Meatless Monday: Emeril's 3 Cheese Veggie Sandwich

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this recipe, which was shared by the #SundaySupper group, but it also introduced me to the book from which the recipe came, Emeril's Kicked Up Sandwiches.

This was so stinking delicious, and I just could not believe that my children and husband were eating sprouts.  Willingly.

This was such a delicious lunch, and while we had it on a weekend afternoon, it's fast enough to put together that it would be great in a brown bag lunch at work too (or lunchbox for those sprout eaters I mentioned).

Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich Source:  Emeril's Kicked Up Sandwiches via Cindy's Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices seeded or multigrain bread(see page 301)toasted
• 1 cup Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto (page 320)
• 1/2 cucumber sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper,for seasoning
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 slices cheddar
• 4 slices Swiss
• 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup alfalfa or green leaf sprouts
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Arrange the toast slices in a single layer on a work surface. Spread 2 Tablespoons of the Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto on each slice of bread. On 4 of the slices, arrange the cucumber in a single layer, covering as much of the bread as possible, and season with just a pinch of salt and pepper. Place a slice each of provolone, cheddar and Swiss cheese on top of the cucumber. Divide the avocado slices evenly among the sandwiches and season with salt and pepper. Spread 2 Tablespoons of the sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the avocado.
2. In a small mixing bowl, toss the spouts with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the sprouts over the tomatoes on each sandwich. Complete the sandwiches with the remaining slices of toast.

Sun-dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnut halves or pieces, toasted
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup whole sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Finely grated zest of lemon
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are thoroughly chopped. Add the garlic, basil, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Pulse for a few seconds. With the machine running, add oil in a steady stream to combine. Transfer the pesto to a serving bowl and use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or store in the freezer for 3 months.

Eggplant Panini with Pesto

I hope you're having a great Labor Day!

For a long time, I was hesitant to make panini sandwiches; with no panini press and no grill pan, I had no idea how I was going to make them.  I then read a book that explained a way to make them without a press.  Then, I made the sandwich on the stove and literally piled pans on top of it, flipped, and piled again.

It's so much easier since I was given cast iron pans.

 In other news, we had this gorgeous WHITE eggplant from the CSA.  I had no idea what to expect, but it tasted pretty much exactly like your standard purple eggplant.





I made these paninis complete on the grill.  The bread obviously got a little...cajun...  but even with the blackened parts, this was a delicious sandwich!  So easy, so fresh, so tasty, and so healthful!

Eggplant Panini with Pesto  Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste
    1 large eggplant, about 12-14 oz, sliced into 1/4" pieces
    kosher salt to taste
    olive oil
    12 oz french bread (or baguette), cut into 4 pieces
    4 slices part skim mozzarella cheese
    2 tbsp pesto
    8 thin sliced tomato


1.  Preheat your grill to medium.  You can salt the eggplant, if you'd like, but I read in Everyday with Rachael Ray that modern eggplants have been bred to have the bitter out.  Do what'cha like.
2.  Brush olive oil on each side of sliced eggplant then season with salt and pepper.  Grill on hot grill until soft, about 3-4 minutes a side.  Put aside.
3.   Build your sandwich:  spread pesto over one slice of bread, grilled eggplant, slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato, and a second piece of bread.  Spray or brush with oil, place on hot grill, and smoosh the sandwich with a heavy pan.  After a minute or two, remove pan, flip sandwich, and repeat on the other side.
4.  Slice in half (on the diagonal!) and enjoy!!

"The Best" Tuna Salad

Trying to try out recipes to fill the Boy's lunchboxes this fall, I couldn't resist trying "The Best" tuna salad when I saw it on Sarah's blog. 

I used chunk tuna, which was probably a much less appetizing way to make this (interestingly, in another version, Cook's Country recommends chunk tuna for their tuna salad sandwich), but it was delicious nonetheless.  We (that's right, ALL OF US) loved this!  It wasn't until I made this that I realized my mom used to put onion in tuna salad, as well as celery, so I had a feeling it would be nostalgic for me, and while it was, it had some flavors Mom never put into my childhood tuna salad sandwiches.

Give this one a try some day for your lunch; you will not regret it!

The Best Tuna Salad Source:  Cook's Country Magazine via I Was Born to Cook

3 cans solid white tuna packed in water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 celery stalk, finely chopped

Drain tuna and pat dry with a paper towel.  Microwave oil and onion for about 2 minutes, until onion begins to soften.  Mix with tuna, lemon juice, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Let marinate for 10 minutes.

Stir in mayo and serve.

Chicken Teriyaki Burgers

When meal planning, I always look for a little help; even my four year old suggests dinners for the week.  For the past two weeks, my husband has requested Chicken Teriyaki burgers, and they just didn't happened.  I know he sought a burger made out of ground chicken, but when I saw this recipe posted at For the Love of Cooking, I knew it would be mine... I mean, made, soon.

In fact, due to my running around, my husband was the one who made this on the grill.  In the rain.  Thanks, honey!

I probably didn't pound the chicken evenly/thin enough, so the chicken was a little big to be enjoyable, but otherwise, this was just wonderful.  The teriyaki provided a little bit of tang as a foil to the super sweet grilled pineapple.

Make this soon while the weather is gorgeous and you just want to grill, grill, grill!

Chicken Teriyaki Burgers Source:  For the Love of Cooking

• 3-4 chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
• 1-2 cups of your favorite teriyaki sauce
• 1 can of pineapple rings (or fresh pineapple if you prefer)
• Low fat Swiss cheese slices
• Low fat mayonnaise
• Hamburger buns (whatever flavor you like)
• Additional topping ideas:
• Lettuce
• Tomato slices
• Sweet yellow onion slices
• Extra teriyaki sauce

Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to an even thickness. Marinate in the teriyaki sauce for 6-24 hours in a Ziploc bag.
Spray cooking spray in a grill pan over medium heat. Add pineapple rings & cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from grill pan & set aside. Add more cooking spray to the pan; add chicken and cook over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes on the first side. Turn over and add the pineapple rings and low fat Swiss cheese. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Heat the bun in the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Add low fat mayonnaise to the bun, chicken/pineapple/cheese, and all the fixings you want. Enjoy!

Recipe Swap: Chicken Parm Burgers

Participating in recipe swaps can be kinda tough when the other main eater in the house has so many won't eats that are so common.  Enter the Secret Recipe Club inspired swap; participants can select ANY recipe from the assigned blog to make.

I was excited to received Does Not Cook Well with Others, because I've made one of her recipes once before and not only did I love it and my lunch club ladies love it, but the whole lunch room was telling me how great it looked and smelled.

I was even more excited when I saw that she had a Chicken Parm Burger, which seemed like a super easy take on the chicken parm sub my husband would request for his last meal.  In fact, he was late for dinner, in one of those "Go ahead and eat without me; I'm not sure what time I'll be home" kind of things, so I enticed him with a photo and a note that it was "Chicken Parm Monday!!"  Yes, this is the kind of photo I use to entice my husband home.

Anyway, this was outstanding and so easy to put together--I say this having done so with two kidlets to "mind" and no adult help in said minding... so very Betty Draper of me.

Thank you to Coleen at Does Not Cook Well with Others for sharing the recipe, and to Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for hostessing another great swap!

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Source: Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit via Does Not Cook Well with Others

Ingredients

• 4 Portuguese rolls
• 1/2c Italian style bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided
• ¾ cup purchased marinara sauce
• 12 ounces ground chicken
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely minced onion
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• pepper to taste
• 4 slices (1 ounce each) mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan in a pie plate, and mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.
2. In a small saucepan, combine marinara sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons minced basil. Remove 1 ½ tablespoons sauce to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
3. To mixing bowl, add ground chicken, ½ tablespoon oil, onion and salt. Sprinkle with pepper, and gently combine. Shape into four patties, placing a divot in the patty. Coat with crumb mixture. Heat marinara sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Heat oil over medium heat in large nonstick skillet. Cook patties about 4 minutes on one side, then flip. Top with mozzarella cheese and cook an additional 3 minutes. Cover and cook an additional minute, until cheese is melted.
5. Place each burger on a roll, top with a spoonful of marinara, and serve up some delicious!

Not So Sloppy Jes

This is a recipe I've made a ton of times, and I know I've posted about it many times too, but I discovered that there are no photos to accompany it.  I love this one, and this might have been the first time I've made it with actual ground beef rather than turkey or chicken, and even my beef disliking husband liked it.

I generally use about half the recipe for dinner, saving the rest for a future taco night.  It works really well in both methods.

Give this a try; you'll never go back to that Sloppy Joe in a can again!

Not So Sloppy Joes Source:  Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 12 minutes.
4. Spoon onto the buns. Sprinkle each with the Cheddar and top with a dollop of the sour cream.

Southwest Chicken Panini

Once upon a time, I was afraid of the panini. No, not to eat the panini; I'd had many and they were delicious. But making the panini seemed so far out of my skill set that I thought they were out of reach. But then I tried to make my first, and it's so darned easy! The first time, I used a strange contraption as a weight on top; this time, I used my cast iron skillet to grill the sandwich and the next smaller sized cast iron skillet as the press. This worked like a CHARM!!

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats, and it seemed like such an easy and fast weeknight meal, that I added it to the list.
Despite having it on the counter, next to the stove, I forgot to add the tomato sauce. It made for a still tasty yet probably less messy sandwich. I was happy for the removed seeds (which I'd never considered doing since... uh, I hadn't thought about it), because it gave delicious chipotle smokiness without the spiciness that sometimes goes along.



Next time, I'll have to make this one as written... with the spices, with the tomato sauce!

Southwest Chicken Panini, Source:  Heat Oven to 350 via Annie's Eats

Ingredients
For the filling:
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

*Juice of 1 lime

Directions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook, turning, until golden brown on both sides and an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 160˚ F.  Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool slightly.
  
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Add the onion, garlic, and chipotle to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Cube the chicken into bite size pieces and return to the pan with the onion-spice mixture.  Cook until warmed through and well blended.  Off the heat, stir in the lime juice.
  
• Heat a second skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and coat lightly with oil.  Lay out slices of bread for sandwiches, lightly oiling one side of each piece and facing that side outward from the filling.  Assemble sandwiches with some of the chicken mixture, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro as desired.  Place sandwiches on the heated pan to cook briefly, turning once, until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is melted.  Serve warm.
  

To assemble:
Sliced sourdough bread
Olive oil
Shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro

Italian Hot Dog

My husband requested Italian hot dogs for dinner once last week, and not really knowing what all this entailed, I turned to my friend, Google.  I found a "New Jersey" Italian hot dog on Simply Recipes that looked delicious.

I don't typically like a lot of stuff on my dogs; mustard and an occasional sauerkraut are sufficient for me.  But boy, throw some peppers and onions on top and you've got yourself a really tasty dog.  My husband commented that this wasn't *quite* was he was looking for when he requested Italian hot dogs, but that it was really good anyway.

Italian Hot Dogs Simply Recipes

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 medium green peppers, sliced into strips
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced into strips
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or a mixture of oregano, basil and rosemary
• 8 beef hot dogs, preferably with natural casings
• 4 sandwich buns
• Mustard

METHOD

1Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet or griddle until it shimmers. Put the potatoes in the pan in one layer and fry on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes without touching them. Use a metal spatula to scrape the potatoes off the bottom of the skillet, flipping them. Sprinkle salt over the potatoes, and cook for another 2-3 minutes without touching them.

2 Remove the potatoes, which should be partially browned, to a bowl and set aside. Turn the heat to high and add the peppers and onions. Arrange evenly in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes without touching them. Sprinkle salt over them, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes untouched. There should be some browned and even blackened bits here and there. Add the Italian seasoning and the potatoes to the pan, stir to combine and cook over medium-high heat until they are soft and nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes.

3 Heat a grill or a frying pan to cook your hot dogs; don't boil your dogs for this recipe. Grill or fry until they are done to your liking and set aside.

4 Liberally smear mustard on both sides of the sandwich roll. Add two hot dogs per roll and top with as much of the potatoes, peppers and onions as will fit. Serve at once.

Swiss Mushroom Turkey Burger

This was another hit from the December issue of Food Network Magazine.  My husband was the meal planner, and is not a fan of beef.  When he saw the original recipe, he figured just throwing some ground turkey, salt, and pepper together (since he doesn't like beef) wouldn't make a very tasty burger, so he went in search of a good turkey burger recipe, and came across "Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers" on allrecipes.

Together with the Food Network Magazine recipe, this made an awesome sandwich.  It was full of flavor, and just the right amount of messy. 

Swiss Mushroom Burger Food Network Magazine December 2011
Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef (preferably chuck)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 8-ounce package sliced mixed mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 4 thin slices gruyere cheese
• 4 sesame buns, split and toasted
• Boston or Bibb lettuce, for topping
• Potato chips and/or pickles, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler and line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil. Lightly mix the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Gently form into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Arrange on the prepared pan and brush both sides with olive oil. Broil until browned, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Combine the ketchup and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.

Top each patty with one-quarter of the mushroom mixture and 1 slice cheese. Return to the broiler to melt the cheese, about 1 minute.

Spread the buns with the ketchup mixture; sandwich with the patties and some lettuce. Serve with chips and/or pickles.

Actually Delicious Turkey Burger Allrecipes
Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 12 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Chicken Marsala Wrap

My husband is a big fan of chicken marsala; it's probably the meal I've seen him order most when we go out to eat (not counting his old standby takeout meal of chicken parm sub).  When he heard we were having it in wrap form for dinner, he raised his eyebrow with an "I'm intrigued" look.

This really didn't disappoint.  I'm not as big a fan of chicken marsala as he is and it has to be really good for me to like it, and I liked it a lot.  My four year old LOVED it.   Woo!

I served it with a mixture of sweet potato and regular french fries.  Yum!

Chicken Marsala Wrap from Stephanie Cooks
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup thin sliced white onions
6 oz. white sliced mushrooms
1 cup cooked chicken
1/2 cup marsala wine
4 slices provolone cheese
2 flour tortillas

Directions:
1- In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, cooking until soft (about 10 minutes).
2- Add the wine and chicken, allowing the wine to cook down. If the sauce doesn't thicken and coat the mixture turn the heat up until completely coats the mixture.
3- Turn off the heat and divide the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Top with the cheese and wrap tightly, allowing the cheese to sit a couple minutes and melt. Slice and serve hot.

Chicken Caprese Sandwiches

I know I've mentioned before how much I love tomato, basil, and mozzarella.  I know I don't need to mention it again.  The last time I tried to make a chicken caprese sandwich, I followed the Rachael Ray recipe from one of her early cookbooks.  At the time, I really liked the recipe, but it was a tough one--the chicken always cooked all wrong--burning in parts and not being cooked in others.  So I pretty much gave up on the idea of a homemade chicken caprese.

Nevertheless, my husband suggested a chicken caprese sandwich for dinner one night, so I went to my friend "The Internet," and found this recipe on Our Family Treat.

Life has been absolutely crazy these days, between two kids, back to work, trying to get my head on straight to clean the house, and adding a new curriculum to teach, so I sometimes don't know which was is up.  This was one of those nights, and my husband ended up making dinner.  He said it was very easy to make.  Knowing my husband as I do, I am certain he followed the recipe exactly as written, although he also mentioned he went light on the rosemary because he doesn't like it.  I also know he pounded the chicken breasts thin, not only so that they cooked faster, but also so that they cooked more evenly.

We both LOVED this.  In fact, even our boys liked it.  Definitely make this one while tomatoes are still sort of in season.

Chicken Caprese Sandwich Source: Our Family Treat

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese sliced

Fresh Roma tomatoes sliced

Pesto (See our Pesto recipe or you can buy it)

4-5 Ciabatta rolls or Kaiser rolls toasted

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic salt

In a plastic bag marinate the chicken breasts in the olive oil and spices. Be sure to cover evenly.

On an oven safe grill pan, or skillet, grill the chicken on both sides till golden brown. Put into a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes until done (180 degree with a meat thermometer). Let stand for 5 minutes.

On the bread that has been toasted, spread a good layer of pesto on both sides. Slice the chicken on a bias very thin, and place on the roll. Top with the mozzarella and tomato. Enjoy!

Apple Cider Braised Pork Sammies with Apple Slaw

I was a fan of Jeff Mauro's on Next Food Network Star from darn near the beginning, but really didn't think he'd be the big winner until about halfway.  In particular, I recognized him as a real contender after a challenge featuring the Rachael Ray show.

When my friend Lisa made (and raved) about the sandwich he made in that episode, I decided to once again follow in her footsteps and make the dish.

This dish made my kitchen smell like fall.  A few years ago, I tutored a girl whose mother simmered a concoction of nutmeg, cinnamon, and other good stuff to make the apartment smell nice, and this was similar.  I chose Woodchuck Cider's Limited Edition Fall flavor, which features those same spices and really added to the great smell.

This took a lot of work.  It was all EASY, but there was a lot of time in the kitchen being fairly hands on in the preparation.  Once again, I wish I'd not listened to the expert chef and not used the box grater.  Julienne or even dice would have been totally fine here (after recently slicing my finger grating a tomato on a box grater, this time I used my mandoline slicer complete with sucky finger guard).

I skipped the celery seed in the recipe, but this made one HELL of a cole slaw.  My husband commented that he couldn't wait for lunch tomorrow, to have the roll and that slaw.  I also skipped the gorgonzola dolce...  Lisa mentioned that she skipped it and didn't miss it, so when I DID find it at $16.99/lb, I figured it wasn't worth my money.  I couldn't find brioche, so got these amazing rolls that were a perfect accompaniment.

Now.  The pork.  As far as the flavor, it was delicious.  I couldn't find brioche, so got these amazing rolls that were a perfect accompaniment.  I didn't do a great job with the pork and we got mouthfuls of a little bit of bone or fat.  Not so much on the appetizing side. My husband, who really isn't a pork chop fan, put it best when he said that there is no problem with the recipe; the pork chops tasted good, had good flavor, but it really wasn't his STYLE of sandwich.    I had a hard time butterflying the very hot, extremely tender pork chop, so served it straight of the bone; this may be behind his response since the thickness probably impacted the texture.

So, give Jeff's recipe a whirl sometime and see what YOU think!

Apple Cider Braised Pork Chop Sammys with Apple Slaw by Jeff Mauro

Ingredients

Pork Chops:

• 6 bone-in pork chops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 4 cups apple cider
• 2 cups hard cider
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 whole cloves

Apple Slaw:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bag prepared coleslaw mix
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded on a box grater

Sandwich Fixings:

• 6 brioche sandwich buns, buttered and toasted
• Spicy dill pickle slices, for serving
• Gorgonzola dolce, softened, as needed

Directions

For the pork chops: Sprinkle the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In large, heavy-bottomed deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the grapeseed oil. When the oil is super hot and glistening, sear the pork chops, without moving, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Pull out the chops and set aside on a plate. Work in batches of 2 chops at a time to ensure they form a nice crust.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions and garlic to the pan. Season again with salt and pepper and sweat the vegetables, 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze with the apple cider and hard cider, scraping the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the pork chops back to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the thyme and cloves. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the meat falls from the bone, about 1 1/2 hours.
While the pork is cooking, work on the slaw: Whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, agave nectar, celery seed and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the coleslaw and apples and mix well. And more agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter slaw, or more vinegar if you prefer a tangier slaw.
To build the sandwich: Cut the pork away from the bone and butterfly the meat. Place on the bottom bun and top with the apple slaw and pickles. Spread some gorgonzola on the top bun and close the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with the bone on the side and your favorite chips

Creamy Shrimp Rolls

If you were to ask my husband what food he'd like for his last meal, he wouldn't reply a steak dinner (he hates beef of pretty much all kinds) or even his well loved Crab Legs.  No, this man would ask for a sandwich.

When Lisa shared this recipe from Woman's Day magazine, I knew I'd be making it that week, because it sounded pretty tasty, easy, and most importantly, no cook (aka, no heat!).

I was glad I did; we all really liked this, and my doesn't want to eat anything I put in front of him child asked for seconds and also wanted it for lunch the next day.  (Hallelujah, Woman's Day magazine and Lisa!)  I didn't have any tarragon, though I thought I had some in the cupboard, so instead used dried oregano.  Also, like Lisa, I couldn't find cornichons.  I took her advice to get the smallest pickle you can find, and used these.

So give this baby a try for a ladies' lunch, Lenten dinner, or just because it's too darn hot!  I served with sweet potato fries and regular fries!

Creamy Shrimp Rolls Woman's Day
(Link is currently broken as of August 10, 2011.)
Recipe taken from Yahoo! Shine
Recipe Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 cup cornichons, chopped, plus 1 Tbsp brine Black pepper
• 1 lb cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 4 hot dog buns
• 4 pieces romaine or green-leaf lettuce
• Potato chips, for serving

Recipe Preparation
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise mustard, brine and 1/4 tsp pepper.

2. Add the shrimp, cornichons and tarragon and toss to combine.

3. Line the buns with the lettuce and top with the shrimp mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.

Eggplant Panini

My friend Lishie posted this diner recreation a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be perfect for such a hot day, since it requires so little time at the stove.  You could make it even cooler and make the eggplant cutlets early or in the evening when the heat isn't so intense, then just use the stove to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

I made a few changes to suit my desire to "make it my own," since I'm watching (and loving) this season of Next Food Network Star, though this is about as far as I go at making anything my own.  And if you, like me, are hesitant to make a panini because you have neither a panini press nor a grill pan, remember that you're basically making a squished grilled cheese.  I used a pot and a teakettle to act as the press, flipped when crispy, and then pressed again.

Eggplant Panini, slightly adapted from Delish

• 1 Eggplant
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1/2 cup Panko Bread crumbs
• Black pepper
• 1t Italian seasoning
• 1t crushed red pepper
• 1t garlic powder
• Approximately 3 TBSp Olive Oil
• Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
• 1 Beefsteak Tomato
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh Basil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up your bowls for dredging:  place the egg in a shallow dish (8x8 Pyrex dish works great!), and combine the bread crumbs and spices in another.  Dip the eggplant slices in the egg, then in the bread crumb mixture, pressing to stick. Heat the 3 TBSp Olive Oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat. Place the eggplant in the saute pan, and cook until it is golden, about 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate.


After the eggplant is cooled, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, tomato slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splashes of extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar.


Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted.

Veggie Bean Burger

This morning, my friend Lauren shared this recipe on her blog, and I was intrigued.  I love the health element of beans, and love the idea of eating something that's easier on my health, the environment, and my wallet.  My husband, however, refuses to eat beans.  When we go out for Mexican, he will say, "No beans, anywhere on the plate," so it was awesome that she shared it on a night he was not expected to be home for dinner.

This was so stinking easy, and it had so much delicious flavor.  I do have to admit, I wasn't nuts about the texture of the food, but it was yummy.

The boys, however wouldn't touch it.  E wouldn't even touch the cheese I put on top. We got A to give it a good try, but it was still a no go.

I encourage you to give this a try, especially if you're just looking for something to feed adults, though I do suggest giving it a try with your kids.

I froze the leftovers, and hope they'll be good for me for lunches over the next few weeks!

The recipe calls for "white kidney beans," and I've never seen those before, so I used Great White Northern Beans.


Summer Cookout Veggie Burgers
from Leslie Sarna, via Lauren's Kitchen

• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup rolled oats (non-instant Oatmeal)
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I like to use Panko also called Japanese bread crumbs if you can find them)
• 1 tsp. (or more) chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• about 3 tbsp. chopped chives
• 1 egg
• olive oil
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 4 oz. mushrooms, finely diced
• 6 sun dried tomatoes, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

In a medium frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers and a pinch of Salt. Let cook 2 minutes on a lower heat. Add mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes; let cook another couple minutes. Let cool when cooked. While the veggies are cooling, in a large bowl combine the Beans, Oats, Bread Crumbs and all the spices and chives. Toss a little and add the egg. Using your hands to mix the mixture until it's slightly sticky and about 3/4 of the beans are smashed. Add in the veggies. Continue to work with your hands. If the mix feels a little dry, add water by the teaspoon until right. If it's too wet, add bread crumbs : ) Form 8 burger patties. Refrigerate for about an hour. (you can also place these pouches in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of weeks) To cook, unwrap the burgers from the plastic and cook in a heated skillet with cooking spray or olive oil in the bottom. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side.
PS these should always be cooked on a skillet or frying pan. Unfortunately, they can fall apart if cooked on the bbq.

Southwest Turkey Meatballs with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce

I don't follow Weight Watchers, but have been feeling the effects of two children on my belly, so I turned to Gina's Skinny Recipes, aka: Skinny Taste for some of my meal planning this week. I'm not sure what it was about this recipe that caught my eye, but it definitely did.

I definitely de-skinnified this quite a bit. See, I served it on a roll, and it's not even a whole wheat one. Making the sauce, I only had full fat mayo, and I only had whole milk yogurt (which I strained a little bit, but not enough that the sauce was the consistency I wanted). So, in the end, I took this Skinny Taste and made it a Fatty Taste (though certainly no "fat sandwich," a specialty at the university around the corner from us).

I especially liked that this involved baking the meatballs, because when I fry meatballs? I get so frustrated, they fall apart, etc etc. These are baked; hooray!! So much easier anyway.

I thought these meatballs were delicious--with the sauce, without the sauce, on the roll, and the sauce was delicious on my salad. Again, E-boy went nuts because he loves food. A-boy ate "enough" of his meatballs. M did not like it; when I asked what he didn't like, he said he didn't like any of it, but most especially the sauce. Sigh.

I definitely suggest you make these, cause MY tastebuds are the RIGHT ones.

Southwest Turkey Meatballs by: Gina's Skinny Recipes


1-1/4 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
1 jalapeño, seeds removed (leave some in for spicier meatballs)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp cumin
pinch oregano
salt and fresh pepper
cooking spray
Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dipping Sauce; recipe follows


Lightly spray baking pan with oil. Preheat oven to 400°.Place jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and scallions into a small food processor or chopper and pulse a few times until finely minced.In a large bowl combine turkey, chopped herbs, bread crumbs, egg, cumin, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix well and measure 1/4 cup meat, then divide in two so you end up with each meatball 1/8 cup in size. Roll and place on a baking pan.
Bake meatballs at 400° 15 minutes.

Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dipping Sauce by Gina's Skinny Recipes


1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed, leave them in if you want it spicy
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
1 tomatillo, husks removed, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 scallion
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich

Another week, another swap.  This one happened to come the day after my husband said something along the lines of, "My favorite food is sandwiches," probably making some reference to Joey from Friends.  I received this from Gianna, who also submitted the eggplant parm I made a few weeks ago.

This came out so good looking.  We joked that it would have tasted so much better with tomato, because the recipe suggests it and I didn't realize we were out.  Otherwise, it was perfect, and planned so well with a spot of good weather this afternoon just seeming right to bust out the grill.

I loved the rolls I got for this, Wegman's whole wheat sandwich rolls.  If you have a Wegmans, try these rolls cause they're yummy and really made the sandwich.

Instead of following the recipe, I used store bought honey mustard in place of the honey and the mustard, and added maybe 1t of more honey to make it sweeter.  This worked wonderfully.  I also brushed the honey mustard mixture on the chicken before grilling, then brushed it on the roll before serving.

I love that this recipe is so versatile.  Before we had a grill, I was often disappointed that I couldn't make grilling recipes.  This, however, could easily be made on a George Foreman, in a skillet, under a broiler, or even baked.

Thank you, Gianna, for a great, easy, dinner recipe!

Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup Mayo

2 tbsp. deli-style mustard

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 Green onions (chopped)

Mix all ingredients in bowl. 

1- Grill 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

2- Brush chicken with 2/3 of mixture.

3- Serve on sandwiches (nice crusty bread) with lettuce, tomato and leftover honey mustard mixture!

Celebrity Chefs Challenge: Emeril's Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs

Last week, I made Aarti's Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad for The Celebrity Chefs Challenge, and the other night, I made Emeril's take on Chicken Salad.

I've never made an Emeril recipe before.  I sort of have this bias against poor Emeril, and it's not even his fault.  In college, I waitressed at the now defunct Chi Chi's restaurant.  The GM decided to spice things up, I guess, and wanted every server to take a handful of something (cilantro maybe?  I have no idea; it was green), toss it on the plate, and say BAM!  He wanted us to yell it.  What the point was, or how this at all improved anything is beyond me, but it's all Emeril's fault.

At any rate, this was my first Emeril recipe, and gosh darn it, it was freaking awesome.  I omitted the celery seed, because seriously?  That $4 bottle would sit in my cabinet, crowding it even further, and only get used for this one dish.  No thanks.  I also no longer keep Dijon mustard on hand, instead following this recipe for Dijon at home.  I also used dried herbs de Provence in place of the fresh herbs.

This was even more awesome the second day.  I served on ciabbata rolls, which was an awesome choice, and served tomato mozzarella salad with basil on the side.  Yummy lunch and dinner!

Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, published in Food Network Magazine, April 2011

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery stalks, plus 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley and tarragon)
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 to 3 avocados, halved and pitted (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse the chicken briefly under cool running water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken and cook 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and immediately place the pan in the oven. Roast 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, mustard, celery, celery leaves, red onion, herbs, celery seeds and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into a 1/2-inch dice, add it to the mayonnaise mixture and mix well. If not serving immediately, transfer to the refrigerator to chill. Serve in avocado halves, if desired.

Celebrity Chefs Challenge: Aarti's Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad

I've followed Aarti Sequeira's rise to Food Network stardom because hers was the first season of Next Food Network Star I watched.  I enjoy watching her show, Aarti Party, but have never gotten around to making any of her recipes.  When I saw the article in Food Network magazine "He Made, She Made," I decided to go for it and host another challenge, The Celebrity Chefs Challenge (and I'd love to have YOU participate too!).

I made Aarti's Chicken Salad for dinner on Sunday because weekend meals aren't the fancy occasions around here that many others have.  We're usually running around, and so smaller easier meals are more likely to happen on the weekend than a weeknight!  Since we were running around, I had a few mis-steps and made a few errors.

The first problem was that I didn't realize I was out of Greek yogurt!  I improvised by straining some regular yogurt, but that only yielded about 1/2 a cup.  I used sour cream for the rest.  I also used too big a pan (See, I really do belong on Worst cooks in America.  They always say, use the right equipment for the right job), and so the mustard seeds may or may not have cooked properly.  But then I forgot to add the curry to that pan, and added it uncooked.  This may or may not have contributed to the overly curryliciousness of the chicken salad.

My husband said the chicken salad tasted strange, but that he likes mayonnaise in his chicken salad, so it's probably the yogurt.   As if he would've noticed had I not mentioned the yogurt.  And yes, he seriously is this much a pain in the butt when it comes to food.  The Boy ate his, but only because he wanted at those grapes!

So, Aarti's take on chicken salad was good, but a whole lot of work.  I'm not sure it's worth so much work for an ok dish, though it's entirely possible the dish is better without so much user error!

Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad, courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 green apple, diced
• 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt, mixed well
• 1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds or cumin seeds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons roasted salted cashews, chopped
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the chicken breasts on the foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub until coated. Pop the chicken in the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes.

Switch the oven to the broiler setting. Brush 1 tablespoon marmalade on each chicken breast. Broil, brushing occasionally with the pan drippings, until the chicken is cooked through and golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, build the salad: Toss the shallot, apple, grapes, lime juice, yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon marmalade in a large bowl.

Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and garlic; cook until the seeds stop popping (cover if they're popping out of the pan). Quickly add the curry powder; cook, stirring, 30 seconds, then pour the spiced oil over the yogurt mixture. Stir until combined.

Once the chicken breasts are cool, thinly slice them. Fold into the salad and adjust the salt and pepper. Top with the cashews and cilantro.

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

My very good friend Lishie recently started a cooking blog.  Unlike mine, however, Lishie posts mostly recipes she's come up with on her own.  (I've decided that, despite how many times lately I've seen disparaging remarks about food blogs that simply post recipes from other sources, I'm not going to be offended because this thing is for me; it's my collection of stuff that has and hasn't worked for our family.  If anyone gets something good from it to, or if I make someone chuckle, all the better!)

I had a large amount of dill leftover from the shrimp salad I made the other day, so put dill into my google reader.  When Lishie's recipe came up, and I had all the ingredients on hand, I added it to the meal plan.

I tasted the sauce, and my first thought was, "M is not going to like this."

But, I put it on the table with a smile, and he liked it a lot.  I liked it a lot.  E (who got all but sauce because I didn't feel like cleaning up the mess tonight) liked it at lot.  Mr. A, however, wouldn't touch the chicken.  AGAIN.

The one tiny thing I would do different in the future is to mix the chicken and the souvlaki sauce together before stuffing the pita, but otherwise, it was perfect!  I especially love that you can very easily make this ahead, and just put it together after work.  It can easily be made for lunch or for dinner.

I served it on whole wheat pita for M and me, and added chopped tomato, and with a delicious roasted cauliflower recipe.  Delish, indeed!

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce Source:  DeLish!


Chicken:
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBsp fresh dill
1 tsp dried oregano


Tzatziki Sauce:
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
1 TBsp fresh dill
1/4 cup diced cucumber (peeled & seeded)
1 TBsp lemon juice
1 TBsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic

Bread & Toppings:

pitas

Lettuce

tomato

cucumber

Chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, dill & oregano. Arrange the boneless chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush the olive oil & herb mixture onto the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Dice the chicken.  Tzatziki Sauce:
Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the  sauce topped on the chicken in the pita.