Menu Wednesday Lucky #13 - Italian Beef Sandwiches and Minestrone

This Wednesday is lucky Menu #13 and it's a big winner! Not only do we have delicious sandwiches . . . AND a fabulous soup . . . but ALSO a healthy wintertime salad too. The possibilities are there for several combo meals - soup and sandwich, soup and salad, sandwich and salad, or the soup, salad, sandwich trifecta!

And not only do we have three great combos, but they can all be prepared ahead of time, making them perfect for busy families, working moms or dads who cook, big family gatherings, pot lucks, or casual company dinners. I just love a dish or a menu that can multi-task!

I've used various recipes for Italian beef through the years, but this is my latest favorite. Different cuts of roast will work, although you may need to cut the meat into a couple of pieces to fit smaller slow cookers.

The bonus for making Italian Beef is having a pot full of savory juices and bits of meat left at the bottom that can be transformed into a hearty Italian Minestrone with the addition of some vegetables, beans and pasta. If you want to serve this with the Italian Beef sandwiches, just start a day ahead of time to cook the Italian Beef. Reserve some of the juices to pour over the sandwiches (they taste so good when they're a little sloppy) and use the rest of the juices, and a few bits of beef, for the soup base. With a big enough slow-cooker, you could even double the liquids and you'd have plenty left for a big pot of Minestrone.

The combination of oranges and fennel is classic for a winter salad. I add the cherries (or craisins, if you like) and nuts for a little sweetness and crunch. It is just so fresh and fruity - a perfect balance with heartier winter dishes, in my humble opinion. If you don't care for fennel, or can't find it in your market, there are still enough healthy components here to make it a worthy wintertime treat. Try the fennel and oranges together with the tart dressing for a match made in heaven.

SLOW-COOKER ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES
1 rump roast (3 – 4 lbs.)
10 garlic cloves, crushed
1 jar pepperoncini peppers with juice
1 can beer
32 oz. beef broth
Hoagie rolls
Additional pepperoncini for garnish

Brown the rump roast on all sides in a skillet and place in the slow-cooker. Add garlic cloves, pepperoncini peppers, beer, and beef broth. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, until the meat falls apart. Shred meat with a fork. To serve, spoon shredded beef onto toasted hoagie rolls. Serve with additional warm beef juices from the slow-cooker and more pepperoncini peppers. NOTE: Save any liquid and bits of beef to make Minestrone Soup – recipe below.

MINESTRONE SOUP FROM LEFTOVER ITALIAN BEEF
This is a great soup to make with leftover meats and vegetables, or whatever you have on hand. As with most great soups, there is no exact recipe, so this is merely a suggestion of ingredients I add to the Italian Beef broth left in the pot.

Italian Beef Broth leftover from sandwiches
Corn - canned, fresh or frozen
Beans - canned or pre-cooked
Tomatoes - canned, fresh or frozen
Spinach - chopped fresh or frozen
Onion - chopped
Potato - fresh or frozen, diced
Carrots - fresh or frozen, sliced
Spaghetti, cooked, broken in 2-in. pieces
Parmesan cheese, grated

Place Italian Beef Broth and any leftover shreds of beef in a large stockpot. Add vegetables and spaghetti to stock. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 45 mins., or until potato is tender. Add Parmesan cheese about 5 minutes before serving. Soup may be thickened with mashed beans, mashed potatoes or pureed vegetables, if desired.

WINTER SALAD WITH ORANGES, FENNEL, DRIED CHERRIES & PECANS
big bunch mixed lettuces – iceberg, romaine, endive, etc.
1 bulb fresh fennel
2 oranges (use blood oranges when in season during late winter)
1/3 c. dried cherries
1/3 c. spiced or toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
1/3 c. good olive oil
1/3 c. good vinegar – balsamic, port wine, red wine, champagne, white wine, rice wine, etc.
sugar - optional
salt & pepper to taste

Wash, spin dry and chop lettuces. Slice or shave white part of fennel bulb in half from top to bottom. Place each half, flat-side down, and cut across to make very, very thin slices. Cut small slice off top and bottom of oranges. Cut from top to bottom to remove peel and white pith from oranges. The cut orange into segments - cutting close to the membrane on each side - leaving you with sliced crescent shaped segments with no membrane or peel. In a small bowl, mix olive oil and vinegar of your choice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add just a pinch or two of sugar if salad dressing or fruits are too tart. Toss a small amount of dressing with chilled lettuces. Salad may be plated for individual servings or placed in a large bowl. For either serving style: place lettuce mix first and then arrange fennel slices, orange slices, cherries and toasted pecans over lettuce mix.

SHOPPING LIST for Menu Wednesday #13
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Italian Beef Soup
Winter Salad with Oranges, Fennel, Dried Cherries & Pecans

Produce
Garlic – 10 cloves or 1 bulb
Onion – 1 medium or 1 small bag frozen chopped
Potato – 2 fresh
Carrots – 3 or 4 or 1 small bag frozen
Spinach – fresh or 1 box frozen chopped
Lettuces – 8 c. mix of your choice (iceberg, romaine, leaf, endive, butterhead, etc.)
Fennel – 1 bulb
Oranges – 2
Red onion - 1

Pantry
Pepperoncini peppers – 1 jar (additional for garnish)
Beer – 1 can
Beef broth – 32 oz.
Beans – 1 can or dried (cook before adding to soup)
Corn – 1 can or 1 small bag frozen
Spaghetti – 1 box (only using partial box)
Dried cherries – 1/3 c.
Pecans – 1/3 c. whole
Olive oil
Vinegar – 1/3 c. (choice balsamic, red wine, champagne, etc.)
Sugar – 1 tsp.
Salt & Pepper

Bakery
Hoagie Rolls

Dairy
Parmesan Cheese - 1 c.

Menu Wednesday #12

This week's menu features a thick, hearty Italian-style bean soup inspired by holiday leftovers. I had a partial bag of dried northern beans, some cooked sausage leftover from making pizzas, and some leftover penne from making baked ziti. With the addition of a few vegetables from the fridge and some pantry seasonings, I created the best soup I think I've ever made. Memories of a hearty minestrone at a little Italian restaurant in Chicago, circa 1975, came flooding back to me when I tasted this -- and that's a very good thing.

Soup is not something that normally photographs well, at least for a non-professional like me, but I couldn't resist giving it a try (see the bite out of my sandwich already!) so you could see how thick and hearty it turned out. Even My Favorite Husband, who is often suspicious of bean foods, loved this as much as I did.

I'd enjoy this with a crusty piece of homemade bread, so I've added the recipe for the ever popular No Knead Bread that swept the country a couple of years ago. If you'd like though, a plate of antipasto or a sandwich would make it a perfect meal for bigger appetites. I'll leave that to you. And, don't be afraid to add or subtract to accommodate the leftovers in your fridge -- that's the best part of making soup AND making ends meets for your grocery budget when money is tight right after the holidays.

BEST EVER BEAN SOUP
8 oz. dried northern or cannellini beans
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 c. finely chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Water
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 qt. good chicken stock
1 qt. good beef stock
2 cups cooked pasta, cooled – mini penne, macaroni, ditalini, etc.
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Place dried beans, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme in a large heavy stockpot and add water to 2 in. above beans. Cook on medium-high until beans begin to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until beans are tender. Be sure to add more water, if necessary to keep beans just covered. Remove Italian sausage from casings and brown in a skillet; drain and add to beans. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes and enough chicken and beef stocks. Simmer on medium-low heat, until beans get very soft and flavors are well blended. Add cooked pasta and Parmesan and continue to heat over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times to keep cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty Italian bread, or with a sandwich or salad.

CRISPY CRUST NO-KNEAD BREAD
Adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery

3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. SAF-instant yeast (red label)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. water
olive oil (for coating pan and bread)
extra flour or cornmeal (for dusting)

You need two bowls, a wooden spoon, two cotton kitchen towels, plastic wrap, and a heavy pot (I use my 4 1/2 qt. Le Creuset Dutch Oven) or ceramic or glass baking bowl – with a lid.

Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix by hand until blended. Coat the inside of a medium mixing bowl with olive oil and put the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest, at room temperature, for 12 hours.

Dump dough out onto a floured surface and fold it a couple of times. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. Take a large cotton kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust it with a heavy coating of flour or cornmeal. Shape the dough into a ball and place it seam side down on the towel. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour. Cover the dough with a second cotton towel and let it rise at room temperature for
1–2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450–500 degrees. About 30 minutes before ready to bake bread, place a large cast iron pot, or ceramic or Pyrex glass bowl in the oven to preheat. Remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot, seam side up and cover. Bake for 30 minutes; remove cover and bake 15–30 more minutes uncovered, until bread is a nice, rich brown on top.

Cool on a wire rack. Crust will be crisp and make a cracking noise as it cools. Eat the bread right away with butter or olive oil! And then make more!

SHOPPING LIST FOR Menu Wednesday #12
Best Ever Bean Soup
Crispy Crust No Knead Bread

Produce
Onion – 1
Celery – 2 ribs
Carrots – 2
Garlic – 4 cloves

Pantry
Dried beans – 8 oz.
Dried thyme – 1/2 tsp.
Red pepper flakes – 1/2 tsp.
Canned diced tomatoes – 1 can
Chicken stock – 1 qt.
Beef stock – 1 qt.
Dried pasta – 4 oz.
All-purpose flour – 5 c.
SAF instant yeast – 1/4 tsp.
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Meats
Italian sausage – 8 oz.

Dairy
Parmesan cheese – 4 oz.
Butter

MENU WEDNESDAY #9

MENU #9 - Turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving, unless you have a very big family. With only one oven, a little creativity is required to cook enough for everyone. Our solution has been two-fold. We fry a turkey outside and bake a ham inside. The ham requires less time to bake than the turkey, freeing up precious oven space for all the other hot foods. And the added bonus is a greater variety of leftovers.

The other bonus - a leftover ham bone is perfect for making Sally's Black Bean Soup, and soup is a good thing to have around for the very busy days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Serve Sally's Black Bean Soup with a few add-ons, if desired, and some cornbread for a quick and easy one-pot lunch or dinner. This recipe can be reduced to make a smaller batch, or simply freeze leftovers for another time. It is the best Black Bean Soup I've ever tasted - thanks Sally!


SALLY'S BLACK BEAN SOUP
3 1-lb. bags of dried black beans, soaked in water overnight
1 c. olive oil
6 cups onions, diced
8-10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 meaty ham bone (or 4. diced ham)
6 qts. canned chicken broth
2 – 3 tablespoons ground cumin, to taste
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
6 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. dry sherry (or more to taste)

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions and garlic; cook until tender. Rinse and drain beans and add to the pot. Add the ham bone, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer over low heat, uncovered for several hours. Add the sherry about 30 minutes before serving. Remove the bay leaves before serving! Make a day ahead for the best flavor. Makes a lot! Can be frozen and reheated.

Optional Garnishes for Black Bean Soup:
Chopped Onion or Sliced Green Onions
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Chopped Tomatoes
Diced Avocado
Salsa
Jalapenos
Hot Sauce (like Cholula)

SWEET CORN BREAD
1 9-ounce box of cornbread mix (Jiffy)
1 9-ounce box yellow cake mix (Jiffy or divide larger mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, prepare the corn muffin mix following directions on the box. In another bowl, make the cake mix following directions on the box. Combine the 2 mixes and stir to blend. Pour batter into a 9-by-12-inch pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve with Honey Butter. Goes great with soups, especially bean soups and chili. This is similar to the sweet cake-like corn bread served at Marie Callendar’s restaurants in California.

APPLE SPICE DUMP CAKE
2 cans apples or apple pie filling
1 spice cake mix
2 sticks butter, melted
Optional Dessert Toppings: Whipped Cream, Ice Cream or Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour apples into 9 x 13” glass baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over apples. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top is browned and sides are bubbly. Serve with fresh whipped cream, ice cream, or warm caramel sauce.

SHOPPING LIST FOR MENU #9
Sally's Black Bean Soup
Sweet Corn Bread
Apple Spice Dump Cake

PANTRY
black beans - 3 1-lb. bags

olive oil - 1 c.
chicken broth - 6 qts.
ground cumin - 3 tbsp.
oregano - 1 tbsp.
bay leaves - 3
black pepper
salt
cayenne pepper
brown sugar - 1 tbsp.
lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
Jiffy Corn Bread Mix - 1
Jiffy Cake Mix, yellow - 1
honey - 2 tbsp.
canned sliced apples or apple pie filling - 2 cans
spice cake mix - 1

PRODUCE
onions - 6
garlic - 8 cloves
parsley - 1 bunch

DAIRY
eggs - 3
milk - 1 c.
butter - 3 sticks (3/4 lb.)

MEAT
leftover ham bone (or 4 c. diced ham)

MISCELLANEOUS
dry sherry - 1/2 c. +/-

OPTIONAL SOUP GARNISH ITEMS: chopped onion, sliced green onions,
sour cream, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, salsa, jalapenos,
hot sauce (Cholula)

OPTIONAL DESSERT TOPPING ITEMS: whipped cream, ice cream, 1 jar caramel sauce

MENU WEDNESDAY #4

MENU #4 - This is a simple menu for busy weeknights or easy-going weekends. The soup is one of my favorites because it is so easy and so delicious. Grilled cheese sandwiches seem to be the perfect partner for soup. I like to pair two different cheeses on each sandwich for a really gooey flavorful mix. And once we got past soft white bread, which was our favorite as kids, we really like the possibilities of mixing something like pumpernickel with cheddar and Swiss when we want to live right on the edge. All this meal needs is an equally easy and delicious dessert like brownie and ice cream sundaes. And with a few resourceful additions, these sundaes can be just as much fun as the sandwiches for a little creative expression. Who says simple weeknight dinners have to be dull. This menu will be a favorite for everyone at your table, including the kids!

PAT’S EASY VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cut green beans
1 can sliced new potatoes
1 can sliced carrots
1 8-oz. jar pearl onions
Salt
Pepper

Brown and drain ground beef. Add soup, tomatoes and liquid, and all cans of vegetables including liquid into pot. Heat over medium heat until hot; simmer 30 minutes and serve, or simmer on low longer if desired. Can also be made in a crock-pot by browning ground beef and adding to crock-pot with remaining ingredients; simmer for 4 to 6 hours on low. Makes 6 servings. Serve with crusty French or Italian bread, cornbread or grilled cheese sandwiches.
Note: This is a great soup for making extra and freezing to use later for an even quicker meal.

SUPER GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
Sliced Bread – your choice of Whole Wheat, Multi-Grain, Rye, White, Pumpernickel, Raisin or Egg Bread
Sliced Cheese – your choice of Colby, Cheddar, Swiss, Muenster, Havarti, or Brie
Butter
Mayonnaise and/or Mustard – optional

Heat heavy skillet or griddle on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Spread mayonnaise and or mustard on insides of both pieces of bread, if desired. Layer bread with one or two pieces of cheese, mix it up if you like! Top cheese with second slice of bread. Melt butter on heated griddle and place sandwiches on griddle. Heat until lightly browned and remove long enough to melt more butter on griddle. Carefully turn sandwiches over and return to griddle to brown second side. Remove sandwiches when second side is lightly browned and slice in half to serve.

OVER-THE-TOP BROWNIE ICE CREAM SUNDAES
1 batch of Brownies – homemade from your favorite recipe, prepared from mix or purchased from the bakery
1/2 gallon of Ice Cream – vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, coffee, strawberry, orange sherbet, or your favorite flavor
Syrup, Fruit Topping, or Liqueur – choose your favorite such as chocolate, hot fudge, caramel, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, Kahlua, Amaretto, Bailey's Irish Cream
Whipped Cream, Nuts, Marshmallows, M&M’s, Cherry, etc.

Place one brownie in each bowl or stemmed glass. Top with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Add the toppings of your choice and serve. Try different combinations to make dessert a special treat. My favorite is brownie, vanilla ice cream, raspberries and a splash of amaretto – delicious!

SHOPPING LIST for Menu #4
Pat's Easy Vegetable Beef Soup
Super Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Over-The-Top Brownie Ice Cream Sundaes

Produce
Fruit for ice cream toppings - your choice of strawberries, raspberries, bananas, etc.

Pantry Staples
Salt
Pepper
Sliced Bread - 1+ loaves of your choice
Mayonnaise - optional for sandwiches
Mustard - optional for sandwiches
Ice Cream Toppings - your choice of chocolate, caramel, hot fudge, whipped cream, marshmallows, M&M's, cherries, nuts, etc.

Packaged Goods
Tomato Soup - 1 can
Stewed Tomatoes - 1 can
Whole Kernel Corn - 1 can
Cut Green Beans - 1 can
Sliced New Potatoes - 1 can
Sliced Carrots - 1 can
Pearl Onions - 1 jar
Brownie Mix or Prepared Brownies

Meat
Ground Beef – 1 lb.

Frozen Foods
Ice Cream - 1/2 gallon each of desired flavors

Dairy
Sliced Cheeses - 2 slices per sandwich, your choice of varieties
Butter - 1 or two sticks

Specialty Food Market
Liqueurs - optional choice for ice cream toppings such as Kahlua, Amaretto, Bailey's Irish Cream