Stuffed Portobella Sandwich

My favorite place to be on a summer Saturday morning is at the Madison, Wisconsin Farmers Market.  I like to go early because the crowd really picks up after 8:00am.  My first stop is Colectivo Coffee for my favorite large triple shot, vanilla latte.  It's such a treat as it's my only latte I'll have all week.
  I never get tired of seeing our beautiful Capitol and what a beautiful morning it was. Just look at that blue sky.  Days like today I say to myself, "this is why I live in Wisconsin"!

For lunch I picked up some beautiful large portobellos and fresh spinach for stuffed portobello sandwiches.  I've made these sandwiches the last two Saturdays.  They are delicious!  

The portobellos are stuffed with sautéed spinach, artichokes and roasted red peppers then topped with  mozzarella and fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.  Served on a toasted ciabatta roll.

I first had this sandwich at The Great Dane Restaurant here in Madison.  Easy enough to make at home!

Ingredient:


Portobello Mushroom caps (1 per sandwich) (buy large ones as they will shrink)
Stuffing: (just make enough stuffing for each portobello)
olive oil
Marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
Roasted red peppers, chopped
Baby Spinach (Spinach really cooks down so use a lot)
Shredded mozzarella and freshly shredded Parmesan for topping
Ciabatta rolls


Directions
First preheat your oven to 425 or turn on your grill.
Sauté roasted red peppers and spinach in a little olive oil for the stuffing.  Set aside.
Take the stem off the mushrooms and clean the gills off the bottom of the caps. (carefully not to break portobello use a spoon and scrape off gills)
Brush Portobellos lightly with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet (covered with foil for easy cleanup) or grill. Roast or grill for about 15-20 minutes.
When mushrooms are cooked stuff and cover with cheese, put back in oven until cheese is melted.
Serve on a toasted ciabatta bun.

                                                                    

Italian Shredded Beef

Today we are staying inside because Baby, it's cold outside. It is ONLY 1 degree  and tonight -17!  Being stuck inside today isn't such a bad thing because we have a lot of exciting TV to watch.  First off, Green Bay Packers vs 49ers (watching as I type and Packers just scored their first touchdown!!!)  GO PACK!  Then Wisconsin Badger Basketball, GO BADGERS!  Then what  I'm most excited about is Season 4 of Downton Abbey!  It has got to be my favorite series, ever.  It's also a great day to make this Italian Beef.  After smelling this cook in the crockpot all day we could hardly wait.  But wait we did until we got to pile a toasted bun with this flavorful shredded beef and the first (and last) bite was delicious!  

You can find Pepper Rings and Giardiniera in the pickle/olive aisle.  These peppers are both mild so beef isn't spicy, just flavorful.  If someone does want spicy, there is spicy Giardiniera,  just add to the sandwich.      

Ingredients:

3-4lb Whole Beef Chuck Roast, remove visible fat and cut into large chunks 
1 envelope Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix
8oz Pepperoncini pepper slices and a splash of juice (plus extra for serving)
8oz Mild Giardiniera  drained (plus extra for serving)
14.5oz can Beef Broth or Beef Consomme
Provolone Cheese, sliced
Hoagie Rolls, Toasted (a nice hardy roll, not soft as the juice will make the roll soggy)

Directions: 

1. Place chuck roast into the bottom of a crockpot then sprinkle with Italian dressing mix. Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred (*see note) or chop (removing any visible fat) then place the meat back into the crockpot and cook on low for 30 more minutes.
2. Serve on toasted buns topped with provolone cheese slices. Top with additional pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, if desired.  

Serve 6-8 

* I like to chop the meat instead of shredding.  The reason is I like the chopped texture better than the long shreds of beef.

 Adapted from Pioneer Woman and Iowa Girl Eats

Antipasto Tuna Grinder

This tuna sandwich has a lot of ingredients but they are ingredients I already have in the fridge as we love all these Mediterranean flavors.  I had come across a recipe that layered all these ingredient on a baguette roll.  It was good BUT it was hard to eat as the crusty baguette roll made all the layers slide out as you took a bite.  It was messy but I knew the flavors worked really well.  I solved the sliding problem by combining all the ingredients together and served on a toasted soft french roll.  I've made this several times just to get the measurements down and now it's a keeper recipe!

Soft French Roll, toasted

Ingredients:  french rolls (3-4), garlic clove, olive oil, Albacore tuna, red onion, banana peppers, artichoke hearts , roasted red peppers, capers, Kalamata olives, black pepper, feta, lettuce and mayo (whoops, not shown).

Ingredients:
3-4 Soft French rolls (depending on size)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pouch (6.4 oz each) Albacore tuna, drained (I just pat it dry with paper towel)
2 Tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup banana peppers, chopped
3-4 artichoke hearts, pack in water, drained and chopped (I pat with paper towel as it's holds a lot of liquid)
1 (1/4 cup) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 Tablespoons, capers, drained
10 (1/4 cup) Kalamata olives (pitted), chopped
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
2-3 Tablespoons mayo, (just enough to bind mixture together)
lettuce

Directions:
Cut French roll in half lengthwise (not cutting through).
Cover garlic with oil in a small dish and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Brush bread evenly with oil.  Broil roll just until lightly toasted (watch carefully!)
In a bowl combine remaining ingredients except for lettuce.
On toasted rolls layer with lettuce and tuna mixture.  Yum!