Gourmet Grilled Cheese Restaurant Style

It's been a long day. Dinner was not exactly something I was looking forward to making. I wasn't sure what to make, and really didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It is hot outside.
So, I did what most people do when confronted with a problem. I gathered up Keith, and went out to play. We stopped by my friend's house and brought her along to a nearby walk-way. As we were walking and talking she mentioned she was going to make grilled cheese and soup for dinner.

See, problem solved! I just needed to go play for a while and the problem would solve itself. Isn't she a great friend? At any rate, as I thought about it, I remembered a grilled cheese sandwich I had once made for Jeffrey. He loved it. So I decided to make it again. It is a restaurant style grilled cheese, and it is a great way to wow people with something simple. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Restaurant Style

Unfortunately we were so hungry by the time dinner was finished I didn't get a picture of it, so I had to use this one from this source.

What You Need:

1 3 oz. package cream cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. seasoned salt

10 slices Italian bread (1/2" thick)

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

What To Do:

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Stir in cheeses (or just one kind if that is all you have on hand), garlic powder (I always use fresh garlic that is chopped up), and seasoned salt. Spread 5 slices of bread with the cheese mixture, about 1/3 cup on each. Top with remaining bread. Butter the outside of sandwiches; cook in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. The recipe I followed said to not use regular bread due to the filling being very heavy, but since that is what I had on hand, that is what I used and it turned out fine. It suggests using sourdough and spreading the filling thin so you can make more sandwiches, and have it not so rich. Any which way you choose to make this is fine. It's a pretty hard recipe to mess up. Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Roasted Zucchini Sandwich = Yum!

Incredible! That is all I have to say. Tonight for dinner, I made something that Jeffrey fell in love with.

Last night my mother gave me 5 zucchini (oh the summer and the wonderful game of too much zucchini. The passing of the zucchini from person to person because everyone has way too much. What a great blessing it is) and told me I had to use it up fast because it was already a little old.

I was getting a little tired of my old recipes with zucchini, and let's be honest, my pregnant self can't handle it sauteed or fried at all, so I had to find another way too cook it (and I don't really feel like making zucchini bread) so... I was on the hunt.

And this morning, I found it. The perfect zucchini sandwich recipe ever made. It uses sprouts, tomato, cheese and zucchini which all make me happy (gotta love the veggies) and it has lots of bread, which makes Jeffrey very happy.

For dinner we had a butternut squash soup (which Keith couldn't get enough of... that is all he would eat), the zucchini sandwiches, and I wanted to have salad and watermelon, but Jeffrey said he was too full, and didn't want to cut the melon, so we are saving that for tomorrow.

I gotta say, this sandwich was exquisite (can you say that about a sandwich?)! I can't wait to try it again!

So, without further ado;

The Roasted Zucchini Sandwich

What You Need:

1/4 cup Olive oil
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
Dash salt and pepper
Mayonnaise/Dijon mustard (mixed together to make a sauce)
Alfalfa Sprouts
Fresh garden tomato slices
Smoked Gouda cheese slices

What To Do:

Slice zucchini diagonally into ¼” thick slices. Place on foil lined baking sheet. Brush both sides with a mixture of olive oil and spices including salt and pepper. Bake at 300° for about 12-15 minutes or until zucchini is tender. (Or these can be grilled outside on the barbecue...) Allow to cool to room temperature. On really good, soft bakery rolls, assemble the sandwiches.

Just a note, I was in a hurry when I made these and forgot to brush the zucchini with the olive oil spice mixture and it was still heaven in the mouth. I can only imagine how much better it would be with the mixture brushed over it. I am definitely going to have to try that next time!

Buen Provecho!

Black Bean Burgers

Okay, so the black bean burgers were a huge hit. Again, I got this recipe from a blog called "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants" and I LOVE it.
I am merely putting the recipe here so I can reference it easily. That is what I am doing with all the good recipes I find. Just putting them here, so I can have a bunch to cook from. Once I get a ton, I will then make a cook book out of it. Good plan? I thought so.

Black Bean Burgers

These burgers are awesome! Cooking the onions and peppers over high heat helps to give the burgers a "grilled" flavor. I also added a little Liquid Smoke which gave it a great taste.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, large dice
1 red bell pepper, large dice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. grill seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans black beans, rinsed and well drained
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. Panko bread crumbs

Heat oil over medium-high heat until it is just starting to smoke. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir constantly to avoid scorching. When onions are golden brown, reduce heat to low; add garlic, grill seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Stir occasionally until onions and peppers are softened.

In a food processor, pulse the onion and pepper mixture until finely chopped. Add the black beans, and process until the desired texture is achieved. TASTE the mixture at this point to check for seasonings. If necessary, add more salt or pepper.

Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the bean mixture and the bread crumbs. Stir to combine. Use a large ice cream scoop to form balls, and shape into patties using wet hands. Place patties on an oiled baking sheet, and cook at 375 for 10 minutes. Flip the patties over, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Avoid overcooking or the burgers will be dry.

Serve the burgers on crusty rolls with your favorite burger fixins'.

Summertime Tomato Sandwich

This is our most favorite thing to eat right now. It is so tasty and full of summer goodness! And, it is simple, healthy, and doesn't leave a mess! What more could you ask for?

Ingredients
1 tomato (works best if fresh from your yard)
2 slices of bread (again, works best if homemade wheat)
mayo
2 leaves fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Slice tomato into large slices. Spread thin layer of mayo onto one slice of bread (this is healthy remember?). Roll basil and slice into ribbons. Place basil onto mayo. Put tomatoes onto other slice of bread, add a little salt and pepper for taste, put both mayo side and tomato side together, enjoy (with a large glass of raspberry water!)

P.S. Not to worry, pictures are coming soon.