyme.

In the meantime thinly slice the turkey and cut your fresh pumpernickle bread (toast if desired).

It's important to warm the turkey, it would be odd to bite into a warm chorizo sauce but cold turkey.  If you have a toaster oven, place the sliced turkey into dish with a few tablespoons of water to help keep if moist, or warm on in a pan in the oven or on top of the stove.

Spread about one tablespoon of mustard and 2 tablespoons of goat cheese on each bread.

Fold the turkey slices on top of the goat cheese (folding the slices will keep the turkey from feeling like your are biting through a breast of turkey) and top with a scoop of the chorizo mixture. Top with a second slice of bread or serve as an open faced sandwich.  Or do my favorite move and top with a runny egg.  Enjoy!

Tilapia Fish Sandwiches

I'm constantly looking for creative ways to work fish into our meals. Dave is not a fan of fish, but the health benefits of fish (at least when it's not fried) outweigh his whining- so bring on the fish.

These are two completely different sandwiches. One has an Italian flare with a spread boosting lemons and capers, while the second sandwich plays off of South American and Thai flavors using lime and chili powder mingling with cabbage and mint.

Don't fear fish even if you are land locked, just get creative.  Do you know about Greek yogurt?  If not- drop everything you are currently doing, go straight to the store and buy some now. It's thick, creamy and tasty, and can be a replacement for fattier options like sour cream.  For heartier spreads and if you are NOT watching your weight, you can use mayo or sour cream rather than yogurt. These sandwiches are a fun way to hearty-up fish to help it become a more fat and happy meal.


Tips and techniques:  Substitute whatever white fish you like, I happened to have tilapia on hand.  It's a nice simple fish, with a mild flavor. Use a light hand as this fish is flaky and can break apart easy.  The remaining spreads can be used on eggs the next morning or mixed in a salad for lunch.


Tilapia Fish Sandwiches

4 fillets of flaky white fish
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbls butter (or olive oil)
4 crusty bread rolls

Make the two spreads first (recipes below). Pour the cornmeal on a flat plate. Dredge each fillet in the corn meal, place in a heated pan with the butter.  Sautee the fish, about 2-3 minutes per side over medium heat.  Then assemble each sandwiches with the ingredients below.  Use one fillet per sandwich.


Italian Fish Sandwich

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbls lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbls capers
3 Tbls red onions, finely chopped
1 Tbls chopped parsley
tomato slices
Red leaf lettuce

For the spread, combine the yogurt, lemon juice and zest, capers and onion in a bowl. Stir to combine.  When the fish is ready,  place the spread on the bun along with a tomato slices, a sprinkle of parsley and fresh leaf lettuce. Top with the sauteed fish and serve while warm.


Spicy Cabbage Fish Sandwich

1/2 cup yogurt
2 Tbls lime
Zest of 1/2 lime
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 large garlic, minced
1 tsp mint, chopped
1 tsp parsley, chopped
thinly sliced cabbage or broccoli shreds
Tomato slices
Thinly sliced red and yellow peppers

For the spread, combine the yogurt, lime juice and lime zest, chili powder, cumin and garlic in a bowl.  Mix to combine and set aside.  When the fillets are ready, add the spread and sprinkle with the the chopped mint and parsley and then add the cabbage, tomato and peppers to the buns; then top with the sauteed fish.  Serve immediately while warm.

Horseradish Goat Cheese Dip

When I explained to my friend Aaron what was in this dip- he gave me one of those looks ... I get those looks from Dave too. The look that says "what the hell am I gonna eat?" It's the look little kids do when you tell them you're making them brussel sprouts.

Perhaps I went a bit too far with this dip...naw! It's great fun! The horseradish and chili oil gives this a real kick without being overly spicy!

I incorporated a little cream cheese for creaminess, you could go all goat and skip the cream or if you find that too thick- add a little sour cream to help thin it slightly. This is a hearty dip, not a thin dressing dip. Afterall, runny, thin dip is not fat and happy!

Horseradish Goat Cheese Dip

1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
3 tbls horseradish
1 tbls chili oil
1/4 cup caramelized shallots
1/4 cup cooked chopped bacon
fresh ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a mini food processor and blend until mixed. Serve with hearty bagel crisps, celery and pepper sticks.

Blue Cheese Dip

This recipe was created while Dave was feeding me drinks on his birthday (if you know anything about Dave, then you know his bartending skills are old school, formed prior to the ounce nipple measuring thing that pansy, micromanaging bars use today!)

All I'm saying is that it's such a super simple, easy and quick recipe that even a tipsy caveman can make it! And you'll get rave reviews!! Serve it with simple crudites (celery, radishes and bread crisps) and top with a little crispy chopped bacon.

This makes a great spread for a sandwich as well! This was a great amount for about 5 people, amongst other appetizers.

Blue Cheese Dip

1/2 cup blue cheese (buy a good cheese, don't skimp)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shallots, diced
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbls crispy bacon (optional)

Dice the shallots and caramelize in a little butter and olive oil. Add all the ingredients to a mini food processor and blend. Add more sour cream if it's a bit too thick for your preference. Top with crispy bacon (optional) and parsley.

Homemade Buns

Cast countdown: 1 week.

It is when I do seemingly futile efforts like these which has historically prompted my parents to say "You're doing too much." Why on earth would I attempt to make buns from scratch with one arm in a cast? I had a craving for them and I clearly like to test my limits.

Much to the chagrin of many- the buns came out great, not the best batch ever, but still better than store bought!

These buns are super fabulous just by themselves, rewarmed in the oven, with a little butter on them. Jam too! Try them as a side to a salad or a soup. I freeze them in ziploc bags and take them out as needed. They defrost quick- just don't microwave them.

The recipe is one that's been handed down through the family; but let me tell you, that actual recipe card has nothing more than the basic ingredients on it- it really is a learned thing. By trial and error, you come to your own hand. Below is my version- I will update this on occasion as I tweak. The last batch I made into mini buns- so size to your needs. Being fat and happy is eating one of these warm buns!

2 cups of warm water
add 2 envelopes of yeast, let foam

then add: (its going to seem like the crisco will never mix in- but it will when you start kneading it!
1 beaten egg
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup crisco (hard)
1/2 cup sugar
4-6 cups flour (may need more or less- this is the hard part, you need to just feel it out)

Knead about 10 minutes, dough will be slightly sticky
place in an oiled bowl, top with plastic wrap and cover with a dish towel. Place in a warm spot. Let rise 1 1/2 hours until it gets twice in size. Punch down, and rise again.

Then form into balls, for mini buns, make them about the size of a golf ball, size of a cue ball for larger hamburger type buns. Just be sure to size each consistently for even baking. Place on a cookie sheet and cover for the final rise. Bake at 350 degrees until they are golden brown; the time will vary on the the size of the buns.

Mustard and Beer Sausage and Pepper

Once again I arrived home after work only to realize that I had not taken anything out of the freezer for supper. Dang it.

But a quick defrost of some Italian sausages and two peppers in the veggie drawer offer up a good, quick option. As the slicing of the peppers started, my initial thought was to do a basic Italian version of sausage and peppers; but when I opened the fridge to get a beer (for drinking purposes)- my hand passed by a big jar of Dijon mustard. My mind started to whirl with visions of German steins of beer, plates of Oktoberfest bratwurst and lederhose! Beer and mustard - two of my favorite things!

So away go the tomatoes and in goes the mustard. I had already committed to the basil, and it worked fine; although if making this again I would probably substitute thyme instead. And the same goes with the sausage - I just happened to have the Italian sausage, but anything would work here. This is simply sensational, a great change from the classic Italian sausage and peppers, which is good in its own right. The sausages stay nice and moist and the sauce cooks down to a thick, creamy, yummy mess. I served this with a couple of big hunks of homemade pickles - soo good! It's important to get a good beer; throw in a pretzel for an appetizer and you'll be seriously fat and happy! Prost!

Sausage and Peppers with Mustard and Beer

Saute in 2 tbls olive oil and 1 tbls of butter, until beginning to soften:
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/4 white onion, sliced
1 small to medium yellow pepper, sliced
1 small to medium red pepper, sliced


add 4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon dried basil (or use thyme)
and
3 Sausages (Italian, German, whatever you have)

Continue to saute on medium to medium low heat, toss peppers often

add 3-4 big spoons of dijon mustard
handful of chopped parsley
1 tbls chili oil ( or use any hot sauce)
1/2 bottle of beer- I used New Belgium 1554 Enlighted Black Ale- it's a fabulous dark beer, choose any micro beer, just don't go with some sort of silly light.

Simmer until sausage are done.

Serve with big crusty dog buns or just a hunk of bread on the side to sop up the sauce with; don't forget the pickles and serve with a glass of the beer you used too!