Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Italian Layered Picnic Sandwich

This BIG sandwich is layered with all sorts of flavor bursting ingredients making for one heck of a meal!

Here's something light and easy that requires no cooking for my 19th installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series.  We're making sandwiches!

Inspired by a sandwich we had down in Santa Monica at the famous "Bay Cities Italian Deli" this huge sandwich is layered to the brim with all kinds of goodies.  You can't beat a good sandwich for a light supper, lunchtime, picnic, or as a potluck item.  This sandwich is my variation of an Italian layered submarine sandwich and it is packed with flavor!

Using an uncut loaf of French bread as the starting point, you can make this sandwich ahead and take it along with you, then cut it as you serve.  Perfect for a block party or a small family reunion.  We made this one hot summer evening when it was even too hot to grill outside.  I served this with a wonderful Tangerine Salad (recipe coming) and it made a wonderful dinner.

The layers include salami, mortadella, turkey, and even chicken deli meats.  The addition of fresh basil, marinated artichokes, spinach, fresh mozzarella, and onion all add tremendous flavor and take this sandwich to new heights!  

Kids as well as adults will all love this sandwich, and the best part is there is NO COOKING involved! Gotta love that when it's even too hot to grill. So go pick up a fresh loaf of french bread, some deli items and sit back and relax with a big filing slice of heaven.

Enjoy!

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Spicy Grilled Eggplant
• Carrot and Almond Bulgur Salad
• Tomato Avocado & Grilled Corn Salad
• Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas 
• Cherry Almond Muffins
• Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style
• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Italian Layered Picnic Sandwich

serves: 8-10 depending on the size of the loaf

1 un-sliced loaf of French Bread
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 lb cotto or hard salami, thinly sliced

6 slices fresh mozzarella

8-10 fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 lb mortadella

1 6 1/2 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered if whole

spinach greens

1/4 lb turkey slices

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 lb chicken slices

kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

Cut loaf in half horizontally.  Pull out some of the bread filling from the tops and bottoms.  Combine the olive oil and the garlic in a small bowl.  Brush tops and bottoms with oil mixture.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  

Layer bottom loaf with 1/2 of each:  salami, mozarella, basil, tomatoes, mortadella, artichokes, spinach, turkey onion and chicken.  Repeat layers.  Season with salt & pepper.  Place bread tops on top.  Slice into good sized wedges.  Serve.

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Spicy Grilled Eggplant

Grilled eggplant graced with just the perfect amount of lime and spicy heat makes this a side dish that's hard to resist.

Well it's September and we're having a heat wave in Los Angeles, breaking temperature records all over the place.  It was 118 degrees yesterday so it's safe to say that summer's not over by a long shot.  So we are grilling out hearts out trying to keep the meals simple and the house cool.

Labor day is tomorrow and today's recipe is a wonderful summer side dish.  As my 18th installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series (which is soon coming to a close), this features eggplant as the star of the dish.   Eggplant is a great vegetable that can be cooked in a variety of ways.  Today we are prepping it with a spicy rub and grilling it for outstanding flavor!

This would be the perfect side dish for any grilled meat, and would go great with the Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers for a nice Labor day cookout.  Eggplants are perfect for grilling.  Their skin becomes soft once cooked and the flesh inside is meaty and tender.  We used lime juice and Cajun seasoning which adds the right amount of flavor and heat. 

You can't beat this as a side dish, one that everyone will be choosing over all the others.

Enjoy!

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Carrot and Almond Bulgur Salad
• Tomato Avocado & Grilled Corn Salad
• Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas 
• Cherry Almond Muffins
• Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style
• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Spicy Grilled Eggplant

serves 8

1 large or 2 small eggplants, cut into 1/2" rounds
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
3 tsp Cajun seasoning

Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil.  Drizzle with lime juice and sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning. Grill over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes per side.

source:  Taste of Home American Summer Cookbook

Labor Day Bash: Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers

Hot off the grill, juicy chicken burgers filled with zesty ranch, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Man, these burgers are good! 

Can you believe that it is September already?  Where did the month of August go?  But this brings us to another holiday and Labor Day is approaching quickly.  Let's get that grill out and make something scrumptious to eat!

Burgers and hot dogs are standard but let's amp it up a bit and try a variation on a burger.  We're going to make Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers!  Who doesn't love ranch dressing on salads or as a dip?  So believe me when I say that it doesn't disappoint in this this burger either!

GRILLED RANCH CHICKEN BURGERS

I'm a beef burger lover and MGG loves his turkey burgers, but today we decided to mix it up and make a burger using ground chicken.  Yes, they make great burgers too, but they do tend to be a bit bland and a little dry.  To correct that I added some flavor pops to the mix such as garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, and ranch dressing!  Yum Yum! These Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers are bursting with flavor. 

These burgers are so easy to customize as well.  Not only do I use ranch dressing in the patty but I also use it as a spread on the bun.  Double the flavor!  

Enjoy!

Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers

serves 4

1 lb ground chicken

1/4 c ranch dressing

1/4 c panko bread crumbs

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp.  Worcestershire sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 hamburger buns, split 

In a medium bowl add the ground chicken and the next 7 ingredients (through the black pepper).  Gently and lightly mix to combine.  Do not handle the meat too much.  Divide in to 4 sections and form 4 patties.  Place on a tray.  Brush olive oil on each patty, both side.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.

Grill burgers over medium heat 5-6 minutes per side, turning once until meat is cooked through.   Grill buns to toast.  Serve on buns with desired toppings.