Aldi Review: Asiago Batard

I had never heard of a batard, but this bread is delicious.  

You can smell the asiago cheese through the bag.  It is soft, similar to to a baguette.  

It made a wonderful ham and cheese sandwich.  

I hope it becomes a regular item!  Read about those spectacular Simply Nature Vegetable Chips here.  

Crostini platter with Aldi Ingredients

This is a quick and easy appetizer idea.

I sliced a baguette and brushed the pieces with olive oil, then toasted them under the broiler for just a few minutes on each side. I used only ingredients from Aldi plus fresh herbs from the garden.  

Here are the combinations I used:

honey goat cheese, apples, blue cheese

cream cheese, cucumbers, dill, salt and pepper

honey goat cheese, strawberries, balsamic, basil

ricotta, sliced tomatoes, balsamic, basil, salt and pepper

honey goat cheese, apricot marmalade, walnuts

Review: Sea Queen Salmon with Honey Bourbon Marinade

We tried this salmon and it is excellent.

We grilled it for about 3 minutes on each side.

What should you buy at Aldi?

Definitely the Honey Bourbon Salmon.

Aldi Staple: Simply Nature Vegetable Chips

These are so good!  They have become a staple at our house.  

I am not sure which color is my favorite, but the chips are sweet potato, batata, taro and parsnip.  They are all good.  

Braciola

I decided to make braciola.  

I had been talking about it for a long time, so when Aldi had flank steak and pine nuts this weekend, I knew it was a sign.

I had most of the other ingredients I needed.

I mixed bread crumbs, parsley (from a pot on our deck) parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

And added lemon juice and olive oil.

I mixed it together and set it aside.

This is what the flank steak looked like when it came out of the package.  It was folded up in the package, so I wasn't sure how big it would actually be.  

I decided to make two rolls so I could freeze one for later.  I cut the steak horizontally, so I ended up with a top layer and a bottom layer.  

I pounded them thin between 2 pieces of plastic wrap...

...and spread on the bread crumb mixture.  

I rolled them into logs and tied them with string, then seared the logs in a pot.  

After I had browned the rolls I took them out of the pot and added sauce and red wine.  

Once it boiled, I put the logs back in, put the cover on and let it cook for 1 hour.  

I did open the lid to add the juice from where the logs were resting.  

I removed the logs from the sauce, cut the string and sliced them.  

What should I buy at Aldi to make braciola?

Braciola

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Chef's Cupboard Italian Breadcrumbs

1/3 cup Priano Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons Southern Grove pine nuts, toasted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Carlini Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more for searing the rolls

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 jar Priano pasta sauce

1 (1 1/2 lb) lean Fresh USDA Choice flank steak

1 cup red wine (whatever you have open)

Directions:

1.  Combine the first 7 ingredients and set aside

2.  Trim and slice the flank steak, pound it flat

3.  Spread breadcrumb mixture, roll and secure with string

4.  Heat a large pot, add olive oil and sear all sides of the roll

5.  Remove rolls

6.  Combine sauce and wine, bring it to a boil

7.  Add roll back into sauce, reduce to simmer

8.  Simmer for 1 hour

9.  Slice and serve with pasta and sauce

Recipe adapted from here.