When I went to France in high school I was less inclined to embark on culinary adventures.  We dined at The Hark Rock Cafe, and I even ate lunch at McDonalds…more than once.  In Paris!  Crazy.  I know.  Let’s blame it on me being a naive teenager.  Let’s also blame that purchase of raspberry cigarettes on naivety.  Moving on…

One day for lunch, famished from a morning visit to the Louvre, some friends and I stopped at the first cafe we saw.  Using some of my French food vocabulary I saw “croque-monsieur” on the menu and knew that a French grilled cheese with ham was something I could definitely enjoy.  A French version of fast food.  Warm, grilled bread, melted cheese and sweet & salty ham.  You cannot go wrong with this choice.

I love researching food, its origins and its history.  I find it fascinating.  In French, croque = crunch, monsieur = mister, madame = misses.  The croque-monsieur’s first recorded appearance on a Parisian café menu was in 1910. Its earliest published use has been traced back to volume two of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past (À la recherche du temps perdu) (1918.)  The difference between the Monsieur and the Madame is this…a fried egg is placed atop the madame, while the monsieur is topped with a simple béchamel sauce.  The Madame is thought to be named because the egg, with its yolk and surrounding white, looks like a woman’s hat.

The staples of the sandwich are a hearty white french bread, gruyere cheese and ham.  Some dijon mustard is spread onto the bread slices, topped with some cheese and ham, then the other bread slice.  The sandwich is then grilled in a skillet on both sides.  Spread a good amount of decadent béchamel sauce on each sandwich, then place them under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the tops.  You can quit here for a croque monsieur, or place a fried egg on top for a croque madame.  We made both variations, and I really like the fried egg.  I wasn’t sure I would, but it was delicious, and also very cute.

Croque Madame (courtesy of Epicurious.com)

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 1/2 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (1 1/3 cups)
• 8 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked ham (preferably Black Forest)
• 4 large eggs

Make sauce:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes.
2. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup cheese until cheese is melted.
3. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper.

Make sandwiches:

1. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce evenly over each of 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese (1/4 cup per slice). Spread mustard evenly on remaining 4 bread slices and top with ham, dividing it evenly, then invert onto cheese-topped bread to form sandwiches.
2. Lightly oil a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook sandwiches, turning over once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat and transfer sandwiches to baking pan, then wipe out skillet with paper towels.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Top each sandwich with 1/3 cup sauce, spreading evenly. Broil sandwiches 4 to 5 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off broiler and transfer pan to lower third of oven to keep sandwiches warm.
6. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry eggs, covered, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.

This chicken salad came about like many meals do for me; I had to either use some chicken thighs I had in the fridge in the next few days, or they would need to be thrown away.  So, I made a decision to do something with them…that something was yet to be determined when I put them in a plastic bag to marinate in some Italian dressing that was almost empty.  After an overnight flavor bath, I still had no plan.  Well, I guess baking them would be a good idea.  So, that’s what I did.

While they were cooking, I went rummaging in the pantry and fridge for some inspiration. Celery…onion…mustard…mayonnaise…basil…Parmesan cheese…pine nuts…Carrie’s Chicken Salad was born.  I will say that the idea for the pine nuts was not my own.  A sandwich place in College Station, Blue Baker, put pine nuts in their chicken salad and it was one of my favorite items on the menu.  That and the Mediterranean pizza.  I sure do miss that place.  If you ever go for breakfast, you must get the spinach, egg and feta breakfast sandwich on a croissant.  It is decadent, but will also keep you full enough to not need a big lunch.  Ok, back to the matter at hand…

I wish I’d measured a bit better when I made this chicken salad so that I could have written an usable recipe.  Unfortunately, I didn’t think this would turn out that great so I just threw the ingredients together and didn’t bother trying to measure or remember how much of anything I used.   The recipe below is a guess, at best, as far as measurements go…so, just go with your gut!  The flavors are great together, so taste as you go and adjust as needed.

Carrie’s Chicken Salad

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 1/2 cups Italian salad dressing
• 3-4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (or more if needed)
• 3-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Marinate the chicken in the Italian dressing for a few hours, or up to overnight
2. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake the chicken for 20-30 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet
3. Let the chicken cool, then shred or chop into bite size pieces
4. Combine chicken, mayonnaise, mustard, celery, red onion, basil, Parmesan, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Taste and adjust any ingredients as you see fit.
5. Add pine nuts right before serving to keep them nice and crunchy.
6. Serve on toasted bread, over a bed of lettuce, or as a snack with crackers.

Mexican torta is, simply put, a sandwich.  A crazy good sandwich.  I nicknamed these tortas “The Mexican Sloppy Joe”.  You must lean over your plate in order to eat the torta without making a total mess, and you can’t be afraid of having food on your face and hands.  This is a messy meal, but well worth it.

Chorizo and Black Bean Mexican Tortas

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
• Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 Mexican bolillo or telera rolls, or kaiser rolls, split
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, softened
• 1 Hass avocado, thinly sliced
• Shredded romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes and sliced pickled jalapeños, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the chorizo and cook over moderate heat, stirring to break up any lumps, until the meat is browned and no trace of pink remains, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and, using a potato masher, mash until creamy. Cook, stirring often, until hot, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm.
2. Heat a griddle or large skillet over moderately high heat. Using your hands, pull out some of the bread from the centers of the rolls to create a small cavity. Brush the cut sides of the rolls with vegetable oil. Transfer the rolls, cut sides down, to the griddle and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook for about 1 minute longer, until slightly crisp. Transfer to a work surface, cut sides up.
3. Spread the tops of the rolls with the goat cheese. Spread the bottoms with some of the mashed black beans. Top the beans with the avocado, lettuce and pickled jalapeños. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve.