Wife Approved Recipes - Picnic Sandwiches

 It's a 2fer blog post today: sandwich recipes plus a concert video of troubadour Aimee Mann.

My Wife Approved Recipes have been road tested, so you know they will satisfy. And these tasty sandwich treats are perfect for your summer picnics.

My wife and her mother sometimes take tea at a local parlor, and I heard her talk about what they had to eat. Well, the sandwiches served sounded good and actually cheap to make, especially the cucumber ones.

Check it all out below - how to dine in style with an outdoor concert picnic.

 

Nothing goes better with a free concert by a folk-rocker in the park than delicious picnic sandwiches by The 99 Cent Chef.  My wife didn't have to drag me to Marina del Rey's picturesque Burton W. Chace Park to see songstress Aimee Mann -- especially when all we had to pay for was parking and a few picnic ingredients.

We hit the freeway for a show that spanned a beautiful summer evening from sunset to full moon. At an outdoor stage in the marina's waterside park, we found a hilly spot right there, and laid out my sandwiches on a blanket, then opened our first bottle of wine. The crowd was a local mix of families and hipsters. Aimee started right on time (7pm). She played a great show, with a sliding, tuneful, lead vocal, while strumming amplified acoustic guitar, accompanied by her band. The show inspired me to film and edit a recipe video underscored by her live performance.

For our picnic, I easily assembled the sandwiches from ingredients from my local 99c only Store and Latin market. For my first sandwich recipe I made a Salami and Dijon on Sourdough. The 99c Store has recently been stocking higher-end 3.5 oz. packages of Hormel Genoa and Hot Sopressata Salami. I especially like the Sopressata -- it's lean ground with white flecks of marbling. I also picked up a great Country Dijon by Morehouse. This condiment is rough ground whole mustard seeds -- popping with tangy flavor. I served it all on sourdough bread, but you could use any bread or roll you have on hand.

I would guess that Aimee Mann is more vegan than carnivore. So for my next sammy it's a Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich. I found dark Russian bread, which has a nutty flavor, but you could also use pumpernickel for a traditional tasty tea-time finger food. I like to peel off about half the cucumber skin so the bitterness is reduced. This is a creamy and crunchy refreshing bite between two slices of bread. To go totally vegan, you could substitute hummus for cream cheese (my basic hummus recipe is here.)

And finally, my most controversial picnic basket addition: a French Ham Sandwich. You can be sure Mr. Ludobite (the 5 star Beard awarded French celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre) would flip his beret and scream profanities if he saw what I use for ingredients in his homeland's namesake sandwich (click here to see Chef Ludo throwing a hissy fit.)

 A typical French Sandwich is simply made with butter, ham, cheese, and crusty French bread.  I would normally make it that way too, but since this is a blog for cheapskates, I used imitation butter and slices of Farmer John's "Ham Roll !" Now, was it as good as a Parisian sidewalk cafe classic? Of course not, but no one in our party complained. You can make it with expensive ingredients to impress your  foodie friends, if you have the dough.

So for your next summer outdoor concert, feel free to make any, or all, of my Picnic Sandwiches. And if you like this musical recipe video, be sure to also check out my video of conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. His "Rhapsody in Blue" becomes the soundtrack while his namesake hot dog is assembled at Pink's, L.A.'s most popular fast food joint. To view it, just click here.

Picnic Sandwiches with Aimee Mann - Video
 
Play it here. The video runs about 7 minutes.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.
Aimee Mann's website: http://www.aimeemann.com/

Directions for Salami and Dijon on Sourdough Sandwich
On 2 slices of bread, spread Dijon mustard. Layer on slices of your favorite salami. I used thin-sliced, so about 6-8 slices per sandwich. Slice into quarters and fasten with a toothpick.

Directions for Cucumber and Cream Cheese on Russian Bread (or Pumpernickel)
Smear cream cheese thickly on Russian or pumpernickel bread. I like to peel off half the skin from my cucumbers. I also slice them pretty thin (see photos.) I used about 4-6 cumber slices per sandwich. Layer on the slices. Cut sandwich into four rectangles and hold together with toothpicks.

Directions for a French Sandwich
I spread a thick layer of margarine on a couple of slices of French Bread -- you can substitute with real butter (room temperature.) I often pick up real ham slices at my local dollar store, but this time I used 2 slices of a Ham Roll by Farmer John (surprisingly, quite good.) Again, slice sandwiches into quarters and fasten with toothpicks. I left out cheese, but a good addition would be a slice of Swiss cheese.

If you are making your sandwiches ahead of time, make sure to store in the refrigerator. They will come to room temperature by the time you reach your destination.

99 thanks to Aimee Mann and her groovy band -- they made our  picnic a summer highlight.

Salami & Spaghetti

There's more uses for salami than on a pizza or in an Italian sub sandwich. Just saute a few slices with onion and garlic, mix in cooked spaghetti and you have a tasty Italian entree.

In The 99 Cent Chef's latest recipe this cheapest of deli meat is put to delicious use in a quick and easy Italian pasta dish. You can use any inexpensive sausage you find, even pepperoni. The sausage can come in thick or thin links, or your local deli may have it ready to order and you just ask for any amount -- sliced how you like it.

I get my thin sliced Genoa Salami from my local 99c only Store. The packages are only 3.5 ounces each, but this is enough for a couple of servings of my cheap$kate Salami & Spaghetti recipe.

All I do is heat up some pieces of salami then set it aside. I fry up some onion and garlic in the flavorful rendered salami fat; the cooked salami is added back and finally the cooked pasta, along with a little pasta water, is mixed in. And it's all served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese topping. (If you have a few leaves of fresh window-box herbs, then add that as well.)

For this recipe I'm also using wheat pasta. Like brown rice, there is a subtle difference in texture and flavor, but it's pleasing enough. The more I cook with it the better I like it. Pasta is just the delivery device for my sauteed salami recipe.

I always have a package of pasta in the cupboard, a small package of sliced cured Italian sausage in the freezer, and some onion and garlic in the refrigerator. (Some Italian sausage that is dry cured and can be kept at room temperature in the cupboard as well.)

 This meal comes together in about the time it takes to boil a pot of spaghetti. And after a long day's grind, it satisfying and easy to do. The 99 Cent Chef has your back -- give my Salami and Spaghetti a try if you are broke and have very little time to spend at the stove.

 
Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• Salami - 3.5 ounces, thin sliced. I used Genoa Salami, but you can use cheap pepperoni or any inexpensive cured sausage.
• 1/4 onion chopped - white or yellow.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - fresh or from jar.
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Parmasan cheese - I used a couple tablespoon of dried, but you can use fresh graded or any type you like.
• Pasta - about a third of a 16 ounce package. I used wheat spaghetti, but you can use any type you have on hand.

Directions
You can start the pasta water to boil.

I used large thin slices of salami, so I first cut the salami into bit-sized pieces. Over medium heat,  I added the pieces along with a teaspoon of oil. I cooked the salami for about 2 minutes until heated through and some of the salami fat is rendered. (Cooking time may vary by a couple of minutes, depending how thick your Italian sausage is.)

Pasta water should be about boiling now, so add pasta and cook according to directions.

Remove salami when lightly browned and set aside. Next add the chopped onion and cook for 2-4 minutes more until soft. Add chopped garlic during the last minute. Be sure to scrape pan during veggie sauteing to get all the tasty charred bits loose.

When onion and garlic is cooked add the cooked salami and heat through for another minute.

Pasta should be done by now. Just remove it and add directly to onion, garlic and salami. Finally pour in a couple of tablespoons of pasta water and mix it all together. (if pasta is done early it's okay to remove, making sure to reserve some pasta water.)

Top with fresh grated or dried parmesan. If you have some fresh basil, sage or oregano, then roughly chop it, and mix in about a tablespoon -- I especially like to mix in a bunch of roughly chopped or torn basil leaves.

Salami or Chorizo with Melon

In the dog days of summer you do not want to heat up the kitchen -- so here is a cool and cheap recipe that is perfect as a backyard or patio party appetizer, Salami or Chorizo with Melon.

Normally made with expensive slices of Italian ham called prosciutto, I've found that any decent sliced cured meat on sale is an inexpensive way to go. My local 99c only Store always carries 3.5 ounce lean slices of salami (including a Tuscan Brand) and even Spanish style cured Chorizo. Both are as lean as prosciutto but with a more intense, but still pleasing  flavor. And they pair nicely with cool and sweet melon.

As for melon, they are on sale everywhere. I've never tried a Lemondrop Melon. The light green flesh is firm with a hint of tart lemon flavor. While not as sweet as a cantaloupe (which I find too sweet) -- it's really quite tasty. I would get it again.

As for the preparation there is nothing to it, just slice the melon, scoop out the seeds and slice to a desired thickness. You can make the melon pieces about the same length as the cured meat slices (or, if you need to stretch it out then half the salami and melon slices to make even more appetizers.) Finally just wrap a salami slice around the melon and fasten with a tooth pick. If you are serving this at a party you can prepare it a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate.

Cured salty meat is a perfect contrast to cool sweet melon. I especially liked the Hormel Spanish Chorizo which is slightly spicy. Really, any inexpensive salami would work well. One 3.5 ounce package is more than enough for one Lemondrop Melon. Even after eating a slice, one melon will give you at least a dozen pieces (depending how thin you slice it.)

Spanish Style Chorizo

So, for an interestingly cheap and cool swimming pool party appetizer, try out The 99 Cent Chef's Salami or Chorizo with Melon.

Ingredients (about 12 pieces)

• 1 melon - any type on sale. Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Lemondrop - even Watermelon.
• About 3.5 ounces of sliced salami or chorizo - you want thin sliced so it will easily wrap around melon. You can use any type of salami on sale. Of course you can use thin sliced prosciutto or a favorite cured meat, and even sliced ham.

Directions
Cut melon in half and spoon out the seeds. Slice the melon to desired thickness (about 1/2 inch thick.) Trim off the rind from the melon flesh. Cut melon slices to about the same length as the salami and/or chorizo slices.

Lemondrop Melon

Finally wrap melon pieces with a slice of salami and spear each one all the way through with a toothpick.
You can chow down right away, or refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

*For a smaller bite (to stretch appetizer and feed more guests,) cut salami or chorizo slices into half sizes, same with melon pieces.

Tuscan Brand Salami

Picnic Sandwiches with Aimee Mann - VIDEO

 

Nothing goes better with a free concert by a folk-rocker in the park than delicious picnic sandwiches by The 99 Cent Chef.  My wife didn't have to drag me to Marina del Rey's picturesque Burton W. Chace Park to see songstress Aimee Mann -- especially when all we had to pay for was parking and a few picnic ingredients.

So last Saturday, we hit the freeway for a show that spanned a beautiful summer evening from sunset to full moon. At an outdoor stage in the marina's waterside park, we found a hilly spot right there, and laid out my sandwiches on a blanket, then opened our first bottle of wine. The crowd was a local mix of families and hipsters. Aimee started right on time (7pm). She played a great show, with a sliding, tuneful, lead vocal, while strumming amplified acoustic guitar, accompanied by her band. The show inspired me to film and edit a recipe video underscored by her live performance.

For our picnic, I easily assembled the sandwiches from ingredients from my local 99c only Store and Latin market. For my first sandwich recipe I made a Salami and Dijon on Sourdough. The 99c Store has recently been stocking higher-end 3.5 oz. packages of Hormel Genoa and Hot Sopressata Salami. I especially like the Sopressata -- it's lean ground with white flecks of marbling. I also picked up a great Country Dijon by Morehouse. This condiment is rough ground whole mustard seeds -- popping with tangy flavor. I served it all on sourdough bread, but you could use any bread or roll you have on hand.

I would guess that Aimee Mann is more vegan than carnivore. So for my next sammy it's a Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich. I found dark Russian bread, which has a nutty flavor, but you could also use pumpernickel for a traditional tasty tea-time finger food. I like to peel off about half the cucumber skin so the bitterness is reduced. This is a creamy and crunchy refreshing bite between two slices of bread. To go totally vegan, you could substitute hummus for cream cheese (my basic hummus recipe is here.)

And finally, my most controversial picnic basket addition: a French Ham Sandwich. You can be sure Mr. Ludobite (the 5 star Beard awarded French celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre) would flip his beret and scream profanities if he saw what I use for ingredients in his homeland's namesake sandwich (click here to see Chef Ludo throwing a hissy fit.)

 A typical French Sandwich is simply made with butter, ham, cheese, and crusty French bread.  I would normally make it that way too, but since this is a blog for cheapskates, I used imitation butter and slices of Farmer John's "Ham Roll !" Now, was it as good as a Parisian sidewalk cafe classic? Of course not, but no one in our party complained. You can make it with expensive ingredients to impress your  foodie friends, if you have the dough.

So for your next summer outdoor concert, feel free to make any, or all, of my Picnic Sandwiches. And if you like this musical recipe video, be sure to also check out my video of conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. His "Rhapsody in Blue" becomes the soundtrack while his namesake hot dog is assembled at Pink's, L.A.'s most popular fast food joint. To view it, just click here.

Picnic Sandwiches with Aimee Mann - Video

Play it here. The video runs about 7 minutes.

To view or embedd from YouTube, click here.
Aimee Mann's website: http://www.aimeemann.com/
And she plays the Hollywood Bowl tonight in a Joni Mitchell tribute, info here.

Directions for Salami and Dijon on Sourdough Sandwich
On 2 slices of bread, spread Dijon mustard. Layer on slices of your favorite salami. I used thin-sliced, so about 6-8 slices per sandwich. Slice into quarters and fasten with a toothpick.

Directions for Cucumber and Cream Cheese on Russian Bread (or Pumpernickel)
Smear cream cheese thickly on Russian or pumpernickel bread. I like to peel off half the skin from my cucumbers. I also slice them pretty thin (see photos.) I used about 4-6 cumber slices per sandwich. Layer on the slices. Cut sandwich into four rectangles and hold together with toothpicks.

Directions for a French Sandwich
I spread a thick layer of margarine on a couple of slices of French Bread -- you can substitute with real butter (room temperature.) I often pick up real ham slices at my local dollar store, but this time I used 2 slices of a Ham Roll by Farmer John (surprisingly, quite good.) Again, slice sandwiches into quarters and fasten with toothpicks. I left out cheese, but a good addition would be a slice of Swiss cheese.

If you are making your sandwiches ahead of time, make sure to store in the refrigerator. They will come to room temperature by the time you reach your destination.

99 thanks to Aimee Mann and her groovy band -- they made our  picnic a summer highlight.

Appetite for Appetizers - Roasted Asparagus & Genoa Salami

The 99c only Stores produce section keeps expanding to include such delicacies as asparagus. The Chef got this 2 pound bunch for 99 cents. Take that congomerate grocery chains!


Roasted asparagus retains the crunch that steamed asparagus lacks and wrapping it in paper thin sliced Genoa Salami makes a great party appetizer.


I picked up small 4.5 ounch packs of Genoa Salami for 99 cents -- although salami from your favorite deli averages out the same pricewise.

Ingredients
1 bunch (about 2 pounds) of asparagus
2 packages of thin sliced Genoa or Hard Salami (or your favorite deli salami - about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste




Directions
Cut or snap off tough ends of asparagus (about 2 inches) and discard. Arrange asparagus on roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil then salt and pepper to taste. Roast asparagus in preheated 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (depending how thick asparagus stalks are.) Remove from oven and wrap each spear with a slice of Genoa Salami after asparagus has cooled for a couple of minutes.
Coming next, a new video. The Chef is pleased as pecan pie to welcome his Mom into the kitchen to prepare "Mom's 99 Cent Jambalaya." Be sure to bring along your appetite.