Variations on the BLT

First things first.  I've decided to stop saying,"first I, then I, after that I..." as part of the recipe steps.  I think it sounds boring.  Instead, I am going to number the recipe steps like a regular cookbook.  I hope it's easier reading for you.

Now let's move on to tasty things.  I came up with these two sandwiches from two totally different sources.  The first began with a riff on a sandwich I had on a trip to New York two years ago.  I had gone to Miro Cafe, near the corner of Broadway and Broome in SoHo.  Let me say the menu is full of all sorts of goodies, and I had a hard time choosing.  I finally settled on the #12, a veggie sandwich comprised of grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil leaves, and a vinaigrette on a flatbread.  Delicious (and it wouldn't make me sleepy during my afternoon conference meetings!).

Last week while planning meals, I was trying to decide what to do with the veggies I had purchased from the farmer's market. I had already used some of them for side dishes and all, but I wasn't sure of how to use the rest.  Then the Miro sandwich came to mind.  I decided to roast the veggies in the oven to create a version of the sandwich.  I also had some bacon that needed to be used up, so why not? 

Roasted Veggie BLT
(Makes about 6 sandwiches)

You will need:

1/2 large carrot

1/2 large zucchini

1 beefsteak or slicing tomato

1 small onion

1 small roasting potato

1/2 a package of bacon

1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese (your choosing, sliced)
Bread

Procedure:
1. Place the bacon on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until desired crispness.  While the bacon is cooking, slice the veggies.  (I used a mandolin to make this go much quicker.  You can probably use a food processor, too.)  I layered the tomatoes and zucchini between paper towels to soak up some of the liquid so they would roast better.

 

2. Take the bacon out of the oven and drain on paper towels.  Place the veggies on baking sheets.  (Put the thicker veggies on one sheet since they will take a bit longer to cook.  I put the carrots, potatoes, and onions on one sheet; tomatoes and zucchini on the other.)  Combine 1/2 cup of olive oil and the grated garlic; brush the veggies.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper before putting in the oven.  Bake about 20 minutes or until the veggies start to dry out and brown on the edges.

 

 

3. In the last few minutes of cooking, toast the bread for the sandwiches.  After taking the veggies out of the oven, layer them on the toasted bread.  Top with the bacon, sliced cheese, lettuce, and the condiment of your choice.

 

 

For the second version of the BLT, I was trying to think of a different way to have breakfast for dinner (my children's favorite).  I decided to add an egg to the sandwich instead of the roasted veggies.  You can scramble or fry your egg; we cook ours sort of like an omelet. 

 

 

 

Good for breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Or a midnight snack. Your choice.  Enjoy! 

Meatballs and Sauce

Two days ago I decided to make meatballs, much to my son's delight.  (He is a huge fan of meatballs on any given day, and this was just icing for him!)  I also decided to make the pasta sauce, as I had a recipe rolling around in my head for several days.  Below you will find the results.

Meatballs
I made these first because they took longer to cook.  Here is what I used:

 

In the bowl:



3 pounds ground beef, 85/15 mix
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 small onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

I combined all of the ingredients in a large bowl until everything was incorporated.  (Take care not to overwork the meat during this process.) 

Seeing as this is my son's favorite, he learned how to beat an egg and roll meatballs.  My daughter took over the task of scooping out the meat with a small ice-cream scoop.  After scooping and rolling, we ended up with about six dozen meatballs; so many that we had to put them into two pans.

I baked these in the oven at 350 degrees for about half an hour.  While they were baking, I began the pasta sauce. 

Pasta sauce
Here is what I used:

What I used:

Olive oil
1/2 small onion, grated (I used the other half of the onion used to make the meatballs.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (I had pear tomatoes in my pantry; you can use any whole tomato.)
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste*
* I generally don't use much salt in my cooking, so adjust to your taste.

I sauteed the onion in olive oil, then added in the garlic and red pepper flakes.  When the onions were translucent and the garlic tender, I added in the tomato puree and whole tomatoes.  Then I used a potato masher to break the tomatoes down for a chunky sauce.  I then added the Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and pepper. 

I vented the lid of the pot, turned the heat to low, and let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.

Once the half hour for the meatballs was up, I put them in the sauce and allowed the sauce to continue simmering an additional 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  (Be careful when stirring the sauce, so you don't break up the meatballs.)

While the meatballs and sauce were simmering, I boiled penne pasta.  When the pasta was al dente, I drained it and prepared the bowls.

Dinner was tasty.  My son had seconds. :)

Falafel

Sorry for the delay; I was under the weather for a few days and made some simpler meals (frozen chicken tenders, anyone?).  Then Sandy appeared and I was in "cook ahead in case of a power outage" mode (granola and stuff that wouldn't need to be heated).  We did lose power, but it came back on several hours later.  After that our water smelled a little funny for a few days, so we used the water I boiled pre-Sandy for food prep.  Now we're back on track.

A day or so before Sandy hit, I decided to try out a falafel recipe from one of my cookbooks, The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook, published by Bay Books.  I'm not sure if the book is in print anymore, as I've had it for a few years.  It's simply a compilation of food from the Mediterranean region of the world: France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Northern Africa, Turkey, and the Middle East.  This recipe came from the Middle East section.

I gathered the ingredients, with the exception of the broad beans the recipe called for; I substituted white beans because I don't know where I can find broad beans in my neck of the woods.  I haven't seen them anywhere.  I also added dill to the recipe because I was out of some of the other herbs.  It didn't really make a difference in flavor.  Here's the ingredient list:

1 cup each chickpeas and white beans, soaked overnight
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon each of dill and parsley

(The original said to add 3 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 3 additional garlic cloves, and 1/2 cup fresh parsley.  I didn't have the coriander or parsley, and thought the extra garlic would have been a bit much, so I adjusted.  I have also added a bit of lemon juice in previous test runs; it reacts with the baking soda to produce a lighter cake.)

In the food processor, I combined the beans, onion, and garlic until smooth.  Then I added the remaining ingredients until a thick paste formed.

I then shaped the mixture into patties.  First I scooped them out with a small ice-cream scoop, then formed them into patties much like you would a hamburger.  (Hint:  Use the scoop because it's important that the patties are about the same size so they cook evenly.  Wet your fingers before forming; the mixture is sticky and the water will keep it from sticking to your hands.)  As the patties were formed, I placed them on a cookie sheet.  Once all the patties were formed, I placed the sheet in the refrigerator for about half an hour to firm up.

While the patties were in the fridge, I prepared the other ingredients: sliced lettuce and tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, caramelized onion (my addition), sour cream, and ranch dressing (my childrens' addition, as they don't like tzatziki sauce).  And the vehicle to carry all of these wonderful flavors?  Flour tortillas. ("Tortillas?!?" you ask.  Yup.  The first falafel I ever ate was at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Baltimore.  It was on a flour tortilla or something very similar.   I've also had falafel in pita pockets and on flatbread. Yummy no matter what they're in.)

When the half hour was up, I took the patties out of the fridge and began heating oil in a large sauce pot.  (I prefer high sides when frying foods; keeps the splatter down.)  When the oil was hot (test by dropping a bit of flour or a cube of bread into the oil and checking to see how quickly it fries), I fried the patties in batches until they were golden brown on all sides.  Then I drained them on paper towels set in a metal pan.  (I use metal to keep the food warm until the food is served.)

 
When all of the patties were finished, each sandwich was assembled with three falafel and the toppings of one's choosing.  I chose everything.

I wasn't sure how my children would take to this recipe because we've had some failures with boxed mixes in the past. (Trust me, don't buy them.  This is so much tastier.)  I'm happy to report that they both had seconds and my son called dibs on the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

For those of you who would like the tzatziki sauce recipe to go on your falafel, here it is, exactly as it appears in The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook:

2 Lebanese cucumbers
13 ounces Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
chopped fresh mint for garnish

1. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard.  Leave the skin on and coarsely grate the cucumber into a small colander.  Sprinkle with a little salt and leave to stand over a large bowl for 15 minutes to drain off any bitter juices.
2. Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt, garlic, mint, and lemon juice in a bowl.
3. Rinse the cucumber under cold water, then, taking small handfuls, squeeze out any excess moisture.  Combine the cucumber with the yogurt mixture and season to taste.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.  Garnish with mint.  Can be served as a dip with flatbread or as a sauce for seafood or meat.

Enjoy!