Paninis and Sandwiches

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

October 14, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night. Talk about a delicious comfort food. Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food. Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking. I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together. I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.” The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be. The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make. You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

BUMMER!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better. Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all. The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind. I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...” One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below. I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed. In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands. We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese. Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
Italian Salami Panini
Sweet Pepper Relish
Hummus
The Pilgrim
And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!

Gluten Free Strombolis With Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

September 15, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Gluten Free Stromboli (Delicious!)

Gluten Free Strombolis Recipe

1/2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 Sweet Onion, chopped
1 TBS minced garlic from a jar (optional)
Jar of Spaghetti Sauce (Meat Free)
1 Bay Leaf
Kosher Salt
4 Cups Mozzarella
Pizza Crust (see below)
Black Pepper

Pizza Crust: For these, I used one bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix (makes two strombolis). Follow the directions for pizza crust on the back of the bag. When it comes time to roll out the crusts, remember you want it pretty thin. Another tip, roll it out on parchment paper, then use it to “assist” you in rolling the stromboli up.

To make it even easier, you could use Pillsbury’s Ready Made Gluten Free Pizza Crust. IF you can find it. I have trouble finding it in most grocery stores anymore.

Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Brown the Italian Sausage. If you’d prefer Hot Italian Sausage, use it instead. After making these with the Sweet, I couldn’t help thinking that a mixture of sweet and hot would’ve been delicious.
Add the chopped peppers and onions to the sausage as it browns. Drain and return all to the pan.
If you’re adding garlic, do so now. Feel free to add more or less – depending upon your own level of garlic love.
Salt and pepper everything.
Add half the jar of sauce – save the rest for dipping your Strombolis.

Gluten Free Stromboli

For the Crust:

Roll each ball of pizza dough into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet.
Divide the Italian sausage filling down the middle of each rectangle. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella evenly on top of each filling.
Turn the pan horizontally, so you’re looking at the future strombolis lenghtwise. Starting at the bottom of each, carefully roll the dough on top of the filling about an inch to two inches. Roll in the two sides. Now roll “up” from the bottom (here’s where the parchment paper is a lot of help) and seal the edges – position the stroms with the seam on the bottom. Cut several diagonal slits into the crust (with a ridiculously sharp knife), if you’re feeling fancy.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Bob’s Red Mill Pizza Crust MixOptional Add Ins and “Hindsight” Ideas:

Pepperoni Slices would be delicious in these strombolis. One bite it, it occurred to me! Why it didn’t occur to me while I was at the store is beyond me.
You could easily make vegetarian strombolis by replacing the meat with extra peppers, mushrooms, and even jalapenos.
Instead of using the spaghetti sauce method, even though it was delicious, the next time I make these I want to try this approach: Brown the sausage/drain. Saute onions and green pepper. After rolling out the pizza crust, “brush” on my favorite pizza sauce (which happens to be Classico), evenly spread the filling ingredients down the middle, add the cheese, roll up, and bake. Like I said, the spaghetti sauce is fantastic, but I think pizza sauce would be pretty amazing too.
The stroms shown here are my first attempt and I, obviously, didn’t go too heavy on the filling. I wanted to make sure my dough closed around the ingredients and didn’t bust at the seams. Use common sense when putting your stroms together – it’s honestly better to go “light” than to have them pop open in the oven.
Strombolis don’t have to have to include the traditional ingredients. These would also be delicious with cheddar cheese, onions, and ham. I guess just about any luncheon meat would be delicious. Hmmm, I think I’ll try sliced roast beef and Swiss cheese sometime…
When it comes to favorite gluten free mixes (such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix), I order in bulk off of Amazon. I’m afraid I can’t always count on my grocery store to have just the mix or mixes I need, but I can always count on Amazon. Come to think of it, it’s time to order another box of each of these mixes.
Store-bought pizza dough (whether you go the gluten free route or not) would be easier to work with, but when you make your own, the taste is just out of this world. They may not be quite as photogenic as a store bought crust would be, but since when do photos taste good?!
When I served the stroms, I sliced and positioned them on the plate among plenty of Ruffles Potato Chips (you just cannot have stroms without Ruffles!). I served little bowls of Marinara Sauce for dipping, but pizza sauce would also be great. Add a dill pickle and you’re golden.
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust is a 10 out of 10. Excellent in every single way and it has never let me down. I highly recommend it for pizzas and strombolis.

Strombolis without Ruffles? I Don’t Think So!

Best Egg Salad Recipe in the History of Forever

June 24, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Hard-Cooked Eggs, All Dressed Up for the Egg Salad Party

I’m an egg fanatic. I can’t in any way, shape, or form explain it, but after I had to begin eating gluten free, my love of eggs (and potatoes as well, for that matter) grew from a loving relationship to an almost embarrassing obsession.

Foods rarely find themselves in the special mental penthouse I reserve for chocolate, cheese, Chai tea lattes, and sweet tea – but eggs and potatoes moved right in, unpacked and took up residence.

I’ve always been a huge fan of egg salad, but I recently added a special ingredient (something else I’ve become obsessed with) and kicked my egg salad up to a whole new level.

What’s this magical ingredient? Whole grain mustard. About a year ago, I began experimenting with whole grain mustard in my potato salad and deviled egg recipes. I fell in love with both the looks and the flavor whole grain mustard gave to these dishes, so I started putting it in as many things as I thought I could get away with.

Egg salad just made perfect sense.

While I’m confessing obsessions and fixations, I have something else I’d like to confess…

I absolutely, positively, one hundred and twenty percent HATE making hard boiled eggs. It’s not the actual cooking I mind – heck, I live for cooking – it’s the peeling process that shreds my nerves.

I detest it.

I get entirely too picky about the process and if a chunk is torn from the egg, it crushes my soul.

Eggland’s Best has come to my rescue – and to the rescue of anyone else who finds this chore to be a form or torture. Their bags of Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs are the very thing my poor shredded nerves have needed for years. Open the bag, roll out the perfect eggs…. done.

Eggland’s Best Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs

They are more than worth the money – whatever it is they cost… honestly, I just throw them into the cart because I can’t put a price on my sanity.

The Best Egg Salad You’ll Ever Eat

12 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 very large sweet onion, finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup Hellman’s (or Duke’s) Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper
Optional: 1 tsp diced pickled jalapeno peppers

As you can see from the picture at the top, before I even chop my hard-cooked eggs, I salt and pepper them (I usually use good old-fashioned black peppercorns but this particular time it was a 3 pepper blend). Whenever I’m pulling something together in the kitchen, I like for each component to be flavorful – so they all come together with their A game. I’m also kind of convinced that chopping the seasonings “into” the eggs makes a little extra magic happen.

When the onion takes its turn on the chopping block, the magic continues.

Don’t even try to confuse me with logic, I will never believe that this arrangement isn’t the greatest thing since gluten free bread.

Chop the eggs.
Finely chop the onion. If you’d prefer to mince the onion – have at it. Personally, I like for the onions to provide a little bit of crunch, so I go with more of a fine chop than an actual mincing. But as always, I encourage you to follow your own preferences. Your kitchen, your rules.
Stir in the mayonnaise and whole grain mustard.
Taste and add more salt and pepper.
Place in the refrigerator to chill.

A word about adding extras: Sometimes I add a little diced jalapeno peppers or (as the bag of Eggland’s suggests) a little dill. However, I firmly believe that the absolute best approach is the one given above – eggs, onion, mayo, salt, pepper, and whole-grain mustard. Each of these work together in such a way that’s just beautiful.

A few more words:

Needless to say, half the recipe if you’d like. For our house, we need 12 eggs in the recipe, but you may not have as many egg fanatics under your roof as I do.
I use Hellman’s, but feel free to use the mayo of your choice. I simply only use products that say “Gluten Free” on them and Hellman’s is such a product – and it’s perfectly delicious to boot.
If you have to eat to, choose to, or get to (pick one, pick all) eat gluten free, you can, of course, use gluten free bread or gluten free English Muffins as your sandwich vehicle. You could also make sure you chop the eggs into larger chunks and simply eat the egg salad as that… a salad! Add some cherry tomatoes and a little lettuce and you’ve got a delicious summer salad. You’ll never miss the bread.

It’s the best egg salad of all time, in my egg-loving opinion – and the sweet onion and whole-grain mustard make it all happen.

Just look at the picture below…. gorgeous! I am completely in love with what whole-grain mustard does for the appearance and flavor of just about everything – but especially egg and potato dishes. Try it, you’ll become totally smitten, too.

Sweet Italian Sausage Pretzel Sliders

October 2, 2013 By Joi Sigers

Sometimes the simplest things can be the most delicious things. I made a pot of Tortellini soup yesterday and wanted something a little different than garlic bread to accompany it. I had a package of DELICIOUS Sister Schubert’s Soft Pretzel Rolls in the freezer and a package of Sweet Italian Sausage in the refrigerator. As for cheese, I ALWAYS have a great variety of cheeses on hand because I’m something of a cheese fanatic.

I baked the rolls according to the directions on the package, crumbled up and fried the Italian Sausage (hot Italian Sausage would also be delicious – if you can handle the heat), and put the two together with a shredded Italian cheese blend.

They were phenomenal, disappeared quickly, and left us all wishing I’d doubled the recipe.

These little cuties would be great for tailgating or gameday snacks. If you were to drizzle little thin lines with sour cream, mayo, or even a thin icing you could even make passable footballs (see what I did there?).

++++ You’ll have left over sausage, even if you PACK the sliders like I did. We just threw the leftover crumbles into our soup. Refrigerating leftover Italian sausage and throwing it into omelets or scrambled eggs the next morning is also a delicious option.

Chili Lime Shrimp Pita Pocket

November 10, 2011 By Joi Sigers

Here’s another beautiful recipe from A Bullseye View! This is a Top Chef Master Marcus Samuelsson recipe…. so, yeah, you know it’s going to be culinary magic. Not only is this a beautiful and delicious recipe, it’s healthy. Omega 3s are as healthy for brain health as they are heart health, and shrimp is a great source. It’s also ridiculously tasty, so have at it!

Chili Lime Shrimp Pita Pocket
Serves four

What You’ll Need
1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned and cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno, diced small
2 scallions, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 pita breads, each cut in half
2 cups shredded romaine

What You’ll Do

Step 1 – Season shrimp with salt and pepper.

Step 2 – Mix yogurt, chili powder, garlic powder and jalapeno in small bowl.

Step 3 – Heat olive oil in sauté pan on medium-high heat.

Step 4 – Add the shrimp and cook about a minute on each side.

Step 5 – Add the lime juice and remove from heat. Finish with scallions.

Step 6 – Stuff each piece of pita with 1/4 of the shrimp and romaine. Drizzle on yogurt sauce, as desired.

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo

September 10, 2011 By Joi Sigers

I have quite a few Rachael Ray Cookbooks in my cookbook collection. She’s a favorite TV Personality and cookbook author, so if her name’s on it, I’m not just “in,” I’m “all in.”

The cookbook pictured above is just one of my favorites.

Guy Food: Rachael Ray’s Top 30 30-Minute Meals is filled with recipes you’ll use again and again – the Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers (with HEAVENLY Green Onion Mayo) are a classic example of what this cookbook’s personality.

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo – by Rachael Ray

5 slices bacon, chopped
4 scallions, cleaned and trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 1/3 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 pound extra sharp white cheddar cheese, crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
4 crusty Kaiser rolls, split
4 leaves crisp romaine lettuce

Preheat grill pan over high heat.

In a medium pan brown bacon over medium high heat and drain on paper towel lined plate.

Brush scallions with a little oil and grill on hot grill pan 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat to cool.

Combine ground beef with Worcestershire and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide meat into 4 equal parts. Combine cheese crumbles and cooked bacon. Take 1/4 of the meat in your hand and make a well in the center of it. Pile in cheese and bacon, then carefully form the burger around the cheese and bacon filling. Make sure the fillings are completely covered with meat. When all 4 patties are formed, drizzle burgers with oil and place on hot grill pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side over high heat, reduce heat to medium low and cook burgers 7 or 8 minutes longer, turning occasionally. Do not press down on burgers as they cook. Transfer burgers to a plate and let them rest 5 minutes before serving.

Chop cooled, grilled green onions and add to a food processor. Add mayonnaise and cumin to the food processor and pulse the onions and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Pile burgers on crusty buns and top with crisp lettuce leaves and a slather of green onion mayonnaise. As you bite into the burgers, you will find a smoky, cheesy surprise at the center.

Below are just a few of the other recipes in this great little cookbook:

There’s a very manly chili recipe with some surprising ingredients that will be tried in this very kitchen this week!
Blackened Chicken Pizza
A recipe for Mahi-Mahi Fillets, grilled
Tenderloin Steaks with Gorgonzola and Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
If you or your guy (or kids! – they always love them) have a thing for chicken tenders, there’s a recipe for pecan-crusted chicken tenders you’ll flip for
Cheddar and Chive Bread
Corn on the Cob with Chili and Lime
Grilled Halibut Tacos with Guacamole Sauce
A lot more!

If you love great food, and especially if you have a guy you love to cook for, you’ll want to grab a copy of Guy Food: Rachael Ray’s Top 30 30-Minute Meals right away. It’s just a little over $10 and these are recipes you’ll use all year long.

Ultimate Guide to the Mediterranean Cooking and Eating

March 28, 2011 By Joi Sigers

I was recently sent a couple of books to review for the food blog and I’m getting a lot of mileage out of each of them:

The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book: All you need to lose weight and stay healthy!

The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book

In today’s post, I just want to focus on the first book. We’ll serve up the Raw food tomorrow (trust me, you’re going to be impressed).

First of all, I have to say I LOVE The Everything… Series of books. I’ve bought more of these books over the years than I can even begin to count. Seriously, if there’s ever a subject you want to know more about, head to the bookstore (or to my favorite online destination, Amazon) and find The Everything book dealing with that subject.

Below are just a few of the zillions of subjects this series of books covers:

College Cooking
Fondue Party
Lactose-Free Cooking
Low-Salt Cooking
Health Guide to Thyroid Disease
Low Cholesterol Book
Reflexology Book
Stress Management Book
Civil War Book
Candlemaking Book
Cat Book
Coin Collecting
Cooking for Dogs
Green Living Book
Tex-Mex Cookbook (the next one I’m buying!)
Feng Shui
Guides to Writing
Countless Parenting Books
Foreign Language Guides
Travel Guides
Wedding Books
Writing Guides
Psychology Book
Etc, etc, etc.

I just wanted to give you a little idea of all the books in the series because I’m a “Learning Junkie” and book publishers like this make my life easier.

I have to say, I’ve always been fascinated by the Mediterranean Diet and the Mediterranean way of cooking and eating. What some people may not realize is that when we talk about the Mediterranean Diet, we aren’t talking about a stifling, 1/2 a grapefruit and 1/2 wheat toast for breakfast, broth and 1 boiled egg for lunch… type of restricted diet. No, no, a thousand times no. Believe me, I love food so much, I wouldn’t give anything like that the time of day!

The Mediterranean Diet is all about eating fresh, colorful, healthy, magnificent food. Part of my fascination with this type of eating lies in what it can do for you. I have written at length about the benefits of The Mediterranean Diet on my Self Help Blog (Self Help Daily) and my Mental Fitness Blog (Out of Bounds). The foods featured in The Mediterranean Diet are beneficial for your heart’s health, you waistline, your brain’s health, longevity, and just about every other corner of your life you can think of.

From page 3 of The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book: All you need to lose weight and stay healthy!:

Interest in the Mediterranean diet grew when scientists noted that people in the Mediterranean area had lower incidences of several diseases, but especially heart disease. Searching for the source of this lowered risk resulted in the examination of the lifestyles of those who live in the Mediterranean. Upon observation of lifestyle, the diet was an obvious point of review. The Mediterranean diet, while plant plentiful, is also rich in olive oil, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to using olive oil for cooking, the Mediterranean diet has limited intake of solid or animal fats like lard. These factors are the likely cause of the diet’s impact on reduced risk of heart disease. While the diets of people in Mediterranean countries vary, the evidence related to health promotion is consistent throughout the region. To accommodate the varying eating patterns of the different countries, a multitude of Mediterranean food pyramids exist. The pyramids all reflect a similar look, with lots of plant foods, but each has a unique twist to represent the cuisine of the country. With this variety of pyramids, what constitutes a Mediterranean diet can be confusing, but a close look makes it clear that Mediterranean diets, no matter which cuisine they represent, are built around plant foods. – Page 3

On the next page, the reader is given a detailed Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, followed by many pages devoted to telling the reader why each step of the pyramid is crucial to good health. As I said before, I’ve been fascinated with this style of cooking and eating for a lot of years but this is the most concise, detailed, and thorough guide I’ve read. The authors don’t just lay it all out, they lay it out within reach of the reader!

The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book: All you need to lose weight and stay healthy! is more of an education than just a book/cookbook. I truly hope you’ll grab a copy and devote yourself to feeding your family and yourself the healthiest foods possible.

Below is one of the many amazing recipes from the book. We always have an abundance of zucchini and squash from our garden, so we’ll be having a lot of these this summer and fall! If I can convince my husband to put out some eggplant, we’ll really be set.

Vegetable Pita with Feta Cheese (page 228)

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2″ pieces (lengthwise)
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ pieces (lengthwise)
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 red onion, cut into 1/3″ rings
1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste
6 whole-wheat pita bread
3 ounces feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush the sliced vegetables with oil and place on a racked baking sheet. Sprinkle with black pepper. Roast until tender. (The vegetables can be prepared the night before – – – refrigerate; reheat or bring to room temperature before roasting.)
Slice a 3″ opening in the pitas to gain access to the pockets. Toast the pitas if desired. Fill the pitas with the cooked vegetables. Add cheese to each and serve.

Click HERE now to read more about this exceptional book. You’ll love it!

Zesty New Bella Sun Luci Tomato Products

December 3, 2010 By Joi Sigers

I recently had the delicious pleasure of reviewing some outstanding products from Bella Sun Luci. It was remarkable timing, actually, because I was in the deep stages of grieving for ripe tomatoes. As much as I love autumn and winter, I miss fresh produce badly!

When the box from Bella Sun Luci came, I tore right into it. I happened to have a huge pot of homemade soup on the stove (beef, okra, tomato juice, carrots, potatoes, celery, corn, garbanzo beans, lima beans, asparagus…). I’d tasted the soup about 30 minutes before the UPS man came and had determined that it needed a little pick-me-up.

As I took out the products, my eyes met the pick-me-up and off to the stove we went. I added half the bag of Sun Dried Tomatoes with Zesty Peppers to the pot and stirred them in. Oh, the aroma! I saved half the bag with omelets in mind for the next morning (they were amazing – the dried tomatoes and zesty peppers took them up to a whole new level.)

Later, when I served the soup for supper, my family (and I!) devoured several bowls. The Sun Dried Tomatoes with Zesty Peppers gave the soup so much wonderful flavor – and it doesn’t get much easier than opening a bag and pouring contents into a pot. Or an omelet.

The next product I was anxious to try was the amazing sounding Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce with Whole Pinenuts. Of course the obvious (and Heavenly) option for this sauce would be toasted bread. However, I had a pot of homemade soup on cooking for supper and planned to serve rolls – not Italian or French bread.

It was still a few hours until supper, however, and I desperately wanted to try out the pesto sauce with pinenuts – so I fashioned a little snack. I knew my husband and daughters would be up for a little mid-afternoon snacking as well so I took a block of cream cheese out of the refrigerator and placed it on a plate. Then I “painted” the white block with the pesto sauce. It looked just like a little brick! My youngest daughter thought it looked more like a baby meatloaf, but I’m sticking with the brick.

I placed a variety of crackers on a platter and put the brick in the middle. Delicious!!! All Bella Sun Luci products are packed with 100 percent Pure Olive Oil, which makes the flavor really something special. Olive Oil also “ups” the ante on the health front as well. Tomatoes are already packed with healthy goodness in the form of Lycopene, and when you add Olive Oil to the guest list – you’re doing something that’s as wonderful for your health as it is your taste buds.

Think of it as heart healthy omega 3 in every jar!

Did you know that Sun dried tomatoes have 12 times the Lycopene than a raw tomato? 12 times! Lycopene is a phytochemical and proven antioxidant that may reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

It just makes good sense to include as many healthy foods in your families diet as possible and excellent products like Bella Sun Luci make it easy and delicious.

The sun dried tomatoes are as wonderful in tossed salads and pasta salads as they are in soup, chili, and omelets. They also make exceptional pizza toppings.

The Pesto Sauce is wonderful on paninis, hamburgers, Boca Burgers, and other sandwiches. It adds a great deal of flavor – to say nothing of the health benefits.

In tomorrow’s post, I’ll tell you about more Bella Sun Luci products (including one that fans of Italian Food will flip for!) as well as more ways to enjoy them. I’ll also share a couple of recipes with you I know you’ll love.

Leftover Turkey on Rye Sandwiches

November 26, 2010 By Joi Sigers

6 slices rye bread, toasted
turkey, thinly sliced
1 large avocado, peeled and sliced
1 cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
Sargento’s Provolone Cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on the avocado slices as soon as they’re exposed to the light of day. (brown avocado is just gross) Slather Hellman’s on 3 pieces of toasted rye bread and top with turkey, provolone, and avocado. Top with the other 3 slices of bread.

Serve with leftover Green Bean Casserole!

You can, of course, add dark leafy greens to your sandwich – but, personally, the flavor blend of Hellman’s, provolone, and avocado is so special – I hate for anything else to vie for my taste buds’ attention.

Another Leftover Turkey Idea:
Combine turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce in pita pockets. Delicious!

Thanksgiving Leftovers, Meet Bobby Flay

November 19, 2010 By Joi Sigers

My family and I always have this discussion before Thanksgiving:

Me: I’m going to buy a turkey…

Them: Ewwww… get a ham instead..

Me (through clinched teeth): I’ll get both.

I’m a traditional kind of gal. I want turkey on Thanksgiving and ham where it belongs – on Christmas and Easter. But the majority of my family members simply don’t care that much for turkey. Go figure.

H-O-W-E-V-E-R, with the help of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and Bobby Flay – I think I have them right where I want them. Once they see this recipe, they’ll INSIST on turkey, for the leftovers, alone.

Ah, sweet success.

The recipe, below is from the collection of Bobby Flay recipes on Hellmann’s website. Each is, as you’d expect extraordinary. To watch Bobby Flay make these Reubens, head over to the website for the video: Bobby Flay Makes a Turkey Reuben… and Saves Joi’s Traditional Thanksgiving.

Bobby Flay Turkey Reuben With Thousand Island Coleslaw

1/2 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups coleslaw mix
8 slices rye bread
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 lb. sliced cooked turkey

Combine 1/4 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, pickle, ketchup, vinegar and mustard with wire whisk in medium bowl. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper. Stir in coleslaw mix; set aside.
Top 4 bread slices with cheese, turkey, coleslaw mixture, then remaining bread slice. Evenly spread outside of sandwiches with remaining 1/4 cup Mayonnaise. Cook sandwiches, in batches, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning once, 8 minutes or until golden brown.

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