What’s needed:
Sourdough Bread
Swiss cheese or Muenster Cheese
Sprouts
Avocado (you will need to slice to desired thickness)
Butter
Salt
Pepper

Butter each slice of sourdough bread real good, put 2 slices of cheese on bread. Fold. Grill. Cover the grilled cheese with a plate when cooking. It really helps to melt the cheese without burning the bread first. Don’t turn the burner up real high. I usually put it in the middle mark. When the cheese is melted take out of pan, open your sami and put a pile of sprouts and Avocado on the melted cheese add some salt and pepper and yummy you have an upgraded grilled cheese. ENJOY!
xo,hillary
P.S. Add a bowl of tomato bisque and you have a meal. You can find a can at your grocery store.

Tofu:
1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Cooking spray

Remaining ingredients:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
4 (2-ounce) sesame buns
4 romaine lettuce leaves
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices plum tomato

To prepare tofu, cut crosswise into 12 slices. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove tofu from pan; cool to room temperature.
Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, marjoram, savory, thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon pepper, milk, salt, and egg whites. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge 1 tofu slice in flour. Dip in milk mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining flour, tofu, milk mixture, and breadcrumb mixture. Place a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add tofu; sauté 3 minutes on each side.

Combine mayonnaise, chives, soy sauce, and garlic. Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture evenly over cut sides of each bun. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf and 3 tomato slices over bottom half of each bun; top each with 3 tofu slices. Cover with tops of buns. Serve immediately.

Seems like a lot of steps - but it really goes fast once you get the hang of it…

-ak

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MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN
One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

Unsalted butter
Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it’s a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken — I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone — I don’t baste it, I don’t add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don’t want. Roast it until it’s done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I’m cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip — until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook’s rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You’ll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it’s so good.

Bouchon
2004
by Thomas Keller

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ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH BROWN BUTTER AND NUTMEG
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large), halved, seeded, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg
Additional nutmeg (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place squash on sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat; arrange squash in single layer. Bake squash until brown and very tender when pierced with fork, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until foam subsides and butter turns nut-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour over squash; stir lightly to coat. Toss with more salt and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Sprinkle with more nutmeg and serve.

Bon Appétit
December 2003

Beets
Mayonaise
Salt

Shred fresh, peeled beets, two is enough for a portion. 1/2 tablespoon mayo (or to liking), pinch of salt (or to liking.) Blend. Delicious and great for digestion.

marinade: 1 part maple syrup to 1 part soy sauce. try to use real maple syrup, not mrs. butterworth! you can get it for cheap at trader joe’s. also, use soy sauce that is not the low sodium kind. for one pound of salmon, use 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup soy. marinate for at least an hour. grill/bake/steam fish. i like grilled best! this is very tasty with rice and asparagus, or e.coli tainted steamed spinach.