Pumpernickel Pastrami Panini with Rosemary Au-Jus

5 T butter, divided
2 c beef broth (one 15 oz can)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 pound shaved pastrami
8 slices pumpernickel bread
4 slices thinly sliced sharp white Cheddar

Rosemary Au-Jus
Melt 1 T butter in medium sized saucepan, over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute approximately 3 minutes. Whisk in beef broth, rosemary, onion powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Allow to simmer while preparing panini.

Pumpernickel Pastrami Panini
Heat griddle to medium. Butter one side of one slice of pumpernickel and place on griddle, butter side down. Add one slice of cheese. Add 1/4 pastrami, another slice of cheese and top with another buttered bread slice, butter side up.

Place the bottom of a heavy skillet on top of sandwich, and press down to flatten (leave skillet on sandwich while grilling). Cook 2 minutes, flip, press down with heavy skillet again and cook an additional 2 minutes or until crisp. Repeat process with remaining sandwich ingredients.

Slice sandwiches on diagonal and serve with rosemary au-jus for dipping. Serves 4.

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwich

4 ciabatta rolls, halved horizontally
2 T vinaigrette dressing (recommended: Brianna's French vinaigrette)
4 oz plain goat cheese
1/2 c roasted red peppers
baby spinach leaves

Drizzle bottom half of each roll with dressing and spread goat cheese evenly over dressing. Add layer of peppers and then layer of spinach leaves. Top with remaining half of roll. Serves 4.

Chef's Note: If you would like to roast your own peppers, see this recipe. I used prepared jarred roasted red peppers in this sandwich recipe.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c garlic and herb cheese spread (Boursin or Alouette)
4 slices bacon
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken breasts, one at a time, in large zip-top bag. Pound chicken with meat mallet, from center out, until approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place chicken breast, membrane side down, on work surface. Add 1 t cheese in center and spread evenly to all edges. Roll chicken breast with cheese inside and tuck edges. Wrap one bacon slice around stuffed chicken, making sure edges are sealed underneath. Place in lightly oiled ovenproof dish and repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Season well with freshly ground black pepper.

Bake 40-50 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Note: for crispy bacon, turn oven to broil for last 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from dish and cover loosely. Add 1/4 c water to dish and whisk to deglaze cheese and bacon rendering over medium high heat 3-5 minutes. Slice chicken and pour sauce over. Serves 4.

Corn Chowder

1 T butter
1 strip bacon
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 ears sweet corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups), cobs reserved
3 1/2 c milk
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 c roasted red pepper, diced
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 t thyme

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add bacon and fry until bacon renders its fat but does not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add carrot and celery and cook 5 more minutes.

Break corn cobs in half and add to saucepan. Add milk and bay leaf. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover pot and cook 30 minutes with heat just at simmer.

Discard cobs, bacon and bay leaf. Raise heat, add potatoes, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Reduce heat to maintain simmer 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Raise heat, add corn kernels, thyme and red pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Serves 4.

Chili con Carne

1 pound ground beef or turkey
2 15 oz cans red or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can diced tomato
1 15 oz can Original Manwich sauce
1 package mild chili seasoning (ie McCormick)
1 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, minced onion, chopped tomato, etc.

Brown ground meat over medium high heat until no pink remains. Do not drain. Add beans, tomato, Manwich, and seasonings to meat. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Simmer a minimum of 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Garnish and serve. Serves 4.

Chef's Note: I was tempted to not enter a recipe for chili... I have never made it the same way twice. I just rummage through my pantry and use whatever ingredients I happen to have (like today I only had one can of red beans and no kidney beans so I added black beans because it's what I already had).

Also, I didn't have any chili seasoning so I had to do a lot of tasting and adjusting of salt and garlic while adding various "spices" from my vintage rack to the pot. The end result was not what I intended, but was absolutely delicious.

Don't ever let the absence of one ingredient deter you from cooking a dish. You might be surprised what you come up with during the process of improvisation.