Learn With Me: Make Ahead Gourmet Sandwiches

Did you know that you can prepare sandwiches ahead of time and freeze them for later?  I know it sounds strange if you've never done it or thought of it before.  Why would I want a frozen sandwich when I can make a fresh one, you might be wondering.....

It never occurred to me to try it until my friend Briony educated me that you can freeze just about anything.  She even taught a "Make and Take" class for my moms group last year where we all pitched in and made meals to be frozen for later, including a batch of sandwiches.  That is what gave me the idea for this post. 

Don't let the word "gourmet" scare you either.  I only call them gourmet because you don't use the typical mayonnaise on the sandwiches.  Mayonnaise doesn't freeze well after all.  Therefore you want something that will keep its consistency.  Use the opportunity to make your own sandwich spread like I did.  You can easily sneak in a fruit and vegetable on your sandwich too.   

I looked inside my pantry to see what I had in stock.  I found a can of chickpeas, a jar of roasted red bell peppers and also some fresh cilantro in the fridge.  Surely I could whip up something with that, right? 

Here's what I came up with:

Roasted Red Pepper, Chick pea and Cilantro Sandwich Spread
(My, that sounds fancy, doesn't it?)

Serves 8 sandwiches (or about 2 cups)

1 can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of roasted red peppers, diced (I used some from a jar)
1 tbsp of oil from that red pepper jar
1/3 cup of cilantro
juice from 1 lime (about 1-2 T.)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Place all items in a food processor and blend until smooth. 

It started out looking like this:



Then it came out like this:



It may not be pretty.  (It actually resembles vomit a little doesn't it?) But I really loved the flavors of this spread.  This may not be your cup of tea though so here are some other ideas for make-ahead sandwich spreads.  Be careful about the ingredients as some of these do not freeze well but they can be kept in the fridge for several days!


Here's what you need for your sandwich if you're making it ahead of time and freezing it:

-Two slices of bread (I like the whole wheat sandwich thins)
-1 tsp of butter for every sandwich you make (use 1/2 tsp per slice of bread)
-A plastic storage bag or container
-Meat or veggie of choice - I typically use pieces of chicken already pre-cooked and sliced

Then start the prepwork for your sandwiches....

(1) Set up your assembly line of goods.




(2) Spread the butter on the insides of each piece of bread.  The butter help preserves it a bit longer, especially in the freezer. 

(3) Then spread your "sandwich sauce" on the bread.  Top it with your vegetable (such as an eggplant or black bean burger) or use regular meat (like I used chicken).

(4) Sprinkle it with cheese if desired.  I find that shredded or grated cheese works best instead of a slice of cheese.  I used Parmesan on this sandwich.




(5) Squeeze the pieces of bread together.  Then place it inside a storage bag or container. 

I used the above sandwich recipe and made 8 sandwiches out of it.  I chose to freeze all of them.  



To defrost, I simply put one out on my kitchen counter in the morning (9:00 a.m.).  By lunchtime (12:30 p.m.), it was thawed.  I placed it in the toaster oven for a few minutes.  Then voila! my sandwich was ready! 

These would be great to take along for a day trip or picnic.  You can make them the night before or days before. 

The sandwiches will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months as long as you're not using products like eggs, mayonnaise or potatoes in them.  I encourage you to try them out.  Sometimes just having that ready-made sandwich for lunch oneday can be a real treat.  Simply pull it from the freezer and warm it.  Save the time and effort for something else! 


Have you ever made sandwiches ahead of time like this?  Did you freeze them?  I'd love to hear the ideas and details on what you did!

Be sure you check out my pal Briony's blog, Freeze Your Way Fit.  This is where my friend shares great recipes that reflect her clean eating, healthy lifestyle along with great ideas for freezing foods and money-saving tips too! 

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

I wish I had a catchier name to call this recipe but my mind is drawing a blank.  Trust me, it tastes much better than it sounds and even looks!  My family and I aren't normally broccoli lovers.  Usually when I eat broccoli, it's in small pieces.  I've either steamed it and chopped it into bits or pureed it so it's almost liquified. 


Something about eating little trees with that strong odor just puts me off!  But I'm no fool.  I know how great it is for you and the calcium in it alone should cause us women to eat it daily.  So here's one way I've found to eat it and enjoy it, through this recipe.   Best of all, you probably have nearly all these ingredients on hand and you can throw this dish together in a short amount of time too! 





Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
(Serves 5-6)

3 cups of whole wheat pasta (I used a combo of rotini and bow-tie that I had on hand)
1 cup of pre-cooked, diced chicken (I often use leftover BBQ chicken or cut up an extra breast from another recipe I'm making)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup, fat free
4 oz of cream cheese, reduced fat
1/2 cup of milk, reduced fat
1 cup of pureed or finely chopped broccoli
1 and 1/4 cups of shredded cheese, reduced fat, any variety
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease a 2 qt (11x7 inch) baking pan with cooking spray.  Set it aside.  Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Drain when done.

Meanwhile, spray the cooking oil in a skillet and sautee your chicken and broccoli for about five minutes.  Add in the cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese and milk.  Simmer until the cream cheese has melted and all liquids are incorporated, about ten minutes.  Add in the onion and garlic powder with a dash of salt and pepper too.  Stir several times.  Remove from heat then add in the 1 cup shredded cheese and all of Parmesan cheese.  Set aside.

Place the drained, cooked pasta at the bottom of the greased 2 qt baking pan.  Pour the chicken-broccoli and mushroom-cheese sauce over the pasta.  It will look like this:



Now sprinkle the pasta sauce with the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, like this:




Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Let it cool for about five minutes before cutting and serving.  Enjoy! 

And remember, we're not big broccoli fans in my family but we really enjoyed this recipe!  Sometimes it's good to branch out, even when it's broccoli bunches you're reaching out too!  Often the meal may surprise you for the better :-)  Plus I'll be reaching for a cookie or bite of ice cream after I'm done with this meal anyway! 

The Two-Headed Monster

Today I have been thinking of myself and my eating habits as a two-headed monster.  I can be good.  I can be bad.  I often feel happy.  I often feel sad.  It's often a struggle between the two monsters within me to cooperate together so I can function and live a balanced life. 

For example, yesterday I was in a rotten, sad state of mind.  It was my pity party day.  I ate chocolate chip cookies (and yogurt) for breakfast.  I had a huge chocolate brownie for lunch.  I cried a few times.  I ignored phone calls, emails and people so that I could get lost in a book and my John Mayer music CD while I drove around town with no real destination in mind.  I didn't exercise.  I had a huge coffee with steamed milk. I was glad to be alone.  My thoughts felt scattered. 

Today I woke up and decided to do some yoga and a Jillian Michael's workout dvd first thing.  I ate a healthy banana crumble muffin after that.  Mid morning I decided to make some tofu pudding. (It actually turned out pretty great so I'll share that recipe soon!)  The only thing I drank so far is about 60 oz of water and a cup of herbal tea.  It's raining buckets today but I'm more than happy to be at home in my pajamas.  I couldn't wait to call my mom to talk to her.  I'm still lost in the book I picked up yesterday but I'm stopping to take breaks, take a few notes and do a few chores around the house.  I'm much more at peace.

Environmental and external factors often affect our mood and our eating habits.  Fortunately I've never been one to binge eat or starve myself.  I just have my occasional days of overindulgence (like yesterday).  Generally I don't feel guilty over it.  I just make up for it or work it off later. 

Self-discipline can be hard but it can be achieved.  When I find myself struggling I keep a food diary and a personal diary to make me more accountable of my actions and intake.  When I feel more confident and on the right path, I slack off because I know what to do and I don't need to write it down.   Although doing weekly meal planning like I do certainly helps! 

Everyone I know has their little indulgences too.  No one is good all the time.  I often just let my two-headed monster argue it out.  I close my eyes and wait to see if my hand reaches for the chocolate or the broccoli.  The best days are when it grabs both! 

Thank you for reading this random post of mine today.  I had a recipe prepared but then these wild thoughts came to my head instead and sometimes you just have to go with it..... Also, sometimes it's a good learning technique to share where you've been, what you've done and how you've felt so you can move forward - whether it's food related or not!!!  :-)

Do you also have a two-headed monster?  If so, do you try to tame it or let it lead you?  How does it affect your eating habits?

I promise that tomorrow will be a less thought-provoking post.  I will get back to sharing great recipes - Coming up is a wonderful pasta dish along with some make-ahead tips for creating your own "gourmet" sandwiches too! 

Stay tuned to see which head of the two-headed monster will win out for the remainder of this week!  :-)

Beer-Cheese Soup

Happy Mardi Gras to those of you who might be celebrating it today!  I must confess....I'm not in a party kind of mood today.  Actually I'm thinking of throwing myself a pity party parade instead of the traditional catching beads and trinkets parade for Mardi Gras.   Sometimes in life we may feel down or sad and I believe it's important to acknowledge those thoughts, feel bad and then do what you need to do in order to move on and think forwardly again. 

Today I am indulging in my comfort foods to pull myself out of this funk.  This morning for breakfast, my Diva daughter and I are having chocolate chip cookies and yogurt.  Lunch and snacks will probably be at local coffee shops, bakeries or deli's around town.  For dinner tonight I'm making slow cooker red beans and rice.  I already had it planned and it's perfect since I plan to be out of the house most of today.  I want something easy and no-thrills.  The slow cooker is great for that!

Soup is another great comfort, pick-me-up kind of food too.  So I'm sharing a new favorite of my husband's with you today - Beer Cheese Soup.  What's not to love about that?   I even managed to sneak in some extra veggies into the soup without my husband blinking an eye. 

Here's hoping that tomorrow will be a more uplifting and comforting day ~


Beer-Cheese Soup

(Serves 8 - 10)

1/4 cup of light butter
1 and 1/2 cups of diced onions
1 and 1/2 cups of diced celery
1 and 1/2 cups of diced carrots
1/2 cup of cauliflower puree (or diced very fine)
1/2 cup of broccoli puree (or diced very fine)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of flour (I used wheat flour)
3 cups of chicken broth
3 cups of beer (or about 2 12 oz beers - your favorite kind.  I used Yuengling and a Czech Pilsner)
3 cans (12 oz) of evaporated, fat-free milk
6 cups of shredded cheese - whatever variety you like best (I used a combination of cheddar, mozzerella, monterey, Mexican blend, provolone and more!)
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic and parmesan blend
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a large saucepan generously with cooking spray.  Toss in the 1/4 cup of light butter and let it melt.  Put in the diced onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and garlic.  You can even use frozen purees like I did (pictured below):





Sautee for about ten minutes or until soft.  Add in the flour.  Stir well so the vegetables thicken.  Pour in the chicken broth, beer and milk.  I used my husband's favorite beer, Yuengling and another one we had in our mini alcohol fridge:





Blend and bring to a boil.  Add in the Worcestershire sauce.  Then lower heat and cook for about fifteen minutes. 

Remove soup from heat and add in all the cheeses you wish (6 cups of shredded cheese plus the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese).  Stir until incorporated or melted. 




It's okay if the cheese forms little blobs (or cheese boogers!)  Taste.  Add in salt and pepper if needed but with all that cheese, you're probably fine! 

Take a great big spoon and start serving!  This is very good stuff.  Honestly, my husband and I could not really taste the beer in our soup but I could smell it a bit.  The cheese definitely dominates here though. 




We served ours in homemade bread bowls and with a side salad.  Enjoy!

What kind of pity party foods do you eat when you're feeling down?  What makes you feel better again?

I know one thing that would cheer me up - if you submit your ugly food recipes and photos to my contest!  Click here for details!

Banana Crumble Muffins

I enjoy finding new blogs and new virtual friends who share my affinity for good food, especially taking steps to make recipes a little bit healthier and better for you.  They inspire me just like my real-life friends do.  Half of my friends are very fit and exhibit a clean-eating lifestyle.  The other half could really care less about it and just cook what they can, when they can.  I like having pals on both ends of the spectrum. 

I'm somewhere in the middle.  I strive to eat better and cook better but I certainly enjoy good ole' white sugar and some preservatives every now and then too, in moderation.  It's all about the balance, right?  Here's one recipe that I don't think any of my friends could argue about.  This banana crumble yummy goodness is courtesy of a new blog I discovered called Muncher Cruncher.  I took her recipe and made a few adjustments for my taste buds, leaving out the pudding, adding in an additional banana and some flax seed too.  It's healthier than most muffin recipes and it's great tasting too!  Enjoy!






Banana Crumble Muffins
(Makes about 12 large or 24 mini muffins)
Adapted from Muncher Cruncher


1 and 1/2 cups wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tbsp ground flax seed meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 bananas, mashed 
1/4 cup white sugar (I used Stevia)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg whites (or 1 regular egg)
3/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt (I used Greek)

Crumble Topping: 
1 tbsp light butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Generously spray a 12-muffin tin baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the 1 and 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground flax seed meal and salt. 

In a separate bowl, beat together the bananas, sugars, egg whites, and yogurt. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into muffin tins until they are 3/4 of the way full.

Now you can prepare the crumble topping.  In a small bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour and cinnamon. It should form a crumble mixture.  Sprinkle topping over muffins. 




In the above photo, you can see that the top two muffins have the crumble topping.  The bottom two do not have the crumble (not yet anyway!)


Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.   Serve and enjoy. 




You wouldn't even know that they are banana muffins looking at them.  But just wait until you bite into them..... soooo good! 


You can also freeze these for later.  I love to make a batch of muffins and freeze 2/3 of them for another time.  I simply place them in freezer-safe storage bags, label them and pull them out when I want to eat them.  I can typically heat one up in the microwave for breakfast or a snack in less than a minute.  Muffins are great for on-the go too! 


Do you use liners when you make cupcakes or muffins? 

Fact: I can't stand using liners.  I know those pans can be a pain to clean but I like getting more out of my muffin and not having to peel it from those papers!

What's Cookin' This Week (Mar 7 - 13, 2011)?

I have been feeling a bit ill for the past few days.  Therefore,  I'm going to keep my meal plan for dinners  this week more familiar and easy.   I do, however want to concentrate on some make-ahead snacks and sandwiches.  I have those printed last.  


Oh and don't forget about the fun contest I have going on~ It ends on March 12th!


Here's the meal plan:


Monday, Mar. 7 - Man's Italian Meat Pie (my husband's favorite) - add in some pureed broccoli.  Banana toffee squares for dessert.  (Recipe is from my cookbook)


Tuesday, Mar. 8 - Mardi Gras Day!  We'll have red beans and rice in the slow cooker, a traditional New Orleans/ Cajun dish!  I will serve this with a side salad and homemade bread.  For dessert: Mini Mardi Gras King Cakes


Wednesday, Mar. 9 - Leftovers or Sandwiches


Thursday, Mar. 10 - Breakfast for dinner: French Breakfast Muffins and Breakfast Casserole - This makes a lot so I'm going to cut the recipe in half and freeze leftovers for later.


Friday, Mar. 11 - BBQ Chicken and Ranch Pizza (recipe is from my cookbook)


Saturday, Mar. 12 - Sweet and Spicy Meatball Sandwiches, Serve this with roasted potatoes and green beans


Sunday, Mar. 13 - Barbecue on the grill - chicken, sausage,  Side of beans and mac n cheese with cauliflower pureed inside.



Here are the snacks, make-ahead recipes and desserts that I hope to make for this week as well:

(1) Berry Oatmeal bars - recipe is in my cookbook - I love making bars and freezing some for later when you're in the mood for a snack!


(2) Vegan Cereal Breakfast bars - This one looks interesting compared to others I've seen!


(3) Sun-dried tomato and chickpea sandwich spread - I want to prepare chicken sandwiches with this spread ahead of time, freeze them and pull them out for when I don't feel like preparing lunch or dinner this spring and summer! 


(4)  Cinnamon Banana Protein pancakes - I want to make a batch of these and freeze most of them for later!  


What's on your meal plan this week?  I will be sharing some easy, delicious recipes in the coming days. 

Don't forget about my contest either - submit your ugly foods that taste great!

Submit Your Photos and Recipes For The "Ugly-Looking But Great Tasting Food" Theme Week!

Hello there!  In the past week I've made three very disgusting looking but surprisingly great-tasting foods! 


Have you ever looked at a meal and asked, "What the heck is in that?  It does not look good at all!"  Hahaha!   Well, that's what I'm talking about!  I made three recipes that caused that kind of reaction with friends and family this week. 


Therefore, it got me thinking..... I want to do a whole theme week of ugly looking but great tasting foods posts on this blog!  I just need one or two more recipes now to complete my dream of posting unappealing-but-tasty-meals! 


So I thought I'd turn to you, my dear sweet, wonderful readers! 

Please submit your recipe and photos for a disgusting-looking food item that turned out amazingly scrumptious!  The uglier the better!  I will then feature you on my blog and send you a little surprise as well! 








Who's with me?  Who's up to the challenge?  All you have to do is send me your recipe and photo by midnight on Saturday, March 12, 2011.  You can email it to me at learn.laugh.cook [at] gmail [dot] com.   I will share the prize-winning ugly dish the week of March 14 to 18th.  I'll share the runners-up as well! 


I look forward to seeing what you come up with!  If you need a little bit of inspiration, you can check out this crazy website I found --  http://www.uglyfood.com/.   Yikes!  And here's another strange site I came across as well (Enter at your own risk!) -- http://davesfotoworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/ugly-food.html.  Double Yikes!


Let's all have a good laugh and share vomit-looking meals that your family and friends will inhale like a vacuum cleaner!  LOL.  :-P


Have a wonderful rest of the week!  I'll be back on Sunday to post my meal plan for March 7 - 13.  I have some great recipes in store for you next week as well.  Stay tuned for the fun, the funny and much more!! 

Dirty Worm Cupcakes (The kids love these!)

The idea for dirt cake or dirt cupcakes has been around for awhile now.  You are probably no stranger to them.  Some people make them with pudding and stick them in a plastic flowerpot.  I had the idea to make them into cupcakes for a playdate I hosted at my house recently. 


These fun, simple cupcakes will have all the kids talking about you and your wonderful dessert.   My daughter Vivian and all her little friends really enjoyed them.  In fact, one of the kids (Norah) ran inside to inform her mommy that "The worms aren't real!"  Hahaha!  All of us moms cracked up over that line. 


I took an even easier route than most because I used a cake box mix, a can of diet soda and a few other basic ingredients.  The diet soda cake comes from a Weight Watchers recipe and tip that a former co-worker gave me years ago.  Just replace the basic cake's ingredients of eggs and oils with 10 to 12 oz of soda.  You don't notice a difference in taste but you'll be indulging in less calories and fat! 

So here's my simple recipe and how I put it all together!






Dirty Worm Cupcakes
(Makes 12 cupcakes)

1 box of Devil's food cake mix
10-12 oz of soda (I used diet coke)
1 small container of vanilla frosting
3 to 4 oz of Oreo cookies, grinded up into bits (about 1 and 1/2 cups)
24 (or more) gummy worms (I used the sour kind)


Grease a 12-muffin tip pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Place the Devil's food cake mix into a medium size bowl.  Pour in the 10 oz of soda.  (Or if you really want to, then follow the package instructions of using oil and eggs).  The soda can be cold or hot, it doesn't matter.  Either way it may sizzle but trust me, it works great. 


Pour the batter evenly into each muffin filling it about 3/4 full.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  Let the cupcakes cool. 

Meanwhile, grind up your Oreo cookies in a food processor until they form crumbs.  Place the crumbs in a bowl. 


Frost the cupcakes with the vanilla frosting after they have been cooled.  (You could use chocolate frosting but I think the "dirt" stands out better against the white frosting.)  Then dip each cupcake in the Oreo-crumb filled bowl.  I took a photo of what the cupcake looks like with just the frosting and then after it's been dipped in Oreo crumbs:





Poke two holes in each cake.  I used the bottom of a thin wooden spoon.   Place a gummy worm in each of the holes.  I tried to make mine springing out or snoozing across each cupcake.  Have fun with it like this: 





Serve to the kids and watch their faces light up!  And moms can enjoy their reactions or leftover cupcakes as well. 


Also, please check out this one very satisifed customer (pictured below) - Meet my daughter Vivian's friend Jillian.  She was covered in oreo crumbs after she finished her cupcake.  Here she is licking her fingers because that's how much she enjoyed it!  LOL!  




My daughter's little friend Jill = one very sastified customer! :)


In fact her mom, my friend Amber, decided to wash her hands outside using my garden hose.  We won't mention how Jill later took the garden hose in her own hands and had a little fun squirting another kid and herself, LOL!  


This above picture and the comments I received from the kids who ate them made this dessert worth the trouble!  And it really wasn't any trouble at all, actually.   :-)


Next week, I'm going to try this recipe again but use vanilla pudding cups instead.  I'll make it easier on myself by skipping the cake and just sprinkling the Oreo crumbs above the pudding then placing the worms on top.  This will be for a bug-themed preschool class I'm teaching next Monday!  Let's hope that the kids there will love them as much as Jillian did but maybe not have quite as much mess!   Ha!  


Do you have any kid-friendly dishes or desserts to share?  I'd love to hear about them or see photos too!