Killer combo's

I just had the best salad. I took red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, turkey breast, oscar mayer bacon bits & topped it with a chipotle ranch dressing. Sounds very simple but the bursting of the grape tomatoes, the silkiness of the red lettuce, the bite of the chipotle, the cruchy-saltiness of the bacon...it was heavenly. Like a turkey club in a bowl!

So that got me to thinking about what combinations other people find absolutely delectable.

For a sandwich, I like an onion bagel, toasted, spread with Rondele garlic & Herb cheese spread (or just cream cheese in a pinch), topped with mesquite smoked turkey breast or virginia ham, topped with a slice of raw red onion & then topped off with thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes & seasoned with kosher salt & pepper. (Ideally this is served alongside a spicy bloody mary & consumed while soaking in a hot bubble bath & reading the Sunday Trib ;> )

So, do you have any killer combos you wish to share??

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:
So, do you have any killer combos you wish to share??

Italian Beef & Italian Sausage, with giardinare. And a beer.

Kman wrote:

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:
So, do you have any killer combos you wish to share??

Italian Beef & Italian Sausage, with giardinare. And a beer.

Vodka and Vicodin. (Just kidding.)

Peppers & egg sandwich, with a link of grilled, hot italian sausage that's loaded with fennel, topped with lots of hot giardinera, on a world-class hunk of italian bread. Dipped in beef gravy, of course.

To Liz in Norwood Park -- Thanks for starting this topic, but I have one question: Considering the Trib is a broadsheet, how many arms do you have?

jimwdavis wrote:Peppers & egg sandwich, with a link of grilled, hot italian sausage that's loaded with fennel, topped with lots of hot giardinera, on a world-class hunk of italian bread. Dipped in beef gravy, of course.

To Liz in Norwood Park -- Thanks for starting this topic, but I have one question: Considering the Trib is a broadsheet, how many arms do you have?

The key is in knowing how to fold it into manageable quarters!

Rare roasted leg of lamb , argula, red pepper pesto and goat cheese on ciabatta.

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:For a sandwich, I like an onion bagel, toasted, spread with Rondele garlic & Herb cheese spread (or just cream cheese in a pinch), topped with mesquite smoked turkey breast or virginia ham, topped with a slice of raw red onion & then topped off with thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes & seasoned with kosher salt & pepper.

Minus the onion slice, add a toasting to that bagel, and copious amts of freshly ground black pepper on both sides, and Liz has described one of my all time favorite sammiches ever.

Second favorite sammich has to be leftover cold salmon that was grilled the night before. Good bread + tomato, onion, mayo, and avocado.

Cracker thin crust pizza. Extra sauce. Italian sausage, bacon, and hot giardiniera. Well done....Perfection.

I think I can eat chicken salad consisting of chicken, real mayo, apples, celery, walnuts and pecans until I vomit. And then immediately eat more.

Perhaps my favorite combo of all time is a toss up between:
Prime ribeye + hot charcoal and
Spare ribs + wood smoke

sauteed or pan-roasted mushrooms and thyme

That combo knocks me out every time I cook with it.

Cook's Illulstrated recommends a pan-roast approach to sliced mushrooms to maximize caramelization -- don't move them around much, try to just flip them once. Use whatever fat you prefer, and don't be stingy. Add a generous pinch of salt to encourage moisture to come out of the fungi. Keep the heat moderate to avoid burnage. When they're just about where you like them, I add a splash of white wine and the fresh or dried thyme then stir to deglaze until the wine is just about gone.

Use them to top a pizza, in an omelet, on a burger, the options are limitless.

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:I just had the best salad. I took red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, turkey breast, oscar mayer bacon bits & topped it with a chipotle ranch dressing.

You had me up until the bacon bits.

i love boursin in my scrambled eggs -- accompanied by crisp on one side, tender on the other home fries (yukon golds) fried in butter and seasoned with basil, thyme and chives...Oh...and thick slices of tender garlic scattered in the potatoes.

If no boursin is around...cream cheese/chive will do the trick as well. I just love that melty cheese on the taters and the eggs....

YourPalWill wrote:Rare roasted leg of lamb , argula, red pepper pesto and goat cheese on ciabatta.

What is red pepper pesto? SOunds good!

johnny wrote:

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:I just had the best salad. I took red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, turkey breast, oscar mayer bacon bits & topped it with a chipotle ranch dressing.

You had me up until the bacon bits.

I hear that....if I was at home instead of at work, it may well have been real bacon bits....rest assured these were not the bac-os variety, OM actually uses real bacon...

I know, I know.....it's still BACON BITS!

Extra-chunky peanut butter and sliced bananas on well-done cinnamon-raisin toast (still warm).

A slice of crusty Italian bread with a layer of fig preserves. Top with some good blue cheese. Scatter a few chopped walnuts on top. Broil for a few minutes. Delicious as an appetizer or dessert.

Jyoti

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:Rare roasted leg of lamb , argula, red pepper pesto and goat cheese on ciabatta.

What is red pepper pesto? SOunds good!

I buy it premade at places like Whole Foods or at the Binny's Chese Shop on North Clark. According to the label, it is:

Roasted Red Peppers
Parmesan
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
basil
rice vinegar
salt
garlic
pepper

Peanut butter and bacon.

Mashed potatoes and gravy (any gravy really).

skirt steak, black pepper and lime.

Toasted english muffin, buttered lightly
hard fried large egg
slow-fried thick-cut piece of Amish ham
Sauce Bearnaise ladled over top

It's the usual Eggs Benedict, but with Bearnaise instead of Hollandaise. To my palate, the tarragon, chervil and shallot flavors brighten the dish without overpowering the ham or egg.

Davooda

Davooda wrote:Toasted english muffin, buttered lightly
hard fried large egg
slow-fried thick-cut piece of Amish ham
Sauce Bearnaise ladled over top

It's the usual Eggs Benedict, but with Bearnaise instead of Hollandaise. To my palate, the tarragon, chervil and shallot flavors brighten the dish without overpowering the ham or egg.

Davooda

That Eggs Benedict with a hard fried egg doesn't sound very "usual" at all to me, but I will DEFINITELY agree that a good "aise" sauce - egg yolks, butter and lemon is one heck of a killer combo - figuratively and probably literally as well.

And I'm not being snooty / picky about the components of your eggs benedict, cuz I'm the one who is always looking to replace the ham with turkey, and then throw a slice of tomato in the mix as well.... Sauteed spinach too if avail. Holy nuts!! I think it's been about two years since I last had a benedict!! Thanks Davooda. Sunday morning breakfast has just been planned!

Mashed sardines in olive oil with chopped onion and chopped hard-boiled egg on thick sliced rye bread (sprinkled with a little kosher salt), a combination that used to send my first roommate running out the door of our house the minute she saw me reaching for the can of sardines. She hated the smell and couldn't even watch me eat it.

Suzy