Sandwiches

Walnut Cream Cheese Sandwiches on Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

I will never look at grilled cheese the same way again.  Never in my life had I ever considered a sweet grilled cheese.  I’ve had sweet sandwiches before (like this Panini with Chocolate and Brie) but nothing like this Walnut Cream Cheese Sandwiches on Cinnamon-Raisin Bread.  Every once in a while when I go out to get a bagel from the bakery, I’ll splurge and get the walnut-raisin cream cheese but it’s rare because it seems so decadent.  Well, the walnut cream cheese in the middle of this sandwich tastes nearly identical.  And I’m obsessed.

Cream cheese (I used reduced-fat), walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon are mixed together until creamy and spread between two pieces of cinnamon-raisin bread which is then grilled in a little light butter until golden and slightly crispy.  Even with using reduced-fat cream cheese and light butter, I still found this sandwich to be a little rich so if you aren’t into sweets for breakfast, this would make a great after dinner dessert.  I mean, why not?  You can control however much cream cheese you want in your sandwiches so you can make it as hearty as you like.  Trust me, any leftover cream cheese mixture is stunning on a toasted bagel.  Or licked from a spoon.  Or licked from your fingers.  Not that I know anything about that.

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The ingredients:

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Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

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Spread cream cheese mixture on 4 bread slices; top with remaining 4 bread slices.

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Spread outside of sandwiches with softened butter.

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Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is golden brown.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • 1/3-less fat cream cheese
  • Light butter

Overall Rating:  Love It Source:  Coastal Living magazine

SoCal Guacamole Burger

Happy 4th! I hope everyone is relaxing and enjoying the day today whether you are somewhere near water, at a barbecue, or just hanging out at home. It seems only fitting to me that we all have burgers and dogs so I decided to make these SoCal Guacamole Burgers.

Basic burgers (which I made with 93% lean ground turkey) are topped with a creamy guacamole made with avocado, sour cream, mayonaisse, tomato, and jalapeño. Alfalfa sprouts add a fresh flavor and crunch and bring a healthy twist. Served with whole wheat buns, these burgers might be a little different than what you are used to but if you like guacamole, these should be right up your alley. No matter what kind of burger you are having today, enjoy the day and have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

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 The ingredients:

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  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Place half of avocado in a bowl; mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add sour cream, mayonaisse, lime juice and cumin to bowl; stir to combine. Dice remaining half of avocado.

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 Add diced avocado, tomato, jalapeño, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to bowl; stir gently to combine.

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 Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each portion into a (1/2-inch-thick) patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in center of each patty. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place burgers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Lightly coat cut sides of buns with cooking spray. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted.

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 Place 1/4 cup sprouts on bottom half of each bun; top each with 1 patty, about 3 tablespoons guacamole, and top half of bun.

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 Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Ground turkey
  • Broccoli sprouts

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Sweet Chili Rolls

Have you had one of those weekends where you either have too much to do or don’t feel well enough to do anything at all?  That was me this weekend.  After taking Friday off and laying in bed all day because the pesky cold virus that was threatening me most of the week final showed it’s ugly face, I still didn’t feel up to much the rest of the weekend.  When you have a food blog and do almost all of your cooking on the weekends though, this doesn’t make things easy when all you want to do it lay in bed.  So thank goodness for the slow cooker.  Normally, I don’t have the patience to wait for food to cook in a slow cooker.  But when every physical activity becomes exhausting and all you want to do is rest, the slow cooker is a life saver.  And these Sweet Chili Rolls were worth the wait.

Ground turkey is mixed with a blend of water, pinto beans, ketchup, dijon mustard, garlic and chili powder in the slow cooker and cooked low and slow for 6 hours.  The result is healthier version of a sloppy joe which is topped with cheese.  I love the addition of the pinto beans here because the slow cooking process make the turkey meat tender and texturally perfect with the beans which also provides a boost of fiber.  I substituted some of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder to add a little kick so consider adding in additional spices if you choose.  I really don’t think you can go wrong here with other flavors like dry mustard or smoked paprika also.  Whether you have a lot to and have no time to cook or just need keep your feet up instead of standing in the kitchen, these sandwiches are a happy no-brainer.

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The ingredients:

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Blend chili powder, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Add ketchup and mustard and stir to combine.

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Pour ketchup mixture into slow cooker and stir in 1 cup water, beans, onion and garlic. Crumble in half the turkey and gently stir to combine. Repeat with remaining turkey.

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Cover and slow cook on HIGH for 6 hours or on LOW for 8 hours.

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Uncover and add salt. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture onto a roll. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Vidalia onion

Substitutions:

  • Chipotle chili powder

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

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