Turkey Fig Sandwich

It was a beautiful, spring-like day in March so we headed to a cozy coffee shop along the shore of Lake Michigan to enjoy lunch and a good cup of coffee.  We discovered the most wonderful sandwich at the coffee shop. Naturally, we had to try recreating it at home—and we were spot on. I hope you enjoy it just as much as we did. All that’s missing is the beautiful view of the lake.

Lightly toasted sourdough bread, 2 pieces per sandwich

Sweet fig jam (We purchased ours at Aldi. Trader Joe's may have it also.)

Gala apple, or any sweet apple, thinly sliced

Havarti cheese, thinly sliced

Sliced deli turkey meat

Thinly sliced raw red onion

Arugula greens

Dijon mustard

Spread fig jam on one piece of toast and top with the apple slices, cheese, turkey meat, onions then Arugula.

On the second piece of toast, spread with Dijon mustard. Place on top of the sandwich and cut in half.  

Enjoy!

Kimberly

Carrot Raisin Tea Sandwiches

I made these delicious sandwiches for a Ladie's Tea that we had at church.  The raisin bread, carrots and cream cheese frosting make these slightly sweet sandwiches a delightful special treat.  These are also enjoyed by children, too!  Be creative and cut these into long fingers, squares or different shapes using cookie cutters.

1 cup grated carrots (small holes on a hand grater)

8 ounces (1/2 can) prepared cream cheese frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1 to 2 loaves cinnamon raisin bread ** (see note below)

In a medium bowl, combine the grated carrots, cream cheese frosting, cream cheese and chopped walnuts.

Generously, spread one side of each piece of bread with the carrot/frosting mixture (about 1/4 inch thick).  Top with the remaining bread slices.

Carefully, cut the crusts from each sandwich with a long, sharp knife.  Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then cut in half again.  

Note:  Use a good quality raisin bread.  For one recipe of filling, I used 2 loaves of Pepperidge Farm Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread (24 slices of bread total).  Freezing the bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling.

If using the bread noted in the above recipe, this will make 12 whole sandwiches or 24 halves or 48 fourths

Source:  Food.com

Janice

Sweet Thai Chili Burgers

Say good-by to boring hamburgers!  The combination of the garlic-ginger aioli, sweet Thai chili sauce and crispy fried onions give this burger an added explosion of flavor. You could also add some crispy bacon, too!  This is great served with a side of roasted sweet potatoes. (see recipe on this blog).

4 green onions

1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, divided

2 cloves garlic, divided

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 TBS soy sauce, divided

1/2 tsp sugar

20 oz ground beef

French's Crispy Fried Onions

4 Potato Buns

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (you can find this in the Asian food aisle)

Trim and mince green onions, separating the whites from the greens.  Peel ginger and grate using a zester or the small holes of a box grater until you have 1 1/2 tsp.  Peel and mince or grate the garlic.  

Aioli:  In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, greens pieces of the green onion, 

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp grated ginger and 1/2 tsp sugar and a pinch of garlic.  Set aside.

Burger:  In a large bowl, gently combine beef, the white pieces of the green onion, remaining 4 1/2 tsp soy sauce, remaining grated ginger and garlic.

Form into 4 patties, each slightly larger than the burger bun.

Drizzle oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add beef patties and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes per side.

While burgers cook, halve and toast the buns.

Spread cut sides of buns with aioli (save some for dipping).  Add the patties, top with sweet Thai chili sauce and crispy fried onions.

Serve burger with remaining aioli on the side for dipping.

Serves 4

Source Hello Fresh

Janice

Zucchini Parmesan Sandwich

I made this sandwich using the fresh zucchini, tomatoes and basil from my garden.  Wow was it delicious.  If you would prefer, you can use tomato sauce in place of the fresh tomato slices.

Follow the recipe for Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini Fries found on this blog.  Instead of cutting the zucchini in strips, cut them in rounds.

Bread slices, lightly toasted (I used artisan bread and rubbed the bread with a garlic clove after toasting it.)
Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini Rounds
Mozzarella Cheese
Tomato Slices
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Fresh Basil

Heat oven to 350 F.  On a sheet pan, assemble sandwich in the order the ingredients are listed above.  Heat in oven until cheese is melted 7-8 minutes.

Kimberly

Salsa Turkey Burgers

Tired of eating beef burgers all the time?  Mix it up with this recipe.  Since lean ground turkey tends to get a little dry when cooked, the mushrooms in this recipe will add moisture to the burger.  I served these burgers with the jalapeño popper stuffed zucchini boats.

20 oz lean ground turkey

1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 egg
3-4 TBS salsa (I used hot salsa)
1 TBS chopped canned jalapeños
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Mix gently until just combined.  Form mixture into 6 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.  (To save yourself some time, these burgers can be made and formed into patties one day ahead.  Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to grill.)

Preheat grill to high. Brush grill rack lightly with oil. Grill burgers for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. 

Serve burgers on lightly toasted buns with sliced tomatoes and lettuce or any of your favorite burger toppings.  I topped mine with salsa. Sliced avocado would be good too!

Makes 6 servings

Kimberly

Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches have been an all-time favorite sandwich since the 1950's. These are still a favorite and are always the first to disappear wherever they are served! 

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small .6 oz size package Italian Seasoning Mix (4 tsp)
Cucumbers, sliced thin
Party cocktail rye bread
Dill weed

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning mix and chill for 1 hour.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on each bread slice.  Top with a cucumber slice.  Sprinkle with dill.

Eileen

Black Bean Burgers with Sriracha Aioli

Black bean burgers are a great and healthy alternative to a traditional burger. The cilantro and garlic adds such an amazing flavor to this burger. I really like the spicy sauce. Roasted sweet potatoes are a great side to serve with this burger. 

1 (15  oz) can low-sodium (or unsalted) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 - 1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 TBS minced garlic
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
1 tsp Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 tsp fresh lime juice
2 cups baby arugula (or spring green mix)

Preheat oven to 425. 

Place beans in a large bowl; lightly mash. Stir in onion and the next 7 ingredients. Divide mixture into 4 portions; shape each into a 1/2-inch thick patty.

Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 8 minutes; turn after 6 minutes. Add bun halves to pan; bake for 3 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lime juice; spread over bottom halves of buns. Top each serving with 1 patty, 1/2 cup arugula, and top halves of buns.

Serves 4

Source:  Cooking Light

Kimberly

Crock-Pot Balsamic Roast Beef Dip Sandwiches

The original recipe for these sandwiches does not call for carrots and onions.  However, I figured, if you are going to put a roast in a crock-pot, you might as well add onions and carrots.  It adds flavor and gives you a side to serve with your sandwiches.  Top with a little horseradish and enjoy!

1 3-4 pound boneless chuck roast beef

1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp dried rosemary
5-7 cloves of garlic, minced
I added:
1 large white onion, quartered
3 large carrots

Place the roast in a 6 quart crock pot.  If using, place the onion and carrots in the crock-pot.
In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine.  Pour liquid over the beef in the crock-pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or 4 hours on high.

To serve, remove the roast from the crock-pot with tongs and shred with the tines of two forks. Pour 1/2 of the pan juices over the shredded meat and serve the extra au jus as dip on the side for your sandwiches. Serve on crusty French roll buns or any bread of your choice.

 Serves 6

Source: www.crockpotladies.com

Janice

California Sunrise Toast

I absolutely love fried eggs sandwiches and I love avocados.  So when I saw this sandwich it was...duh!  Now, why didn't I think of this?  So delicious.  

1 ripe avocado

1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 slices toasted whole-grain bread
4 fried eggs

Mash the avocado.  Add the lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes.  Toast the bread, spread with the avocado mixture.  Top with a fried egg.  

Serves 4

Source:  Goodhousekeeping.com

Janice

Roasted Cauliflower Grilled Cheese with Jalapeno Aioli

Grilled cheese has been my favorite sandwich since I was a kid. This grown-up version of the grilled cheese sandwich is absolutely delicious.  Make sure you give this recipe a try.  No one is ever too old to enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich - especially this one!

1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 small head of cauliflower, sliced into flat, 3/4" thick pieces
Sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
2 slices whole-grain bread
2 oz (3/4 cup) aged cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup baby arugula, washed and dried (or baby spinach)
1/2 TBS butter

Aioli
1 TBS mayonnaise (I used low-fat mayo)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 to 1/2 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced *
Pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425.

Add the onion and 1 1/2 TBS of the oil in a medium saute pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and caramelized, 20-25 minutes.  You will have about 1/2 cup of onion.

Gently toss the cauliflower pieces with the remaining 1 1/2 TBS of oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread the cauliflower in a flat layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Flip the cauliflower, then roast for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown, watching carefully to make sure the pieces do not burn.

Combine all of the aioli ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Spread both slices of bread with aioli.  Layer 1 slice with caramelized onions, roasted cauliflower, shredded cheese and arugula.  Top with the other slice of bread.  Add the butter to the pan used to caramelize the onion, heat the pan over medium-low heat, and add the sandwich.  (Place the bread closest to the cheese layer on the bottom.)  Cook the sandwich for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese is melting, applying pressure to the top of the sandwich with your spatula.  Flip the sandwich and brown the other side, about 3-4 minutes. 

* I didn't have a jalapeno when I made this sandwich, so I added about 2 tsp of pepper jelly and a few drops of siracha sauce to the mayo and garlic.  It was delicious.

Makes 1 sandwich

Source:  Relish - Daphne Oz

Kimberly

Thai Turkey burgers with Zesty Peanut Sauce

Oh... these burgers are so good! The peanut sauce makes these burgers extra delicious.  Serve with Asian coleslaw on the side for a delicious meal.

Sauce:
1/3 cup bottled light peanut sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated gingerroot

Burgers:
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey or chicken
1 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs (or 1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs)
1/4 cup finely minced green onions
2 TBS minced fresh cilantro
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 TBS of above peanut sauce mixture
6 whole-grain hamburger buns
Lettuce and sliced tomatoes

To make sauce, combine peanut sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon zest and gingerroot in a small bowl.  Mix well and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, green onions, cilantro, egg, salt, pepper and 3 TBS of the peanut sauce mixture (you will use the rest of the sauce to baste the burgers).  Mix gently using your hands.  Form mixture into 6 patties, about 1/2 inch thick.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Preheat grill to high.  Brush grill rack lightly with oil.  Grill burgers for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.  Brush burgers with reserved sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Serve burgers on lightly toasted buns with sliced tomatoes and lettuce or any of your favorite burger toppings.

Makes 6 servings

Source:  The Looneyspoons Collection - Janet & Greta Podleski

Kimberly

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is a combined effort of Eileen and Janice over the years.  It's been tested, tweaked and tried many times.  Sloppy Joes are a Schulz all-time favorite for family get-togethers.

2 lbs ground chuck, browned and drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 can tomato soup (start out with 1/2 can, you can always add more if needed)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup Open Pit Original BBQ Sauce (don't substitute a different BBQ sauce)

You may need to add a little more BBQ sauce and/or ketchup to your liking.

Combine all.  Simmer til hot.

This freezes well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Figure approx 1/2 lb of meat per person (approx 2 sandwiches per person)
2 lbs meat - 6-8 sandwiches = 3-4 people
3 lbs meat - 9-10 sandwiches = 5-6 people
4 lbs meat = 12-14 sandwiches = 6-7 people (double the above ingredients)
6 lbs meat = 20 sandwiches = 10-11 people (triple the above ingredients)


Eileen & Janice

Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

I made these meatballs and sauce for meatball bombers.  I don't think I will ever buy a jar of spaghetti sauce ever again.  This was so easy and delicious!  I doubled the sauce recipe so I could freeze some for later.  I didn't have to double the meatballs because it made plenty.

Sauce:
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 TBS olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Meatballs:
4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound lean ground beef or ground chuck
2 tsp olive oil

In a large saucepan, cook onion in oil until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes.  Squeeze out excess liquid.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, Parmesan, garlic, basil, parsley, salt and bread.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  (go ahead and use your hands)  Shape into 1 to 1 1/2  inch balls.  Because I was making the meatballs for bombers, I made them about 1 1/2 inches (the meatballs will shrink a little when cooked).  I used a large Pampered Chef scoop (about 3 TBS) and made 20 meatballs. 

In a large nonstick skillet, add 2 tsp of oil.  Brown the meatballs in batches over medium heat. Continue to turn the meatballs so they are browned completely.  Be gentle as the meatballs are very tender.

Remove the meatballs from the skillet.  Drain the fat.  Return meatballs to the skillet.  Cover with the sauce.  Return to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink.  Gently, stir occasionally.  You may need to add a little water if the sauce gets too thick.   However, make sure you don't break up the meatballs.   If all of your sauce does not fit in the skillet with the meatballs, just simmer the remaining sauce in the other saucepan.  (The original recipe said to add the meatballs to the pot of sauce.  However, I modified the recipe and simmered some sauce separately with the meatballs because the meatballs were so tender and I didn't want them to fall apart in a large pot of sauce.)  

You may serve over the top of pasta or serve on toasted bomber buns as I did.  Sprinkle meatballs bombers with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

Source:  Light And Tasty - June/July 2006 (revised)

Janice

Pork and Peanut Burgers

Not your typical burger, but boy are these delicious.

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1 TBS snipped fresh cilantro
1 TBS grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 pound lean ground pork *
1 TBS sesame oil (not toasted)
1/3 cup Asian sweet chili sauce or chili sauce
1 TBS creamy peanut butter

1/2 TBS Sriracha (optional, my addition) 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup baby spinach (or baby bok choy leaves)
Pita bread, rolls, or hamburger buns (split and toasted)
Chopped dry-roasted peanuts

In a medium bowl, combine onion, the 1/4 cup peanuts, cilantro, ginger, the three garlic cloves, salt and crushed red pepper.  Add ground pork; mix well.  Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch thick patties.  Brush patties with oil; set aside.

For sauce, in a small bowl, combine the chili sauce, peanut butter, sriracha (if using) and the 1 clove garlic; set aside.

For a charcoal grill, grill patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 10-13 minutes or until done (160), turning once halfway through grilling.  (For a gas grill, preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium.  Place patties on grill rack over heat.  Cover and grill as above.)

To serve, place some of the spinach on the pita bread or bun.  Top with the burger, sauce, additional peanuts and more spinach.

*I have also made this recipe using 50% ground pork and 50% ground chuck.  It was delicious.

Makes 4 servings

Source:  Grill It! - Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Kimberly