Roast Beef Reubens

This is one of those recipes I had to make my own since I'm not a big fan of the normal Reuben ingredients - I'm picky about corned beef and really only like it the way my mother makes it, I'm not a big Thousand Island dressing gal, and I pretty much loathe rye bread (wow - I've talked a lot lately about things I DON'T like!). What's even more is I couldn't STAND sauerkraut as a kid and in fact opened all the windows in the house to get the smell out - yet now I like it in certain situations but shhhhh, don't tell my mom!

I decided to try these sandwiches for my wonderful husband who has ordered a Reuben at various restaurants and thus far has only found it at one place where he really likes it - and that just happens to be a bar: The Flying Saucer. This is actually one of our favorite places to go, but that's another story for another day. On to the goods:

INGREDIENTS

***These are all done by personal preference so I don't have measurements.

Bread - I used 9 grain bread because I couldn't find pumpernickel. I think any heavier bread will work.
Deli Sliced Roast Beef
Swiss Cheese slices
Sauerkraut
Spicy brown mustard (or other of your choice)
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Place sauerkraut in small saucepan over low to medium heat.

Heat a grill pan over medium to medium high heat.

Assemble sandwich such that there is a slice of cheese on each slice bread, then top with roast beef, mustard, and sauerkraut. Combine halves to make full sandwich and brush the top side of one piece of bread with olive oil.

Place the sandwich oiled side down in the grill pan and place another pan or panini press on top. Cook until cheese begins to melt and bread has been toasted.

Brush olive oil on the top side of the bread and flip sandwich (fresh oil side is now down). Again place weight on sandwich and cook until cheese on bottom melts. Serve immediately.

This sandwich goes GREAT with a darker beer - our favorite is of course Texas' own Shiner Bock.

7 Random Foodie Facts

In response to my new place on the Foodie Blogroll and my new search obsession, it appears there has been a challenge for all members to list 7 random facts about themselves - so here goes!

1. I won't eat anything that is looking at me and I was ooged out the first time I had to peel LEGS off a shrimp - and I LOVE shrimp. What this means is I won't go into a seafood restaurant and pick out my lobster - if Snapper (he now has a name) is alive when I walk in, then I need to believe he is alive when I walk out. This does NOT mean I am a vegan or refuse to eat meat, I just can't be made to feel guilty while doing in. This also means if my husband catches dinner in our lake, he MUST turn it into meat before asking me to cook it. Yes, I am a little bit crazy, and he loves me anyway.

2. On the same topic, I don't eat meat that is still on the bone - and this has nothing to do with the "animal-likeness" it has. This comes from me being picky and the fact that meat on the bone has too much stuff that appears as something OTHER than meat to me - ie grisle, etc. So, in fact I WILL eat it, but I end up eating about half of it because the remaining portion is questionable in my eyes. This also holds true for buffalo wings, but I don't like buffalo sauce, celery, or the blue cheese dressing - so this snack is completely lost on me.

3. I can make an entire meal out of potatoes - and often did as a kid. A trip to a buffet-style restaurant ended up with a plate of roasted new potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, and a baked potato. Oh - and a roll, so I guess my love is carbs more than potatoes, but still.

4. I have a cat, well, actually 2 cats, but I have one cat that barks. At night. About 15 minutes after I go to bed. I will be just about to sleep and I'll hear her, dragging her toy down the hallway and barking. This cat can NOT meow and earned her name Squeakers. But, she can bark. Loudly. It is quite possibly the funniest cat noise I have ever heard.

5. I have a job where I cannot wear perfume, make-up, scented lotions, hair products, or contacts. I love it. I also find it quite humorous when I meet another lady who hears this and claims that she could NEVER have a job like that. Strange I think since it shortens my morning, allows me to go to the gym at lunch and shower without the extended time to finish myself, as well as saves LOADS of money since I don't go through this stuff so fast. On the other hand, it makes me lazy on the weekends and I have to admit I wear make-up less than every weekend. Luckily, my husband loves me and knew this to begin with.

6. I can touch my tongue to my nose. No further explanation needed.

7. I have no idea if I am allergic to poison ivy - which my dad tells me means I'm not, but still. My mother is HIGHLY allergic and my dad is not, so it seems like I have a 50/50 chance - but who is going to PURPOSELY play in poison ivy just to find out? Not I.

So, there you go. Now you know a little more about me and my quirkiness. And - you also know why you will not see a lobster recipe or a chicken leg recipe any time soon.

Mediterranean White Fish and Couscous

After my husband and I got married in October, we vowed to do "China Sunday's" to encourage us to 1) sit down to dinner together at the table and 2) use the wonderful china we received at our wedding. We are also hoping this catches on to more days of the week and becomes a normal evening dinner before we have children since I don't want to raise them with eating out all the time or eating in front of the TV. This routine of China Sunday went to the wayside for the past month or so due to a variety of circumstances, but we are eagerly trying to start it up again - and while today is Monday, it was a holiday so we considered it our Sunday.

With this in mind and not feeling manwich and taco's are China worthy, I made a menu for the week and this seafood dish was the winner for today - partly because I felt it had the best presentation potential and partly because I didn't want to freeze the fresh fish. Knowing that my husband loves olives and fish, and my doctor (as well as the rest of the health world) has told me to eat more fish, I felt this would be a great addition to our normal meal rotation - and it was a hit.

As with all recipes, feel free to substitute and alter as you see fit, but remember that changing what is listed may not always yield satisfactory results. I hope you enjoy!

COUSCOUS
INGREDIENTS

1 C water
1 C couscous
1 C halved grape tomatoes
1/4 C chopped olives (I used green, although the recipe called for kalamata)
3 Tbl chopped red onion
2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
Juice from half lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large clove crushed garlic
1 Tbl olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Bring 1 C water to boil. Add couscous, stir, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for about 5-6 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Mix couscous with remaining ingredients in large bowl, ensuring it is mixed well. Set aside while you prepare the fish.

WHITE FISH

INGREDIENTS

4 white fish fillets such as Mahimahi or tilapia
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
12 Lemon slices (about 1 1/2 lemons)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare parchment paper for fish fillets. I use the Cooking Light method of cutting a large heart shape into the paper, placing the fillet in the center and fold paper over it, then begin rolling the edges together starting opposite the point, then using the point end to seal it.

Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and place onto the parchment paper. Drizzle about a Tbl of olive oil and top with 3 lemon slices. Seal the parchment paper and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 12-13 minutes at 425. Remove and serve immediately with couscous.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork

Wow. This is one of those recipes you wonder how you got along without. Simple and yet so amazing. You can bet this will be added to our standard rotation. We served this up with a side of potato salad and come fresh corn on the cob and it was the perfect spring dinner following a busy day. I have a feeling this is going to make some absolutely marvelous left overs as well.

INGREDIENTS

~3 lb pork loin

1 can beef broth

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Onions (optional)

Buns

DIRECTIONS

Trim fat form pork loin and place in slow cooker. Top with beef broth and add water until entire loin is submerged. Depending on how it fits, you can always add another can of beef broth. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours.

Remove from cooker and shred meat with forks. Since this is to be sued as sandwich meat, use this to determine how much you'll need to shred the meat.

Drain broth into separate bowl and place shredded pork back into cooker. Mix in bottle of BBQ sauce and add broth if you feel it needs more juice. Cook on low for 1-2 hours.

Serve on buns, topped with onions or your choice of other toppings.