Mediterranean Turkey Burger

From The Modern Proper

 

Serves 6

Ingredients

Patties

2 lbs ground turkey 2 tsp oregano 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, grated ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt ½ English cucumber, grated 1 tbsp dried dill or 2 tbsp fresh dill 2 tsp za’atar, optional 1-2 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper
The Rest
6 romaine lettuce leaves 2 tomatoes, sliced 4 oz feta, crumbled 6 hamburger buns, toasted 1 cup tzatziki sauce In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the tzatziki sauce. Cover and place in the fridge for a 1 hour to allow flavors to meld (optional). To make the burger patties, mix the ground turkey, oregano, garlic, onion, parsley, cumin, pepper and salt in a bowl with your hands until fully combined. Divide the mixture into 6 evenly sized burger patties, slightly larger than the hamburger buns. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Season the outside of the patties with a little sprinkle of salt. Cook the patty for 4 minutes on each side. Use a food thermometer to be sure they have reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. To assemble the burgers, layer them with tzatziki sauce, the patty, tomato, lettuce more tzatziki sauce and feta. Enjoy. MXF

Roma Eggs

Saveur

SERVES 4–6

• 1 loaf ciabatta or foccacia (about 15 oz.), split lengthwise and cut into quarters
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 cup homemade or store-bought pesto
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 2 Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼"-thick slices
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 4 eggs
• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 300°. Place bread cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet; brush with ¼ cup olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and spread cut sides with pesto.

Heat remaining oil in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and fry, turning once, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Place prosciutto on bottom halves of bread. In same pan, add tomato slices and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Place tomatoes on top of prosciutto.

Bring a 10" skillet of salted water to a simmer over medium heat; add vinegar. Crack eggs individually into 4 small dishes. Slip eggs into simmering water; turn off heat, cover, and cook until whites are just firm, 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove eggs from water, and place on top of tomatoes and prosciutto; top with parmesan and pepper. Serve with bread tops on the side.

My Notes: Delicious and simple. They need a little sharpness though--either arugula, lemon zest, or balsamic would work well.

MXF 

Sweet Potato Chickpea Wrap

From Thug Kitchen

Makes 4

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2-15 ounce cans
• 1 medium apple
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water or broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons water
• pinch of salt
• tortillas (any kind you like, I don’t give a shit)

Chop up the sweet potatoes into pieces about the size of a quarter. I keep the skin on them because I’m lazy as fuck but if you can’t hang, skin them sons of bitches. Place them in a steamer basket over a couple of inches of water on the stove and steam for about 15 minutes or until you can easily stab those fuckers with a fork. Turn off the heat and keep them covered.

While the potatoes are steaming, slice the onion into strips. Warm up the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over a medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook them until they start to brown, about 8 minutes. Mix together the water, lemon juice, and tamari in a small glass. Add the chickpeas to the onions, mix well, and then add that small glass of liquid you just fucking made. Cook for a minute or two until most of the liquid as evaporated. Add the herbs and spices and cook that shit for another minute. Turn off the heat.

Put the steamed sweet potatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining oil, water, and salt. Gently mash. I usually keep it chunky because well, again, I’m lazy as fuck. So when you are done with the sweet potatoes, cut up the apple into little sticks. You can squeeze a little lemon juice on those bastards so they don’t brown. Now you are ready to wrap all that shit up. Smear some of the sweet potatoes on the tortilla, add the cooked chickpeas and onions, spinach or whatever greens you got, and some of the chopped up apple. Trust me on this shit. The apple adds a delicious fucking crunch. You could even add hummus to this motherfucker if you wanted. There are no rules in the wrap game. Wrap it up and enjoy. Don’t have tortillas for a wrap? You could throw all of this in a bowl with some rice or quinoa and go to town. Use what you got.

Frico Grilled Cheese Sandwich

From Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 1 sandwich. Scale up to share.

• 2 slices bread of your choice
• 2 teaspoons butter, salted or unsalted
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely grated cheddar

I like a hearty country wheat bread here, not too thickly sliced or it’s hard for the cheese inside to melt. You may more or less cheese depending on the size of your bread slices, and your tastes.

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, the one that will be on the outside of the sandwich. Scatter all but 2 tablespoons cheese unbuttered side of one slice. Top with second slice, so that the buttered side faces out. Heat skillet over low-to-moderate heat. (I like to use a well-seasoned cast iron frying pan here.) Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese roughly in center of skillet. Place sandwich on top. Cook sandwich until golden underneath and cheese browns and crisps, about 2 to 4 minutes. Carefully lift melted (frico-ed) cheese and bread onto spatula, sprinkle remaining spoonful of cheese back in skillet, then flip sandwich over on top of it. Cook on second side until golden and crisp as well, pressing down on it with the spatula to encourage it to all come together.

Transfer to a plate, cut in half if desired, and dig in.

Alternate riffs on the classic: Are you a purist or do you like to put other things on your grilled cheese? I’m a sucker for sweet and sour red onions with a baby Swiss or gruyere cheese (this recipe in the book). But when I’m using classic cheddar, I either like a thin slice of tomato inside my sandwich, or sometimes, like the day I made these, the thinnest schmear of smooth Dijon and a dash of onion powder.

My Notes: Well, this didn't quite work out because the cheese stuck to the pan in the most awful way. The result, although tasty, was not pretty. I think in addition to buttering the bread, you need a dollop of butter in the pan too. Should also help to brown the cheese.

MXF

Hawaiian-style Sesame Cabbage Slaw

From Saveur

• 1 large head green cabbage, shredded into 1/4-inch ribbons
• 6-8 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tbs. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup black sesame seeds
• 1 package instant ramen noodles, crushed lightly (save the seasoning packet for another use, or discard)

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and scallions. In a medium bowl, whisk together mirin, vinegar, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Combine the sesame and vegetable oils in a separate vessel and slowly add into mirin mixture, whisking steadily, until all the oil is added and the dressing has emulsified. Add vinaigrette to the bowl of cabbage and scallions, top with sesame seeds and crushed ramen noodles. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Pickled Vegetable Slaw

From Smitten Kitchen

I used a mixture of radishes, red, orange and yellow bell peppers, carrots, fresh sugar snaps and kirby cucumbers, but you can use any firm, crunchy vegetable you think would pickle well here. The only thing I don’t think I’d use again were the red radishes, because their color leaked all over, pink-pickling the other vegetables, though of course they all tasted just fine. You might note I am missing the most important ingredient in this so-called slaw, the cabbage. Guys, I made this in the chaotic two days before our two-week vacation and completely forgot. Turns out, it’s fantastic with or without cabbage, though feel free to add some green/white cabbage to your 4 cups of vegetables.

These are refrigerator pickles; no canning/vacuum seals/sterilized jars needed. You simply keep them in the fridge, where they will last for up to a month.

PICKLING MIXTURE

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
• 1 cup cold water

SLAW MIXTURE

• 4 to 5 cups mixed slivered or julienned firm, raw vegetables
• Optional: Few slivers of jalapeno

Heat vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds to a simmer in a small, non-reactive pot over moderate heat, stirring only until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in water, which should bring the mixture’s temperature down significantly. Let cool to lukewarm.

Divide vegetables between jars. (I used two 3/4 liter jars.) Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables and refrigerate until needed. You’ll find the vegetables to be lightly pickled within an hour, and deliciously pickled within a day. They will get slightly more pickled as they sit, but the change shouldn't be too dramatic from the 24 hour level.

Eat with/on sandwiches, aside grilled food and pack it along for picnics — it goes with almost anything. Then make more, because this stuff is habit-forming.

Do ahead: Mine have kept in the fridge for a month without any change in taste or appearance. Updated to add (thanks, Erika!) that you’ll want to make sure that your vegetables are submerged in the brine for them to keep this long.

Banana Ricotta Toasts with Pecans, Dates and Honey

Martha Stewart Living

• 2 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 slice (1/2 inch thick) whole-wheat rustic bread, toasted
• 1/2 small ripe banana, sliced on the bias
• 1 medium pitted date, preferably Medjool, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 1 teaspoon honey, such as acacia
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Spread ricotta on toast. Top with banana, date, and pecans. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and some pepper.

Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

Pioneer Woman

Serves 12

• 12 whole Dinner Rolls Or Small Sandwich Buns (I Used Whole Wheat)
• 1 pound Thinly Shaved Roast Beef Or Ham (or Both!)
• 1 pound Cheese (Provolone, Swiss, Mozzarella, Even Cheez Whiz!)
• ¼ cups Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons Grated Onion (or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes))
• 1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Spicy Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Horseradish Mayo Or Straight Prepared Horseradish
• Dash Of Worcestershire
• Optional Dressing Ingredients: Sriracha, Hot Sauce, Dried Onion Flakes Instead Of Fresh, Garlic Powder, Pepper, Etc.)

Prep Time 20 Minutes / Cook Time 20 Minutes 

Slice rolls in half. Mix together mayo, grated onion, poppy seeds, spicy mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire. Taste it and adjust ingredients however you wish.

To assemble, spread dressing on top and bottom buns. Lay on roast beef or ham, then one or two slices of cheese (I cut them to fit the small buns.) If you’re using Cheez Whiz, spread a layer on the top bun.

Wrap each sandwich in a foil square, and either keep in the fridge or bake right away. To bake the sandwiches, put them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The buns should be slightly crusty and the cheese should be melted.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Food & Wine

1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup soft fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Dash of hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped mint
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 long soft baguette, split
1 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounces), cut into strips
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
Shredded iceberg lettuce

In a skillet, cook the garlic and shallot in the vegetable oil over low heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a mini food processor; add the goat cheese, cream, thyme and hot sauce and puree. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl.

Rinse out the food processor. Add the olives, mint, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of pepper; process to a paste.

Preheat a grill pan. Brush the zucchini with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat, turning, until tender.

Keep the grill pan hot. Spread the goat cheese on the bottom half of the baguette and top with the zucchini, red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Spread the olive paste on the top half. Quarter the sandwich and grill, pressing with a skillet and turning once, until hot; fill with lettuce and serve.

Make Ahead The sandwiches can be made through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight.

Spicy Poached Chicken Burgers

Misc. Sources

Makes 6 servings

•     1/2 cup water                                                  
•     1/2 cup instant couscous                                       
•     2 pounds ground chicken                                        
•     2 tablespoons chop mint leaves                                 
•     2 teaspoons ground cumin                                       
•     1 teaspoon lemon zest                                          
•     2 tablespoons pine nuts light toast, fine chop                 
•     Salt and pepper                                                
•     2 haas avocados                                                
•     1 tablespoon lemon juice                                       
•     1 jalapeno chiles seed, mince                                  
•     1 sm. shallot minced                                           
•     2 cups chicken broth                                           
•     2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce                                
•     6 6 in. pita bread warmed                                      

ACTIVE: 25 MIN/TOTAL: 45 MIN

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil and stir in the couscous. Cover the saucepan, remove from the heat and let stand until the water has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and let cool.

In a large bowl, gently mix the ground chicken with the couscous, chopped mint, ground curnm. grated lemon zest, pine nuts and 2 teaspoons of salt. With lightly oiled hands, pat the chicken-couscous mixture into 6 burgers. Cover the burgers tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, coarsely mash the avocados with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice. jalapeno and shallot and season with salt.

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a very large, deep skillet, bring the stock to a boil with the chili sauce.  Season the burgers with salt and pepper. Set the burgers in the skillet and simmer over moderately low heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the burgers to a rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven. Boil the poaching liquid over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 6 minutes.

Set the pitas on plates. Top with the chicken burgers and spoon some of the reduced sauce over them. Garnish the burgers with the avocado mash and the mint leaves and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The uncooked chicken burgers and the avocado mash (covered with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent discoloration) can be refrigerated overnight.

My Notes: This was really tasty, but the execution was off. Pitas aren't sturdy enough to hold the meat. Either use flatbread or buns or something like that. If you want to stick with pitas, you should make meatballs then eat it like a falafel sandwich.

MXF

Pan-fried Salmon Burgers with Cabbage Slaw

Misc. Sources

Makes 6 servings

    1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon steaks fine chop                  
    1/2 cup mayonnaise                                             
    2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce                                 
    2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce                                 
    2 cloves garlic minced                                         
    1 med. shallot minced                                          
    1 tablespoon mince fresh ginger                                
    1/2 teaspoon lemon zest                                        
    1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. chop cilantro                                
    1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. chop mint leaves                             
    Salt and pepper                                                
    1 1/2 cups panko or other bread crumbs                         
    2 tablespoons lemon juice                                      
    2 tablespoons lime juice                                       
    2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar                          
    1 teaspoon sugar                                               
    1/2 sm. green cabbage shredded                                 
    1 sm. cucumber peel, seed, julienne                            
    1 sm. red onion thin slice                                     
    1 sm. red bell pepper thin slice                               
    1/4 cup sesame seeds                                           
    1/4 cup vegetable oil                                          
    6 onion rolls split, toasted                                   

ACTIVE: 1 HR/TOTAL: 3 HR

In a food processor, pulse the chopped salmon about 10 times, or until minced. Scrape the salmon into a bowl. Mix the mayonnaise with the fish sauce, hot sauce, garlic, shallot, ginger, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the mint, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add the mixture to the salmon along with 1 cup of the panko. Fold the salmon mixture together with a rubber spatula. With lightly oiled hands, pat the mixture into 6 burgers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the lemon and lime juice with the vinegar. Add the sugar; stir until dissolved. Add the cabbage, cucumber, onion, red pepper and the remaining 1/2 cup each of cilantro and mint and toss well.

In a shallow bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of panko with the sesame seeds. Pat the mixture onto the salmon burgers.

In each of 2 large nonstick skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add 3 salmon burgers to each skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until well browned but barely cooked in the center, about 7 minutes.

Place salmon burgers on rolls, top with the slaw, close the sandwiches and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The uncooked salmon burgers and the slaw can be refrigerated overnight.

MY NOTE: Recipe calls for avocado aioli, but I didn't clip that.  Perhaps avocado dressing can be used in its place.

Grilled Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwiches

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes 16 servings

    1 loaf thin slice white bread (32 pieces), pref. pullman       
    2 pounds salted fresh mozzarella cheese slice 1/4-in rounds    
    4 med tomatoes slice 1/4-in                                    
    Salt and pepper                                                
    2 ounces soft unsalted butter soft                             

Using a 2- or 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (depending on size of tomatoes), cut out bread and mozzarella.

Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Sandwich 1 tomato slice and 1 mozzarella slice between 2 slices of bread. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, mozzarella, and bread to make 16 sandwiches.

Preheat a grill to medium, or heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush outsides of bread with butter. Grill sandwiches until golden brown and mozzarella is soft but not completely melted, about 5 minutes per side.

Grilled Chocolate and Apricot Sandwiches

Martha Stewart Living, 2007

Makes 4 servings

    4 ounces dark chocolate bar fine chop                          
    16 dried apricots halved                                       
    4 pieces baguette ab. 5 in. long, cut LW                       
    1/2 teaspoon salt                                              

Divide chocolate and apricots among bottom halves of baguette, and sprinkle with salt. Sandwich with top halves.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Wrap the underside of a heavy skillet with foil. Place 2 sandwiches, top sides down, in grill pan. Top with skillet, and cook for 2 minutes. Flip, top with skillet, and cook until the chocolate has melted, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.

MY NOTE: Chop the apricots and use lots of chocolate on bottom and top to glue the bread together. In fact, might pull out some bread to make a trench for the fruit. Tasty and quick to cook.

MXF

Tuna Nicoise Sandwiches

Martha Stewart Living, 2005

Makes 4 servings

    1/2 white onion thin slice                                     
    1/2 red onion thin slice                                       
    1/4 cup + 4tsp evoo                                            
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar                                 
    14 ounces tuna                                                 
    1 tablespoon lemon juice                                       
    4 ciabatta rolls, split horizontally                           
    2 heads bibb  lettuce                                          
    1/2 cup nicoise olives pitted                                  
    4 hard boiled egg peel, thin slice                             

PREP TIME: 20 MIN/TOTAL TlME: 20 MIN.

Because tuna is the star ingredient in this sandwich, it's worth buying oil-packed tuna in a jar, which has a higher quality and finer flavor than the canned variety.

Put onions, 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; season with pepper. Toss to combine. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add tuna and its oil to onion mixture. Add lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Gently toss to combine.

Cover bottom halves of rolls with lettuce. Top with olives, eggs, and tuna mixture, dividing evenly. Drizzle each with 1 tsp oil. Cover with top halves of rolls.

MXF

Carrot Sandwich with Avocado

Martha Stewart Living, 2005

    3 slices whole wheat bread                                     
    2 tablespoons ricotta lemon spread                             
    1/2 cup fine grate, peeled carrots                             
    1/4 cup buckwheat or alfalfa sprouts                           
    1/2 avocado cut 1/4-in slices                                  
    Salt and pepper
                                                
    RICOTTA LEMON SPREAD                                           
    1/2 cup ricotta cheese                                         
    1/2 cup goat cheese room temp.                                 
    1 tablespoon fine grate lemon zest                             
    Salt and pepper                                                

Cover 1 bread slice with 1 tablespoon spread. Top with half of carrot, sprouts and avocado. Season with salt ar pepper. Top with another bread slice repeat layers. Top with remaining bread.

RICOTTA-LEMON SPREAD
MAKES  ABOUT   1  CUP
Stir together ricotta and goat cheese uitil smooth. Stir in zest. Season with salt and pepper. Spread can be refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

MY NOTE: If you finely grate the carrots, they get a little clumpy, so make sure you spread them out on the bread.

MXF

Mediterranean Melt

Martha Stewart Living

Makes 4 servings

    3 lemons                                                       
    8 baby artichokes                                              
    1/2 cup oil-cured black olives pit, coarse chop                
    1/4 cup olive oil                                              
    1 clove garlic minced                                          
    Salt and pepper                                                
    1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley rough chop                       
    4 italian plum tomatoes slice 3/4-in. thick                    
    4 rustic style rolls                                           
    8 ounces Taleggio or fontina cheese 1/4-in slice               

Slice 2 lemons in half; squeeze the juice into a bowl of cold water. Add lemon halves to bowl.

Trim the tips and outer leaves from the artichokes; thinly slice, lengthwise; submerge in the lemon water. Combine the olives with 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl.

Heat 1 1/2  tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pat the artichoke slices dry; add to the skillet. Cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon over the artichokes; season wilh a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup chopped parsley; toss.Transfer to a small bowl; cover with aluminum foil.

Return the skillet to the heat; add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Arrange the tomatoes in the skillet. Sprinkle wilh remaining 1/2 cup parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Turn; cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Preheat broiler to medium high. Slice rolls; scoop out bottom, creating a cavity for filling; spread with olive mixture. Mound artichokes over olives; arrange several tomatoes over artichokes. Arrange cheese over tomatoes. Place the sandwiches and the tops of the rolls, crumb side up. on a baking sheet; broil until cheese is melted and bread is golden, about 2 minutes. Close sandwiches. Serve hot.

Fig, Ricotta, and Honey Open-faced Sandwiches

Martha Stewart Living

Makes 6 servings

    1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese                                      
    10 slices rustic bread                                         
    4 teaspoons fresh thyme                                        
    Salt and pepper                                                
    10 fresh green or red figs cut to 1/4-in slice    
    Lemon zest             
    Honey for drizzling                                            

Spread the ricotta over each bread slice. Sprinkle each with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the figs on top, dividing evenly among the slices. Drizzle the honey over the figs, and serve immediately.

My Notes: I love this sandwich. It's simple and really tasty. Pepper is key to the whole thing. I don't always add thyme, but I do like a little lemon zest on top. My own photo.

MXF

Cucumber Sandiwches with Egg and Mint

Martha Stewart Living

Makes 6 finger sandwiches

    4 slices extra thin white bread                                
    1 tablespoon unsalt butter room temp                           
    2 lg. hard boiled egg peel, fine grate                         
    2 tablespoons creme fraiche                                    
    1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves leaves picked, fine chop           
    Salt and pepper                                                
    1/2 English cucumber peel, thin slice lengthwise               

Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Set aside. In a small bowl combine eggs, creme fraiche, and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spread egg mixture 1/4 inch thick on 2 slices bread. Top with sliced cucumber, and cover wilh the remaining slices of bread. Remove crusts, and cut each sandwich into 3 equal fingers.

Sloppy Bombay Joes

Food Network, Aarti Sequeria

Makes 4-6 servings

    SAUCE:                                                         
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil                                    
    1 tablespoon minced ginger                                     
    2 cloves garlic minced                                         
    1/2 serrano chile de-seed, fine dice                           
    1 teaspoon garam masala                                        
    1/2 teaspoon paprika                                           
    15 ounces tomato sauce                                         
    1 cup water    
                                                
    TURKEY:                                                        
    3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil                                  
    1/4 cup pistachio nuts shelled                                 
    1/4 cup raisins                                                
    1/2 lg. white onion fine dice                                  
    1 red bell pepper fine dice                                    
    1/2 serrano chile in tact                                      
    Salt                                                           
    1 pound ground turkey                                          
    1/2 teaspoon honey                                             
    1/4 cup half and half                                          
    1/4 cup cilantro                                               
    Hamburger bun                                                  

COOK TIME: 40 MIN

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve.

MY NOTE: Really tasty and easy to make. I would skip the nuts next time. I used canned diced tomatoes and added about 1/2 cup water. I also threw some cumin into the turkey mix.

MXF

Taleggio and Pear Panini

Food Network, Giada de Laurentiis

Makes 4 servings

    1 loaf ciabatta or 8 slices thick bread                        
    1/4 cup olive oil                                              
    8 ounces taleggio cheese or brie, sliced                       
    2 pears (apples, or peaches) core, 1/4-in wedge                
    2 tablespoons honey                                            
    Salt and pepper                                                
    3 ounces arugula or spinach    
                                
Prep time: 10 min/Cook time: 10 min.

Preheat the panini machine. Cut the ciabatta loaf into 4 equal pieces. Halve each piece horizontally to make 4 sandwiches. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and place the bottom-half of the bread slices in the panini machine in a single layer. Heat until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue with the remaining top slices of bread.

While the top slices of the bread are in the Panini machine, begin forming the sandwiches. Divide the cheese among the warm bread. Cover the cheese with slices of fruit. Drizzle the fruit with honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a handful of arugula. Place the warmed top half of the bread over the arugula and return the competed sandwich to the panini machine for 1 to 2 minutes more to finish melting the cheese. Remove from the panini machine. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

MY NOTE: I used pear and camembert and it was really tasty. I didn't panini these since it was a picnic, but that made the ciabatta rather dry. Next time either panini it or use a moister bread, like focaccio. For a real panini, use something like French bread.

MXF