Half-moon Salad

Recipe: Half-moon Salad
From: Cuisine At Home; Weeknight Menus 2006
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 as a topping to "Asian Pork Sandwich"
Nutrition: per cup: 33 cal, 0g fat, 7g carbs, 496mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein

Ingredients:

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cucumber, seeded, thinly sliced into half moons (see photo below)
3/4 cup bean spouts
1/4 cup torn fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped
4 cups spring mix lettuce greens

Directions:

1. Whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt together until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cut cucumber into half moons by cutting cucumber in half length-wise. Then remove the seeds with a spoon. Lay seeded cucumber, flat-side down on cutting board and slice.
3. Toss vinegar mixture with cucumber, sprouts, herb leaves, and jalapeno; set aside.
4. Add greens just before assembling sandwich so that they stay crisp.

Asian Pork Sandwich

Recipe: Asian Pork Sandwich
From: Cuisine at Home; Weeknight Menus 2006
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4 - with "Half-moon Salad"
Nutrition: 554 cal, 37g fat; 27g carbs; 1g fiber; 30g protein

Ingredients:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs chili garlic sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 lb. ground pork
1 Tbs fresh giner, minced
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
4 slices of french baguette, 1" - thick
4 tsp unsalted butter
4 tsp mayonnaise, divided
1/2 lb deli ham, thinly sliced, divided
Half-moon Salad (see recipe in this blog)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 450 degrees
2. Combine hoisin, honey, ketchup, chili garlic sauce, and vinegar in a bowl; set aside.
3. Saute pork and ginger in a saute pan over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, until cooked. Drain, return to pan, stir in hoisin mixture and scallions. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
4. Coat each baguette slice with butter and place on a baking sheet, toast 5 minutes in oven. Cool.
5. Top baguette with mayonnaise, ham, ground pork mixture, and finish with half-moon salad.

  

Rotisserie Chicken Panini

Rotisserie Chicken Panini
From: TasteofHome.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4-1/2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared pesto
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Dash pepper
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 1/4 pound sliced rotisserie chicken
• 4 slices ready-to-serve fully cooked bacon
• 2 slices smoked part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 slices red onion, separated into rings
• 4 slices tomato
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; spread half over two bread slices. Layer with chicken, bacon, mozzarella cheese, onion and tomato. Spread remaining mayonnaise mixture over remaining bread slices; place over top. Brush outsides of sandwiches with butter.
2. Cook on a panini maker or indoor grill for 3-4 minutes or until bread is browned and cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings.

Southwestern Sloppy Joes

Southwestern Sloppy Joes

From: Cuisine at Home Weeknight Menus. Vol. 2
Makes: 4-6 sandwiches
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbs honey
• 2 tbs fresh lime juice
• 4 cups coleslaw mix
• 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lb ground pork or turkey breast
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbs chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 can diced green chilies (4.5 oz)
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
• whole wheat hamburger buns
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, honey, lime juice, salt together. Toss with coleslaw mix and cilantro; chill.
3. Saute turkey and onion in oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in ketchup, corn, beans, chipotles, green chilies, brown sugar, mustard, cumin, salt; simmer 5 minutes.
4. Spoon into each bottom buns and arrange on baking sheet.
5. Top turkey mixture with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil top buns cut side up along with filled bottom buns until buns are toasted and cheese is melted.
6. To serve, spoon slaw onto each sandwich and top with toasted bun.

Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

From: Cuisine at Home. Issue No. 100
Makes: 4 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes
Nutrition: 650 cal; 35g fat; 27g carb; 1g fiber; 53g protein.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup coarse-ground mustard
• 2 tbs garlic, minced
• 2 tsp each: minced lemon zest, minced fresh thyme, anchovy paste, honey
• 2 tuna steaks (1 1/2 inches thick, 12 oz each)
• 2 ciabatta buns, halved
• Green leaf lettuce
• Tomato slices
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

Directions:

1. Pre-heat grill to medium. Brush grill grate with oil.
2. Whisk together 1/2 cup oil, vinegar mustard, garlic, zest, thyme, anchovy paste, and honey; season with salt and pepper. Reserve 3 tbs vinaigrette for Provencal Beans and Potatoes if desired.
3. Marinate tuna in 1/4 cup vinaigrette, 10 minutes. Grill tuna, covered, 3-4 minutes. Flip tuna, brush with marinade, and cook to medium-rare, 3-4 minutes. Slice. Grill ciabatta until toasted, 1 minute.
4. Assemble sandwiches by drizzling 1 tbs. vinaigrette on each ciabatta half; top with lettuce, tomato, 1 egg and a quarter of the tuna, then drizzle each with another 1 tbs of vinaigrette.

Lamb Kofte Kebab

Lamb Kofte Kebab

From: Cook's Illustrated. Issue No. 123
Serves: 4 to 6

Note: My husband spent some time in the middle east and he said this was a GREAT recipe and requests it often. Serve with rice pilaf or make into pita sandwiches with sliced red onion and fresh mint.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs tahini
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
• 1/2 cup grated onion, drained
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin

Directions:

1. For the Yogurt-Garlic Sauce. Whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
2. Process pine nuts, garlic, paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon in food processor until coarse paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add lamb, onion, parsley, mint, and gelatin; knead with your hands until thoroughly combined and mixture feels slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
3. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into 5-inch long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter. Using 8 (12-inch) metal skewers, thread 1 cylinder onto each skewer, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer skewers to a lightly greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
4. On Gas Grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high. 
5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place skewers on grill at 45-degree angle to grate. Cook covered until browned and meat easily releases from grill, 4 to 7 minutes. Flips skewers and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 160 degrees, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer skewers to platter and serve, pasting yogurt-garlic sauce separately.