Category Archives: sandwich

Pin 233, Quinoa Burger

Posted by suzyhomebaker in 261 Days Pinned Challenge, low-fat, sandwich, savory, Transformation, veggies and tagged with , ,

I’m not sure I would use the word burger in this recipe. To me, that implies some sort of juicy, succulent meat, grilled to perfection, served on a soft bun and topped with god knows what deliciousness. There ain’t no meat here kiddies.

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Maybe Quinoa Patties. That’s better. Don’t get me wrong. They are tasty in a very subtle way. I thought the addition of cheese would give it some buttery, salty flavor but I didn’t get that here.

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It’s a veggie patty so that’s what it tastes like. It’s soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. A nice compliment of textures and flavors.

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I served mine on these Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Everything Bagel Slims. At 110 calories, they added a nice addition of everything bagelness.

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I also added some arugula and avocado to round out the sandwich. Since each patty is only about 132 calories, I needed a little something extra to tide me over till my next snack.

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I made a couple substitutions in my recipe since I did not have some of the ingredients on hand. Instead of cottage cheese I used part-skim ricotta cheese and I used chopped red onion instead of scallions. I also eliminated the sugar.

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This recipe makes about 10 patties and I’m hoping the batter will survive the week so that I may eat one each day for lunch. This could be a nice snack too and a delicious appetizer if the patties were made a little smaller and served with some spicy, creamy dipping sauce. Maybe a post for the future? Here’s the original pin and here’s the recipe:

Recipe courtesy of eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil for frying

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To cook quinoa for the above recipe:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl combine the 2 rounded cups of cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

(To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  Makes them easier to flip, too.)  Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.   Makes approx. 10 burgers.

Per burger:  Calories 132; Protein 8 g; Fat 5 g; NET Carbs 12 g; (Fiber 2 g); Sugar 0 g; Sodium 200 mg

232 to go………….

Wtf do I do with all this Basil?……..Pesto.

Posted by suzyhomebaker in bread, sandwich, savory, veggies

I know that is a total cop out, making a ton of pesto. But you really need a good amount of basil to make a good amount of pesto so why not make it easy on yourself and use if for one thing. I found this recipe in a great cookbook, Italian Country Cooking by Loukie Werle and it doesn’t require any pine nuts. That helps the wallet a little. I found it very tasty and you can always add some pine nuts or walnuts to give it that buttery nut flavor. I made this on Father’s Day and made an appetizer using the fresh pesto and a nice Chiabatta loaf. Pesto can also be a nice addition to pasta, steak, tomato salad, or grilled chicken. I often freeze my pesto and it will last for months. Just freeze it in small batches and defrost in the fridge. You can enjoy your home grown basil pesto all year long.

Pesto Ingredients

  • approx 1-1/2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or use extra Parmesan)

Directions

To make the pesto, rinse the basic leaves and dry thoroughly in a salad spinner. Combine the basil and garlic in a processor with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the oil. Pulse until you have slightly chunky sauce, but not smooth, adding the remaining oil while processing. Stop once  or twice to scape the bail off the sides. Spoon into a bowl, stir in the cheeses and season with salt. Float a slick of oil on top, until ready to use.

Easy appetizer or late night snack

Heat broiler. Slice a french baguette or Italian loaf in half lengthwise. Brush with olive oil, place on baking sheet, and toast under broiler for approx. 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn. Remove from oven and spread a thin layer (or a lot if you like)of Ricotta cheese over the surface of the bread. Then spread a thin layer of pesto over that. Slice and serve.

A childhood favorite: London Broil

Posted by suzyhomebaker in meat, sandwich, savory

When I was a kid my favorite food to eat was my dad’s marinated London Broil. It’s that traditional recipe that every family makes with a marinade of soy sauce, garlic, and most times Worcester sauce. Dad would either grill it or broil it in the oven and it was always delicious. I still can’t get mine to taste as good as his did but it comes pretty close. I think the best part was eating the cold leftovers out of the fridge the next day. Well, here’s an ode to my favorite meat in a recipe that uses the meat in a sandwich. I used a marinade recipe from Cooking Light and the steak sandwich recipe from Barefoot Contessa. I actually served this at Riley’s birthday party this year and everyone loved it. I should have made more that day. I served mine with the steak cold but you can serve it any way you like. It takes good both ways. I did make some substitutions and eliminations. I didn’t use shallots in the marinade because I didn’t have them. I also used mixed greens and a crusty hoagie roll from Sam’s Club instead of arugula and foccacia bread. I don’t think these substitutions made any difference in the taste and enjoyment of this sandwich.

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Momma’s messy egg sandwich

Posted by suzyhomebaker in breakfast, sandwich, savory

Wanna know how I got fat working at the bakery? Not cake, cookies, or pie. It was egg sandwiches, almost every morning. So my suggestion to you….don’t eat egg sandwiches almost every morning. Save this one for a random Sunday morning or in my case, this past Mother’s Day. The funny thing is that I used a multi-grain flatbread roll, because it’s healthy. It’s a messy sandwich so be sure to have a supply of napkins by your side.

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 slices of American cheese

2 slices of ham

1 roll

butter or margarine

Directions

Butter roll on both sides and add a slice of cheese to bottom. Put aside. Heat cooking spray coated skillet over medium-low heat. Cook ham till browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes and add to roll on top of the cheese. Then, fry two eggs till they are cooked over medium with the yolk still runny, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Add to roll on top of ham, add a slide of cheese over the eggs, put the top of the roll on and slice in half. Then lookout for the messiness and have your napkins handy. Be sure to eat this one at a table as you can easily drip the yolk down your shirt.

Brie, Apple, and Arugula Quesadillas

Posted by suzyhomebaker in sandwich, savory, Transformation and tagged with

I call this one the 5 food group quesadilla cause that’s what’s in it baby. All 5, really. Well, when you add some grilled chicken as I have. I found this recipe in Cooking Light and I’ve mixed it up a bit, adding different cheeses and the chicken for the extra protein. The original is really the best though. I’ve also substituted the flour tortilla with a high protein, low carb whole wheat wrap. Forget the salad today and go for this. So good.

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Peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time!

Posted by suzyhomebaker in bread, kid friendly, sandwich

All kids love it right? I saw this on the cover of a book at the library and thought it was a great idea. I made it for Riley and she ate several of the peanut butter jelly rolls. She’s real picky so if she ate just one or two I’d be happy. Try it at home. Get creative, maybe add some smooshed bananas, marshmallow fluff or chopped nuts.

Ingredients

2 slices of bread, white or wheat with the crusts cut off

peanut butter and jelly

Directions

  1. flatten bread with a rolling pin.
  2. spread peanut butter, then jelly onto bread
  3. roll lengthwise, cut into 1 inch rolls

Turkey Cheese steak

Posted by suzyhomebaker in low-fat, sandwich, savory and tagged with

So I’m working out and trying to eat right but I’m failing miserably with the latter. I’m slowly, I mean quickly, gaining back the baby weight that I spent the past year losing and I’m feeling pretty bummed. So, I’m trying the find ways to satisfy my soon to be 20 pounder (meaning the baby, not my butt) while satisfying my insatiable appetite for anything salty and greasy. Here’s my solution. While working at the bakery, Felice and I were always experimenting with the myriad of ingredients in that kitchen. So we made our own version of a low-fat cheese steak using turkey instead of roast beef. It’s really quite delicious and satisfying so I made my own version today using what I had in the fridge. You can do the same and add your own components: onions, tomato, mushrooms, hot peppers, whatever.

Ingredients

2-1/2 to 3 oz. sliced turkey, sliced up
2 Tbsp chopped peppers, I used red and yellow but any will work
1 Light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge
1/4 to 1/2 an avocado, sliced
2 pieces of whole wheat or whole grain bread, toasted
Worchestire sauce
pepper
spray oil

Directions

1. Heat small frying pan, spray with oil, add peppers and saute till they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add turkey, a pinch of pepper, and 4 – 5 dashes of Worchestire sauce. Toss together till warmed through. Cut cheese wedge in half and add to top of turkey. Cover cheese with turkey. Remove from heat.

2. Top toast with sliced avocado. Pile turkey mixture on top. Cover with toasted bread and slice in half. Eat while hot.