Day 139 & 144: The Perfect Italian Sub

Have you ever had a spicy Italian sub from Subway?  This was Randy and my go-to sub during our "courting" & engagement period.  We were usually strapped for cash, and Winchendon doesn't have a lot to offer in the restaurant department (yes, we are so glad to be out of there!), so we would often split a foot-long spicy Italian from Subway.  Now, whenever I order one or make my own, it brings me back to a simple time of walking along the old rail trails on a summer evening eating a sub, dreaming about our future, and not having nearly as much responsibility as we do now!  We were broke, but we were in bliss!

Here's my Perfect Italian Sub:
We had these sandwiches for lunch last Sunday (Day 139) and then again on Thursday (Day 144) I packed them for us for work.  They are so good...

Slice the sub roll in half, lengthwise.  Layer with salami, sandwich pepperoni, and provolone cheese.
Toast it!  Definitely toast it, there's nothing like it!

Layer spinach (or lettuce), sliced tomatoes, and banana peppers.  Randy would want sliced red onion on his, but not me.  Drizzle with chipotle ranch dressing.  It's perfect to eat right away or make in the morning and save until lunch time!

Day 106: Caprese Paninis

I do realize that this is the second post in 3 days with a "caprese" theme.  I like to reuse ingredients to help save time and money.  Tonight Randy and I both had meetings so dinner was leftover New York Deli Mac & Cheese from last night.  But for lunch, I made paninis in advance.  I didn't feel like making pesto for my usual panini since I had weekend full of bread-making and cleaning the house!  So instead, I drizzled balsamic vinegar on the bread and then layered tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil in between slices.
I then grilled the sandwich and used a cast-iron skillet covered in foil to add weight to the sandwiches so they would flatten.

This is one of those lunches that I can't wait for while I'm at work!!!

Day 101: Chicken & Goat Cheese Salads

Here's a healthy and flavorful lunch or dinner for you!  It was our dinner tonight.  The salad consists of lettuce (usually I like spinach, too, but we're out), red pepper strips, goat cheese (crumbled), and grilled black pepper chicken.  For flavor, before I grilled the chicken, I loaded it with black pepper and a little salt.  It really adds a kick to the salad.  Balsamic vinaigrette was the dressing.  Yum!

Day 93: Dijon Chicken, Ham, & Cheese Wraps

A friend came over for lunch today and we ate while the kids were napping.  For spring or summer lunches, I love to make wraps.  They are perfect for picnics because you can wrap them in foil and pack them and they are easy to eat wherever you are!  Folding wraps can be tricky to learn, but once you've practiced, it come naturally.  Just be careful to not overstuff your wrap--that's probably most people's downfall.  Here's one of my favorite wraps, and the one I made today.  I originally got the idea from a Pampered Chef recipe book, but I've changed it a little.

Dijon Chicken, Ham & Cheese Wrap

makes 3-4 wraps

2 large chicken breasts
1 TB dijon mustard
1 1/2 TB Pampered Chef dijon mustard rub (or another dijon mustard powder, or just more dijon mustard--I've done it all ways)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
salt, pepper
2 slices of ham per wrap
2 slices of cheese per wrap
2 pickle slices per wrap
*You can really use any kind of wrap you want, wheat, white, green, etc.  I would probably avoid the honey wheat, though, since it might mess with the flavor.  I use white wraps in this recipe.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and about 1 TB of the dijon mustard rub (divided among the sides of the chicken).  Grill on both sides until cooked through.  Cool slightly.  Cut the chicken into small cubes.

In a medium bowl, mix the garlic, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and remaining rub (or extra mustard).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the cubed chicken and stir.

Clean the grill pan used to cook the chicken and return to a burner over medium heat.  On a counter or cutting board, lay a wrap out flat.  Layer the pieces of ham and cheese on the wrap.

Spread some of the chicken mixture over the cheese--here's where you need to be careful not to stuff it too much!!!  Lay a sliced pickle or two over the chicken.

To wrap it, start with the ends and fold them both in.

With the ends tucked in, roll the wrap and finish it seam-side down.

Transfer it to the grill pan and grill a few minutes on each side.  Start with the seam-side down to really "seal" it and melt the cheese.  Press down with a spatula before flipping.

Day 81: Turkey Club Supermelts (take 2)

Another round of supermelts coming up!  Haven't had these since February!  Randy makes a great supermelt, so it's a perfect excuse to make him cook dinner!  Tonight he made them with barbeque sauce and sourdough bread.  I always plan to make a couple loaves of bread over the weekend but before I know it, I'm always out of weekend!!!  So we went with Pepperidge Farm in order to save my sanity.  Still excellent!

Day 57: Pita Pocket Salads

So today is Monday.  And for me, it was a MEETING Monday.  And I had a great night last night, that I'm very tired tonight.  And I have 2 meals planned for tomorrow night (1 for my family and 1 for a friend and I) so tonight's dinner is simple.  We had salad served in pita pockets and dressing.  I put apples, turkey, cheese, walnuts, and cranberries in with my lettuce and that makes a pretty hearty salad.  Abby is at a point where she can eat salads now without choking on the lettuce, so this meal feels easy and refreshing again.  (When a meal is supposed to be simple but gets complicated because you have to make something different for both of your kids, it definitely takes the joy of it away!)
#nopicture #toobusy #somedaysarelikethat #sorry!

Day 20: Turkey Club Supermelts

I love a good Friendly's supermelt!  So I started making them at home a while back.  But I have to admit, Randy makes them better than me.  He's also a pro at making great use of the griddle for an entire meal--he'll make all the bacon, eggs, and pancakes on the one griddle for breakfast, and it's the same with the supermelts.  Makes for easy clean-up!

Our supermelts generally include:

- deli turkey
- sliced cheese
- bacon
- thousand island dressing and/or barbeque sauce (the combo of the two is great!)
- optional tomatoes (sometimes we do, sometimes we don't)

Pepperidge Farm "hearty white" bread is fantastic for these sandwiches.  Homemade bread is really tasty for them, too.  Toast after the sandwich is assembled for that nice, melty cheese effect!  Mmmmmmm.......

Day 19: Salad 2 Ways

I'll admit it.  I'm including this lunch meal simply because I needed SOMETHING to blog about today.  For dinner tonight, my cousin, Jenna, and I went out for tapas to catch up and talk about our experiences in Spain!  I meant to bring my camera so I could take some photos of some inspiring tapas.  My "food that inspires me" page will hopefully be started this weekend, and I plan to build on it as I take this journey.  I definitely see an at-home tapas night in our future this year.  Maybe including some ham & cheese croquetas, (of course, Bocados doesn't make those anymore :/ ) Spanish risotto, or mozzarella rice balls?  We'll see!

For lunch today, I felt like salad.  But to make it interesting, I prepared 2 salads: a caprese salad, and a salad with ham, cheese, walnuts, and golden raisins with a pita pocket.  Caprese salad is one of our favorite classics.  If you've never tried it, you must!  Fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato, and fresh basil.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Yum!

Enjoy salads for lunch mid-day, make room for delicious dinner at night!