Week of July 13, 2014

Mon - Grilled Burgers and Apple Salad
Tue - Panzenella Salad with Bacon
Wed- Couscous with Spinach, Mushrooms and Chicken
Thur- Farro with Pesto and Kale
Fri-  Crusty Grilled Sandwiches

Grilled Burger and Baked Potato Salad, Corn

Apple Salad
1/2 cup cool whip
1 (4-5 oz) cup plain or vanilla/honey greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups apples, diced
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
Mix yogurt, cool whip and vanilla in a large bowl until incorporated. Stir in apples and nuts. Enjoy cold.

Roasted Vegetable Panzanella Salad with Bacon
1/2 loaf of stale, crusty Italian bread, cubed (leave out overnight)
1 1/2 vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, chopped and rinsed
1/2 cup, loosely packed, fresh basil leaves
1 zucchini, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Italian Dressing (I like Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb bacon, diced, browned/crisped and drained
1/2 cup shredded parmesean cheese

Mix zucchini and tomatoes, with 1 tbsp oil. Lay out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Separably, toss bread with 1 tbsp oil, set aside. Roast veggies in a 400F oven for 20 minutes, or on grill, or until browned, turning veggies over once. When you have 10 minutes left on the veggies, add the bread to the sheet and allow to toast. Do not let burn. Both should be lightly brown (not black). Take out of oven and let cool 10 minutes before assembling salad.
Bundle basil leaves together, no stems. Slice leaves, then slice in the other direction to make small pieces.
To assemble: in a large salad bowl, mix roasted veggies, cooked bacon, cheese, toasted bread cubes, dressing, onion, basil. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.
Makes 6 servings. NOTE: this can be made with bread, tomato and any other veggie -cooked or fresh - try eggplant, bell peppers and/or cucumber.

Crusty Grilled Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1   garlic clove, pressed

8 slices sourdough bread

8 ounces sliced Monterey Jack cheese

8 ounces sliced deli ham

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 medium tomato, sliced into 8 thin slices (optional)

4 teaspoons snipped fresh basil leaves (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1

Using Rotary Grater, grate Parmesan cheese into Small Batter Bowl. Add butter and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well.

2

On 4 bread slices, evenly layer half of the Monterey Jack cheese and all of the ham.

3

For each sandwich, spread ham with 1 teaspoon mustard; top with 2 tomato slices and 1 teaspoon snipped basil, if desired. Cover with remaining cheese and bread slices.

4

Using Large Spreader, spread butter mixture over outsides of sandwiches. Place sandwiches on (11-in.) Square Griddle; cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown, using Nylon Turner to carefully turn. Cut sandwiches in half with Bread Knife.

Yield:

  ,
4 servings of 1 sandwich

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 530, Total Fat 33 g, Sodium 1760 mg, Fiber 2 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: No information is currently available.

Cook's Tips:

Sourdough bread often comes in unsliced round loaves. For these sandwiches, just cut 8 slices, 1/2 inch thick, with the Bread Knife.

Use the Ultimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade to thinly slice the tomato.

This recipe can be doubled and prepared on the Double Burner Griddle