This was the best sandwich. Personally (and I know I am probably crazy) but I’m not a huge fan of corned beef or pastrami. I’m much happier with turkey or in this case, turkey pastrami.

So, this is kind of like a Ruben in that there is tasty bread (pumpernickel instead of rye), the earlier-mentioned turkey pastrami, swiss cheese and instead of sauerkraut, coleslaw. Oh and not just any coleslaw, fennel-herby coleslaw with orange zest.

It’s kind of like a Tyler Florence recipe I recently saw on Tyler’s Ultimate, except different (I went for cilantro and orange while he used lemon and tarragon). But, man, this was good. Throw in a grill pan for tasty grill marks and it’s like heaven on a plate. Oh and I just know I will be making this coleslaw all Summer long, with or without Turkey Rubens in mind.

Fennel-Herb Slaw:
1 large fennel bulb, fronds removed and halved
1/2 orange, juiced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 bag coleslaw mix
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
zest of 1/2 and orange
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely slice fennel using a mandoline (again, not the instrument), or the grater attachment on your food processor or just a knife (I went the knife route).

In a food processor, combine the orange juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs and olive oil. Process until combined.

Add the dressing to the fennel and coleslaw mix and add the orange zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Make the Sandwiches
Slices of pumpernickel or rye bread
Turkey pastrami (or regular sliced turkey will work)
Dijon Mustard
Swiss Cheese
Tomato slices
Fennel-Herb Coleslaw
Olive oil

Lay the bread out and cover with the cheese and the turkey. Generously apply coleslaw.

Top with tomato slices and spread a little Dijon mustard on the other bread slices before bringing the sandwich together.

Heat a grill pan and add a little olive oil. Cook each side for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Covering will help the cheese meltage. You’re not really trying to heat it completely all the way through, just get good grill marks and melt the cheese. That is all.

Let sit about 2 minutes before slicing in half.

Holy crap that was tasty!

***
And now, it’s Wedding Stuff:

Oh look, I figured out the beverage menu stands (for the reception table). Four wine corks, tied together make a great stand for dinner menus or wine menus. I would love to take credit for this idea but I’ve seen it many places online…whoever came up with this? You are a genius!

I made three of these tonight…only 5 more to go.

I have started a new personal project. That project is to clean out both the cabinet and freezer of stuff that’s been in there quite a while and that I haven’t used yet. Step one, of course, is checking the dates (of the canned items at least). After that? Anything goes. And the first thing to go is the smoked trout.

After ascertaining that my can of smoked trout was still within it’s usable time period, I hunted for a recipe. Most of the interesting ones included some kind of smoked trout/apples/horseradish combination. Sounded good to me. As usual, jwa was skeptical, as he tends to be with meals that involve fish that we normally don’t eat often, but it ended happily.

Now, I will mention that I thought I had two tins of smoked trout, but then I remembered that I gave one away for the Postal Service food drive last weekend, so I only had one tin to work with here. That said, what I
made was enough for two people but I think two tins of trout would have been better. It seemed a little heavy on the apple, if you know what I mean.

So, if you want more substantial wraps, use two tins of fish. Keep in mind that you may need to up the mayo/horseradish. You could also, of course, just use the whole recipe here to make yourself one big, huge tasty wrap.

Smoked Trout, Horseradish and Green Apple Wraps
(feeds 1-2 people)
1 can smoked trout (about 1 small fillet)
1 tsp horseradish (or more to taste)
2 green onions, chopped or snipped
1 green apple, diced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper
2 tortilla wraps
1/2 cup sprouts, spinach or the sandwich greens of your choice
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Rinse the trout if it’s packed in oil and flake gently into the bowl. Add the mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, parsley, green onion and apple cubes. Mix to combine and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Lay a tortilla out on a plate and put a healthy layer of sprouts/lettuce down the middle (about 1/4 cup per wrap). Top with the salad and then sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of the Parmesan cheese.

Roll up, slice and enjoy.

Oh, in other news I finally snagged a pint of Americone Dream at the Safeway on Hawthorne. Hooray for truthiness!

Today’s Super Foods recipe is a little like falafel — ‘cept it’s not. Instead of garbanzo beans it uses lentils. I was very surprised by the overall flavor difference, in that there was one. These have a nuttier taste and were very, very good. Even jwa expressed a surprised liking for these. That’s quite a recommendation as he typically does not get too excited about lentil recipes.

These were a little crumbly, so you probably don’t want to over stuff the pita. Two-three patties per each sandwich.

Next week, Sugar High Friday kicks Super Foods Friday to the curb.

Lentil Fritters with Yogurt Mint Sauce
From a recipe in Gourmet Magazine
1 1/4 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
dash of red pepper flakes
1 large egg, beaten lightly
Olive oil for frying
6 pita pockets, split (or flat bread)
Spinach leaves
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup olives, chopped (mine were feta-stuffed)

Yogurt Mint Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Add lentils to a large saucepan of salted water and bring water to a boil. Cook lentils at a bare simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor grind oats into meal.

Drain lentils and combine in a bowl with the garlic, coriander, pepper flakes, cumin, and 3 tablespoons of the ground oats. Mash mixture with a potato masher.

Stir in egg and salt and pepper to taste and form mixture into small patties — I got about eight.

Coat burgers with remaining ground oats and chill, uncovered, 15 minutes.

In a small bowl stir together yogurt, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet heat a liberal coating of oil (a few tablespoons) over moderately high heat until hot but no smoking and fry burgers, in batches if necessary, until browned and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Serve burgers in pitas with lettuce and yogurt mint sauce.

Super foods used: beans (lentils), oats, and yogurt.

Tábor
Downtown at SW 5th and Stark
503-997-5467

Mmmmmmm…schnitzelwich
Before I even tried Tábor, I thought it was the lunch cart with the most personality. The colorful Eastern European cottage facade, the music from the outdoor speakers … cute! After reading the little write up in Portland Magazine I finally managed to stop by for lunch and now I am in love with the schnitzelwich.

Breaded pork loin or chicken breast in a Ciabatta roll with lettuce, paprika spread, sautéed onion and horseradish $5.00.

It is, first of all, huge. H-U-G-E. I eat half for lunch, wait an hour or so, then eat the rest because I loved the first half so much. Crispy chicken, caramelized onions and horseradish, you say? Fabulous. Sign me up.

I need to try a few of the other items on the menu — the potato pancakes and chicken paprika are especially calling to me — but it’s hard to not order the sandwich. They have all sorts of authentic Czech food including goulash, soups, dumplings and sausages. They also cater and (their web site says) will offer cooking classes. Fun! I try to go there once every couple of weeks, as I know my desire for hot, crispy, big sandwiches will leave me once the weather gets warm. Stupid summer.

When I visited during the snow storm yesterday, before getting to go home early, the owners were telling me how they got in early that day, before all the snow and now they were stuck at work. Bad for them but good for me. I got my schnitzelwich.

Schnitzelwich. Schnitzelwich. So much fun to say too.

When I was little, whenever we’d go out for lunch, I would get a Monte Christo sandwich. It was my absolute favorite. I think it was the, “I’m eating French Toast for lunch!!”, thrill of it all. Granted, this was a simpler time, long before Freedom Toast.

Recently, however, I was browsing thorugh the Food Network site and saw this recipe, originally featured on Sara’s Secrets — recipe from Mama’s on Washington Square, San Francisco, CA. So, grab a pan and some eggs, bread, meat and cheese and let’s make some freedom on a plate, San Francisco-style.

Monte Christo Sandiches (makes 2)
4 slices white bread
Mayonnaise, as needed
4 slices Gouda or Havarti
4 slices smoked turkey
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Optional: Powdered sugar

Serving suggestion: Really good blackberry jam on the side.

Using a knife, cut the crusts off the sandwich (this helps to pinch and seal the ends). The, lay out 2 slices of bread and spread with mayonnaise. Top each slice with the 1 slice of Gouda and 1 slice of turkey each. Put the third slice of bread on top of one stack, and flip the remaining stack on top, cheese-side down, to make a triple-decker sandwich.

Wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. (Wrapping the sandwich in plastic wrap, compacts it, and prevents the egg batter from seeping in.)

Combine the eggs and milk in a bowl. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Unwrap the sandwich and dip it in the egg batter, to coat evenly. Gently place it in the skillet, and fry, turning once, until golden brown and hot, about 5 minutes total.

Use tongs to hold the sandwich upright and crisp up all the ends (so there are no spots with raw, soggy egg).

Remove from the pan and let sit about a minute.

Cut the Monte Cristo in 1/2, transfer it to a place, and garnish with a side of blackberry (or your favorite) jam. We used Julieann’s blackberrry jam, which we picked up on our last trip to Uncle Paul’s Produce Market on Hawthorne (which we, of course, refer to as “Produce Pete’s“). If desired, use a mesh strainer to sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the sandwiches.

I know! Blasphemy! Burgers without cheese is crazy talk. But these burgers don’t even need any cheese. Really. Besides, what kind of cheese would work here? The only kind I could think of was cream cheese. But again, no need. These burgers are great just like this.

I played with the herbs here — the original called for 1/4 cup mint, 1/4 cup basil and 1/4 cup cilantro. I used about 1 tbsp mint, 1/4 cup basil and 1/3 cup cilantro. I also add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce. The original recipe is from Gourmet Magazine.

The burgers are garnished with a Asian cucumber slaw, just like the one I usually serve with Seared Tuna.

For pickled cucumbers
1/2 an English cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pickled ginger (optional) — if you have a container of sushi lying about, use the ginger in there
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Mix everything together. Taste and add more of any of the above if needed. Set aside (in the fridge) until ready to eat.

For burgers
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 slices firm white sandwich bread or two baguette slices or plain breadcrumbs
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro sprigs
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp Tabasco

For Grilling
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
4 light hamburger buns

Prepare your grill or heat up your grill pan. Use a food processor to make the breadcrumbs — or just use store bought bread crumbs.

Use your hands to mix the garlic with bread crumbs and remaining burger ingredients until just combined (do not over mix) and form into four 1-inch-thick patties. edited to add Ah! I forgot to mention the Rachael Ray trick here — divide the meat in your bowl by scoring it into 4 sections. That way each burger is roughly the same size.

If you want to grill the buns, do it now. Spread a little may on the bottom buns and top with lettuce, tomato and some avocado slices. Set aside.

Mix chili garlic sauce, vegetable oil and honey. Brush lightly on the burgers. You can also use a bottled glaze or just olive oil. It’s pretty flexible and up to you, I was just playing around with the above ingredients and thought they worked pretty well. Season them also with salt and pepper and grill on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals about 5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. If using a grill pan, liberally brush the pan with olive oil and grill each side for about 5-6 minutes or until done.

Transfer burgers to buns and top with drained cucumbers. Put the lid on.

Don’t worry, it flattens down a bit!

Hey, look, finally — a new post! This was a recent light dinner where I basically surveyed the kitchen and came up with a dinner based on what I found. A nectarine (pilfered from jwa’s breakfast fruit stash), some goat cheese, spinach, dried tarragon and some balsamic vinegar. Oh and also some sourdough bread. The result was a very summery and tasty grilled sandwich.

Nectarine, Goat Cheese & Spinach Panini
4 - 6 tbsp goat cheese
1 nectarine, washed and sliced
1 cup loosely packed, fresh spinach
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 slices sourdough bread
olive oil
Other equipment: a grill pan and something heavy (a cast iron skillet, a foil wrapped brick, etc…)

First, start by spreading about 2-3 tablespoons of goat cheese on two of the slices of bread. Divide the dried tarragon between the two by sprinkling it on top of the cheese.

Next comes the nectarines. Arrange half of the slices on each sandwich bottom. Then, top with spinach.

Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on the covering of spinach and give each a little salt and pepper. Heat up your gill plan and brush one side of each sandwich with a little olive oil.

Place each down and top with your heavy item (a cast iron pan with a can on top, for instance) and let grill 2-3 minutes per side over medium heat. Before flipping it, brush the other side with olive oil.

You should get a nice golden color and good grill marks. Let sit for a minute or two before slicing in half.

Cut and serve warm. A green salad or some grapes go really well with this sandwich.

***

We had a good time in Port Townsend. I love going there. So relaxing and watery. Our room had a small kitchen and one night I made us a meal of goat cheese, marjoram and orange stuffed chicken with a orange juice and chick pea sauce. It turned out well — and I didn’t even have a meat thermometer! I’ll be posting on that very soon…

When it’s hot out, a cool dinner is the way to go. I discovered this combination a couple of years ago and it has become a meal we have a few times throughout the summer. Plus, jwa really likes egg salad and it’s occasionally nice to make him happy.

The basil in the egg salad gives it a fresh, interesting taste and works really well with the olives in the bread. This is especially good when tomatoes are in season and plentiful from the garden.

You will need:
4 eggs
a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp grated sweet onion
salt & pepper
lettuce of your choice
1 tomato, sliced
a loaf of kalamata olive bread

Hard boiling eggs
I’ve never really had a problem with green yolks or runny egg parts. Generally I bring a lidded pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Then add the eggs. Turn off the heat and put the lid back on. Wait 18 -20 minutes and that’s it. It always works perfect for me.

Run eggs under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel and chop and add to a bowl. Mix in the mayo, onion, basil and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Slice four pieces off the bread and start piling it on. I start with the lettuce and then add the tomato, topping that with the egg salad. Since egg salad can be messy, I try not to overload the sandwich with extras. Although, if you like onions a lot, a few rings of red onion can be good here.

Pop the other piece of bread on top and you’re in business. I typically leave egg salad sandwiches whole, instead of slicing into halves, because of the mess that entails. I like to try and keep the egg salad within the confines of the bread for as long as possible. Serve with some potato chips (Kettle Chips Green Onion and Yogurt are awesome) and kick back with your beverage of choice.

This is nice with the wild mushroom bisque. It starts with arugula & almond pesto. This is based on something that I saw the increasingly annoying but still a little helpful, Rachael Ray make on 30 Minute Meals. She used hers as a dip for lamb chops, mine I spread on a sandwich — hey! It’s versatile. It can also be made a day or two ahead of time.

I didn’t actually look her recipe up online — I just threw arugula and smoked almonds and whatnot in my processor, as listed below.

Arugula & Almond Pesto
2 cups arugula leaves
1/4 cup smoked almonds
1 clove garlic
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil (possibly more)
salt & pepper
Optional: a handful of Parmesan cheese (I omitted the cheese the first time I made this, but I bet it would be good!)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Vegetable Panini
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
Arugula & almond pesto
Olive oil
A loaf of sourdough, French, rustic or kalamata olive bread (any big, hearty, loaf will do)
Provolone cheese

Place eggplant circles in a colander in the sink and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Grill in a grill pan for a few minutes on each side until you have darkened grill marks and the eggplant is soft.

Next, wash and cut peppers in half. Remove stem and seeds. Roast under the broiler until blackened. Place in a plastic bag and steam for about 10 minutes. Peel blackened skin and slice as needed so that they are sandwich-sized.

Putting it all together…
Spread some of the pesto onto one piece of bread, for each sandwich.

Next, layer eggplant and peppers until it looks so tasty you want to eat it right then, open-faced.

But wait…add the provolone and top with another slice of bread. Brush with olive oil and lay, olive oil side down, in a pre-heated grill pan. I use a cast iron skillet as a panini press. Much cheaper and works just as well. I cover the bottom of my pan with aluminum foil to avoid getting melty, sandwich goodness on it.

Brush the other side with olive oil before turning over. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden.

Slice sandwiches in half with a very sharp knife and serve with the soup of your choice and enjoy!

Well, now that I can actually think about falafel (the tasty Middle Eastern chick pea snack) without shuddering or laughing, it sounded like a good pick for dinner. I really like falafel. I used to get it on the Stanford campus for lunch sometimes (at a place by the coffeehouse) and it brings back memories of when I worked there and would walk around campus.

At home, I usually prepare falafel-in-a-box. My new favorite kind is al fez. They’re based in England but you can find the falafel mix at Cost Plus stores. Instead of deep frying, I put my little falafel balls on a cookie sheet that I brush generously with olive oil and then bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping them over after five minutes.

My presentation is more Greek than Mideastern but, you know, that’s just the way I like it. If you’re a purist, omit the feta and yogurt and use tahini sauce.

Falafel:
1 box falafel mix, prepared and set aside
4 pieces flat bread or pita bread, warmed in a dry, hot skillet
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup lettuce leaves, spinach or any mixed greens work well
1 small cucumber, diced
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/4 small sweet onion, diced finely
1/2 cup yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced

Mix yogurt and garlic Set aside.

Lay greens on top of bread and follow with 2-3 small falafel patties. In a small bowl, toss tomato, cucumber and onion to combine. Spoon tomato mixture over falafel and top with feta crumbles. Drizzle with yogurt and enjoy.

***

I also need to add that I just read about IMBB23 and I am so excited! I already have my dish picked out and everything…