Homemade Muffulettas

2 slices of Ezekial brand bread
1 slice cheese (swiss, provolone, etc.)
About 6 slices assorted meats (I use deli meats like genoa salami, chicken, turkey, ham, etc.)
A couple of slices of tomato
A couple of slices of onion
About 1 T light mayo or miracle whip
About 2 T Boscoli Family Italian Olive Salad

How To:
Spread a light layer of mayo on each slice of bread and add sliced tomatoes and onion to one slice of bread. Layer with cheese and meats. Finish with olive salad and top with the other slice of bread. Enjoy!

Comments: I want to caution you to use nitrate-free deli meats (try this or this) as much as possible, make your own, or simply used thinly sliced meats. That can mean different things depending on the product so I encourage you to read the ingredients and try to avoid products with synthetic nitrates. Overall, I recommend keeping processed food products of all kinds limited in your diet.

All that being said, overall I think this is a great alternative to a "traditional muffulatta" with the standard focaccia type sandwich bread. The taste is really delicious and the Ezekial bread lends itself really well to this type of sandwich due to its sturdy texture. My husband thinks they are better after they sit around for a while and the olive salad absorbs into the bread a little. I also sprinkle his homemade habanero/chili powder on his sandwiches. I hope you will give this receipe a try - it is really delicious. The above recipe makes one sandwich, which will serve one or two people. The olive salad may be available in your grocery store but if not you can also purchase it online at the link above. Prep time is about 5-10 minutes.

 

This recipe was featured on Melt in Your Mouth Monday.

French Onion Soup

4 medium sweet onions, sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1 quart beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 T worcestershire sauce
1/8 to 1/4 cup marsala wine
Sliced mozzarella and/or swiss cheese, gruyere, provolone
Garlic Parmesan Toast Points (optional)

Combine onions in olive oil in a large saucepan and saute until browned over medium heat. Add garlic and cook a few minutes until garlic is done, but not burned. Season with basil and half the thyme, add red wine and reduce. Add broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and season with salt (as needed), pepper, the remaining thyme, worcestershire sauce, and marsala wine. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Pour soup into individual oven proof bowls or ramekins, top with a thin slice of cheese, and bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese melts at 350-400 degrees.

Or, if serving with Garlic Parmesan Toast Points, after pouring soup in the bowl, add toast point, cover with sliced cheese and bake.

Comments: I really love French onion soup and this is a fairly quick recipe that tastes very good. I will serve with the Garlic Parmesan Toast Points either in the soup or on the side. This recipe makes about four servings and has pretty quick prep time.

Beef & Bulgur Kabobs

This recipe is a great change of pace that you will really enjoy. It is relatively easy to make with a moderate prep time but super fast cook time. My husband loves the leftovers as well, and they are really convenient "to go".

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups bulgur (finely ground), try this
2 pounds ground beef, try this
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (pine nuts preferred but any will likely do)
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

YOGURT SAUCE:
2 cups greek yogurt (plain), try making your own!
1/4 cup tahini
1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dill

Mix together, refrigerate until needed.

How To:
1. Make Onion Liquid: Using a blender or food processor, puree the chopped onions and then strain them through a fine mesh to extract all the liquids from the onions. Use a spoon or spatula to press the pureed onion through the mesh. You won't need the solids so either discard or find another use for them. Add the lemon juice and water to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid.

2. Combine: In a large bowl, combine the onion juice liquid with the bulgur and soak for 10 minutes. Don't skimp on this step, and ensure all bulgur is covered by the liquid, or it may be a little chewy. In the meantime, combine the garlic and nuts in a food processor to mince (or mince by hand). After bulgur has soaked, add garlic, nuts, beef, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and pepper and mix well.

 Make sure all your bulgur is covered by the liquid and soak the full 10 minutes and check to ensure that the bulgur has softened.

3. Shape: Using about 1/3 cup for each kabob, form the beef into about 17-20ish sausage shaped rolls. **Add a small amount of water if mixture is too crumbly.**  Thread onto metal skewers. Broil (4-6 inches from heat) or grill 8-10 minutes, turning as needed.

Comments: If using wooden skewers, start soaking them in water when you start your kabobs (about 30 minutes total soaking). Even easier - don't use skewers and place directly in broiler or on a pan in the grill. They do not look as nice but taste the same. Serve kabobs with yogurt sauce (recipe above), mustard, hot sauce, etc. My husband and six-year old LOVE these.

Total time is about 30 minutes prep and 10 minutes to cook. This makes about 20 rolls - each person will eat about two or three rolls.

***A note about bulgur.... the super cool thing about bulgur is that it is crushed whole wheat that has been parboiled (soaked, steamed, dried). What does this mean? Well, this means that since your bulgur is already soaked, you won't need to soak it yourself. Check the labels on the bulgur you have purchased and you will find an indication that it is parboiled.

On the other hand, you will want to soak your pine nuts for maximum nutritional benefit. Combine your pine nuts with a scant 1/4 tsp of salt and filtered water and let soak for 7 hours or overnight. Then dry using a dehydrator (or oven at lowest temperature overnight). When I buy nuts I try to soak and dry them right away and then store for future use. Pine nuts should be refrigerated for storage.

This recipe was shared on Traditional Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Scratch Cookin' Tuesdays, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday. 

Fruit Salad Dessert

1/2 pineapple, cut in chunks
1 gala apple (or any other sweet apple)
2-3 oranges, peeled and cut from sections & membranes
1 banana cut in half lengthwise and then sliced at an angle
2 T cream sherry
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Combine all fruit together in a medium sized bowl, drizzle with sherry.

Comments: You can toast the almonds and coconut flakes (on a cookie sheet for ten minutes) for added flavor, but it is very good without that step. It saves well in the refrigerator for about 1 day max. This is really delicious, light and refreshing and tastes a little like a pina colada. Really perfect for the summer.

Grilled Pineapple

1/2 pineapple, cut in wedges
1 T rum

Marinade
2 T honey
1 T olive oil
1 T lime juice
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves (or about 20 whole cloves)

Prepare pineapple by cutting off the crown, base and skin. Remove eyes and core and cut pineapple into four wedges. Cut each wedge in half. Thread onto wood or metal skewers.

For marinade, combine all marinade ingredients above. Brush onto the pineapple pieces and grill for about five minutes on each side, basting with any remaining marinade. Remove from grill and brush with rum. Serve hot or warm (you can wrap them in foil until ready to serve). Slice to serve.

Comments: This is a very delicious summer side dish, super easy too. You could easily double the recipe to use the entire pineapple, or snack on the other half. Ground cloves are easier, but whole cloves work ok too.

Tomato Salad

About 4 tomatoes, cut in large chunks
1/2 large red onion, sliced/chopped
About 1/2 english cucumber, sliced and cut in half
Oregano
Salt, pepper
Olive oil
Water (small amount)

Combine all in a bowl, mix, serve.

Comments: This is one of my favorite things to eat in the summer. Traditionally, there should be enough "juice" to dip with Italian bread. To stay with a healthier version, keep the amount of juice minimal. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and then add a splash of water at the end. Tomato salad always makes me think of my great grandma and grandma, who both made this for me in the summers when tomatoes were ready in their gardens.

Be careful with the cucumbers - many of the store bought have a wax coating, which is why I recommend the English cucumbers (they are longer and thinner and usually do not have a wax coating). If I can only find the wax coated cucumbers, I will peel all the skin off, but otherwise I will not.

Cornbread Souffle

1 cup whole milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup frozen corn (or fresh corn cut from the ears)
1 tbsp onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 or 3 egg whites (2 if eggs are med to large, 3 if eggs are small)
1 tbsp grated parmesan and/or romano cheeses

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a 2 quart souffle dish (or 8x8 square pan) with olive oil cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, broth, oil, and honey or agave syrup. Heat until almost boiling. Reduce to low, simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and add corn, onion, baking powder, thyme, and salt.

In a large very clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Whisk about a third of the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture (this will lighten it). Then fold the remainder into the cornmeal batter, mixing until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the souffle dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let stand in dish for 5 minutes, then serve.

Comments: This is actually pretty easy to make with prep time being 10 to 15 minutes. It is a very nice side dish and if the souffle does not "fluff" don't worry about it, it will still taste good. To ensure proper fluffing, be sure to use a very clean bowl and not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites (no goldfish in the pond). This is not a solid bread, but more of a spoon bread and you will eat it with a fork or spoon. Leftovers will re-heat nicely in the microwave.