Thursday, May 29, 2008

Mmmm, mmmm good!

Ok so I'm not the best sandwich maker. I usually just slap some mayo & mustard on whatever bread I've got on hand (usually 100% whole wheat) with some smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce & tomato. Good but not much to write home about.
When Megan (of FriedOkra fame) announced her next recipe post was featuring the lowly sandwich, I was surprised to find a couple of recipes in my files. I've never made them but they sound purty good so I'll let you decide if they're all right.


I'm almost sure these are both from Cooking Light magazine.

Eggplant sandwiches with spinach and fontina

2 (1 lb) eggplants, peeled and cut into 28 (1/2 inch thick) slices
1 tsp sea salt, divided
1-cup water
1 (10 oz) package fresh spinach
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup (2 oz) shredded fontina cheese
2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fat free milk
3 large eggs whites, lightly beaten
1 cup dry polenta
4 tsp olive oil, divided
14 lemon wedges


Preheat broiler
Sprinkle eggplant with ½ tsp salt
Place half of eggplant on a baking sheet; broil 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned
Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant
Bring water to a boil in a large dutch oven
Add spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or until wilted
Drain well
Place spinach on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels
Let stand 5 minutes; pressing down occasionally
Coarsely chop spinach
Heat a medium skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat
Add onion, red pepper and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally
Stir in lemon juice; cook 30 seconds or until liquid evaporates
Combine onion mixture and chopped spinach in a bowl; stir in ½ tsp salt and black pepper
Combine fontina and Parmesan in a small bowl
Working with 1 eggplant slice at a time, spread about 2 ½ tbsp spinach mixture evenly over each of 14 eggplant slices; sprinkle each with about 2 tsp cheese mixture
Cover with remaining eggplant slices, and gently press together
Combine milk and egg whites in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk
Working with 1 sandwich at a time, brush both sides of each sandwich with milk mixture, and dredge in polenta
Heat 2 tsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat
Add half of sandwiches; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned
Repeat procedure with 2 tsp oil and remaining sandwiches
Serve with lemon wedges


Piadini with Cherry Tomatoes and Smoked Mozzarella

Crust
2 ¼ cups bread flour, divided
1 package dry yeast (about 2 ¼ tsp)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water (100 to 110), divided
½ tsp salt
Cooking spray
¾ cup (3 oz) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese, divided


Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water in a large bowl, stir in ½ cup flour
Let stand 30 minutes
Add ½ cup plus 2 tbsp warm water, 1 ½ cups flour, and salt stirring to form a soft dough
Turn dough out onto a floured surface
Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes)
Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tbsp at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85) free from drafts for 45 minutes or until doubled in size
(Gently press 2 fingers into dough, if indentation remains, dough has risen enough)
Punch dough down, cover and let rest 5 minutes
Divide dough into 4 equal portions
Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying)
Roll each portion into a 7-inch circle on a lightly floured surface
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat
Place dough circle in pan and sprinkle with 3 tbsp cheese
Cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts and dough is browned on bottom
Repeat procedure with remaining dough and cheese

Filling
1 ½ cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ½ cups red cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced


Combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients, toss gently to coat
Spoon ¾ cup tomato mixture into each crust and fold over

6 comments:

Megan Cobb said...

Yum, I love eggplant! Sounds divine! Both of 'em.

Mari said...

I'm afraid we don't like eggplant here, but that piadini sandwich sounds marvelous!

SimplyAmusingDesigns.com said...

They both sound delish...I love eggplant - I have to wrangle it away from my bassett hound, though - I think he likes it more than me. :)

Anonymous said...

I saw your note to FlyLady and look forward to reading your blog.

Julie said...

Hmm..don't like eggplant OR tomatoes. Bummer.

Another option for sandwiches are whole wheat tortillas - take some smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, maybe some mild pepper rings....YUMMY.

Thanks for the compliment on my daughters' room. I'd LOVE to do your house...unfortunately I still have 5 rooms in my own house I want to do. If/when I get them done, I'll let you know...LOL

Vanessa said...

THe eggplant sandwich sounds divine!

 
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