Sandwiches

Turkey Panini with Citrus Aioli

I have to admit, I’m not the biggest sandwich person.  Aside from the occasional Wawa junior hoagie, I don’t desire a sandwich very often.  At lunchtime, I usually get so cold in my office that I need something warm and cold sandwiches don’t usually cut it.  Sometimes, however, a warm panini with gooey cheese can be the perfect solution.  Since sandwiches are paired so perfectly with soup I thought this Turkey Panini with Citrus Aioli would be a great complement to the Winter Tomato Soup I posted on Monday.

Smoked turkey slices and provolone cheese are the base to this sandwich which I topped with baby spinach instead of watercress (because I had a huge tub of spinach on hand).  Adding a fresh and citrusy touch, an aioli made simply with mayonnaise, lemon and lime zests, garlic and lemon juice is lightly layered on the bread before topping it with the turkey and cheese.  This panini, which can be grilled on either a grill pan or a panini maker, is a great twist on the standard turkey sandwich.  If you have turkey and cheese in your fridge and you just don’t want another plain old sandwich, consider this.  It doesn’t matter what kind of turkey or cheese you use or even if you don’t have any leafy greens.  If you love mayonnaise like me, grab a lemon and a lime and whip up some of this citrus aioli for a yummy condiment to any sandwich.

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The ingredients:

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Combine mayonnaise, lemon, lime, pepper and garlic and spread evenly over half the bread slices.

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Top evenly with turkey, watercress (or spinach), cheese, and remaining bread slices.

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Coat a grill pan or panini maker heated to medium-high heat with cooking spray.  Arrange 2 sandwiches in pan.  If using a grill pan, place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches and press gently to flatten.  Cook 2 minutes on each side (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

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Repeat procedure with remaining sandwiches.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Baby spinach
  • Light mayonnaise
  • Reduced-fat provolone cheese
  • Whole-wheat bread

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. for over a week now.  This is what happens when I get uber-busy at work and then take off for Tampa for 4 days and come home only to spend the next couple of days in bed due to the flu/cold.  Please, forgive.  I haven’t had much of an appetite but luckily I made these Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions before my trip so I can now share them with you.

Ground chicken is mixed with dijon mustard and ricotta cheese, giving the blah meet some zing and moisture.  Vidalia onions are cooked low and slow until caramelized and golden brown which adds a sweet textural topping to these burgers.  The simplicity of these burgers are appealing but feel free to add any of your favorite flavors, like soy sauce, horseradish or Sriracha, to the mixture before cooking.  The real star are the onions which, as I’ve mentioned before, were not only one of my least favorite foods as a kid but a food in general which I don’t think ever went down my throat until I was in my 30s.  I swear.  Who knew that one day I’d be eating a burger, not with ketchup or mustard or pickles, but with a pile of onions.  I would have called you a liar if you accused me.

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The ingredients:

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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook 15 minutes or until well browned; set aside.

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In a large bowl, combine chicken, ricotta, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Form into 4 equal-size patties and flatten.

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Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (I used my Cuisinart Griddler). Cook burgers about 5 minutes per side. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees  F.

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Place burgers on buns and top each with some of the onions.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • lettuce

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt

I’m staying local for Thanksgiving this week and by local, I mean home.  I’m not planning on leaving my house or making a ton of food, but just enough for me to think I made too much.  I couldn’t scale down my menu because things like stuffing and scalloped corn are foods I only eat once a year so they have to be made.  I also have to make something called Rice-Nut Loaf which probably sounds gross to you but it was my main protein source for 13 Thanksgivings while I was a vegetarian and I still want it each year (I might even share it with you soon!).  This year, I decided to forgo the turkey and just stick to the loaf.  Weird, probably, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.  So, since I’m not planning on having any turkey, therefore no leftover turkey for sandwiches, I picked up some sliced turkey last weekend to make myself this Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt.  Hardly a leftover turkey day sandwich but it fit my bill.

Sliced deli turkey is layered with thin slices of Granny Smith apple, lowfat Swiss cheese and homemade honey-Dijon before being toasted in a pan until crispy and golden brown.  The apple provides a crunchy tartness while the cheese melts just enough to make each bite gooey.  You might find yourself left with some turkey, a random apple you didn’t use for the stuffing and a little extra cheese from your cheesy mashed potatoes and realize you’ve got what it takes to make this sandwich.  Even if it’s on a leftover dinner roll and all you have is yellow mustard, give it a try.  By Friday, I’ll be making a rice-nut loaf-smashed potato-scalloped corn sandwich which won’t even come close to this one.  But I bet you I’ll love it anyway.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

The ingredients:

Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Spread one side of each of 4 bread slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard mixture.

Place one cheese slice on dressed side of bread slices; top each with 5 apple slices and 2 ounces turkey.

Top sandwiches with remaining 4 bread slices.  Coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sandwiches to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until bread is browned and cheese melts.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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