Thyme Oregano and Citrus Roasted Poussin - IHCC

There is such satisfaction in taking a beautifully roasted chicken from the oven! Maybe that's why it's the classic Sunday afternoon meal. Just a thought ...

Fast Supper for a Busy Night - Reuben Bake

So ... my friend Deni posted a link to a Taste of Home magazine recipe for a quick baked sandwich take on the classic Reuben. Get this. Two rolls of refrigerated crescent roll dough, corned beef, a bag of briny sauerkraut, a package of Swiss cheese, a slather of mayo/ketchup and sweet relish, and caraway seeds to herb up the top crust. You spread one package of crescent roll dough in the bottom of the pan and bake it for about ten minutes. Then, you layer in the Reuben makings - half the cheese, corned beef, well-drained sauerkraut mixed with the dressing, the rest of the cheese, the second roll of crescent roll dough, and an egg wash with the caraway seed sprinkled on top. Bake, slice, and gobble with a cold beer ...... totally satisfying when you have to eat and run ! I was wishing that I'd thought to fix some baked sweet potato fries to go with the sandwich, but that just might have been overkill - right?

I halved the recipe's filling ingredients, but kept the use of both rolls of crescent roll dough. I crammed everything into a 9-inch square pan and SB and I each had two squares. There was still enough for lunch for SB the next day. That was perfect, as SB was out hunting in the morning and wanted a warm 'something' for his lunch when he came in from the back woods.

Sometimes, quick fix meals really hit the spot, don't they? Check out how easy this is! The one thing I will say about the Taste of Home recipes is that you have to watch the ingredients lists ... there can often be processed foods included in ingredients lists. They're there as time-savers. That's all well and good, but the minute processed foods get into the mix, one has to watch out for the salt, sugar, and processed filler ingredients. That being said, these recipes are good for making an easy meal once in a while ... enough said. The link below takes you to the recipe I used for the Reuben Bake ... enjoy!

Taste of Home's Reuben Bake

Tarta de Santiago - A Random Recipe

Tarta de Santiago and tea ...

IHCC Potluck - Indian Beef with Peas

Sometimes the universe offers up a grand set of coincidences. Do you believe that?  I do, and here's a little coincidence that brought together three of my favorite cooks and cook book authors.

Hot and Sweet Roasted Mediterranean Veg ... IHCC

For the next six months, the I Heart Cooking Club will be concentrating efforts and investigations on Diana Henry, an Irish food writer and cook with a wonderfully eclectic body of work. For this first week of celebration, we were to choose any old recipe that struck the fancy.

Well, the options were wide open, as Diana Henry has put out cook books on preserved goods, simple home cooking, healthy foods that seem far more decadent than they are, gastropub fare that makes it to the finest of pub menus, deadly baked goods, etc, etc, but ...

Pumpkin-Pecan Cookies with Rummed Up Icing

Jenna, my neighbor, recently asked for a plate of pumpkin cookies when we were yakking about the next baking projects we were planning. Since this is her Homecoming Week at school, I figured I'd treat her and her family to a plate of these to top off an easy dinner. There's always a lot of running around when kids are in their teens. Both Jenna and her brother are members of the high school band, so this week is very busy for them as Spirit Rally, the Homecoming Parade, and the football game loom large.

A Thin Little Tart ...

... a thin little fruit tart that matches the thin little cardamom-dusted almond slices that deck its top ...

Oh, Nigel - Rib Ragout with Pappardelle

Mmmm! See all those little bits of carrot and mushroom? They're swimming in a nice sauce with leeks and celery too. They're soaking into those wide pasta noodles and keeping those baby back ribs all moist and delicious.