Panzanella (Bread Salad)

Several years ago, my friend Joey introduced me to panzanella and I am forever grateful. Thank you, Joey!! It was such a fresh and bright side salad, easy, and addicting! A few years ago, the original link to the recipe I had been referred to no longer existed. And alas, I had never printed it, so I was left to make up my own recipe. Enjoy!

Panzanella (Bread Salad)

Ingredients:

• One loaf of day-old (slightly stale) hearty/crusty bread, sliced into 1 in. cubes
• 4-5 roma tomatoes, sliced into wedges or chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped into small cubes
• 1/2 c. red onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• salt 
• pepper
• 1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine cubed bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and bell pepper. Mix gently. 
   
2. In a smaller bowl, mix garlic, vinegar, and oil until well combined. Pour dressing over the salad ingredients. Gently mix until combined. 
3. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes to marinate. 
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle basil over the top, toss to combine and serve. 

*This salad is most presentable served immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge. It won't look as pretty the next day, but will still taste delicious. :)

Bánh mì (Vietnamese Hoagies)

I mentioned this sandwich in the previous blog post. Second only to the hoagies I grew up eating in Philly, Bánh mì (or Vietnamese Hoagie, as I like to call it) is one of the sandwich-loves of my life. There are many variations, but generally the sandwich includes a baguette-like roll that is crusty on the outside and soft and airy on the inside, meat, cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrot, jalapeno, and mayonnaise and/or butter spread. 

This recipe's protein filling is a scratch-made pork meatball. Originally I used a recipe from Chef Charles Phan's cookbook, Vietnamese Home Cooking. However, there was way too much involved in that recipe to make it a practical recipe to make for my family AND live life with my kids. So I've simplified it and my husband still gives it two thumbs up, so I'm satisfied. :) 

Also, the type of bread you use is important and will probably change regionally. If you live in or around Philly, good hoagie rolls such as Amoroso's or Conshohocken will work well. Down here in San Antonio, I use the popular Mexican sandwich rolls, bolillos, which work well too. You can also try cutting a baguette to personal size and use that. 

Also, this recipe makes 36-48 meatballs. So you could half this recipe or make it all and freeze a bunch to have another time, which is what I do. Enjoy!

Bánh mì

Adapted from Vietnamese Home Cooking

Makes 36-48 meatballs, depending on size

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 4 c. chicken broth
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. minced garlic
• 1 T. red pepper flakes
• 3 c. diced onion (I pulse chunks of onion in the food processor)
• 1 c. stir-fry sauce (in Asian food aisle)
• 1 c. ketchup
• 1 1/2 T light soy sauce (I have also used regular soy sauce as a substitute)

Meatballs:

• 3 lbs. ground pork
• 1 1/2 c. jicama, peeled and dice (again, in food processor), or water chestnuts
• 2 c. onion, diced (food processor)
• 1/2 c. scallion, sliced thinly, green and light green parts only
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 T. light soy sauce

Garnishes/Spreads:
Mayonnaise
Cucumber, sliced into long 1/4 in. wide slices


Jalapeno, sliced into long 1/4 in. wide slices


Pickled carrot
Cilantro
Sandwich roll (bolillo, a good hoagie roll, baguette cut into personal size), sliced 3/4 of the way through


Directions:

To make the sauce:

1. In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until toasted for about 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and toast for 30 seconds. 
   
2. Add onions, and cook until softened, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add stir-fry sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Add 4 c. chicken broth and mix well. 
4. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then decrease heat until sauce is simmering. Simmer for 15 minutes. 

To make the meatballs:

1. While the sauce simmers, make the meatballs. You can roll them by hand or use a 1-2 inch ball scoop. 
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. 
   
3. Using your hands, gently mix ingredients together. Don't overwork the mixture or it may become tough. 
4. Form into 1-2 inch diameter balls and add gently to the simmering sauce. The meatballs will be crowded in the pot, but should all be below the surface of the sauce. Cook, without stirring, for 45 minutes. So not let the liquid boil, or the meatballs may begin to fall apart. After 45 minutes, remove a meatball and cut it open. There should be no pink inside. 
   
5. Remove from heat and serve. Or you can let them cool and and reheat later in the sauce. 
6. To freeze leftovers, use a tupperware container. Fill 3/4 full with both meatballs and sauce. I like to freeze in batches of 12 meatballs each. Cover and freeze. 

Assembling a sandwich:
Lightly toast the roll in a toaster oven or oven. Spread both sides of the roll inside with mayonnaise. Layer with carrots, cucumber, and jalapeno. Add warm meatballs. Enjoy!!

Pickled Carrots (AKA the perfect sandwich toppers)

These might seem like a strange idea if you've never had them. But the first time I had pickled carrots years ago was on a Vietnamese sandwich called banh mi, which I promptly called the Vietnamese hoagie. I am a die-hard-it-has-to-be-the-perfect-hoagie girl. For the same reason I NEED dill pickles on my hoagie, a banh mi sandwich NEEDS pickled carrot. Pickled deliciousness is the perfect balance to the rich saltiness of all the meat.

These are simple to make, speedy quick, and keep well in the fridge to use on all kinds of things to brighten them up and add some zip. I've used them on sandwiches, banh mi, tacos, salads, and more. Enjoy!

Pickled Carrots

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 c. white vinegar
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 c. carrots, peeled and cut into 4 in long sections, shredded through shredding blade of a food processor or shred by hand on a grater

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved.
2. Add carrots and stir until combined. Let stand for 30 minutes before using.
3. Refrigerate for later use and drain well before serving.

Chipotle Salad Bowls

For more reasons than one, we haven't been to Chipotle in a while. But one of the main reasons is because I started making their salad bowls at home, and we all love them. I made them for my whole side of the family for dinner over Christmas break, and it was gobbled up. Also, this is a great dish to use that green salsa recipe I posted!

There are several components to get together for this dish. But what I love about it is that I can make/prep all components a day ahead or as I have time. Then I just pull them all out at dinner time. 

I'd also like to say that for years I fought the idea of putting salad dressing on my Chipotle bowl. I would think, "Who needs it when I already have delicious salsa?", and I'd never use it. Then one day, I DID use it. And it entirely changed the whole salad bowl for the better. Enjoy!

Chipotle Salad Bowls

Serves 4

Basic Bowl Ingredients:

• Lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 c white rice, cooked according to package instructions
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 3 c shredded rotisserie chicken, warm (or if you have access to someone who smokes chicken in a BBQ, like my husband, use that. It's amazing!) 
  
• Corn salsa

Corn Salsa Ingredients: Mix following ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate for 30 min or more to allow flavors to combine.

• 12 oz bag frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1/8 c red onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 serrano peppers, finely chopped (add according to how spicy you want it. While I love spicy, I don't put too much in the corn salsa because I don't want to lose the delicate sweet flavor from the corn)
• Juice from 1 lime, or to taste
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Garnishes (amount according to taste):

• Shredded monterrey jack cheese
• Sour Cream
• Salsa Verde Cruda (or your other favorite salsa)
• Chipotle's Honey Vinaigrette Dressing (this blogger's copycat recipe tastes SO much like the restaurant dressing)
  
  
  
  

Directions: 

1. You can layer and combine components any fun way you want. This is just how I do it. :)
2. Place a layer of lettuce in the bottom of each bowl. Top with a layer of rice, black beans on top of that, and shredded chicken. Add salsa and corn salsa. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and dressing.

Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges

I love using red potatoes since they don't require peeling. There's also something special about crispy-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside potatoes. These potatoes may take a little longer than skillet potatoes, but they are pretty hands off while they roast. And they are so tasty! My husband loves them, and my kids inhaled all the leftovers the next day....much to my husband's chagrin. :) Enjoy!

Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 medium red potatoes, sliced into 3/4 in wedges (I tested this with thinner wedges, but the thicker wedges were easier to flip without sticking and breaking. Also, if you get large potatoes instead, you will be making several batches as it will be too many and overcrowd your baking sheet.)
  
• 3-4 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and brush foil with a thin coating of olive oil. 
2. Scrub and rinse the potatoes. Slice potatoes and place in a gallon-sized Ziplock bag. Drizzle oil into the bag and sprinkle some salt and pepper into the bag as well. Seal and shake/massage the bag until all the potatoes are coated with oil and salt/pepper is distributed.
3. Dump potatoes onto the baking sheet, making sure each piece has one cut-side down.
   
    
4. Cover the sheet with tin foil and place on the middle rack of the oven. Roast covered, for 20 min. 
5. After 20 min., remove foil (carefully!!) and place back in the oven. Continue to allow the first side to roast for 10-15 min more, until that side is browned nicely (golden brown). 
6. Remove pan from oven and flip each potato to the other cut-side. (tongs or a metal spatula worked well for me) Place back in the oven for 8-10 min more, or until the other side is well browned. 
7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with some coarse kosher or sea salt. Serve hot.