What a mouthful of a title right? I just didn’t know what else to call it honestly, and I didn’t want to miss a thing when I told you what it was.

I hold fresh figs near and dear to my heart. If you are Italian, and have an Italian grandpa, then maybe you can relate. I grew up with major fig trees in my back yard. Like major. I remember them in our yard when we lived up in New York and I remember even more in our yards (my parents’ and my grandparents’ yards) here in Florida. Picking a warm fresh fig off the tree, peeling it gently and eating it right there barefoot in the grass was an everyday thing for me. I don’t remember my family making anything fancy with figs, basically just eating them pure and simple as they were. They were so sweet – like nature’s candy!

Since I don’t live as close to my family as I used to, I really miss out on the figs. It makes me sad! The last couple of years I have actually started purchasing them from my grocery store (skeptically) when they are in season and on buy one get one sale. I’ve learned that I love the Brown Turkey ones the best. They aren’t my grandpa’s figs, but they will do.

This little sandwich is something my grandpa would never think to make with his figs – I am not really sure he’s ever tried goat cheese honestly. I have a feeling he would love it, because really – what’s not to love about a crispy almond panini filled with tangy goat cheese, a drizzle of honey, crunchy almonds and sweet sliced fresh figs. Oh my…this is truly one of my most favorite things to eat right now (well this and this avocado-feta toast too)!! And I can’t help but imagine that this little sandwich would go perfectly with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio…in fact, I highly recommend you cook up a few paninis, slice them up and serve them as appetizers at your next wine happy hour with some friends. At least that’s what I would do. 🙂

(more…)

The post Fresh Fig, Goat Cheese, Honey, and Almond Panini appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, but when my kids go back to school, I get back what I refer to as my special lunchtime meal. Cooking for your family is obviously part of a mom’s job, yes, but it’s so nice to have the chance for one meal to be entirely yours every now and then. Lunch during the school week is that meal where I can really have whatever I’m craving or wanting and not worrying about who likes what and who will eat what. It can be a treat, really.

Avocado toast is one of my favorite lunches. It’s quick, easy, healthy and tastes absolutely delicious (if you are an avocado lover of course!). The last time I made avocado toast for lunch I decided to play around and change things up a bit. I gently added a little crumbled feta to the smashed avocado and sprinkled it liberally with my new favorite seasoning za’atar (last year I was obsessed with lemon pepper, apparently this year that obsession has evolved into za’atar). The toast was topped with slices of ripe summer tomatoes that turned this into one of my most favorite lunches ever!

(more…)

The post Avocado-Feta Toast with Za’atar appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

When I was in college, I used to frequent a local bagel shop and order pretty much the same thing every time. A lightly toasted everything bagel with egg salad. When I was served my sandwich, it was always served this way – open faced with sliced tomatoes, red onions and a sprinkle of salty capers over top. I was completely hooked on it.

(more…)

The post Creamy Egg Salad with Capers appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

This little throw together lunch falls into the category of “go to” meals for me. There’s nothing gourmet about it, nothing fancy, but to me it’s pretty perfect. It’s simple, and I make sure to always have all the ingredients available for me in the fridge (helps with auto-pilot mode).  I’ve been enjoying it almost every weekday for the last few weeks. It’s become “ole reliable” when I can’t think too hard about what to make myself for lunch (I work from home during the day, so this could easily be dinner for those of you who don’t, please keep in mind).

(more…)

The post Veggie Burger Wraps appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

This idea for dinner slapped me in the face the other day as I was sitting in car line waiting to pick up my kids for school. I had no plan for dinner, and the lack of plan was occupying my mind…I knew I had to think of something quick.

(more…)

The post Grilled Chicken Sausage and Pepper Pita Sandwiches appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I was obviously very hungry when I made my tuna sandwich earlier this week. I mean, look at this beast.

(more…)

The post The Big Tuna appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Ingredients

• 5 Italian sausage links (sweet, hot, or a couple of each) – you can use pork or turkey Italian sausage
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into 2 to 3 inch long strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 to 3 inch long strips
• 1/2 bell pepper of another color (yellow or orange or purple), sliced into strips 2-3 inches long – I used yellow
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced into slivers
• 1/2 large sweet or yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
• 1 small (15 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp of dried basil
• 1/2 cup Marsala or red wine (optional) – I used Marsala wine
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) – You can use up to 1/2 teaspoon based on taste and the type of sausage used.  I used 1/4 tsp.
• Salt to taste
• Toasted French Bread, sliced to fit sausage

Preparation

1 Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet with a lid.  When the oil is hot, add the sausages and brown them slowly.  You want to brown them gently.  Cook for several minutes, turning them occasionally so they brown on all sides. When the sausages are browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

2 Increase the heat to medium-high and add the onions and peppers. Toss them in the pan and coat them with the oil that was left from the sausages.  Sear the peppers and onions, stirring occasionally.  You want some blackening of the vegetables.  Once the onions and peppers soften, sprinkle some salt on them.  When the onions and peppers have been seared and slightly blackened, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.

3 Add the Marsala or red wine (if using) and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the browned and blackened bits. Let the wine cook down by half.

4 Add the can of crushed tomatoes, basil and red pepper flakes (if using).  Stir well to combine.  Add the sausages back into the skillet.  Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.  Cover and simmer until the peppers are soft and the sausages are cooked through, about 15 – 20 minutes.

5 Fill a toasted french bread piece or hoagie roll with a sausage along with some peppers, onions and sauce.  Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese if desired.

Great as leftovers (if there are any!)    Enjoy!

Mom’s Cooking Club Lesson:  Adding the Marsala or red wine to the dish is optional but I highly recommend it.  The wine gave so much flavor to the sauce mixture and took it to another level which made these sausage, peppers and onions something extra special

The post Mom’s Cooking Club is here….with Sausage, Peppers and Onions appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

So, our nephew Ryan has been staying with us while his new apartment is getting ready for him.  You may have heard me mention Ryan before, he was the mastermind behind this delicious Tropical Fruit Salsa we served over grilled salmon last summer.  What’s fun about Ryan staying with us is that he likes to cook so it definitely adds to the creativity going on in the kitchen.

This meal was a collaborative effort between us.  I told him what I had on hand and wanted to use up…he sparked the idea of using a bruschetta topping and broiling the patties with cheese and serving open faced on an English muffin.  The result was amazing and enjoyed by the adults in the home.  And although I’ve cut down on eating meat considerably over the last few months, I couldn’t resist taking a bite of this one.  What struck out the most was the juiciness of the burger, adding sauteed vegetables to the meat will do that.  And the freshness of the basil in the patties definitely made your taste buds jump up and down as well.  This one is a keeper.  Thanks Ryan for the inspiration! 🙂

Bruschetta Patty Melts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/2 green pepper, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 mushrooms, minced
• small handful of basil, chopped finely
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• couple of splashes of wine
• salt and pepper

Topping:

• Bruschetta
• Cheese (we used shredded mozzarella and Parmesan shavings)
• English Muffins, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Saute pepper, mushrooms, onions and garlic and let cool. Combine basil, egg, Parmesan cheese and wine in a bowl. Add cooked vegetables and ground pork to bowl and gently combine. Form into patties. Place on broiler pan and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Take cooked patties out of oven and top each one with a spoonful of bruschetta, Parmesan and cheese. Turn broiler on and place burgers back into oven. Cook until cheese is completely melted and slightly browned. Serve open-faced style on toasted English Muffin.

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Aggie’s Kitchen Recipes on Pinterest.

The post Bruschetta Patty Melts appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Not sure what I loved more about this sandwich…how unbelievably delicious it was or that I didn’t have to cook it!  🙂

If you remember this post, my sweet non-cooking husband had the urge to make something and blog about it. After watching Next Food Network Star with me one night he picked this recipe from the runner up Jeffrey Saad.  I must admit, I was pretty impressed by my hubby’s ambition and the outcome of it all.  If you can get your hands on some harissa (which we found at a local butcher/gourmet shop) please make this sandwich.  Make it exactly as it’s shown…the yellow tomatoes, the cuban bread…the harissa mayo.  It’s heavenly.  So heavenly that we decided it will be our last meal of 2009.  That’s right…Larry is going back into the kitchen for an encore, and I am thrilled!

Happy New Year to all of you!  Wishing everyone Love and Laughter in 2010!

See you next week with lots of new healthy recipes to kick of the New Year!

#1 Harissa Steak Sandwich

#2 Game Day Chili

#3 Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pizza

#4 BBQ Pulled Pork and Chipotle Onion Sandwiches

#5 Chorizo and Eggs

The post Top 5 Favorites of 2009….#1 Harissa Steak Sandwich appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

So a few weeks went by, and my guest blogging gig was falling lower and lower on my “to do” list. But then it hit me. I saw the finale of “The Next Food Network Star”, and my mouth was absolutely watering over Jeffrey Saad’s Harissa Steak Sandwich. I told my wife “THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING TO DO FOR YOUR BLOG!!!”, with the same enthusiasm that our four-year son exclaimed to us when he first decided he is going to be a professional basketball player when he grows up. So now I had to just follow through. I wasn’t going to let myself down. I was going to step up to the challenge, and prove all the naysayers wrong. Okay, so there really weren’t any naysayers, but come on!! I want you to feel my excitement here!!

I found Jeffrey’s recipe here. The next step was actually finding Harissa paste.

For those who didn’t watch the finale, you may be asking what is Harissa?

Harissa is a North African hot red sauce or paste whose main ingredients are chili peppers (often smoked or dried) and garlic. Though most closely associated with Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, it is a standard ingredient of North African cuisine.

So I called around to a few different local specialty markets in my area, with no luck. But low and behold, I ended up finding it at Petty’s Meat Market in Longwood, FL, on Friday. (who also by the way sells the most incredible Bourbon Pecan pies). I also purchased the NY Strip Steak from Petty’s. Petty’s ROCKS!! Also, the recipe calls for sandwich rolls or bread of your choice. I went with Cuban bread. Not because I meant to. I meant to pick up French bread, but picked up Cuban bread by accident.

So now I needed a side dish, so I did what any other amateur cook would do who was cooking a North African steak sandwich, I googled North African side dishes, and found the recipe of North African Spiced Carrots.

So here I was early Saturday evening. I had my ingredients lined up, I had Harissa paste, I had my steak, I had my carrots, I was ready to do this!!! I really wanted to show Aggie I could do this myself, but I pathetically had to admit I never peeled a carrot. Honestly, I didn’t even know I was supposed to peel carrots. So, Aggie peeled one for me and I was on my way. UH OH!! Another roadblock. I never minced garlic before. So Aggie showed me how to smash the garlic clove with a knife then peel the rest until the middle comes out. At this point, I am looking at my wife like she is a freaking culinary genius. So this went on for a little bit. How do you not bruise mint? What’s the best way to squeeze a lemon to get lemon juice? How do you rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes? So after all of the tutorials from Aggie, I was on my way. Aggie went outside to the pool with the kids, and I was ready to roll solo. I was pretty excited. I had picked up a couple six packs of Gordon Biersch beer. I had some 90s R&B music blasting on the Pandora machine. I even was wearing my 3W1M shirt for the extra power and internal agility.

This went on for a while.

Then finally after a couple hours, the meal was complete. And I have to admit, I did a bang up job. The steak sandwich was probably even better than it looked on TV. The Cuban bread perfectly soaked up the juice from the steak, and tasted great with the Harissa mayo. The carrots were very tasty and had lots of sweet heat.

So in summary, Jeffrey didn’t win. (which made me very Saad). LOL. But one thing he did do was get ‘ol Larry more involved in the kitchen. I hope they give him a show on the Food Network, because I’ll totally tune in. I think I may give this guest blogging thing another whirl. I had a lot of fun last night, and the best part of it all?? Aggie loved it! She was so proud of me and was so happy, and that made me very happy. As for my son?? I think the Orlando Magic may still need a back-up Point Guard. Never say never!

If you want to make this awesome sandwich, and side dish for yourself, you can find the recipes here and here.

The post Harissa Steak Sandwich appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.