Archive for Sandwiches
Honey and Salt Burger
Posted by: · Jan 09 2012 · Comments
Last night I was looking for a quick and simple meal with a little bit of a twist and these burgers were just that. The addition of the honey provided for a nice caramelization of the meat and a welcome hint of sweetness. Just lovely!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1Lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon finishing salt (I used a truffle finishing salt)
- Dash of freshly ground pepper
-6 slices prosciutto
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 whole grain rolls, toasted
Instructions:
Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
In large bowl, use clean hands to mix the burger, honey and salt together. Form the meat into 6 equally sized patties and place on the grill. Grill for 8-10 minutes per side. Top each burger with a slice of prosciutto and a slice of cheese. Continue to grill until the cheese is melted.
Assemble the burgers on the toasted buns and top with desired condiments before serving.
Open Faced Scallop and Cream Cheese Sandwich
Posted by: · Jan 04 2012 · Comments
Much has changed since my last post. The holidays have wrapped up, the family has gone home and we are now parents to one perfectly sweet and undeniably beautiful little girl. Miss Eliza Mae Manly joined us on December 23rd, just in time to spend her first Christmas at home. Already she has become my partner in the kitchen- sleeping quietly in her bassinet while I whip together our meals. We collectively made this sandwich for dad yesterday, his last lunch at home before returning to work. We are quite the team because this sandwich was just wonderful. A must try recipe!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups thinly sliced roasting red potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- Kosher salt
- 1 LB large scallops
- Juice from half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1.5 teaspoon capers
- Cream cheese
- 8 slices rye bread, toasted
- 2 cups baby spinach
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven broiler.
In a Ziploc bag combine the potatoes, parsley and a dash of the salt. Tightly close the bag and shake the bag so to thoroughly coat the potatoes with the parsley and salt. Pour the contents of the bag onto a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Place the potatoes in the oven and cook until golden browned and crisp- a few minutes on each side. Remove the potato chips from the oven, transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and lay out on a plate. Drizzle the lemon juice on the scallops followed by a dash of salt. Melt the butter over high heat in a large sauté pan. Once the butter is bubbling add the scallops and the capers. Brown the scallops on both sides – about five minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the pan and cut into 1/4” slices.
Now assemble the sandwiches. Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese on each piece of rye toast. Top with some spinach, followed by a few slices of scallop, a handful of the chips and finally top with a few of the remaining capers in the sauté pan. Serve immediately.
Whiskey Skirt Steak Sandwich
Posted by: · Dec 08 2011 · Comments
Another simple and delicious, “I am super pregnant and do not want to cook,” meal. Whiskey and beef…what’s not to love?
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 LB skirt steak, trimmed of fat
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup whiskey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 toasted rolls sliced in half
- Mayonnaise
Instructions:
Start with the marinade. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the butter and whiskey and bring to a slight boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Lay the meat in a shallow dish and pour the sugar-whiskey mixture on top. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
Pre-heat oven broiler. Transfer the meat to a baking dish and place in the oven. Save the remaining marinade. Broil the meat for 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes. Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened, whisking frequently. Cut the meat against the grain into ½” slices. Spread mayo on one side of the toasted rolls. Top with a handful of meat and drizzle with the thickened sauce. Serve immediately.
Grilled Honey Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Chutney
Posted by: · Apr 27 2011 · Comments
By the time my husband and I got engaged our parents had still not met. We decided perhaps we should get them together. After discussing a few meeting spots my father insisted we spend a weekend at his bird hunting club in southern Colorado. The outdoors, hikes with dogs, late night chats by the fire- it seemed like a great idea.
Marc and Colby, my future in-laws, soon arrived in Colorado. We quickly discovered that each party had appropriately named their meeting, “The Meet the Fockers Weekend.” The impending question was which family would take home the title of “The Fockers?”
The weekend started off wonderfully. The parents immediately hit it off. The setting was spectacular and I was quite certain nothing could go wrong. That was about the time that things swiftly went downhill. The hunting dogs refused to hunt for anyone other than my dad and husband leaving Marc and I desperately trying to get in on the action. Ellie the dog, our enthusiastic but horrible hunter, ran into the butt of Justin’s gun creating a huge gash on her forehead and forcing me to carry her back to the lodge as she wept like a baby. Meanwhile, the moms were up to their own trouble. While hiking, my mom brushed up against an electric cow fence electrocuting herself to the point of losing bodily control. She farted and out of embarrassment and inherent honesty she admitted her flatulence to my future-mother-in law. Stumbling to her feet from the shock that ripped through her body she said, “Oh my goodness, I think I just farted.” They immediately erupted into hysterical laughter and a friendship was born. At night we ventured out to the only local restaurant. We feasted on undercooked burgers and stale beer in the company of an over served county-western band and a group of fairly rowdy locals. Not exactly the refined weekend I had imagined. Despite the hiccups, we ended the weekend with a great story, two united families, many laughs and a clear winner of “The Fockers” crown.
The greatest gift from this weekend, however, was the friendship that spawned between the moms. While we had brought them together, their similar qualities of kindness, humility and loyalty had made them pals. When my mom fell ill with cancer years later and was hospitalized at MD Anderson in Houston, Colby came to visit. The look on her face when Colby arrived was pure happiness. Mom and Colby spent the afternoon alone – laughing, chatting and speaking to mom’s wishes for me if she should pass. She wanted Colby to take care of me. From individually wrapping all my Christmas stalking presents like mom did, to letting me tell the same fond memories of my dad over and over to just being a good friend – Colby has no doubt taken care of me and I love her. I know mom and dad are looking over me with ease and happiness knowing I have her. Marc, my father-in-law, isn’t so bad either and turns out he is quite the hunter when the dogs cooperate.
So what does this story have to do with this meal? Not much except that Colby cooked the ham and I needed a moment to reminisce. Enjoy!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Sandwich
- I fresh loaf of whole grain bread, cut into ½” thick slices
- ½ LB Saint- Andre cheese cut into ¼” thick slices , can be bought at most grocery stores in the gourmet cheese section
- 8 slices honey baked ham
- Handful fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Chutney
- 10 ounces diced yellow cherry tomatoes (you can use red cherry tomatoes if yellow aren’t available)
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Instructions:
Start with the chutney. Combine the tomatoes, shallots, peppers, sugar, salt and vinegar in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Stir frequently until the ingredients thicken, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ingredients to a bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes before using.
Once the chutney is cooled, assemble the sandwiches. One or two slices of ham, topped with a slice of cheese, a handful of spinach and a spoonful of the chutney. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat with the olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the grill pan and cover. Using a spatula flip the sandwiches over after 5 minutes, re-cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Grilled Mahi Mahi Sandwich with Rutabaga Chips
Posted by: · Apr 17 2011 · Comments
Sometimes you just don’t need to overcomplicate a dish. Give me a fresh piece of fish, some colorful vegetables and bacon and we have a meal. This sandwich was pure bliss on this beautiful Chicago Sunday. Full of flavor, crunch and just wonderfulness.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 6 large rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1/8” slices
- 4 cups vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 LB’s Mahi Mahi fillets skin on, about 4 fillets
- Juice of half a lemon
- 7 ounces cooked Canadian bacon
- 1 large red onion, cut into 4’s
- 4 French rolls
- Handful fresh butter lettuce
- Light Mayonnaise
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is noticeably spitting, carefully lower a handful of rutabaga slices into the oil with a slotted spoon. Cover with a grease screen and cook until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes per batch. Once done, remove the chips with the slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with a touch of kosher salt and set aside on a cooling rack to dry.
While the chips are drying, heat your grill to medium heat. Season the fish with a dash of salt and the lemon juice. Thread the onion slices on a metal skewer. Grill the fish for 5 minutes on each side or until opaque. Concurrently grill the onions for 2 minutes per side, remove from the grill and skewer and place in a bowl for later.
Place the Canadian bacon on the grill and cook for 2 minutes per side or until grill marks appear on the meat. While doing this quickly grill the buns on the grill until just slightly crunchy. Remove the buns, the fish and the bacon.
Remove the skin from the fish and assemble one fillet on a bun, topped with a piece of the Canadian bacon, a few grilled onions, lettuce and mayonnaise. Serve with a handful of chips and eat up!
Beer Braised Oxtail Sandwich
Posted by: · Mar 21 2011 · Comments
Much like short ribs, oxtail requires a long braise to produce the tenderness and flavor we have come to love. Here I used a thick lager for the braising liquid and the result is this perfect weekend lunch or casual dinner. Just a note, plan ahead with this dish and start the braising early. This leaves you with very little to prepare around meal time.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 6 LB’s oxtail
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 7 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup freshly grated horseradish
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- 3-5 12 ounce lager beers
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup grated Gouda cheese
- 6 sough dough rolls
- Mayonnaise
Instructions:
Make sure your oven racks are positioned to allow room for a Dutch oven. Pre-heat oven to 325°. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Thoroughly coat each oxtail with the flour and dust off the excess. Add the oxtail to the pot and brown on both sides- about 4 minutes per side. You might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pot. Stir in the onions, garlic, horseradish, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. At this point, pour in the beer so that is covers the top of the oxtails by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3.5 hours or until the meat is visibly falling off the bone. Remove from the oven.
Using a slotted spoon remove the meat from the pot and let cool for a few minutes. Set the Dutch oven aside and retain the remaining liquid for later use. Using a fork or your hands pull the meat off the bone. Discard the fat and the bones. Set the meat aside.
In a large sauté pan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and sauté until slightly browned. Spoon one cup of the remaining beer mixture from the Dutch oven onto the peppers. Now fold in the meat, followed by ½ cup of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully incorporated into the meat. Reduce the heat to low and cover.
Meanwhile, turn the oven to broil. Slice the buns in half and broil on both sides until slightly browned. Remove the buns from the oven and fill with the meat and pepper mixture. Top each sandwich with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese and a dab of mayonnaise. Enjoy!
Veal Burger Topped with Fried Egg
Posted by: · Feb 26 2011 · Comments
Veal burger is fantastically juicy and a welcomed change from beef. I added a fried egg for extra richness and flavor – an idea I picked up from my husband. So, so, so good!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 LB ground veal
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 eggs
- Sesame buns
- Fresh spinach
- 4 eggs and butter as needed
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- Condiments as desired
Tomatoes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat.
Combine tomatoes, salt and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 4 minutes or until the tomato skin opens. Drain the tomatoes in a colander and set aside.
Combine veal, salt, pepper, sugar, shallots and lemon juice in a medium size bowl and mix together using your hands. Don’t over mix, just enough to incorporate the shallots throughout the veal. Make equally sized patties.
Grill for 3-4 minutes per side for medium- rare. Place a layer of cheese on each burger and cook for just long enough to allow the cheese to melt. While the cheese melts, quickly grill the buns until crispy- usually no more than 30 seconds per side. Remove the burgers and buns from the grill and cover with a dish towel or place in a heating drawer or an oven set to “warm.” Meanwhile, fry the eggs until they are just barely runny, about 3 minutes per side.
Assemble the burgers with a topping on the tomatoes, followed by a handful of spinach and then the fried egg. Serve immediately.
Caper Goat Cheese and Fennel Salmon Sandwich
Posted by: · Jan 25 2011 · Comments
I love capers, likely because they are so salty and I love salt. I would almost be tempted to salt my capers, but that would likely draw stares and a dramatic increase in my blood pressure. Here I have combined my salty favorite with the rich licorice taste of fennel. A perfect complement to a basic baked salmon filet.
Ingredients:
Fish
- 1 LB salmon filet
- 1 teaspoon caper juice, liquid in the caper bottle
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Fennel
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups spinach
Goat Cheese
- 4 ounces plain goat cheese
- 1 teaspoon capers
- ½ teaspoon chopped dill
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons low fat ricotta
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
All in
- 4 toasted whole wheat buns or a whole wheat bread loaf cut into 4 inch long slices
Instructions:
Place fish in a non-stick baking dish. Coat with caper and lemon juice, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine goat cheese, capers, dill, lemon juice and ricotta in a food processor. Mix on medium speed until capers are fully incorporated into cheese. Manually fold in cream and set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 400°.
In a large non-stick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fennel, salt, pepper and sugar and stir frequently until fully cooked and slightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Cover and set aside.
Remove fish from refrigerator and place on center rack of pre-heated oven. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until flakey. Remove from oven and transfer filet to a large cutting board. Slice filet into 2 inch wide pieces.
Assemble sandwiches with one piece of salmon per bun, topped with caper goat cheese and fennel mixture. Serve immediately.
Nicoise Salad Sandwich
Posted by: · Jan 22 2011 · Comments
Every once in a while I splurge and make my own tuna salad with fresh ahi fillets. This recipe is infinitely better than the canned version and requires minimal effort…a perfect weekend lunch!
Ingredients:
- 2 ahi fillets, about ¾ LB’s in total
- 1.5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup light mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons drained capers
- 8 Slices toasted whole grain bread
- 4 ounces sliced sharp cheddar cheese
- Mixed greens
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Place ahi fillets on a non-stick baking dish. Coat the fish with one tablespoon of the lemon juice, followed by ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook for 7-9 minutes or until flakey and no longer pink in the middle. Remove fish from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Bring a medium sized saucepan halfway full of water to boil over high heat. Using a slotted spoon, add the eggs. Gently boil the eggs for 12 minutes. Remove the eggs from the heat and transfer to a bowl of iced water. Let eggs cool in iced water for 1 minute. Remove the eggs from the water and remove shells. Cut eggs into 1/4” disks along their width.
Using a fork, pull apart the fish into small shreds until it resembles the consistency of canned tuna. Ahi has a natural grain line that you can follow while pulling apart. Mix the ahi with the mayonnaise, capers, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining 1.5 teaspoon of lemon juice.
Assemble the sandwiches with ½ cup ahi mixture then top with a few pieces of sliced egg, 2 slices of cheese and a handful of mixed greens. Makes 4 sandwiches.
Steamed Chinese Buns with Hoisin Pork
Posted by: · Jan 13 2011 · Comments
I made this dish with pork tenderloin instead of the more traditionally used pork shoulder. This rendition is healthier and in my opinion, more tasty.
Ingredients:
Buns
- 2.5 teaspoons yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 large cabbage leaves
Pork
- 1 medium sized pork loin
- 2 cups beer, preferably a dark lager
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ cup store bought ponzu sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
Veggies
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup julienned carrots, about 4 medium sized carrots
- ½ large red onion cut into ¼ inch slices
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallions
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
Instructions:
Mix water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast and sugar have fully dissolved. Place flour in a standing mixing bowl fit with a dough hook. Pour yeast mixture over the flour and mix on medium-high speed until a dough ball has formed, about 10 minutes. Remove the dough and place in a bowl coated with the olive oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate for 2 hours. The dough should double in size during this time.
While the dough is rising, place ingredients listed under “pork” in a crock-pot, cover and cook for 1.5-2 hours over high heat.
For the vegetables, heat olive oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the wok with the oil and add the carrots and onion. Sauté for 8 minutes. Stir in ginger, scallions and hoisin sauce. Cook for 3 additional minutes. Add water and simmer until water has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Cover and remove from heat.
Remove the meat from the crock-pot and let cool to room temperature. Discard the remaining liquid in crock-pot once it has fully cooled. Once the meat has cooled, cut the loin in half across its width. Using a fork shred the pork along the grain of the meat. Add the shredded pork to the vegetable mixture, stir and cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Cover and remove from the heat.
Finally, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into six fist sized balls. Position a steam rack at the base of shallow stockpot. Fill the pot with enough water so that it just barely touches the bottom of the steam rack. Place one layer of cabbage on top of the steam rack and place the dough balls on top of the cabbage. Space the dough balls 1/2″ apart to allow for expansion while steaming. Cover the stockpot with a lid. Heat the contents over medium-high heat. Steam the buns for 12 minutes and remove from pot. Cut a slit across each bun and fill with vegetable/pork mixture. Serve immediately.
