Bethany Sun-dried Tomato and Turkey Panini

Our community hosted a retreat day recently for Deacons from a local parish. We served this wonderful sandwich combination which was inspired by the flavors of Italy. Everyone raved and took pictures. Afterwards, the retreatants told us that this place was going to become their annual quiet-day destination. (We hope it wasn’t just based on the food, but we do know it plays a special part!)

As a young sister and chef-in-training, I was taught to pray before my menu preparation. Often the Holy Spirit will nudge us to serve food that triggers memories for people; either of their childhood, their nationality, or maybe a comfort food that would bring healing in a special way. To be used by God in this way is a blessing.

As Brother Lawrence so aptly put it, “We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

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Bethany Sun-dried Tomato and Turkey Panini
In Italian the word panino [pa'ni:no] is the diminutive form of pane (bread) and refers to a bread roll. Panino imbottito (stuffed panino) refers to a sandwich, but the word panino is also often used alone to refer to a sandwich in general. The plural form of "panino" in Italian is panini.
SERVINGS
4sandwiches
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
sandwiches
COOK TIME
15mins
PREP TIME
5mins
READY IN
20mins

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. To make the Sundried Tomato Mayonnaise, blend all ingredients together in a Cuisinart until smooth – adjust seasonings as needed
  2. Toast the Panini Bread
  3. Generously spread both sides of bread with the sundried tomato mayonnaise
  4. Layer the sandwich ingredients in this way: Lettuce Cheese Turkey Bacon Tomato Avocado Onion Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper Red Onion, if desired

Andiamo Mangiare!!

Bacon Asparagus Roll-Ups

Springtime is asparagus time! When I was just a young novice  one of my most favorite morning responsibilities was to check the asparagus patch. What a way to start the day!  The sight of new spears shooting up through the soil was an absolute delight. Then to calculate how many would reach their full height by the end of the day was a “lifegiving” exercise.

Because their growth is so rapid and so obvious from hour to hour, it is unlike most other growing edibles except perhaps mushrooms. In any case, the sight, as well as the taste, of asparagus still pleases me to no end.
Whether it be out in the garden straight from the soil, whether it be simmered and slightly salted right out of the pot at the stove  or  topped with hollandaise at the dinner table, I always welcome them.

Now that they are so popular roasted I have come up with this simple version that many people seem to like ……bacon wrapped and roasted with a touch of brown sugar and crispy crumb topping.

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Bacon Asparagus Roll-Ups
SERVINGS
4
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
COOK TIME
15-20mins
PREP TIME
10mins
READY IN
25-30mins

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400º Fahrenheit. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add parsley, lemon peel; toss well.
  2. Microwave bacon till fat is melted and the slices are easy to roll around the asparagus.
  3. Divide asparagus into 4 equal bundles. Loosely wrap each bundle with one slice of bacon. Press brown sugar onto bacon. Press crumbs onto sugared bacon. Place prepared asparagus into shallow baking dish. Brush asparagus tips with oil. Bake uncovered until bacon is crisp – 15”-20”.

Stacked Apple Salad with Frisee and Belgian endive

It is officially Autumn. Lots of pumpkins and apples at farm-stands, color coming in the trees, leaves falling, and that nip in the air that reminds us that summer is at an end. I love fall. I love the colors, the crisp air, the clear light. And the food! Summer was great and I enjoyed all of the fresh food, but who doesn’t welcome back hot soups and stews, butternut squash, and apples? I recently was looking for a fall salad and thought apple, frisee, and endive would be a good combination. I decided to stack it! Not only does it look great, but it also tastes amazing with the crunch of apples and greens and the subtle hints of maple and bacon.

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Stacked Apple Salad with Frisee and Belgian endive
SERVINGS
4people
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
people
COOK TIME
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Core and thinly slice apples, place in a bowl with water and a dollop of lemon juice.
  2. In a small bowl combine shallots and vinegar. Set aside.
  3. In a heavy frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp and brown, drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 3 Tablespoons of the bacon fat and return pan to low heat.
  4. Remove shallots from vinegar and reserve.
  5. Add vinegar to hot bacon fat, whisking until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Break frisee into sprigs and mix with endive. Dress lightly with bacon fat vinegar combination, reserving some dressing to drizzle on salads.
  7. On salad plates arrange 2 apple slices, then some of the dressed greens and some shallot slices.
  8. Repeat using single apple slice, then the other components 2 times more ending with an apple slice. Drizzle with warm dressing, sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Improvised Broccoli Salad

As I write this, it is raining. I think not too long ago I was writing about all of the rain and cold we were having. (I will never complain about that again!) It’s finally been so dry that the garden could be tilled, and the tomatoes are being planted. I feel like having a party! Its the time of year that I try and think of what I can cook with the least amount of stove or oven usage.
I was recently cooking for a group, and not in the kitchen I am used to, which did not have a fully stocked pantry. I wanted to make a broccoli salad, so found a couple of recipes that looked promising, but of course did not have exactly what was called for, especially in the vinegar department. So, of course I would have to improvise.  It was a no cook broccoli salad with a mayonnaise, vinegar sugar dressing. I remembered that there was a bottle of white balsamic vinegar in the cupboard – ah sweet! I also wanted to cut down on the amount of mayonnaise, and use it more like the oil in the dressing, and I must say that balsamic can cover a multitude of sins. So, here is my version of fresh broccoli salad, improv style.

Improvised Broccoli Salad

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Improvised Broccoli Salad
SERVINGS
7servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem.
  2. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head well.
  3. Cut the head into bite-size flowerets and the stem into bite size pieces.
  4. Place in a large bowl.
  5. Add the bacon, onion, raisins, and carrot.
  6. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, stirring well.
  7. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.
  8. Last of all add in the tomatoes and toss again gently.
  9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.