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Bethany Sun-dried Tomato and Turkey Panini

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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!!

Chestnut Stuffing

1

Last month Elements Theater Company presented two memorable weekends of Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol in our church. Favorable comments were made about each little detail of the production, including one delightful feature that added much to my own enjoyment of the experience. This was the roasting of chestnuts out in the cold night air over an open fire in the church atrium before and after each performance.

 I think of Christmas time as chestnut season and since childhood chestnuts, along with pomegranates, have to me always been as essential as holly and ivy to its celebration. Not only did we enjoy eating the nuts warm out of the shell, but at our house they were always considered a necessary ingredient to our holiday stuffing. That’s what made it so special and different from the stuffing we had the rest of the year.

The combination of sausage, chestnuts, apples and savory herbs still remains in my memory as a most extraordinary culinary Christmas experience. But there’s no reason it can’t be enjoyed, even after the holidays while chestnuts are still available. Here’s my  suggestion for a cold winters night……stuff a nice crown or loin of pork and roast it for an unexpected, out of the ordinary dinner. I guarantee you rave reviews.

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Chestnut Stuffing
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COOK TIME
30minutes
PREP TIME
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Put sausage meat and butter into a hot casserole.
  2. Add onions and celery and cook until soft, but not brown.
  3. Remove from heat and add marjoram and thyme.
  4. In a bowl combine bread, vegetables, hot stock, cider, apples and chestnuts.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
  6. Place in covered baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or stuff into roast.
  7. Add a sprinkling of pomegranate at serving time for a touch of color and extra flavor.

Fresh Orange Rhubarb Betty

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I love to be surprised by another new artistically crafted dessert that is original and breathtakingly beautiful.  Some are so absolutely stunning and unusual that they really amount to works of art and one almost hates to destroy their beauty by eating them.

However I am equally as thrilled when someone digs into the old worn recipe box and comes up with an old-time favorite that is not necessarily glamorous or stellar in its presentation, but rather heartwarming in the way it satisfies one’s palette and leaves the eater feeling “cozy” and comforted.

That is why I was so pleased to learn that one of my oldest and most favorite dessert recipes was being revived and used for this coming week’s activity. It is a perfect accompaniment for the meal that is not elegant as much as wholesome and hearty. I know that the men are going to enjoy it as you will when you try it, and what a perfect time to make it while the rhubarb patch is at it’s peak.

 Fresh Orange Rhubarb Betty

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Fresh Orange Rhubarb Betty
SERVINGS
12servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
35-40mins.
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Combine sugar, flour, salt and ½ teaspoon orange peel.
  3. Stir in fruits.
  4. Add the 3 cups bread cubes and ¼ cup butter.
  5. Mix together and put into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  6. Mix the remaining ½ teaspoon orange peel, the 1 cup bread cubes, the remaining ¼ cup butter and the coconut and sprinkle on top.
  7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender.
  8. This recipe may be frozen for use later.

Bread Pudding

3

It is now Lent. And I should be writing about very Lenten things like soups and bread, not desserts. That will follow later in the season. I’m hoping to do my favorite beef mushroom barley soup in a couple of weeks. So even though a lot of us give up desserts for Lent, I’d like to share my recipe for bread pudding, which can double as a great and satisfying breakfast. It is so wonderful served up warm with whipped cream, or cut into shapes to serve as individual desserts, or as a great snack in the middle of the afternoon. I wanted to make it the way I remember us making it in the early days of the sisterhood, which was to mix up the cubes of bread with butter and cinnamon sugar before adding the eggs and milk or cream. We also used whatever bread was leftover and saved — white and whole wheat, rye… you name it when making the bread pudding. I do love a homemade white bread for this, and especially something like brioche, which I will sometimes make up in large batches and have in the freezer for this sort of use. But that did not happen for this bread pudding, so I was really happy to find a loaf of the cinnamon swirl bread that we gave as gifts for Christmas! But you can use just about any firm white bread for this.

Bread Pudding

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Bread Pudding
SERVINGS
12servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
45 - 50mins.
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Butter a 9 X 13 casserole.
  3. Place bread cubes in a large bowl, add melted butter and mix well.
  4. Mix together 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon, and add to bread cube mixture again mixing well, so all the cubes are coated.
  5. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, milk, eggs, cream and vanilla, then stir into bread cube mixture.
  6. Pour all into prepared pan.
  7. Top with additional cinnamon sugar.
  8. Bake in 350 oven about 45 to 50 minutes and pudding is puffed and golden.
  9. Cool slightly. Can be served warm, or chilled and served cold.
  10. Top with whipped cream if desired.

Savory Bread Pudding With Leeks And Mushrooms

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We leave our leeks in the garden to enjoy through the winter months. I took advantage of the January thaw to pluck a few for inspiration. I love using things up in a creative way, and I remembered that I had a few bags of croutons in the freezer, left over from our “O Antiphon” Party at Christmas, where we had served up a hot cheese dip on hollowed out bread bowls. I immediately thought of a savory bread pudding. I also found some sauteed mushrooms in the freezer — a treasure! So I added a little celery, some eggs and cream, and voila! I had tonight’s side dish for a roast, or today’s lunch with a salad and crusty bread.

Savory Bread Pudding with Leeks and Mushrooms

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Savory Bread Pudding With Leeks And Mushrooms
SERVINGS
7servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
45 - 52mins.
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.
  2. Melt butter or bacon fat in large skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Add mushrooms, leeks, celery and saute until soft, about 10 to 12 minutes; add thyme and cook about a minute more until fragrant.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together bread cubes and vegetable mixture.
  5. Whisk together heavy cream, eggs, salt and ground pepper in another bowl.
  6. Mix custard into bread and vegetables, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
  7. Sprinkle grated cheese over top.
  8. Bake pudding uncovered until set and top is golden, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Ham, Cheese And Chutney Sandwiches

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By the time you read this, you have enjoyed your Thanksgiving celebration. I hope for all it was a special, blessed time, with lots of good fellowship and food! I am a nibbler on Thanksgiving — I never want to not have room for dessert at the end of the day. Actually, I think I could be happy with just turkey sandwiches on white bread with lots of Hellmann’s mayo and some cranberry chutney for my Thanksgiving meal. Another one of my most favorite sandwiches of the season is a ham, cheddar cheese, and apple carrot chutney on multi-grain bread. (Or bulkie rolls or white bread for that matter.) It makes a really good slider, too. You just pile it all together and put in the oven for about 15 minutes. This sandwich pairs well with Butternut Squash Soup.

Ham, Cheese and Chutney Sandwiches

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Ham, Cheese And Chutney Sandwiches
SERVINGS
8Sandwiches
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
Sandwiches
COOK TIME
10 - 15mins.
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and mustard.
  3. Spread this mixture onto both sides of the bread.
  4. Pile ham onto half of the bread slices.
  5. Spoon on chutney according to taste preference, but make sure it is even so you get some in each bite!
  6. Next layer on your cheese, then the other slice of bread.
  7. Place on a baking sheet, and bake until cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  8. Enjoy! (You can also pile onto toasted bulkie rolls, and bake open faced, placing the other half of the roll on the sandwich just before serving.)