Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Remember the delicious 10-Grain milk bread that I shared with you last week? And remember how I told you that I made a yummy sandwich with that same bread and was gonna share it with you soon? Welp, here it is!

This is a riff on a sandwich I love eating from this particular restaurant. A bunch of grilled veggies, a slather of smoky hummus and tangy, creamy feta. You really should not skimp on grilling the veggies here because it really adds a distinct smoky flavor, but if you really do not want to grill, you could always roast them in the oven. On top of my hearty 10-grain bread, it makes for a wonderful lunch.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Yields: 4 sandwiches, 4 servings

8 slices of 10-grain milk bread, or any whole wheat bread
4 tbsn. roasted garlic hummus, or more to your taste
4 tbsn. crumbled French feta, or more to your taste
2 red peppers, roasted
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 box mushrooms, sliced
1 large eggplant, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


To roast the eggplant, grill the peppers until their outer skin is charred and completely black. Place into a heatproof bowl and cover completely; allow them to steam for 4 - 5 minutes, then remove the charred skin (it should pinch off easily). Grill the zucchini and eggplant slices until cooked through and slightly charred (I grilled them dry, but if you prefer, you can use some olive oil on the veggies). In a medium saucepan, dry saute the mushrooms over high heat until browned and cooked through. Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toast the bread slices, then spread a tbsn. of hummus on four slices of bread. Top with the crumbled feta, some roasted red pepper, grilled zucchini, mushroom and grilled eggplant. Finish it off with the other slice of bread and enjoy!

Honey Beer Bread & Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwiches

One cooking memory that is distinctly contained in my head is the first time I made beer bread. I was well underage, holding what I recall now as a Budweiser over a bowl of flour. I mixed, I baked, I ate... I spit it out. Yep, not the best cooking memory. I don't know what I did to maul such a carbohydrate, but I was pretty inexperienced then and I'm sure I botched just about every step of the process.

My love: BUTTER!

Well, a lot of time has passed between now and then and things have changed. I love beer for its slight bitterness, tang and distinctive scent. I love bread for its soft interior and comforting chew. Together, I think they create something that I not only love, I adore. I attempted beer bread again and I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it was. Soft, a bit sweet from the honey with a gorgeous browned crust. Beer bread is a bit more dense than others and has a different texture than your typical loaf, but it's easy to learn to love. 

Yeasty-beer-butter-goodness:

If you're in the mood for bread and have a fear of yeast like I do (as documented here): make this! It's easy as can be. Combine, mix, bake, slice, enjoy! Really, that's it. My ultimate favorite thing about beer bread is that it actually tastes like beer. When you pull it out of the oven, the distinctive smell of beer rushes into your nostrils. You sneak a taste and there it is, beer. It's awesome. Plus, if you make this honey beer bread, you can use it to make the utterly divine goodness that is grilled beer and cheese sandwiches (below). You... will... not... regret... it. Not one bit!

Slices like a dream...

Honey Beer Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Original recipe here.

3 cups flour

2 tbsn. sugar

1 tbsn. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsn. warm honey

1 bottle (12 oz.) beer

4 tbsn. butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed, DO NOT OVER MIX! Pour half of the melted butter into the loaf pan. Spoon the batter into the pan and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until the top of the loaf is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I think the sole purpose of beer bread is to be made into this sandwich. Being a grilled beer and cheese sandwich is the life calling of beer bread. If only we all knew what our life purposes were; life would be so simple! Combine worcestershire-caramelized onions, cheese and beer bread and you really can't get any better than that. I challenge you, I really challenge you to try to make something more delicious. 

Ooey, gooey, crispy, creamy, tangy, sweet, crunchy deliciousness:

Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich

Yields: 4 servings

Adapted from here.

1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsn. olive oil

1 tbsn. Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsn. Dijon mustard

4 slices fontina cheese

4 slices cheddar cheese

8 slices homemade beer bread (recipe above)

salt and pepper
oregano, fresh or dried

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until they begin to wilt. Add the worcestershire sauce, some fresh oregano (if using dried, use sparingly), and salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and cook slowly until the onions start to caramelize and gain color. Once done, set aside. Spread 1 tbsn. of mustard on 4 slices of the beer bread. Pair up the bread slices. Top half of them with a slice of fontina cheese and the other half with a slice of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with some pepper, then divide the caramelized onion among one side. Top with the other paired bread slice and grill, panini press or George Foreman the sandwiches until golden brown, cheesy, and thoroughly heated throughout. Enjoy!

Yea, this is for real.

The BEST Egg Salad Sandwich Ever

This doesn't usually happen unless I'm sleeping. And by this, I mean drooling. I am literally salivating looking and thinking about this egg salad sandwich. I don't think it can get any better than this sandwich, really.

I love watching 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate' on the food network simply just to hear the interviewees gush and reminisce about some of the best things they've eaten all across this country. I love how they get so involved with the food and get so emotional and in depth about it all. Well, one place that they visited was Europane, a little cafe in Pasadena, California famous for their egg salad sandwiches. After visiting and consuming one of these famed sandwiches, I was set on a mission to make one immediately.

That I did, promptly the next afternoon. Now I am set on spreading this good news of eggy delight throughout the realms of the internet. Here is, unabashedly, thee best egg salad I have eaten and made and I think, will ever make in my entire life.

Soft-boiled Egg Salad Sandwiches

Yields: 4 servings

Inspired by Europane.

For the egg salad:

8 large eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsn. chopped chives, plus extra for topping

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste

4 thick slices of crusty bread, toasted (I used La Brea Bakery bread)

sun-dried tomato pesto, store bought or made

mixed baby greens

1 small lemon

To soft-boil the eggs, heat a large pot of water (enough to cover the eggs) over high heat til a rolling boil. Drop the eggs slowly into the water using a slotted spoon, and cook on high heat (still a rolling boil) for exactly 5 1/2 minutes. Remove, drain and let cool. Once cool, peel the eggs carefully and place into a large bowl. From half of the eggs, remove the soft yolk (or else the salad will be too liquidy). Use a fork to break up the eggs (the yolks should still be slightly runny). Mix in the salt, pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, and chives. To assemble the sandwiches, take your toasted bread and spread some sun-dried tomato pesto on each slice. Top with some baby greens, then 1/8 of the egg mixture. Sprinkle the open-faced sandwich with some more pepper, chives and a squeeze of lemon juice. Repeat with the remaining slices and enjoy!

Turkey & Cilantro Chutney Pressed Pita

B is always hungry, and I mean always. I have to feed that boy at least 5 - 6 times a day. Crazy huh? It's a wonder to watch him scarf down so much food without gaining a single ounce. So for one of his late night cringes of hunger, I had to dig deep. And I mean deep! There was absolutely nothing in my refrigerator, so I took some random ingredients and was extremely surprised with my result. He loved it, I loved it, what more could you ask for? 

I actually got my fresh cilantro chutney at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market in San Francisco, but I've heard that Trader Joe's actually carries some (another reason to love it eh?). But if you can't find it there, a recipe can be found here. Sounds simple enough and trust me, it's good on everything, and boy do I mean everything!

Turkey & Cilantro Chutney Pressed Pita

Yields: Enough for one

2 Pita Breads

4-6 Slices of Turkey

3-4 slices of smoked cheddar cheese

3-4 tbsn. cilantro chutney

garlic powder

freshly ground pepper

salsa or pico de gallo

Tapatio

Note: I have ranges on mostly all of the ingredients because it really depends on your preference to how spicy, how garlicky, or how cheesy you want it. 

Lay one pita slice on your counter and spread the cilantro chutney over it. Next layer half of your cheese, then your turkey, then the other half of your cheese. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic powder. Grill (preferably by a panini press or a George Foreman). Cut into fourths and serve alongside some salsa. I like to mix Tapatio in my salsa for some extra kick! Enjoy!

Picnics & Paninis

There are some days where the sun is shining just right; not too hot with just the right amount of warmth grazing across your face. The days when a picnic is just calling your name and you can linger in the freshly cut grass under the shade of a big tree.

"Where springtime always lingers, where winter never enters, and where the last rose of summer is never seen. Where rains fall gently and ocean winds breathe softly under the Western sky. In the glow of the setting sun, there is Orange County."

- Unknown

My Ultimate Picnic Panini:

Yields: Enough for 2

4 slices of sourdough bread

2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. cesear dressing

4 tsp. pesto (you can use pre- made)

4-6 slices of turkey

6 slices of bacon (cooked)

2 roma tomatoes, sliced

4 slices of mozzarella cheese

8 basil leaves

garlic powder

freshly ground pepper

With your sourdough bread, spread the butter on one side of each slice (use more butter if needed). Then sprinkle the garlic powder on the side that you spread the butter on. Lay the butter side down and on the other side of two slices spread both the pesto and cesear dressing. Then layer with the mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, tomatoes, turkey, and cooked bacon. Sprinkle with pepper and close the sandwich. Heat through in a panini press or George Foreman grill until the cheese is melted and the crust is nice and golden brown, about 6-9 minutes. Enjoy!