Bagels & Lox

I guess this week is bagel week. Bagels are actually my favorite bread of all time, so I'm surprised I haven't done them earlier. Anyway, I'm sure most people have heard of eating bagels with lox (cold smoked salmon), but you can't just toast a bagel and throw some fish on it - there's a right way to do it!

Ingredients (Per Sandwich)

• 1 Sesame Bagel, split and toasted
• 1 1/2 to 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons capers, drained
• 2 thin slices of red onion (or a couple of teaspoons of chopped green onions or chives)
• 2-3 ounces nova lox, sliced as thinly as possible
• 2-4 slices tomato
• kosher salt

Directions

Spread the cream cheese over both halves of the bagel. Put a teaspoon of capers and an onion slice on each half. Fold the lox slices so it fits on the bagel halves and put some on each one. Top each half with tomato slices and a small pinch of kosher salt.

Skyline Bagel Sandwich

With credit given to Gandolfo's Deli, this is one of the tastiest bagel sandwiches I've ever eaten! It's also one of the simplest and easiest to make at home that I've discovered. Gandolfo's version cost's almost $4, but in 5 minutes you can make it at home for less than $1's worth of ingredients!

Disclaimer: I've never actually witnessed one of these being made in the deli (their kitchen is hidden in the back), but I've eaten many of them. This is my best approximation of the sandwich, but I don't guarantee that it's identical to the recipe used by Gandolfo's! I am not claiming to represent Gandolfo's Deli in any way, officially or unofficially.

Ingredients (per sandwich)

• 1 bagel, (I prefer Bubba's onion bagels)
• 1 1/2 to 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2-3 slices tomato
• 1-2 ounces of thinly sliced turkey, ham or Canadian bacon
• 2 teaspoons softened butter

Directions

Split the bagel and toast the cut side (my toaster has a "Bagel Mode" for this, but you could also use a toaster oven or broiler). Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over high heat and quickly heat up the meat so it slightly browns (if you don't want to heat up or wash a pan, cook for 30 seconds in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl - it won't brown as much but will taste nearly as good). Spread the cream cheese over the cut side of one of the toasted bagel halves. Add the tomato slices and put the meat on top. Spread the butter over the cut side of the other half of the toasted bagel and top the sandwich with it, cut side down. Press firmly with your hand (or cook in a Panini press for 30 seconds), slice in half, and serve.

Brats with Peppers and Onions

Now that fall is upon us, we must consider tailgating! Fall is my favorite time of year to be outdoors - the crisp air, the smell of leaves on the grass, the awesome power of 300-pound offensive linemen crushing a linebacker...it makes you almost giddy with excitement! Great tailgating is all about preparation: it's hard to do a lot of cooking over a portable grill. To be successful, you must do as much cooking as possible at home, then use the grill as a last-minute finisher. Brats are a great example of this technique.

Ingredients

• 4 bratwurst sausages
• 1 bottle beer (regular or non-alcoholic)
• 1 red onion, frenched
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 hoagie rolls
• 1 bottle of mustard (regular or spicy)

Directions

At home: Simmer the sausages in the beer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Tightly wrap in plastic and store in a sealable container in a refrigerator or cooler until grill time. Put the peppers and onions on a large piece of aluminum foil. Add the oil, salt, and pepper and toss to evenly coat. Spread the veggies into a single layer and seal the foil into a packet not wider than your grill. Refrigerate with the brats and proceed to the grill location.

Grill time: Heat the grill for direct heat (all burners on high for gas grills). Put the veggie packet on the grill, flipping once per minute for 5-10 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked and caramelized (if using charcoal, you can put the packet right on the coals). Grill the brats for 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Toast the buns for 30-60 seconds. Place a sausage in each bun with mustard and veggies.

Note: If you're just having this at home, you can forgo the grilling and do this on a griddle or flat top. Just sautee the veggies over high heat, brown the brats, and toast the buns in the oven or broiler.

Quick Salmon Sandwiches

I am frequently in a rush. When you are in a rush, some foods (like salmon) are difficult to do because they can take time to prepare. Fortunately (at least for salmon) there is a canned alternative that is readily available and quickly prepared. Sure, canned salmon is not as good as fresh, but it's better than no salmon at all.

Ingredients

• 1 small can salmon
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• a pinch of dried oregano

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve on sourdough toast with romaine lettuce. Makes 2-4 sandwiches, depending on the size of the bread.

Asian Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Today, we continue with this week's theme of meals made with Asian-Style Roast Chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 leftover Asian roast chicken breast from Monday (3/2), diced
• 2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise (depending on how "wet" you like your salad)
  
• 2 tablespoons diced mandarin orange segments
• 2 tablespoons shredded carrot
• 1 tablespoon water chestnuts, diced
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped cashews, toasted
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Serve on toasted wheat bread with chow mein noodles or lettuce.

Leftover Chicken: Asian Panini

If you're returning to the blog from Wednesday's post, you'll remember that we did Asian-Style grilled chicken. If you had any leftovers (and you should have if you read my note/hint), you can do today's recipe! If you didn't do Wednesday's chicken, just make it specifically for this recipe - it'll just take a little longer (OK, a lot longer, but it's worth it).

Ingredients

• 1 Asian-style grilled chicken breast from Wednesday's blog post
• 8 slices hearty sandwich bread (whole wheat or sourdough would be nice)
  
• 1/4 cup baby spinach, washed and dried
• 1 sliced tomato
• 2 ounces sliced Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Distribute 1/4 of a sliced chicken breast over 4 slices of bread. Top with spinach, tomato, cheese, and remaining bread. Bake in a 300 degree oven or toaster oven for 3-5 minutes (or grill on a skillet or panini press) or until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Slice in half diagonally and serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Sloppy Joes

Today we finish our week with another easy recipe based on Saturday's Meat Sauce recipe. And who doesn't love Sloppy Joes? They're sweet. They're tangy. They get your kids to eat something other than pizza and hot dogs. Best of all, they taste good!

Ingredients

• 2½ cups of Saturday's (12/20/08) meat sauce (about ¼ batch), fresh or thawed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and black pepper
  
• Toasted buns or hearty sandwich bread

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until the surface becomes shimmery. Add bell pepper and saute until it starts to brown, 5-10 minutes. Add sauce, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until thickened, 5-10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on toasted buns or sandwich bread. Makes 8-10 sandwiches.

Meatball Subs

Although I've put these yummy meatballs in a sandwich here, they would work equally well on spaghetti or baked into a casserole with noodles.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces lean ground beef
• 4 ounces italian sausage, casings removed
• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 shredded wheat crackers (like Triscuits), about 1½ ounces
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon basil (divided)
• 1 tablespoon vegatable oil
• 12 ounces spaghetti sauce (about 1½ cups)
• 1 french baguette, split in half lengthwise and then halfed crosswise (making 4 open-faced sandwiches)
• your favorite Italian dressing (I like the Good Seasons packets)
• 1 cup Shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend

Instructions

Mix together beef, sausage, spinach, crackers, eggs, and 1 tablespoon basil in a medium bowl until thoroughly integrated. Shape into 16 meatballs (I use a #40 disher). Heat a medium nonstick skillet (just large enough to hold all the meatballs in a single layer) with 1 tablespoon vegatable oil over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmery and just barely starting to smoke. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, turning frequently. Once the meatballs are brown all over, add spaghetti sauce and remaining basil and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Cover and keep warm.

Preheat the broiler. Slightly hollow out each piece of bread (save the removed bread, it makes good croutons or breadcrumbs). Put the bread under the broiler until lightly toasted. Remove bread from broiler and brush lightly with Italian dressing. Add 4 meatballs and sauce to each piece of bread. Sprinkle the sandwiches with the cheese and toast under the broiler for 2 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble. Serve immediately with salad or chips.

Gyro Sandwiches

There are 4 steps to this recipe:

1. Thicken the yogurt for the Tzatziki sauce (see the toppings section)
   
2. Make the pitas (optionally, buy pitas from the store, but they won't taste as good)
3. Prep the toppings & sauce
   
4. Do the meat

Pitas
Ingredients:

• 1 package yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1½ cups warm (110°) water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting & rolling)
• Non-stick spray
  
• 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil

Combine yeast, sugar, and water in the work bowl of a standing mixer with a dough hook. If not using instant yeast, wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to bloom and become frothy. Turn the mixer on low and add the salt. Slowly add the flour, a little at a time, reserving the last ½ cup. Turn off the mixer and feel the dough. If it is very sticky to the touch, add reserved flour. Slowly power up the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

On a lightly floured clean work surface, roll the dough into a tight ball. Place in a clean bowl or bin that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, rolling the dough around to coat the top of the ball with the spray. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough doubles in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and lightly punch down to redistribute the gasses. Divide into 8 equal portions, keeping each dough ball covered under a damp tea towel. Let rest under the towel for 15 minutes. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium-high heat or heat a pizza stone in a 500° oven. If using a griddle/skillet, lube very lighly with oil to prevent sticking. With a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball into a thin circle 8-10 inches across. As each pita is rolled out, cook on the griddle or pizza stone for 3-4 minutes as you roll out the next one. If using a griddle/skillet, flip each pita halfway through cooking time. As the pitas finish cooking stack on a plate and keep covered under a sheet of aluminum foil. Keep in a warm oven (i.e. not 500° any more) while you work on the rest of the Gyro stuff.

Toppings
I like the following on top of my Gyros:

• sliced onion
• chopped cucumber
• sliced tomato
• shredded lettuce
• sliced olives (I like green, but black work too)
  
• crumbled Feta cheese
• Tzatziki sauce (recpie follows)

Tzatziki Sauce
This recipe makes a lot of sauce. You may want to make a half batch.
Ingredients:

• 16 oz plain (unflavored) yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped fine.
• Kosher salt
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced fine or pressed
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 5-6 fresh mint leaves, finely minced OR 1-2 teaspoons dried mint (to taste)

Pour yogurt onto the middle of a clean tea towel. Gather up the corners and suspend the yogurt over a bowl (use a skewer or a mesh strainer) so excess moisture can drip out. Thicken in the fridge for 2 hours.

Spread out the chopped cucumber on a couple of layers of paper towel on a sheet pan. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Add more paper towels on top and press with another sheet pan to squeeze out water. Put drained cucumber and thickened yogurt in a medium mixing bowl and combine with remaining Tzatziki ingredients. Add additional salt to taste. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Gyro Steak
Although lamb is the traditional Gyro meat, steak is much easier to find where I live. I like flank steak because it is very flavorful, inexpensive, and is already a thin cut from the butcher (making it cook quickly and slice easily).
Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary leaves and whole peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon each fennel seeds, dried oregano and dried thyme
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
  
• 2-4 lbs steak such as flank steak, skirt steak, fajita steak, or stir-fry steak, about 1-2 inches thick
  

Finely grind the rosemary, oregano, thyme, and peppercorns together in a spice grinder or coffee mill. Lightly sprinkle both sides of meat with Kosher salt. Spread a thin dusting of the herb/spice mixture onto both sides of the meat, patting it down to ensure good contact and adhesion. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat or prepare grill for direct heat. Rub both sides with oil. Cook 5-7 minutes on a side, or until internal temperature reads 125° for rare, 145° for medium. I guess you could go until 160 for well-done, but why would you? Rest the meat off-heat for 10-15 minutes under a tent of aluminum foil and bias-slice thinly across the grain.

Whew!
It looks like we did it! To assemble, place a few slices of steak on half of the flat side of the pita. Add other toppings as desired. Fold the pita over and eat. Yum!