Warm Caprese Sandwich

Although the weather staunchly refuses to admit that summer is near, I am starting to long for summer staples like fresh heirloom tomatoes, herbs and salads. I wanted a caprese salad today, and had all the ingredients ready, but the blustery wind made me crave a warm lunch. Here's what I put together. It was really good, both in flavor and texture-- the rich creamy mozzarella was offset nicely by the tangy, sweet tomatoes, and the radishes add a satisfying crunch.

You'll need:

1 handful cherry tomatoes

1t olive oil

1/2t salt

dried herbs, optional (I used herbed cooking salt)

1t balsamic vinegar

1 handful fresh basil leaves

4 slices fresh mozzarella

2 radishes

bread-- I used a "baguette piece", basically a small baguette roll, from the Cheeseboard

Cut tomatoes in half and cook in a small skillet over medium heat, along with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs/spices, for about 5 minutes, until wilted and mushy. Their liquid should start to thicken. In the meantime, cut basil into chiffonade and thinly slice radishes. When tomatoes are cooked, turn heat to high and add balsamic vinegar to deglaze. Cook 30 seconds until thick. Turn off heat and add basil.

Heat bread in oven, then slice in half.

Layer cheese and radishes.

Top with tomato mixture. Serve open-face.

Amazing Sandwich

I don't normally post quick things I throw together for lunch like sandwiches and salads (with a few exceptions), but this sandwich was so amazing I had to tell someone about it (this blog started because I think my friends got sick of my thrice-daily reports on what I was eating). 

I used leftover chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, a few confit'd tomatoes, and a ton of avocado because I love avocado. I put all but the avocado between 2 slices of Ezekiel bread (Trader Joe's) and "grilled" it in my cast iron skillet, weighed down with another skillet and my fist, then flipped it so the cheese got all melty, the chicken and tomatoes heated up, and the bread was flat and toasty. Then I opened it, stuck in the avocado with some salt and pepper, and voila! Of course, like any good grilled cheese, I cut it in half on the diagonal.

Leftovers 101: Pork Tenderloin

I had two meals' worth of pork left over from the tenderloin I made the other night. I had a sandwich yesterday, with avocado, tomato, greens, and gruyere (gruyere goes well with the mustard crust, but cheddar would be tasty too), but there's only so many pork sandwiches a girl can eat.

So this morning, I used the last of the pork in my breakfast. Be sure to take it out of the fridge in advance or put it in the micro briefly to take the chill off.

Start with a medium boiled egg:

Bring salted water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Pierce a hole in the larger, rounded side of the raw egg with a pin.
Gently lower the egg into the water using a ladle or large spoon; cook for exactly 5 minutes.
Run the egg under cold water, and then *gently* crack the eggshell with the back of a spoon.
Peel the egg very carefully (this is the hard part; the egg white will be just set, and the yolk will be totally runny).

Slice the leftover pork thinly and fan out on a plate. Cut the egg in half and place it on the pork; let the yolk cover the pork. Serve with buttered toast.

Salmon Sandwich

On an Acme sweet rustic roll:

avocado; salt & pepper; watermelon radish; leftover salmon; roasted tomatoes; porcini oil

Grilled Pastrami and Cheese with Tomato Confit

I use whole wheat bread because I like the bite. Layer sharp cheddar and pastrami; top with tomato confit (see recipe a few weeks ago). Spread stoneground mustard on top slice of bread. Grill in a griddle or in a pan with a heavy weight on top until crispy; flip and grill on the other side. Serve cut diagonally into triangles.