Pressed Sandwiches

Pressed Sandwiches are becoming one of my favorite foods this summer because they are easy to make, travel well, and feed a crowd.  A couple of weeks ago we made this rendition based on one I saw on this terrific blog.  It was delightful and super tasty, but I wanted to modify it for a few reasons. The ciabatta bread had a dense and very chewy crust after pressing which made it difficult to eat and it was on the salty side for us so we changed it up and the second time around we used a loaf of french bread, ham, mozzarella, salami, and pickles. I know it is not quite as fancy-pants of a sandwich, but it was super tasty and we just liked it more than the original.  Head over to the original post for a step by step tutorial.

Pressed Sandwich
1 loaf french bread
8 slices mozzarella cheese
1/4 pound salami
1/4 pound sliced ham
3 pickles, sliced lengthwise
salt and pepper
mustard-optional

Slice the loaf of french bread lengthwise and layer the bread with cheese followed by ham and then the salami.  Add the pickles on top of the salami and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread the top piece of bread with mustard, if using, and place on top of the pickles.  Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap.  Place in fridge and then place enough hard cover books on top to cover sandwich.  Place a few large tin cans of something heavy, like tomatoes or beans, on top of the books and let rest for 4-24 hours.  Sandwich will keep for 2-3 days.

Turkey Meatloaf

This turkey meatloaf is a really tasty alternative to a regular ground beef meatloaf.  The leftovers make a pretty mean meatloaf sandwich too.  Try this, I bet you will like it!

Turkey Meatloaf
1lb package ground turkey
2 slices bread, diced
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 T yellow mustard
2 T ketchup
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  (I use my hands.)  Mixture will be moist and soft, which differs from the texture of ground beef.  Make sure everything is completely incorporated and then place mixture on sheet pan.  Form into a loaf shape.  Baking time depends on shape of loaf, but should take about 35-45 minutes or until internal temperate reaches 165 degrees.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

The Omelet Roll

This omelet roll is delightful...it is easy to put together, quick to bake, and impressive to serve.  It also lends itself to so many different flavor combinations.  I did a ham and cheese with chives, but it would taste great with any number of things including bacon, roasted vegetables, salsa, add a little grainy mustard between the egg and ham layer, change out the cheeses, etc.  I made this a light version by using 3 whole eggs and 3 egg whites, you can't tell that it is even missing the extra calories. Give it a try!

The Omelet Roll
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
6-8 thin slices deli ham
cheddar cheese
chives or green onions
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and parchment paper.  (I like to use both because the parchment paper makes it so much easier to roll the omelet.)  Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, chives, salt, and pepper.  Add to the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are set and feel firm.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated cheese and add a layer of ham.  Begin rolling omelet.  Center omelet onto middle of pan or serving tray and sprinkle with additional cheese and chives before serving.  Slice and enjoy.

Healthy Vegetable Hash

This hash is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. It is so hearty and full of vegetables that you will be left feeling full and satisfied all day. You could add some ham, chicken or corned beef to it and this would make for a good dinner too.

Vegetable Hash with a Poached Egg
serves 3-4

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
4-6 small yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered
1 red bell pepper, large dice
1 small onion, large dice
1/2 pound brussel sprouts, halved or quartered-depends on their size
4 eggs, poached
1-2 T butter
salt and pepper
Steam the sweet potato and yukon gold potatoes until fork tender, 8-10 mins. Heat a sauté pan and add 1/4 cup water, red pepper, onion, and brussel sprouts. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender but still have a bit of a bite. Uncover and add potato mixture to sauté pan, season and add butter. Thoroughly mix.

Serve with a poached egg on top. A piece of toast and a sprinkle of chives or green onion would also make tasty additions.

German Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

This German Apple Cake turned out moist and delicious. We ate it plain for breakfast over the weekend and we also served it to friends as a dessert with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. It was a hit and it will definitely be added to our favorite list of baked goods.

German Apple Cake

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 cups apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13 inch cake pan with cooking spray or by buttering and dusting with sugar. In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with a mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well. Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and following caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cream

Bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Let cool slightly before serving with warm cake.

Baked Cod Packets

Tonight we had these quick, easy, and delicious cod packets. It is almost a complete meal with a fillet of fish nestled in a bed of spinach, leeks, and bell peppers. I served the packets with a side of white rice and the kids wanted a drizzle of soy sauce on theirs. Last week we even cooked the foil packets in the fireplace which added a bit of smokey flavor but tonight we opted for the oven. Either way it is terrific and cleanup is a snap!!!
Baked Cod Packets - 4 packets
4 cod fillets
1 leek, (I cut the bottom, white portion of slice it in half and thoroughly rinse it in the sink)
1 handful of spinach per packet
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place 4 large pieces of foil on the counter. Tear a handful of spinach leaves apart and place in the center of each piece of foil. Thinly slice the leek and add a quarter of the leeks to each packet. Place the bell pepper slices on top of the leeks, reserving two to three for the top of each fish fillet. Drizzle vegetables with a small amount of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place one fillet on top of each packet and place the remaining peppers on top of each piece of fish. Drizzle with a little more oil and season lightly again. Pull two sides of foil up over the fish and fold over two times. Next, fold the open edges over a few times to completely close. Repeat with remaining packets. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. If the fish is white and firm to the touch it is ready. Serve with a scoop of rice.

English Muffins

I've made quite a few yeast breads in the last couple of weeks and they've all turned out really well. I've always liked a good English muffin toasted with a touch of butter and jam. This homemade version hit the spot and I will definitely be making them again and again. I like that I can make the dough the night before and put it on the griddle in the morning. The cornmeal crust made a bit of a mess, but it was worth it. I split them open and toasted them a little and I ate mine with a poached egg on top. Delish!

English Muffins

adapted from Artisan Breads Every Day

I cooked mine in ring forms, but you can cut the top and bottom off of a tuna fish can or the ring to a large canning jar and that would work just as well.

2 t honey

1 T oil

1 1/2 c warm milk

2 2/3 cup bread flour

1 1/2 t kosher salt

2 t instant or rapid rise yeast

1/4 t baking soda

3 T warm water

1/2 c cornmeal

Dissolve honey in the milk and oil mixture. In a stand mixer bowl, add the flour, salt, and yeast together, Stir to combine. Add the milk mixture and mix until combined and sticky. Switch to a bread hook and mix for another minute. Transfer dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure to place directly on the surface of the dough so that it does not dry out or form a skin. Refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.

Take the dough out 2 hours before baking and let it come to room temperature. Just before cooking, mix baking soda and water together and then fold into dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes while you heat a nonstick pan or cast iron pan or griddle. Spray each ring with cooking spray or wipe with oiled paper towel. Dip oiled rings into cornmeal and then place on oiled cooking surface. Sprinkle more cornmeal in the bottom of the ring and then put a scant 1/3 cup batter in each ring. Sprinkle more cornmeal on the surface of the batter. You'll want your heat to be on medium or medium low since you are cooking these for 10-12 minutes per side. Flip after batter is golden brown on one side and top is dry on the edges and bubbly.

I flipped them rings and all. If you remove the rings too early the batter squishes out at the edges and they are a little less perfect looking - but they taste just as good! These were great fresh and held up quite well. We ate them within 4 days, and even on day 4 they tasted fresh and tender.

Gingerbread House

This year we made our gingerbread house from scratch. We enjoyed finding a template to printout and then we cut out the dough and baked it on sheet pans. We had lots of dough, so we made all sorts of things to compliment the house. We had trees, a walkway, gingerbread men, and more. We made the dough and baked it the day before decorating so that it could harden overnight. We used this recipe from allrecipes and it turned out terrific.
We also made the recipe for the icing that they suggest and it was wonderful as well. It set up pretty quickly and hardened well. I separated the icing into four different bags with different tips so that we could each have one and I wouldn't have to switch out the tips. I used the bag with the large tip to pipe frosting on the walls and roof. The kids used the smaller tips for decorating their individual pieces. Watch this video on how to prep icing bags for easy cleanup...I tried it and it was easy and such a snap to cleanup.
We used lots of different candies and then we finished it off with flaked coconut as snow. We also put a little candle inside and lit it which was a perfect finishing touch.

Gingerbread House Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/3 cups molasses
4 eggs
8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces.
3. On a large piece of parchment paper, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Remove extra dough, transfer entire piece of parchment paper to sheet pan and bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing (Doubled)
In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth and plastic wrap until ready to decorate.

Use this template for your gingerbread house.

Spinach-Artichoke Mayo

Here is a great little idea for all of those turkey day leftovers! I toasted up a few mini party rolls and topped them with a little turkey, lettuce, and a bit of spinach-artichoke mayo. Super easy and super yummy for a quick sandwich to go with a bowl of hearty turkey noodle soup. Making the most of leftovers can be tasty!

Spinach-Artichoke Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small jar artichokes
1 cup fresh spinach
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a mini food processor or mixer. Enjoy in fresh sandwiches, paninis, and more.

If this method does not suit a certain member of the family, let her create her own mini lunch...then photograph if she insists!!

Whoppie Pies

I have two different version of the "Whoppie Pie" to share today. The popular chocolate and marshmallow filling variety and a seasonal Pumpkin Pie variety. They are both very good and were definitely a hit in our home. We only made half a batch of each, which honestly is more than we need to have lying around! It is hard to walk past them without taking a nibble! The batter is quite different so we ended up with about 7 huge-yet thin-chocolate whoppie pies and about 20 smaller, more dome-ish pumpkin whoppie pies.

Chocolate Whoppie Pies
adapted from gourmet.com

2 cups flour
1/2 natural cocoa powder (or dutch-process)
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 t vanilla
1 stick butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg

filling
1 stick butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 t vanilla
(Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Alternating between the two, add dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry.
Drop 1/4 cup batter on parchment-lined trays and bake for about 11 minutes or until puffed and springy. Cool on a wire rack and then place filling on bottom of cookie and top with second cookie.
Pumpkin Whoppie Pies
adapted from marthastweart.com

3 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 T cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cloves
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups canned pumpkin-chilled
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla

filling
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 stick butter, room temp
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t vanilla
(Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. In a stand mixer, beat brown sugar and oil until combined. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add flour mixer at once and mix until fully incorporated.
Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough (I used a small ice cream scoop) on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are firm to the touch and springy, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Spread filling on bottom on cooled cookie and top with second cookie. Refrigerate cookies to firm up, although I preferred them freshly made.