Salmon Sliders

We had leftover grilled salmon, so for lunch the next day, we decided to make salmon sliders, or open-faced salmon sandwiches.

2 grilled salmon filets, about 6-8 oz

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup mayo

1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular breadcrumbs too)

1/3 small red onion, minced

½ small red bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Goat Cheese Pesto Spread:

4 oz goat cheese

½ Tbsp mayo

1 tsp pesto sauce

Baguette, sliced into ½” pieces  

Garnishes:

Fresh lime juice

Sliced avocado

In a sauté pan, heat ½” of oil over medium high heat. Oil should be about half way up the salmon patty.

While oil heats, use your hands to gently flake apart the salmon into a large bowl. Gently mix in remaining ingredients. Do not over mix or the salmon will turn to mush.  If the mixture is too wet, add more bread. If the mixture is too dry, add more mayo. Using your hands, form 2” patties.

When oil is ready, gently place each patty into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove patties from oil and set on paper towel lined plate, to soak up extra grease.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for spread.

Smear each slice of bread with goat cheese pesto spread and top with a salmon patty. Top each slider with a slice of avocado and squirt of fresh lime juice. Serve with an arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing.

Helpful tips:

How do you know if your oil is ready for frying? Test by dropping a little bit of food into oil, if it sizzles, it’s ready!

Tex-Mex Burger

My grandma and her friend were visiting from the Czech Republic last week. I wanted to cook something very different from their normal CZ cuisine, something with a Mexican flare since they were in San Diego, and because my grandma’s friend had her first burger and loved it. I thought this was the perfect unique combo for their dinner.

Serves 4

Salsa for burgers:
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
3 Tbsp minced cilantro
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp lime juice
½ (15 oz) can black beans, drained
½ (15 oz) can corn, drained

Burgers:
1 ½ lb ground turkey
¼ cup EVOO
½ (15 oz) can black beans, slightly mashed
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or grated
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Sliced sharp cheddar cheese
1 large avocado, sliced
Hamburger buns

For the salsa, combine all ingredients. Store in fridge until ready to use.

For the burgers, in a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Using your hands, form mixture into 4 equally shaped patties. Grill over med-high heat until patties are done, or cook patties over the stove top in a frying pan for about 5 minutes per side, until done.

When the patties are almost done cooking, add cheese until melted.

Plate patties on toasted buns. Top with salsa and avocado slices. Serve with French fries and pickles.

Pepperoni & Vegetable Flatbread

Store bought flatbread (Ambretta Tuscan Sweet Tomato flatbread)
Fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Spicy turkey pepperoni slices
½ green bell pepper, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
Basil and Garlic pasta sauce
Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon pasta sauce on flatbread. Layer with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, veggies, parmesan cheese and basil.

Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Get creative by adding more veggies or different meats. Enjoy with a few different types and share with a group.

Spicy Sausage Flatbread with Basil Cream Sauce

Ambretta Tuscan Sweet Tomato flatbread (I decided to try this and it was great), found in the bread isle of the grocery store
Hot Italian sausage (I love this stuff!)
Goat cheese
½ red bell pepper, sliced
1 garlic, minced
1-2 fresh Basil leaves, sliced in thin ribbons

Basil Cream Sauce:
¼ cup milk
1 Tbsp powdered Alfredo sauce
2 tsp Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend, found in the produce section of the grocery store next to the fresh herbs (these herb blends are great to have on hand, and to easily add extra flavor to any dish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small sauce pan over med-high heat, combine milk and Alfredo sauce; bring to a boil while whisking. Turn heat to low and whisk in basil herb blend; set aside and allow to thicken.

In a small frying pan cook a few bite sized balls of sausage; cook at least half way through since the rest will be cooked in the oven.

Place flatbread on a baking sheet. Spoon and spread basil cream sauce on flatbread. Top with chunks of goat cheese, sliced bell pepper, cooked sausage and sprinkle with garlic. Top with fresh basil.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until bread is crispy and cheese is melted.

Serve with another type of flatbread pizza for a variety or with your favorite side salad.

Short Rib Grilled Cheese

Dinner 3 of 3 using the short ribs. All totally different and each very tasty.

Makes 3 sandwiches

Rustic bread, cut into slices

1 cup chopped short ribs (from this recipe)
3 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
3 slices of American cheese
½ onion, sliced
Margarine

In a small sauce pan over med-high heat, sauté onions in a little EVOO. Set aside.

To make sandwiches layer sandwiches with cheeses, onion and short rib meat. Butter outside slices of bread.

Cook in a Panini press or grill in a frying pan until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite soup or side salad.

Steak, Spinach & Swiss Grilled Sandwich

Using the left-overs from our grilled petite loin the other night,

we made these grilled sandwiches for a quick & easy dinner.

10 slices of grilled petite loin, left-overs

4 sourdough bread slices

Fresh baby spinach
4 slices of Swiss cheese
Margarine

Sauce:
3 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp sun dried tomatoes
1 small clove of garlic
1 tsp fresh Italian parsley

Heat up your George Forman grill or use a pan on the stove top.

Start by pureeing all ingredients for sauce in a blender. Spread on bread. Add layered steak, spinach and cheese. Butter outside bread slices. Press in the grill until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted and brown.

Cut sandwich in half and serve with your favorite salad or soup.

Apple, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad

½ bag of mixed greens
½ Fiji apples, sliced
Pecan halves
Blue cheese crumbles
Balsamic vinaigrette

Plate mixed greens, top with apples, pecans and blue cheese. Drizzle with Balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken Salad with Almonds

This is a simple salad to put together. One night, we ate sandwiches by filling rolls with the chicken salad and adding crispy bacon strips. Then I used the leftovers to top a green salad, which I took to work for lunch. I didn’t even need to add salad dressing. Yum!

2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
½ cup of almond slivers
2 green onion springs, chopped
½ mayo
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly crushed black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top a green salad or fill a roll with the chicken salad. It tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have a chance to blend.

Sourdough Chicken Club

Makes 3 sandwiches

1 sourdough baguette, cut in thirds
1-2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
6 slices of crispy cooked bacon
I ripe avocado, sliced
Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded
Mayo

To assemble each sandwich, open the sandwich and spread mayo on the bottom half. Layer chicken breast and bacon. On the top half, add avocado slices. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the open sandwich and broil for 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese. Close sandwich and enjoy with chips, salad or your favorite soup!

Almond Pesto and Baked Brie on Sourdough

We had this awesome appetizer in at Posh Nosh in Nevada City during our vacation. I couldn’t wait to make it at home so we could enjoy it again.

Sourdough baguette
Almond basil pesto
Medium, ripe tomato, sliced
Brie cheese, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut baguette in half. Spread with pesto, add tomato slices and top with brie. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Grilled Chicken Pita with Greek Salad

2 chicken breasts, marinated in Italian dressing overnight
1 package of pita bread
EVOO
Tzakziki sauce, premade from Trader Joe’s
1 medium yellow squash, sliced length wise, season with Lemon Pepper and Salt
Red onion, a couple sliced rings
Spicy radish sprouts
Mixed greens
Cucumber slices, for salad
1 small tomato, chopped for salad
¼ red bell pepper, chopped, for salad
5 kalamta olives, sliced
Feta cheese, lemon and oregano flavor, for salad
Balsamic vinaigrette

Over medium high heat, grill chicken until no longer pink in the middle, for about 8-10 minutes depending on thickness. Grill squash slices for a few minutes on each side, until tender. Slice chicken. Lightly brush pita with EVOO and grill on both sides for a couple minutes.

To make pita sandwiches, first spread pita with Tzakziki sauce, add a layer of squash, chicken, onion and then sprouts and fold in half. For the salad, add the rest of the veggies and feta cheese on the mixed greens. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Serve together and enjoy!

Mediterranean Flat Bread Pizza

3 flat breads, jalapeño and cilantro flavor
½ red bell pepper, sliced
2-3 rings of red onion, sliced
5-10 Kalamata olives, sliced
1 ½-2 sweet turkey sausage, removed from casting
1 large garlic clove, minced
Herbed goat cheese
Feta cheese, lemon and oregano flavor
EVOO

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a frying pan over medium high heat, sauté sausage until cooked all the way through, until no longer pink.

Brush flat bread with EVOO. Top flat bread with peppers, onions, olives and sausage. Sprinkle with garlic and feta cheese. Break off chunks of goat cheese and place on top. Bake pizzas for about 8 minutes, until veggies are cooked and flat bread is crusty. Don’t bake too long or the bread will turn into a cracker!

Note: I would have added sliced tomatoes and quartered, marinated artichokes, but I forgot to add them!

Crab Rolls and Veggie Salad

2 sourdough rolls
2 slices of sharp Cheddar cheese

crabs salad
2-6.5 oz cans of white lump crab, drained
2 Tbsp of mayo
1 small garlic glove, pressed or grated
1 rib of celery, minced
2 radishes, minced
1-2 Tbsp parsley, minced
Juice of ¼ lemon
½ tsp of sea salt
½ tsp lemon pepper
¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper

veggie salad
1/2 of a large carrot, diced
¼ red bell pepper, diced
1 slice of jicama, diced
1 small Roma tomato, diced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1/3 cucumber, diced
Crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
EVOO
Balsamic vinegar

Split rolls in half and toast. Add cheese on one side of roll and melt. For crab salad, mix all ingredients together. Add to other half of roll and close.

For veggie salad, mix all veggies together. Season with S&P to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and vinegar to taste. Top with feta cheese.

Shrimp and 3-Cheese Quesadillas

Shrimp and 3-Cheese Quesadillas

Servings: 4 quesadillas

8 flour tortillas
15-20 shrimp, defrosted,peeled and chopped in bite sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, sliced
½ yellow onion, sliced
Crushed red pepper flakes, a couple dashes
Salt
½ cup of shredded pepper jack cheese
½ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese
Olive oil spray

Over medium-high heat, sauté peppers and onions until fork tender. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Add shrimp for a few minutes, just until they turn pink. Do not overcook or they will become tough.

Over med-high heat, spray frying pan, add tortilla, add cheese, add shrimp/pepper/onion mixture and add more cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Cook for a couple minutes. Flip and cook for another few minutes.

Cut each quesadilla in quarters. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Pizza Baguettes with Salad

Pizza Baguettes:
1 sourdough baguette
Spaghetti sauce
Slice ham
Tomato, sliced
Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

Salad:
Mixed greens
Red bell pepper, sliced
Cucumber, sliced
Green onions, sliced
Blue cheese crumbles
Your favorite dressing

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut baguette in thirds, and then in half. Spread each side with spaghetti sauce. Layer ham, tomato slices and top with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Make salad by layering salad and veggies, topping with blue cheese and dressing.

Serve pizza baguettes with a side of salad.

Turkey and Brie or Cheddar Panini with Side Salad

Sourdough baguette
Mayo
Pesto sauce
Leftover grilled turkey tenderloin slices
Brie cheese
2 sharp cheddar cheese slices
Baby spinach (pick a few out of the mixed greens)

Side Salad:
Mixed greens
Red onion, sliced
Green bell pepper, sliced
Tomato, cut in wedges
Cucumber, sliced

Heat the George Forman grill until ready. Cut baguette into thirds. On one baguette third, spread with mayo and pesto, layer with turkey slices and brie. Press in grill until cheese is melted. On the other baguette third, spread with mayo and pesto, layer with turkey slices, cheddar cheese and baby spinach leaves. Remove turkey & brie and replace with turkey and cheddar. Grill until cheese is melted and spinach is wilted.

Make side salad by layering veggies on top of mixed greens. Serve with your favorite dressing.

Cut sandwiches in half. Either serve both of one type of sandwich or mix halves. Serve with salad.

Grilled Turkey Tenderloin with Bean Salad

2-1/2 lb. each turkey tenderloins
Italian salad dressing
Grill seasoning
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 ear of corn, boiled, corn cut from cob
½ green bell pepper, chopped
2 red onion slices, chopped
Feta cheese
1/2 cup of EVOO
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tsp of Dijon mustard
½ tsp of fresh crushed pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
Juice from ¼ of a lemon
1 small tomato, slice in wedges, for garnish

Marinate tenderloins in Italian salad dressing over-night.

Remove tenderloins from marinade. Shake off excess dressing. Sprinkle with grill seasoning. Over medium-low heat, grill the turkey tenderloin on each side for about 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness. Cook until the tenderloin is no longer pink in the middle.

In a medium bowl, add beans, cut corn, peppers, onion and mix together. In a small bowl, add the EVOO, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, lemon juice and whisk together. Pour vinaigrette over bean mixture and mix well. Add feta cheese and mix again.

Slice turkey and serve with a generous portion of bean salad. Add tomato wedges as a garnish.

Grilled Chicken in Jalapeno Flat Bread with Tzazki Sauce (my version)

2 chicken breasts, marinated over night in Italian dressing
1 large zucchini, slice length wise
¼ red onion, sliced
Spicy sprouts
Jalapeno flat bread

Dressing (my version of Tzaziki sauce):
1/3 Asian cucumber, sliced very thinly (using grater)
¼ cup of sour cream
1 tsp EVOO
2 Tbsp of green onions, chopped
½ to 1 garlic clove, finely minced
Juice from ¼ lemon
Dash of white wine vinegar
Coarse sea salt and fresh crushed pepper, to taste

Make sauce by adding cucumber, sour cream, EVOO, green onions, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar and S&P. Mix well. Set to the side.

Grill chicken breasts until no longer pink in the middle. Brush zucchini and onions with EVOO and sprinkle with salt. Add to grill and cook until just tender. Add flat bread to the grill towards the end to warm up bread. Slice chicken, against the grain.

Serve by spreading dressing over flat bread. Spread sprouts over one half, add sliced chicken, add zucchini and red onions. Fold flat bread in half to make a sandwich. It’s a little messy but worth it! Enjoy!

Chicken Salad with Veggies

Chicken Salad with Veggies

Serves 2 (ingredients split between two salads)

1 grilled chicken breast, chopped
½ bag of butter leaf lettuce
1 large handful of baby spinach
3 slices of sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
½ ring of red onion, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cucumber, sliced
1 green onion bunch, diced
¼ red bell pepper, chopped
½ avocado, sliced, sprinkle with salt and pepper

Start by adding lettuce to a bowl or plate. Add veggies and cheese. Top with avocado. Serve with your favorite dressing.