Blake Makes

Sandwiches are one of the greatest inventions ever- a whole yummy meal you can hold right in your hands.  I’m always on the lookout for new sandwich recipes because we eat them so much at our house, and as I was browsing through the May issue of Bon Appetit, I thought the Chicken Breast Sandwich with Caramelized Onions, Watercress, and Paprika Aioli sounded so delicious I should make it the next day.

I made this sandwich for a lovely picnic we had in our backyard (okay, that’s not quite true– Blake was dirty from doing yardwork so I made us eat on a blanket outside so as not to track his dirt into the house), and we both raved over it.  The paprika aioli was especially good- it had a wonderful tangy spiciness that went really well with the sweetness of the onions.  I used the leftover aioli on turkey sandwiches later in the week and it was still just as tasty.  This sandwich will probably become one of our weekend lunch faves, and I know Blake can’t wait for me to make it again.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika* (note- I couldn’t find Spanish paprika, so I used hot Hungarian paprika)
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing on rolls
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds onions, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise (about 7 cups)
• 3 8-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise in half
• 6 sourdough sandwich rolls or twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough bread
• 3 cups (lightly packed) watercress or arugula

Directions:

• Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover prepared aioli and chill.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Caramelized onions can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with mallet to 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface. Brush cut side of rolls with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill rolls, cut side down, until grill marks appear, about 1 minute. Spread rolls with some of aioli. Assemble sandwiches, dividing chicken, caramelized onions, and watercress among rolls. Serve warm.

New Orleans’ Central Grocery created the muffuletta in 1906, and today lines still stretch out the door for one of these sandwiches. When I was a kid, my mom created her own version of the legendary sandwich, and I still prefer her olive salad mix to the original. Her salad mix is lighter and not as greasy as the mixes usually found on traditional N’awlins muffulettas. Sometimes, I just get a craving for muffuletta, and it’s so easy to make, that it’s hard to resist.

Ingredients (Sandwich):

• 1/4 lb Genoa salami
• 1/4 lb ham
• 1/4 lb mortadella (optional for me)
• 1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese
• olive salad
• Rolls (Kaiser, or other seeded; I also like onion rolls)

Directions (Sandwich):

• Slice rolls in half (Mine is a family of culinary sinners and we like mayo or mustard on our muffs, so if you want to sin too, feel free to add condiments here.)
• Place salami and cheese on bottom half of roll; spread small amount of olive salad onto roll using a slotted spood to drain excess liquid.
• Place ham and mortadella on top of olive salad; put top half of roll on
• Warm through until cheese is melted.

Ingredients (Olive Salad):

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 6oz can black olives, drained and chopped
• 7oz can green olives, drained and chopped
• 3 dill pickles, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz bottle Italian dressing

Directions (Salad):

• Mix together and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Miss Eaves was my third grade teacher. She gets the honor of having this sandwich named after her, because it reminds me of my childhood (and because “Eaves” sort of rhymes with “cheese”).

This post is nothing special or life-changing. It’s just a nice photo of something we all need from time to time.

Like a hug.

To Make:

Make plain cheese sandwiches using regular sliced bread and Kraft singles (we call it slicker cheese in our house because of its resemblance to a yellow rain pancho).

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and melt some butter in the pan.

Gently cook the sandwich until golden on both sides.

I smash the sandwich down right at the end (that’s the way my mom did it).

Cut diagonally into two pieces.

We ate these sandwiches with beef and barley soup for lunch. Good day.

Ah…Meatloaf sandwich. It doesn’t get much better than that, but this post isn’t about my sandwich. It’s about the meatloaf. I make a few different kinds of ‘Loaf, but if it’s after work and I want to make it quick, I make meatloaf muffins.

Yes, muffins.

I throw an onion, 2 carrots and a celery stalk in the food processor and blitz it. Cook those vegetables until they’re soft. I use 1/2 lb. of ground chicken breast and 1/2 lb. of ground chick thighs. Mix the meat together, add an egg, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce, the vegetables and S&P (and maybe a little Tony’s).

Portion the mixture into a muffin pan and back it for about 20 minutes at 350. While it’s cooking, mix 1 cup of ketchup, 2 tsp. yellow mustard, 1 tblsp. brown sugar and 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce and cook it on top of the stove until bubbly. Near the end of the meatloaf cooking, pull out the muffin pan and spoon over the sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes more.

This is a great weeknight quick fix meal, and it makes delicious leftovers.

Calamata Olive Bread, Pesto, Shaved Parm and Strawberries, originally uploaded by blakekillian.

We had a big lunch at Casa Garcia on Saturday, so last night I wasn’t too hungry. We went to Whole Foods after lunch, and bought some supplies for the week.

We got some amazing Calamata Olive bread, some salty, buttery Parm/Reg and huge organic strawberries. Since we are being overtaken by basil, our fridge is never without pesto.

I sort of made an open face pesto and Parmesan sandwich. The strawberries were dessert. bk