Greek-Style Panini

 

***Taste & Create is a fabulous monthly blog event 

in which participants are randomly paired off 

to choose and prepare a dish from their partner's blog. 

 If you'd like to join us, please email me at 

cowgirlmin07 [at] gmail [dot] com for more information!  

We'd love to have you.**

 

 

For this month's Taste & Create, I was paired with Pavani of Cook's Hideout.  She has a lot of great recipes, but I wanted something simple and these paninis caught my eye!  Pavani's recipe is for one sandwich, but we have 4 in our family so I increased all the ingredients.  I mixed most of a package of frozen spinach with an entire 4 ounce container of feta, and there is probably enough of the spinach mixture left to make two more sandwiches.  

I was generous with the hummus, using more than 2 tablespoons per sandwich (I just spread some on), and unfortunately I didn't have any roasted red peppers!  Our teeny tiny grocery store doesn't carry them, (quite honestly I was shocked to finally find feta there) and my stash was gone, so I bought some roasted red pepper hummus as a compromise.

 

My panini press is at the ranch and I was making these in town, so I improvised with a cast iron pan that fit inside my regular frying pan to weight the sandwiches down.  Worked great but I missed those signature ridges from the press!

 

 

These sandwiches are light but filling, and my husband and I thought they were delicious although they received mixed reviews from our sons.  I think I'll be making these again, at least for the adults!  I know they'll be even better when I get my pantry stocked up with roasted red peppers too.

 

Greek-Style Paninis

Serves about6

 

6 Kaiser rolls, cut in half

about 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled

Jarred Roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips

Hummus (I used store-bought as Pavani did, but I agree, homemade would be even better!)

In a small bowl, combine thawed spinach and feta cheese. Spread this mixture on the bottom roll and top it with the red pepper strips. Spread hummus on the top half of the roll.

 

Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Pour about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in pan.  Set the sandwiches on the skillet, pour a bit of olive oil on top of each one.  Weigh the sandwiches down with something heavy or with heavy cast iron skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until toasted and golden.

 

 

***Visit Taste & Create to see what everyone else has made this month!***

 

 

Perfect Pulled Pork & Scalloped Potatoes

Hi, everybody! My name is Megan, and I'm owner/writer of Kitschy Suburbia, a blog about family, food and nail polish. Weird combo, I know, but it works! I found The Bad Girl's Kitchen while searching for a new recipe to try. Not only did I find some great recipes, I found a community of great cooks that I wanted to be a part of.

I "found" this recipe when a fellow blogger gave me the head's up. It's from Kevin & Amanda - they have a *bunch* of great recipes. This is the first I've tried and I promise I'll be trying more (and sharing them with you, of course). Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients or the number of steps - they are ALL worth it.

Perfect Pulled Pork

1 whole bone-in Boston butt

Dry Rub
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air-tight container.

Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 quarts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp dry rub mix


Add salt to cold water and stir until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub and bay leaves. Stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder prep:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container. Pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Remove pork shoulder from brine solution; pat dry with paper towels. Place pork shoulder in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least an inch in length and width and at least 3-inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub on to the surface of the shoulder and massage in so that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides and be sure to get in to all the nooks and crannies. Make sure the fat layer on the hsoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan, uncovered, in a 225* oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or the thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200*; shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices), cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170*, remove from the oven. Place on a large clean work surface, such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat off the top. Pull apart with two forks; it will pull apart very easily.

NOTES: This is a VERY looooong process. I cheated and didn't let the pork get all the way up to 200 and then cool back down because we ended up being short on time. I put the pork in the oven at 11 and it wasn't finished even at 7. I had no idea it would take THAT long! It didn't shred quite as easily than if we had waited the entire time, but it was still delish!

BONUS RECIPE!

I got this wonderful recipe from my bestie. She's my partner in crime - whether as a fellow mom, a kitchen goddess, or beauty queen, this lady is always there for me!

Scalloped Potatoes
6-8 large baking potatoes
shredded Cheddar cheese - 1 small bag
Heavy Cream- 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Seasoned salt - as desired
Salt- as desired
Dried thyme- as desired

Preheat oven to 400*
Use 9x10 baking dish - grease lightly

Slice all potatoes thinly, add a layer in baking pan
Add a layer of cheese and spices
2 layers of Potatoes
Layer of cheese and spiced
Do this until all the cheese and potatoes have been used. Make sure you have enough cheese for the top of the potatoes.
Once you have layers complete, pour heavy cream over entire thing and sprinkle left over cheese on the top.

Bake for 60 minutes.

NOTES: This is my bestie's recipe and it's from memory, so it's not the most precise, but you get the picture.

Be sure to have some disposable gloves for this one - it gets messy!

The hardest part of making this recipe was smelling the pork in the oven ALL day. It smelled soooo good - it was very hard to wait.

The end result. We served the pork with fresh deli rolls and a couple BBQ sauces. The pork was not dry by any means, we just had some really good sauces to share that we picked up from the Fiery Foods Show back in March.

So...it was nice to meet you! Here's to many new bloggy buddies and many great new recipes to be had.

Chicken Wraps with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Last week, CG asked me if I would prepare two lunches and a dinner on Monday and Tuesday, when ABEG would be here working cattle in the corral. You know, preg checking, branding, sorting. I said sure. And then I remembered that I wouldn't be around on Monday, since I had to drop H-Bomb off at school and then drive to the next town to take Sawed Off to the dentist. Then I'd have to drive back and pick up H-Bomb after school, which meant I'd be gone from 7:am until 4:pm. I needed a lunch I could put together the night before, one that would hold overnight and still be delicious.

I don't remember what made me pull The Gourmet Cookbook off the shelf, but I did. There I found a recipe for Turkey Wraps with Chipotle Mayonnaise, and roast chicken was listed as an option. I just happened to have a roast chicken in the freezer (which I had roasted myself, then froze for such an occasion). While the recipe didn't say anything about the make-ahead-ability of these wraps, I decided I'd take a chance. I made a triple batch--12 wraps. The only thing I did differently was use more roasted chicken. And I ate one for a late dinner Sunday night...excellent!

I'm so glad I took the chance! The wraps were amazing, and got many compliments from the folks hard at work in the corral. I actually made the pickled onions and chipotle mayonnaise on Saturday, then assembled the wraps on Sunday night. I rolled each wrap with one end closed, one end open, then wrapped each one tightly in foil, and stood them upright (closed ends down) in a bowl in a cooler. Also in the cooler was a bag of apples, a couple bags of good chips, and plenty of my Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies in a ziploc bag.

I heard raves about that lunch well into the next day and night. You should definitely try these wraps at home!


Chicken Wraps with Chipotle Mayonnaise
Makes 4 sandwiches
Active Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish: 2 1/2 hours (includes chilling)

"For many of us, these turkey sandwiches are a post-Thanksgiving ritual. Spicy chipotle mayonnaise and Mexican pickled onion are the key players: both condiments are extremely easy to prepare and take virtually no time at all. As the onion cools in its brine, it turns the color of a pink pinata and becomes crisp. It will keep for weeks in a glass jar in the fridge. The mayo is made with canned chipotles en adobo sauce, one of our favorite pantry staples. Children might prefer salsa rosada (or as it's known in Utah, "fry sauce")--a combination of mayo and ketchup. The sandwiches are also delicious made with leftover pot roast, roast pork, roast chicken, you name it."

FOR PICKLED ONION:
1 red onion (6 ounces), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR CHIPOTLE MAYO:
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo, including some adobo sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Best Foods aka Hellmann's)

FOR ASSEMBLING WRAPS:
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 pound sliced or shredded roast turkey or chicken
1/4 cup shredded lettuce leaves (I used romaine) or tender pea shoots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


MAKE THE PICKLED ONION: Blanch onion in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute; drain. Return onion to pan, add vinegar, water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl. Cool, uncovered, then refrigerate until cold, covered, about 2 hours.

MAKE THE CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE: Blend chipotle and mayonnaise in a blender or food processor until smooth.

MAKE THE WRAPS: Toast tortillas directly on (gas or electric) burners over moderate heat, turning over and rotating until slightly puffed and browned in spots, 40 to 60 seconds.

Spread 1 tablespoon chipotle mayonnaise on each tortilla. Arrange one quarter of chicken and lettuce across the middle of each tortilla and top with some drained pickled onion. Season with salt and pepper and roll up wraps.

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Salsa Wraps

Tonight's dinner recipe comes from an unlikely source: an insert from a mailing about Diabetic Living Everyday Cooking. This is a cookbook I will NOT be purchasing, but this dinner sounded (and tasted!) great.

The recipe for Black Forest Trifle, however, made with "no-sugar-added, low-fat, fat-free" blah blah blah? Not a chance. That would just taste like a pile of chemicals to me. Good thing I lead an active life and am thankfully healthy.

So anyway, I decided to try this recipe, and I'm happy that I did. You'll probably be surprised when I tell you that I really don't like cilantro...but I had some from my Bountiful Basket-Mexican pack, so I added some. *Incidentally, if you happen to live in AZ, UT, ID, NV, TX, WA or WY, you should find out if Bountiful Baskets comes to your area! A $15 contribution gets you an assortment of fruits and veggies of excellent quality AND quantity! I also used tomatoes, a jalapeno, a lime and lettuce from my Bountiful Basket.

Back to dinner. These wraps are excellent. The only changes I made were to use real bacon instead of turkey, and of course real mayo instead of "light." Oh, and I didn't measure anything for the salsa, and I used more lime juice than they called for. No one can tell me how to make salsa! =)

* Since we didn't have any homemade tortillas, I used the last of our "uncooked" tortillas, browned and warmed them, then assembled the wraps.

H-Bomb ate his whole (half) wrap. Sawed Off disassembled his wrap, then cleaned his plate too.


Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Salsa Wraps
Makes 4 servings

2 large, ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
juice of half a lime
a large pinch kosher salt (almost 1/2 teaspoon)
8 slices bacon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 10-inch flour tortillas
2 cups spinach or lettuce

For salsa, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Stir in lime juice and salt. Set aside.

Cook bacon according to package directions. Drain well on paper towels; cut bacon into large pieces.

To assemble wraps, spread mayonnaise over tortillas; top with spinach. Using a slotted spoon, spoon salsa over spinach. Top with bacon. Roll up tortillas. Cut each tortilla in half; two halves makes one serving.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

Sometimes when you get a craving, you just have to give in. And it has to be "just like Mom made it" or it just won't do! So I last night I took a pound of ground beef out of the freezer and emailed my mom for her sloppy joe recipe. These are delicious, and I think perfect for summer. Even if it's only May.

I don't ever remember Mom measuring the ketchup or mustard, so I didn't either. Just taste it to make sure it's neither too ketchupy nor too mustardy (or I suppose you could measure if you must). My beef was still frozen solid, despite spending all night "thawing" in the fridge, so I started that first, then added the onions and celery, then read the part about the butter and threw that in there too. As Number One says, "you can't really mess up sloppy joes."

Oh, and I didn't drain mine at all either. Our beef is pretty lean, and it didn't make sense to me to waste all that butter.

I don't know where she got the recipe, and I don't know how many it makes. All I know is, this is perfection. Try it and see how many you get, and I'll try to keep count tonight. I'm going to eat two sloppy joes, maybe even three, and maybe with pickles. Where'd you get the recipe anyway, Mom?


UPDATE:  As you can see if you read the comments, my mom got this recipe from my grandma, her mother-in-law.  As for the butter, I've taken to making a double batch of these, but just using one stick.  You can make them however you'd like, but this is the way my family likes them!!

Enjoy.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

1 stick butter (or 1/2 stick, your choice)

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced or diced, - if I have it

1 pound ground beef

1 (10-3/4 ounce) can Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup mustard
hamburger buns
pickles (optional, but good)

Saute onion & celery in 1 stick butter. Add ground beef. When beef is cooked, drain & add soup, catsup & mustard. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns, with pickles if desired.

CADILLACS ~ PARMESAN ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES, DINER STYLE

As I get older I have noticed that there are fewer and fewer mom and pop style diners. I find this very sad. Some of the best soups, salads and sandwiches I have ever had were diner style. With all the chain restaurants these days they do okay, but they also do formulaic recipes with as few ingredients as they can get away with to make it palatable, at least in my opinion. This recipe I made from memory of a fantastic sandwich I had in a roadside diner somewhere in Texas many years ago.

PARMESAN ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES
8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef (close to shaved)
1 firm tomato 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 ounce can mild green chiles, VERY well drained*
4 slices thick quality sourdough bread
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
mayonnaise

• Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a small skillet.
• Saute' onions until JUST tender.
• Add green chiles and Worcestershire sauce. Drain well if there is any excess oil.
• Toss roast beef with onion mixture until heated through and well blended.
• Grill the tomatoes until cooked through.
• Butter 2 bread slices. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over butter and immediately press down gently so cheese nestles into the butter. This will form a crispier crust.
• Press bread buttered side down on hot grill.
• Add grilled tomatoes.
• Top with shredded cheese.
• Top with roast beef mixture.
• Spread mayonnaise on top slices of bread and top sandwiches.
• Spread butter on top side of bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, pressing firmly again to imbed Parmesan cheese.
• Flip sandwiches and grill until golden.

*I accidentally picked up jalapenos this last time.
NOTE to self. ALSO good, but way HOT!!!

Herbed French Dip Sandwiches

Who doesn't love a French Dip? The other day, I was flipping through a little recipe booklet called "Slow Cooker Specialties" from Taste of Home books, and noticed this recipe for a French Dip. I just happen to have some beef roasts in the freezer, so I thawed one.

I have to admit here that I'm not a huge fan of Taste of Home. I think they generally take too many shortcuts, and a lot of the recipes just aren't great. I think I probably got the booklet along with a "free trial" of a cookbook which was promptly returned. Some people do like the Taste of Home series. Just not me. =)

This morning, I threw the ingredients together, and had it going before 7AM. Super easy, and it smells great so far, I just hope it tastes good!

...the verdict is dismal.

I said in the comments "There's not much that's more disappointing than a mediocre French dip." If only I had known. There is so much wrong with this recipe it's hard to know where to begin...

Do you know what happens when you cook soy sauce (plus an extra cube of bouillon!) for 10 hours in a crock pot? It is reduced to nothing more than pure sodium. And they suggest you dip your sandwich in it? Well, after 10 hours in soy sauce, the beef is so dry that you simply MUST DIP IT in something, so desperate is your body for assistance in chewing and swallowing. Not to mention the shredded beef is just the wrong texture for a true French Dip...

I don't think the recipe is beyond HOPE...the flavor of the beef is pretty good, it's just too dry and there's nothing delicious in which to dip it. It's a darn good thing we had some Redd Ranches Famous BBQ Sauce left in the fridge!

Don't try this at home. My opinion of Taste of Home has yet to be swayed.

Herbed French Dip Sandwiches
Yield: 12 servings

1 lean beef roast (3 to 4 pounds)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Hard rolls or French bread

Remove and discard all visible fat from roast. Place in a slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, bouillon and spices; pour over roast. Add water to almost cover roast. Cover and cook over low heat for 10-12 hours or until meat is very tender.

Remove meat; reserve cooking juices. Shred meat with two forks. Serve on hard rolls or French bread slices. Serve cooking juices as a dipping sauce.

New Orleans Famous MUFFULETTA Sandwich ala MY YEAR ON THE GRILL

Hello foodies! The legendary MUFFULETTA ... It just sounds filling. And why not, three kinds of meat, 2 kinds of cheese and that incredible olive salad filling!

Oh, BTW, Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. The resident cook in training that you may recognize from OUR KRAZY KITCHEN. Today is an exciting day for me, and Min has agreed to let me do a guest spot on her blog in honor of my special day. You see, the suburbs of Kansas City is hip and happening in a far out way, last night, my neighborhood celebrated "Mardi Gras in the Cul de Sac"! Counting drinks, 13 menu items, to feed 10 people... Laissez les bons temps rouler indeed! I got to spend the day cooking, have fun with my friends, and my proposal to take part in the 24,24,24 FOODBUZZ challenge was accepted. I want to thank Min for letting me make an extra post to her readers to tell you all about an amazing CAJUN inspired sandwich, perfect for your Mardi Gras party, or if the gods are in alignment, perfect for your Superbowl party featuring the New Orleans SAINTS (as I write this, the Saints are one game away from a birth in the big game)!

I have been in love with all things Cajun, and the food of New Orleans for a very long time. This year, my wife and I vacationed in New Orleans, and we took full advantage of our opportunity to enjoy a "muff" (as the locals call it) straight from the original store that made 'em famous... The Central Grocery Company. It is an incredible old world store. I imagine the look has not changed in 50 years. And that is it's charm. Hey, in researching this post, look what I found... CENTRAL GROCERY has it's own wikipedia listing (click HERE). I have been wanting to try to replicate the sandwich ever since. Thanks to a recipe from Katherine from the SMOKEY MOUNTAIN CAFE blog which you can find by clicking HERE.

Here's Katherine's instructions...

New Orleanian cook and cookbook author Chiqui Collier was kind enough to share this recipe and says, "It is my pleasure to send you the recipe for the original muffletta sandwich that was created by the grandfather of a lady I worked with 28 years ago." (Presumably that was Signor Salvadore.)

"The recipe for the olive salad is the exact way it was given to me. It makes over a gallon! I'm sure if you’ve tasted it or when you taste it, you won't want to cut it down. It stores very well in the refrigerator for many months and makes great gifts along with the recipe for the sandwich.

• For the olive salad:
• 1 gallon large pimento stuffed green olives, slightly crushed and well drained
• 1 quart jar pickled cauliflower, drained and sliced
• 2 small jars capers, drained
• 1 whole stalk celery, sliced diagonally
• 4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 small jar celery seeds
• 1 small jar oregano
• 1 large head fresh garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 jar pepperoncini, drained (small salad peppers) left whole
• 1 pound large Greek black olives
• 1 jar cocktail onions, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pot and mix well. Place in a large jar and cover with 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Crisco oil. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before using.

• For the sandwich:
• 1 round loaf Italian bread
• 1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1/4 pound Provolone cheese,sliced
• 1 cup olive salad with oil

Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad and oil. Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread. Cut in quarters. Enjoy!

Serves four timid dieters or two hearty New Orleanians. We don’t do Pilates in New Orleans, but you knew that didn’t you?

I made one sandwich, sliced the sandwich into a dozen thin appetizer size pieces and served as a pre-appetizer when guests arrived to pick up their drinks.

It certainly was a lot of trouble to make the olive spread. As suggested, I have plenty left, and will be enjoying this for awhile (or possibly will run out during my Superbowl party). there are a couple of commercially available jars of the salad already prepared for you. Most larger grocery stores will have jars for sale. The actual sandwich only took a few minutes to assemble. With the store bought olive salad, a fast and easy way to make an authentic New Orleans original!

So, thanks Min for letting me hangout with your friends today. Start planning your Superbowl party or Mardi Gras event today. This Sandwich will be welcome at either!

BTW, if you would like to learn more about my trip to the CENTRAL GROCERY COMPANY and my taste of an authentic New Orleans original, come to my original blog posting... I'm off to see the MUFFULETTA Store, the Wonderful Muffuletta Store of New Orleans. Here's a picture of my wife digging into her half while we picnicked in Jackson Square!

And please come take a look at my site today. I will have plenty to post about all the different foods... Everything that worked great (and maybe a couple that I need to revisit later). And see you all Thursday over at OUR KRAZY KITCHEN!

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. ..

...

Beef Brisket Sandwiches

You'd think this cowgirl would already have a BBQ beef sandwich recipe, but I really don't! I make a mean pulled pork sandwich, (and by "mean" I do mean "delicious") but I think we've just come to rely on our yearly fill of Uncle Brian's BBQ Beef at the annual Bull Sale.So I found this one at Williams-Sonoma Kitchen, and it's bound to be a winner if only because it smells so good cooking. I used my favorite dry rub recipe, and I'm planning to top the sandwiches off with the Redd's Famous BBQ Sauce.

I started this recipe two nights in advance, and I've doubled it. I let the beef sit with the rub overnight, then in the morning I put it in the two crockpots. I didn't slice it, it was so tender and falling apart tonight that I just "pulled" it with a couple forks, sort of shredded it all up when it was done. I put the meat back with the juices in the crockpot, and refrigerated it overnight. In the morning, I plugged the crockpot back in and set it to "Warm" to reheat the meat without cooking it. I also poured some barbecue sauce into a separate crockpot to warm it.

Just before lunch time, I toasted the buns and assembled the sandwiches, wrapping them in aluminum foil for our lunch in the corral. The BBQ Sauce was plentiful in two 16-Ounce squeeze bottles, although I promised Number One he could have one bottle of BBQ Sauce all to himself...

We have found a winner! This will be the recipe I turn to for barbecue beef sandwiches. All the hungry cowboys loved them, especially topped off with our famous barbecue sauce, of course.

*picture next time!*

Beef Brisket Sandwiches
Serves 10

Beef brisket is a tough cut of meat that benefits from long, slow cooking. Here, we accomplish this task by using a slow cooker, which produces juicy, exceptionally tender meat. To create the ultimate sandwiches, layer slices of beef between toasted sandwich rolls and drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce.

1 beef brisket, 4 to 5 lb.
Salt, to taste
1⁄4 cup beef grilling rub
2 small yellow or red onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄2 cup beef stock
1⁄2 cup lager-style beer
10 sandwich rolls, toasted
Barbecue sauce, warmed, for serving

Season the beef brisket generously with salt and coat with the grilling rub. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

Put the onions, garlic, stock and beer in a slow cooker. Add the brisket, fat side up. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours. Transfer the brisket to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let stand for 30 minutes.

Slice the brisket across the grain and fill the rolls with meat. Pour barbecue sauce into a bowl and pass alongside.

Taste & Create: Paneer Sandwich

Taste & Create July

Bombay Foodie Comfort Food #2 Paneer Sandwich

This is a simply, tasty sandwich that my kids LOVED. Paneer cheese is pretty thick so it doesn't melt like your average grilled cheese. I didn't like that at first but the taste won me over!

Here's what you'll need...

Bread

Paneer cheese sliced

salt/pepper

butter

Butter the bread slices and place one in a pan.

Add cheese and sprinkle with salt/pepper.

Top with the other slice of bread.

Flip

It ain't rocket science, it's done in a few minutes and the kids will gobble it up.

Pressed Cuban-Style Burger

This is one of Bobby's recipes, from his Boy Gets Grill cookbook. The cookbook is one of our favorites, but we keep returning to a few select recipes. The Cuban-Style Burger has been calling my name for quite a while. I've never had a Cuban Burger or Cuban Sandwich before, but there is something intriguing about them, to me at least. So since Number One is running to town, I decided today is the day to try them and sent him to the grocery store too.

We proceeded with the wrapping in tin foil, but I also think these would be great put together and pressed panini-style. Also, Number One brought home generic grocery store hamburger buns. You know the ones, eight to a package, fluffy white. I think buns just a step or two above that kind, like store bakery-made but not crusty, would have been better. Also a better variety of ham. But beggars can't be choosers, especially when you've asked your husband to run to the grocery store for you. I won't even mention the pickle incident. Let's just sum it up by saying, my husband went to the store!

I roasted the garlic in a dry pan, on top of the stove. It is faster that way than doing it in the oven, which is fortunate because I forgot about the roasted garlic until I was ready to start grilling! Just heat a skillet over medium heat, and add unpeeled garlic cloves. Turn them so all sides get heated on the pan, in about 10 or 15 minutes they should be great--you should be able to squeeze them down with your fingertip. If they don't feel soft, just leave them on longer. (If some parts turn a bit black, that's fine! Remove from heat, peel and puree.

These sandwiches are delicious! I loved them, pickles and all. Number One said he preferred them without pickles. I think they are just perfect. The garlic mayonnaise is wonderful, and all the flavors just complement each other so well. H-Bomb liked them too, although he didn't end up eating all the components.

We will definitely be making these burgers again! (And, the next time I'm in Miami, I already know what I'm going to order!)



Pressed Cuban-Style Burger
Serves 4; can be doubled for 6 to 8

When I'm really, really hungry,all I think about is a big, fat burger oozing melted cheese and pickles. Unless I'm in Miami, when all I think about is a big, fat Cuban sandwich oozing melted cheese and pickles. Cheeseburgers and Cuban sandwiches are my two favorite indulgences, and they're actually pretty similar. This sandwich combines the two. Don't be tempted to use fancy crusty bread here. Only soft rolls will get the perfect crisp crust you want to play against the soft interior. As for the meat, chuck is about 80 percent lean, which grinds to the right texture for burgers. Note that you'll need a heavy pot or a couple of bricks to press the burgers.

1 pound freshly ground beef, preferably chuck (see headnote)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, roasted and pureed
4 hamburger buns
2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
4 thin slices ham
2 dill pickles, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 16)

1. Heat your grill to high.

2. Form the meat into four burgers. Season all over with salt and pepper. Grill the burgers until medium-rare, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and leave the grill on.

3. Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the cut sides of each bun with garlic mayonnaise and mustard. Place a slice of cheese on the bottom of each bun and a burger on top of the cheese, then top the burger with a slice of ham. Add another slice of cheese, then the pickle slices. Cover with the tops of the buns and wrap each burger individually in aluminum foil.

4. Place the burgers close together on the grill and rest a heavy skillet or a couple of bricks on top of them, pressing down if needed to flatten them. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Bacon, Tomato & Fried Egg Sandwich

This sandwich was inspired by one in my new cookbook, Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2008. I did not have a clue what to make for dinner, and every recipe in that book that sounded good to me took well over an hour to make, not feasible when the clock is ticking past 5:00pm and you'd like to serve dinner by 6:00pm at the latest! Help!

Chef Thomas Keller's recipe calls for lettuce and jack cheese. We didn't have any lettuce, and we like cheddar better in lots of cases. We have lots of fresh tomatoes from our garden right now, and they are excellent.

I honestly don't think it's a very spectacular or original recipe, but it was darn good. I bet my dad would like this sandwich with a bit of mustard too.

Bacon, Tomato & Fried Egg Sandwich

Bread, toasted and hot
thick bacon, fried
cheddar cheese, sliced
fresh tomato slices
mayonnaise
butter
eggs

Fry enough bacon for however many sandwiches you are making, in our case we fried a pound of bacon for four people. That could be just us. Plan on using at least 3 slices per sandwich.

While the bacon is frying, toast your bread, place cheese slices on one slice of toast and spread mayonnaise generously on the other slice of toast, then top with the bacon and tomato slices. (I like my cheese meltier, so next time I might put the cheese on top of a partially toasted slice of bread and melt it in the toaster oven. Mmmmm.)

Fry your eggs, one per sandwich, in butter (we leave our yolks runny) and place one egg in each sandwich. Carefully close your sandwiches and enjoy.

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

We've been on a Pioneer Woman kick recently, basically living on our variation of Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños. Not that it's a huge or innovative variation, I just use thick bacon while she uses thin. (you should use thick too--trust me) Anyway, I can't tell you how many bags of those I have in the freezer right now. But oh man, a pan of those things and Coronas seem to be all Number One and I need these days.

The other night, I also made Pioneer Woman's "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich." Our teeny tiny local grocery didn't have cube steak, but I've befriended the butcher, who ultra-tenderized some other kind of meat for me, and it was great!

I've made these sandwiches several times in the past, and I always just get the deli rolls like she suggests. But Number One had his own ideas about the leftovers, and today he actually gave me a bite. And I just HAVE to tell you about this: Number One found a sourdough loaf called a Jaco, which is kind of like a small French loaf size, in the fridge. He thought it was a bit thick, so he took a slice out of the middle, then he fried it in butter the way you're supposed to.


While I have really, really liked the Marlboro Man sandwich on the deli rolls, I FREAKIN' LOVE the Marlboro Man sandwich on the sourdough. LOVE IT. LOVE. If you make these sandwiches, do try them on sourdough. It gives the sandwich just a little bit of a tangy kick that pushes it over the top. I'm not kidding. And yes, there are bites taken out of the sandwich in the picture. Couldn't wait.

Marlboro Man’s Number One's Favorite Sandwich (on Sourdough)

2 to 3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized), thinly sliced against the grain
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions, thinly sliced
1 sourdough Jaco loaf, cut in four sections (with slices out of the middles to decrease thickness)
Butter
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco

-Cook onions over medium-low heat in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
-Season meat generously with Lawry’s.
-Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
-Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
-Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
-Butter halved sourdough and brown on skillet.
-To assemble, lay bottom half of sourdough on plate. Place meat mixture on bread, followed by a spoonful or two of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, and serve.

Picadillo: Cuban-Style Sloppy Joes

Since Number One and the crew are branding calves today, I wanted to make a ranch lunch. I have lots of ground beef, but no hamburger buns, plenty of hot dog buns (but not hot dogs again)! I thought of sloppy joes (on hot dog buns), but I wanted something different.

I really wanted to make a green chile version of sloppy joes, but couldn't find a good recipe and I'm not in the mood to experiment...much. I ran across this recipe for Cuban "sloppy joes" called Picadillo. I think it is exactly what I've been looking for, from Three Guys from Miami, who have written several cookbooks about Cuban cooking. (I don't have any of their cookbooks, but that could easily be remedied, if only amazon.com would sponsor my blog!). This recipe was posted on NPR's website.

I made a few modifications to the ingredients. I had a 2.5 pound package of ground beef, so I increased the spices, but I won't list those changes. I couldn't let go of my hankerin' for green chiles, so I added two 4-ounce cans along with the other peppers. This smelled so good simmering in the crock pot! A delicious blend of flavors, we will definitely make this again soon!

Picadillo

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups diced onion

2 cups seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper (I used 1 each yellow and orange, plus two cans of diced green chiles)

Olive oil to sauté

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds ground beef or ground round

3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (I used 2 cans diced)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1/3 cup raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Rice

Cuban or French bread (I used toasted hot dog buns!)

butter

1. Sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil in a large frying pan.

2. Sauté about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened, then add the garlic and ground beef.

3. Mash the onion and green pepper into the sautéing meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Put everything in a crockpot set to low heat.

5. Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, oregano, olives and raisins.

6. Cover and let simmer in the crockpot for an hour or two or more. The longer it simmers, the better the flavor!

7. Salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot over white rice or:

9. Cut a loaf of Cuban or French bread lengthwise, but not completely through — like you would for a hoagie. Generously butter the inside — top and bottom. If you like, toast the bread lightly on a skillet. Stuff the bread with plenty of picadillo to make a great picadillo sandwich!

Roasted Red Pepper Panini w/Bacon, Brie, Caramelized Onions & Pesto

Tonight we made a new and different kind of panini. I was so hungry, I forgot to take a picture. This is from a friend of a friend's blog called Downright Delish. It's a decent sandwich, and I heard the leftovers are pretty good (I didn't get any leftovers!) The title says it all.

Of course our small grocery store didn't have Brie, so we used provolone. I used 1/2 pound of bacon for four sandwiches, but I wanted more bacon--next time I'll cook the whole pound! I also caramelized the onions with rosemary in the bacon grease--saved time and I didn't want another pan to clean! We used a sourdough loaf called a Jaco, which is kind of like a small French loaf size. (the store was also out of any other kind of sourdough--gotta love living in the middle of nowhere!)

Also, I don't put butter on the outside of the panini. I use olive oil, and I don't put it directly on our cast iron grill. I put the panini on a dry grill, drizzle the top with olive oil, then place the grill press on top. Flip, then drizzle olive oil on the top again.

My husband thought it tasted too "pizza-y" but my MIL loved it. I thought it was good, but I think it would be better with Brie. Boys weren't crazy about it (hence the leftovers!)

You can see the full recipe (and a picture!) here.

Avocado Reubens

Here's a nice vegetarian twist on the traditional Reuben sandwich! The recipe comes from the book, Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family by Ken Haedrich. This is a GREAT vegetarian cookbook., by the way. My copy is several years old and quite stained with numerous pages all folded down to mark my favorite recipes.

Here's what you'll need for 2 sandwiches...

1 ripe avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced)
a little lemon juice
approx 1 cup of sauerkraut (drained and heated a bit)
4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 big slices of good rye or pumpernickel bread
Dijon mustard
Russian or 1000 Island dressing
salt/pepper

*** Sprinkle your sliced avocados with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning.


How to assemble the sandwiches:

1) Spread a little Dijon mustard on one slice and a little Russian/1000 Island dressing on the other.

Take one slice of bread and start stacking in this order:

1. One slice of Swiss cheese
2. Avocado slices
3. Salt/pepper
4. Sauerkraut
5. The other slice of cheese
6. The other slice of bread

Brush the bread with olive oil or a little butter and place in a pan over medium heat.
Flip carefully (can be tricky without all the insides falling out... using 2 spatulas helps).  A Foreman Grill also works nicely if you have one.  

That's it! They're super easy to make and very tasty!

Tofu Burgers

Okay okay...   I know what you're thinking.  "TOFU burgers?!?!?   Gross."  So wrong!!!  These tofu burgers are from the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca NY.  The Moosewood is a famous vegetarian restaurant and I've sampled several of their dishes...  all excellent.   I got the recipe from Vegetarian Times.

I usually serve these burgers as the recipe suggests:  on whole wheat sandwich rolls with tomato, lettuce and Russian dressing.  For the kids, I stuff it into pita bread.  Slightly less messy for them.  The recipe serves 8 so I usually freeze half of the patties prior to baking.  These tend to be a bit time consuming to make but SO well worth it.  It's nice to be able to take them out of the freezer and have them on a weekday.

A couple notes about the recipe...  It calls for 2 Tbs of miso.  If you can find miso, more power to you.  I've never been able to find it so I never add it.  Tastes perfectly fine to me. 

I'll be making these tomorrow night so I'll post a picture if I remember!

What you'll need...

2 packages of firm tofu

2 Tbs vegetable oil

2 cups diced onion

1 cup peeled grated carrots

1 cup diced bell peppers

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried dill

2/3 cups chopped walnuts

1 cup plain bread crumbs

2 Tbs tahini

2 Tbs light miso

2 Tbs soy sauce

1-2 Tbs Dijon mustard (optional)

1)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray

2)  Sandwich tofu between two plates, and rest a heavy weight on the top plate.  Press for about 15 minutes, draining the liquid occasionally.

3)  Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet and saute onions, carrots, peppers, oregano, basil and dill for about 7 minutes or until veggies are just tender.  

4)  Crumble pressed tofu in a large bowl.  Stir in walnuts, bread crumbs, tahini, miso and mustard if using.  Add sauteed veggies and mix well.  

5)  Use about 3/4 cup of mix per burger.  Form into a pattie and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  

6)  Bake for about 30 minutes or until burgers are firm and browned.  Serve immediately.

Min's Cashew Chicken Salad

This is a recipe I came up with when I couldn't find a decent serving of chicken salad. It is scrumptious.

Start with 1 whole roasted chicken, deboned and chopped in a fairly small dice. I'd say about 1/2-inch or less. (you can also use 1/2 the chicken if you don't want a lot. But I think you will want as much of this as you can get.) Place chicken in a large bowl.

Add to chicken:

Diced celery, about 4 to 6 stalks (or so) for a whole chicken, or to taste

Chopped cashews, at least 1 cup (I used two big handfuls this time)


Green onions, chopped, probably half a bunch, more or less (about 6)

You can see that there's a good mix of ingredients, lots of celery, cashews, etc. to complement the chicken.


A healthy amount of real mayonnaise (1 cup? enough to coat--you'll know. Remember, you can always add more but you can't take it out if you've added too much)


Mix this all together and taste a spoonful. It should be delicious and crunchy and flavorful. (See how you can still see the colors below, you can tell it's coated but not too much).


I serve this on little dinner rolls, as sandwiches.

Min & Ad's Panini Sandwiches

š Fresh French bread, cut in four segments; one loaf will make about four large sandwiches

š Thinly sliced roast beef

š Pancetta or procuitto

š Thinly sliced Provolone

š Thinly sliced:

o Tomatoes

o Cucumbers

o Red onions

o (red, yellow or green bell peppers, optional)

š Salt

š Olive oil

1. Preheat grill pan and grill press on medium-high
2. Slice each piece of French bread, careful to keep it parallel with the flattest side—top or bottom—of the bread. (to avoid sliding)
3. Drizzle inside bottom piece of bread with olive oil—the bread will go on the grill dry, so don’t oil the bottom.
4. Carefully layer on bottom bread:
1. cheese
2. pancetta
3. cucumbers (lightly salt cucumber layer—important)
4. roast beef
5. tomatoes
6. onions (just a few, not a whole slice)
7. cheese
8. top piece of bread
5. Carefully transfer sandwich to grill pan. Drizzle top of sandwich with olive oil and press down gently. Once you’re sure things won’t slide around too much, press harder. Sometimes if your bread is uneven on top, you will need to keep hold of the press the whole time.
6. Grill sandwich, pressing, until bottom cheese is melted. Carefully flip sandwich, drizzle with olive oil and press and grill again until warm, melted and nicely toasted.

We purchased a nice Lodge cast-iron grill pan specifically for making this sandwich. We have even made these out in the middle of the desert, over a campfire with our grill pan. We did get a grill press on amazon also, but have since found a bigger, better one from Pampered Chef.

P.S. It's difficult to take a picture that does this sandwich justice! I'll try again next time.