Specialty Sandwiches

Sandwiches are a mainstay of many households.  From a quick lunch to a makeshift dinner, sandwiches are very popular.

Italian Beef Sandwich

Combining a French Dip with Italian Beef you can come up with a warm sandwich for a cold night.  Serve with a side of your favorite potato salad and you are ready for a comfy night at home.  Use leftover roast or deli meat.  If you don’t have leftover juice, try stock from a box.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds beef slices
• 4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half
• 1 cup chopped giardiniera (pickled Italian vegetables)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

• Place halves of a roll onto plates and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons meat broth over each half. To the bottom half of the roll place a generous portion of meat and a spoonful of pickled vegetables. Place tops on sandwich. Repeat with remaining buns, broth, meat, and pickled vegetables to make 3 more sandwiches.
• Spoon hot meat broth into ramekins and top each ramekin with 1/2 teaspoon parsley. Serve sandwiches with hot broth for dipping.

Vietnamese Sandwich (Banh Mi)

A combination of Asian and French influences makes this sandwich delicious and fun.  You can find the garlic chili sauce in the Asian sections of your grocery store or in most Asian specialty markets.  You can also substitute Indonesian Sambal or Korean chili paste.

You can also use thinly sliced pork loin and saute it quickly in a pan on top of the stove.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1/4 inch thick
• 4 (7 inch) French bread baguettes, split lengthwise
• 4 teaspoons mayonnaise, or to taste
• 1 ounce chili sauce with garlic
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven broiler. Place the pork chops on a broiling pan and set under the broiler. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, or until browned on each side.
• Spread mayonnaise on the inside of each roll. Place one of the cooked pork chops into each roll. Spread chili sauce directly on the meat. Sprinkle with a little lime juice and top with slices of onion, cucumber, cilantro, salt and pepper. Finish with another quick drizzle of lime juice.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

The spices are what makes these chicken breasts so flavorful.  You can use an indoor or outdoor grill to get the marks that will fancy this up.  If it seems a lot like a Philly sandwich, you may not be wrong.

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons grill seasoning
• ½ cup barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
• 4 slices Swiss cheese

Directions:

• Preheat grill for low heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Sprinkle the chicken breasts generously on all sides with Italian and grill seasonings. Slowly cook on the preheated grill, turning every 10 minutes; brush the chicken with the barbecue sauce each time you turn it. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Once done, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F.
• While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms in the butter, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender.
• Place a chicken breast on each hamburger bun half. Spoon the pepper and onion mixture over the top, and finish with a slice of Swiss cheese. Cover with the hamburger bun tops.