recipe of the week: ny quesadilla

i cannot lie. this recipe, i'm pretty pleased with.


a few months ago (or weeks...pinterest time gets away from me) i found a recipe for reuben quesadillas that i thought sounded amazing.  i even put it on our menu. 


and then, less than a week before i was to make it...i realized.  my husband does not like cabbage, does not like pickles, and especially does not like german pickled cabbage. and while i had taken that into account when i planned the menu and figured i'd leave the kraut off his...i realized that it would be really boring to eat corned beef and a smattering of cheese on a tortilla.


even though he loves corned beef
and cheese
and tortillas


so i got out about half the following sentence before he interrupted me with a resounding "YES!"


"hey, how about i try making a new yorker quesadilla instead of the reuben one?"


what he didn't realize until after the fact was that i didn't actually have a RECIPE, i just had the model of his favorite sub at firehouse subs, and the fact that meat and cheese always get a resounding reception in this house. not just from him...from me, from the cat...


so between his approval of my suggested ingredients and my imagination, here's what i came up with.  it really is QUITE simple. but it's also simply amazing if you are a fan of the new yorker deli sandwiches.

ny quesadillas


(makes 4 large quesadillas)
4 ounces each pastrami, peppered salami, and corned beef*
6 slices provolone cheese
italian seasoning
8 flour tortillas
german mustard
mayonaise


*way easier to get deli slices of each of these, and that's what would be served on a new yorker sandwich anyway! i got my corned beef from the deli and pastrami and salami from trader joes.





begin by putting all the meat and the italian seasoning into a food processor and pulse until it's roughly chopped

 add cheese, and pulse again

for each quesadilla, spread one entire tortilla with german mustard and the other with mayo

 top with generous portions of meat and cheese

 and cover with the second tortilla

pan cooking this didn't seem like an option. i decided to pop them in the oven at 275゜

keep an eye on them. when the cheese is melted to your liking (and the tortillas are browned to your degree of satisfaction. in my case satisfaction on both arrived in about 12 minutes)

 this is my husband's plate, which he filled with chips

 mmmm

this is my messily cut quesadilla hanging out with a fresh tomato and a couple of pickles

the verdict? as intrigued as i was by the idea of reuben quesadillas, i think this one is more for us.  definitely staying in the meal rotation!

let's be real and mention that this is not the most figure friendly meal.  here's the info for each serving if you care :-)

oh, and click on the button for a link to more yummy recipes!

Recipe of the Week -- Vodka Pasta

I'm a big girl. I admit when I'm wrong.
And wrong I was, about vodka pasta.

In the past, I've opened up a jar of Bertolli vodka sauce, thrown in some sausage and onion, and poured it over pasta. Now, while there's nothing inherently wrong with Bertolli...it doesn't even come close to comparing to this.

I adapted a Rachael Ray recipe (called "you won't be single for long vodka sauce) and made it my own :0)

Without further ado...

Lora's Vodka Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped (or more if you prefer it)
approximately a pound of Italian sausage
1 cup vodka *
1/2 cup chicken stock *
1 can tomatoes (I currently use fire roasted italian)
salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, etc to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and onions. Gently saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and brown. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt, pepper and other seasonings. Simmer the sauce while cooking pasta (I use penne). Right before time to drain the pasta, stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat.


*play around with these based on how liquid-y you want your sauce.  But that is the ratio.  I sometimes use 3/4 cup vodka to 1/4 cup chicken broth for a thicker sauce.