OMG Delish & Fast Turkey Sandwich on Focaccia Rolls

OMG Delish & Fast Turkey Sandwich on Focaccia Rolls

This is a really fast and yummy meal! It's so easy it's ridiculous because you could buy this in a restaurant for $10 bucks or make it at home for everyone for $10.  You can make this vegetarian by taking out the meat and adding cooked eggplant, sauteed zucchini, tomatoes or whatever. I served it with steamed broccoli & cauliflower but you can serve whatever your fam likes as a side. 

Ingredients:

4 focaccia rolls

1/2 lb sliced turkey

3/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (soaked in EVOO)

3-4 big handfuls of baby spinach slightly chopped

1 cup of spinach artichoke dip

Directions:

Slice the rolls and spoon a little EVOO from the the sun dried tomatoes on top. Toast for a minute in the broiler. Take em out and spoon 1/4 spinach artichoke dip on one half with 1/4 the sun dried tomatoes. Layer the turkey on the other side. Broil on low for 1-2 mins. Watch it close so it doesn't burn. Take it out and put the spinach on the dip side and close it up! Slice it and enjoy!

Citrusy Paprika Shrimp Quesadillas
These quesadillas are easy, delicious, and summery! They were a huge hit with my family and will be with your if you love seafood. I saw the recipie in my RRay Magazine.


INGREDIENTS

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika (half a scant palmful)
1 teaspoon onion powder (1/3 palmful)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (eyeball it)
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lime
A small handful of cilantro or flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 slightly underripe avocado, pitted, removed from skin and very thinly sliced or diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 large tortillas, heated to soften slightly
2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 scallions or green onions, very thinly sliced or chopped
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray
Note: you will need metal skewers to prepare this recipe or just pan cook

Serves 6
PREPARATION

Pre-heat an outdoor grill, indoor griddle, grill pan, or pan (what I did) to medium-high heat.

Coat the shrimp lightly in EVOO, then season with the smoked sweet paprika, onion powder and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper (I also added Cayenne for a kick). Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers or skip the skewers if you are lazy like me & are doing it in the house. Grill until pink and firm, about 2 minutes on each side. Douse with the lime juice, then remove the shrimp from the skewers and chop; sprinkle with the cilantro. Dress the avocado with the lemon juice.

Build the quesadillas on the tortillas in assembly line fashion: On one half of each tortilla, arrange the shrimp, tomatoes, scallions or green onions, avocado and cheese. Fold over the other tortilla half, then spray lightly with cooking spray. Grill, turning once, until crisp and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

PS I used the low fat Monterey Jack and it was still really good.

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Dulce's Banana Nut Bread

Dulce's Banana Nut Bread
I have searched for the best banana nut bread because I always have a couple "cheetah" bananas, as we call them in my house. I have sampled some decent ones but this one is still my favorite. It also calls for whole wheat flour so that's a plus. That is also why it looks a bit dark on the top.  Dulce was our resident lunch time supervisor and PTA president when I started teaching 9 years ago. It got me hooked and it hasn't let me down!


Ingredients

• 1/2 c butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 3 large bananas, mashed
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp finely grated orange
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• optional: cinnamon sugar for dusting the top

Directions

• Heat oven to 350
• Cream butter, eggs, sugars, and bananas. Mix in remaining ingredients.
• Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 5 loaf pan or 2 mini pans. 
• Bake for 50-60 mins or 30-40 for 2 minis. 

Eat with whipped cream, cream cheese, or butter warm from the oven!

Super Easy Roast Beef Sandwich

Super Easy Roast Beef Sandwich
This was one of those recipes that developed on the aisles of the grocery store. It's a cross between a pregnancy craving and being dead tired from work... so you know it'll be both easy and good!


Ingredients
1 large ciabatta loaf
1 package or 10oz of roast beef

1 package or 8 slices of sliced swiss cheese

3/4 cup sliced pepperoncinis

2 large onions, sliced into rings a cut once

2 handfuls of baby spinach

Dijon mustard (optional)

butter and garlic powder to spread on the bread

EVOO and 1 TB soy sauce

Directions

Turn broiler on low to heat. Sautee onions in EVOO. Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until soft and tender.  

Slice ciabatta loaf long ways and spread butter and sprinkle garlic powder.  Broil until lightly golden.  Lay out the whole package of roast beef on loaf.  Lightly dab Dijon mustard on the meat and add spinach. Add onion and pepperoncinis, top with swiss cheese.

Broil as far away from the flame as possible until cheese is bubbly and bread is even more toasty. Slice and eat open faced. Serves 4-6.

Chunky Apple Whole Wheat Oat Muffins... With butternut squash purée

With Brown Sugar topping

This was adapted from The Smitten Kitchen and Deceptively Delicious.  I saw these two recipes and decided to combine for a treat (delicious warm with whipped cream) or for breakfast with some scrambled eggs and fruit. These super moist muffins will keep well for several days, and the brown sugar adds a crunchy touch. You can leave the sugar off though and they are still good. 

Yield: 18

Ingredients 

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon and some for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup butternut squash purée 
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped


Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

With out brown sugar topping

Mix together the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the butternut puree. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunk


Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and a couple shakes of cinnamon on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a  muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 2 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Hot Potatoes

I'm starting my 1st Blog of the New Year cooking low fat and "Of the Land..." almost! It's called Hot Potatoes because it's supposed to be spicy but I'd kick it up a notch next time for our family.  It was pretty easy and my fam loved it. The original recipe is in the Feb issue of Rachel Ray but she makes it as Super Bowl appetizers with tiny Golden Potatoes and pickled jalepeno. That would be good too.  My hubby wants to chop up all the taters, ditch the boat idea, and bake it so it all gets crispy... 

Ingredients:
*9 potatoes (medium & small)
*1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
*1 1/2 cups cooked ham diced and slightly grilled
*1 or 2 fresh Ortega chile/Anaheim Chile diced 
*2 small florettes of broccoli, chopped fine-ish
*2/3 cup plain yogurt (I used the nonfat Greek)
*salt & pepper
*Chile powder to sprinkle on top
*Lowery's salt
*EVOO spray or whatever spray...
*light sour cream for the top or a bit more plain yogurt


Directions:
Boil the potatoes in water for about 20-25 mins, until it's tender. Remove and cut the potatoes in half, scooping 1/2 of that half out, making a boat. Put the scooped potatoes aside for the filling. Chop one completely and chop the scooped potato. Add to the bowl.

At some point while the potatoes are cooking, add the broccoli to the boiling water for 4-5 mins to flash cook. Remove promptly, chop, and put in a large bowl.  Meanwhile pan sear the ham on medium high heat and add to bowl.  After it cooks a bit, add the yogurt and cheese.

Saute the fresh Ortega chile in EVOO spray on medium heat, add some water to deglaze the pan get the ham leftovers in the chiles. Add to bowl. Season with salt (a tiny bit if you are going to use Lowery's) & pepper, mix.  

Turn all the potatoes boat side down and spray with EVOO so they don't stick. Flip over and fill. Spray the tops with EVOO, sprinkle Chile powder & a bit of Lowery's salt on top.  Bake for 20 mins at 425* Top with light sour cream or plain yogurt. Yum!