Thanksgiving Leftovers and a Gift Suggestion

In a kitchen, a long time ago; alright, it was only twelve years ago, but that is a little over a decade.  Roy had been working the oil fields with his cousin, and for the holiday season, they had received a very nice bonus.  While he went off to purchase new video games for his PC, I decided to finally buy new cookware that I have wanted for a long time...Calphalon.  This cookware is made in the USA (website: http://www.calphalon.com/), has a variety of styles, and is long lasting and high quality.

 

The Calphalon company was founded in 1963 by Ronald Kasperzak in Perrysburg, Ohio.  He wanted to make a cookware product that was heavy duty, easy to handle and clean, up to the standards of any professional chef, but affordable by the public.  Calphalon is lightweight, nonstick and the handles stay cool to the touch.  How many of us have burned ourselves on pot handles or needed a forklift to take an overly heavy skillet off the stovetop?  Recipes can be cooked at lower temperature settings as the heavy gauge metals used in the cookware distributes heat evenly and more quickly.  Not only does this save gas or electric, depending on your stove type, but it saves on cooking time.

 

No more using nonstick cooking sprays as they have a chemical within them that makes the cookware remain sticky and discolors.  Basically, you do not need to use any oils or butter to keep food from sticking; they can be primarily used for flavor enhancement if needed.  Cleanup is hot, soapy water and a simple sponge; no scratchy pads, harsh cleansers, and most certainly do NOT put the cookware into the dish washer.

Is Calphalon expensive?  Yes and no.  Most definitely yes if you are on a very tight budget, but sales and clearance sales can be found just about anywhere nowadays, especially online.  No, if you want a product that will last for years and you are tired of throwing out pans that only last 6 months to a year because they were cheap to buy and made even more cheaply.  If you have a passion for cooking and want cookware that expresses that passion, choose Calphalon.

Now that I have given you a great suggestion for gift giving, how about an idea about what to do with those turkey leftovers, and using a panini press from Calphalon.

 

Back on January 30, 2019, my article, “Ode to the Odiferous Onion”, appeared in the San Juan Record, and included a recipe for Sweet Onion Relish.  Time to find that recipe (also can be found on my food blog, of course), slice up some turkey and Swiss cheese, and split open a nice Kaiser, or sub, roll.  Now, while I used mayonnaise to give the exterior of the roll a light crunch, butter can be used instead; or a plant-based product if that is what is preferred in your household.

 

Slicing a roll open, spread some mayonnaise on each exterior side; the mayonnaise would give the bread crunch after toasting without being greasy.  For each sandwich made, slice five pieces of turkey, about 1/4" thick; Swiss cheese and sweet onion relish ready for adding.   Stove top burner on medium heat, put the panini pan on the burner and let it heat up.  This pan does heat up quickly, so make sure you have everything ready to go or you risk burning the roll side closest to the burner.  Yes, I am talking from experience.

Bottom of roll on the pan, two slices of Swiss cheese, turkey slices fanned out along the roll, a generous helping of sweet onion relish before being topped with another two slices of Swiss cheese, and the top side of the roll.

 

Place the press on top of the sandwich and begin pressing down slightly; do not slam down hard immediately, or the insides will just come gushing out. Let it cook for one minute before flipping the sandwich over and begin pressing down again. Since the cheese is now melted, the sandwich will press together more easily and you can apply more pressure; one minute on the pan and then to the plate it can go.

 

There you have it, the Turkey Sweet Onion Panini; tender slices of turkey, smooth Swiss cheese and a sweet, yet tangy onion relish. 

 

 

 

Did I make a cold version of the sandwich, you bet I did! On a croissant and it was just as delicious as the hot version. One type of sandwich, done up two ways and all you have to do is make the decision of which one to try out first.  What a tasty way to enjoy those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!

Mary Cokenour

 

Brunch at Stateline Bar and Grill

Stateline Bar and Grill

69576 Highway 491 (just east of the Utah/Colorado borderline)

Dove Creek, Colorado, 81324

Phone: (970) 677-2649

Website: http://www.thestatelinebarandgrill.com/

Hours of Operation: 11am - 9pm, Thursday thru Sunday

            Brunch: 11am - 2pm, Saturday and Sunday

Opening in 2014, Stateline brought to Dove Creek, Colorado a much needed bar scene and restaurant.  However, owners, Tim and Shelly Meyer felt there was something missing.   It was something that, they did not have, nor did any other restaurant; and that was brunch.  Oh sure, breakfast was offered Monday through Friday, maybe on Saturday, definitely not on Sunday; but it was over by 11am.  Now between you and me, who does not enjoy a nice brunch on a Sunday, or even breakfast for lunch in general?

Stateline Bar and Grill still uses local sources for their food supplies, so adding breakfast items to the shopping list was easy.  Baked goods such as buttery croissants and bread for French toast; bacon, thick ham, sausage for patties.  Blueberry syrup for thick waffles, or mild sausage gravy over biscuits and country fried steak are house made.  So are the waffles and French toast, and the maple syrup is real!

We dined on the Breakfast Croissant Sandwich, and the Country Fried Steak.  The croissant is extra-large, flaky and butter infused; choosing scrambled for the eggs was a great choice.  The eggs were fluffy and needed no seasonings or condiments to compliment them.  The bacon was crispy and melt in the mouth delicious; cheddar cheese connected all the ingredients of this sandwich perfectly.  A fruit cup featuring pineapple, cantaloupe and honey dew melon was the accompanying side.

The Country Fried Steak is a large, crispy coated, tender steak draped with mild sausage gravy.  Hash browns and toast of choice are sides.  Being used to black pepper gravy, the sausage gravy was an unexpected, yet taste bud pleasing change.  The crispiness of the coating gave a nice crunch to the chewing experience.

Luckily, another couple nearby, had ordered different dishes, so we were able to see what they entailed.  The Stateline features two eggs, bacon strips or sausage patties and hash browns.  The gentleman who ordered this, and the rest of us dining, were shocked to see how large and fluffy a serving of two scrambled eggs he received.  If they tasted anything like the ones in my croissant sandwich, he would be eating every bite.  The sausage patties were large and nicely grilled.  

Now his wife ordered the Waffle, and it was a classic Belgium style waffle that overflowed off the plate.  

Well now, they must have been really hungry, as the Avocado Toast special was also ordered, and it sure did look good!

Along with breakfast, we had coffee and water for our beverages.  Lovers of strong coffee will definitely enjoy Stateline’s.  It comes in a large, pastel colored mug; one sip and you will think you are a hobbit, as the hair will be growing out of your toes.

Stateline Bar and Grill’s Brunch will be a boon to this restaurant, especially with the influx of travelers along Highway 491.  Locals, of course, will have a new choice for lunch on Saturday and Sunday…breakfast! 

Mary Cokenour

One Sandwich, Two Textures.

I was telling people about Sweet Cravings in Moab, and how they should try the "Adventure Inn" panini. Now Moab is one hour away from me, and as much as I would love to just hop in the car, drive down there and grab a meal at Sweet Cravings; it's not always possible. However, I did have some turkey tenderloins in the freezer and knew that roasting them up to slice up for sandwiches later on wouldn't be something to cry about.

  Throwing together a quick Sweet Onion Relish wouldn't be too much of a bother either.  Ok, so now I had a game plan and as soon as the turkey was defrosted and the relish ready, the creation could begin.

I have to admit that I didn't want to make an exact replica of the Adventure Inn panini; didn't want to deal with cranberry sauce, jalapeno jelly and cream cheese.  I wanted a much simpler version to put together, where my biggest decision would be to toast the bread or not.  I had a soft roll that I could use to make a panini, but I also had soft croissants that would hold together nicely without the toasting.  No, I don't like to toast croissants as the process seems to make them become too crumbly and fall apart. 

  The decision was made for me when I spied my Calphalon Panini press that I had gotten a while back...the panini won.

  Preheating the oven to 350F; I lined a small roasting pan with aluminum foil and sprayed the rack with nonstick cooking spray. The turkey tenderloins (about 3/4 lb each) were boneless, skinless and trimmed of any excess fat; a simple sprinkling of salt and ground black pepper was done to both sides. Tenderloins on the rack and into the oven, they roasted for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reached 160F.  I did turn them over once during the roasting process, so each side would brown.
 Before slicing the turkey up, I let it rest for 15 minutes...now lets make that panini!

Slicing the roll open, I spread some mayonnaise on the outside of each side; the mayonnaise would give the bread crunch after toasting without being greasy.  The turkey was sliced up, 5 pieces each 1/4" thick; Swiss cheese and sweet onion relish ready for adding.  I put my stove top burner on medium heat, put the panini pan on the burner and let it heat up.  This pan does heat up quickly, so make sure you have everything ready to go or you risk burning the roll side closest to the burner.  Yes, I'm talking from experience.

  Roll on the pan, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, turkey slices fanned out along the roll, a generous helping of sweet onion relish before being topped with another 2 slices of Swiss cheese and the other side of the roll.

 Place the press on top of the sandwich and begin pressing down slightly; don't slam down hard immediately, or the insides will just come gushing out. Let it cook for one minute before flipping the sandwich over and begin pressing down again. Since the cheese is now melted, the sandwich will press together more easily and you can apply more pressure; one minute on the pan and then to the plate it can go.

 There you have it, the Turkey Sweet Onion Panini; tender slices of turkey, smooth Swiss cheese and a sweet, yet tangy onion relish.
 Did I make a cold version of the sandwich, you bet I did! On a croissant and it was just as delicious as the hot version. One type of sandwich, done up two ways and all you have to do is make the decision of which one to try out first. Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour