Short post today because I am typing one-handed while holding a baby.

These were good. Decadent, but nice as a once-in-a-while treat.

Grilled Cheese with Bacon, Tomato, and Egg

From The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients (per sandwich)

• 2 slices of streaky bacon
• 1 large egg
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 slices of bread
• 4-8 thin slices of cheese
• 2-3 slices of tomato
• butter or margerine

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crispy, then cut in half crosswise.
2. Season egg to taste with pepper and fry until whites are set and yolk is thickened.
3. Layer half of the cheese onto a slice of bread.
4. Top with bacon, tomato, egg, the remaining cheese, and the other slice of bread.
5. Butter the outside of the sandwich.
6. Grill in a panini press or a frying pan with a heavy weight compessing the sandwich. If using a frying pan, flip to toast the other side.
8. Once both sides are golden brown, remove from pan and cut in half.

I took a few too many liberties with this recipe. Or, at least one too many, rather.

Banh mi are meant to be made on baguettes. And that is, indeed, what this recipe calls for. Unfortunately, I didn't have any baguettes. And I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to make this, so I decided that I'd just roll with some non-honey-filled honeycakes as the bread component of these sandwiches. Go for little banh mi sliders rather than the traditional sub. Sadly, the honeycake flavour profile doesn't really mix well with the banh mi flavour profile. They are two great tastes that do not taste great together.

That said, all the individual components were good! So I do think this would have been fine had I made it on the right bread. The cilantro, mint, pickled veggies, and sri racha mayo were all delicious. And I think the bacon and eggs would have been great with them. Although I say "would have" because I did end up making another substitute here. First off, because I was making sliders rather than subs, I went with scrambled eggs rather than fried. I think scrambled worked well here, but I'd be interested to try it with fried sometime, just to see how I like it. And the other change was to swap the bacon out from some turkey breast deli meat. I was going to use smoked tofu, but I hadn't realized that TF had used up the last of it while I was away camping and neither of us had ever restocked. So turkey breast was the best substitute I could manage in the end. It was fine, but I think that smoked tofu, tempeh, or bacon would have been better.

Still, despite a few... less-than-ideal substitutions, this worked out alright as a last-minute breakfast. I would definitely keep this in my back pocket to try again someday. Especially if I had some nice baguettes on hand!

Breakfast Banh Mi

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Pickled Veggies

• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 shallot¹, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Sri Racha Mayo²

• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. sri racha
• 2 tsp. lime juice³

Sandwich

• 8 slices bacon or smoked tofu
• 4 large eggs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 baguette
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Combine the carrot, shallot, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a jar.
2. Close jar tightly and shake to mix. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the mayo, sri racha, and lime juice and mix well. Set aside.
4. Cook your bacon or tofu until crisp. If using tofu, add a little fat to the pan to help it crisp up.
5. Set the bacon/tofu on a plate and either drain fat from or add fat to the pan as appropriate.
6. Either fry or scramble your eggs in the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cut the baguette into four equal pieces and slice each piece in half lengthwise.
8. Spread both halves of each baguette section with sri racha mayo.
9. Top the bottom half of each baguette section with bacon/tofu, eggs, pickled veggies, cilantro, and mint and place the top piece of the baguette on top.

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¹ The original recipe called for half a red onion, but I didn't have red onions and I did have shallots. And, honestly, I felt like a shallot would go better here anyway, so I would 100% keep this substitution in the future. That said, I think red onion would also be fine. Especially if it'd save you a trip to the grocery store. So, use whichever one is most convenient. ^Back
2 I've halved the quantities called for here because the original recipe made way too much mayo! ^Back
3 The original recipe called for lemon juice, but, after giving it some thought, I decided to go with lime juice instead. I felt like the lime would complement the other flavours better. I think either one would be fine though. Also, the recipe didn't call for any zest and I didn't use any, but I might try tossing in a pinch next time. I think it would be nice. ^Back

This recipe has been languishing in my backlog for... a while. I think close to four months at this point. So, really, it should probably go into last year's posts. But I don't really feel like doing that today, so here we are!

This is a nice, simple sandwich. The kind of thing that feels like you don't really even need a recipe for. It's just another variation of eggs on toast. That said, without actually writing it down, I probably wouldn't remember to think of combining these ingredients in this specific way. So, this post is my reminder to myself that this combination exists.

Scrambled Egg Sandwich with Parmesan Curls and Tomato Slices

Slightly adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 2 slices bread, toasted
• 2 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1-2 large eggs
• 1-2 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 wide curls Parmesan
• 2 thin slices tomato
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Spread half the butter on the toast.
2. Melt the remaining 1 tsp. of butter over medium heat.
3. Whisk the egg(s) with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, until just set (~1 minute).
5. Top the scrambled egg with the cheese curls, then transfer to one of the buttered toast slices.
6. Top with tomato and basil, followed by the remaining slice of toast.

I needed to make myself a bag lunch for the first time in a while last weekend. Normally I would have just taken some dinner leftovers, but we were fresh out, so I had to cobble something else together. We had lots of sliced luncheon meats, so I figured some sort of sandwich was the way to go. In the end, I took some inspiration from the Breakfast Bible and made myself a Cubano-esque sandwich for lunch.

Breakfast Cubano

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 slices bread
• 4 tsp. mustard
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• ~40g sliced ham¹
• 1 Tbsp. butter²
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 slices dill pickle

Directions

1. Spread each slice of bread with ~2 tsp. of mustard.
2. Top each with a slice of cheese.
3. Put the meat on top of one of the slices.
4. Melt 1 tsp. of the butter over medium heat.
5. Crack the egg into the pan and fry to desired done-ness. Over easy is good if the sandwich will be eaten right away, but over hard is probably better for a packed lunch.
6. Place the egg on top of the ham/meat and top with the pickles.
7. Place the other slice of bread (cheese-side-down) on top of the pickles.
8. Spread the remaining butter on the outsides of the sandwich.
9. Transfer the sandwich to the pan and cook on medium-low heat until bread is brown and crisp on both sides and cheese is melted (~5 minutes per side).
10. Transfer to cutting board, cut in half, and serve.

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¹ I swapped out the ham for chicken, but added a slice of salami just to get a nice variety of flavours. ^Back
2 I swapped out the butter for bacon grease, but either will work fine. ^Back

I've had these interesting-looking sandwiches on my radar for a while now. I just keep having bread and no turkey or turkey but no bread. I finally managed to have both together though, so I took the opportunity to try this slightly luxurious lunch offering.

Turkey Melts with Pickled Apples

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2021

Ingredients

• 1 c. cider vinegar
• 5 Tbsp. honey, divided
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 apple
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise, divided
• 2 Tbsp. Roman mustard
• 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)¹
• 8 slices bread
• 8 slices cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or a mix)
• ~400g sliced turkey (preferably smoked)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Core and halve or quarter the apple, then slice thin.
3. Combine vinegar, 1/4 c. of the honey, and the salt and bring to a boil².
4. Remove from heat, add the apple, and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Drain³ the apple and set aside.
6. Whisk 1/4 c. of the mayo with the mustard, rosemary, and remaining 1 Tbsp. of honey.
7. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with the remaining 1/4 c. of mayo.
8. Place the bread mayo-side down on a baking sheet and spread with the honey-mustard mixture (you may not need all of it).
9. Place a slice of cheese on top of 4 of the bread slices and top with ~100g of turkey.
10. Divide the pickled apple amongst the 4 sandwiches, then top with remaining cheese and bread (with mayo side facing out/up and the honey-mustard side facing in/down).
11. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 8-10 minutes, flip, return to oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes.
12. Serve with carrot sticks and/or a soup⁴ or salad of your choice.

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¹ Whoops! Just realized that I completely missed the rosemary in mine! Didn't even see it in the ingredient list until just now. Oh well... it was still delicious. But I do think it would've been even better with a bit of rosemary in the sauce. ^Back
2 The Cook's Country folks have you do this in the microwave, but, having done it that way this time, I think I'd actually prefer doing it on the stovetop in the future. Use whichever method works best for you. ^Back
3 The brine can be reused once or twice more. The ATK folks also recommend that it makes a good base for a vinegarette and that they often serve these sandwiches with a green salad. I didn't have any salad greens handy, so TF just reheated the brine, added a few more apples to it, and stuck it in the fridge for now. We've been using them to make more sandwiches when we need a quick lunch fix. Maybe I'll try using it for a salad dressing once the apples run out... ^Back
4 I think a soup featuring white beans, pumpkin, or butternut squash would go particularly well with these sandwiches. ^Back

Falafel Wraps

This was a bit of an emergeny last minute meal. I realized at the eleventh hour that I hadn't planned enough food for dinner and frantically flipped through the cookbook to look for something else that we could make to complement the too-sparse meal. This was what we came up with. It was tasty, but I had to make a few changes to the recipe to get it done in time. Technically you're supposed to use soaked but uncooked chickpeas. I didn't have time for that, so I just used cooked ones. This resulted in a much softer, wetter mix than soaked chickpeas would've given. Adding some flour helped hold it together and the wraps were still quite tasty, but I think they would've been even better had I had time to follow the recipe properly.

Falafel Wrap

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

Falafels

• 250g dried chickpeas
• 1.5L hot water
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 Tbsp. dhania-jeera masala
• oil, for frying

Wrap

• flatbreads (such as sourdough pitas)
• chopped tomatoes
• pickled turnips
• pickled cucumbers (or dill pickles)
• tahini sauce
• fresh mint and/or fresh parsley

Directions

Falafels

1. Pour hot water over chickpeas and set aside to soak for 24 hours.
2. Blend onion in food processor. (I used the "food chop" setting on my blender.)
3. Add chickpeas, garlic, parsley, and cilantro and process/blend until very finely chopped.
4. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Add the salt, baking soda, and dhania-jeera masala and mix well.
6. Shape the mixture into small balls. If the mixture is too loose or wet, add a little all-purpose flour to help bring it together.
7. Heat up about 5cm (2") of oil in a pan or wok.
8. Once the oil is very hot, begin cooking the falafels, a few at a time.
9. Cook until very dark and crispy on the outside. The inside should still be soft and green (5-10 minutes).
10. Remove cooked falafels from oil and allow to drain.

Wrap

1. Squash a few falafel balls onto a flatbread.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and pickles.
3. Drizzle with tahini sauce and sprinkle with mint and/or parsley.
4. Roll into a wrap and enjoy!

I honestly did not have high hopes for this recipe from Hello Fresh just because the Kidlet has been very averse to mushrooms in recent years, but -- possibly due to the generous helping of brie -- she loved it!

Unfortunately, like most Hello Fresh vegetarian dishes, it is very short on protein; you definitely want to accompany it with something.

Brie & Mushroom Sandwich with Spinach & Green Bean Salad

Hello Fresh

Ingredients

• 56g whole cashews
• 30+30mL oil, divided
  
• 340g green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 113g baby spinach
• 30mL whole grain mustard
• 2.5mL sugar
  
• 450g cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
  
• 60mL tbsp balsamic glaze (some sort of balsamic vinegar/sugar mix, I think?)
• 250g brie, sliced
  
• 4 ciabatta buns

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Toast the cashews until golden-brown, stirring often, 4-5 minutes; remove to a plate.
2. Add 30mL of oil, the green beans, and 60mL water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, another 4-5 minutes.
3. While vegetables are cooking, slice ciabatta buns. Cover bottom halves with brie. Toast or broil until top is toasty and brie on bottom has melted.
   
4. Remove the green beans to a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss with the spinach, mustard, sugar, and cashews.
   
5. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, along with the mushrooms and onions. Cook, covered, until the mushrooms release their moisture.
6. Uncover and continue cooking until the moisture has cooked off and the mushrooms soften, ~5 minutes.
7. Stir in balsamic glaze and cook until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
   
8. Top each bun with some of the mushroom-onion mix.
9. Toss any remaining mix with the green bean and spinach salad. Serve.

I have gotten a lot of mileage out of America's Test Kitchen magazines, especially Cook's Country. As soon as I saw their "picnic sandwich" write-up, I knew I had to try it. I ended up making a couple substitutions, but nothing major. And I'm very happy with how it came out overall. I'd definitely make it again. I'd also be interested in trying out different flavour combinations. They have a few variations listed at the end of the recipe: Capicola and provolone with artichoke spread, ham and mozzarella with kalamata olive spread. And those both sound like decent combinations but... I'd really like to try a vegetarian version of this sometime. That said, the turkey and havarti combo was quite nice. Definitely worth making if you have omnivores in the group.

Turkey and Havarti Picnic Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country August/September 2019

Ingredients

Bread

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• cornmeal, for dusting
• 500g whole wheat pizza dough

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

• 3/4 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 c. capers
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 6-8 Tbsp. olive oil

Sandwich Assembly

• 125g havarti¹ cheese (preferably aged)
• 250g sliced deli turkey
• 1/2 c. (or more) baby spinach and/or arugula/rocket²
• 2 whole (or ~1 1/4 c.) jarred roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry

Directions

Bread

1. Use ~1 tsp. of the olive oil to lightly oil a baking sheet. Dust with cornmeal.
2. Shape the dough into a 18cm (7") square³.
3. Place shaped loaf on prepared baking sheet.
4. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). (Let dough rest/rise while oven preheats.)
5. Brush top of dough with remaining tsp. of olive oil.
6. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for ~15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 hour.

Spread

If you have a food processor:

1. Combine tomatoes, almonds, capers, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes until finely chopped.
2. Stir in 6 Tbsp. of oil.

If you have a blender:

1. Combine tomatoes, almonds, capers, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes in blender jar.
2. Add 2 Tbsp. of oil and blend for a few seconds.
3. Add another 2 Tbsp. of oil and give a few more pulses.
4. Keep blending and adding oil, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, until mixture seems mostly uniform.

Sandwich Assembly

1. Cut bread in half horizontally.
2. Spread tomato mixture on both cut sides of bread. (Use it all.)
3. Pile turkey, cheese, greens, and bell peppers on top of bottom half of bread.
4. Cap with top of loaf.
5. Wrap tightly (in cling film or similar).
6. Place something heavy (~7kg/15 lbs.) on top and allow to press for an hour.
7. Remove weight(s) and place sandwich in fridge until read to eat (or pack for picnic).
8. Sandwich can be kept at room temperature for up to two hours.
9. When ready to eat, cut into quarters (or eights, depending on how hungry you are) and serve.

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¹ The original recipe calls for Muenster. I couldn't find any at my grocery store, so I grabbed a small block of 12-month aged havarti cheese. It's still quite mild and has some of the havarti creaminess, but is a little firmer and more flavourful than your typical havarti. ^Back
2 The original recipe called for fresh parsley here. The grocery store was completely sold out, so I ended up using a bit of mixed baby spinach and arugula (aka rocket) instead. ^Back
3 The original recipe just says to "press" the dough into a square shape. This did not work very well for me. Both because it was difficult to make it square and because pressing alone didn't seem to give it the internal structure it needed to spring properly in the oven. I ended up with a roughly round loaf with a marked depression in the centre.
Next time I would try to stretch or roll the dough into a roughly 36cm (14") circle and then fold the sides in to meet in the middle and make a roughly square shape. Then flipping it over and baking seam side down would hopefully give it both better shape and structure. ^Back

I kind of spliced together a few different recipes for this. It's still basically the one posted on the Budget Byte$ blog, just with a few extra steps and a marinade thrown in. The extra steps and the idea of adding a liquid marinade as well as dry seasonings comes from the Easy Vegan. The marinade itself is my own concoction.

Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches

Adapted from The Easy Vegan and Budget Byte$

Ingredients

Tofu

• 350g extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mushroom ketchup
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil (optional)

Coleslaw

• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 250-350g coleslaw mix¹

Assembly

• 3-4 burger buns
• ~2 Tbsp. garlic butter
• 1/4-1/2 c. barbecue sauce²

Directions

Tofu

1. Freeze the tofu.
2. Thaw, drain, and cut into four thin slabs. (Cut the brick in half once vertically and once horizontally.)
3. Wrap the tofu slabs in a tea towel, place something heavy on top and press for at least half an hour. (Or just use a tofu press if you have one.)
4. Cut into bite-sized chunks and return to freezer.
5. Thaw the tofu chunks and press/pat dry with a tea towel.
6. In a small bowl combine light soy, mushroom ketchup, dark soy, tomato paste, ketchup, and liquid smoke and mix well.
7. Pour marinade over tofu and toss until all of the tofu has had a chance to absorb some.
8. Combine paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt and mix well.
9. Toss tofu with dry spice mix until evenly coated.
10. Toss with cornstarch, 1 tsp. at a time.
12. Heat oil over medium to medium-high heat (if using). Fry tofu in oil, turning only occasionally, until well browned and slightly crisp. Alternatively, bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven until outside is firm and lightly browned, flipping once.

Coleslaw

1. Combine mayo, honey, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix well.
2. Add coleslaw mix and stir to coat.

Assembly

1. Cut the buns and spread them with garlic butter.
2. Toast.
3. Toss tofu with barbecue sauce.
4. Pile saucy tofu on toasted bun bottoms.
5. Spoon some coleslaw on top of the tofu.
6. Close the sandwich by placing the bun half on top.
7. Serve with extra coleslaw on the side.

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Variations

Vegan

Ingredients

Tofu

• 350g extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mushroom ketchup
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil (optional)

Coleslaw

• 1/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp. agave syrup
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 250-350g coleslaw mix¹

Assembly

• 3-4 burger buns
• ~2 Tbsp. garlic margarine or olive oil and fresh minced garlic
• 1/4-1/2 c. barbecue sauce²

If using oil and garlic for your buns: Brush the sliced buns with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Toast. Optionally sprinkle with fresh or lightly dried parsley.

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¹ Or make your own mix of shredded cabbage and carrots. I actually used broccoli slaw for mine because it was on sale for 50% off. ^Back
2 We didn't really have much in the way of barbecue sauce: just the dregs of an ancient bottle of HP sauce. I ended up sort of rolling my own sauce. I didn't measure anything, so I can't really give a recipe. It ended up being a mix of HP sauce, buffalo sauce, ketchup, hoisin sauce, roasted garlic paste, black pepper, hot paprika, liquid smoke, and Chinese 5-spice powder. I think a "real" BBQ sauce would've been better, but it did pretty well in a pinch. ^Back

Dabeli

These are basically saucy mashed potato sandwiches topped with, among other things, fresh pomegranate arils.

Dabeli
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
For the Sauces:
1/2 c. tamarind-date sauce
1/2 c. firmly packed cilantro
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
4 medium cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. ginger paste
2 fresh Thai (bird's eye) chiles
2 dried Thai or cayenne chiles

For the Filling:
1 lb. russet (or other floury) potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 Tbsp. dabeli masala
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. canola oil

For Assembling the Sandwiches:
butter
6 hamburger buns
6 Tbsp. fresh pomegranate seeds
6 Tbsp. spicy-hot roasted peanuts (store-bought)
6 Tbsp. minced red onion
chopped cilantro
thin sev (chickpea flour noodles)

To Prepare the Sauces:
1. Pour tamarind-date sauce into a bowl and set aside.
2. Pour 1/3 c. water into a blender along with cilantro, salt, garlic, ginger, and both fresh and dried chiles. Puree.
3. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.

To Make the Filling:
1. Combine the mashed potato, masala, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add the potato mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have warmed and the spices are cooked (5-8 minutes).

To Prepare the Buns:
1. Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.
2. Butter the cut side of each bun.
3. Place buns, buttered side down, on the hot griddle and cook until browned (2-3 minutes).

To Assemble the Sandwiches:
1. Spread a scant tsp. of cilantro-chile sauce on the bottom of a toasted bun.
2. Over the cilantro-chile sauce, spread a generous tsp. of tamarind-date sauce.
3. Spread ~1/6 of the mashed potato mixture over this.
4. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. pomegranate arils over the potato mixture on the bun.
5. Top with 1 Tbsp. each of onions and peanuts.
6. Place the top bun on to close the sandwich.
7. Garnish with cilantro and sev.

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Adaptations

Vegan-ize It!

Dabeli
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
For the Sauces:
1/2 c. tamarind-date sauce
1/2 c. firmly packed cilantro
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
4 medium cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. ginger paste
2 fresh Thai (bird's eye) chiles
2 dried Thai or cayenne chiles

For the Filling:
1 lb. russet (or other floury) potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 Tbsp. dabeli masala
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
3/4 tsp. agave syrup
2 Tbsp. canola oil

For Assembling the Sandwiches:
olive oil
6 hamburger buns
6 Tbsp. fresh pomegranate seeds
6 Tbsp. spicy-hot roasted peanuts (store-bought)
6 Tbsp. minced red onion
chopped cilantro
thin sev (chickpea flour noodles)

Make It Gluten-Free!

Dabeli
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
For the Sauces:
1/2 c. tamarind-date sauce
1/2 c. firmly packed cilantro
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
4 medium cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. ginger paste
2 fresh Thai (bird's eye) chiles
2 dried Thai or cayenne chiles

For the Filling:
1 lb. russet (or other floury) potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 Tbsp. dabeli masala
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. canola oil

For Assembling the Sandwiches:
butter
6 gluten-free hamburger buns OR 12 corn tortillas
6 Tbsp. fresh pomegranate seeds
6 Tbsp. spicy-hot roasted peanuts (store-bought)
6 Tbsp. minced red onion
chopped cilantro
thin sev (chickpea flour noodles)

If using tortillas, unless they are very large, just use half the volume of filling and toppings specified for buns and put the cilantro and sev inside the wrap.

Chicken-Avocado Salad Sandwiches

Another Cook's Country April/May 2015 recipe (I have a bunch of these to post). This is another recipe card for some quite tasty and easy to assemble sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 64mL buttermilk
• 30mL lime juice
• 15mL olive oil
• 5mL sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
• 1 (~1kg) rotisserie chicken, meat shredded, skin and bones discarded
• 8 slices sandwich bread, toasted
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

Procedure

1. Combine buttermilk, lime juice, sugar, and 2.5mL each salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Add avocado and mash with a fork or masher.
3. Stir in chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Assemble sandwiches using toast, lettuce, tomato, and a generous portion of salad for each sandwich.

Kheema Paav

Aka "Indian sloppy joes", a well spiced ground beef curry that exists to be served on buns. In my opinion, there's no point in making sloppy joes when kheema paav is on the menu.

Ingredients

• canola oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ~1 C finely chopped red onion
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 slices of fresh ginger, finely chopped, or 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 fresh green thai, cayenne, or serrano chilis, stems removed, finely chopped (do not remove the seeds)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Bin bhuna hua garam masala
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• ½ lb lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• buns -- the book calls for fairly small slider-type buns, but you can make it with full size burger buns as well
• ½ C finely chopped scallions for garnish

Procedure

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle until they turn reddish-brown and fragrant, 10-15 seconds. Immediately add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilis. Stir-fry until the onion starts to brown around the edges, ~5 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, and salt. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce develops an oily sheen, ~5 minutes.
3. Add the ground beef, breaking it up if needed. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browning and partly cooked, 5-10 minutes.
4. Stir in 128mL water and continue simmering, covered, stirring occasionally, until the flavours have mingled and the beef is cooked through, ~8 minutes.
5. Brush the buns with butter or ghee and toast them on a griddle or in a toaster oven.
6. Fill buns with meat. Sprinkle with scallions. Insert into face.

Veggie Sandwiches & Protein Salad Plate

I'm sick and I'm tired, but between the two of us TF and I actually managed to throw together a reasonably healthy, quick, and easy dinner this evening. The sandwich recipe came from... somewhere on the web... PopSugar maybe? And the salad is basically a copycat of my lunch at the Boathouse last week.

Veggie Sandwich
2 slices bread (I used a nice sprouted whole grain, but use whatever you enjoy)
2 Tbsp. hummus (I'd use a bit more next time)
2-3 slices of tomato
9-10 slices cucumber
~1/2 a carrot, grated
~1/4 of an avocado, sliced
alfalfa sprouts (if you have them; we didn't so we went without)

1. Toast your bread.
2. Spread 1 Tbsp. (or more) of hummus on each slice of toast.
3. Pile on the veg and close the sandwich.

Next time I might try adding a Tbsp. or so of tzatziki if I have any on hand. A little bit of cheese might also be nice. This is one situation in which I might make a case for a nice thin slice of "American" cheese or mild-medium Cheddar.

Another interesting variation might be swapping out the tomato for thinly sliced apple or pear and adding a bit of blue cheese. I'm thinking a nice Honey Crisp apple or Anjou pear would work well here.

Protein Salad Plate
2 handfuls mixed greens
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1 radish, sliced thin
6-8 slices cucumber
1/2 carrot, grated (optional)
2-4 Tbsp. vinaigrette (to taste)
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 tin tuna, drained
1-2 Tbsp. mayonaise
5-10 grinds black pepper

1. Combine all the veg, add the dressing, and toss.
2. Stir mayo and pepper into tuna
3. Place sliced eggs and tuna on top of salad and serve.

High Tea

Not so much a recipe as a collection of things, but I figured I'd write it up anyway because it went over so well.

For the Tea
black tea (such as English Breakfast or Orange Pekoe)
milk
sugar

For the Scones
scones
clotted cream
strawberry jam

For the Cucumber Sandwiches
white bread
mayonaise
English cucumber, sliced
freshly ground black pepper

Optional Extras
cake(s)
cheese(s)
crusty bread or crackers
spreads, compotes, and/or chutneys to complement the cheese(s)
cookies/biscuits
additional sandwiches

1. Make you cucumber sandwiches (preferably crustless finger sandwiches).
2. Lay everything out on one or more plates.
3. Brew your tea.
4. Sit down and enjoy with friends! Spread the scones with clotted cream and jam, sip your tea, and enjoy some cakes and cookies. :)

Rhode Island Dynamites

Easy, tasty, and comes together relatively quickly = Weeknight winner!

Rhode Island Dynamites
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country June/July 2015
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
2 lbs. ground beef
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped (I used orange because they looked the nicest this week)
1/4 c. minced pickled hot cherry peppers + 2 Tbsp. brine
1/4 c. tomato paste
1/4 c. garlic paste
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
Sub rolls or hot dog buns

1. Stir baking soda, salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper into 3 Tbsp. water until dissolved.
2. Combine baking soda mixture with beef. Let stand 15 minutes.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until liquid evaporates and meat starts to sizzle.
4. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until veggies soften.
5. Add cherry peppers, brine, tomato paste, garlic paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
6. Add tomato sauce. Stir and scrape bottom of pot/pan. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until desired consistency achieved. (Original recipe calls for 45 minutes of simmering, but we didn't have time for that and called it done after only 10 minutes. It was still delicious!)

Tuna Salad Sandwiches (with Eggs, Radishes, and Capers)

Yet another Cook's Country pick. I modified the recipe slightly, and I would make a few more tweaks next time. Nice change from your bog standard tuna salad for lunch or a light dinner though.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2015
1 onion, minced
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cans low-sodium solid white albacore tuna in water
2 ribs celery, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 radishes, halved and sliced thin
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced thin
1/4 c. capers, rinsed and minced
4 slices bread, toasted

1. Combine onion and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Drain tuna well and pat dry. Break up with a fork.
3. Combine tuna and all remaining ingredients with softened onion. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Assemble your sandwiches! Serve with a nice salad on the side and enjoy!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sorry we've been bad about keeping the blog updated; the baby has now gotten really, really interested in laptops and makes it difficult to actually write anything. But we're still cooking!

Highlights of this past week include "mexican lasagna" and spaghettini in a creamy sweet potato sauce, both of which will hopefully get a post sometime soon. Today, though, we made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

And we take our grilled cheese seriously.

No pictures, sadly, and this hardly counts as a recipe, but I like sharing it regardless.

1. Start with a of your preferred bread. Rye, multigrain, or sourdough work well.
2. Plane enough sharp (2yo or older) white cheddar to cover the bread.
3. Halve or quarter some small pickled onions and place them on the cheddar. If you want to add some greens, fried onions, Branston Pickle, or other inclusions, now is the time.
4. Add some freshly ground black pepper.
5. Top with more cheese. More cheddar is never wrong, but you can also use mozzarella, jarlsberg, emmentaler, or anything else that will melt nicely.
6. Seal with another slice of bread.
7. Spread one side with garlic butter (or butter-like garlic spread), then sprinkle some cumin over it.
8. Flip it into a hot pan, butter side down. Cook, pressing occasionally, until the bottom is turning a nice golden brown.
9. Spread the top with more garlic butter and cumin, then flip it over (carefully! it's probably not all melted together yet!). Grill further until both sides are golden brown, at which point the cumin should be nicely toasted and the melted cheese will be holding the whole thing together.
10. Remove from the pan, slice, and serve.

Cherry-Asparagus Panini

Yet another find from Spache's fabulous blog! I made a few modifications based on my own preferences and what I had on hand, but it's still her recipe at the core. It's somewhat involved for a sandwich, but very tasty if you're willing to put the effort in.

Balsamic Cherry-Asparagus Panini
1 c. pitted sweet cherries, chopped
3 Tbsp. pomegranate balsamic vinegar
zest of 1 large lemon
6 asparagus spears, shaved (with vegetable peeler)
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. almond oil
2 long multigrain buns (or 1 baguette, cut in half)
Brie
fresh mozzarella
salt and pepper
~1 Tbsp. melted butter

1. Combine cherries, vinegar, and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toss asparagus, mint, and basil with almond oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cover the bottom half of each bun with pieces of Brie. (Make sure to leave the rind on for maximum delicious!)
4. Cover the top half of each bun with thick slices of mozzarella.
5. Slather the mozzarella with the cherry mixture and top the Brie with the herbed and oiled shaved asparagus.
6. Now, very carefully, combine the sandwich halves.
7. Brush the outside of the buns with the melted butter and grill/press until the inside gets deliciously melt-y and the outside gets deliciously toast-y. (If you have an electric panini press, use that, set to 350F. If you're doing this stovetop, I recommend cooking on medium-low.)

So much tasty!