Your Cooking Coach
Show MenuHide Menu

Category Archives: Sandwiches

4th of July Recipes -Mushrooms and Cannellini Bean Burgers

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 14 ounces cannellini beans, drained

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

¼ cup dill, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ cup panko bread crumbs

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt and cook until the onion is translucent about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the veggies to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse 5-10 times to combine- careful not to overdo it… you don’t want a paste.

Press mixture between fingers- if you can form a patty with it, you are good, if it is too crumbly, add some water 1 tablespoon at a time until it sticks together. If the mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.

Form the mixture into 8 patties (about 1/3 cup of the mixture each) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook 3 to 4 patties at a time until brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add sliced cheese on top if desired. The left overs can be frozen. Serve in ciabatta rolls with tomato and cucumber relish and cumin mayo!

Tomato and Cucumber Relish

  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ cup cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • Juice of half lemon

Mix all the ingredients and let sit for ½ an hour before serving with burger.

Cumin Mayonnaise

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup whole milk yogurt
  • Juice of half lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin

Mix all the ingredients and serve with the burgers.

 

Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches with Ricotta Cheese

 

Ricotta Cheese

½ cup full fat ricotta cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

1 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pack chicken sausages (I used roasted garlic ones from Trader Joes), sliced

1 large or 2 medium red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1 inch squares

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups tomato sauce (jar, bottle or fresh)

Salt

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the sausage pieces and sauté on medium high heat and brown both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes. Take the lid off, add the peppers and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or till the peppers are soft, but not too soft and falling apart. Check for seasonings and garnish with basil.

 

4 ciabatta rolls, toasted with a drizzle of olive oil

 

Add some sausage and peppers into a toasted roll. Top with a dollop of ricotta cheese. Serve with oven fries.

 

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich

Tomato and Mozzarells Sandwich

Eat them while the tomatoes are still around…

  • Sliced baguette or a piece of garlic bread
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 3 to 4 slices fresh mozzarella (1/4 inch thick)
  • 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves
  • One medium tomato or several grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • Salt

Cut a big enough piece of the garlic bread and slice and toast. Spread the mayonnaise on both pieces of bread. Place the mozzarella slices on one side of bread and sprinkle some salt. Place the tomatoes and basil leaves. Place the other piece of bread on top and serve.

Shrimp Cake Sandwich with Chili Lime Sauce

Great recipe for the warm days coming our way…

  • 12 medium shrimp, deveined and cleaned with tails off
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • ½ yellow pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Transfer the shrimp to a food processor and process for 10 seconds. Add the green onions, pepper, chives, lime juice, egg and 2 teaspoons salt. Process till smooth for about 45 seconds. Add ½ cup panko and process for another 15 seconds. Take out and form into 4 patties and roll into the remaining 1 cup panko. Place the patties on a parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat a non-stick with the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Cook the shrimp patties for 4 minutes on each side or till cooked through.

Chili Lime Sauce

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of one lime

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Serve the shrimp cakes in ciabatta rolls with the lime sauce.

Mexican Style Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

This is a great recipe to make in this weather… and the pressure cooker makes it super fast. Really, really yummy! Will post some salad recipes in the two days…

  • 3 to 4 pounds pork shoulder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder

Mix the spices and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over the pork, marinate overnight or at least for 2 to 3 hours.

If refrigerated, take out half an hour before cooking.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup Mexican style barbecue sauce (homemade or store bought)
  • 2 cups water

Heat a pressure cooker with the olive oil. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides on high heat, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Add the sauce and water. Cover with lid and cook under pressure on low heat for an hour and a half. Take out of the pressure cooker and place in a bowl to cool off. In the meantime, bring the liquid in the pressure cooker to a boil and simmer till the liquid is cooked down to 1 cup. Take the liquid out into a bowl, skim the fat off the top.

Once the pork is cooked off, using two forks, shred the pork, taking off any excess fat. Pour the spare liquid and mix well. Keep aside.

Chili Barbecue Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds discarded and cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 14 ounces can diced tomatoes with chilies
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • Juice and zest of 3 clementines
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ancho chilies, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, zest, juice and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on a low flame for about 20 minutes. Take off heat and transfer to a blender and blend till a smooth sauce is formed. Check for seasonings and take out into a small bowl.

Serve the pulled pork on bun of choice topped with a bit of the barbecue sauce and coleslaw!

 

 

Bolognese Garlic Bread Sandwiches

I watched Rachel Ray make these on her show and loved the idea. I changed up the recipe a bit and added mushrooms to make the dish healthier. I also jazzed up the ricotta cheese. These sandwiches were absolutely delicious. My daughter gave them two thumbs up!

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped pancetta
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 5 ounces Cremini mushrooms, grated
  • 2 medium shallots, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 small bunch, thyme
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, preferably home made
  • 2 cups milk
  • Salt

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the pancetta and sauté for a minute or two. Add the ground turkey and separate the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Saute on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and thyme. Saute on high heat for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, milk and salt. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer with the lid on. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or till the meat is cooked through. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Keep aside.

Ricotta Topping

  • 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Place the olive oil, garlic and parsley in a small frying pan. Heat over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes- just enough time to cook the garlic without browning. Add salt and let cool. Add to the ricotta, mix well and keep aside.

  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Add the garlic, oil and salt to a small frying pan. Cook on a very low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t get brown. Take off the heat and drizzle the garlic mixture all over the four rolls. Toast in the oven until fragrant and golden brown. Take out and assemble the sandwiches. Place about half a cup of the ground meat. Top with ricotta mixture and serve.

 

Chicken Parm Sandwiches

chicken-parm-sandwichesThis meal is a favorite one in our house- well one of the favorites amongst many! My husband loves chicken parm in all forms. He loves it with spaghetti and as a sandwich. My daughter loves the chicken cutlets I make for the chicken parm. I love making it as well as eating it. I love cooking marinara sauce at home. It makes the house smell warm and cozy, especially on a cold evening. The mixture of tomatoes, onions and garlic makes me really happy! Good thing about making a big batch of marinara sauce is that I can re-use it for other meals that week or freeze it for later. I usually make pasta primavera with the leftover marinara. The chicken cutlets are very versatile as well. I usually make extra since my daughter loves them so much- she says the cutlets taste just like the chicken nuggets she used to have when she was younger. The chicken tastes extra delicious because of the marinade I use before breading it.
I love using really fresh crusty rolls for the sandwich part of this dish. In this case, I found rosemary focaccia rolls. I thought they would go really well with the chicken and the sauce and they did! I also like to toast the rolls with a little drizzle of olive oil. The other flavor enhancer I use is a whole clove of garlic. Rubbing the garlic on the toasted roll gives it a mild and subtle garlic flavor! The sandwich was bursting with flavor! I served it with mixed greens and beer!

Chicken

  • 4-5 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Marinade

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and marinate the pounded chicken breast for 4-5 hours.

Breading

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups homemade marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
  • 4 Rolls- sliced in half
  • 1 garlic clove- whole
  • Olive oil to drizzle on the rolls

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. On a third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.
Lay the cooked chicken pieces in an ovenproof casserole. Ladle spoons of marinara sauce over all the chicken pieces. Add the shredded mozzarella on top and bake for 5-10 minutes in a 350 degrees oven until cheese is melted. In the same oven, place the open rolls drizzled with olive oil. Toast for 3-4 minutes and rub a clove of garlic on all the rolls. Once the cheese is melted, place the chicken pieces on the toasted rolls and serve!