Roasted Pepper Chicken Sandwiches

Sometimes we just don’t feel like making a big deal out of dinner. From time to time we want something low key that take little effort to put together.

Sure, we still planned ahead for this meal, but that is a standard around here. We didn’t need to buy much though, some vegetables and a loaf of bakery bread.

Remember those frozen chicken breasts? We busted them out and constructed this tasty morsel.

The secret to making this dish well is in the bread. Good bakery bread that has been grilled or run through a panini press transforms this from a ho-hum lunch sandwich to light gourmet dinner.

Gazpacho – Perfect for a Hot Summer Night

Feaston Confession: this is the first and only time we’ve ever made this cold, tomato-based soup. However, I don’t think it will be the last.

The beauty of gazpacho, as with most soups, is that the recipe is not set in stone. Obviously, it is most beneficial to make and serve this in the summer when a cold soup would be most refreshing, but also when all the ingredients are in season (and therefore less expensive).

Another bonus? Total prep time for this is less than 20 minutes, and the soup need only chill for an hour (or cop out and throw some ice cubes in the bowl — who’s going to bother protesting?)

We served it with a loaf of nice bread. We were sorry we didn't make it two loafs.

Tomato, Pepper, Garlic and Onion Pasta

This might strike you as something of a re-run. But let me assure you it is not.

If anything, it’s more of an inspired re-mix. It’s a nice vegetarian, warm weather meal.

What we have is exactly what the title suggests along with fresh garden herbs and mozzarella cheese.

Served over a mound of pasta noodles, you cannot go wrong.

Swiss-ish Raclette

This meal comes to our table inspired by the Swiss. I first learned of it when I studied in France and loved it.

Meat, potatoes and cheese. What’s not to like?

But like so many things we get from the Frogs and Swiss Miss, we Americanized it. The Swiss are probably neutral on the subject anyway.

Raclette is actually the name of the cheese AND the dish.

Red Hots and White Snappies

A few weeks ago Michelle and I were standing in the deli line at Wegmans. I was perusing the exotic meats, the ones that are stuffed at the far end of any deli.

Among the sausages and cured meats I saw fresh hot dogs. Fresh hot dogs? I’d never had a fresh hot dog before.

We bought two each of the Red Hots (more normal-type dogs) and White Snappies (pork and veal mixture).

The White Snappy, in the back, had quite a distinctive but not unpleasant taste. The Red Hot was the real winner.