Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Raisin Bread
By the time I got home last night I felt on the verge of a full-on flu smackdown. (I couldn’t manage to hold myself upright at the computer, looking desperately around my cluttered office for something good to give away, and finally crawled into bed and called it Free Stuff Saturday mornings.) W is up and down, a little more feverish again last night and kept falling asleep throughout the day, and we spent another night with him twisted around me, hacking out a lung. Mike has gout again – there appears to be a connection with long car drives. Between us we’re a bit of a mess. (As I write this, W is trying to take Lou’s temperature – it’s a good thing he only knows the under-the-tongue technique.)
Since I was roused by phlegm and simultaneously pushed out the side of a king-sized bed at just slightly after 4 (!!) this morning, I decided I was in particular need of comfort food. Not scones, or a loaf, or oatmeal.. I needed something more. I needed a grilled cheese sandwich made with aged white cheddar on raisin bread. Guys, you have to try this.
The idea was still swimming around in my head after reading my Tell Simmer interview, in which I fessed up my most disgusting snack habit (it’s not the grilled cheese – you have to read it to find out). I answered all these questions in the motel in Salmon Arm en route back to Calgary the other night, drinking shiraz from a plastic Travelodge cup. At some point toward the end I managed to erase the whole thing (I blame the shiraz. And the cup) and I had to start over. (It would be interesting to see how I answered that same list of questions this morning, in an entirely new time and place!) Simmer till Done is on my short list of favourite, funniest food blogs. I have a ton of Marilyn’s recipes bookmarked to try. I wish I wasn’t still in a daze and could do it more justice with my description – suffice to say it’s well worth a read.
So for Free Stuff Saturday Mornings (we’ll resume our normal Friday programming schedule) would you take a new cookbook? I have a new, big chunky one from Readers’ Digest, which I’m sad is struggling (although the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing doesn’t apply to Reader’s Digest operations in Canada) – I’m hoping it isn’t at risk of going under along with Gourmet – news I’m still seriously stunned by.
It’s called Just 5 Things, because each recipe uses only 5 ingredients – seems like a good idea as we start to get into the busy season. It’s huge – 700 pages! – with a flexible hard cover, and EVERY RECIPE HAS A PHOTO. Each recipe is on its own page, and the facing page is a full-colour photo. It’s one of the best laid-out cookbooks I’ve seen.
So – I do want to know what everyone is eating – and you could in fact cheat and recount the best meal of the week – it doesn’t have to be last night! Do you have any 5 ingredient (and under) favourites?
A nasty flu, gout, and under-the-dog’s-tongue germs going through your family? Holy cow, Julie! I don’t think anyone would have thought less of you if you had just skipped posting altogether this week, let alone Free Stuff [insert appropriate day here]! You’re a champ.
That said, my favorite at the moment is probably chana masala: just onions, tomatoes, chickpeas, chana masala spice mix, and yogurt. Although the fact that I use a spice *mix* might constitute a bit of a cheat, as far as the item count is concerned.
Feel better, all of you!
I’m fighting a 4th day of headaches…not sure if it’s a chinook or that bug going around that is still trying to hang on. I’m happy to say though, that I am eating the last of the pear/squash muffins with a cup of Kicking Horse espresso based latte.
No 5 ingredient favorites this week but lots of turkey!
Hope the bugs leave your house quick!
A five ingredient meal doesn’t come to mind…. unless it’s pancakes or perogies/edamame which is our” we don’t have anything to eat meal” We the mongolian beef and broccoli from the dinner and dessert blog. Very very yummy!
Hope you feel better.
I love kinnikinnick anything, so cookies would be perfect for me =D.
Every recipe with a photo? Awesome! For five-ingredient meals, we tend to do chicken (cooked in salad dressing – it sounds odd, but is amazing!), new potatoes, and cooked veggies =D.
Feel better soon – The grilled cheese looks delicious.
I just got over the ‘I’ve been hit by a truck and just want to curl up on the couch and sleep forever’ bug. Flu season is officially here I think…
This week I had baked veal cutlets in a tomato sauce with spinach (for veggie ‘oompf’) And served it over homemade swiss knopfli (which breaks the 5 ingredient rule) but you can also serve it over egg noodles.
favorite meall this week after a particularly stressful day was a fried over- easy egg with two strips of bacon on a piece of buttered whole wheat toast.
Hi Julie, First off I have to say that you have changed our life. I have made your blog our home page for the always needed inspiration. We have a new family tradition (has it been three weeks?) of pizza night on Fridays… I make the no kneed dough each Thursday p.m. We are loving the pesto topping. Never had it before your mention. Never mind the cookies I make with my children from One Smart Cookie. Kids on the counter up to their elbows in flour.
For a 5 ingredient favorite…lots of eggs (red topped Frittata), pancakes, pasta with red sauce and any meat and potatoes.
Hope you are feeling better!
Hope you are feeling better
I just finished kneading some raisin bread after reading that profile! And now I am kicking myself because I completely forgot about that food policy council meeting yesterday. Dammit. Oh well, it’s not like Morgan was available to watch the kids anyway.
I have done the breakfast for dinner thing – where I love my breakfast burritos
Whole wheat tortilla
3 eggs whites
1 omega egg
salsa
a touch of shredded cheese.
Voila!
Now if only I could have a recipe book with more ideas for 5 ingredient meals!
I love breakfast for dinner! french toast,bocon and orange juice.
Hope I win the book, I will put it to good use.
This will probably exceed five ingredients, but a favorite taste I’ve been savoring lately, is leftover rice morphed into a mediterranean “bowl”: add slow-roasted tomatoes (which I’ve frozen and just bend off a hunk and chop) or just cherry tomatoes, squished; feta cheese, golden raisins, pine nuts, peppers, zucchini, chickpeas,… kinda depends what’s on hand, but what a great taste! Season with greek spice mix or basil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and enjoy.
See, I think I need a 5-ingredient cook book, so every meal isn’t like a runaway-train! : )
My best super easy dinner is baked beans on toast with bacon, onion, tomato, and melted cheddar (ok thats 6 items, but easy!)
Hope you recover quickly! Thanks for taking time to Blog.
Eating chicken-tomatillo taoos from last night today. Thanks for the contest!
the best meal of the week definitely was monday. we were away for the earlier part of the thanksgiving weekend, but came back for a family dinner on monday night which did NOT include turkey, but a stuffed pork roast from sunterra! (we too joined in on the pork sale). it was very good. with applesauce. i hope you picked one of those up too!
Here’s a super easy soup for those days when you need hot, delicious comfort food….Red Lentil Soup. I found it at http://www.101Cookbooks.com — her latest blog update. I made it for lunch yesterday and tossed some leftover chopped turkey in at the last minute — yum! All you need is an onion, red lentils, brown rice and veggie and/or chicken broth, seaoned with hot chili flakes. How easy it that? And — it’s only 5 ingredients! You could easily spice it up with some garlic and curry paste, but its sheer simplicity appealed to both of us yesterday and I must say it hit the proverbial spot. Made lots of great leftovers too! I hope you and your family getting feeling better soon Julie!
I laughed out loud when you said luckily W only knows the under the tongue way to take a temperature! Your sense of humour is amazing even when you’re not feeling well!
Stay-in-bed Stew is delicious and easy, and has 6 ingredients. In the crock pot, put stewing beef, (no need to brown!), potatoes, carrots and onions cut in bite size pieces. On top, pour 2 tins of Tomato Soup.(I use the 25% less salt soup) If you like lots of gravy, use 3 tins. I sprinkle some Worchestshire Sauce over top. Cook on low for at least 8 hours. The gravy is delicious, and the meat is so tender! I served it to 12 people and no one could guess what I used for the gravy. Also they couldn’t believe I didn’t brown the meat first, or that I didn’t use flour or corn starch to make the gravy.
If you use the stove instead, cook it for 7 hours at 250.
my favorite 5 or less ingredient supper is Salsa baked chicken breasts. Thorw some skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a baking pan, top each with a dollop of sourcream, dump a jar of salsa (preferably homemade) over top and then sprinkle with shredded ceddar cheese and bake.
Quick, easy and yummy…I think i got the real rescipe from a chatelaine magazine but I just improvise now when I make it.
Best meal of this week? Probably this morning’s Swiss/ham/broccoli crustless quiche. Not so much because it was tasty, but because I made it last night and reheated it at the crack of dawn when I had to leave the house. Food before noon! I feel so grownup.
hey jules! sorry to hear your having a rough go of it 🙁 hopefully will be back to a healthy household soon! best meal this weekend was a crockpot chili though my picky family didn’t love it as much as i did 🙂 i think it was 6 ingredients though, ground beef with onions, black beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. all served with a fresh whole wheat loaf. yummy!
It’s totally going around. If one kid isn’t puking, one is teething, one is feverish and the other has grown a boil… How do you grow a boil????
Needless to say, our supper last night was pathetic although it does fall in the ‘under 5 ingredient’ category… Perogies, carrots, french toast, and left over cheesy chicken casserole from the pioneer woman… (all covered in syrup thanks to the 3-year old)…
I can’t believe I am posting this.
I, too, feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. No 5 ingredient meals, but been drinking rooibos tea for 5 days.
My favourite easy meal that my partner DETESTS is steamed rice covered with a poached egg. Version A is add salsa or green onions or avocado or cilantro. Version B is add some rice vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and chili flakes…
It’s oddly satisfying.
Our favorite meal during this week of late nights at work was a super easy comfy meal: 2 cans of black beans, one can of tomatoes with green chiles, and some smoked ham simmered for a bit and then topped with poached eggs and goats cheese. It was heavenly — easy and comforting.
I hope you and W are feeling better soon.
Favorite meal this week had to be the homemade turkey noodle soup with dumplings. Stock made from Sunday’s turkey- carrots, onions, celery, leftover peas, macaroni and turkey bits. A few cherry tomatoes thrown in. The dumplings are from an old Purity flour cookbook and contain parsley and grated carrots.
The other contender for a favorite meal was a business lunch at Gaucho’s Brazilian BBQ on McLeod Trail. Tasty buffet and five or more BBQ meats carved off skewers at your table.
Not an economy meal, but a carnivore’s dream.
The other night I rolled out some homemade multi-grain pizza crust and topped it with tomato sauce, sauteed onions and broccoli and some M.Jack and Parm. Rolled it up jellyroll style and cut the log into pinwheels. Baked them ala cinnamon buns (topped with more cheese) in a round cake tin at 400F for about 20 minutes. The kids loved it.
Turkey Crepes!
Flour, egg, milk, chopped turkey, tin of mushroom soup and a tablespoon of curry powder.
Oops, that’s 6 ingredients.
One of my hubby’s favorite dinners.
Hi Julie,
I have a well thumbed and food marked, Grazing and shared it with a good friend when I went back to Calgary to visit. I found out about your blog through her and have enjoyed it for a few months now.
Here’s my staple.
Soy sauce, maple syrup, shaoxing wine (or sherry), and sesame oil….add it to almost cooked shrimp, or veg, or chicken or salmon whip it around in pasta. The kids like it too. It’s nice and safe. In a tight spot, just in noodles is great too.
Ok..I guess that’s really 6 too..
Hope everyone feels better.
Hi, Julie, welcome back. Hope health follows. I’ve had great satisfaction of late with pulled pork from the slow cooker. The last cut was somewhat different though (all that was available at Superstore), a full SHANK with a WALLOP of pigskin attached!! I managed to excise that, sear the remainder and now it’s been in the cooker for long enough to make it succulent. The aroma is devine, at least as good as a pork blade roast. Love the idea of RAISIN grilled cheese! Gotta try that!
Just made mussels with pasta, but my five-ingredient recipe is:
1 squash (I use acorn or butternut), peeled and cubed
1 small onion, sliced
garlic, sliced, chopped or whatever, as much as you like, but I like at least three fat cloves
1 Tbsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium and then put in onion and squash and a pinch of salt. Cover for about 7 minutes or until the onions and squash are really browning. Then add garlic and curry powder and mix it up and brown for another 4-5 minutes. You can now add salt and pepper to taste and mash it up if you like. Ta-da!
Caramelized squash!
Five ingredient dinner? Make a pot of brown rice. Boil broccoli florets one minute, drain, add the sections of an orange, toss with 1 T each concentrated orange juice and olive oil. Fry seasoned white fish fillets (eg.sea bass, halibut). Quick, easy, colorful, tasty, good for you.
Sorry about your ‘flu. Make ginger, lemon and honey tea (fluid, fluid,fluid)
I’m not sure if it’s the best meal of the week, cause I think the braised turkey legs osso bucco style might win that one, but on Tuesday we had cheater lasagne, made with ravioli, marinara sauce, pepperoni, and all the rest of the lasagne trimmings and it was honestly, spectabulous! It might have more than 5 ingredients, but you sure could make it with less and it’s a great when you get home from work, “don’t wanna’ cook dinner”
dinner! Hey, hope you guys are feeling better soon! That’s the pits, flu, gout and “I’m too busy to be sick”. Yikes!
The best dinner this week was tonight’s- I used your ‘Butter Turkey with Spinach’ recipe for the slow cooker- swapping the turkey for pork tenderloin and curry powder for tandoori spices. Served that with spiced rice and lentils, naan and homemade raita. My favourite 5 ingredient dish is any small pasta tossed with pesto and topped with lots of sauteed onions and asparagus (or broccoli, or a mix- ) and whole almonds. Tasty and healthy.
Best dinner this week would be Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup. Basically just roasted a mix of chopped up butternut squash, parsnips, potatoes, rhutabagas, and turnips in the oven drizzled with rosemary flavored olive oil until soft. Threw it into a pot of turkey stock and pureed it. It was delicious with fresh homemade rye bread.
Best 5-ingredient dish of the week: improvised corn soup, to empty the freezer/fridge. Corn, can of diced tomatoes, half jar of smoked chipotle salsa, chopped Swiss chard, veggie bouillon powder.
Flu season is definitely upon us. I’m looking forward to a comforting hot bath and a cup of tea to contend with my own cold symptoms.
Speaking of comfort, my favorite 5 ingredient dish is baked polenta: I cook it in chicken broth until thickened,spread one layer into a baking dish, top with black forest ham, mozzarella and parmesan, another layer of polenta and then bake. Just like a grilled cheese sandwich but heartier!
I have been loving my pot of ham and bean soup this week – could it be the stuffy head??
Best meal of the week – the last of the thanksgiving leftovers made tday in a bowl:
Dressing re-invigorated with some chicken stock, Peas, and shredded turkey. 1 minute in the mic then top with leftover cranberry sauce. 🙂
I had spaghetti and a can of plain tuna tonight. A weird combo – and not together I might add. It was a rushed dinner before I had to go out.
I wish I could have had your dinner!
My lowest ingredient recipe has 6 and some seasonings.., so I guess I really need to win this book! 😉
It is a one pan dish and very easy though:
I fry up some turkey hot sausage links, cut them in slices and set aside. Add (a bit more olive oil) chopped onion and lots of garlic and brown in same pan then throw in 2 lrg. cans of chopped up plum tomatoes. Season with what you like…I use s&p, basil, oregano as my basics, but it varies. Simmer to meld flavors. Add a large handful of chopped cleaned rapini. Toss in some cooked pasta and it’s ready to go.
We love it and appreciate the one large fry pan clean up too.
What fortitude you have… sickness, gout and still reading about food let alone thinking “hmmmmm, that sounds good”!!!
oohhh you are all in need of some tender loving care by the sounds of it. I really hope you all feel better soon.
Our current easy dinner favourite is simply:
mushrooms and asparagus pan fried in butter on the plate with a boiled free range egg and a whole steamed potato (with butter!). Sounds so simple but the flavours combine to bring comfort and joy :+)
I’m back having read your Tell Simmer interview and I still have a smile on my face. I too have a cheese and raisin fetish but have YOU tried: cheddar cheese, sliced roast chicken and rasin bread sandwiches- toasted or not? Give it a go :+)
Julie! Rest-up girl, you need your energy for you and your family.
Hang in there.
Take care.
MFO
When it rains it ours hey Julie. Hope Mike and W are getting better. Favorite easy meal Beef curry. Chop and saute 1 onion in a bit of oil add chopped cooked left over roast beef, 1 cup of beef broth 1 can tomato puree, couple or more tablespoons of curry paste I like madras, 1 chopped apple, and a handful of raisins . easy easy and we all love it over rice.
I love to make eggs, scrambled with a teaspoon of mustard and some chopped bell peppers. On top of toasted crusty French bread, this is totally awesome.
Best meal this week…risotto, broccoli, chicken and a spinach salad with homemade poppy seed dressing. Not really exciting but really yummy!
I am travelling around New England right now so there have been many memorable meals this week. The most memorable ingredient however, was an aged white cheddar with carmelized onion cheese. Sooo good. Can I buy some of that to bring back to Canada? We are not sure.
I haven’t really had a memorable meal this week – short, busy week. But I just made a corn & jalapeno soup that is delicious. And in the oven right now: your Maple Walnut Choc Chip cookies…. TO DIE FOR!
I love recipe books. Count me in Julie – thanks!
I’m in Southern England on vacation and have had some great meals this week. My favourite was a thin crust pizza with olives, garlic, ricotta, spinach and an egg.
Mashed potatoes with kale & sausage…sort of less than 5 ingredients if you don’t count the salt & pepper & milk & butter for the mashed potatoes. Vinegar adds to the flavour. Made this last night & to this day my kids’favorite breakfast fried up the next morning.
Usually if I’m feeling crappy, I’ll make and eat pancakes til I feel better. Nobody complains and everyone gets fed, too.
Crepes can be made with five ingredients I think.
Get better soon, the whole gang of you.
So sorry you are all sick! Sometimes it is hard to remember what it is like to have everyone well. Hmmm nothing too glamorous this week.. must be the pasta (brown rice pasta noodles), with white northern beans pureed to look like parmesan cheese mixed into the red sauce w/ ground turkey and topped with the real cheese. The cookbook looks great! And from yesterday – I’ve been making the crockpot yogurt but it makes so much.. must try your version.
Wow, I’m enjoying everyone’s ideas for “short-list” suppers/ lunches/ breakfasts. It IS hard to keep it under 6 ingredients!
Here’s one we use while camping… less than 5 ingredients, but it’s messy so it’s a good one for outdoor cooking:
Bannock on a propane stove:
You need: a bowl; two plates; two forks; a propane stove; a good old cast-iron frying pan.
Ingredients:
Oil
Self-raising flour
Water
sugar
Put the frying pan over the flame with about 1/2 inch of oil (canola), to heat. If it starts smoking, too hot! turn it off/down for a while. Meanwhile:
Mix together 1 1/2 c. self-raising flour with 1 tbsp. sugar and about 2/3 cup of water (depends on how dry your flour is, you might need to adjust the water amount). You’re aiming for a fairly stiff dough, but still malleable. Put some flour on one of the plates and pat an egg-sized lump of dough into a disc ~ 1/4 inch thick. Make a hole in the middle of it.
Test the oil with a little pinch of the dough. Should brown within a minute.
Place bannock in frypan. cook ~ 1-2 minutes or until browned, use the forks to turn it over, cook for a minute longer and put it on the extra plate (if you have newspaper or paper towels to drain it on, good).
Sprinkle with sugar and serve. (Jam’s good too, but not necessary!)
I could use a big bowl of melted cheese right now!
Favourite with only 5 ingredients: slices of eggplant roasted or grilled with olive oil and salt, topped with sauteed mushrooms and La Bomba (quite hot anitipasto, can be found at Italian markets. Horribly expensive but so worth it).
I like cottage cheese, fruit, cinnamon, nuts, and fresh spinach. It’s one of my favorite lunches.
I always enjoy that you share the most imperfect things in your kitchen and your life, which make you so easy to relate to. If you were at my house for dinner and I ruined it (which happens on occasion) I think you’d totally understand.
After a weekend of eating rich food, I was thinking “soup and grilled cheese” for dinner tonight. THIS looks like it might make its way onto my plate!
Weird – my mom’s go to meal was cheese on raisin bread too. If we had to have dinner in the car (which was often), that was it.
Get well soon.
We had pulled pork last night, but my favourite 5 ingredient dish is from Kraft – chicken breasts drizzled with lemon juice, topped with feta and oregano, then baked and topped with another squeeze of lemon juice and chopped red pepper.
Fave TLC recipe when sick with cold/flu:
1. Wash a whole lemon. Juice it. Set aside juice.
2. Boil 4 c cold water with the leftover lemon rind, honey (Tbsp or 2) and sprig of fresh rosemary.
3. Once boiling, turn down heat, cover and simmer 10 min.
4. Strain the bits, add the lemon juice and voila! Homemade TLC. Drink warm or cold.
I have lots of great meal memories from last week. One of the stand outs is lunch at Greek fest in Vancouver yesterday – bites of roast lamb stolen from my sister’s plate, my plate of moussaka and fresh loukoumades!
I hope W is feeling better again soon. I remember when my kids were that little, I didn’t feel ‘better’ until they were feeling better…so I do feel for you, Julie…
We are having potato soup tonight…potatoes, milk, crispy bacon and onion. Us adults will have braised swiss chard on top for some greenery, the kids might pass on that bit o’ nutrition…
Favourite once a week meal:
Brown rice pasta
Mushrooms
Spinach
Garlic
Cream
Yummmm!
Home made french dips for our sunday dinner. deli counter roast beef + some new spices+soy sauce + beef broth + water, simmered for 30 mins, put it on some french bread. my first french dip actually. anything with few ingredients is a winner in my book
You’ll be happy to know that tonight we had a JVR dinner – curried butternut squash pear soup with upside-down caramelized pan bread and a green salad with fabulous dressing I picked up at the Hillside Winery in Naramata on our summer vacation. All very yummy! Thank you!