Simple Measure

I think I can safely say that all the craziness is over. Today we wheeled the last few boxes to our new apartment in what’s been a scattered two week moving process.

But moving is pretty mundane compared to how September closed out — with Amanda and Jason’s wedding in the Catskills. Talk about three days of jaw-dropping gorgeous scenery, dancing like crazy and laughing so hard it hurts.

Jared and I felt pretty lucky. We were able to fly in to Manhattan early and catch a ride to mountain country with the bride and groom. Two hours to catch up, laugh, and get the lowdown on the exciting weekend ahead.

Near the end of the trip we pulled off at an eclectic little restaurant to grab dinner. Jason and Amanda had a hunch we’d like The Eggs Nest, which devotes an entire section of the menu to tempeh dishes.

When I saw the reuben listed, I had no choice but to order it– I get one whenever I spy it on a menu. After the first awesome sauerkraut-y bite, I put my fork down and announced to the table:

“Oh yeah, I’ve GOT to make this when I get home.”

For someone who loves veggie reubens as much as I do, it’s hard to believe I’ve never made them before. So here’s my tribute to that king daddy of all diner sandwiches: the reuben.

It’s one hell of a (veggie) sandwich.

Tempeh Reuben Sandwiches

I baked my sandwiches, but you might try broiling them. As long as the sandwiches come out melty and toasty, it’s all good. Oh, and I should mention, I’ve never actually had an honest to goodness real corned beef reuben. So this may be a little different if you’re used to the traditional version. But trust me, it’s soo good.

2 eight oz. packages soy tempeh

12 slices rye or pumpernickel bread

1/2 pound swiss cheese, sliced

1 small onion, sliced thinly

Sauerkraut (I’m a fan of Bubbies)

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Thousand Island dressing

For marinade

2 Tbs shoyu or soy sauce

1 Tbs vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

1/4 Tsp. paprika

1/4 Tsp. cumin

1 clove garlic, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Halve each cake of tempeh lengthwise, then halve again so you have 8 slices of tempeh. Cover with marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 10 minutes. Add tempeh and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Turn heat up to medium high and cook tempeh for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Build sandwich by placing tempeh on a slice of bread, followed by onions from the pan, cheese, and sauerkraut. Top with remaining slice of bread and wrap in tinfoil.

4. Bake in oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is beginning to toast.

Serve with Thousand Island dressing on the side with tortilla chips and a pickle.

Makes 6 sandwiches

Life has been keeping me busy lately. Between my schedule changing at work and all the craziness of moving into a new apartment, I haven’t been cooking much at all. I haven’t even been thinking about food as much as I normally do.

But now I’m settled into my new place, and I’ve fallen in love with my kitchen. It gets beautiful light in the morning, and lately I’ve been spending time sitting at the table, just drinking coffee and reading. It’s the perfect place to flip through cookbooks and dream of everything I want to make this fall.

I thought I would return to blogging with an old simple favorite of mine. It’s a sandwich that I want to eat all the time, and I’m sure you’ve tried a variation of it before. It’s just good bread, good cheese, and granny smith apple all toasted up in the oven.

You can make this sandwich with any cheese that melts easily, like sharp cheddar or swiss. I like to make mine with Tomme de Savoie, which is an earthy-tasting French raw milk cheese. I always keep my version plain, but feel free to add some veggies or bacon if you want a heartier sandwich.

Tomme de Savoie and Granny Smith Sandwich

Serves two

1 demi baguette, halved twice to make 4 slices

Hunk of Tomme de Savoie

1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thinly

Butter

Oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread a generous amount of butter on each slice of bread.

3. Place about three or four slices of apple on top.

4. Put enough cheese on the bread to cover the surface.

5. Sprinkle oregano over everything.

6. Place on a baking sheet and bake until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.

It’s a nice warm day in Chicago, 80 degrees with just a little breeze to take the edge off things. So why do I feel like making a pasta dish when the day begs for a light green salad? I guess I just have to obey the gut, and the gut says go big.

With the exception of Jared’s Macaroni and Cheese, I haven’t eaten pasta in months. It’s kind of fallen out of my repertoire lately, and it’s high time to re-visit old territory.

Today I thought I would take a cue from my friend Simon, who often whips up meals for himself based on the contents of my pantry and fridge. He loves to make olive oil based pasta dishes, using whatever is on hand.

After a trip to the store, I brought home all of the essentials to make a true Simon dish: sun-dried tomato paste, capers, and goat cheese.

Toss in some fresh Italian parsley, olive oil, and cracked black pepper and I’ve got the perfect pasta dish for any type of weather.

Pasta with Capers and Sundried Tomatoes

8 oz whole wheat fusili

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs capers, minced

1 1/2 Tbs sundried tomato paste

1 cup fresh parsley, minced

3 oz goat cheese, crumbled (I used Bucheron de Chevre)

Cracked black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large stockpot filled halfway with water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

2. In a medium saucepan, warm the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add capers, sundried tomato paste and parsley, stirring to combine. Heat for two minutes.

3. Add the olive oil mixture to pasta and stir together. Add the chevre and black pepper.

Serves two.

When it’s your birthday, you don’t cook. You sit back, relax, and let some special cooking come to you.

That was the plan last Wednesday when we celebrated Jared’s birthday with a few close friends. While he wasn’t banned from the kitchen entirely, his biggest task was telling me in advance what he’d like to see on the menu.

No rules apply to the birthday dinner. Kind of like the prisoner’s last meal, without the morbidity.

So what made the cut? Jared picked macaroni and cheese and this. Like I said, on your birthday, anything goes.

I based the mac and cheese on Mom’s recipe, fancied up a bit. Years ago she revealed the special secret ingredient that made her version of this classic so good – Worcestershire sauce.

These days I shy away from anchovies, but Annie’s Naturals Worcestershire sauce is a near-identical vegetarian substitution.

My rule for making a dish as rich as this: go ALL out. When you’re already committing yourself to a plateful of pasta and cheese, why cut corners and calories in the preparation?

So in goes the butter, the whole fat milk, the sinful amounts of cheese. What comes out of the oven is a decadent comfort food that all our guests enjoyed, especially the birthday boy.

Happy birthday Jared!

3-Cheese Baked Macaroni

Jared selected the noodle shapes, and the cheeses. Ementhaler and Gruyere usually elbow for room in the fondue pot, but they also add an earthy, nutty kick to the cheese sauce used here.

1 lb cavatelli noodles

1 lb 2-year Grafton cheddar cheese, shredded. (your favorite cheddar will also do the trick)

1/2 lb Emennthaler cheese, shredded

1/2 lb Gruyere, shredded

2 cups whole milk

1/2 stick salted butter, roughly diced

1 cup whole wheat panko-style bread crumbs

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, regular or vegetarian

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

cracked pepper to taste

1 cup scallions, chopped for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta al dente and drain. Set aside.

2. Heat butter and milk in saucepan over medium-low heat until blended. Add cheese, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted into the sauce.

3. Stir pasta and cheese sauce together in a large casserole dish until pasta is well coated. Top with breadcrumbs.

4. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand, 10 minutes.

5. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Serves 5