Turkey and Bacon Picnic Sammies

We're trying desperately to soak up the last remaining bit of beautiful weather before the hot. We picniced in Mom n Dad's backyard on Sunday, and it was heavenly.

Turkey and Bacon Picnic Sammies

The ingredients needed for the sandwich are:

Focaccia or Ciabatta bread

deli sliced turkey (my favorite is Boar's Head oven roasted turkey from Fry's)

thinly sliced provolone

crispy bacon

pesto

mayo, if you like

lettuce- I added mine after the pic

Slice bread, spread a little pesto on each side. Layer ingredients... turkey, then bacon, then cheese, then lettuce. Next I am going to try these as an appetizer and slice them into tiny squares to serve, per Giada's suggestion.

Asian Spinach & Chicken Salad

This was just the ticket considering the not-so-welcome heat wave we've had this week.

Asian Spinach and Chicken Salad

1 bag of spinach

2 C. cooked cubed chicken

8 oz. cooked and drained bowtie pasta

2 oranges

1 avocado

1 C. chow mein noodles

1 T. sesame seeds

(dressing)

2 T. rice wine vinegar

2 T. brown sugar

1 1/2 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 t. grated fresh ginger

Combine above dressing ingredients, then drizzle in 1/4 C. veg. oil while whisking. Season with 1 tsp. salt.

Toss spinach, chicken and pasta with dressing. Top with slice avocado, orange segments, chow mein noodles and sesame seeds.

(I cut off each end of the oranges, trimmed off all the peel, sliced it into rounds, then quartered each round.)

Breakfast Panini

I was flipping through a Williams-Sonoma catalog and came across this recipe- a little twist on the traditional breakfast sandwich and so delicious!


Breakfast Panini

• 2 slices white bread or brioche, each 1/2
  inch thick
• Melted unsalted butter for brushing
• 3 Tbs. grated cheddar cheese
• 2 bacon slices, fried until crispy
• 1 fried egg
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup arugula

Preheat an electric panini maker on high heat according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Place the bread slices on a cutting board. Brush one side of each slice with melted butter. Turn one slice over and sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the bacon and fried egg, and season with salt and pepper. Top with the arugula and the other bread slice, buttered side up.

Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

This is one of my very favorite recipes. Amanda made these for a Sunday dinner back when she and Mason lived in Utah, and I was lucky enough to partake. They were so so good, and I knew I had to have the recipe.

I know the ingredient list looks long, but don't let that deter you from trying these. I usually make a big batch and keep them in the freezer. They are easy to grab and take to work, or perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. I've never deep fried them as the recipe directs. I will just bake, or sometimes microwave them, depending on how hungry I am.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
• 2 Tbs minced green onion
• 2 Tbs minced red bell pepper
• 1/3 c frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 c black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 Tbs diced jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 quart oil for deep frying
  

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
3. Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
4. Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute or until hot and pliable.
5. Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with wet toothpicks. Arrange in medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours.
6. In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas for 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving. (Instead of deep frying, you can bake them in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.)
   

Fancy Snack

My husband, Chris' birthday is coming up, and I joked that I am going to get him a membership to a cheese of the month club. (I still might.) Our goal is to become experts in the cheese field. Last week we went to my cousins' wedding reception and one of the things served was a round of brie drizzled with pesto, served with crackers. DElicious. So when I was shopping for the week at Trader Joe's, I brought home a small package of brie ($3). On the outside of the packaging, I found a recipe for these:

(Maren, this title is for you)

Multigrain Crackers with Brie, Apple slices, Walnut halves, a dash of Cinnamon, and a Honey Drizzle

Multigrain crackers
Brie
thinly sliced Apple
Walnut halves
cinnamon
honey

1. Place thin brie slice and an apple on cracker.
2. Top with walnut half.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.


Will someone please help me think of a title that doesn't list every ingredient?

Chicken Cobb Salad

This salad is too good to be true. A MUST-try. And in the words of Lavar Burton, "But don't take my word for it!" Recipe from Everyday Food.

Chicken Cobb Salad

6 bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
romaine lettuce
seasoned grilled chicken, thinly sliced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 avocado, thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper
vinaigrette

In a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, til crisp, 8 minutes. Drain on paper-towel-lined plate. In a large bowl, toss lettuce with vinaigrette. Place lettuce on platter. Arrange bacon, chicken, goat cheese, tomatoes, and avocado on top. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Vinaigrette:

In small bowl, whisk together

2 T. white-wine vinegar
2 T. honey
salt and pepper

Add 1/4 C. olive oil, whisking as you pour. Store in airtight container or jar and refrigerate up to two weeks.

Vegetable & Hummus Wrap

Does anyone else think of Joey Tribiani whenever they hear the word hummus? It has only been in the last couple years that I have opened my mind to the idea of it. And, of course, now I love the stuff, just like Joey. I found this recipe in Everyday Food, and it is my new favorite lunch.

Vegetable & Hummus Wrap

flour tortillas
cucumber
avocado
tomato
hummus
bell pepper

Chop all veggies into strips. Spread a couple tablespoons hummus down the center of tortilla. Top with chopped veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roll it on up. Tasty, tasty!

Chicken Salad Panini

These sandwiches would be great for lunch or dinner! They're also pretty healthy and you can add whatever veggies you want. I happened to have spinach and I definitely liked the addition of some greens!

Chicken Salad Panini

2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. real bacon bits

1 green onion, thinly sliced ( Of course I left these out)

2 Tbsp. ranch dressing

8 slices multi-grain bread

1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

4 slices cheddar cheese

MIX chicken, mayo, bacon, onions and dressing; spread onto 4 bread slices. Top with tomatoes, cheese and remaining bread.

COOK in preheated grill pan or skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches

Candice found this recipe from Rachael Ray and these sandwiches are yummy! They're a perfect dinner if you're short on time.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches

1 lime, juiced
2 T. honey
1 tsp. cumin
1 T. finely chopped cilantro
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil (or EVOO as Rachael would say)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. grill seasoning blend
Toppings: lettuce, tomato, avocado
4 crusty rolls, split

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend. Coat chicken in dressing and set aside for 10 minutes. Grill chicken on an indoor electric grill 6-7 minutes on each side or pan fry over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet uncovered 6 minutes per side. Slice chicken breasts on an angle and pile meat on roll. Top with lettuce, tomato, and sliced avocado.

Smart Chicken Salad

I think I got the idea for "yo-nnaise" from the back of a Mountain High yogurt carton. What is yo-nnaise, you ask? Mix half parts plain yogurt and half parts mayonnaise when making chicken salad, or anything else I guess. Half the calories, but just as yummy. I also use plain yogurt to "dilute" flavored yogurts to cut back on our sugar intake. The resulting yogurt, although paler in color, is still plenty sweet. Give it a shot!

For my chicken salad, I do:

1 can Costco shredded chicken
1 large spoonful of mayo
1 large spoonful of plain yogurt
3/4 C. of either halved red grapes, chopped apple, celery, or pineapple
3 shakes of salt
1 or two cranks of fresh ground pepper

Combine all. Serve on crackers, as a sandwich, or over a handful of spinach for a salad.