Brie & Fig Jam Panini

I know this isn't a recipe.
Not really.
It's more of a sandwich suggestion.
I mean really, this is three ingredients and a smear of butter.
I ate it for breakfast.
I felt decadent, and happy, no one to please but me.

The first time I ever had cheese and jam was about 35 years ago in the UK when staying with a Dutch family.  I thought it was the strangest combination, until I ate it.
It tastes amazing... I think this panini would be equally yummy with Dubliner (Extra Sharp white cheese) with some apricot or strawberry jam. Use your imagination.  It's all good.

Serves 1
Ingredients

Sliced sourdough bread
Some slices of brie, but about 1/4 inch think
Some fig butter (Trader Joes)
A bit of butter

Layer it up like below (butter is on the outside of the sandwich!)
Using a panini maker, or a frying pan on medium low heat, cook slowly until the outside is crispy and the cheese is soft and oozy.

I used an extra large slice of sourbough "boule" bread, cut in half.
I recommend fig butter as it's not as sweet as Jam, but I had to do some deep soul searching in the kitchen when deciding between TJ's Fig Jam and my own Drunken Fig Jam

German Beer Cheese

I had so much leftover cheese, and I was getting tired of snacks on chunks of cheese.  
We'd bought the big bags of pre-cubed cheese at Costco for a party, and frankly when the party was over, I bet we still had about 10 pounds of cheese left.
We'd already finished the leftover pepper jack and the cheddar, and just had the lonely bag of Co-jack (Monterrey Jack & Cheddar).  Not my favortie cheese, just too mild for me.  Here's how I zipped it up and made something a lot jazzier!
This makes quite a bit (about 3 cups) but this stuff keeps well and tastes great after sitting for a week or so.

Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients

16 oz cheddar cheese, cubed or grated
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp horseradish
1 garlic clove
6 oz amber, or dark, beer

In a food processor, add the cheese and the garlic clove.  

Process until the cheese is finely chopped.  Add the mustard and horseradish. 

With the machine running, add your beer in a slow stream until the mixture starts to smooth out.  Pulse the machine to make sure its all smooth, plus the pulsing actions helps to incorporate some air into the mixture making it more fluffy.

Serve at once, or make ahead and chill.  Have it come to room temperature for an hour or so.

Serve with pretzels, crackers or even veggies.
This would also make an amazing spread on a roast beef or pastrami sandwich.

Chicken Pesto Panini Sandwich

I know that a sandwich may not really be a recipe, however, maybe you need some inspiration. Chicken pesto, mozzarella, arugula and tomatoes make a fantastic grilled sandwich, and I just needed to share.
 
I usually have some sort of cooked, rotisserie chicken in my fridge, or freezer.  
I buy a roast chicken from Costco every time we go there. 
Every time.  
For a very good reason, for $4.99 it's the best deal around, and I use the chicken carcass regularly to make my own stock for the freezer (here's my recipe and technique Chicken Stock. Best, Easy, Homemade).  If we don't eat the chicken the day we bought it, then I use latex gloves to tear the meat from the bones and save it for another use, usually adding to soups, sandwiches or enchilada type dishes.  If you need inspiration there's more ideas for a roast chicken at the bottom of this posting.

Makes 2 big sandwiches
Ingredients

1 Tbsp pesto
1 1/2 cup rotisserie chicken, cubed
2 sliced tomatoes, drained on a paper towel to remove some of the moisture
1 cup mozzarella shredded
1-2 cup spinach or arugula
4 slices sourdough bread
Butter, or olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Mix the cubed, or shredded chicken with the pesto sauce. Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Heat your panini maker, or a frying pan to medium low heat, add the bread (butter or olive oil side down) add the cheese, top with freah arugula or spinach, then chicken pesto mixture, sliced tomatoes, more cheese and topped with more bread.  Close the panini maker and grill for about 5 minutes.  If using a fry pan, use a heavy dish to hold the sandwich down, and carefully flip to grill the other side.

*Remember, you need cheese on both sides of the bread to make sure you "glue" the sandwich together.

What else could you do with a roast chicken?

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
California Chicken Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Chicken White Bean Chili
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Malayasian Curry with 10 Boy Condiments
Whole Wheat Asian Noodle Salad
Chicken Stock. Best, Easy, Homemade


Here's what;s been happening on my blog on this date over the years...

One year ago:  Cacio e Pepe   (travel post and recipe)
Two years ago:   Meat Anyone?  Trip to Hamburg (travel post) 
Three years ago:   Cous Cous Black Bean Salad

Thai Turkey Burger

Still thinking fondly of my trip to Thailand and all the amazing flavors there.
I actually dreamed this up one night lying in bed trying to sleep.
I had many of the fresh ingredients on hand from something else I made and wanted more of those flavors in my mouth...  fresh cilantro, basil, chilies and lime.
I had ground turkey... so what about a Thai burger??? 

It was so good, that I actually thought of keeping this one to myself and submitting it to someone "Build a Burger" contest and winning a prize...  
Ah heck, why wait to share?  
I want you to be as happy as we were.
We are going to make this one again, and again... and again.

Makes 4 - 5 oz burgers
Ingredients

20 oz ground turkey (7% fat is best)
1 lime, zested
1 Tbsp garlic chili paste
3 Tbsp green onions, minced
3 Tbsp cilantro, minced
2 Tbsp basil, minced
1 tsp salt

Slaw Dressing:
2 limes, juiced
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp garlic chili paste
2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup mung beans
3 Tbsp green onions 
2-3 chilies, like bird's eye, or jalapeno (optional)
3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp basil, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste


 
Mix the ground turkey with all the spices and herbs.  Mix well.  Shape into balls, then pat into patties. Grease your grill (or spray your patties with a bit of oil) and grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until they are to your liking.

Serve on toasted buns with plenty of slaw, and a little mayo, if desired.  

In the bottom of a large bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together with a whisk.  Add the fresh veggies and herbs.  Toss about 10 minutes before you serve it.

Toss!

Guacomole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I bought a new panini maker.  
Not because I really needed one, but heck, why not? The price was right.
It sounds kind of bad that I bought one to make this sandwich, but really, this is what I had on my mind when I did it. I was making this sandwich within 60 minutes of buying it.  That's how I roll.

I was intrigued to take a traditional grilled cheese sandwich and add the typical ingredients that you add to guacamole. Slices of cheese, avocado, tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and some spices.  Yum!  Crisp cooked bacon also makes a nice addition, if you are in to that kind of thing. 

A couple of things made this sandwich work... 1) use cheese on both sides, it helps to "cement" the whole sandwich together, 2) Salt and pepper your sliced tomatoes and avocados, 3) sprinkle with spices.  I didn't use any butter or oil to grill the sandwich, I like it without, but you can do what ever you want*. 

This sandwich works great in a panini maker, or a traditional frying pan.
Use what you got..

Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients 

2 slices whole wheat bread
4 slices cheddar cheese, or pepper jack, slices
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 big, or 4 small slices of tomato
1 jalapeno, sliced very thin lengthwise
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, torn from their stems
A sprinkle of ground cumin
A sprinkle of granulated garlic
Generous salt and pepper on your tomatoes and avocado slices

Here's some other things you could add... if you wanted:

• 2 couple thin slices or red onions
• 2-3 slices of pre-cooked crispy bacon
• mayo with a little added lime juice and lime zest 

Assemble the sandwich, adding seasoning.  Carefully put the two sides together, and grill over medium low heat for about 2-3 minutes per side.About 5-6 minutes total, until the cheese is all melted. Serve with salsa dipping sauce on the side

*"Do what you want" are my favorite words to hear. 

Chipotle-Corn Turkey Burgers

It's not very often where a burger completely knocks your socks off.

But this one did.

Completely, utterly made us both groan with pleasure. 

I don’t make a lot of hamburgers, but I really, really like a good one.

Problem is… we usually go out for a burger instead of making them at home. 

My hubby actually said "Red Robin, watch out". Then he went into talking of his dream of opening a pub where I made all the pub food.  Umm... no, too much work thanks, I'd rather just cook for all of you.

This one is good enough to make you super happy, and healthy enough, and easy too. This is one recipe I know that I will make again and again.

It’s the spicy, with a bit of sweet from the corn, that is very good with turkey.  I recommend the Chipotle Sour cream as a condiment, as long as you have that can of chipotles already open- why not do it?

It's pretty easy to have this stuff on hand at my house, I hope yours too

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup grilled corn kernals, or regular corn (Trader Joe’s has a great one)

1-2 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 Tbsp green onions, minced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

   

Other toppings:

4 hamburger buns, split

Cheddar cheese slices, or Pepper Jack

Chipotle Sour Cream (recipe here, not crucial, just recommended)

Avocado slices

Tomato slices

Onion slices

Lettuce

Preheat a grill to medium. In a bowl, combine the turkey, chipotle chile, chopped cilantro, minced green onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Form the mixture into 4 patties and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Brush the tops of the patties with 1 tablespoon oil; arrange on the grate oiled side down and grill until deep golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Brush the other side of the patties with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, turn and continue grilling until cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

During the last few minutes of grilling, arrange the buns split side down on the grate and grill until toasted.

Spread the toasted buns with the chipotle sour cream (or mayo) and patties, cheese, avocado, tomato and onions. Set the bun tops into place. Eat and Enjoy!

Jambalaya Sandwich

I saw Guy Fieri do this sandwich about 8 months ago on TV. 

I've been thinking of it ever since.
What's not to like about a jambalaya sandwich?

Some people, purists like my sister, might enjoy it best in the traditional way with rice.
But I have a very nice recipe already on my blog for Jambalaya, and I needed it in a sandwich! 

What an easy way to fill a bun; meat, sauce, veggies and zesty spices dumped into your bread of choice and enjoyed right away.  I wouldn't want to eat jambalaya on a hot day, but I would always, always want it in a sandwich!

What about you?

If so, go for it!

This is easy and comes together quickly too.  My only advice is to use a sturdy roll or baguette for this.  The hoagie rolls I used were too soft and after a couple of minutes made the bread soggy so we couldn't pick these up anymore.... though it just might have been the amount of sauce I added to mine. I love sauce...

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup peppers

1 cup onions

1 cup celery

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

1-3 Tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts

1 lb andouille sausage or hot links, sliced

1 lb prawns, cleaned and tails pulled off

1 can tomatoes, diced with their juice

1/2 can of tomato paste (about 2-3 Tbsp)

1 tsp thyme, dried or fresh

1 tsp oregano, dried or fresh

1-3 Tbsp Frank's red Hot, or other hot sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 300 degrees to warm your sandwich buns, if desired.

In a large dutch oven, over medium high heat, add the olive oil, onions, peppers and celery.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions have started to soften up and take on some brownish color.  Add the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes. Remove the sauteed veggies to a side plate, and use the same pan to brown the chicken in a little more oil for about 6-7 minutes, add the sausage and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add reserved cooked veggies.

This is what it looked like right before I added the tomatoes. It will be much saucier in a minute...

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices.  Bring to a boil and add the shrimp.  Turn down to medium and cook for about 2-3 more minutes until the shrimp are pink, stirring occasionally.  Add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. 

Add to rolls and serve!

 

Like unusual Sandwiches?  Me too....
BBT- Bacon, Basil & Tomato Sandwich
Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwiches
Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese and Onion Jam
Sourdough Picnic Meatloaf
Simple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich or Sliders
Tandoori Turkey Burger
 

BBT- Bacon, Basil & Tomato Sandwich

Hey, do you have a lot of tomatoes all of a sudden?
Yup, me too.
Oh, don't be impressed with my tomato growing abilities... my tomato plants look ridiculous; only the cherry tomatoes look like something I want to eat. Luckily, I know people, people with relatives who give them large quantities of fresh produce.  I am one happy neighbor, and I love those sharing people next door.

I will admit to Googling "tomato recipes"... I wasn't feeling too inspired. The only thing I could think of is homemade ketchup... nah, I must admit I prefer Heinz to make it for me and to keep it coming.  If you ever go to Red Robin with me for a burger, don't even think of keeping the ketchup on your side of the table. Nope, has to be by me. What's that you say? Yes, I AM bossy.

Anyway, I digress. Sunset magazine has this great link with 27 Tomato recipes, and if you have lots of tomatoes, you really should check it out.  This was the first idea on Sunset's page, and since I lots of basil, and some fresh Artisan Bread that I can slice up and a hubby who thinks it's his job to cook up a whole pound of bacon every Sunday regardless of us only eating a couple of pieces, I knew this would be just the thing for lunch! But you could make it for dinner...

I know it's just a sandwich... but it really sounded good to me, and heck, maybe you hadn't thought of this yet either!?!

For each sandwich:
2 slices great quality  bread
1 tomato, sliced
2-3 slices of bacon, crisp
5-6 big leaves of basil (or arugula)
Some good mayo ( or goat cheese!!!.. that's what I used)
Salt & Pepper

I'm not sure I really need to tell you how to do this... layer it up, salt & peppering your tomatoes to your hearts content. I ate mine open faced so I could get the maximum amount of stuff on ONE piece of bread!

Here's my other favorite (so far) tomato recipes, the recipes called for canned tomatoes... but you can chop up your own, y'know!?
Ratatouille
Tilapia Provencal
Mediterranean Tomato Soup
Gazpacho

Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese and Onion Jam

I'm not sure why I ordered this at Matt's at the Market in Seattle's Pike Place. It is very unusual that I would order lamb anything, but something about pairing the lamb burger with goat cheese and onion jam, just made me do it.  And... It was terrific. Matt's is THE place to go in the market, and you have a great view of the hustle and bustle of the market, and the landmark sign while you dine in comfort and deliciousness.  My burger was served with a crazy garbanzo bean, golden raisin, red onion and mint salad. I'm going to make that soon, it was amazing too.

I know that not everyone likes lamb.. which is fine, I'm not 100% sure I love it that much either. I just happen to live with this guy who thinks its like the best thing ever. So if you don't like lamb, this would be terrific with ground beef or turkey too.  Make it what you like!

In case you are wondering, I made the buns too. I made the 5 Minute Artisan bread the other day, so I had the dough on hand, waiting for me. I made smaller rolls with fresh rosemary and baked my own buns. 
Except they turned out a bit large... yeah, way too big. What a terrible problem to have, huh?  I'm not saying you need to make your own buns, but you could and they would be awesome, chewy, fresh and yeasty perfect for getting the lamb, the goat cheese and the onion jam to your face.  Yum.

Serves 4-6

2 lb. ground lamb

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Burger Fixings:

4 oz of goat cheese, cut into 8-12 slices

1 cup onion jam (recipe below)

Dijon mustard

4 Slices Tomato

2 cups baby spinach, shredded and tossed with

- 1 Tbsp Olive oil

- 1 tsp lemon juice

Onion Jam Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water (you might need more water as you go, if it looks dry)

Make the Onion Jam first!

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and the oil.

Cook until soft and translucent about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the sugar, red wine vinegar and water.

Cook until the liquid is reduced completely and the onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add more water if the mixture starts to look dry and the pan bottom starts to brown. Set aside. It will get even darker as it cools.  I did this the day before I wanted to serve the burgers.

Mix lamb, or beef, with oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into patties. Grill the burger patties until done to your liking, probably 3-5 minutes per side, but how hot your grill is makes a difference. Take off the grill. Add the slices of goat cheese on top of the hot patties.

Lightly toast the buns, add a bit of dijon mustard on the bottom bun, topped with onion jam, the patty, the shredded spinach salad and the sliced tomato.

Eat, enjoy... yum.

Here are some other great sandwiches to make:

Tandoori Turkey Burger

Sourdough Picnic Meatloaf
Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwiches
Simple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich or Sliders

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

It's no secret that I like jalapenos... so when I heard about a Jalapeno Popper sandwich while watching Diners', Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network I was IN!  I didn't see the whole episode but kept thinking of how I would go about making one of these are my house.

It's rich, but so yummy.  

I made one for my teenage son the other day, and he loved it.  He loved it so much that when I got home one day, I came back to the remnants of his own foray into sandwich making all over the kitchen. 
What a mess...
But, later on, he told me his version of the sandwhich included dipping it in beaten egg, and then in panko breadcrumbs and then fried.  Fantastic sounding, but it does explain the big, fat mess he left... for... me.  Oh well, raising good cooks takes some effort, just like everything else worthwhile in life.

Makes about 4 sandwiches
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 jalapenos, seeds removed, minced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Sprinkle of chili powder
8 slices Sourdough Bread
3-4 Tbsp butter, softened

Parmesan Cheese, finely grated (optional)


Mince the jalapeno, and slice the green onions.  Mix the grated cheddar, cream cheese, jalapenos and green onions together.

It should be kind of thick...

Spread a bit (or a bunch) on 2 slices of bread. I like sourdough best of all.

Okay, I need to share ONE MORE trick... this is a great way to make it seems even more like a Jalapeno Popper, but it's not quite as pretty looking.

If you butter the outside of your sandwich and then press it into grated Parmesan and then fry it, low and slow, you will get a nice, crispy, crunchy outside crust to your sandwich... which is very much like a real jalapeno popper that you buy with the crunchy outside.  You do have to watch the heat, because the cheese has a tendency to burn more quickly than just butter would.

Tandoori Turkey Burger

Grilling this weekend?

Mixing in the exotic flavors make this burger better than your run of the mill burger, plus, if you make the yoghurt sauce* as your condiment, then you have cut tons of fat from your dinner!  The curry powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic and garam masala make the flavors interesting, and adding minced green onions and cilantro jazz it up even more.  Do add salt to the mixture though, having the right saltiness makes the dish. The only things I put on my burger was the turkey patty, cucumbers, tomatoes and yoghurt sauce.... that's right- no mayo, no ketchup, no pickles.  I had intense and interestingly flavors and I didn't feel like I was missing anything like FAT and CALORIES!

*The yoghurt sauce also made a great dressing for a salad the next day!

Ground turkey is such an easy thing to have on hand and whip up a fast, healthy meal.  I buy those 4 packs of the ground turkey at Costco and put some in the freezer.  It's probably cheaper at the grocery store when it goes on sale, but buying the 4 pack is easy and consistently a good price.

I've been meaning to do this for the longest time, but it's just such a simple recipe I didn't think it would be that much fun.  I WAS WRONG.... if my hubby was here, he'd ask me to repeat that!

Serves 4
Burger patty ingredients:
20 oz. ground turkey
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup cilantro, minced


Yoghurt sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt

Suggested condiments:
Persian Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Tomatoes
Shredded lettuce

Make the yoghurt sauce first, mixing all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit to meld the flavors.

Cut up your veggies for the burger, I used cucumbers and tomatoes, but lettuce would be nice too. 

I mixed the turkey mixture in my stand mixer, but any bowl would work too. Just be sure to combine all the ingredients well, you want to have the spices in every bite.

***If you want to check the seasoning, and salt, throw a tablespoon of the raw mixture in a small dish in the microwave and cook for 15-30 seconds.  It will cook it, (but its super hot) and you can taste.  Do remember that the microwave sometimes makes it kind of tough, which is not something that will happen when you grill it!

Make 4 patties from the ground turkey, making them a bit bigger than you want them to be as they do shrink.  If you make a small thumb print indentation in the middle of the patty they will come out flatter and less 'bulgy' in the middle after cooking.  Try it... it works!

Cook them on the grill for 3-4 minutes per side. I did these inside on a grill pan on a rainy day recently and they turned out pretty darn good!

If you like Indian flavors, like I do, here are some other recipes you might like:
Indian Butter Chicken
Turkey Keema Curry
Balinese Grilled Chicken