Thursday, December 20, 2007

Portobella Fajitas

1 package fajita-size flour tacos
1 green bell pepper
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 large portabella mushroom
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 head lettuce
Pinch of garlic
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 can chopped black olives
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Red cooking wine
Salt and pepper
Salsa
Cut mushroom, peppers and onions into strips. Spray sauté pan with cooking spray and put on medium heat. Add garlic, onion, mushroom and peppers to pan. Add dash of Tabasco, enough cooking wine to cover bottom of pan, and Worcestershire sauce. Sauté until tender.
While vegetables are cooking, warm tortillas in microwave or on top of stove. Set out tomatoes, cheese, salsa, shredded lettuce. Fill each tortilla with a serving of veggies. Add tomatoes and olives. Roll tortilla up; top with cheese and salsa and shredded lettuce.

Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise
1/4 cup canned, roasted red peppers, drained
well and patted dry with paper towels
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, wiped
clean with a damp cloth or paper towel
1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
8 (1-inch-thick) slices sourdough or French bread
Butter, olive oil or olive oil cooking spray
4 slices provolone cheese
4 slices ripe, fresh tomato
4 romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Heat grill or broiler to high. While grill is heating, prepare red pepper mayonnaise by pureeing mayonnaise, red peppers and garlic in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Place cleaned mushrooms on a plate and brush both sides with salad dressing. Grill mushrooms for about 4 to 5 minutes a side. Brush both sides of bread slices with butter or olive oil, or spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray, and grill until golden, about 1 minute per side.
Place a grilled mushroom on top of a slice of grilled bread, top with some red pepper mayonnaise, a slice of provolone cheese, a tomato and a piece of lettuce. Top with another piece of bread and repeat procedure to make remaining sandwiches. Makes 4 servings.
NOTE: Burgers can be broiled in oven, about 4 inches from broiler, for 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Toast bread in oven or toaster oven until golden brown on both sides.

Pork Pull Sandwiches

1 (5 pound) pork butt
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
Season pork with salt and pepper. Smoke over hickory at 225 degrees F to 250 degrees F for 8 to 10 hours.
Let pork cool slightly. Pull the meat apart with a fork. Chop it up slightly and pour marinade over it. Allow it to rest for 1 hour. Mix the meat up thoroughly. Put cole slaw on a soft white roll, then add pork pull. Cover with top of roll.
Marinade
1 quart cider vinegar
3 chipotles, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
Mix all together and let stand overnight.

Pork Burger

1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together ground pork and seasonings; shape into 4 burgers about 3/4-inch thick. Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place pork patties in skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve on sandwich buns and add one of the following toppings, if desired.
BLT Burgers
Top pork burgers with Canadian-style bacon, lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Place on toasted
sandwich buns.
Pizza Burgers
Top pork burgers with pizza sauce, sliced pepperoni, mushrooms and a slice of mozzarella cheese.
Taco Burgers
Top pork burgers with taco sauce, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce and Cheddar cheese.

Pork Barbecue

1 (5 pound) pork loin
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (22 ounce) bottle catsup
1 onion
2 cups pork broth
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place pork loin in a shallow baking pan, fat side up. Roast 3
hours, or until the temperature at the center of the pork is 160 degrees F. (If desired, roast a little
longer to ensure it is very well done.)
Drain pork well. Chop into bite-size pieces with a large knife.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add chopped pork; simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Per serving: 188 calories, 6 g fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 21 g protein, 775 mg sodium .

Pocket Sandwiches

1/2 pound Italian sausage, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
Pepper
6 pita breads
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
Sauté sausage in large skillet until browned.
Drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat and add onion, garlic, mushrooms, green pepper and celery.
Sauté until vegetables are tender and sausage is done. Season to taste with pepper.
Cut pita breads in halves crosswise. Open pockets and stuff with sausage filling. Sprinkle filling with cheese. Fit sandwiches snugly upright in baking pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Serve at once.
NOTE: Instead of sausage, use diced cooked chicken, turkey, shellfish, or any leftover cooked meat and sauté in 2 tablespoons of oil instead of sausage fat.

Pizza Burgers

1 cup pizza sauce
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1 small can sliced olives, drained
4 slices cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
4 hamburger buns
Butter or margarine
Mix ground beef and sausage together and from into 4 patties. Fry in preheated skillet until done.
Meanwhile, dice vegetables and toss together with olives.
Butter buns and toast under broiler.
Place buns on individual dinner plates open face. Place cooked patties overlapping both halves of buns. Place one slice of cheese on each patty. Pour 1/4 cup of pizza sauce over each. Serve vegetables and Parmesan cheese distributed over top.

Pizza Burgers

1 pound ground beef
8 English muffins
1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms (optional)
Pepperoni, olives, sausage, onions
Brown ground beef. Open buns and place them on a cookie sheet, cut-side up. Spread pizza sauce on muffins and top with ground beef. Top with cheese. Add optional toppings if desired.
Put into broiler until the cheese melts.
Yields 8 burgers.

Pita Bread Sandwiches

3 cups beef, chopped and cooked
1 (12 ounce) can Chinese vegetables, drained
Italian salad dressing
6 individual-size pita breads
Open the 6 pita bread carefully, leaving bottom parts joined. Stuff with beef mixed with Chinese vegetables. Shake Italian dressing into each sandwich. Warm in oven at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Pineapple Bagel Sandwich

2 eggs or whole wheat bagels, cut in half
4 tablespoons lite or regular cream cheese
2 (1 ounce) slices Canadian bacon or ham
4 slices red onion
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple slices, drained
Spread 2 tablespoons cream cheese on bottom half of bagel. Top with Canadian bacon slice and 2 slices each red onion and pineapple; place remaining bagel half on top. Repeat with remaining bagel.
Serve with orange wedges and strawberries, if desired .

Pimento Cheese Spread

This makes nice sandwiches and is good for party appetizers when spread on rounds of rye
bread or wheat crackers.
2 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (4 ounce) can pimentos, mashed with
a fork, plus the liquid
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup salad dressing
Mix all ingredients together. Let mixture stand until it warms to room temperature, then beat at high speed with electric mixer until it is smooth and creamy.
Yields 2 cups.

Pigs in a Blanket

2 cups Bisquick®
1/2 cup cold milk
12 hot dogs
2 tablespoons melted butter
Stir Bisquick® and milk together. Knead on a floured surface and pat into a 12-inch square. Cut into 12 (4 x 3-inch) pieces. Wrap each rectangle around a hotdog. Pinch to seal. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Philly Cheese Meatball Sandwiches

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 (18 ounce) package frozen, fully cooked meatballs (about 35 meatballs)
6 hoagie rolls, split and warmed
3/4 cup low-fat pasteurized process cheese spread sauce, heated
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Add meatballs. Cover and cook 13 to 14 minutes, or until meatballs are heated through and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Spoon meatball mixture into rolls and drizzle with cheese sauce.
Makes 6 sandwiches.

Peppered Steak Sandwiches

Serves 4.
2 (3/4 pound) boneless strip steaks
Cracked black pepper
1 baguette
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
Salt
1/4 pound Roquefort cheese
Caramelized onions
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Trim excess fat from steaks. Dry them well, coat all sides with cracked pepper, and refrigerate until needed.
Split baguette in half lengthwise. Toast in the oven until golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil, and rub lightly with garlic clove.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat, and sear the steaks on both sides. Turn heat down to medium, and cook to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Sprinkle with salt, and let steaks sit for 5 minutes.
Cut toasted baguette into four equal pieces.
Make four sandwiches, placing thinly sliced steak atop slices of Roquefort, then sprinkling with caramelized onions and rosemary. Serve immediately.

Pan Full of Burgers

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Have ready 8 tomato slices and 8 hamburger buns. Combine meat, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt and pepper. Mix lightly. Place meat mixture on a cookie sheet (with an edge so it doesn’t spill over). Press to within 1 inch of edge of pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Drain excess fat. Top with 8 cheese slices and tomato slices. Bake until cheese melts. Cut into squares.
Serve on buns.

Pan Fried Grouper on a Bun

1 (3/4 pound) grouper fillet*
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 soft multi-grain or plain buns, halved
1/2 cup tartar sauce
Lettuce and ripe tomato slices
Lay the grouper on a flat surface and remove any little bones with tweezers. Going with the grain, carefully cut the fish on the diagonal into 4 smaller fillets. Place the buttermilk in a shallow dish.
Combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a second shallow dish. Dip the fillets into the
buttermilk and then dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
Heat butter and oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook fillets one or two at a time, depending on size of the skillet, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Add more butter and oil to the pan if necessary.
While the fish is cooking, spread both sides of each bun with 1 tablespoon tartar sauce. Place a grouper fillet on the bottom half of each bun, top with lettuce and tomato, if desired, and cover with the top of the bun. Serve immediately.
* If grouper is not available, use snapper or sea bass.

Oyster Po’Boy Sandwiches

1 unsliced loaf French bread
Unsalted butter
2 dozen oysters, fried in 1 cup cornmeal with 1/4 teaspoon salt,
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon baking powder added
Pickle slices, dill or sour Slice the French bread in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the bottom half and toast the shell. Butter inside generously and keep warm.
Fry oysters as directed in this recipe; drain. Place in the bread shell. Top with the pickle slices.
Place the top back on the loaf and warm the loaf in the oven.
Slice into 4 servings.

Oyster Loaf (La Mediatrice)

Cut the tops off small French rolls and scoop out most of the center. Brush the cut side of the tops and the hollowed-out center with melted butter. Place both tops and rolls in a 425 degree F oven until toasted to a very light brown.
Meanwhile, sauté the oysters in hot butter until they plump up and the edges curl. Add salt, pepper, 2 or 3 drops Tabasco Sauce and a little hot cream, if desired. Fill the hot rolls and cover with crusty tops. Use about 3 oysters to one roll. Serve hot.

Oven "Pit" Barbecue

1 (5 pound) boneless chuck roast
Marinade
1 (16 ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon hot chili salsa
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chillies
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the roast. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 275 degrees F for a maximum of 10 hours. The meat will shred very easily.
Excellent for burritos or served on onion rolls.
Makes approximately 25 sandwiches.

Caramelized Onions

1/4 cup olive oil for frying onions
6 cup thinly sliced onions (approximately 3 pound)
6 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Heat olive oil and add onions, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is very soft, almost smooth, and caramelized. This takes about 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.