Jamon Iberico de Bellota & Aged Manchego on Baugette

This is the best ham and cheese one can make. Jamon Iberico de Bellota is the most expensive and tasty ham in the world.  Wild pigs that feed on acorns and roam the Spanish county side are cured for 36 month to create this intense and long lasting flavorful meat.  The classic Spanish Manchego cheese is aged for up to two years.  I bought a baguette from Balthazar bakery in NYC and gave it a light swipe of dijon mustard then added the ham and cheese.  Simple but incredible.

Breakfast Napolean

Good morning!! That's what this day turned into for sure.  I was going to make a pedestrian omelette when this idea came out of no where.  This cost about $8, takes 20 minutes and feeds one.

Breakfast Napolean

2 organic eggs, seperated
1/2 hass avocado
2 cups spinach, uncooked
1/4 white onion, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
2 slices of maple glazed ham roast
2 slices aged Irish white cheddar
salt and pepper
1/2 stick butter

This whole dish was done using a single large ring mold that has been greased.  First cut the ham with the ring mold.  Then start two sautee pans on medium heat.  In one sautee onions and peppers with a little butter until soft.  In the other pan place the ring mold inside the pan and cook half of the egg whites.  Once the one side is firm turn the entire ring mold with a spatula to cook the other side.  Set aside.  Do this again for the rest of the egg whites, and then do it for the egg yolks.  Set aside.  Sautee the spinach with a little butter.  Now using the next size smaller ring mold, begin stacking the items to your liking.  If you do it right it will all stand up together perfectly.  This is one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.  Buon apetito!!

Cubano Pressed Sandwich

This is Miami and I love sandwiches so this was a natural, surprised it took this long to do this. This classic costs $7 takes 15 minutes and feeds 2.

Cuban Sandwich
2 Cuban Rolls - sorry there is no substitute
1/3 lb roasted pork
1/3 lb roasted ham
4 sliced bread and butter pickles
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown mustard

Mustard both sides of the cut roll. Place pork on bottom followed by ham, pickles, then cheese on top. Place it on the panini press for a few minutes and press down. Slice and serve. Oye, que vola?

Rosemary Ham and Maple Roast Turkey with Asiago Cheese

Another in the long line of panini sandwiches. This one has some delicious rosemary ham and maple roast turkey with heirloom tomatoes, honey mustard, and some asiago cheese on potato bread. I threw in some nice red cherries to make it a meal. Enjoy!

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Ham and Fontina Panini

Ham and cheese is a classic. I used Boarshead Maple Glazed Ham and some slightly aged Fontina. Fontina is a soft, cow's milk Italian cheese from the Aosta Valley in North West Italy. It is soft when young, but aged Fontina becomes hard and more pungent. Its great either way but for a panini the younger and softer is better. I also used some arugula, sliced red delicious apple and a strawberry mustard dressing as toppings. 2 Sandwiches for about $5. Takes 10 minutes.

Ham and Fontina Panini

4 slices of 5 grain Italian Bread, 3/8" slice
1/4 lb maple glazed maple, split between the two sandwiches
1/8 Fontina cheese, thin sliced, spilt between the two sandwiches
1/2 red delicious apple, thin sliced
1 handful fresh arugula

Strawberry Mustard Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon strawberry preserves

Dress all four pieces of bread on one side. Lay ham down, folding it into three. Top it with the sliced apple then arugula. Now lay two slices of cheese on top. Press for 2 to 3 minutes on the panini press. Let it rest on a baking rack for a few minutes to cool. Slice and serve with some grapes for a great lunch.

Chicken Cordon Bleu in Mushroom Cream Sauce with Wilted Spinach

This was the first complex recipe dish I had ever made. It was all grilled cheese and bologna sandwiches before this. The reason for cooking was my first real "date" and I wanted to impress, I think I was about 16. It was a challenge for my first culinary endeavorer but I got it done with some short cuts and both the food and date worked out well. Looking back, that was an amazing day. This is my current version. Since I haven't made it in a few years I added some new techniques. This feeds 4, takes about 2 hours to make and costs about $25. The recipe normally has rosemary but I didn't have any so I substituted with thyme and marjoram.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 oz Vegetable Oil
4 Chicken Breasts, sliced into two thin pieces, lightly pounded
8 slices of good deli ham (I used Board's Head Maple Glazed)
8 slices aged swiss
2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, chopped fine
16 toothpicks
1 cup of all purpose flour
salt and pepper

Cut the "tenderloin" off of the chicken so you have a nice even whole breast. Now cut the breast into two by laying you knife on the cutting board and running it back and forth evenly and slowly creating two thin chicken cutlets. OR you can by thin cut chicken breast and make it easier. Lightly pound out the chicken between two sheet of plastic wrap, make sure you don't pound it to thin, there should be no holes.

Mix the mustard, honey and herbs in a small dish. Coat one side of the breast with mustard mix and place one piece of ham and one piece of cheese toward the thinner end. Starting at the thinner edge, roll the chicken up and secure the roll by sticking in the toothpicks. Pull the roll tight before inserting the toothpicks. Season the rolled chicken with salt and pepper then coat with flour.



Start a deep large frying pan or large pot on medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken in batches, turn a few times to get a golden crust on each side. This take about 2 to 3 minutes per side. We do not have the cook the chicken all the was through at this point. Just get the good color and set them aside on a plate, we will cook them thorough later.



Mushroom Cream Sauce

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 package of button or crimini mushrooms, washed and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper

In the same pot that you cooked the chicken, add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and let cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Now add the butter and mix, then add the flour and mix well, let that cook for 3 minutes or until flour is incorporated. Now add the white wine and let that cook down, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, herbs and stock then salt and pepper to taste. Let that cook down for 10 minutes.

Now add the chicken back to the mushroom sauce and let that cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Remove the chicken and then take out the toothpicks, they should come out easy now.

I cooked some onions in a sautee pan then I turn it up to high. I threw in my spinach and turned off the heat. I let the spinach cook for about 3 of four minutes and constantly stirred. Lay down two chicken rolls and then spoon some of the sauce over the top. Serve the spinach on the side and you have a love making meal. Buon Apetito!