By Marian Pierson
Summer is in full swing in the Triangle, and the sunny weather is making it hard to stay indoors.
Thankfully, Carolina Woman has tracked down mouth-watering sammies that are both delicious and portable. Ditch the utensils and cloth napkins, stuff a paper towel in your collar and grab a sandwich that's dressed to the nines!
Whether wrapped up in a basket at Raleigh's Pullen Park, tucked snuggly in a cooler at Jordan Lake or artfully arranged atop a paper plate on your Chapel Hill patio, these recipes will blow ordinary turkey-and-cheese out of the water.
So, get while the gettin's good, grab your grub and head outdoors for an end-of-summer hurrah.
The Southern Po' Boy Cookbook
Mouthwatering Sandwich Recipes From the Heart of New Orleans
Ulysses Press
Portobello Mushroom Po' Boy
Mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Parmesan cheese
2 or 3 portobello mushroom caps
Assembly
1 (12-inch) loaf French bread, split
Provolone cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the filling for the mushroom caps, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne, roasted red peppers and half of the Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the mushrooms rounded-side down. Spoon the filling into each mushroom cap. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over each mushroom and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese bubbles.
Place the stuffed mushrooms on the bottom half of the bread, top with the provolone cheese and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Close the sandwich, smashing down slightly to melt the provolone and slice into 2 sections. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 to 2 servings
New Orleans-Style
BBQ Shrimp Po' Boy
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound extra-jumbo (16-20 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped green onions, both white and green parts
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into small cubes
1 (12-inch loaf) of French bread split nearly apart
Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil, and sauté the shrimp just until done, about 2 minutes per side. (It's best to cook the shrimp in batches if you do not have a large skillet.) Remove the cooked shrimp and set aside.
Add the green onions to the hot skillet in which you sautéed the shrimp, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the white wine, and let simmer until reduced by half. Then add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, cayenne and paprika. Shake the pan well and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low.
Gradually add the cubes of butter, shaking the pan briskly to melt the butter. Continue to add butter and shake the pan until all the butter has melted. Add the shrimp back to the pan and toss well to coat with the butter and seasonings.
Pile the buttered, seasoned shrimp into the loaf, close the sandwich and cut into four sections to serve.
Makes 4 servings
Vibrant Food
Celebrating the Ingredients, Recipes and Colors of Each Season
Kimberly Hasselbrin
Ten Speed Press
Salmon Banh Mi
Pickled Vegetables
2 medium carrots
2 watermelon radishes (about 4 ounces total) or substitute daikon radish
1/3 English cucumber
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Aioli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
16 ounces skinless wild salmon fillet (preferably thin), pinbones removed, cut into four equal pieces
1 French, Vietnamese or gluten-free baguette, sliced crosswise into four equal pieces (about 5 to 6 inches long)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves
1 small jalapeño, very thinly sliced (optional)
To make the pickled vegetables, using a julienne slicer or a sharp knife, cut the carrots into long matchsticks. With a mandolin or the same sharp knife, slice the radishes as thinly as possible. Cut the cucumber diagonally into slices about 1/8-inch thick.
Combine the white vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, whisking vigorously until the sugar is dissolved, or nearly so. Add the carrots, radishes and cucumbers. Stir and toss to evenly coat the vegetables and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. (You may have pickles left over; they will keep for up to 3 days.)
To make the aioli, combine the mayonnaise, garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day to allow the flavors to meld.
To prepare the salmon, in a bowl, whisk together the boiling water and the brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the fish sauce, Sriracha, tamari and garlic and stir to combine. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of the marinade to drizzle over the sandwiches.
Transfer the rest of the marinade to a shallow baking dish and let cool to room temperature. Place the salmon slices in the marinade, turning to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, turning the salmon halfway through.
Preheat the broiler. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place in a shallow dish. Broil 6 inches from the heat source for 6 to 8 minutes, until the salmon is golden brown and crisped at the edges. (Cooking time may be shorter with a thinner fillet.)
To assemble the sandwiches, split a baguette piece and hollow out some of the bread. Spread both cut sides of the inside of the baguette with some of the aioli. Layer the bottom half of the sandwich with a generous quantity of the pickled vegetables, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Top with one piece of the salmon, breaking it into chunky pieces, and some of the jalapeño slices.
Drizzle the salmon with some of the reserved marinade.
Top with the baguette top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more sandwiches and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Turkey Burgers
With Balsamic Figs
Balsamic figs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
6 small fresh figs, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
3 green onions, white and pale green
parts only, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon small fresh mint leaves
Turkey burgers
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
16 ounces ground turkey
1/4 large apple, cored and finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 burger buns
Mixed greens
To prepare the figs, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, agave nectar, salt and red pepper flakes. Add the figs, green onions and mint; toss gently to combine. Set aside.
To make the burgers, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring until soft and translucent but not yet beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, turkey, apple, parsley, thyme, salt and black pepper and mix by hand until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Divide the burger mixture into four equal parts and form into patties aobut 3/4-inch thick.
Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 to 3 patties at a time – you don't want to crowd them. Cook without disturbing for 5 to 6 minutes, then flip.
About 2 minutes into cooking the second side, place the cheddar slices on top of the burgers, cover the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more to melt the cheese. Repeat with the remaining patties.
While the burgers cook, toast the buns.
To serve, place the greens on the bottom half of each bun, followed by a burger and a large, generous spoonful of the balsamic fig mixture.
Makes 4 servings
Dishing Up Maine
165 Recipes That Capture
Authentic Down East Flavors
Brooke Dojny
Storey Publishing
Pan-Fried Haddock Sandwich
With Jalapeño Mayo
Jalapeño mayo
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeño chiles
1 tablespoon minced scallions
(1 scallion)
Pan-fried haddock sandwich
1-1/4 pounds haddock not more than
1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 sandwich buns, split
Green leaf lettuce leaves
Sliced tomato
To make the jalapeño mayo, whisk together the mayonnaise, jalapeños and scallions in a small bowl. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
To make the sandwich, cut the fish into pieces a bit larger than the buns. Combine the four, salt, pepper and paprika on a plate. Dredge the haddock in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
Divide the oil between two medium-large skillets over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the fish to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown and crisp on both sides and just cooked within (the fish will flake easily when tested with a fork), about 2 minutes per side.
Spread the buns with the jalapeño mayo, layer on the fish, lettuce and sliced tomato, and serve.
Makes 4 servings
The Classic Maine Lobster Roll
2 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into chunks no smaller than 3/4 inch (see note)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of about 1/4 lemon)
1/2 cup mayonnaise, plus more if necessary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 top-split hot dog buns (see Note)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Snipped chives or chopped parsley (optional)
Toss the lobster with the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine, adding more if necessary to moisten the salad sufficiently. Season with the salt and pepper to taste (be cautious about how much pepper you use). Refrigerate for up to 4 hours if not using the salad right away.
Heat a cast-iron griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Brush the crustless sides of the rolls with the melted butter and place on the griddle. Cook, turning once, until both sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Open the rolls and spoon in the lobster salad, heaping it high. Sprinkle lightly with snipped chives or chopped parsley for color. Serve immediately.
Note: Buy cooked lobster meat or steam three 1/4-pound lobsters and pick out the meat. If top-split hot dog buns aren't available, use conventional hot dog rolls, grilling the crusty top and bottom, not the interior.
Makes 4 servings
Dinner: The Playbook
A 30-Day Plan for Mastering the Art of the Family Meal
Ballantine Books
Steak Sandwiches With Gruyère
1 pound skirt or top round steak
(about 1-inch thick)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, halved
4 large slices Gruyère or other Swiss cheese
1 baguette, sliced into 4 sandwich-size pieces and halved horizontally
Pickles or cornichons or pickled jalapeños (optional)
In a ziplock bag or shallow dish, toss the steak with the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper. Seal the bag or cover the dish and marinate the steak in the refrigerator for as long as you can, at least 15 minutes and up to 8 hours.
In a large cast iron skillet set over low heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the onion slices and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the onions have wilted and look slightly caramelized. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, turn up the heat, and cook another minute. Remove onions from the pan into a bowl.
Wipe the pan clean and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic halves, swirling them in the oil to infuse the oil with garlic flavor. Remove the garlic. Blot the steak dry with paper towels. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the steak until medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice it on an angle into strips about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Add the cheese slices to the top baguette halves and broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. (Broil the bottom halves at the same time; keep an eye on them so they don't burn.) Remove the baguettes from the oven and top with the steak, onions and pickles, if using.
Makes 4 servings
Stromboli
Olive oil for rubbing, plus more for brushing
1 (16-ounce) store-bought pizza dough, preferably close to room temperature
3/4 cup homemade marinara sauce or store-bought pizza sauce (unheated)
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 ounces pepperoni or dried sausage, sliced (optional)
Handful of red onion slices
Roasted red peppers, from a jar (optional)
3/4 cup thawed and well-squeezed frozen spinach
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded
8 to 10 dollops fresh ricotta cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan to taste
1 or 2 shakes of red pepper flakes, depending on heat tolerance
Sea salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rub an 11-by-13-inch cookie sheet with olive oil. Using lightly oiled hands, spread the dough on the sheet, pressing it as far into the corners as possible.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the fresh basil and dried oregano over the sauce. Layer on, in the following order, the pepperoni, (if using), onion slices, roasted red peppers (if using), spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Very carefully (so as not to tear the dough), starting with a long side, roll the dough and filling into a long cylinder, making sure all the filling is enclosed. You might need two sets of hands to keep it under control. (If the dough does tear, just try to pinch the hole together and keep rolling.) Pinch the bottom and end seams to secure the filling, and place the stromboli seam side down on the cookie sheet. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the stromboli is golden brown, brushing again with oil during the last 5 minutes. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
Slice into 1-1/2 inch-thick pieces and serve.
A Mouthful of Stars
A Constellation of Favorite Recipes From My World Travels
Andrews McMeel
Roast Pork Tacos
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 (6- to 7-pound) whole boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 ounce New Mexico red chile powder or use a good-quality pure ground chile powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) bottle brown ale
1 large yellow onion, quartered
1 orange, quartered
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into
chunks (optional)
For serving: cabbage leaves, fresh corn tortillas, Roasted Tomatillo-Poblano Salsa (recipe follows), grilled pineapple chunks, thinly sliced cabbage, lime wedges, radish slices, sliced fresh jalapeños, sour cream, queso fresco, and/or fresh cilantro
Combine the sugar and salt in a small bowl. Place the pork in a roasting pan or Dutch oven and rub the sugar-salt mixture all over. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the pork from the pan and discard any excess liquid. Rinse the pork, pat dry and place it back in the clean roasting pan.
Combine the red chile powder with the oregano, garlic, cumin and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. Pour the beer over the pork. Cover the pan tightly with the lid or aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.
Uncover the pork and add the onion and 3 quarters of the orange (save 1 quarter for squeezing over the pork just before serving). Decrease the heat to 325 degrees and cook for another 1 to 2 hours. If using, add the pineapple chunks during the last hour of cooking. The pork should be tender and easily pulled with a fork; if the fork test does not work, cook for another 30 minutes and test again.
Remove from the oven and let sit, covered or lightly tented with foil, for up to 30 minutes. Use forks to gently pull apart the meat. Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange quarter over the pork and serve with the accompaniments.
To make a taco, place the roasted pork in a cabbage leaf or tortilla, and top with salsa, radish slices, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
— — Roasted Tomatillo-Poblano Salsa — —
6 to 8 tomatillos, husked and quartered
3 fresh poblano or Anaheim chiles, stemmed and quartered
2 to 3 fresh jalapeño or Serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired and halved
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds (optional)
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
Juice of 2 limes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spread the tomatillos, chiles, onion and garlic in a single lager on a baking sheet and season with the salt. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and starting to blister. Let cool slightly.
Combine the roasted vegetables and any of the escaped juices with the cilantro in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well blended but not puréed. Add the cumin seeds, if using, the avocado and lime juice and pulse until just blended. Taste and add more salt and lime, as needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For a fresh version: Reduce the amount of poblano/Anaheim to 1 and omit roasting the vegetables; pulse everything in a food processor until well blended. Taste and add more avocado, lime juice or salt.
Makes about 1-1/2 cups
Croque Madame
Mornay Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyére (about 3 ounces)
Unsalted butter, softened, for spreading
4 to 6 slices white sandwich bread
Dijon mustard, for spreading (optional)
4 to 6 slices cooked ham
3/4 cup grated Gruyére or Emmenthaler (about 3 ounces)
2 large eggs
Freshly cracked black pepper
To make the Mornay sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute (do not let brown). Add the milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a low boil, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes more. Once it boils, if the sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk to thin. Season with the salt and pepper and nutmeg to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Set aside until ready to use.
Butter each bread slice on both sides and top with a smear of Dijon mustard, if using. Top 2 of the slices with the ham. Top the ham with most of the cheese, saving about 1/4 cup for the next step. Cover with the remaining bread slices.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches, buttered side down, into the skillet, pressing gently with the back of the spatula. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottom is lightly golden. Top with the Mornay sauce and divide the remaining 1/4 cup cheese between the 2 sandwiches.
Heat the broiler to high, place the skillet in the oven, and broil the sandwiches for 1 to 2 minutes (be careful not to burn), until the sauce is golden brown and bubbling. Meanwhile, cook the eggs sunny side up in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Top each sandwich with an egg and serve at once, garnished with black pepper.
Makes 2 servings