This Chickpea Salad Sandwich is what healthy comfort food is all about. We’re talking a ton of great flavors, seriously easy to make and all done in about 10 minutes. Serve it next to a handful of chips and a couple ice cold beers for an incredible meal.

Serves 4

spainonafork.com

INGREDIENTS
8 slices multi grain sandwich bread or any rustic bread from Mountain Oven
1 jar/can chickpeas 25 oz
1 container low fat plain Greek yogurt or your favorite mayo 5.3 oz
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely grated
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tomato thinly sliced
handful chopped up lettuce/greens
sea salt & black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse under water, then shake off any excess water, transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl and using a potato masher or large fork, mash down on the chickpeas until they’re semi-mashed, meaning it’s ok if you have little chunks of chickpeas

Add the Greek yogurt over the mashed chickpeas, along with the dijon mustard, red onion, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together until well mixed, add in more yogurt if your mixture is too dry

Lightly toast the slices of sandwich bread

Add the chickpea salad over the slices of toast, top off with slices of tomato, greens/lettuce and another slice of toast

Sicilian eggplant caponata is one of the best ways to utilize eggplant. Caponata is a salty, sweet and sour appetizer, bursting with flavor. It’s perfect by itself, on top of toasted bread or crackers, or used as a topping for sandwiches.

Serves 6

sipandfeast.com

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds eggplant
1 cup celery
1 cup red onion
1 cup pitted green olives
¼ cup pignoli nuts
¼ cup parsley
⅛ cup capers
¼ cup raisins
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F and begin by cutting 2 pounds of eggplant into approximately 1″ cubes.

Place all the cut eggplant into a large glass bowl and toss with a ½ cup of olive oil, a tsp of kosher salt and a ½ tsp of black pepper. Use enough oil to coat all the pieces.

On a large baking sheet (line it with parchment paper to avoid sticking) spread out the eggplant. Keep the pieces from touching and if necessary use 2 sheet pans. Place the eggplant on the middle oven rack and roast for 25-30 minutes.

While the eggplant is roasting begin cutting 1 cup of celery into smallish pieces like shown.

Cut 1 cup of onion into half-moon strips. You can cut the onion and celery any way you want! Some people like a chunkier caponata while others prefer a smoother one.

Toast a ¼ cup of pignoli (pine) nuts in a separate pan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or so. Be careful, they burn easily. When finished toasting, remove the nuts and set them aside.

In a large pan saute the onion and celery for a few minutes in a ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Again this is a preference/textural thing. If you like crunchy vegetables in your caponata only saute them for a minute or so.

Add in one 6-ounce can of tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes longer, spreading the paste all around the pan.

After 25-30 minutes the eggplant will be nicely roasted as shown. Use a fork and make sure they are soft on the inside and fully cooked. If not, another 5 minutes in the oven is fine.

To the pan add 1 cup of pitted good quality green olives, an ⅛ cup of rinsed capers, and a ¼ cup of raisins. Also, add 2 Tbsp of sugar and a ¼ cup of red wine vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.

Add in the eggplant and pine nuts and cook for 3 more minutes to ensure the caponata is well mixed. Be careful while mixing in the eggplant to avoid mashing it too much. A gentle stir with a wooden spoon is all that’s required.

Finally, add a ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley, give it one more stir, and a taste test. Adjust salt, pepper, and sugar if necessary. If satisfied, let it cool, then place it in a container and refrigerate.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Zucchini – Add some zucchini to this caponata for a nice twist. Pan roast 2 cups of the same size pieces as the eggplant for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Peppers – Use 2 large bell peppers, cut up into bite-size chunks for added texture and flavor.

Carrots – Roast 1 cup of carrots with the eggplant for added flavor or just sear them in the pan with the onions and celery to introduce a crunchy texture.

Anchovies – It wouldn’t be Sicilian cooking without talking about this ingredient. Saute 3-4 chopped anchovies until they melt with the celery and onion.

Herbs – Mint and basil are excellent additions!

Tuna lovers! Meet your ultimate sandwich: Best-Ever Tuna Melt. With just the right amount of crunch, melty cheddar cheese, and a couple good slices of tomato, you might even convert a tuna hater. The key to this sandwich is that the tuna salad is not your bog-standard, bland tuna salad. We packed this sandwhich full of celery, pickles, red onion and pepper flakes to make a flavorful salad that eats just as good by itself as it does in this sandwich.

Serves 4

delish.com

INGREDIENTS
1/3 c. mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 (6-oz.) cans tuna
1 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 dill pickles, finely chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices bread, such as sourdough
2 tbsp. butter
1 tomato, sliced
8 slices cheddar

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using).

Drain tuna then add to mayonnaise mixture. Use a fork to break up tuna into flakes. Add celery, pickles, red onion, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Butter one side of each bread slice. Top an unbuttered side with approximately 1/2 cup of tuna salad, 2 to 3 slices tomato, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side facing up. Repeat with remaining ingredients and place on a large baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melty, 5 to 8 minutes.

[Maybe use panini press]

Shrimp Stew is made with traditional Greek ingredients Ouzo and Feta.

Serves 3-4

gustotv.com/recipes

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
14 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried oregano
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) pepper
½ cup (2.5 ml) ouzo
1 ½ cups (360 ml) chopped tomatoes
4 ounces (114 g) feta cheese, cut into cubes, portion reserved for garnish
1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced parsley, for garnish
Rustic bread to serve

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil in skillet.

Add red onion and garlic and fry until soft.

Add shrimp, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute.

Deglaze with the ouzo (Note: pan will flame up so be careful).

Cover pan with lid to put out flame.

Add tomatoes to the skillet and simmer until reduced.

Add feta.

Remove from heat and stir.

Top with minced parsley and reserved feta.

Serve hot with slices of rustic bread

Learn how to make quick pickled red onions in just 30 minutes with 5 easy ingredients!

gimmesomeoven.com

INGREDIENTS
1 large red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1–2 tablespoons sweetener (such as maple syrup, honey, sugar, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the vinegar mixture. In a small saucepan, stir together the vinegar, water, salt and your desired amount of sweetener. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a simmer. (Or alternately, you can heat the mixture in the microwave.)

Combine in a jar. Place the thinly-sliced onions in a mason jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions, screw on the lid, and shake the onions briefly until they are evenly coated with the vinegar mixture.

Marinate. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes. (You may need to press the onions down with a spoon so that they are all submerged under the vinegar mixture.)

Serve. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the onions in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Burnt Spring Onion Risotto is a rich and creamy vegetarian dish that is brightened and cut with fiery sweetness and smoky flavors, thanks to charred spring onions and a fresh tomato salsa.

Serves 4

deliciousmagazine.co.uk

INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil to fry
20g unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves
2 bunches spring onions
300g risotto rice
200ml white wine
700ml vegetable stock, warmed
100g cherry tomatoes
½ red chilli
½ red onion, separated into petals (see tips)
100g mascarpone
Juice ¼ lime
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a dash of oil and the butter in a medium saucepan. Finely slice 4 of the garlic cloves (leave the remaining one unpeeled) and half the spring onions. Add both to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the risotto rice to the pan, stir for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated/been absorbed by the rice. Add a ladle of warm stock, letting the rice absorb the stock before adding another and stirring regularly throughout.

Meanwhile, put a large frying pan over a high heat and add the second bunch of spring onions (halved to fit in the pan if needed) with a tiny drizzle of oil. Leave to fry undisturbed until charred black on one side. Turn them over and char on the other side, then set aside to cool. Add the cherry tomatoes, chilli, remaining unpeeled garlic clove and onion petals to the pan, then cook until blackened all over.

Roughly chop the charred spring onions and put in a blender or food processor with the mascarpone. Whizz until combined and quite smooth. Once the risotto is cooked, season with salt, pepper and the lime juice, then gently stir in the mascarpone. Put a lid on the pan and leave to sit for 5 minutes.

Peel the charred garlic clove, then whizz it up with the charred tomatoes, red onion petals, sugar and vinegar. Divide the risotto among bowls, adding a dollop of the smoky tomato salsa on top.

Note:
– To separate an onion into petals, you’ll need your half onion to be halved through the root. You then chop off the tip, peel the onion and separate the petal-like layers.

Beer, chocolate, lard and masa harina are critical ingredients – no beans!

[Stock photo]

From Michael Chiarello:

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds beef chuck
Freshly ground black pepper
Gray salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons chili powder, plus 2 tablespoons
Masa harina (Mexican corn flour)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lard (Manteca)
4 red onions, peeled and minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced thin with seeds, stems removed [use chipotle in adobo – watch amount]
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 to 3 (12-ounce) bottles beer
1 (12-ounce) can diced tomato in juices
1 quart chicken stock
3 (12-ounce) cans black beans
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into large chunks

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the chuck into ¾-inch pieces, or, to save time, have your butcher do this for you. Place the chuck in a large bowl. Season liberally with pepper (about 20 turns of the pepper grinder) and grey salt to taste– remember half of this will come off in the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and 2 tablespoons of the chili powder. Mix this well and coat the meat with the masa harina (this is a ground hominy flour common to Mexican cuisine and easily found in the Mexican food sections of many grocery stores). The flour will thicken the sauce and give it a specific, Mexican taste.

Preheat a cast iron Dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the coated meat, spreading it evenly so it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven in 1 layer. Leave it alone, without turning it, so the meat will brown and caramelize. Meanwhile, add the lard. The meat has a lot of moisture in it, so a good amount of steam will come from the pan before it is caramelized. As it browns, slowly turn each piece with tongs. Once all sides are caramelized, remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a cookie sheet to cool, leaving juices in the Dutch oven to saute vegetables. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until they start to caramelize and get soft. Add the jalapenos and allow to cook for 2 more minutes until soft. Add the tomato paste. Some of the same spices as were used on the meat will be used in the sauce. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the oregano, and 2 heaping tablespoons of the chili powder. Add beer. Stir to incorporate everything. Add diced tomatoes, and stir. Then add the reserved meat. Add chicken stock. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until meat is wonderfully tender. Strain juice from the black beans, add the beans to the chili pot and bring up to simmer. Then add chunks of bittersweet chocolate. Stir until it melts. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days

So many variations – take your pick.

Double-Crusted Onion Calzone: Scalcione di Cipolla

Recipe copyright Mario Batali, 2002. All rights reserved.
Dough:
1/4 teaspoon dried yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F), plus 1 cup warm water
4 cups flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Filling:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan and drizzling the crust
2 pounds leeks, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon sugar
6 anchovy fillets, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water to plump
1 teaspoon sugar

Sprinkle the dried yeast over 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. When it “blooms”, add remaining water.

In a larger bowl, mix flour with wine, olive oil, water, salt, and pepper. Stir in the yeast water and work it into the dough with your hands. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead until it just loses its stickiness. Set aside, covered with a damp cloth.

Warm 1/4 cup olive oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook gently 15 minutes, or until soft but not browned. Add the milk and cook 5 additional minutes. Stir in sugar and cook another 5 minutes. The leeks should be very soft. Add the anchovies, black olives, parsley, and tomatoes. Stir to mix well and continue cooking until the sauce is thick and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in raisins.

Lightly oil a 12-inch pizza pan. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece out to 1/8-inch thickness ad place on the pizza pan. Spread the filling evenly across this piece, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Roll out the other piece of dough and fit it on top of the first, and roll the edges of the two pieces of dough together. Brush the remaining oil over the top crust, sprinkle with sugar, prick in several places with a fork, and set aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees F and bake another 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium

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Calzone
Yield: 3 calzone

1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast
3 cups Hodgson Mill 50/50 Flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
no-stick cooking spray
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 ounces sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
3 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
pizza sauce, optional

Combine warm water and sugar with yeast in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Allow
yeast to soften for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, and knead until smooth. Add
oil and salt, and gradually blend in remaining flour to make a firm dough. Turn
out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and satiny.

Spray a large bowl with no-stick cooking spray. Put dough in bowl, turning to
coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap, then a damp towel. Allow to rise in a
warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, until dough is almost doubled.

Spray a large baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.

Knead down dough and divide into 3 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll
each piece into a 9-inch circle. Place 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 Parmesan
cheese, and 1/3 prosciutto on each circle of dough. Top with chives and garlic.
Moisten edges and fold over to enclose the filling, pressing edges firmly
together.

Place on baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a
warm, draft-free place until dough feels light, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375-degree oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until calzone is
browned. Remove from oven and brush with oil. Sprinkle with grated parmesan
cheese. Serve warm with pizza sauce, if desired.

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Calzones

Recipe courtesy Mario Batali, 2001
Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 ounces fresh cake yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup cubed prosciutto cotto (ham)

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add salt and 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon to make a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir with the spoon for 2 to 3 minutes to incorporate as much flour as possible.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until you have made a smooth, firm dough. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Set aside to rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

Cut the risen dough into 4 equal pieces and knead each portion into a round. Cover again and let rest 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a clean pizza stone in oven to preheat.

Dust a clean work surface lightly with flour. With your fingers and palms, flatten one of the dough rounds into a 10-inch oval about 1/4-inch thick.

In a separate bowl, mix together ricotta, mozzarella, and ham. Spoon 1/4 of mixture just above the center of one oval of dough. Fold the dough to form a half-moon and then press the edges to seal. Fold the edge up with your fingertips and pinch closed to form a ridge all the way around. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Place calzones on pizza stone and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

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Calzones with Cheese, Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper

1 ½ cups warm water (105°F to 115°F.)
1 envelope dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 cups (about) all purpose flour
1 large red bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ lbs. red onions, sliced
4 sweet or spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
3 cups (packed) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces)
12 ounces ricotta cheese
4 teaspoons dried oregano

Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into large bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix in oil and salt. Add 3 3/4 cups flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until blended. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes.

Place dough in oiled large bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, char bell pepper over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and slice pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onions; sauté until brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside. Sauté sausage in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until cooked through, breaking into 1/2-inch pieces with spoon, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Mix both cheeses and oregano in bowl, season with salt and pepper.

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Dust 2 baking sheets with flour.

Punch dough down. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide into 4 equal portions; shape each into ball. Roll out dough balls on lightly floured surface to 9-inch rounds. Spread 1/3 cup cheese mixture over half of each round, leaving 3/4-inch border. Cover cheese on each with 1/4 of onions, 1/3 cup cheese mixture, 1/4 of sausage, 1/3 cup cheese mixture, then 1/4 of bell peppers. Fold plain dough halves over filling, forming half circles. Pinch edges of dough firmly together to seal.

Using spatula, transfer 2 calzones to each prepared sheet. Pierce tops in several places with small knife. Bake calzones 15 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and bake until tops of calzones are golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.

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Stuffed Focaccia with Roasted Eggplant and Oregano

Michael Chiarello

This is more like a calzone or a stuffed pizza than focaccia.

For tomato sauce, get a 14 oz can of Italian diced tomatoes, mince a garlic two and throw tomatoes and garlic in processor and puree.

When roasting eggplant – watch carefully and don’t let burn.

Either make 1 big one [haven’t tried] or make 2 8″ stuffed. The latter is a tricky if only have one peel.

Increase heat to 425.

Maybe rotate pans after 10 minutes of baking (bottom to top, top to bottom) – watch while cooking at higher temp.

2 eggplants
Gray salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. prepared pizza dough
¾ cup tomato sauce
1 bunch small fresh oregano leaves
½ lb. mozzarella, sliced
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Cornmeal, for dusting

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch slices. Salt the eggplant and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes; rinse the slices and pat dry. Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, and season with pepper. Place the slices on a baking sheet and roast, not turning, until brown and tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Separate the dough into 4 rounds. Roll them out into 8 to 10-inch circles. Brush 2 of them with olive oil and lay half the eggplant in the middle of each. Top each with half the tomato sauce, some fresh oregano, half the mozzarella, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Top each with a round of dough and crimp the edges to make a seal (like a pie). Pierce the top crust to allow steam to vent, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Position your oven racks to the upper most and lowest positions. Place 2 large baking sheets on the racks and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Carefully remove the sheets and dust them with cornmeal. Transfer the rounds to the baking sheets and brush each with some olive oil. Bake until the crusts are light brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. When slightly cool, slice like a pie into 8 wedges.