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Open-Faced Baked Prosciutto, Brie, and Apple Butter Sandwiches

Fall is here and I'm really getting into the seasonal eats. Last night I made these sandwiches with some squash soup for some company. The mix of sweet, salty, creamy, and smokey was so right. Special thanks Tyler Florence for making this recipe possible. I highly recommend trying these as an appetizer or with a side of soup.

Open-Faced Baked Prosciutto, Brie, and Apple Butter Sandwiches 

1 loaf crusty French bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup apple butter
16 thin slices prosciutto, about 1/4 pound
2 pears or apples, thinly sliced
1 pound Brie, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut 16 (1/2-inch thick) slices out of the loaf. Butter each side of the slices and put them onto a baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of apple butter onto each slice. Top this with 1 slice of prosciutto and 3 or 4 slices of pear or apple. Cover this with the Brie slices, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Open-faced Roasted Vegetable Melt

About a month ago Popmuse and I took a trip to Lake Arrowhead to escape L.A. for a few days. While there we took a lot of naps and did a lot of snacking. Here's a sandwich recipe from the trip. It's amazing with a good tomato or roasted red pepper soup.

Open-faced Roasted Vegetable Melts

4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise in 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 medium tomatoes, sliced lengthwise in 1/4-inch-thick slices
olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
salt and pepper
1 baguette
1 (16-ounce) pkg. good mozzarella
Balsamic vinegar, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 425. Before roasting, toss zucchini with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper on a cookie sheet. Bake veggies for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Cut bread into 6-inch pieces, cut pieces lengthwise, and place on a cookie sheet. Put bread slices in oven until lightly toasted (about 5 minutes). Spread tomato slices over toasted bread and sprinkle with vinegar (optional), salt and pepper. Top with roasted veggies and spread mozzarella slices or shreds. Broil in oven until cheese melts (about 2-3 minutes).

Pan-grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Ricotta, Arugula and Balsamic

For last night's bad movie night the Nilblogs brought over their new dog (Sissy Spacek) to meet our dog (Carrie Fisher). We watched two movies (The Karate Dog and Yours Mine and Ours) as well as highlights from the Britney Spears Live in Las Vegas HBO concert special. I wanted a quick/fresh/cheap summer meal so i decided on a homemade tomato soup and these sandwiches by Dave Lieberman. Easy and refreshing, these sandwiches are the perfect weekend meal for the gay on the go. Give them a try.

Pan-grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Ricotta, Arugula and Balsamic

Vegetable oil, for brushing
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise in 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise in 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 red onions, sliced into 14/-inch rounds
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 baguettes
1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 bunch arugula, washed, dried and stems discarded
Balsamic vinegar, to tasteBrush large grill pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Before grilling, toss veggies with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Grill vegetables in batches until nicely colored and soft, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch.

Cut bread into 6-inch pieces. Cut pieces lengthwise but don't go all the way through.
Spread a thick layer of ricotta on the bottom half of the bread. Sprinkle with salt.

Toss arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Place dressed arugula on top of ricotta layer. Then add the generous amounts of the different grilled vegetables.

French Dip Sandwiches

The French Dip Sandwich could be the world's most perfect sandwich. It's bold, juicy, and comes with it's own dipping sauce. There are plenty of mediocre French Dips in restaurants and fast food chains and I've tried them all. The secret to a good one is in the quality of the beef and the au ju. This is a solid recipe (from Rachael Ray) that you can have ready in about 10-15 minutes. Just make sure to get the roast beef sliced from your deli counter.

French Dip Sandwiches

2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
a splash of dry sherry, optional
2 cans beef consomme, found on broth and soups aisle or beef broth
1 1/2 pounds deli sliced roast beef
Grill seasoning blend for steak, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning Blend, or, coarse salt and pepper
4 torpedo sandwich rolls, split

In a large, shallow skillet over moderate heat, melt butter. Add shallots to butter and saute 2 minutes. Add flour to butter and shallot and cook a minute longer. Whisk in sherry and cook liquid out. Whisk in consomme in a slow stream. Bring sauce to a bubble and allow to simmer over low heat until ready to serve sandwiches.

Pile meat loosely across your cutting board or a large work surface. Season meat with grill seasoning or salt and black pepper. Set out 4 ramekins or small soup cups for dipping sauce, 4 dinner plates and 4 split torpedo rolls. To assemble, using a pair of kitchen tongs, dip meat into loose au jus sauce and pile into rolls. Set ramekins or cups with extra dipping sauce along side the sandwiches.

The New Grilled Cheese

For last night's viewing of Project Runway, I decided to try out some new trends in grilled cheese that I saw on PBS's Real Simple. The future of grilled cheese is in the pairing of cheese and fruit. Here are a couple of recipes that my focus group recently reviewed with high marks. Both are very fashion forward for grilled cheese and I'd recommend either for a tasty brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Cheddar, Apple, and Bacon Sandwiches

(Makes 4 sandwiches)
8 slices bacon, preferably applewood-smoked
6 ounces grated Cheddar (about 1 1/2 cups total)
8 slices country bread, 1/2 inch thick
1/2 Granny Smith apple — peeled, seeded, and very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Heat oven to 400 ° F. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Place 4 slices of the bread on a work surface. Top with half the Cheddar, the apple slices, bacon, then the remaining Cheddar. Sandwich with the remaining bread. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the outsides of each sandwich. Heat a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is golden brown and the Cheddar has melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula to flatten.

Monterey Jack and Marmalade Sandwiches

(Makes 4 sandwiches)
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack Cheese (about 1 1/2 cups total)
8 slices white bread
Orange Marmalade
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Place 4 slices of the bread on a work surface. Spread inside of slices with Orange Marmalade and top with Monterey Jack cheese. Sandwich with the remaining bread. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the outsides of each sandwich. Heat a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula to flatten.

Brie Sandwiches

So you've had a ball-busting day at work, but your friends are coming over to watch the new episode of Project Runway and your in charge of dinner. What's on the menu? Brie sandwiches. They're fast and fresh with a rich flavor. Serve with a side of preprepared soup and you're done in 15 minutes.

Brie Sandwiches

1/4 lb Brie
Baguete
4 Tomatoes
Bunch of fresh basil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Slice baguette into equal pieces and divide in half. Slice tomatoes and brie. Fill each sandwich with 2 or 3 basil leaves, 1 or 2 slices of brie, and 1 or 2 tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Beach Sandwiches

I was researching beach food this weekend before I set up camp in sunny Malibu beach and was disappointed with what I found. It seems most people see beach food as an excuse to make shimp kabobs and elaborate yogurty fruit salads. That's just impractical.. When I pack for the beach I grab a towel, some magazines, and a big bottle of water. I can't be bottered to tote a grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, raw meat, grilling utencils, seasoning, a cooler, ice, tupperware with cut fruit, etc.. Calm down people, it's just an afternoon laying on a sandy towel.. it's not you last meal or a P. Diddy beach event. Keep it simple.. Bloghungry suggests making or picking up quick a sandwich before you get there.

Bloghungry Beach Sandwich Guidelines:  

1. Pick a simple deli meat or roasted veggie mix that isn't covered in a sauce that would make your bread soggy and gross if it has to sit in a backpack all morning. 2. Don't bring anything that will wilt or turn on you when warm. 3. Add fresh ingriedients that can stand up to the heat like: tomato, avacodo, pickles, peppers, or onion.

 

**Go behind the scenes to the Bloghungry beach photoshoot.

West Coast Wrap

I just moved officially moved in with Mike and after laying around on the couch for a while we decided to make dinner. The night demanded something easy/delicious/different. We settled on chicken wraps. Neither of us had made a chicken wrap before but we fumbled through it and they came out pretty good. If you're feeling less adventurous try out one of the recipes below.

Chicken, Feta Cheese, and Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps (allrecipes.com)

2 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato dressing
8 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 cups loosely packed torn fresh spinach
4 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato dressing

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine chicken breasts and 1/4 cup dressing. Seal, and refrigerate for several hours.

 

Preheat grill for high heat. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and hot water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes, drain, and cut tomatoes into thin slices.

Lightly oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place chicken on grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, or until done.

Cut chicken into strips, and place in a medium bowl with sliced tomatoes, feta, and spinach. Toss with remaining 1/4 cup dressing.

Distribute mixture between the four tortillas, and wrap. Either cut in half and enjoy cold, or place briefly back on grill until the tortilla turns warm and crispy.

Thai Chicken Wrap with Spicy Peanut Sauce (Rachel Ray)

3 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning 

Salad:
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in produce department
3 scallions, sliced on an angle
12 leaves basil, chopped or torn
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (4 sprigs)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
Salt 

Spicy peanut sauce:
1/4 cup room temperature chunky peanut butter, soften in microwave if it has been refrigerated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 (12-inch) flour tortilla wraps

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Toss chicken with soy and oil and grill 6 minutes on each side.   

Combine cucumber, sprouts, carrots, scallions, basil, mint and sesame with a generous sprinkle of sugar and vinegar. Season salad with salt, to taste.

Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne together. Stream in vegetable oil. 

Slice cooked chicken on an angle. Toss with veggies and herbs. 

In a very hot nonstick skillet or over a gas burner heat tortillas 15 seconds on each side. 

Pile chicken and veggies in wraps and drizzle liberally with spicy peanut sauce before wrapping and rolling.