The Best Grilled Cheese Panini

I'm already munching on it. Quick take a pic so I can have my food.

I had a dream. One of many food dreams. I had a dream that I was eating the best grilled cheese sandwich in the world (I guess that's what pregnancy does to me). So I started researching how to make the best grilled cheese sandwich because let's face it - it's all in the cheese. 

After few blogs, Foodnetwork shows and cooking books I found my cheese. Muenster cheese. 

I can't pronounce it correct because it sounds like monster.

OH MY GOODNESS! This cheese is like a piece of heaven on Earth. 

I give you my very own take on the whole grilled cheese thing. And let me tell you, it's better not have anyone around when you are eating it. You wouldn't want to share.

At least don't have any hungry pregnant women around you - they do not share their food. 

Take it from me. Da pregnant one.

Ingredients:

2 slices of deli cut Muenster Cheese

2 pieces of Wheat Bread

1 medium yellow tomato

3 thin slices of Canadian Bacon

butter

Preparation: 

Cut tomato into very thin slices and preheat the panini maker. Non stick skillet will suffice if you don't have panini maker.

Put slices of cheese on both bread pieces and pile on tomatoes and Canadian bacon in the middle. 

Lightly grease the cooking surface with butter and set it on medium heat. 

Make sure the cheese is nicely melted and hot all the way through. 

I know you are hungry but give it some time and don't rush the perfection. 

Check on the panini or turn it over, if you are using skillet.

I sliced up more tomatoes for the side because they are from my aunt's garden and 

ohhhh so deliciously sweet.

Ta-Da! 

Go ahead enjoy it. I won't look.

From Russia With Love

Olga's Flavor Factory - Cold Beet Soup

The weather is frowning at us and I'm just going to make a bit pout lip and not get all dressed up his morning. Instead, I'm making good food. Sometimes, I crave something from mother Russia and then call up my mom to ask how it's made. Well, today is one of those days. I already called up mom and she gave me all the tips and tricks, so I can get to work. I'm making a truly authentic Russian dish - a cold beet soup, served with hot potatoes. We Russians put beets into everything (almost) and here in US they are hard to find at times. So here goes the recipe, which I found on another blog by a great young Russian cook, and let me tell you, she does a great job with recipes. I encourage you to try this recipe on a hot summer day - you will thanks me. Enjoy!

It's Delicious. It's Pizza.

In an effort to eat more healthy and stay within our budget, I decided to try to make a pizza. Maybe for some of you it's a piece of cake (yuummmmm, cake....) but for me it's kinda of big deal. It's hard to get it right when your oven isn't even and parts burn while others are under cooked. So I found this recipe in Cooking Light Magazine that I get and let me tell you, it's delicious! Very easy too!

Recipe is from the Cooking Light Website but I also added some prosciutto, which was an idea from another recipe.
ENJOY!

Mommy Day

For this Mother's Day I am planning on honoring my beautiful and amazing mothers (my mom and in-law). The word mom encompasses so much that it's hard to define what it is really like to be a 'mom'. I'm not a mother myself (yet) but all I know is that it's the toughest job in the world. I know that it's the most rewarding job also although we do bring disappointments to our moms at times. There is nothing that says that you care more than a gift with thought, so here is a quick and easy recipe your mom is bound to love!
Have a great weekend ladies (mommies or not)!

Ingredients:
1 cup Whipping Cream
1tsp vanilla
1 tbsp confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp cool whip
2 (1lb each) packages of strawberries (or any other berries)
1 round angel food cake

Equipment:
Hand-held or stand mixer
Truffle Bowl

Preparation:1. To make sure you will get stiff, fluffy cream put the mixer bowl, whisk and whipping cream into freezer for about 15 minutes ***very important step***
2. Wash and cut strawberries
3. Cut the angel food cake across, splitting it into two halves; then cut about 2 in pieces
4. Layer the angel food cake on the bottom and spread half the strawberries evenly on top

5. Cover the strawberries with half of the whipped cream 

6. Again layer the angle food cake, then cream and top with strawberries (if you add other berries it will look even better)
7. Cool in the fridge for about 2-3 hours

8. Serve and enjoy!

P.S. If you want a little more dzing to your dessert, pour a little orange liquor over the angel food cake.


P.P.S. I'm also made these to bring over to moms' houses. They are a little bit of work but every bite is worth it!

Hillbilly Breakfast

Last Sunday night we went out to our friends' house and had breakfast for dinner. My girlfriend is a great cook of all things breakfast and made a delicious hash brown casserole, which I haven't mastered yet. She also made biscuits and gravy and, let me tell you, those were the best biscuits and gravy I have ever had. So the boys devoured the food (I had only 2) and I was left with a craving for more.  Today I finally had the time to make some. My recipe is a combination of Pioneer Woman's Biscuits and Gravy and what I saw my friend do on Sunday (I was hanging in the kitchen with the girls).

So here it is:
10oz pork sausage (or ground pork)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sausage fat
1/4 cup of flour
3 cups of 2%milk
8 biscuits
salt and pepper

Place the sausage into a warm skillet and cook through until there is no more pink. Drain sausage and reserve the fat. In a clean skillet melt butter, then add flour constantly whisking on medium heat. Cook roux until it's starting to change color and getting a little yellow. At this point put the biscuits in oven and follow the directions on the box. Start adding more milk a little at a time on low/medium heat. (DO NOT add all the milk at a time, you will get clumps). While whisking the roux add more milk and stirring  to make sure it's all absorbed until you run out of milk. Cook the sauce on low heat, adding 1tbsp of pork fat, salt and pepper to taste. Add sausage to the sauce and mix well. Once your biscuits are done, you are ready to devour this goodness and never to look back!
I served them with scrambled eggs and OJ.
Enjoy!

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

So here is my first recipe.
I love avocados and literally eat them with everything and by themselves. They are a very healthy supply of essential oil and supposed to be good for your skin. So here is a recipe of classic bruschetta with my favorite avocado, very and easy and quick.

Ingredients:
8 pieces of French Baguette (Vienna Bread)
2 Tomatoes
4 Basil Leaves
1Avocado
Salt, Pepper
Olive Oil
Unsalted Butter

How To:

Cut the baguette into 1inch pieces and places them on the top rack of you oven with broil setting on. Make sure you only broil them for about 30 seconds because they burn fast. Cut up tomatoes into small pieces along with basil leave, add salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil to taste. Take the bread out of the oven and spread butter onto the warm surface so it melts. Peal and cut avocados thinly and places 3-4 slices on every piece of bread. Top the bread with tomatoes and serve immediately.