Fresh Open Faced Sandwiches

Summer is the time for fresh and light. This was simply an inspired creation from my father, who loves to create little open faced sandwiches as appetizers at many family gatherings. So, in honor of you dad, happy Father's Day! Here is a take on your bite-sized sandwiches!

There are many variations here, all on a rosemary asiago bread from Fresh and Easy. They are assembled in the order of the ingredients as listed.

Type 1:
Jalapeno and cilantro hummus
Smoked salmon
Sliced avocado
Pepper

Type 2:
Raspberry/wasabi spicy mustard
Tomato
Gouda cheese
Arugula

Type 3:
Smoked salmon
Raspberry/wasabi spicy mustard
Sliced avocado
Pepper

Type 4:
Jalapeno and cilantro hummus
Gouda cheese
Sliced avocado
Tomato

Portabello Mushroom Philly Cheese Steak at the Sporting House, Las Vegas

Not everything that happens in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas. This sports bar located in the the New York, New York Hotel and Casino is one gem that should definitely be explored next time you visit the city of sin. Usually, it is very difficult to find a sports bar that meets all of my needs: a wide variety of beer selection on tap, a wall of televisions within a reasonable view, friendly and attentive wait staff, and most importantly a good menu. What makes sports bars even more difficult is finding one that can also satisfy the culinary tastes of the wife. Let's face it, most sports bar menus are pretty boring. Wings or burgers anyone? Would you like fries or fries with that?

The Sporting House, which used to be the ESPN Zone in New York, New York, is where all of these elements combine to perfection. Not only is the wait staff friendly, the beer a-plenty, and the televisions voluminous (with a personal flat-screen right at your table with surround sound built into the booth)-- this place has a fantastic menu to top it all off. Both my wife and I were surprised to find not only one, but several vegetarian friendly meals offered by the on staff chef. Yes, CHEF. Not cook.

One of these delightful meals was the Portabello Mushroom Philly Cheese Steak. When I was eating meat, I loved me a Philly cheese steak. The grilled peppers! The caramelized onions! The savory and juicy steak, covered in cheese, that drips on to your chin as you bite into the gooey bun. Yum! So you have to believe that I was excited to see a vegetarian Philly cheese steak on the menu made from portabello mushrooms instead of steak. It had all of the flavor of a Philly cheese steak, but with the earthy richness that only portabello mushrooms can provide. And yes, I had it with a side salad instead of fries! How many bars offer that as an option? It was also not just a chopped iceberg lettuce bore. The salad was made with field greens and fresh vegetables with a nice house ranch dressing.

Overall, it was a delight to find the perfect sports bar. This was a dish that I truly enjoyed and hope to try to replicate at home soon!

Chipote Black Bean Burger with Fire Roasted Feta Corn

This was a truly exciting find! In my new quest to join my wife in eating pescatarian (only vegetables and sea food), finding something that could satiate my craving for the summer tradition of grilled foods is kind of tough. This is why I was so excited to find these chipotle black bean burgers in the Costco freezer aisle.

As we were hopelessly staring into the one note Morning Star veggie patty freezer, a fellow vegetarian noticed our frustration and pointed us a few doors down to the chipotle black bean burgers made by the same manufacturer. I have had many a "veggie burger" and to be honest, many of them fall very short of being tasty. However, this one is a winner! Thank you random lady at Costco.

This delicious meal is so simple and the payoff is so great! It will blow your mind. I would bet even you meat eaters out there would give this dish some respect. What is great about these "burgers" is that when you cook them on the grill, they have all the charred "meaty" flavor you would expect in a nice burger. They are crisp and not soggy like a piece of rubber. You can eat these like a traditional burger or eat them bun-less as a healthier option. I have enjoyed them both ways!

Here is one way to eat them that we particularly enjoyed.

Ingredients

Burger
2-4 Morning Start Chipotle Black Bean Burgers
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice


Corn
3 ears of white corn
1/2 cup feta cheese
Garlic salt to taste
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup diced cilantro (optional)

Salad
Field greens
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
10 sliced green olives
1/4 cup feta cheese
Greek salad dressing


Directions

Salad
You want to prepare the salad first and let it chill.
1. Mix all ingredients together and chill in fridge.

Corn
1. Shuck corn and wash.
2. Place corn on grill and rotate until it is slightly charred all around. If it starts to pop, then you need to turn down the heat.
3. You can start the corn a few minutes before you put the burgers on the grill.
4. After the corn is done, slice the corn off of the cob and mix it with the feta cheese, cilantro, and the spices in a large bowl.

Burger
1. Grill the burger on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side (while corn is cooking)
2. Top with the cheese and let melt

Enjoy!

Greek Pesto Pizza

Do you love pizza? I do! As you can see from my previous posts, we make a lot of pizza! It's a Friday tradition. Don't get me wrong, pizza is delicious, but when you have it once a week, it is nice to mix things up a little. The traditional pepperoni can get old pretty fast. This recipe uses classic Greek flavors to make a simple pizza that is complex in flavor. Since it is easily self-assembled, it will also make a fun meal for when you have guests. We recently had two friends over and everyone enjoyed making their own personalized pizza. All it takes is a few minutes of prep to cut the toppings and a few minutes in the oven to make these delicious little guys.


Enough for four diners.

Ingredients (can vary depending on your own tastes)
1 jar of pesto sauce
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1/4 chopped (chunky) red onion
10-15 sliced green Greek olives (garlic stuffed are best)
1 sliced red bell pepper
15-20 sliced in half cherry tomatoes
1 small jar of artichoke hearts (or better yet, get the ones from your store's olive bar)
Two handfuls of fresh spinach
Sliced chicken breast or sausage (optional). We use vegetarian sausages. And yes, they are delicious!
1 package of pita flat bread
1 container of feta cheese
Garlic salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread a thin layer of pesto sauce on the pita flat bread.
3. Sprinkle pepper and garlic salt to taste on pita flat bread.
4. Top with some or all of the toppings, creating one layer of topping.
5. Sprinkle feta cheese on top.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust begins to be golden brown.

It is recommended to pair with a Greek salad and red wine.

Enjoy!