Loaded Turkey Sandwiches

TGIF!

I know, I say that every Friday.  But seriously.  Friday is a great day, isn't it?  The end of the work week (well, for people who don't work weekends, unlike me).  A day that begins the much sought-after weekend.  And in my case, a day off.

It's snowy and sunny today, so practically perfect to just lounge around the house.  Maybe I'll do some cleaning.  Maybe I'll do some studying.  Or maybe I'll just do nothing.  Actually... I've been pretty productive today - looking at wedding venues!  Andy and I kind of silently decided that we need to have one booked by March and get this planning underway.  We've been procrastinating for too long! 

I checked out the website for The Green Building in downtown Louisville and was pretty impressed.  It's a somewhat small space (probably couldn't have more than 100 people), but you know... the more I think about it, the more I want an intimate small wedding.  Less to plan, more to be extravagant about (like the food!).   And speaking of the food, I also contacted 732 Social (which is a restaurant in the Green Building that we LOVE), to see if they could possibly cater!  So, while nothing is set in stone... a vision is coming together!

Anyway, I thought I'd end the week with an easy recipe.  Everyone knows how to make sandwiches so this really isn't a recipe, but more of just a showcase of the awesome sandwiches we ate the other day!  Sometimes easy and quick dinners like these are just what you need!

Ingredients:

Fresh homemade bread (I've been using this recipe here, and I LOVE it!)
Cajun turkey slices (for Andy's sandwich)
Maple-glazed chicken slices (for my sandwich)
fresh spinach
sliced tomatoes
chopped artichokes
mayo or miracle whip
slices of mozzarella cheese

I don't have to tell you guys how to make a sandwich.  I'm sure you're well-capable of doing that =)

But I did lightly toast the bread (so that the cheese could melt slightly) and sauteed the artichoke in a dry pan for a few minutes (I love warm artichokes!)  Then pile your chosen toppings on the bread and close!  Serve with some chips and voila!  Easy dinner or lunch!

Enjoy the weekend guys! 

Shrimp Tempura Tacos

TGIF!  That's what I screamed when I woke up this morning.  Well, not literally, but just inside of my head.  But seriously.  Thank. Goodness. It's. Friday.

Definitely have a good weekend lined up.  It's the birthday weekend of a couple pharmacists I know, so we're going out for sushi tomorrow night.  Pretty amped about that because I could use a good meal of sushi right about now!

And I've decided to do something pretty cool here soon.  I've decided to kind of expand my "culinary abilities" and recreate dishes that I've had at restaurants.  I know... nothing new.  People do that all the time.  But I'm going to combine restaurant reviews and meals I've eaten and compare them to what I actually make at home.  Kind of like a side-by-side comparison of sorts.  Don't get it?  Well... the first post will be sometime in the next couple of weeks, and maybe it will be clearer then.

Anyway, this recipe was kind of an evolution of an idea really.  I had set out to make some shrimp ceviche, but then wanted tacos.  So shrimp ceviche tacos sounded pretty good.  Then I opened up the pantry and saw some tempura mix, and it was on.  Shrimp.  Tempura.  Tacos.  Oh yeah.

Oh, and don't forget this week's dessert poll at the end of the post!!


Ingredients:   

1 lb. frozen shrimp, defrosted
2 cups tempura batter
vegetable oil for frying
1 english cucumber, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
small handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
corn tortillas, warmed
shredded cheddar cheese, optional
rice and salsa, for serving

In a large bowl, combine shrimp and tempura batter.  (A lot of Asian markets cell tempura batter mix and it's pretty easy... mine was a "just add water" kind of thing and tastes pretty great)  And of course, you could always make up your own tempura mix, but I had the pre-made stuff handy, so that's what I used.  Let sit for about 3-5 minutes.

In a heavy, deep pan or pot, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil.  You know it's hot enough when you add a little bit of the tempura batter and it sizzles.

Add shrimp and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until the tempura is crispy and golden brown.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.


In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

To assemble tacos, place a thin layer of shredded cheese on each tortilla, then add a few shrimp (about 3-4 per taco), and top with cucumber/tomato salsa.

We served the tacos with some rice (which I basically just cooked in the rice cooker and added about a 1/2-3/4 cup of salsa to and mixed).

This made for a great impromptu taco.  The flavors were fresh and I loved the contrast of the fried tempura shrimp and the delicate salsa.  Definitely a winner in my book!

Have a great weekend guys!


And for the poll this week, I'm feeling like I want to make some cheesecake... so here's some flavors (don't know if some of them actually exist... but hey... I will make it happen if it wins!)

Fried Green Tomato Salad w/ Lump Crab & Remoulade Dressing

 Happy Friday everyone!  Hope everyone has had a good week and that you've got some good plans for Halloween weekend! 

We don't really know what we'll be doing quite yet.  A guy from my softball team is having a Halloween party tonight, but I've got to work until 9:30 tonight so I don't know if I'll feel up to going (and I don't really have a costume, so if I go, I may just end up wearing my scrubs!)  And tomorrow, we may just get dinner with friends and play board games.  Lame, huh?  I don't know, the older I get, the more just staying in and playing simple games sounds more fun than anything!

So when I was telling Andy our dinners for the week last Saturday, when I got to telling him that we'd be having a "Fried Green Tomato Salad," he seemed less than enthused.  So that just gave me more motivation to make it out of this world and delicious from the get-go.  Hope you guys enjoy this one!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Closet Cooking's recipe
 

Fried Green Tomatoes:

2 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup corn flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup corn meal
olive oil for frying

Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, cayenne pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish.  Dredge the tomatoes slices in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and finally dredge them in the corn meal.

Add enough oil to a large skillet to coat the pan.  Heat under high heat and add tomato slices.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until tomatoes are golden brown.  Let dry on paper-towel lined plate.

Remoulade Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon capers
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sriracha 

Place all ingredients in a deep bowl or tupperware and blend with an immersion blender until you reach desired consistency (I like it pretty smooth).

Salad:

2 cups spinach
6 sliced fried green tomatoes
1/2 lb. lump crab meat
remoulade dressing (optional... but HIGHLY recommended)

 Divide the spinach among two plates. Top with the tomato slices.  Add desired amount of lump crab meat and drizzle on remoulade dressing.

The first thing that came out of Andy's mouth after his first bite - "Wow, I never thought this would actually be good."  And my response to that... "Did you ever doubt me?"  And I knew it was a success.  It really was THAT good.  It will turn non-believers into believers.  And you could definitely make it vegetarian by not adding the crab meat and utilizing other vegetables, of course!  Enjoy the weekend guys and be safe!