I hope everyone in the States had a lovely Thanksgiving! We spent ours in Iowa with my family and are gearing up to head to the airport any minute now. I wanted to get this post up before we left though because Eralda just published my very first guest post! Eralda’s blog, The Split Pea, is full of spell-binding stories, pictures, and delicious recipes, so I was very honored when she asked me to come up with a recipe for her blog. I decided to do a twist on a traditional summer tomato panzanella, and ended up making a fall version with toasted pumpkernickel, roasted beets, and goat cheese. Check out Eralda’s blog for the picture and recipe!

The next day, I whipped up these tasty chicken paninis with the leftover pumpernickel bread and goat cheese. I made the goat cheese into a spread by mixing it with a bit of milk and parmesan cheese, and topped the chicken with crispy tart apple slices, which really elevated the sandwich to a whole new level!

Pumpernickel Chicken Panini with Goat Cheese and Apples
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
4 slices pumpernickel bread
1/2 half granny smith apple, cored and sliced

Directions:
Cut chicken breast in half lengthwise and sprinkle evenly with salt. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet and cook chicken 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.

Meanwhile, mix goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and milk in a small bowl.

Spread each piece of bread evenly with goat cheese spread. Top goat cheese with chicken and apples on two slices, and place the other two slices of bread on top, goat cheese side down. Place sandwiches in a preheated panini press and cook until bead is crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition: 563 calories, 25.6g fat, 4.3g fiber, 50.3g protein per serving
Cost: $1.83 per serving

Happy 4th of July! I’m in Des Moines right now visiting my parents and we gobbled up some delicious hot dogs today. Apolinaras started laughing when I told him about my plan to come up with a great hot dog recipe, because he doesn’t think hot dogs are blog worthy. But I totally disagree, a good hot dog is a completely satisfying summer treat and it’s really the same as posting a unique sandwich recipe!

Anyway, these hot dogs are special because they’re coated in pretzels! I basically breaded them like you would for chicken parm and then served them on a bun topped with melted provolone, caramelized onions, and a tangy honey mustard sauce. The pretzels add a nice crunch and these dogs were SO good! Check out my mom’s super festive plates too – the only time you’ll see anything other than white is when I’m making a mess in her kitchen.  I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend with their friends and family!

Pretzel Coated Hot Dogs with Caramelized Onions, Provolone, and Honey Mustard
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 beef hot dogs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup crushed pretzels
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon honey
6 slices provolone cheese
4 whole wheat hot dog buns

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a small pan. Add onions and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove onions and add remaining olive oil to the pan.

Meanwhile, coat each hot dog heat in flour, then in the egg, and then in the pretzel crumbs. Brown hot dogs on all sides by cooking for 5 to 7 minutes over medium high heat or until golden brown and warmed.

Mix mustard, vinegar, and honey in a small bowl until well combined.

Preheat the oven broiler. Spread one and a half slices of cheese over each open hot dog bun. Toast in the broiler for 2 to 5 minutes or until buns are toasted and cheese is melted.

Assemble the hot dogs by placing one hot dog on each bun and topping each with the onions and honey mustard sauce.  Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 546 calories, 35.0g fat, 2.9g fiber, 22.9g protein per serving
Cost: $1.69 per serving

Why is it that I can remember every single morsel of food from a great restaurant that I visited 5-10 years ago, but can’t for the life of me remember to bring my wallet/cell phone/lunch/book to work? We have a wonderful bread store right across the street from us, and I was immediately reminded of a sandwich I had over 4 years ago at Disney World when I saw a gorgeous loaf of spinach, garlic, and onion ciabatta. I love Disney and I’m already looking forward to using our (future!) kiddos as an excuse to go back. My hubby and I had lunch in Cinderella’s castle in the Magic Kingdom and I ordered a sandwich called the The Mariner. It was basically an amazing salmon BLT that I could have eaten everyday!

I buy frozen salmon in bulk from Costco (well, not really in bulk, one package has 7 filets), and usually throw a marinade on it while it defrosts overnight. This time I decided to keep things simple, and just used a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. After searing the salmon in a pan, I assembled all the other sandwich ingredients while I waited for the salmon to finish cooking in the oven. Instead of mayonnaise, I added sliced avocado for some creaminess. I gobbled the whole thing up and will definitely be making this simple dish again!

Salmon Sandwiches with Avocado, Bacon, and Tomato
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 salmon filets
4 slices turkey bacon
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 tomato, sliced
4 slices ciabatta

Directions:
Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and marinade frozen salmon overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the salmon filets on both sides. Bake salmon for 10 min at 350ºF or until no longer pink in the center. Meanwhile, place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crispy.

Assemble the sandwiches by placing half the avocado on a slice of bread, followed by the salmon, tomato slices, and bacon. Top with the remaining slice of bread. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition: 689 calories, 28.8g fat, 3.3g fiber, 50.4g protein per serving
Cost: $2.85 per serving