Moist Maker Sandwich

Honestly, this was probably the best episode of Friends. It's the one where someone steals Ross' thanksgiving leftovers sandwich and then he loses his mind. God, I loved that idea at the time.

In any case, someone finally made that sandwich. You can go over here to watch it since I can't embed it here for your viewing pleasure. 

Mocha Semifreddo

I don't have an ice cream maker. Why? Mainly because I don't have an oven - and if I must splurge on some sort of luxury kitchen item (yes, it's sad that I view an oven as a "luxury kitchen item" but I'm coming to terms with that), my first purchase would be this oven. That being said, I have dreams of one day owning an ice cream maker. But until that day comes, this recipe will tide me over.

I know that I've gone on and on about how great Chef John's recipes are, so if you have politely nodded your head along to those past posts without actually making any of his dishes - THIS IS THE ONE YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY MAKE. Partly because it's crazy easy and partly because it's summer and you should indulge in something that's homemade and ridiculously delicious. 

Salad Dressing Chart

Do you have any idea how much garbage there is in 99% of all store-bought salad dressings? Go look if you don't believe me. Everyone, everywhere should be making their own. They take a few minutes to make and last up to a week (and in some cases, longer, depending on what's in it).

I use this chart (above) so much, I really should just print it out and put it on the fridge. Infact, I'm going to go do that right now.

SUCH a smart idea, this idea. Thanks for sharing it, KathEats!

Turkey Burger

I know that you know that I've been trying to eat better lately, but that doesn't mean you can't make a healthy-ish burger once in awhile. And this is absolutely the tastiest turkey burger I've ever had. I swear to God it tastes like a real burger. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 3/4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 4 sliced dill pickles
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted (or Martin's Potato Rolls)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients. Then form the individual patties.

2. Broil for 5–6 minutes on each side or until done.

3. Place the burger on the bottom half of bun. Top with dill pickles and add no-sugar ketchup if you wish. Cover with the top half of bun.

This recipe was slightly adapted from Health.com. 

Baked Apple Roses

Do I have to express to you HOW HARD I would make these if/when I ever have a dinner party? Do I really have to inform you of such an obvious thought? The only thing that could make this gorgeous little dessert better would be vanilla ice cream served alongside it. 

Someone give me a beautiful kitchen with a fully functioning oven so I can make these dreams happen.

Chia Seed Pudding

I can't tell you how much I love eating this pudding for breakfast - and it's not even bad for you (as long as you go easy on the maple syrup)!

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla-flavoured unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or whatever yogurt tastes good to you)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus 2 teaspoons for serving
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
• Raw pecan pieces

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the vanilla and a pinch of salt until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with the remaining 2 teaspoons maple syrup. Mix in the pecan pieces.
3. Spoon the pudding into bowls or glasses; mound the berry mixture on top and serve.

This recipe has been adapted slightly from Food Network.

Blue Cheese Croutons

When I own an oven again, these are getting made SO HARD.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

I never expected this to be as delicious as it was. MAKE IT.

Ingredients (serves 2 people)

• 1 peeled, frozen banana
• 3/4 cup light chocolate almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or a bit more if you like peanut butter a lot)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 6-8 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Unpeel the banana and put it either a Ziplock baggie or container and freeze for 12 hours.
2. Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until your desired consistency. 

I've been drinking these either late at night for a snack or when I'm in a hurry in the morning and can't make breakfast. My God, it's tasty. (Oh, and if you like that glass up top there, it's from Ikea and it was $2.50 and I love it. I bought two of them and one is my Q-tip holder in the washroom. Such great glasses.)

Overnight French Toast Bake

I just made this for Christmas morning and it tasted INCREDIBLE. And I'm not even a breakfast person. If you have any sort of special occasion coming up (or even if you don't), you really should make this. It feeds a bunch of people (maybe 5-10) so keep that in mind. 

Ingredients

1 loaf sourdough bread
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

Instructions

NOTE: There are two separate things that need to be refrigerated overnight.

1. Cut up the loaf into cubes and place evenly in a greased 9x13 pan (or something similarly sized).

2. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread.

3. Cover your pan with Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

5. Cut in butter with this mixture until crumbly and place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight as well.

6. In the morning, take the pan and Ziploc bag out of the fridge when ready to bake. Sprinkle crumbly mixture evenly over the bread.

7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how soft you like it.

Original recipe from Lil Luna.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Before I begin, let me just say that I will NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT HOW YOU NEED TO GET A SLOW COOKER. Okay? You should be aware of this already. Moving on.

Look, I know that I've already had my Thanksgiving (over a month ago). But who says that you can't celebrate another country's special days as well? WHO? 

So I decided to make the following recipe because:

• It's Thanksgiving
• I don't have an oven
• LOOK HOW GOOD IT LOOKS

Photo Credit: Butter with a side of Bread

This is technically the first kind of real (not ground) turkey I've ever cooked (and if you're side-eyeing me right now because I didn't get a "whole" bird to cook, you can f off) and it turned out ridiculously well. Who the hell knew it was so easy to cook a turkey? Why have sitcoms always made it seem so difficult? I must insist on you making this immediately, it was so crazy good.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey breast** {mine was bone-in and weighed a little under 3 lbs}
• 1 apple, sliced into rings
• 4 TBSP butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 1/2 tsp chopped sage
• 2 tsp onion powder

Instructions

1. Cover the bottom of your slow cooker in half of the apple rings in the slow cooker. Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. 
2. Rub the seasonings onto the turkey breast, making sure to get some underneath the skin. Dot the turkey with butter cubes (again, put some underneath the skin). Then place the turkey in the slow cooker and put some apple rings on top of the turkey.
3. There's no need to add any additional liquid, so don't fret.
4. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. {After 4 hours, check every half hour to make sure you don't over cook it - though I happen to think that overcooked turkey is waaaay more delicious than it's "properly" cooked, almost-wet counterpart.
5. **If your turkey breast is boneless, then you'll need to cook it for 3-4 hours on low. 
6. Let the turkey rest after cooking.

This recipe has been adapted slightly from Bread with a side of Butter.