Sailor Sandwiches

I enjoy a good fish sandwich but don't often have the opportunity to get them as I currently live in a "landlocked" state (Wyoming) where beef or bison are the safe choices on a menu. I was intrigued when I came across a recipe for fish "sailor" sandwiches in a Taste of Home magazine. First, it wasn't fried and second, it called for a Caesar mayonnaise dressing, which I just couldn't bring myself to make and instead made my "mock" tartar sauce. I thought this was a decent sandwich, my husband did not care for it, but then again I probably should have picked a different variety of fish to suit his taste.

Sailor Sandwiches with my "mock" tartar sauce
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 Tbls all-purpose flour
1 Tbls grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cod or haddock fillets (I used cod)
1 Tbls butter, melted

"Mock" Tartar Sauce
spoonful of sweet relish
spoonful of mayonnaise

Place milk in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, cheese and seasonings. Dip fish in milk, then cornmeal mixture. Place on a greased broiler pan; drizzle with butter. Broil 4-inches from the heat for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Combine the tartar sauce ingredients; spread over sandwich rolls. Fix with your favorite toppings. Serves 2.

Barefoot Bloggers: Chinese Chicken Salad and Croque Monsieur (not eaten together!)

I've been pretty busy this month with various things and didn't get around to trying these recipes before the date they were suppose to be posted. Luckily, I did get them made before the end of the month...yay! One thing I enjoy about the Barefoot Blogger group is that I am "forced" to try recipes that I would otherwise skip right over in the cookbooks. Most of the recipes have been wonderful and sometimes they are fine to try once. My husband and I both agreed that this month's recipes were decent, but weren't anything special according to our taste buds. These fall in to the "try once" category.

The first recipe is for Chinese Chicken Salad (found in Barefoot Contessa Parties!) and was chosen by McKenzie. I felt the sauce was a little much for this salad. I reduced the recipe to serve two and I really tasted the toasted sesame oil in the dressing. If you choose to try this dish, I would taste the dressing as you add ingredients and adjust to your liking.

4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces. Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 12.

The second recipe for the month of April was Croque Monsieur (found in Barefoot in Paris)selected by Kathy.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside. To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot. Serves 4-8.

PS. It's almost my turn to select a recipe! It looks like the group will make the recipe I pick at the end of June. Decisions, decisions....what should I choose?

Great Wrap for Picnics or an Easy Dinner

My husband and I recently tried a Southwestern Chicken Wrap for dinner. It is very easy to put together and would be a great dish for Spring/Summer.

In a bowl whisk together:
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 Tbls lime juice
dash salt and pepper

Spread 4 sandwich wraps with sour-cream sauce, leaving a 2 inch border. In center of wraps, dividing ingredients evenly, layer:
3 cups baby spinach
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
1 can drained and rinsed black beans
1 thinly sliced large tomato
small red onion
avocado

Fold two sides of wraps over filling, then roll tightly, ending seam side down.