BLFGT (Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomatoes)

I would love to tell you all that I'm back and that I'll be posting recipes three days a week again, but the truth is, I'm not. I can't. School, my family, and various other projects I've been involved in this summer is preventing me from spending the time that I need to on my blog. I know you all my recipes and I am doing my best to get more ready to go, so that once summer is over, I can get back to doing this. Right now, I'm going to try and get at least one recipe up per week. Most likely on Wednesdays. You might not see the the same style of recipes either, meaning I won't always have an ingredient list. However, if you ever have a question about the recipes, send me an email, find me on facebook or ask me via twitter! I promise to always answer.

This week, it's BLFGT's. Not your boring, same old, BLT's. Oh no, you would not get that from this goddess! I'm digging into that southern style of cooking that I love so much! This yankee girl has always had a thing for fried green tomatoes and when you put them on some bread with bacon (and lettuce just so I can call it healthy), this sammy rocks my world!

What You Need:

• Bacon
• Large Green Tomatoe
• flour
• corn meal
• oil for frying
• egg(s)
• milk
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• lettuce
• bread or toast
• mayo

What To Do:

Cook your bacon to desired doneness and set aside. I like my super crisp so I make sure to cook over medium low heat to render most of the fat. I also do this in a cast iron skillet because in my opinion, you can fry green tomatoes in anything other than cast iron. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, don't worry. You can always use a regular one.
While your bacon is cooking, set up your tomato dipping station. Place some flour in bowl one and season it with a pinch of salt and some pepper. In bowl two, combine an egg with a splash or two of milk. In the last bowl, combine equal parts of flour and corn meal. Season this mixture with a pinch of salt, some pepper, garlic and chili powder. The most sammies you are making, the more of this set up your going to need.
Once your bacon is cooked, add in enough frying oil to come 1/2 inch up the sides of your skillet. Slice your tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Dip them first in the flour, shaking off the excess, then into your egg mixture and finally into the flour/cornmeal mixture. Once coated, carefully place into your hot oil and fry until both sides are golden brown. This only takes a couple minutes per side. Drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag.
To assemble the sammies, slather some mayo onto your toast or bread. Then top with lettuce, bacon and fried green tomatoes. Enjoy the awesomeness!

Chicken Cobb Club

One of my favorite salads is the Cobb salad. I love the crunchy lettuce, the creamy avacados and the tangy blue cheese. It's an awesome mix of flavor and is always a joy to eat. But what happens when I turn it into a sammie? Well it's still an awesome mix of flavor, all wrapped up in a nice crusty, crunchy package. The toasted french bread acts like the croutons and the goodies you normally find in the salad are piled high on top. A simple mix of a good tangy blue cheese and a little sour cream or yogurt becomes the dressing. It's so good, I wish I could make one right now for lunch!

One Year Ago: Maple Glazed Pork Chops
Two Years Ago: Fried Pickles

What You Need:

1 loaf of french bread, sliced lengthwise
1/3 c good blue cheese
1/3 c sour cream, mayo or greek yogurt
1lb chicken breast
1 avocado, sliced
1 large tomato sliced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
8 slices cooked bacon
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Preheat a grill or grill pan. Season your chicken breast with salt and pepper and grill for 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked all the way though. Remove from heat and set aside to rest. Quickly grill the cut side of the bread, just until lightly toasted.
In a small bowl combine the blue cheese and sour cream (mayo or greek yogurt) with the back of a spoon. It's it will be thick but keep working on it.
Once your sauce is made and the chicken has rested, thinly slice the chicken on a biased.
Smear the blue cheese sauce over the bottom side of the bread. Then layer the slices of chicken, tomato, eggs, avocado, and bacon. Top it with the top half of bread, cut into sammies and enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Panini

Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been pretty absent this week.  My parents were up visiting and we’ve been going non stop the last few days, ending with me getting a third molar pulled this morning. I didn’t want to leave you completely recipe-less for the week so here is a quick one. This is a sammie I ate from a little pizza place where my parents live. It was incredible so of course I had to make it at home too. It’s now one of my favorite sammies and I love dipping it into balsamic vinegar. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do!

 

The Recipe:

Top a slice of Focaccia  with grilled chicken that has been thinly sliced, a few thin slices of tomato, and some lettuce. Spread your favorite Caesar salad dressing onto another slice of focaccia and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Sandwich the two focaccia pieces together and press firmly. Serve with balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Mexican Torta

Torta are a simple Mexican street food. Really it’s just a very yummy sammie! Traditionally tortas are served on a special type of roll called bolillo. Since I live in an area with almost no Hispanic population, I can’t find a lot of the specialty type items. Instead, I took a loaf of Italian bread and cut it into big sections, then cut in half length ways, so that I would have a top and a bottom. It worked out great and the sammie was incredible. The spicy grilled chicken pairs really nice with cooling, creamy, avocado.

What You Need:

4, thinly sliced chicken breast
4 large round rolls or Italian bread cut into pieces
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
1 large tomato sliced
chipotle mayo
salt and pepper
cayenne
olive oil

What To Do:

Preheat your grill. Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper and a bit of cayenne. Once the grill is hot, cook your chicken about 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. Brush both sides of the Italian bread with some olive oil and place on the cool side of the grill. You want it to warm up and get a little toasty.

To assemble the sammie, place some of the chipotle mayo on the bottom roll. Top with a chicken breast, a slice of tomato and a few slices of avocado and the top bun. Smush it all together and enjoy!

Grilled Steak Gyros

My take on a greek diner classic. Gyros are usually slow roasted pieces of meat stuffed into a pita with lots of yummy goodness. My version takes marinated skirt steak and grills it to make it flavorful and tender. I then stuffed it into a lightly grilled pita with a tangy and creamy yogurt sauce and lots of crisp fresh veggies. Skirt steak is inexpensive and has a TON of flavor but can be a little tough. By using an acid in the marinade, the skirt steak starts to break down a bit. The next key is to cook it quickly over very high heat. You’ll sear in all the juices and the flavor.  The flavors that burst in your mouth after one bite will not disappoint. I think this just may become a new favorite in my house!


What You Need:

juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced (can use a micro-plane too)
2 tbs minced fresh oregano (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 c olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 c greek yogurt
1 large onion
1 lb skirt steak
4 pita breads
Tomato and cucumber, sliced
lettuce

What To Do:

In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, oil and some salt and pepper until well combined. Remove half of the marinade and set it aside for later. Pour the other half into a zip top bag with your meat. Make sure you coat the meat with the marinade. Seal the bag and let it do it’s job in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
Preheat your grill on high and remove the meat from the fridge, take it out of the marinade and toss whatever is left over in the bag. Combine two tbs of the marinade that you set aside earlier, with the 1/2 c greek yogurt. Peel and slice your onion into 4 thick but equal rounds. Take the remaining marinade and brush it onto your onions.
Place the onions on the grill along with your steak cooking both for a few minutes on each side. You want the onions to become soft and sweet and you want your steak to be cooked to your desired doneness. I suggest cooking no more then medium. Cooking it well done will only make it tough and chewy. Once it’s cooked remove it and your onions from the grill. Cover your steak with a piece of foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. While it’s resting, warm the pitas on the grill for about a minute per side. To serve, layer come lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, 1/4 of the grilled onions and some of the grilled steak onto 1 side of the pita. Top with a bit of the yogurt sauce, fold up your pita and devour!

Note: I’ve made this with a venison loin too and it’s just as good if not better then skirt steak!

Sausage and Peppers

And onions, and beer! Sounds like a good thing to me! Sausage and peppers are a favorite where I grew up. Not many get together went by without my mom making a big batch and throwing them into the crock pot to stay hot. There are a few ways to make them though. With tomato sauce, without. With beer, without. With onions, without. Cooked on the grill or in a cast iron pan? Like I said, tons of ways to make them.  I choose beer. Of course I choose beer! Who wouldn’t use beer! The sausages are cooked in beer first to not only impart flavor but to keep them juicy too. Then, depending on the time of year, I’ll either crisp them up on the grill or a cast iron pan. Both ways are particullary good, but it’s up to use to decide which you like best.

What You Need:

4 sausage links
4 good quality rolls
2 large onions, sliced
2 large bell pepper, sliced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 (12oz) bottle of your favorite beer
salt and pepper
veg oil


What To Do:

Prick your sausages two or three times with a sharp knife. This creates a couple holes in the casings which lets the fat out and beer in while cooking. Place the sausage in a large pot and cover them with the beer. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. Don’t worry about your sausages being cooked all the way through. Chances are, after 3o minutes they will be anyway but even if they’re not, you’re going to continue cooking them later.
While the sausage cooking, heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat and give it a drizzle of oil. Once it’s hot add in the your onions, peppers and garlic. Cook them, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and soft. Season with salt and pepper and then push them off to the side if finishing the sausage in the pan. Remove the sausages from the beer and place in the hot cast iron pan (or on a preheated grill) and cooked just a minute or two per side or until the casings are browned. Served in the rolls with a good quality mustard.

Pulled Pork Sammies

Pulled pork is one of my favorite things to eat. I could eat it every for weeks and not be tired of it. I've even put it into a quesadilla with cheddar cheese. I've made a few different version of it but none quite as good as a recipe my favorite aunt gave me just recently. Her secret? Beer, of course. Beer makes it better right? So with just this short introduction here is my Aunt Pammi's recipe for pulled pork.

What You Need:

5-6lb pork roast/shoulder
1/2 c ketchup
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 slow cooker seasoning mix for bbq pulled pork
2 cans/bottles of your favorite beer

What To Do:

In the bottom of a slow cooker, combine everything but the pork shoulder, with a whisk until mixed well. If you can, cut the pork into a few pieces. This will help it cook a bit quicker and make it easier to shred. Cook on high for 6 hours. Remove the pork, and shred with two forks. Place back into the slow cooker and let cook on low for one or two more hours. Serve on hard rolls with cole slaw.

Sliders

Sliders have become a craze in american food. These mini sammies are made much in the way their larger counter parts are. They can be made from ground beef, ground chicken, thinly sliced meats or mini chicken patties. You can top them with whatever you'd like as well. I kept things very simple. Just a yummy cheese burger sliders with a spicy mayo to give it a little kick.

What You Need:

1lb of ground beef
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

lettuce leaves
tomato, sliced
1/2 c mayo
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
6-8 slices of cheddar cheese ( I like to use the "cracker cuts" because they're the perfect size)
Slider buns

What To Do:

Combine the ground beef with the onion and garlic, along with some salt and pepper. Form into 6-8 small patties. To make this easy, and to insure that they are close to the same size, I use a monster cookie scoop. Either grill the sliders over high heat, only flipping once so that they don't fall apart, or cook them on the stove top over medium high heat, again only flipping once. While the sliders are cooking, mix together the mayo with  cayenne and cumin and place a dollop on the top of each of your slider buns. On the bottom of each bun, place some lettuce and a slice of tomato. Once the burgers are just about done, turn the heat off and place a slice of cheese of the top of each. Close the lid to the grill or place a lid on top of your skillet and let them finish for a minute or two or until the cheese has melted. Place on top of your bun and cover with the top bun.

Croque Madame and Monsieur

Croque Madame

Leave it to the French to take an ordinary ham and cheese sandwich and turn it into something a gazillion times better. A rich creamy bechamel sauce, tons and tons of good swiss cheese and in the Madame's case an egg, produce some the richest, best tasting ham and cheese sammies you'll ever have. I don't want you to even think of the calories in this dish, it would take away from the enjoyment of it. However for a special treat, it's something you have got to try! This is two recipes in one, the croque monsieur is just the ham and cheese sammy, the croque madame has a fried egg on top. Try one of each and let me know your favorite!

What You Need:

8 slices of thick bread
2 tbs butter, plus more for buttering bread
2 tbs flour
1 c milk
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
8 to 12 slices of good quality deli ham
12 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
dijon mustard
4 eggs (for the croque madame only)


What To Do:

Croque Monsieur

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and whisk it together with the flour. Let the flour cook for a minute or two before slowly whisking in the milk. Once comined, add in the bay leave and the cloves of garlic that you've light smashed to open them up. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened. Stir in the parmesan cheese and turn the heat off. Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool.
When ready to make the sammies, spread a small amount of dijon mustard onto each slice of bread. Top 4 of the slices of bread with 2-3 pieces of ham. Mix half of the gruyere cheese into the cooled bechamel mixture. Spread half the bechamel on top of the ham. Take the other four pieces of bread and top the sammies. Spread the tops with butter and place, buttered side down onto a griddle or frying pan. Butter the other side and cook like you would a grilled cheese. Once the sammies are cooked, transfer to a baking sheet and spread the rest of the bachamel on top of the sammies, then top them with the rest of the shredded gruyere cheese. Place under the broiler until they're browned and bubbly. If making the Croque Madames, top each sammie with a fried egg when it comes out of the broiler.

Turkey Club Sammies

Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away I thought I'd give you an easy after Thanksgiving meal to use up some of your turkey. It's a very simple sandwich that I like to serve with some oven fries. Turkey Clubs are a quick go to meal in my home and my husband absolutely loves them and asks me to make them quite often. I make them right on top of my griddle but they would be awesome done in a panini press too! Want to use up some more leftovers?? Skip the tomato and slather on some leftover cranberry sauce. YUM!

What You Need: (Per Sammie)

1 thick slice of turkey breast (two if it won't cover the bread)
2-3 thick cut slices of bacon
2 slices provolone cheese
2-3 slices tomatoes
2 slices bread
butter
thousand island dressing for dipping (optional)

What To Do:

I use my electric griddle and cook the bacon until it's nice and crispy. I then sear the turnkey in the drippings that the bacon leaves behind. It heats it through and gives it some more flavor. Butter the slices of bread and place one, butter side down, on the griddle. Top with a piece of cheese, the tomatoes slices, bacon, turkey and last slice of cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, butter side up and cook like you a grilled cheese sammies. Serve with thousand island dressing for dipping if desired.

Cheese Steak Sammies

Growing up in Pennsylvania, you know I'm a sucker for cheese steak sammies. I've had almost as many types of cheese steaks as there are years to my age. I've made a handful of types too. The basic's are always the same, thin sliced beef, onions, peppers, garlic, cheese and sometimes mushrooms. Making them varies greatly. When In needed a fast meal one night I came up this quick and easy recipe. It would be great to through together any night of the week. Serve it with a salad or some veggies and you have a complete meal in just minutes.

What You Need:

1 lb store roasted roast beef, sliced thin (lunch meat from the deli section)
8 slices of provolone cheese
1 lrg onion, sliced
1 lrg bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms or 1 can of mushrooms
4 hoagie rolls
2 tbs veg oil
salt and pepper

What To Do:

In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, cook the onions, peppers, garlic and mushrooms in the 2 tbs of veg oil until slightly softened. I like mine a little crunchy still so cook yours as long as you want. Meanwhile, take the lunch meat and slice into strips. Once the onions and peppers are cooked to your liking, stir in the lunch meat until heated through. Divide among the 4 rolls and top with 2 pieces of provolone cheese. Place under a broiler for just a minute or two so that the cheese melts and gets bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Sammies

One night, after being bored of the same old chicken, I remembered this sandwich I saw either on some restaurant menu or on on the food network. They grilled up a chicken breast, covered in BBQ sauce and served it on a bun. How simple was that? So I thought, Why not? It's easy enough, hubby loves chicken and I get something to suit my taste buds too. Plus, after all, it was grilling season. So I butterflied a chicken breast, seasoned them, grilled them up and added my own twist to it. Serve it with some grilled potatoes and veggies for a great all grilled up meal!

What You Need:

1 chicken breast, butterflied and cut into 2 pieces
2 hard rolls
2 thick slices of cheddar cheese
1 tbs mayo
lettuce
salt and pepper or your favorite grill seasoning
BBQ Sauce, your favorite will do

What To Do:

Preheat your grill and season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper or grill seasoning. Place chicken breast onto grill. After 3 minutes, flip the breast over and brush on as much or as little BBQ sauce as you want. Finish cooking the breast until they're cooked through. Flip them once more, brush the other side with BBQ sauce and place a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each breast. Turn the grill off, close the lid the grill for about 60 seconds so that the cheese has a chance to melt a bit. Serve on hard rolls with a bit of mayo and some lettuce.

Tomato, Cucumber and Cheese Sammys

All summer long my dad would eat these simple, fresh and tasty sandwiches.  They are great for those hot summer days because they are so light. Plus, if you grow your own garden it's a great way to use up the over abundance of tomatoes I always seemed to have. It really is like eating a ray of sunshine.

Per sandwhich you need:

2 slices of whole wheat bread, lightly toasted
2-4 thick slices of tomatoes (depends on size of tomato)
4 slices of cucumber
2 pieces of american cheese
Salt and Pepper
Mayo

Lightly toast your bread and smear a little mayo on both pieces. Layer your cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers on top. Season with some salt and pepper, cut in half and enjoy.



H A P P Y  C O O K I N G !!