Pineapple Pulled Pork

I have come to the conclusion that if I am to continue to post recipes and thoughts about cooking, I am going to have to do it while the thoughts are fresh in my head -- like immediately after dinner. Sad as it is, I can't keep a thought in my head these days for very long, especially a subtle change I may have made in a recipe, or even where I found it in the first place! I am sad to admit I might be getting senior brain! Ahhh!

Anyway...enough about my forgetful brain...this is a recipe you won't forgot, not only because it's so easy to make, but because it's so tasty. I just cleaned up the dishes and here I am with all my fresh thoughts.

The easy to tasty ratio of this recipe is perfect. I put the pork shoulder in the slow cooker this morning before we left for Mass and after spending some time this afternoon traveling to help Doug's mom with some household stuff, we returned home to some yummy smelling pork.

The taste is similar to a barbecued pork, but the pineapple flavor is definitely there and the flavors are a little more mellow. The texture was very tender -- but was not falling off the bone, so it wasn't mushy at all.

We love our pulled pork with cole slaw, so each sandwich was served with a toasted Hawaiian slider bun and a dab of cole slaw.

The recipe idea originated here at The Beeroness, but I made quite a few changes. We had many types of beer in the fridge downstairs, but none were IPA and not knowing a stout from a lager (I rarely drink beer), I chose to add about 4 oz of good white wine instead. If you'd rather not add alcohol, I think a 1/2 cup of pineapple juice would be wonderful, too.

Pineapple Pulled Pork

makes 24 sliders

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Heinz chili sauce

2 t. sriracha

2 T. brown sugar

2 cup chopped pineapple (I used frozen nuggets, slightly thawed)

3.5 lb pork shoulder

salt and pepper

12 ounces IPA (or 1/2 cup good white wine or pineapple juice)

24 Hawaiian rolls, split

In a food processor or blender add the garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, sriracha, brown sugar and pineapple. Process until well combined.

Place the pork shoulder inside a slow cooker, salt and pepper all sides liberally.

Pour the pineapple mixture and the IPA beer over the pork.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker and cool a little before shredding. Strain juices. After shredding pork, pour some of the juice over and let sit. Use a straining spoon for serving.

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Serve with cole slaw, fresh fruit salad, a pasta salad, or serve over steamed white rice instead of buns with some steamed green beans.

Summer Supper #7

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I apologize for being such a poor blog host lately. I'm here, and I am still cooking, but I'm feeling rather lazy about posting recipes. I'll blame the heat; everyone else does! ;-)

I hope that you tried one of the red or green margaritas. Really, you must. On Sunday evening, I tried a variation of the strawberry by substituting a whole diced peach for the strawberries. Oh my goodness, it was really so very good -- and a whole serving of fruit. Yay!

Today's Summer Supper is what my husband calls the epitome of a good summer dinner. It's rather light (as in not a large quantity of food) but very tasty, with a little bit of grilling and some wonderful summer flavors.

I will warn you, it's a hot dog. "Yuck," you say. "I don't eat hot dogs." Well, I don't normally serve hot dogs for dinner, but the right kind can be quite a treat. I use good hot dogs (Nathan's or Hebrew National Beef almost exclusively) which you will pay a buck or two more for than pork dogs, but they are worth it. I have served this dish twice to my family and I think they would eat these dogs every week. They are really, really good. Try them.

I served them with a side of fresh fruit -- some watermelon or a bowl of diced fresh fruit, and some chips for ease of homemade potato salad. It's an easy meal and won't fill you too much.

Avocado Hot Dogs

 serves 8

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8 good beef hot dogs

8 hot dogs buns (I prefer split top)

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered or diced finely if they are large

a handful or cilantro, minced

2 T. finely diced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

a few squirts of lime juice

a dash or two of salt

ketchup and mustard, if desired

Preheat the grill. 

In the meantime combine the avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, onion and garlic. Add a few squirts of lime juice (the plastic green lime kind is fine) and a dash or two of salt. Stir gently to combine and taste. Adjust lime juice or salt if needed.

Grill hot dogs until hot and with grill marks.

Place hot dogs in buns. Top with mustard or ketchup if desired and Avocado Relish.

Serve with cubed or diced watermelon or fresh fruit salad, and some chips or potato salad.

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Summer Supper #3

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Today's Summer Supper is really not a true summer supper because it was prepared indoors, but it was simple and easy to eat, so I count it as a summer supper.

I admit I actually was not completely gaga over this dish. It was very tasty, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I'm really a cheesesteak kinda girl. My husband and sons, however, really liked it a lot. Faith and I split a sandwich and we were all happy.

The recipe called for making a cheese sauce, but I drew the line at that. I like the creamy, stringy texture of melted provolone, so I placed a slice on each sandwich and it melted perfectly. I say don't bother with cheese sauce. I also upped the steak sauce per the original recipe from Rachael Ray. I like the addition of the peppers, however (what's a cheese steak without peppers?) so my recipe is a combination of both recipes. Recipe below modified to my taste. You can Google the recipe to find Rachael Ray's original.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
4 to 6 servings

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1 T. olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4-6 dinner rolls (meat mixture is enough for 6 rolls, so use enough rolls for your family -- I used this recipe to make roundish sort of sub buns)
4-6 slices provolone

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off flame and drain off fat (or use paper towels to sop it up -- my method). Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft and liquid is thickened.

Split open rolls and toast briefly for a little color and texture. (Or don't -- up to you)

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls. Top with a slice of cheese.

Serve with sliced watermelon and cole slaw for an easy summer meal.

Source: modified from Taste of Home Cooking

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Patty Melt Burgers

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I don't know how that little piece of cabbage snuck around the burger. He must be a photo bomber. ;-)

When I was a little girl we almost never went out to eat. We weren't what I would call poor, but we definitely had limited means. I never knew that, of course, because I was happy and provided for in every way possible. I realized when we were older and my father had a better paying job because there were perks, such as eating out, more often.

The thing is, when we were younger we appreciated the rare meals out so much more. Even when it was just a burger at the nearby Frisch's restaurant. My mom always ordered a Swiss Miss or a Patty Melt, and so I wanted one as well. What's not to love? She always ordered onion rings on the side and added a few on top of her burger under that delicious rye bun or grilled toast.

This week I decided to try to recreate that yummy Frisch's burger that I haven't had in so very long. Topped with Swiss cheese, special sauce and onion rings, it was the same flavor from my childhood. Yum. And the kids and my husband enjoyed them so much I know they will be a regular menu item.

Patty Melt Burgers

6 burgers 

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2 pounds ground beef or chuck

6 slices Swiss cheese

special sauce (below)

salt and pepper

12 slices rye bread

softened butter

one box or bag of frozen onion rings

Heat oven and cook onion rings according to package instructions.

In the meantime, form meat into six patties -- just a little bit larger than the bread slices.

Heat a large frying pan (preferably cast iron) over high heat and salt and pepper burgers on one side. Place burger seasoned side down in hot pan. Cook burger until browned on one side and flip. Cook until burger is medium well inside, or until desired doneness. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each burger and turn off heat.

While burgers are cooking, heat a griddle over high heat and butter one side of each bread slice. When griddle is hot, place bread, butter side down on hot griddle. Add a burger and top with another slice of bread, buttered side up -- just like grilled cheese. Serve with special sauce and onion rings.

Special Sauce

1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1 1/2 T. sweet pickle relish or minced sweet pickles

1 1/2 T. dill pickle relish or minced dill pickles

1 1/2 T. minced onion

1 hard boiled egg finely chopped

1 t. worchestershire sauce

1 t. horseradish sauce

Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to use.
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Ham Salad

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When you grow up eating certain foods, it doesn't seem to matter how long it's been since you ate it, you go right back to your childhood at the first bite. Earlier this week I planned soup and sammies for supper and decided on Monday morning that Ham Salad sandwiches sounded good. I have no idea why, but I got a hankerin' for it and I had to have it. At first bite there I was, about six years old again, eating a ham salad sandwich in my childhood kitchen. Funny how foods do that. I don't often make ham salad, and I never buy it pre-made, but I really should make it more often. I have eaten every day for lunch and it's been such a treat. If you have a food process it takes under five minutes to make. If you don't have a food processor, take up a collection and getcha one.

I started with Isaly's Chopped Ham because it's a very tasty regional favorite, but any good tasting cooked ham will do. Check your deli -- you might be able to get Isaly's too.

Ham Salad

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3/4 to a pound of ham -- I just buy a chunk about an inch or so thick

1/3 c. roughly diced onion

1/4 c. roughly chopped celery

1 heaping tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 eggs, hard boiled, quartered

Cut ham into large chunks and place in processor bowl. Add onion and celery and pulse until onion and celery are finely chopped (not pureed). Add relish, mayo, mustard and egg and pulse until egg is finely chopped. Serve on soft white bread or rolls with lettuce, if desired, with a side of pickle. Also good on white or wheat toast.

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Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

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I planned these little hot sandwiches for a day last week, and as it turned out I was really glad for an easy dinner. I was away from home most of the afternoon and when I got home I really wasn't in the mood to cook dinner. Fortunately I didn't have to. I started these little gems just about 30 minutes before dinner time, and I was glad to have some time between walking in the door and prep time to catch my breath (and grade some school work!).

They were so popular, that I have a feeling they will be welcome as a regular on our menu. The kids all wanted to know what the sauce was on top, but I just told them it was "magic" sauce. I didn't want to listen to gripes about onions and mustard and since they all loved them, it was a good decision. What they don't know won't hurt them!

The sauce was not exactly low in fat, which was the only drawback to these sandwiches. But I used Hillshire Farm honey ham, which is very low in fat, and I only used a quarter slice of cheese for each, so I'm not stressing over the little bit of sauce each sandwich gets. (I'm sure these sandwiches would be even tastier with some really awesome ham, but it was a weekday and I was going for easy over awesome.)

I saw this recipe most recently at Annie's Eats, but you can find it all over the internet and in every "favorites" cookbook. I used the Hawaiian rolls as recommended, and they were very yummy, but I'm sure some good bakery slider buns would be awesome as well. You can find the little sliders at almost every grocery store these days.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
24 sandwiches

24 slider rolls or small Hawaiian rolls
24 slices honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese (I used a quarter slice because it fit perfectly)
mayonnaise
1½ T. yellow mustard
8 T. butter, melted
1 T. finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
½ t. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet (cover with foil or parchment for ease in clean-up).

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds (be sure to have a "helper" for this step -- it's good fun). Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer (I baked about 5 minutes longer until the cheese was bubbly). Serve warm.

Recommended dishes to serve with the Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders: Apple slices with Cream Cheese Apple Dip, Cabbage Slaw, and Veggie Chips

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Roasted Veggie Sandwich

One night a month or so ago, Doug and I were wasting time in front of the television and Sam the Cooking Guy was on. Have you ever seen him? I must say he amuses me. He loves food and he's not afraid to say so.

Anyway, he was having a veggie night and this sandwich (or something very much like this sandwich) was being featured. I made the comment that I would love this sandwich, if only the people I live with would eat veggies. My husband responded that he absolutely would eat this sandwich, and so I said, "You're on." The following Saturday I bought yummy veggies on my Saturday morning grocery shop, as well as a big loaf of Orlando Ciabatta. Yum.

Doug offered to grill the veggies outdoors, but you could also put them on a grill pan on the stove. I'll do that during the winter. I threw the ingredients for a pesto in the processor and when the veggies were done, it all came together in just minutes. All-in-all it was started and finished within 30 minutes. This would be a great dish for a weekend tailgate party -- especially if you have a veggie eater in your crowd. All of my kids ate it, and Joshua, who is a senior in high school, was so taken by this sandwich that when he saw this picture he said, "Oh, mom, when can we have those again?" Big success!

You can vary the veggies according to what you like; I'm listing those that I used. Also, my pesto is a nut-less version, but feel free to add toasted pine nuts or even toasted walnuts to pump yours up. I could not find the recipe on Sam's website, so I had to work from the memory of the show.

Roasted Veggie Sandwich
serves 4-6 depending on size of ciabatta

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1 large loaf ciabatta bread, sliced horizontally and brushed with olive oil
1 medium yellow squash (sliced in about 1/8-inch slices)
1 medium zucchini (sliced in about 1/8-inch slices)
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 red onion, sliced
olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
salt to taste

Place basil and garlic in bowl of food processor. Process until chopped. Add olive oil through feed tube in a slow drizzle, processing until basil and garlic is pureed, adding only enough olive oil to keep it wet. Add Parmesan cheese, process and then add more olive oil as needed to keep pesto wet (you don't want a paste, you want it just slightly runny). Taste and salt as needed.

Preheat grill or grill pan on stove. Place vegetable slices in a bowl and coat with olive oil (you might want to individually coat onion slices so they stay together). Place vegetable slices on grill or grill pan and grill until tender and slightly charred in appearance. When vegetables are done remove to a platter and cover with foil. Grill bread on cut sides, and on outside if desired. When bread is toasted layer vegetables evenly over bottom piece. Spread pesto on top piece and then sandwich them together. Cut in squares or slice loaf crosswise. Serve immediately.

Loosemeat Sandwiches

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Every mom needs a few good budget-minded, simple dishes that she can whip up in a snap. For me, this sandwich is one of those. When I buy my meat (lately on a monthly basis), I always buy an extra 3-plus-pound package of ground meat and divide it up into 1-plus-pound portions. I can make some quick burgers for lunch, some taco meat for Walking Tacos, or Loosemeat Sandwiches. If your kids like simple flavors (and no vegetables spoiling their meat) this sammie is for you. It's just meat and seasoning -- the raw onion is completely optional. And it's so quick and easy, it often is a substitute dish for whatever was on my menu that just didn't happen.

The recipe came from Rachel Ray, but it is apparently a regional dish from Iowa, and Maid-Rite claims theirs as number one. I have never been to Iowa so I can't say whether our Loosemeat is true Loosemeat, but it tastes good by my standards. I eat mine with chopped raw onion, as does my husband and one of the kids. Two of the kids top their sandwiches with BBQ sauce, which is probably a major Loosemeat faux pas, but I cannot account for the tastes of my offspring. ;-)

Loosemeat Sandwiches
serves 6

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1 T. vegetable oil
1¼ lb. ground chuck
1 cup chicken stock (or bouillon cube dissolved in water)
1 t. sweet paprika
1 t. Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper
6 hamburger buns
½ yellow onion, chopped finely

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and meat. Brown meat, breaking up with the back of a spoon. Add chicken stock. Season with paprika, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Cook 15 minutes. Pile meat on buns and top with chopped onions.

Serve with tater tots or oven fries, and a Wedge Salad or Cabbage Slaw. Add a chocolate malt for a real diner treat.

Source: Rachel Ray

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Sloppy Joes

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You thought you just dumped a can of Manwich into a pot of browned beef for Sloppy Joes, didn't you? Well, you could. But I highly recommend that you not. This recipe is almost as easy -- o.k. you have to chop a few veggies-- but, because it's packed with veggies you can declare a veggie-free night! Served with some tater tots and ketchup, and root beer floats, your kids will declare you mother of the year (mine did!).

The recipe came from Simply Recipes and I only adjusted the seasoning a little with a bit more sugar and a tad more than a pinch of cayenne (how much is a pinch anyway?). My kids liked the carrots in the mix (I didn't mention the celery and they didn't discover it) -- they said it looked like Bolognese, and I guess it did. If your kids are vegetable detectives, mince the carrots, celery and onions very finely. I used carrots instead of the alternate bell pepper, but I would try bell pepper next time (we liked the carrots, but I think the pepper would be good as well).

Sloppy Joes

serves 4-6

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1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup minced carrots (can sub chopped bell pepper)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. brown sugar (I used more like 4 T.)
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 t. dried thyme
Pinch cayenne pepper
black pepper, to taste

2 T. melted butter
hamburger buns

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medium sized bowl, set aside.

Using the same pan (or you can cook the meat at the same time as the vegetables in a separate pan to save time), generously salt the bottom of the pan (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Heat the pan on high. Crumble the ground beef into the pan. You will likely need to do this in two batches, otherwise you will crowd the pan and the beef won't easily brown. Do not stir the ground beef, just let it cook until it is well browned on one side. Then flip the pieces over and brown the second side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan (can add to the set-aside vegetables), salt the pan again and repeat with the rest of the ground beef.

Strain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Return the cooked ground beef and vegetables to the pan. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and brown sugar to the pan. Stir to mix well. Add ground cloves, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees (you'll need it for the tater tots as well as the buns).

Brush cut sides of buns with melted butter. Place cut sides down on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve Sloppy Joe on toasted buns with a side of tater tots and root beer floats (or maybe a chocolate malt!).

Serving suggestion: tater tots, fresh fruit (watermelon slices in the summer, grapes in the winter) and a milkshake or root beer float

Source: modified from Simply Recipes

Bacon, Tomato and Grilled Cheese

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I really wanted to bring you another dessert tonight, but I was afraid you would think that's all I feed my family. So, instead I bring a very tasty (albeit quite unhealthy) sandwich. We ate these yummy sammies for lunch this week and I'm afraid they might become a habit if I don't stop buying bacon. Oh well, we're working hard and working all those calories off!

I know you don't need a recipe, but because this is a cooking blog, I'm writing it down.

Bacon, Tomato and Grilled Cheese

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for each sandwich:
2 pieces bacon fried and halved
2 thin slices fresh beefsteak tomato (or whatever kind you have)
1 1/2 slices Velveeta cheese
2 slices white bread (or wheat, if you must)
a bit of butter for grilling

Preheat skillet or griddle.

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice of bread butter side down on hot griddle. Add bacon slices, cheese slice and then tomato slices. Grill until golden brown, flip, and grill the other side until golden. Serve.


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Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches

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This week I had two meals on the menu that were very similar -- Baked Steak and BBQ Beef -- both are beef dishes with BBQ-style sauces. I do that once in a while because I'm not paying close enough attention when I'm making my menu. Fortunately I had all the makings of an Italian Roast Beef to serve instead of BBQ.

This is the second time I've made this dish and it is especially a man-pleaser. I like it and Faith likes it, but the boys rave about it. I serve the beef on buns or Italian rolls, and they load on the hot banana peppers and dunk the whole sandwich in a dish of au jus. Yum. It's very messy, but we're all friends and family here, so we don't care if you dribble juice down your chin.

I apologize that I didn't get a picture of a sandwich. The buzzards were circling and I had to get it on the table before they ate it straight from the pot!

Italian Roast Beef
serves 6-10 depending on size of roast

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salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
3-5 pound Rump Roast (aka Bottom Round Roast)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
3 cups beef stock (or 1 can condensed beef consomme and one can water)
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme leaves
1 t. dried marjoram leaves
1 bay leaf
1 t. dried basil leaves
1 t. Tabasco (or other hot pepper sauce)
2 T. Worcesterhsire
4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

chewy Italian rolls or sandwich buns
pickled banana peppers, pepperoncini or giardinieri

Dry outside of roast with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Heat oil until hot and place roast in dutch oven, browning and turning until sides are lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium and add broth or consomme, green peppers, onions, spices, Tabasco, Worchestershire and garlic. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for several hours (between 2 and 3 -- the longer the better).

Remove roast from pot and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice thinly and place back in pot with juices. At this point you can cover and refrigerate roast overnight to serve the next day or continue to serve the same day (I think it would be even more flavorful the next day, but I've never planned in advance to do that). If serving the same day, bring broth to a simmer again, and, reducing heat to medium-low, cover and allow to simmer for about another hour.

If serving the next day, bring pot from refrigerator and place over a medium- low heat. Heat for an hour until roast and au jus are completely hot throughout.

To serve, place slices of roast on buns or chewy Italian rolls (my favorite). Top with hot banana peppers, pepperoncini or giardinieri. Strain au jus and ladle into individual bowls or cups for dunking.


Serve with Potato Salad, or Fried Potatoes, and a Cucumber Tomato Salad. For a good homemade bun recipe, try this one. Or you can use this Italian bread recipe to make rolls.
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Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Sandwich

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A schedule of softball games several nights a week has provided the opportunity to enjoy sandwiches for dinner -- something my kids really seem to like. I think it must be the absence of a side of hot veggies that appeals to them the most, but we've enjoyed some pretty tasty sandwiches, too, so it could be that, too. This sandwich is modified from the Panera website. If you have Panera locally you know they have yummy sandwiches, but they are pricey. Besides, this sandwich is not on their menu. I did use their bread (which is the point of the Panera-provided recipes), but I think this combination would be good on almost any bread. I will warn you that they were messy -- especially sitting in a lawn chair at the ball field, so have napkins ready.

I used jarred roasted red peppers, but if you want more zip to your sandwich, you may want to roast your own. By using the milder jarred peppers, more of the hummus flavor came through. You can use jarred hummus as well. I used my own -- recipe below. I think any of the ingredients in this sandwich can be increased or decreased according to your taste -- in my opinion, the more the merrier (and messier!).

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Sandwich
4 adult-sized sandwiches

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2 Ciabatta loaves, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup roasted garlic hummus
1 medium jar of roasted red peppers
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4" slices (I used two because I really like avocado)
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
4 leaves of lettuce
salt and pepper


Spread 1/4 of the roasted garlic hummus on each of the four halves of Ciabatta. Top two of the halves with pieces of the roasted red pepper, followed by the avocado slices. Drizzle a bit of lemon juice over the avocado, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Layer tomato and lettuce on top of the avocado, then finish with the two remaining Ciabatta halves. Cut each sandwich in half and fasten with a toothpick.


Roasted Garlic Hummus

15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, roasted*
2 T. tahini
juice of half lemon
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Place beans in food processor. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and into processor bowl.
Pulse for 30 seconds.
Add tahini and lemon juice and process for about a minute.
With machine running,
slowly stream in oil until hummus is a good creamy consistency (add a tablespoon or so of cool water if needed).
Salt to taste.


*To roast garlic: Coat unpeeled garlic cloves with oil and wrap tightly in foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and peel.

Ham and Egg Salad

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I don't know about you, but I have a big bowl of hard-boiled, colored eggs in my fridge. I'm guessing you do, too. This week will present many opportunities for yummy egginess, but for lunch today I made my favorite take on the old diner favorite -- egg salad on white.

You might have some ham leftover from your Easter dinner, too, and if that's the case, you can whip up a batch of this savory salad. You can skip the ham and it's still a tasty sandwich filling, but I really like the addition of the ham. Lettuce is optional for me; Faith ate the picture sandwich and she's a lettuce girl.

Ham and Egg Salad
makes enough for three sandwiches

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4 hard boiled eggs, finely diced
1/4 c. finely diced ham
2 T. minced onion
1 T. pickle relish (I like sweet)
2 T. mayonnaise
1 t. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together and serve on white toast with or without lettuce.

For my Deviled Egg recipe, go here.

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Turkey Reuben

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We have a sandwich shop in central Ohio that serves a really good sandwich -- Turkey Reubens. They closed their shop in my neighborhood a while back, so it's been a couple years since I've had this sandwich. I remember it fondly and it is such a simple combo that I could trow it together in just a few minutes, for lunch or a quick supper. It's much lower in fat than a standard corned beef/French dressing reuben, and if you use low fat provolone and low fat mayo for the slaw, you're in pretty good shape.

Turkey Reubens
5 sandwiches


10 slices sourdough bread, sliced thinly (I get mine here)
1 pound lean smoked turkey
5 slices provolone
2 cups cabbage slaw (my recipe here -- that recipe makes much more than 2 cups, so you can half it for this sandwich)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange sourdough slices on a cookie sheet (or two) and bake for about 5 minutes, until bread is toasted, but not really browned. Remove bread from oven.

Turn oven on to broiler.

On five slices of bread, divide turkey, and place a slice of cheese. Place under broiler until cheese melts. Remove from oven.

Divide slaw between five sandwich halves and top with other piece of toasted bread. Serve with a pickle and chips or some fruit kabobs.

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Grilled Turkey, Cheese and Chili Mayo

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Mmmm. A hot sandwich can be such a treat, especially during cold months. The beauty of a hot sandwich is they rarely require many ingredients, either, and can make a very nice quick supper. On Sunday we ate a late breakfast and by the time we got hungry for lunch it was also sort of late, and we were powerful hungry. ;-) I had some fresh deli turkey (I like to buy Sara Lee in the package because it stays good as long as it isn't opened), Muenster cheese (my favorite), seeded rye bread, a bottle of chili sauce and mayo -- all the makings of a yummy hot lunch or dinner.

Grilled Turkey, Cheese and Chili Mayo

for each sandwich:

2 slices rye bread
4 slices smoked turkey
1 slice muenster cheese
1 T. chili sauce mixed with 1 T. mayo
butter for grilling

Heat a skillet over medium high heat for a minute. Butter both slices of bread on one side.
Place one slice of bread, butter side down, on hot skillet. Top with cheese and turkey. Top with other slice of bread, butter up. Cook until bottom bread is lightly browned. Flip and cook until other side is lightly browned and cheese has just started to melt. Remove from heat and spread the inside of the turkey-side bread with chili mayo to taste.

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Beef Barbecue

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This recipe is the only recipe that I have from my grandmother, my father's mother. Most of my memories of my grandmother are of her infirm -- with a bad back, perpetually stooped over or sitting on a heating pad. I have very few memories of her in the kitchen, but I do remember that she made me Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff sandwiches, and I do remember this Barbecue recipe.

Unlike most Barbecued Beef, made from a big meaty chuck roast, this recipe starts with ground beef (and so it's very budget friendly). It's a little like Sloppy Joe, but sweeter and with a hint of cloves. It's a great recipe for a crowd, because you can double or triple it -- just use a big pot. My grandmother and my mother always served it with cole slaw -- right on top of the meat, and so that's the way I serve it, also. I made a big pot on Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it was very popular! I always make a pot between Christmas and New Year's as well -- there are always many mouths to feed! This recipe couldn't be easier, so you can mix up a batch and enjoy the smells while you visit with your guests.

Grandmother's Barbecue

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
¼ t. garlic powder
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar (more or less, to taste)
1 c. water
¼ bottle ketchup (vague, I know, it's about a big cup)
2 t. mustard
2 T. Worcestershire
pinch of cloves
(big or little pinch -- to taste; start with a little and add more if you like it)

Brown beef with onion and garlic powder. Add remaining ingredients and simmer two hours. Serve on buns with Cabbage Slaw.

Menu Suggestions: In the winter I like to serve this with Scalloped Potatoes and a creamy salad like this Waldorf Salad. In the summer I serve it with Potato Salad and fresh fruit.

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Calzones

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By now you've probably noticed that we eat a lot of pizza on Saturday nights. Sometimes I get tired of pizza -- unlike my children, it's not my favorite dish. I try to mix it up a little, every once in a while and serve burgers or stromboli or calzones. They are all easy Saturday night dishes. This past weekend I mixed it up with Calzones. Basically all the ingredients of a pizza are involved and you're just changing the method for baking them. We attended Saturday evening Mass, so I made my dough and sauce ahead of time, and assembled them when we returned.

The dough is almost my pizza dough. I add a little more oil so you get a crispy exterior on the calzone. This is really not so much a recipe as a method because you can fill them with whatever you want. Some of my kids like just pepperoni and cheese and some like everything, so these are made to order. You can make meat calzones, veggie calzones, or a mix. Mine (pictured) had sausage, mushrooms and cheese. If you're using sausage (I use Bob Evans Italian or spicy Italian), brown it and cool slightly before filling the calzone. I sauté mushrooms, cool, then squeeze out the moisture on paper towels. Green or red peppers, onions, hot pickled peppers can all be used raw.

Calzones
makes 8

Dough
2 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
2 packets yeast (or 4 t.)
1/4 c. olive oil
5 to 6 cups flour
2 t. salt

Filling
1/3 cup cheese for each calzone (total about 3 cups for 8 calzones)
meat or veggies -- about 1/2 cup all together for each

Sauce for dipping
1 large can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. oregano
1/8 t. pepper



For dough:
Place water in a bowl and add sugar.
Sprinkle yeast over the surface and allow to sit for 10 minutes (until it foams). Add the oil, 3 cups of flour and salt, and mix until smooth.
Knead with dough hook for 3-5 minutes (or 7 minutes by hand)
adding flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking.
Dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands or the side of the bowl. The amount of flour may need to be adjusted if the weather is very dry or very humid. Just add flour slowly by the tablespoon and allow to incorporate before adding more. Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes to an hour, until doubled.

While the dough is rising, start sauce. Heat a medium pan over med-high heat; pour in olive oil; turn down to low. Add garlic and stir until it is fragrant and hot, but not cooked. Add tomato puree, sugar, salt, and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning to taste, adding more sugar if desired, or salt and pepper.


When dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
To assemble calzones, punch down risen dough. Cut into eight equal size pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough piece to about an 8 to 10-inch circle.
On one half, place meat and/or veggies and cheese. Flip other side of dough over the meat and cheese and pull the bottom dough up over the top and crimp to seal. It doesn't have to be pretty, just sealed. You can mash the edge with a fork if that's easier. Place calzone on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with sauce to dip.

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Mediterranean Veggie Pita

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I've mentioned a few times that I'm trying to copycat some of the sandwiches served at Panera. They have some good combos and some really good breads, and since my gang likes a yummy, big sandwich for dinner once a week, this copycatting is paying off. The latest is a Mediterranean Veggie Pita. Panera's Veggie sandwich is not a pita, but I decided that I want ours to be served on a pita. And since I'm the chef... Panera's sandwich is served on a Basil bread, and its ingredients include Peppadew peppers, which I have not been able to find in the store. Other than that I've think I've got it.

This recipe is a delicious and nutritious and low-fat and inexpensive sandwich that I could easily eat three times a week. The ingredients are versatile, other than the hummus, which I feel is pretty crucial, so you can add whatever veggies you want, and if you don't have feta cheese, it will still taste great. A can of chickpeas is less than a buck and if you don't want to buy tahini (it's a little pricey), you can still make great hummus. The first time I made these I used Annie's recipe for Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus. It was good, but the second time I made them, I used basic hummus and with the addition of the other veggies it's a negligible difference. So I'll save the time and make the basic. The Jalapeno Cilantro variety would be good with just plain veggies for dipping.

I am including the quantities of veggies I used, but like I said, this is a versatile sandwich so just use what you like.

Mediterranean Veggie Pita
serves 6

6 pita breads -- large (I used these)
one recipe hummus (below)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (good crunch!)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1 cup sliced cucumbers
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red, yellow or orange pepper, sliced in thin strips
1/2 cup feta cheese

Warm pita breads in a skillet (do not crisp) or in the micro.
Spread one half with several tablespoons hummus.
layer cucumbers, onion, peppers, tomato and lettuce.
Sprinkle with a tablespoon feta cheese.
Fold over and enjoy.
These are a little messy -- just hold over and stuff it in!

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Hummus

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
2 T. tahini (optional)
juice of one fresh lemon
about 1/4 cup olive oil (I use light tasting for the kids)
salt

Place beans and garlic in food processor.
Pulse for 30 seconds.
Add tahini and lemon juice and process for about a minute.
With machine running,
slowly stream in oil until hummus is a good creamy consistency.
Salt to taste.

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Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich

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I mentioned last week that I'm going to try to copycat some of our favorite sandwiches from Panera, our favorite local sandwich stop. I've pretty well reproduced the Sierra Turkey and now I think I've got the Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich. I'm not 100 percent sure on the bread, but it was pretty close. Barb gave me a link to the Asiago Cheese bread that she makes, and I intended to make it, but at the last minute I realized that Panera's Asiago bread is a demi, or baguette, and since I was trying to copy their sandwich, I made up my own bread recipe. The rest is easy -- sliced tomatoes and red onion, lettuce leaves, deli roast beef and cheddar, and a bit of horseradish. The sandwiches were very yummy and the boys especially like having sandwiches for supper.

Asiago Roast Beef Sandwiches
serves 6

2 loaves Asiago Cheese bread (recipe below)
1 pound deli roast beef
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese (smoked cheddar can also be used)
1 to 2 large tomatoes, sliced thinly (depending on how much tomato you like)
6 leaves Romaine lettuce
6 thin slices red onion
horseradish, to taste

Cut ends off loaves of bread.
Cut each loaf in to three servings.
Slice each serving in half so that you have a top and bottom.
Spread bottom of bread with horseradish to taste.
Layer roast beef, cheddar,
lettuce, tomato and onion and top with bread top.
Press down lightly to smash ingredients together.

Asiago Cheese Bread

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
2 t. yeast
2 T. butter, softened
3 plus c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1/3 c. shredded Asiago cheese
1 egg white

Pour water into mixing bowl.
Add sugar and yeast and let sit for a minute.
Add butter and 1 1/2 c. flour, and salt.
Turn on mixer to medium with bread hook attachment (or stir by hand) and stir until well mixed.
Add 1 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup at a time, kneading on low speed.
Knead for five minutes, adding flour when necessary
to keep bread from sticking to the side of the bowl.
Add 3 T. shredded cheese just before dough is finished kneading.
Dough should be firm, but not dry.
Grease bowl and place dough in, covering to grease all over.
Cover and let sit in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Punch down and divide dough in half.
Roll or press dough on a lightly floured surface
into a 14 by 6 inch rectangle.
Roll up along long side and pinch edges to seal.
Repeat with other half.
Place loaves on greased cookie sheet (side by side with a few inches in between).
Beat egg white with a teaspoon of water and brush over both tops.
Split remaining cheese, sprinkling over loaves.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F and set pan on stovetop while oven heats.
Bake bread for 20 to 25 minutes until loaves are golden brown.
Cool completely on baking racks.


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Grilled Chicken, MTB Sandwiches

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It just takes too long to say Grilled Chicken Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Sandwiches, especially when five people ask you, at east once, "what's for dinner?" It's especially annoying when you post the menu on the fridge every week and they still ask, every day.

My kids are surprising me lately with their "grown-up tastes." I planned these sandwiches for dinner yesterday, but I really thought most of the children would eat just chicken and bread. All but one, however, ate the whole sandwich, with M,T, and B. They were good. I actually think the kids liked them better than I did, but it was chilly out and I was more in the mood for comfort food. They all gave it a thumbs up, so here it is. I'll try it again when it gets warmer outdoors.

The impetus for the creation of these sandwiches was a quick interview I heard on the radio the other day with someone from COSI. I've never eaten there, but heard an interview with someone from the restaurant and he was talking about this sandwich which is on their menu. It sounded yummy. Since I haven't eaten there myself, I had nothing to go on, and looked up some recipes online. I ended up doing my own thing anyway. I used a lemon-herb marinade that I like and cut back on the lemon juice a little. I didn't want it to be extremely lemony. And I took a shortcut by picking up some French Country bread at Giant Eagle -- it was a day I wasn't going to have time to bake bread. The French Country bread looks like a regular baguette, but it is softer in the middle and the crust is not quite so hard. It was easy to eat. I really wanted ciabatta rolls or soft flat bread but couldn't find any.

Grilled Chicken, Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Sandwiches

serves 6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3 cutlets
(cut through the breast horizontally so you get a thin slice that is
the same width and length as the breast)
Lemon-Herb Marinade (below)
2 large tomatoes
2 large mozzarella balls, sliced into thick slices
12 large basil leaves, rinsed and dried
6 ciabatta buns or
2 long loaves French Country bread, cut into six-inch pieces
Italian salad dressing (optional)

Marinate chicken for two to four hours in refrigerator.
Remove from marinate and grill on medium-low for a few minutes on each side
until chicken is cooked through.
On each bread piece, layer two slices chicken,
two slices cheese, two slices tomato and two basil leaves.
Dress with a few teaspoons of your favorite Italian Salad dressing, if desired.
Top with bread top and smash top down.



Lemon-Herb Marinade

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 T. lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1 t. minced garlic
1½ t. dried thyme


Combine oil, juice, garlic and thyme.
Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl or ziploc bag
and pour marinade over chicken.


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