This opened faced sandwich is so incredibly good and original. It is a good way to use up grilled chicken from the night before. I like to use a good quality sourdough bread or an artisan type of bread. You need something substantial. White bread or wheat bread would be nasty! Ciabatta, or any of the Artisan breads you can get at Costco work really well. Remember to toast bread slightly before assembling. The flavored mayo is what makes this sandwich special, so don't leave it out. I have never made this for lunch, it is a balanced meal in itself. You could serve some fresh fruit on the side as well. I love that it has all the textures and flavors : crunchy, creamy, spicy, salty, and fresh. This recipe is based on making 4 sandwiches on large slices of sourdough bread. So, when making the sandwiches, make them until you run out of ingredients!
Chicken, Avocado and Cilantro Open Faced Sandwich
3-4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced thinly 2 avocado, sliced thinly 1 large tomato, sliced thinly 3/4-1 c shredded cheese (any kind) 1/4 c cilantro, minced juice of 1/2 lime 2 tsp chili powder 1/3 c mayo salt and pepper to taste garlic salt
To make the flavored mayo, combine cilantro, mayo, chili powder, and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Before assembling sandwiches, toast bread slightly to take some of the moisture out. Lay bread on a jelly roll or cookie sheet. Spread a generous amount of mayo on each slice of bread. Then put the sliced grilled chicken on top. Top chicken with the avocado, and then with the tomato. Sprinkle tomato with garlic salt. Then place grated cheese on top. Turn the broiler on in your oven and cook sandwiches until brown and bubbly on top.
I made this soup tonight and I was thrilled with the outcome. I tried to tell my husband how making a new recipe feels when it has that "to die for" factor. He is a biologist and so I decided to break it down for him. I said "The way I feel about this soup is the way you feel after seeing a rare animal in the wild". He got it! I love cooking because I get to make new discoveries every time I'm in the kitchen. This soup is so flavorful, and different. I was inspired by my friend Jenny. She makes this Loaded Potato Soup that I love, and so I decided to change it around for a new experience for my palate. The result was amazing! I cut out some of the fat and calories of a typical cream based soup, but did not lose any flavor. If you are afraid of jalapenos, just add half of one for the first time you make this and see if it has enough spice. Again....you must make this!
Southwest Potato Soup
5-6 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces 3-4 large russet potatoes 1/2 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove seeds and veins) 2 tbs butter 1/3 c flour 3 c chicken broth 1 can fat free evaporated milk 1/2 c milk (about) 1/2 c shredded cheese 1/4 c light sour cream 1/4 c cilantro, minced salt and pepper to taste
In a medium pot, boil potatoes until fork tender, drain and set aside. In a large pot, brown bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, and reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot, and add butter. In the same pot over medium heat cook onion, jalapeno, bell pepper and garlic in the pot until soft. Add flour, and stir, cooking for a minute. Using a whisk, add chicken broth slowly, making sure to whisk so that there aren't any lumps. Using a measuring cup pour evaporated milk and enough milk to equal 2 cups. Add milks to the pot and stir. Take half of cooked potatoes and mash with a spoon. Add both smashed potatoes and cubed potatoes to the soup. Cook and stir the soup until a creamy, thick consistency. Turn off heat, add cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, stirring until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
I made this dinner the other night and fell in love! It was so easy, and tasted so incredible. I was able to make it in under 30 minutes, and the kids and hubby loved it too! This is great when you have leftover grilled chicken. Or if you need to grill some chicken up, just marinate it in some Italian dressing. If you like garlic you will love this! If you are not so fond of garlic, leave it out...it will still taste good. Remember to salt and pepper to taste!
ChickenBruschetta Pasta
3 large (or 6 small) tomatoes, chopped 2 1/2 tbs prepared basil pesto (I buy the Costco brand) 1 tbs fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 3 c hot cooked angel hair pasta 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked on the grill
Saute tomatoes in a non-stick skillet until soft and slightly thickened. Add prepared pesto, lemon juice and salt. Add garlic, and let cook for 1 minute more or until sauce has thickened to a nice consistency(taste to make sure it is seasoned). Slice chicken breast finely. Divide angel hair pasta among the plates, as well as sliced chicken. Top with the tomato basil sauce.
I'm reading a book, and at the end of each chapter there is a recipe that goes along with the chapter, and somehow it fits into the story. I came across this recipe, and I have heard of it, but was attracted to the method of turning the oatmeal into a powder form. I love the combination of oatmeal, chocolate, and walnuts. I used to be a "no nut" kind of girl, but in certain recipes, nuts make all the difference. This is a unique chocolate chip cookie recipe, has great flavor, and I will definitely make again. Having a food processor or a really good blender makes all the difference. I ground up the oatmeal until powdery, then I chopped the nuts in the food processor until they were fine. Then I took some chocolate chips and instead of putting grated chocolate in the batter, I pulverized the chocolate until it resembled small crumbs of chocolate. This created a batter that was speckled with nuts, oatmeal, and chocolate. The ingredients were evenly distributed, resulting in the perfect bite every time. I baked my cookies for 8 minutes and no longer. They will set up once they have cooled to room temperature. YUM!
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 c oatmeal
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c nuts (your choice)
4 oz grated chocolate (any kind)
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, measure out the oatmeal and then blend until powdery. Combine sugars and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, mix until thoroughly combined. In a food processor, chop nuts finely (a couple of pulses). Grate or chop chocolate until chocolate resembles crumbs. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, oatmeal powder, nuts and grated chocolate to the wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Add chocolate chips, and stir. Scoop by rounded tablespoons (I used my tablespoon scooper) onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes.
There are many, many shoyu chicken recipes out there. I have been experimenting with some lately, and I think I have got the right combination of soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger (according to my palate) Not saying that there are not better ones out there, I just like this one the best for me. I recently went to a church function the other night, and Shoyu Chicken was the main dish. I get a little apprehensive about Hawaiian food, but this was really good and I went back for seconds. Shoyu is just a fancy, Japanese way of saying soy sauce. This is a very popular dish here in Hawaii, and I'm glad I finally have a staple Hawaiian thing to cook for the guests that come visit me. (Note to guests: you will be eating this when you come to visit). The key is definitely chicken thighs, and I love that you can buy them in a big bag at Costco boneless, skinless. The extra fat content helps make the meat tender, flavorful and moist. I love serving this with sticky rice and a side salad with homemade ranch on it. Super yummy flavor combination. The leftovers are just as good.
Rachelle's Shoyu Chicken
2 1/4 C soy sauce (Aloha Brand is the best) 3/4 C Water 3/4 Brown sugar 3 Garlic clove, minced 1/2 tbs ginger, minced (you could use ground ginger, use 3/4 tsp) 4-5 lbs skinless boneless Chicken thighs (about 8-9 thighs)
In a large pot, combine first 5 ingredients. Add chicken and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Serve w/ sticky rice.
