buffalo chicken grilled cheese

last week i made my version of the perfect lunch. in my opinion, lunch is the best meal of the day. it includes my two favorite foods groups: chips and bread. throw a diet coke in there (maybe a piece of dark chocolate) and i'm happier than a happy meal.

this sandwich is a spicy, creamy, crunchy, gooey, indulgent mess all in one bite. i promise it's worth it.

check it out at http://patch.com/A-nCss

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spanakopita panini

in my post yesterday i talked about all of the leftover spanakopita dip i had from kim's bridal shower. i combined other greek-like ingredients to turn this leftover into a simple and easy spanakopita panini. the dip acted as the "glue" so i didn't need to add any cheese. the final product was pretty delicious - the dip melted into a creamy, savory mess that gave the rest of the ingredients tons of flavor. you can use any kind of bread you like, but i used the 100-calorie sandwich thins...bikini season is coming up after all.

ingredients:
100 calorie sandwich thins
grilled chicken breasts, cooked (i used the really thin kind)
roasted red peppers
mushrooms
spanakopita dip
s&p

directions:
preheat panini press. slather each side of bread/sandwich thins with a generous amount of spanakopita dip. season both sides with s&p. top one piece of bread with roasted red peppers, mushrooms and then chicken. top with remaining piece of bread and cook 5-7 minutes on panini press, until bread is crunchy and dip has melted. serve immediately.

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steak and cheese panini

i've been wanting to write a post using only pictures to give directions for a long time. tonight's meal was the perfect way to start because it was so easy to make - only has 5 ingredients and only takes about 10 minutes. plus you can't really go wrong with a steak and cheese. so here we go...

all the ingredients lined up - grilled flank steak, provolone cheese, french bread, mayo & hot pepper spread

cut the bread in half.

liberally spread mayo and hot pepper spread on both sides of bread.

add the cheese to both sides.

top with sliced steak.

assemble the rest of the sammies.

add to panini press. cook for 5-7 minutes.

final product.

close up. is your mouth watering?

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roast beef french dippies with a side of sweets

call me crazy (suzanne did) but i have never had a roast beef sandwich before. i grew up being a very picky eater and rarely strayed away from my basics. whenever we went to arby's (usually because my dad had a coupon) i always opted for the chicken sandwiches, not the beef and cheddars. i had no idea what i was missing out on until suzanne made these for us the other night. she put her own twist on it by adding cheese and sauteed onions. i'm still drooling about them. the combination of the crusty bread, melted cheese, and juicy roast beef - all dipped into the salty, rich au jus sauce really made my night.

the recipe couldn't be easier and it's perfect for the week nights. we had a side of sweet potatoes fries to round things out. suzanne dipped her fries in honey - has anyone ever heard of that before?


ingredients:
1 lb sliced roast beef, from the deli counter
4 slices provolone cheese
1 onion, sliced
4 mini french bread baguettes
1 package mccormick® au jus gravy mix
3 cups cold water
evoo

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. in a large skillet, heat evoo over medium high heat. add onions and cook until translucent. slice bread in half (length-wise) and add roast beef and onions - however much you like. top with cheese and wrap in aluminum foil. bake in oven for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.

meanwhile, stir water gradually into gravy mix with whisk in medium saucepan. stirring frequently, cook on medium-high heat until gravy comes to boil.

serve sandwiches immediately with a side of the au jus for dipping.

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mini turkey meatball sliders

i've been craving meatball sliders ever since sis and i went to the brooklyn flea market last weekend. for anyone who has never been, it's a lot like eastern market in capital hill. it's a fun event that showcases vintage pieces, homemade crafts, and my favorite - local grub. sis and i were about to leave when we spotted the meatball sub station. i thought to myself - why hadn't we seen this before we devoured the fish tacos, organic mozzarella/tomato panini, fresh watermelon lemongrass popsicles, dill pickles, and taken over the homemade dip station! cursing myself for being too full/eating like a pig, i decided i would make them once i got home.

i tweaked a recipe from ellie kreiger, using turkey meat and incorporating vegetables in the mix. i was a little skeptical at first because it calls for grated carrots. i was worried they would add too much sweetness and throw everything off, but you could barely taste them. these little meatballs turned out moist, delicious and perfectly satisfying!

ingredients:
sauce:
1 tablespoon evoo
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
s&p

meatballs:
cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
s&p
1 package mini whole wheat dinner rolls
provolone cheese

directions:
in a large saucepan heat the evoo over medium heat. saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. add tomato paste, tomatoes, spices and salt. (since i don't like big chunks of tomatoes in my marinara, i used a masher to break them up - totally up to you though.) bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. season with salt and pepper, to taste. while sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

preheat the broiler. spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.

add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce.

cut dinner rolls in half and place on another baking sheet. add one meatball to each one and top with small slice of provolone cheese. broil for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. serve immediately with a simple side salad and you have yourself a "that's-a spicy meat ball-a" - sorry had to do it.

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in her words: sparkman's sundried tomato pesto panini

i asked sparkman to send me the recipe to her paninis she made the other night. her response was too cute to edit down, so here she is in her own words.

ingredients:
ciabatta bread
love
sundried tomato pesto
love
grilled chicken (evoo with s&p)
love
sundried tomatoes
love
monetary jack cheese
love
mozzarella cheese
more love.

directions:
grill the chicken. spread the sundried tomato pesto on bread. layer the cheeses, grilled chicken and sundried tomatoes. put the sang on the outdoor grill - we used the heavy grill pan to place on top - make some good grill marks and bon appétit!

my input:
these little suckers were scrumptious. it was a nice light meal (we each only ate half of a sandwich) and served it with mixed greens. you will probably need to grill the sandwiches about 4 minutes per side. she used a cast iron skillet to act like a panini press on the grill, like i did in an earlier recipe. if you don't have time to cook the chicken before hand, a store-bought rotisserie could be used instead. enjoy!

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burgers for book club

obviously this isn't my photo - the pictures i took didn't turn out as i had hoped.

(photo credit - womansday.com)

last night, megg and i hosted book club at our house to celebrate finishing the third book in the millennium trilogy - the girl who kicked the hornets nest.  (if you haven't read these books yet, go do it now.) the books are set in sweden and talk a lot about coffee, pickled herring, and frozen pizzas. in the past, when we met to discuss the first and second books, we tried to make food that went along with the theme of the book. this time we opted for a different scenario - summer sliders. i made three different kinds of mini burgers to suit everyone's tastes:

1. greek style burgers with feta aioli
2. turkey burgers with bacon and cheddar
3. bbq chicken burgers with coleslaw

the recipes for each of these was pretty simple. you can click on the link above for the greek burger recipe from cooking light. i followed the recipe exactly except i didn't add the roasted red peppers.  here's what to do for the other two:

turkey burgers with bacon and cheddar:
in a small skillet, brown about 6 slices of turkey bacon with evoo (or else it will stick) until it's really crispy. combine cooked bacon with 1 pound of ground turkey, 3-4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, a dash of garlic and onion powder and s&p. form into mini burgers (should get between 8 and 10) and grill for about 2-3 minutes per side. top with slice of cheddar cheese and serve on mini bun with light mayo.

bbq chicken burgers with coleslaw:
season 3 chicken breasts with s&p and spread your favorite bbq sauce all over it. grill for about 5-7 minutes per side. before taking off the grill, top chicken with monterrey jack cheese and let it melt. cut each chicken breast into thirds, top with prepared coleslaw and serve on a mini bun. if you want - you can add more bbq sauce to the chicken once it's done cooking, but i slathered it enough before i cooked it.

everyone had their own personal favorites, but i really enjoyed the greek sliders.

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philly chicken cheesesteak

i added "philly" to the title of this recipe because according to someone who knows his philly cheesesteaks - my version was just as good. i hate to toot my own horn, but they were pretty damn tasty. the cream sauce i made in the pan (using flour + chicken stock) made you feel like you were having something really bad for you but it wasn't.

ingredients:
1 pound chicken, cut into thin slices
half yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 slices provolone cheese
evoo
s&p
4 sub rolls

directions:
heat skillet over medium high heat on stove. add evoo, onions, bell peppers and s&p. saute for about 5 to 7 minutes until onions start to turn translucent. remove from pan and set aside in a bowl. add chicken, garlic powder and s&p to pan and cook about 7 minutes. return onions and bell peppers to pan and add flour. cook about 3 minutes until the flour is fully incorporated. add chicken stock and cook until sauce begins to form. preheat oven to broil. fill sub rolls with chicken mixture and top with provolone cheese and put on baking sheet. broil for about 3 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. serve immediately with salt & vinegar potatoes for the perfect weeknight dinner.

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grilled eggplant paninis with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella

i don't really have anything to say about these delights, except - just trust me. go home right now and fire up your grill to make the sandwiches. there is nothing better than a spicy grilled eggplant paired with gooey warm mozzarella cheese and garlic bread.


ingredients:
ciabatta bread
eggplant, cut into slices
roasted red peppers
pesto
fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in slices
garlic clove, cut in half
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
evoo
s&p


directions:
preheat gas grill to medium heat. in a bowl mix together eggplant slices, evoo, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. grill about 4 minutes per side. meanwhile, drizzle ciabatta bread with evoo and grill for about 3-4 minutes per side. remove from grill and immediately rub with fresh garlic clove, getting bits of garlic in the nooks and crannies of the bread. to assemble the panini, spread pesto on both sides of bread. add 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese, 2-3 strips of roasted red pepper and 2 slices of grilled eggplant. for this next step you can either use a panini maker or use the grill to finish cooking. if you choose option 2, put the sandwich back on the grill and smush down with a cast iron skillet. cook about 2 minutes per side, just until the cheese melts - you use the heavy skillet to act like a panini press and press the sandwich down.

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