A Fork In Each Hand

Breakfast Sandwich with Mango Chutney

When I end up at the office late and don’t get home until 8 or 9pm, my usual go-to quick dinner is an egg sandwich. My mom used to make fried egg sandwiches on toast with a thin layer of mayonnaise and I wasn’t comfortable with straying in order to make this Breakfast Sandwich with Mango Chutney. But this blog is all about getting me out of my comfort zone, right? As I mentioned earlier this week, I had turkey Canadian bacon in my refrigerator and this is a perfect way to use it. English muffins are spread with a little bit of mango chutney before being topped with slices of ham or Canadian bacon, a fried egg, a handful of cheddar cheese and then broiled. I was worried the mango chutney would make this too sweet but it brought the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and complemented the Canadian bacon deliciously. To add a slight crunch, I’d recommend toasting the English muffins first. I just might make this for dinner again tonight!

The ingredients:

Heat a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray over medium-high heat. Cook slices of Canadian bacon until fully cooked. Remove from skillet.

Crack egg into warm skillet and cook until it’s cooked to your liking.

While egg cooks, place English muffin(s) on a baking sheet and spread mango chutney on each slice.

Top chutney with slices of cooked Canadian bacon, fried egg, and a small handful of cheddar cheese. Place baking sheet under broiler until cheese has melted.

Combine halves and enjoy!

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Turkey Canadian bacon

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Pear Chutney Bruschetta with Pecans and Gorgonzola

November 30, 2011
Shannon
1 comment
appetizer, bread, dried fruit, food, pear

This recipe for Pear Chutney Bruschetta with Pecans and Gorgonzola stopped me in my tracks when I first saw it. The original recipe uses blue cheese but as you may know, I’m not a blue cheese fan so I took a leap of faith and used gorgonzola (which I’d never had before) instead. This appetizer did not disappoint. It’s sweet yet savory, tart yet fresh. Slices of french baguette are toasted and topped with pears (cooked with shallots and dried apricots), toasted pecans, gorgonzola crumbles, and fresh thyme. I really loved the contrast between the sweet Bartlett pears and the tangy cheese. The addition of apple cider vinegar in the pear topping provides the slightest hint of bitterness which cuts through the sweetness of the pears and adds to the layers of flavors in this dish. The toasted pecans bring a delicious nuttiness and the thyme provides and herby freshness. I left out the chives from this recipe only because I didn’t have any but it doesn’t matter. I can’t rave about this bruschetta enough just the way it is!

Thanksgiving leftovers used: pear nectar, pears, thyme, shallots

The ingredients (I forgot the gorgonzola here):

Cook chopped shallots in olive oil until soft.

Add in chopped pears, dried apricots, sugar, cider vinegar, salt, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, broil baguette slices in the oven until toasted. In a small pan or skillet, add pecans and toast on a low heat until fragrant.

Top toasted baguette slices with pear topping, gorgonzola crumbles, chopped toasted pecans, and fresh thyme.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Chives

Substitutions:

Gorgonzola cheese for blue cheese

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Turkey, Cranberry, and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

I made my own cranberry sauce this year for Thanksgiving and I will never buy canned or premade cranberry sauce again because mine turned out perfect (see note below for the link to the recipe I made). Unfortunately, of the six people who came to my house for dinner, only my aunt and I ate any of it which meant that I basically had an entire bowl leftover in my fridge. I figured, what a better way to take care of some leftovers than to throw them in a quesadilla? As a result, I came up with these Turkey, Cranberry, and Pepper Jack Quesadillas. Cranberry sauce, turkey, sliced apples, scallions, parsley, and pepper jack cheese are sandwiched between whole wheat tortillas and grilled until toasty brown. One thing I love about quesadillas is that they can be an appetizer, snack, or a light meal in a pinch. These quesadillas are sweet, tangy, and spicy and you’d never know they are from leftovers.

Turkey, Cranberry, and Pepper Jack Quesadillas (makes 2 quesadillas or 4 servings; 2 wedges per serving):

4 6-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 McIntosh apple, sliced (or any apple of your preference)
1/2 cup prepared cranberry sauce ( I made Basic Cranberry Sauce from Cooking Light)
1 cup turkey breast, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup pepper jack cheese

Place two tortillas on a flat work surface. Spread 1/4 cup of the cranberry sauce on each tortilla; top with apple slices. Layer chopped turkey and 1 tablespoon each parsley and scallions on each tortilla. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1/2 cup of pepper jack cheese. Top cheese with remaining tortillas. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat (or heat panini maker to 350°). Place one quesadilla in the pan and cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side until lightly browned (top with another pan to flatten quesadillas as they cook, if necessary). Remove quesadilla from pan and repeat procedure with the remaining quesadilla. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with sour cream if you like.

Thanksgiving leftovers used: turkey, cranberry sauce, apple, parsley