ham and cheese and spinach puffs... 50 minutes

the goods:

2 sheets puff pastry
1/2 pound cooked ham, diced
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese

bechamel sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup warm whole milk
pinch of salt
freshly cracked pepper
ground nutmeg

Cut the puff pastry sheets into 5-inch squares. Set aside in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the bechamel: melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add flour and salt; cook, stirring frequently until the mixture becomes golden with a nutty aroma. Slowly pour in warm milk while whisking to combine. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly along the bottom of the pan until boiling, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Stir in spinach and cook for 1 minute. Add ham and cheese and stir well. Remove from heat.
Arrange the puff pastry squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dollop 1 or 2 tablespoons of the bechamel mixture onto each square. Sprinkle with grated cheese and close the pockets by folding the corners on top.
Make an egg wash with 1 tablespoon cold water and 1 egg. Brush the puff pastry with the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until; puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

BLTA salad... 15 minutes

the goods:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness

1 pound bacon, cooked and drained

2 romaine hearts of lettuce, chopped

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

half a cucumber, peeled and diced

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

juice from 1/2 a lemon

In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, add butter and olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown and completely cooked through. About 5 minutes per side.

In a small bowl or mason jar, combine dressing ingredients and whisk or shake to combine.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, and cucumber. Toss with dressing. Then add avocado, bacon, and blue cheese.

beef enchiladas... 1 hour and 20 minutes

the goods:

homemade red sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon oregano

2 cups chicken stock or broth

enchiladas:

1.5 lbs. ground beef

1 small white onion, peeled and diced

1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

8 large flour tortillas

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado or guacamole

Make the sauce: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for 1 minute. Stir in the seasonings, then gradually add in the stock/broth, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and set aside.

Cook the ground beef in a large saute pan over medium-high until browned and completely cooked through, using a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a separate bowl and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of remaining grease, and discard the rest.

Add the onion to the saute pan and cook for 5 minutes until is is soft and translucent. Stir in the green chiles and beans, and cook for 1 minute to warm, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat, and stir the ground beef and 1/4 cup enchilada sauce into the onion mixture. Set aside.

To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including tortillas, sauce, ground beef mixture, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread about 2 tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Spoon 1/8th of the ground beef mixture down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese mixture. Roll up tortilla and place, seam-side-down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spread remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas, then sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve garnished with desired toppings.

ham and cheese pretzel bites... 2 hours and 45 minutes (including dough rising)

the goods:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup warm whole milk

3 cups flour

1 packet yeast

1/2 cup finely chopped deli ham

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 teaspoons baking soda

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon kosher salt

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and warm milk until dissolved. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 and 1/2 cups flour. the milk mixture, and the yeast. Stir until a soft dough forms. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball. Brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm area for 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust hands and rolling pin with flour. Roll out one of the sections into a 12-by-4-inch rectangle. With the long side facing you, gently press 1/4 of the ham and cheese into the bottom third of the dough, and roll as tightly as possible, starting at the end that has the filling. Cut into twelve 1-inch pieces and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of dough.
Let rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring 6 cups of  water to a boil. Add the baking soda and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Boil pretzels in batches, cooking about 20 seconds each, turning once. They should be slightly puffed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheet. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Brush warm pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.