Classic Cubano Sandwich

No, you aren't seeing things. And yes, I made something with ham in it. If you know me, then you know that I am a #1 ham hater. Can't. Do. It. But I love my husband even more than my distaste for the pink-ish deli meat, so I took one for the team. And I am so glad I did, because this sandwich may just convert me. If you haven't seen the movie, "Chef" then a) you may be living under a rock and b) if you have Netflix (and who doesn't these days?) you can watch it for free! But to sum it all up, the main character makes these incredible-looking cubano sandwiches that got us feeling all of the #hangry feels. 

So I set out on a quest to find the recipe from the movie, and to my pleasure, the recipe that popped up in my Google search literally read, "Cubanos from the Chef Movie". Can it get any closer than that? My next quest was to prepare them and serve them up for hubby's 1/2 birthday. Yes, I am a freak who obsesses over half birthdays. It's just so fun and unexpected. So we celebrated being 29 and one half while chowing down on some festive cubano sandwiches. Not a bad weekend if I do say so myself!

Cubanos from the movie "Chef"
Makes 6

Ingredients:

• 12 slices of baked ham
• thinly sliced Roast Pork (I used this recipe)
• 6 tbsp. butte
• 6 Kaiser rolls, split
• yellow mustard
• 6 thin slices Swiss cheese
• 12 thin slices dill pickles

Heat a Panini/sandwich press over medium. If you do not have a press, feel free to use a large cast iron skillet (using a pot or large baking sheet with cans in it for the "press"). Add ham and pork to cook, turning once until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the press.

Generously butter the cut side of your rolls, and toast, cut side down, and press down until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a clean work surface.

On the bottom bun, place 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of pork, then a slice of cheese, and 2 pickle slices. Brush the cut side of the top buns with yellow mustard and close the sandwiches.

Generously butter the outside of the sandwiches and place back onto the press, close down and cook until the cheese melts and the outsides are gold brown, about 3 minutes. If using the skillet/pan method, cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Allow the cubanos to cool for a minute or so before slicing and serving hot.

Now turn on a sexy Miami playlist and get the party started.

Brown Sugar Pulled Pork

Isn't friendship amazing? I know, what you're thinking, what does a pulled pork recipe have to do with friendship, but seeing as this blog is also my diary, sometimes I just have to get a little personal with you guys. I'm going to take you on a long journey, in a short amount of time. I have talked about Andrew and I's wedding planners, from Konsider it Done, before. But they are anything but just wedding planners to us. I have known Kris since our wild and crazy college days, singing and dancing at a local piano bar. Kris, well she was a bit of a nomad, and moved plenty of times throughout the years, and when she made her trek back to AZ after a stint in LA and Texas, she was looking for a place to live. I just happened to be going back to school after college and living in my parent's basement (trust me, it was much cooler than it sounds). My parents gracefully let her move in with us, where we shared many laughs, and coincidentally enough, that is when I started this here blog. Fast forward a bit, and Kris and I moved out of the basement and into a townhouse with Kris' little sister that I bought in Phoenix. Us 3 girls, just living life, cooking together, watching The Bachelor marathons together, and living paycheck to paycheck. Life was good. Or so we thought. Fast forward a bit more, and now Kris is married to her husband and business partner, Tyler. Kris' little sister and I are both engaged and life is even better than any of us could have imagined. These days we are replacing our dinners in the basement with hosting dinners at each other's houses, sharing life and wedding tips, recipes, and a whole lot of laughs. Like I said. Isn't friendship amazing? And so it this pulled pork. But I don't need to tell you a long run on story about that, because it's just a fact. For an added kick, try serving this pork on a pretzel bun with some of this blackberry honey mustard.

Brown Sugar Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. pork shoulder 
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup bbq sauce
• 6 oz. light beer

Mix together the sugar, mustard, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork and then place it into a crockpot. Pour the liquid smoke, bbq sauce, and beer over the seasoned pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

The pork should easily shred with a fork, or take the easy way out and transfer the meat to a stand mixer on low. You can thank me later.

The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

While I may not always love working on weekends, I love being able to have weekdays off to make my fiance a hearty breakfast. Sometimes I take requests, and other times I just full on surprise him. This breakfast sandwich was one of my finer AM creations, leaving no possible topping left unturned in my kitchen. Runny egg + sriracha + bacon = LIFE. 

The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread
• 1 tbsp. mayo
• 1 tsp. sriracha
• 2-3 slices tomato
• handful of spring mix greens
• 2 slices turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1 slice white american cheese
• 2 slices applewood smoked bacon

Cook bacon, whether you fry is or bake it; this should be done first. Once the bacon is almost done cooking, poach your egg. I just got these amazing egg poachers from Crate & Barrel from my matron of honor, and they are life changing. 

Remove cooked bacon and poached egg from heat. Toast the bread until golden. Spread the mayo and sriacha on one slice of bread. Place the cheese on the other slice. Pile the tomato, lettuce, turkey, bacon and egg on top of the cheese. Close the sandwich with the mayo spread side. Cut in half and serve.

Cheddar Mashed Potato Waffle Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwiches

This is the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich to end all leftover sandwiches. If there was anything that I was most excited about this holiday season, it was to make Thanksgiving dinner, specifically for the leftovers. And then this sandwich came along. Not only was is absolutely incredible to shoot on my new camera, so much that I might make it my desktop photo on my computer, but it was a thousand more times incredible to eat. Sure you can use your standard bread as the vehicle for your delicious leftovers, but why do that when you can make cheesy waffles out of your mashed potatoes?! Seriously, need I say more?!

Cheddar Mashed Potato Waffle Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup freshly grated white cheddar
• your Thanksgiving leftovers, reheated if needed

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes and milk until smooth. Add in the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well in between additions. Fold in the chopped herbs.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and add into the mashed potato mixture. Mix well until combined. Fold in the cheeses and mix well once more.

Preheat your waffle maker and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook about 1/4-1/2 cup of batter at a time, depending on how big your waffle maker is, until nice and golden brown.

Place the reheated leftovers between two waffle slices and enjoy.

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Apple Grilled Cheese

Whew! That was a mouthful. But I just couldn't leave out a single ingredient from the title. If you follow me on instagram, then you saw me post this last week, and now I am bringing the simple recipe to life. All of the flavors work together so perfectly. Turns out finding half a package of peppered bacon in the freezer, an opened jar of fig jam and a solo green apple in the fridge are the perfect lunch combination. Plus, who can turn down goat cheese? 

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Apple Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 4 slices cooked bacon
• 1/2 green apple, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. fig jam

Toast the bread until golden. Spread the jam on one slice and the goat cheese on the other slice. top with the bacon and the sliced apples and press together. Cut in half and serve.

Pulled Pork Bahn Mi Sandwiches

I recently had my first taste of a classic Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich. In the middle of moving a couple of weeks ago, Andrew and I were famished. My cousin owns a couple of Which Wich sandwich shops in Chandler and Gilbert, so we decided to stop in and get some nourishment. I normally stick to my regular buffalo chicken sandwich, but upon walking up to the counter to order, a massive sign advertising their new Bahn Mi sandwich caught my eye. Toasted french bread. Pulled pork. Jalapenos. Carrots. Cucumbers. Cilantro. Sriracha mayo. How could I not order this thing of beauty? So we ordered 2 and devoured them in no more time that it took to make them. For days we talked about how incredibly delicious they were, and ultimately decided we needed to try our hands at making them at home ourselves. Can I just tell you that we fell in love all over again? For something so simple in theory, they taste so gourmet, and they make amazing leftovers for the next day!

Pulled Pork Bahn Mi Sandwiches
Makes 4 

Pulled Pork:

• 2 1/2-3 lb. pork shoulder
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup bbq sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin

Sriracha Mayo

• 4 tbsp. mayo
• 1 tbsp. sriracha

Pickled Carrots

• 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Sandwich

• 1 french baguette, halved horizontally and cut into fourths
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

In a crock pot, add the pork shoulder, broth, bbq sauce, onion, cinnamon, oregano, and cumin. Cook on low for 8 hours, until the pork is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Remove the pork from the crock pot and shred in a large bowl. (Hint: if you have leftover pulled pork, be sure to make these)

To prepare the carrots, simply whisk together the vinegar and sugar, then toss the carrots and set in the fridge to pickle while the pork cooks. When ready to serve, just drain out the vinegar from the bowl.

To prepare the sriracha mayo,whisk together the mayo and sriracha and place in fridge until ready to serve.

To assemble the sandwiches, toast the baguette until crispy and warm. Slather some sriracha mayo onto each bottom piece of bread. Top with a large helping of the pulled pork. Then layer the cucumber, jalapeno, pickled carrots, chopped cilantro, and bread top to finish. Serve warm.

Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Cilantro Lime "Mayo"

I recently obtained this amazing little "tree stump" stand, but really had no idea what it's purpose was supposed to be. I thought maybe a candle holder, or a trivet for a hot plate, but then I ultimately decided that it was perfect for holding up these perfectly crispy chicken sandwiches. I love using simple and fresh ingredients whenever I can, and that can really make or break a sandwich like this. A spicy marinated chicken breast, rolled in crispy bread crumbs, and then placed atop some freshly crisp lettuce, tomato, and onion, and finished off with some zesty "mayo". I have never been an advocate for mayo, but substituting Greek yogurt is definitely something that I have grown fond of. Let me know what you think, and if you make these at home be sure to tag it on instagram with the hashtag #HDFB.

 

Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Cilantro Lime "Mayo"

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, halved
• 1/4 cup milk or milk substitute
• 3 tbsp. hot sauce
• 1 tsp. dried cilantro
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 slices tomato
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 slices red onion
• 4 kaiser rolls or buns

Cilantro Lime "Mayo"

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Place chicken breast halves into a freezer bag, squeeze any excess air out of the bag and seal. With a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken until the breasts are evenly flattened, about 1/2-inch thick. Open the bag and add in the milk, hot sauce, and dried cilantro. Shake well to coat the chicken and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

To prepare the cilantro lime "mayo", mix together all oft he ingredients and place in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Once the meat is done marinating, prepare the breading. In a shallow dish, place the panko, salt, and pepper. Preheat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the bag and shake off the excess marinade. Press each chicken breast firmly into the breading on both sides. Add breaded chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, crisping both sides until browned and cooked through, flipping after 5 minutes.

To serve, spread a large spoonful of the "mayo on each bun bottom, place the chicken on top and then garnish with tomato, onion, lettuce, and the bun top. Serve hot. 

Sweet Pulled Pork with Jalapeño Slaw

This. This right here is definitely my all-time favorite recipe of 2014 (until the next one, duh). But just take my word for it. I love the simplicity of making pulled pork. Toss everything into the crock pot and let it cook for hours. It's almost cheating, that's how easy it is. I wanted to try a sweet and spicy spin on the classic pulled pork, but I still wanted to keep the ingredient list to a minimum. Who doesn't like simplicity? So I thought.... what's in season that is sweet and full of flavor. And then as I was strolling the farmer's market, BOOM! Blackberries. The pork is slow cooked with deliciously ripe blackberries, which break down and basically melt into the meat. Top all of that with a slightly spicy crunchy slaw, and we have something magical. And don't forget to wash it down with a cold beer!

Sweet Pulled Pork with Jalapeño Slaw
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• (1) 3-4 lb. pork shoulder
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce (I used Stubb's)
• 2 tsp. paprika
• salt & pepper
• kaiser rolls or your favorite buns for serving

Jalapeño Slaw:

• (1) 10oz. bag pre-cut slaw
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 small jalapeño, minced (seeds and ribs removed for less heat)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper

In a crockpot, add the onion, blackberries and 1/2 of the bbq sauce. Season both sides of the pork shoulder with the paprika, salt, and pepper. Place in the crock pot and cover with the rest of the bbq sauce.

Cook on low for about 7 hours, until fork tender. Shred the meat in the crock pot with 2 forks, or remove and shred in a bowl, then add it back into the crock pot; cook for another hour.

Meanwhile, mix together all of the slaw ingredients in a medium bowl, then cover & chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

To serve, halve the buns and toast them slightly. Place a large pile of shredded pork on the bottom of the toasted bun. Top with the slaw and serve.

Don't you just want to dive right in there?

Thai Chicken Sliders with Sriracha Yogurt Sauce

You know when there are just some things in this life that you are no good at? Take me for example. I am terrible at putting my clothes away after they are done out of the dryer. Don't get me wrong, I will take them out while they are still warm and separate them by clothing type, lay them out if they need to be hung, and fold them accordingly. But then, they just wait. They get spread all over the bed, and then it's time to go to sleep, so I move them to the floor, where they impend their infinite doom to never see the closet again. Then eventually a week later when I run another load of laundry I think, okay, when I'm done with this load, I'll put them all away together, and the cycle begins again. I'm really terrible at laundry. 

Something that I'm really good at? Making and devouring these sliders. Oh yeah. I'm really good at that. My favorite flavor that shines through these is the ginger. It gives it just the right fresh kick and the greek yogurt sauce is slightly spicy in the front and then cools down the palate. These are a great thing ti make if you have gone paleo, or just want to try eating "protein-style" and kick the bread to the curb tonight. If you saw my instagram yesterday then you will see that I got a day ahead of myself and posted these, thinking that this post was actually published... well it wasn't, so here it is for a second time!

Thai Chicken Sliders with Sriracha Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp. tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 4-6 butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1-2 tsp. sriracha, depending on how much heat you prefer

In a small bowl, mix together the greek yogurt and the sriracha. Place in fridge until ready to use. 

In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, garlic, lime juice, tamari, shallot, cilantro, ginger, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Just mix until combined, do not over mix or you risk dense and dry sliders.

Form the chicken mixture into 4-6 about 1/2-inch thick slider patties, depending on how big or small you want them. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat and add the sliders into the hot oil. Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side. 

Place each cooked slider on top of a butter lettuce leaf. top with a dollop of sriracha yogurt sauce and serve hot.

Italian Chicken & Kale Sandwiches

One of the things that I love to do with my Dad every year is go to a car shows/auction. I know, it's totally not my scene, but it's nice to spend some quality time with my dad, The Cowboy as he's known in my circle of family and friends, and learn about things that he is passionate about. Like cars. And along with the rows and rows of cars, comes beers, and lunch. The last car show we went to, I brought my then newly-dating boyfriend to join us for a day of father-daughter-boyfriend bonding. And for lunch we grabbed some amazing Italian chicken sandwiches with tomatoes and artichokes and greens. This is my ode to the ever popular car show, the shredded chicken sandwich, and the day that my Dad welcomed my now-live-in-boyfriend into the "circle of trust". 

Italian Chicken & Kale Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cups homemade tomato sauce
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 2 kaiser rolls
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese

In a large pot, add the tomato sauce and the chicken breasts. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, allowing the chicken to cook and become fork tender. 

After 2 hours, remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot with the tomato sauce and add in the chopped kale. Stir and cook another 30 minutes. 

Split the rolls in half and toast in the toaster. Top each roll with the chicken mixture, top with cheese and finish with the other half of the roll.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Everyone has their favorite way to make a sandwich. Some people prefer mayo on one slice and mustard on the other slice. Some people prefer toasted bread before filling it with their favorite meat trio. Other prefer cold cuts with no condiments. Me? I prefer chips. Because: chips. Every Wednesday is deli day at my office, and among the dozens of sandwich topping choices, the line starts with bags of baked chips. I always grab the jalapeño flavor and pile it right onto the top of my sandwich before the final piece of bread. This wrap is a homage to my weekly sandwich and also a hybrid of some of my favorite things. See: buffalo chicken, avocado, and CHIPS. Plus, dinner on the table in under 30 minutes? Double win!

Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Makes 2 wraps

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken strips
• 1 tbsp. oil
• salt and pepper 
• 1/2 cup Frank's red hot (or other hot sauce)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp. bacon salt (or other salt)
• 2 large flour tortillas, warmed
• romaine lettuce
• thinly sliced red onion
• 1 roma tomato, thinly sliced and lightly salted
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp. crumbled bleu cheese
• 1/2 cup favorite chips, crumbled
• tin foil

In a small saucepan, heat the hot sauce, butter, and salt together until the butter has melted. Remove from heat. 

Heat 1/2 of the oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Coat the chicken strips in remaining oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle 2 tbsp. of the buffalo sauce over the chicken and cook in the saute pan for 3-4 minutes on each side. Once cooked, shred with a fork and coat in the rest of the buffalo sauce.

To assemble the wraps, place each tortilla on a large piece of tin foil. Then add 1/2 of the buffalo chicken mixture in the middle of each tortilla. Top with some lettuce, onion, tomato slices, avocado, bleu cheese, and finally with the chips. Because: chips.

Use the tin foil to help wrap the tortilla up like a burrito. I got my inspiration from the workers at Chipotle who somehow magically wrap up 3789236598 ingredients into one burrito. If they can do it, I can attempt to do it. Slice the wraps in half and serve with homemade ranch dip (optional). 

Homemade Ranch Dip

• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. almond milk
• 1 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cilantro flakes
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. dill
• salt and pepper to taste

To make the homemade ranch, whisk together all of the ingredients. Cover and keep in the fridge for serving.

Salmon Sliders with Chipolte Mayo on Pretzel Buns

Most of you know by now that I am obsessed with the blog How Sweet It Is. I look forward to her posts daily, and find so many of my recipes as inspiration for my own cooking adventures. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had found a great contender, and then when I saw pretzel bun sliders at my local grocer, I knew I had then found a winner! Mini salmon filets topped with bacon. Who could ask for anything more? Plus, if you are celebrating lent this season, here is your first fish Friday recipe! (But sadly you'll have to omit the bacon)

Salmon Sliders with Chipotle Mayo on Pretzel Buns
Make 4 sliders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. wild caught salmon
• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp. plain greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. mayo
• 2 tsp. sauce from canned chipotle in adobo (found in the Mexican/International food aisle)
• 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked
• 1-2 roma tomatoes, sliced
• 4 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 4 pretzel bun sliders/rolls, and slice in half

Preheat broiler (or oven setting to broil) on high.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Cover the salmon on both sides with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. If your salmon has skin, just sprinkle the salt and pepper on the side without the skin.

Broil for about 5 minutes on each side, or if you are using salmon with skin on, broil skin-side down for about 10 minutes, until salmon flakes easily with a fork. All ovens/broilers are different, so just watch it to make sure it doesn't over or under cook. 

While the salmon is cooking prepare the chipotle mayo by whisking together the greek yogurt, mayo, and adobo sauce until well combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

When the salmon has finished cooking, remove from oven and let rest. Turn off the oven's heat, and place the sliced slider buns, cut side down, into the oven to toast for a few minutes. Remove the skin from the salmon, and cut into slider-sized pieces

Remove warmed pretzel buns, place 2 on each plate. Then spread a good spoonful of the chipotle mayo onto the bottom of each bun. Place a piece of salmon, the size of the roll, on top of the mayo. Then finish off with some bacon, sliced tomato, and lettuce. Top with the other half of the pretzel bun. Eat up!

Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese

I went on a photo shooting spree with this recipe so forgive me in advance, but it was just too delicious not to document from all angles! I shared with you all my Braised Short Rib recipe that I served up for Valentine's Day this year. And now I share with you what I did with the leftovers. And trust me. This is worth saving some leftovers for. It is the fanciest grilled cheese I've ever had, yet so simple to assemble! The cheese melts perfectly around the short rib, and I am convinced that sharp white cheddar and short rib are a match made in heaven. 

Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

• leftover braised short ribs, shredded
• 4 slices sharp cheddar (I used Kraft singles)
• 4 slices sharp white cheddar (I used Cracker Barrell brand)
• 4 slices multi-grain toast
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preheat large skillet by melting 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Then lower to medium-low.

Meanwhile, begin to build your sandwich. Place 2 slices sharp cheddar on the bottom piece of bread. Top with some of the shredded short rib, then top with 2 slices of the sharp white cheddar, and the second piece of bread.

Place onto the buttered skillet and cook until the cheese begins to melt and bread begins to turn toasty brown. Flip over and continue to cook until the second side is golden. I like mine to be on the side of burnt, but that's just me. Repeat with the second grilled cheese.

Cut the sandwiches in half and serve hot. Try not to steal the second sandwich from your friend.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Today is the day I go back to basics. A lot of time it's hard to find really good classic meals. While it seems that everywhere we turn there are new restaurant fads and "in" ingredients, sometimes it's nice to go back to simple old fashioned dishes. But simple does not have to mean tasteless. This chicken salad sandwich packs flavor from just a few different ingredients, and by slowly poaching the chicken, the meat stays moist and soaks up all of the flavor.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 2 medium celery ribs, chopped
• 1/2 red apple, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp. minced flat leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp. chopped pecans
• 2 cups lettuce of your choice
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 4 kaiser rolls, split in half

In a large sauce pan or pot cover the chicken breasts with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer. Cook over low heat until chicken is white throughout ,about 18 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch dice.

In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup Greek yogurt with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Fold in the onion, celery, apple, parsley, pecans, and chicken. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Add the additional 2 tbsp. Greek yogurt if you want to refresh the chicken salad before serving.

Spoon the chicken onto the kaiser rolls. Top with lettuce and tomato. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Spicy Meatball Subs

So I have something to confess. I have made meatball subs once before... and I thought they were delicious. But after making this version, I have to reject my previous recipe and replace it with this absolutely amazing, delicious, flavorful recipe. There just aren't enough words to describe this sandwich. My boyfriend and I took on this recipe for Sunday night supper with a side of Dexter, my ultimate TV guilty pleasure. And even two hours later as we were getting ready for bed, he was still talking about them. But don't just read about them. Make them!

Spicy Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 cup bread crumbs (I used 1/2 panko and 1/2 Italian bread crumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or Italian cheese of your choice)
• 2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• freshly baked sandwich rolls of your choice
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese (I used mozzarella)

5-minute Marinara Sauce: (double recipe for more sauce)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1.4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 14-oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, worcestershire, red pepper, and salt. Mix just enough for all ingredients to get happy together, but do not overmix or you will get stiff/dry meatballs. Let meat mixture sit while you get the marinara sauce started.

In a large stock pot, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Let cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add in tomatoes and sauce. Turn heat down to simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Now, form your meatballs into 2-inch balls (slightly smaller than a tennis ball, they will shrink when they cook). Now heat up a large skillet and drizzle with olive oil. Place all meatballs in skillet and let brown on each side.

Once they are all browned up, place them in a baking dish, top with a little bit of your marinara sauce, and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, until brown throughout the center. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, brush the insides of your sandwich roll with more olive oil and toast off in the oven.

Once bread and meatballs are ready, place a spoonful of sauce on the bottom of the roll, top with a tablespoon of cheese, and then 2 or 3 meatballs. Finally, top with some more sauce and the remaining cheese. Serve hot!