tuna melts

I love tuna melts. My sister and I got addicted to them many summers ago. We'd eat them practically everyday for lunch. There's a fun story behind our tuna melting adventures actually, but I won't embarrass her by recounting that one again here (...you can email me if you want to know!) I got the craving again the other night, so I whipped up a few. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can tuna
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 2 tomato slices
• 4 slices thick cut Italian bread (or any bread of your choice)
• 2 slices American cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• Dash of garlic salt

Begin by mixing the tuna, mayonnaise and garlic salt in a bowl together. Next, melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet. Lightly brown each side of each slice of bread (just a minute or so per side), then build out two sandwiches (bread-tuna-tomato-cheese-bread). Heat on the skillet until the cheese (not the meat!) begins to melt. Serve immediately.

Is this a ground-breaking recipe? No. But sometimes we all need to be reminded of the simple joys in life. I suppose this is my reminder that tuna melts are delicious.

Bon chappétit!

crab cakes w/ remoulade sauce

What is a remoulade sauce? I have no idea. What I do know is that it's apparently awesome on crab cakes. Also, apparently crab cakes are really kind of easy to make - who knew?! I guess my mom did, because this recipe came from her. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb. lump crabmeat, drained and flaked (due to the insane cost, I did 8 oz lump crab, 8 oz claw meat - seemed fine to me)
• 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons hot sauce (Frank's or otherwise)
• 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons green onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 2 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk the egg, 3 tablespoons mayo, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 1 tablespoon mustard in a large bowl. Stir in the crabmeat, green onion, parsley, breadcrumbs and 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay and mix well with a fork.

Divide the mixture into 8 portions and shape each portion into a cake, flattening slightly. Cover and chill in the fridge or an hour or so.

When you're ready to cook, heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Sauté the crab cakes in batches for about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve with the remoulade sauce.

But wait - how do you make the remoulade sauce?! Well, while the crab is setting in the fridge, mix together 1/3 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning. Chill and serve with the crab cakes.

Seriously, we were in heaven with these.

Bon chappétit!

chicken rolled w/ asparagus & provolone

Tonight was another attempt to bring chicken back to the forefront, and OMG was it a success! I've been seeing recipes for thinning out chicken and rolling different ingredients inside for awhile, and finally gave one a try. Here's what you'll need:

• 1lb. of chicken breast
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• Provolone
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Breadcrumbs 

Begin by trimming the asparagus ends, and then sautéing for 5-7 minutes in melted butter. While that's going on, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, take a mallet and flatten out your chicken so that it's thin enough to roll up (about 1/4" thick).

In a small bowl, mix the mayo, lemon (zest and juice) and dijon mustard, and add a dash of salt and pepper.

Lay out the chicken, and place a thin piece of provolone on top of each one.  Once the asparagus is done, place 4 or so spears on top of each chicken breast, the roll the chicken (I found it easiest to start with the wider end and roll down to the thinner end).  Use a small toothpick to secure the roll, then place seam-down in a greased baking dish. Brush on a healthy dose of the mayo mix on top of each roll and finish by sprinkling a light layer of breadcrumbs on top. I used Italian style, as that's what I had handy. Bake for about 20 minutes, until until the chicken juice runs clear and the breadcrumbs begin to brown.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this was incredible.  By far, one of the best dishes since I've started the blog. Definitely give it a try.

Bon chappétit!