Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

This recipe comes courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa.  What makes this dessert so special is the addition of black pepper.  Black pepper goes very well with strawberries.  I actually added a little extra pepper to the panna cotta itself.  I doubled the recipe and must not have put in enough gelatin because the panna cotta did not set as it should.  So, we had a pudding panna cotta!  Just served it in the ramekins instead of the cotta sitting prettily on the plate surrounded by the strawberries. Also be sure and use a "real" balsamic instead of some so called balsamic which is actually vinegar with caramel coloring.  Go to one of those olive oil stores that have popped up and get a nice balsamic.  I used a 5 year barrel aged.   My guests wanted to wallow in it.  This is a great summer dessert after a heavy meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 pints (4 cups) sliced fresh strawberries
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated lemon zest, for serving

Directions
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream and the 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, add the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve. Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and pepper 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Set aside at room temperature.
To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramkein and dip the bottom of each ramekin quickly in a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate and surround the panna cotta with strawberries. 
Dust lightly with freshly grated lemon zest and serve.

2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved




Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/panna-cotta-with-balsamic-strawberries-recipe.html?oc=linkback

A Big Piece of Meat: T-Bone Fiorentina

I've seen Mario Batali make this on one of his shows.  He uses a 3 inch think, 3 lb. T-Bone.  Yowza.  I did it though.  It makes one impressive presentation.  Mario simply says, "place meat on grill and cook until well charred."  Excuse me but there's a lot of olive oil on that meat as well as fat.  You need to watch this thing like crazy or you're going to have hockey pucks for dinner.  Giant one's, though. Also, none of our friends eat rare meat so I cooked them for 30 minutes and then rested it. It turned out spectacularly. I had med rare to med.   Oh, I do steak the Tuscan way by grilling lemons and then before serving, squeeze on the steak. Enjoy.

Makes 4

1 tbls. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbls. chopped fresh sage

1 tbls. chopped fresh thyme

2 tbls. kosher salt, more to taste

2 tbls. freshly groun pepper, plus more to taste

1 T-bone, at least 3 inches thick, 3-3 1/2 lbs.

2 tbls. pure olive oil

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 lbs. baby spinach, stems removed, washed and spun dry

2 lemons, halved

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbls. coarse salt

Preheat the grill (I have gas so I got it to 500 degrees)

In a small bowl mix together all of the spices including salt and pepper. Add in the 2 tbls. olive oil.  Mix.  Pat the steak dry and smoother the steak with the spice/oil mixture.  Place on a clean grill and cook until well charred (note above) about 12 minutes, turn and then cook an additional 9 minutes for rare.  Remove from grill and let rest for 8 minutes.  While resting, place the lemons cut side down and grill for 5-7 minutes until they are well charred.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of the EXVO over high heat until smoking.  Add the garlic and cook until light brown.  Be careful not to burn them.  Add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice and  salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Carve the filet and the strip from the bone and slice.  Divide the steak among four plates, squeeze grilled lemon on each and plate with the spinach.  Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil.  Season with coarse salt.  Serve.

Grandma Susie's Meatballs

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe before.  A friend asked me for it but I guess I just had it in my head.  My mother in law, raised and died in Little Italy, NYC, taught me this recipe.  I use a good canned marinara because once you cook the balls of meat in the sauce, all of the goodness seeps into the sauce.  Mangia!

Makes 28 balls of meat

1 lb. ground lean beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
2-3 large eggs, whisked
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbls. chopped Italian parsley
1/2 small garlic glove, minced
1 small yellow onion grated
1 1/2 to 2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
Marinara sauce of choice
Pasta of choice, I use ziti or some other thick pasta NEVER angel hair...

In a bowl, combine beef, veal and pork.  Add the cheese, parsley, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.  Using your hands, blend the ingredients together.  Add 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs.  Then half of the whisked eggs.  You want the mixture moist but still holds its shape when you make the meatball so you may need to add more egg or more bread crumbs.  Make the balls 2 1/2 to 3 inches in size.  I use an ice cream scoop.

Heat the oil in large saute pan.  When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the meatballs in batches.  Once one side is nice and brown and crisp, turn.  Do the same for the other side.  My mother in law would put enough oil in the pan to practically submerge the ball.  In this day of healthy eating, I usually have enough oil to come 1/2 way the ball.  Remove the ball and put on a paper towel to drain.

Meanwhile, heat up your marinara.  When the sauce is nice and bubbly, add the meatballs until they are submerged.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes.  My husband always does the taste test to see if they're done.  Cook your pasta until al dente, drain, put pasta back in pot, turn heat to med high, add a large scoop of sauce to pasta and stir to coat pasta.  Add more sauce if needed but don't over sauce.  We simply want the sauce coated.  Put pasta in a bowl and serve meatballs and remaining sauce in another bowl.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crushed red peppers.

Beef and Red Wine Broth

I used this broth as a gift for friends to have on New Year's day.  I called it a "restorative":))  It's a great recipe from a great cook book, The Silver Palate Cook Book.  The cook book is a wonderful gift for newly weds.  I don't make beef stock/broth from scratch.  I use either the organic kind from either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  By the time you simmer all of these wonderful veggies in the broth, you have a dynamo of a sipping broth.  I made 4X the amount and it made about 6 quarts.  I also roughly chopped the vegetables.  You're going to strain them out so no need to be a perfectionist here.

4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
8-10 garlic cloves (about 1/2 of a small head) peeled and chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
5 cups good beef stock/broth
1 cup dry red wine (avoid any with oak hints)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
If you so wish 1 cup small pasta (pastina, shells)
grated Parmesan

Melt the butter in a soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, parsnips and chopped garlic and cook, covered, over low heat until veggies are tender and lightly colored, around 25 minutes.  Add chopped parsley, beef stock, and wine and season with salt and pepper.  Set over medium heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.  If you want to add the pasta, cook about 15 minutes before soup is ready and add after soup has been strained.  Pour the soup through a fine strainer and discard the solids.  Return the broth to the pot, add pasta, if you wish, simmer for a few minutes.  Serve immediately with grated Parmesan.

Easy Salad Using Winter Fruit

This salad is so simple and it is great with a heavy entree.  Simply wash and dry however much ARUGULA you want to use.  Then core and thinly slice a PEAR or GREEN APPLE. If you are going to wait to use the fruit, in a large bowl fill with ice water and a tablespoon or so of lemon juice.  Let sit for 7 minutes and then drain and pat dry.  Place fruit in a plastic bag with a paper towel in it.   When ready to use, toss with arugula.  Then at the last minute toss with the vinaigrette recipe.  You could even add some crumbles of goat cheese or blue cheese.  I did find a great lemon/cracked pepper vinaigrette at Whole Foods. It certainly made this salad VERY easy...

ingredients

• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon or basil (optional)

• preparation

  Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with 3/4 teaspoon salt.
  Whisk together garlic paste, pepper, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and mustard, then whisk in oil until emulsified.
  Whisk in herb, if using.

Tarragon Roasted Halibut

Looking for a fish lite dish to cut through all of the party food?  Looking for a dish to stay trim and fit?  Then this is a dish for you.  And on top of that, it's simple.  

If using skin-on hazelnuts, rub them inside a clean kitchen towel after they've been toasted—the skins will slip right off. Serve the fish with a lightly dressed butter lettuce and herb salad.

photo by Christopher Baker

Serves 6-8

ingredients

• 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts
• 1 large bunch fresh tarragon
• 1 3-3 1/2-pounds skinless halibut fillet (halved lengthwise if very wide)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Lemon halves

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Coarsely chop; set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Scatter tarragon sprigs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place halibut on top, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until halibut is just opaque in the center, 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (don't let it burn), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let brown butter cool slightly. Stir in lemon juice, hazelnuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

I know.  Americans don't like to eat shrimp with the heads and tails on.  But it makes for a more flavorful dish.  Just have plenty of paper towels, bowls and lemon water to wash the digits...
Serves 4

photo by Linda Pulgiese, food styling by Chelsea Zimmer

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 pound jumbo Louisiana shrimp, peeled, leaving heads and tails on
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 cup Abita or other amber beer
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves
• 1 loaf French bread, thickly sliced on the diagonal and warmed

preparation

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute on each side. Increase the heat to high and add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes, then remove the shrimp from skillet.

Steak with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

There is almost nothing better than steak, mushrooms and red wine.  And pair that with some great roasted vegetable, and you've got a great meal.

Serves 6

photo by Con Poulos

• 6 skirt steaks, 4 ounces each
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 pound French or regular carrots
• 1/4 pound baby summer squash, halved
• 1/4 pound pearl onions, peeled and halved
• 1/4 pound brussels sprouts, halved
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
• 4 ounces portobello mushrooms
• 4 ounces button mushrooms

• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/3 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
• 24 ounces low-sodium beef broth
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 ounces tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

preparation

Season steaks with salt and black pepper. On a grill pan coated with cooking spray, cook steaks over medium-high heat, turning once, until pink inside, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and cover with foil. In a bowl, toss carrots, squash, pearl onions and sprouts in 1/2 tablespoon oil. Over medium heat, in batches and turning once, cook until soft and seared, 6 minutes. In a large pan over medium heat, heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Slice mushrooms; to pan, add mushrooms, white onion and garlic; cook until onion browns, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. In a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water. Reduce heat and slowly add cornstarch mixture to broth mixture, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning and salt and black pepper; simmer 7 to 10 minutes. Slice steak, top with mushroom sauce; serve alongside vegetables.

Per serving: 369 calories, 19 g fat (6 g saturated), 20 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 30 g protein

Five Spice Fall Fruit Salad

This is great for a winter brunch.  Always need some balance to that bacon and eggs dish...

Serves 6-8

photo by Tara Donne, food styling by Diana Yen

ingredients

• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 black plums, pitted and sliced
• 5 red plums, pitted and sliced
• 8 figs

preparation

Place 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Add the honey, vanilla bean pod with seeds, ginger, and five-spice powder. Bring to a boil and stir until honey dissolves. Set aside to cool completely, and stir in lemon juice. Discard ginger and vanilla bean pod.

In a large bowl, pour cooled syrup over the sliced plums. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

An hour before serving, slice figs in half and gently fold into plum mixture. To serve, use a slotted spoon to ladle fruit into a serving bowl.

do ahead:Syrup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Sauteed Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

This is a perfect marriage of foods.  You have the sweetness of the potato, the tartness of the apple and mustard, and the juicy goodness of pork chops.  I think I  might even throw in some crisped bacon...

Photo by Jody Horton

Serves 2
ingredients

• 1/2 cup/120 ml apple cider or juice, plus more if needed
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Salt
• 2 boneless, center-cut loin pork chops, about 3/4 in/2 cm thick
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium sweet potato, about 1/2 lb/225 g, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 Braeburn, Gala, or other sweet-tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard, smooth or whole-grain (see "it's that easy")
• 2 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

• preparation

1. Combine the cider, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt in a cup. Set aside.

2. Pat the pork chops dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the seasoned pork chops to the pan and cook until lightly browned on the first side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the pork chops to a plate. (They will not be cooked through at this point.)

4. Add the sweet potato, apple, shallot, cider mixture, and a grind or two of pepper to the hot pan. Bring it all to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low or low—the pan should bubble, but not too aggressively. Cook the potato mixture until a fork easily pierces the partially cooked potato but there is still some resistance, about 10 minutes.

5. Return the pork chops to the pan (along with any juices accumulated on the plate) and nestle them into the potatoes and apples. Cover and cook until the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

6. Transfer the pork chops, potatoes, and apples to two warmed plates. There should be some liquid remaining in the pan to serve as a base for the sauce. (If the potatoes have absorbed all of the liquid, add 2 to 3 tbsp cider to the pan and heat it briefly over medium heat.) Stir the mustard into the pan juices with a fork. Taste the sauce and add more pepper if it needs it.

7. Spoon the sauce over the meat and vegetables, sprinkle the parsley over the top, and serve hot.

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I love brussels sprouts and I love heat.  So, here's the perfect marriage.

Photo by Erin McDowell

Makes 4-6 side dish servings

Ingredients

1½ pounds brussels sprouts

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup rice-wine vinegar

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons Sriracha, or more to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the base away from the brussels sprouts and discard. Cut the sprouts in half.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, honey and Sriracha to combine. Add the brussels sprouts and toss until they are fully coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spread the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet, cut sides down. Pour any extra olive-oil mixture onto the pan and tilt the pan around to distribute it.

4. Roast until the sprouts are crispy on the outside and golden and caramelized on the cut sides, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Read more: Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts | Recipes - PureWow 

Spiced Sweet Potato Bundt Cake

Looking for something different to bake?  This is addictive.  Even the chocolate sauce:))

ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, plus more
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour plus more
• 1 1/2 lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into large pieces
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• Chocolate-Chicory Sauce

Special Equipment:

• 12-cup Bundt pan

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour pan.

In a medium pot, cover sweet potatoes with water. Bring to a boil; cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a bowl.

Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cooked sweet potatoes and eggs on medium speed until smooth. Add melted butter and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer and, with a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely in pan, about 1 hour. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert a rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack to cool.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce before serving.

cooks' note:Cake can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

ingredients

• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brewed chicory coffee, such as Café du Monde brand
• 1 cinnamon stick

preparation

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine cream, coffee, and cinnamon stick; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate.

Let stand, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick; whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is blended and smooth.

Reprinted from Brown Sugar Kitchen, by Tanya Holland with Jan Newberry, copyright 2014. Published by Chronicle Books.

Easiest Mashed Potatoes

This is a wonderful way to make mashed potatoes ahead of time.  Serve with your turkey or roasted chicken.  You can always make it lighter by using 2% skim milk or lower fat butter.

20-MINUTE MASHED POTATOES

A PureWow Original Recipe

MAKES 6 TO 8 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS START TO FINISH: 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS 4 russet potatoes, peeled and finely chopped  2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 5 tablespoons butter, divided  2 cups whole milk  1 tablespoon salt, plus more as needed  2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed  ½ cup sour cream   DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium pot, combine the potatoes with the garlic, 2 tablespoons butter, milk, salt and pepper. (Note: The milk should come at least three-quarters of the way up the potatoes. If it doesn’t, use a smaller pot. Do not add more milk.) 2. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes over a bowl and reserve the starchy cooking milk. 3. Return the potatoes to the pot or place them in a bowl. Use a potato masher or large fork to mash the potatoes, adding the milk back ¼ cup at a time until you achieve your desired texture (for thicker mashed potatoes, use less milk; for a thinner consistency, use up to 1 cup). Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the sour cream. Taste the mashed potatoes (lucky you) and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. 4. Serve the potatoes piping-hot, right away. If you want to make them ahead of time, transfer the potatoes into a heat-safe serving dish and top with pieces of butter (about 2 tablespoons, chopped). Refrigerate until ready to serve, then reheat in the microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes. Resist the urge to stir too much, as doing so can make the potatoes gluey

Wasabi Salmon with Bok Choy, Green Cabbage an Shiitake Mushrooms

I love these type of dishes.  Growing up in South Texas we never ate salmon, bok choy or shiitake mushrooms.  We ate either La Choy or Chung King.  This is not only delicious but very good for you.

Photo by Romulo Yanes

Save time by purchasing sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms and wasabi paste in a tube. If the paste isn't available, mix 2 teaspoons wasabi powder with 1 tablespoon water. 

Texas Beef Brisket Chili

I'm from Texas and I learned early on that you do not use ground meat to make chili.  This is an updated "modern" style chili.  Not at all traditional but that doesn't mean it can't be good.  It is!  Serve with warmed tortillas, cornbread, and top with chopped pickled jalapenos, Cotija cheese.
Serves 8-10

Photo by Craig Cutler

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken soup is an automatic crowd-pleaser, but this Mexican-inspired tortilla soup does the classic one better. Homemade broth is key here, providing a base for brown rice, black beans, and chunks of sweet potato. Cooling pieces of avocado play off of a warm, earthy undercurrent of chipotle chiles.  Instead of making stock, Swanson makes a great rotisserie stock.  Use that if making stock doesn't interest you  Serves 10-12.

Photo by Romulo Yanes

Beer Brined Chicken with Thyme

I normally brine my chicken in water, brown sugar, bay leaves, kosher salt and peppercorns.  Here is a different take.  Sounds good to me:))  Serves 4.  Timing depends on how you intend to cook it.  Here it's roasted but just as easy to cook on the grill.

Grilled Meatball Sandwich with Pesto Sauce

Photo by Alex Farnum

Although we don't follow any fashion rules as dictated by a calendar, this might be an after-Labor Day sandwich because it can be sloppy. If you don't have sauce on your face you aren't eating it right. And if we hear a fork or knife clanking on the plate, there will be hell to pay.

Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs

Photo by Romulo Yanes

This Mexican dish of tortilla chips smothered in chile sauce is just as good for dinner as it is for breakfast. If you don't want to make your own chips, substitute your favorite brand, but don't skimp on the garnishes; they add color and freshness.

Roast Salmon with Broccoli and Chili, Caper Vinaigrette

Photo by Hersheimer and Hamilton

This my type of dish.  The peppers and capers cut through the oil of the fish and salmon always goes well with broccoli.  Serves 4.