Pepperjack Grilled Cheese with Bacon & Jalapenos

Bacon and jalapeno is a flavor combination that somehow escaped my attention for years. Until I read Julie and Julia, written by Julie Powell. I first heard about the Julie/Julia Project in one of the national foodie magazines. I was intrigued, but at the time I was still suspicious of blogging, so I ignored it.

I decided to wait for the book, Julie and Julia. The book is truly original, unpredictable and inspiring. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and then I dug out my own copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and made Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup). Can't wait for the Julie and Julia movie!

Amidst all the butter and eggs and variety meats, Ms. Powell admitted to a fondness for Domino’s pizza with bacon and jalapenos. I assume this was due to economy or convenience, with a dose of Texan cowboy craziness. Regardless, I admired the impudence required to admit a penchant for Domino’s pizza while paying homage to Julia Child and French cooking.

I ate Domino’s pizza during my college years, but never topped with bacon or jalapenos. Years later, despite efforts to shield my children from pizza with soft and fluffy crusts, they discovered Cinna Stix®, a dessert pizza from Domino's. So when my kids requested Domino’s for dinner, I ordered myself a bacon-jalapeno pizza.

Turns out bacon and pickled jalapenos make a great partner with melted cheese. But there’s no need to order pizza. Just try this spicy open-faced grilled cheese, topped with a crumbled slice of bacon and pickled jalapenos. I recommend serving it for dinner along side a bowl of Leek and Potato Soup. If you're so inclined, you’ll find a recipe for Julia Child’s soup here.

Open-Faced Pepperjack Grilled Cheese with Bacon & Jalapenos

This grilled cheese sandwich was inspired by the Grilled Cheese Pageant, sponsored by Panini Happy, a food blog all about grilled sandwiches. Check it out for great sandwich ideas. Then try this one...

2 slices from round of French country bread
Pepperjack cheese, sliced
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Pickled jalapenos to taste

Preheat the broiler while you assemble the sandwich. Top each slice of bread with pepperjack cheese. Sprinkle bacon and jalapenos on top. Cook under the broiler until cheese is melted and bread is toasted to your liking. Spinkle with salt to taste.

Makes 2 open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches.

Nutrition facts for 1 open-faced sandwich: 352 calories, 17 g protein, 19 g fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 1047 mg sodium, and 2 g fiber

Rolled Omelet

I love the idea of omelets as a fast and simple meal. But fast and simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy. I’ve been trying for years, but never made an omelet that both looked good and tasted good. My omelets were brown and tough on the outside or too runny in the middle. I decided to live with scrambled eggs instead.

But every few months, I got an urge for omelets. I studied the omelet recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, only to have my omelets stick to the pan or crumple into a pile of scrambled eggs. I’ve tried to mimic chefs on TV who swirl and flip their eggs, but I don’t really like eating omelets off the floor.

So my number one resolution for 2009 was to learn how to make a proper omelet. Egg cookery may not be typical for New Year’s resolutions, but this year I wanted a resolution I had a chance of achieving. I had grand plans to buy dozens of eggs and stand at the stove until I mastered the perfect omelet.

It seemed fortuitous then, when the January 2009 issue of Cook’s Illustrated featured “Perfect French Omelets.” (You need a subscription for full access to all their recipes.) The recipe emphasizes moderate heat and actually calls for taking the pan off the burner for a bit. This was a revelation for me – gentle heat for omelets!

I knew omelets cook quickly and always assumed quick cooking required high heat – fast and hot. Plus, many omelet recipes actually call for very high heat. This was the reason my omelets were always overdone on the outside and underdone on the inside.

Cook’s Illustrated recipes deliver a level of precision unmatched in other food magazines. While I appreciate this, sometimes their meticulousness is my undoing. After screwing up the first two omelets while trying to read the recipe AND cook at the same time, I decided to simplify.

First I highlighted key elements from the recipe:

• Preheated eight-inch non-stick pan
• Direct heat for about a minute to set the eggs
• Residual and steam heat for a minute or two to finish the omelet

Next I simplified the ingredient list. Then I closed the magazine, mustered up confidence, and made breakfast. Success at last! These omelets are tender, moist, and delicious. Now all I have to do is lose 15 pounds and learn a second language.

Rolled Omelet

This recipe was inspired by Cook’s Illustrated “Perfect French Omelets,” although I don’t promise perfection. This is not one of those super-fluffy omelets; it’s a bit delicate. But it's moist and eggy. The key to this omelet is finding just the right temperatures for preheating the pan and then setting the eggs. An eight-inch non-stick pan is also critical. A small amount of filling is fine, but avoid overfilling the omelet.

¼ teaspoon vegetable oil (for pan)
1 teaspoon unsalted butter (for pan)

Omelet Ingredients
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, cut in half
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper

Optional Fillings
2 Tablespoons cheese, shredded or diced
1 slice cooked bacon, crumbled

1. Preheat an 8-inch non-stick pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. If you hold your hand (carefully) about an inch over the surface of the pan, it should start to feel uncomfortably hot after several seconds, but not burning hot.

2. Crack the eggs into medium bowl. Add the milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Break the yolks and stir steadily with a fork for 20 to 30 seconds. Don’t worry about the chunks of butter; they will melt into the eggs in the pan.

3. Pour ¼ teaspoon of oil into preheated pan. Swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of pan. Let the oil heat up for a minute. Then add a teaspoon of butter to the pan and let it melt. Swirl the butter around.

4. Increase the heat to medium. Pour the eggs into the pan. Immediately start stirring the eggs with a wooden skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon. Stir with a small circular motion and work your way around the entire surface of the pan.

5. Cook for about one minute until eggs look set on the bottom, but still look a bit wet and runny on the surface. If you start to see gaps or holes in the eggs, push some of the liquid egg in to fill the holes. After a minute or so, when the eggs seem just cooked on the bottom but wet and runny on top, smooth the top surface of the eggs using a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle on the cheese and bacon at this point if desired.

6. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 1 or 2 minutes or until omelet is cooked to your liking. (Use 1 minute for a soft, wet omelet OR 2 minutes for a firmer omelet.)

7. When omelet is done to your liking, remove cover and return the pan to medium heat. Run a spatula under the edges of the omelet and shake the pan a bit to make sure the omelet is not sticking.

8. Put a paper towel on a plate. Carefully slide and jiggle the omelet onto the paper towel. Lift an edge of the paper towel and use it to roll up the omelet.

9. If you’re making more omelets, let the pan heat up again over medium-low heat until thoroughly hot and repeat the process. If desired, keep cooked omelets in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Makes 1 omelet

Nutrition facts for 1 plain omelet: 304 calories, 15 g protein, 25 g fat, 456 mg cholesterol, 646 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber (from the black pepper surprisingly!)

Nutrition facts for 1 omelet with bacon & cheese: 382 calories, 21 g protein, 31 g fat, 478 mg cholesterol, 983 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber

*******************************

Postscript:

Elizabeth David is a celebrated British food writer. In her book, French Provincial Cooking, first published in 1962, she famously wrote:

"As everybody knows, there is only one infallible recipe for the perfect omelette: your own."

I'd love to hear about your recipe for the perfect omelet. Please share!

Pasta Rings with Mini Meatballs

As a kid, I enjoyed SpaghettiOs®. As an adult, not so much. But my kids discovered the sweet pasta in a can and occasionally I gave in to their requests.

Until recently, I thought pasta rings were the sole purview of the SpaghettiO's brand. But as I was scanning for rigatoni on a recent shopping trip, I noticed rings. With a bit of embarrassment, I wondered if I could make homemade SpaghettiO's.

It turns out that my homemade pasta rings in a sweet red sauce are preferred over SpaghettiO's by everyone (in my immediate family). It wasn't the most sophisticated meal I ever put on the table, but it was fast and fun and good.

My first attempt at homemade pasta rings was a covert operation while my husband and kids were NOT at home. I was feeling a bit of shame at my culinary regression. But it was a delightful lunch and my kids were thrilled to discover the leftovers for an after-school snack.

I decided to embellish the rings with mini meatballs and got rave reviews from the kids. The meatballs even won over my husband. It's kid-friendly comfort food the whole family can enjoy.

Pasta Rings with Mini Meatballs

The sauce is sweet and cheesy and smooth just like the canned version. I simmer a quartered onion in the sauce to add flavor, but then remove it. You could substitute a bit of onion powder if you prefer. I also add a parmesan rind to the sauce for even more cheesy flavor. I keep them in the freezer to use for sauces and soups; just be sure to remove the rind before serving. The mini meatballs cook quickly in a hot oven and are tasty on their own. I love the sweet anise flavor of fennel seeds in the meatballs; I crush the fennel seeds in a mortar. Omit the fennel or substitute dried basil if you prefer.

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef, 75% - 80% lean
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 cup chicken or beef broth or water

Sauce
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, quartered, root end intact
28 ounces tomato sauce (3.5 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 - 4 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan

16 ounces large pasta rings

First prepare the meatballs. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, buttermilk, parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, oregano, and crushed fennel seeds. Mix well to thoroughly combine ingredients. Form mini meatballs using 1 level Tablespoon of meat mixture per meatball. I usually get 34 to 39 meatballs per batch.

Transfer mini meatballs to large roasting pan. Pour the broth or water into the bottom of the pan. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in large saute pan. Add the onion pieces to the pan; leaving the root end intact makes it easy to remove the onion later. When the butter and oil are hot, add tomato sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add the parmesan and stir well.

Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce along with the broth and pan juices from the roasting pan. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and correct for sugar and salt if needed. Remove onion.

Meanwhile, cook pasta rings in salted water for 9 to 11 minutes according to package directions. Drain pasta and add it to the sauce, stirring well to combine. You need a really large saute pan to accomodate all the pasta and sauce and meatballs. You may need to use the pasta cooking pot instead.

Top each serving with freshly shredded parmesan if desired.

Makes 8 servings including 1 cup pasta rings with sauce and about 5 meatballs.

Nutrition facts per serving: 472 calories, 25 g protein, 18 g fat, 82 mg cholesterol, 584 mg sodium, 4 g fiber