This week must be delicious sandwich week.... (Crispy Flounder on Ciabatta)

This is the fourth day in a row that I have eaten a sandwich for lunch or dinner, some days I ate a sandwich for both lunch and dinner. I am usually the queen of variety when it comes to cooking my meals for the week so I assure you this was really by coincidence. I’ve been busy all week and needed to whip both dinner and my lunch in a snap. But don’t feel bad for me, these sandwiches were absolutely delicious and kind of gourmet, if I don’t say so myself. I mean really what is better than really good filling between two pieces of bread. Sandwiches are the perfect food; convenient, and portable, compact and inexpensive, and most importantly informal. No utensils please, just give me a plate, preferably a big one with lots and lots of napkins and my big juicy sloppily delectable sandwich. I like when a sandwich is so big you have to look at it first and come up with a game plan. “Ok, should I cut this in halves maybe quarters? What is my plan of attack, maybe this is just too much sandwich for one person to handle, maybe I should bring half for lunch, and then I just go for it, smash it down, position my arms in front of my face and tilt my head just so and bite down.”

Tonight even though I was tired I knew I wanted something good to eat, I knew it would be a sandwich, and I wanted it to be good, real good, something so good that it was almost a shame to eat it, well almost. I wanted a complete and fantastic sandwich, a sandwich with many textures and flavors. I had one more ciabatta roll, thank goodness; I looked around in the fridge looking for ingredients and thinking of ideas. “Pesto? Not tonight.” “Mozzarella, no thanks.” “Grilled vegetables, maybe tomorrow.” I looked in the freezer and aha I got it, a fish sandwich. Not just a plain fish sandwich. Homemade tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, peppers and mushrooms. That’s it, that’s my dinner; add in some baked sweet potato fries seasoned with cinnamon, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and brown sugar and I was in sandwich heaven. Even my husband who’d already eaten leftover vegetarian chili for dinner was eyeing my sandwich; and my four year old who only wanted macaroni and cheese and broccoli for dinner plopped down next to me and ate half of my sandwich. My daughter by the way is not a big fan of bread, this is the same little girl that deconstructs each sandwich she is given and only eats the filling. The same little girl that once asked me for a grilled cheese sandwich without the bread. Tonight the sandwich was so good that she not only ate half of my sandwich but she fought me for the very last bite.


Flounder on Ciabatta

1 Piece of Flounder
1 Tablespoon of Oil (More for Frying)
1 Cup of Cornmeal
1 Tablespoon of Mustard
1 Teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
Few pinches of Sea Salt
Few pinches Black Pepper
Two thick slices of yellow onions
Few slices of red bell peppers
Few slices or mushrooms (any mushroom will do)
1 Ciabatta Roll
Few Slices of Roma or Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon of Regular Relish
1 ½ Tablespoons of Herbed Mayonnaise
1 Squeeze of Lime Juice
½ Teaspoon of Lime Zest
(You can also add some dill and hot sauce for extra flavor)


Heat a medium sized pan with one tablespoon of oil, when oil is heated add in mushrooms, let the mushrooms brown a little and then add the peppers and onions, Sautee the mushrooms and peppers until they are nice and soft and onions are almost translucent. In a small bowl mix the mayo, lime juice and zest, relish and mix, put this in the refrigerator while you work on the other ingredients. Wash your lettuce and make sure it is completely dried off. Wash and slice your tomatoes. Put the veggies aside. Heat up another pan with about ½ cup of oil. Place the fish in a shallow bowl and throw in mustard and seasonings, completely coat the fish in the marinade (if you like things spicy add some hot sauce to the marinade). Place the cornmeal in a plastic or paper bag and put the fish in and shake vigorously. Test the oil by throwing in some of the cornmeal in the pan. Once the oil is ready slowly place the fish and fry for about a minute on the first side and half a minute on the other side. Place the cooked fish on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Now all you have to do is assemble and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon of Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of Dark or Light Brown Sugar
1 Medium Sized Sweet potato


Heat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sized bowl mix the first five ingredients. Cut your sweet potato into the desired size (wedges or thin slices). Toss the oil mixture with the sweet potatoes and bake on a sheet pan until cooked on the inside and nice crunchy and golden on the outside.


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22377&id=148609098508951


My dinner is not only delicious but if you are trying to stay away from fast food this is a lower calorie, lower sodium, and lower fat alternative. Take a look at McDonald’s popular Fillet of Fish sandwich. And no offense to anyone who’s a McDonald’s fan, but god only knows what goes into a Fillet o Fish Sandwich.

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/mcdonalds/filet-o-fishAE/

Add fries and Oh my!!

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/mcdonalds/medium-fry/

Grilled Veggie Sandwich (Best Lunch This Week By Far!!!)

Ok, I know that I am probably the only person at my job that gets super exited about eating my lunch. But it really is my favorite time of the day! I’m kind of a food freak, I mean fanatic, so I make an event out of lunch everyday.  Lunch for me is never a quickie and unless I am extremely busy I don’t like eating in my office either.  I don’t even like using paper plates; to me it’s not just about the food, it’s about the whole experience, making the food look really presentable, then sitting down and savoring every tasty bite. Today I had to assemble my lunch at work. I do this pretty often so most people are used to me using the stove top or the oven to make my lunch. I made the most delicious veggie sandwich today. I had some leftover grilled vegetables from another dinner and I was kind of short on time the night before so I decided to just throw something quick and easy together for today’s lunch.  Today I just ate the sandwich with a few slices of tomatoes. But I think a perfect pairing would have been a small cup of soup, maybe tomato basil, or you could have it a three bean or pasta salad.

Here’s the recipe I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients

1 Ciabatta Roll

1 Tablespoon of Prepared Pesto Sauce

2 Hefty Slices of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (or a few tablespoons of shredded)

4 Thin Slices of Beefsteak or Roma Tomatoes

4 Thin Slices of Grilled Zucchini

2 to 3 Tablespoons of Sautéed onions, mushrooms and red bell peppers

Directions

Turn your oven’s broiler on high.  Slice the bread and toast it until light brown in color. Place the bread on a sheet pan and spread the pesto on one side of the bread and place the mozzarella cheese on top. Place the vegetables on the other side of the bread. Place the sheet pan in the oven a few inches away from the broiler. Keep the oven door slightly open and toast the sandwich until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner

Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner 

So I’m always looking for simple and fast weeknight meals to make when I’m short on time but want something really tasty and substantial to eat for dinner. To me nothing is tastier than a really good pasta dish. I have one recipe than I always turn to. It’s really simple, takes about half an hour to make from start to finish and even the most novice cook can achieve this. Here’s my recipe for spaghetti with garlic crushed tomato sauce. 

1 Pack of Whole Wheat Spaghetti
3 to 4 Tablespoons of Canola or Olive Oil
½ Cup of Minced Onions
½ Cup of Minced Red or Green Bell Peppers
½ Cup of Marinara Sauce
1 15-16 Ounce Can of Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons of Crushed Garlic 
1 Teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
1 Teaspoon of Anchovy Paste
1 Teaspoon of Tomato Paste
½ Teaspoon of  Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper to Taste 

Sautee the onions, peppers, garlic, and crushed red peppers until vegetables are translucent. While the vegetables are sautéing bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook pasta as directed on the package. Make sure to add a little oil and lots of salt to the water, this will be the only time that you’ll be able to add flavor to the pasta itself. Add in the can of tomatoes, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, anchovy paste, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the sautéed vegetables. Let the sauce reduce and the flavors meld while the pasta is cooking. Once the pasta is cooked toss it in the pan with the sauce with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Top with parmesan cheese and serve with packaged garlic bread and a Caesar salad. 

** You can also add ground chicken, turkey or beef to the sauce if you want the pasta to be a little heartier. Just add the meat in after the vegetables have been sautéed.