Tag Archives: set-and-forget recipe

Pressed Sandwich – An Easy Sandwich that Shows Love and Care

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Valentine’s day is right around the corner. What could be better than to make the perfect sandwich for your loved one’s lunch. It is among the most intimate of gifts to put some of his or her favorite food in the form of a sandwich. Of course, your love does not have to be limited to one person. You can make a sandwich large enough for the whole family to share. As this sandwich has a long-cooked, luxurious flavor, they may think you have labored over it for a long time, but the cooking is actually little, or non-existent. This is what I did…

A pressed sandwich is generally a sandwich stuffed with grilled vegetables with added meat and cheese, yet the possibilities are endless. I had to make a distinction from a panini pressed sandwich since grilling of the bread was optional. For this recipe, I chose to grill the vegetables myself and selected my favorite meat and cheese.

Ingredients:

Group 1
I started by grilling some vegetables. You may use your barbecue or any stove top grill. I grilled mine with my panini press on high for 5 minutes to get some caramelization.

  • 1 red bell pepper, cored, cut in large squares
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored and cut in large squares
  • 12 colossal olives, cut in halves
  • 1 white onion, peeled and sliced horizontally, keeping the rings together

*To make things quick and easy for you, you may also use roasted peppers in a jar, olive tapenade, and garlic oil.

Group 2

  • 1 loaf rustic round or square Italian bread
  • 4 to 6 slices prosciutto
  • 3 to 4 slices lite provolone cheese
  • Pesto
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Starting with the bread, I preferred rustic Italian bread with a hard crust for this job.  Using a round or square loaf gave me a wider surface to lay down the stuffing.

Assembling the sandwich was easy. I began by slicing open the loaf horizontally. Next, I removed some of the soft part of the bread inside the dome to generate space for my stuffing. Then I brush the inside with balsamic vinegar and set aside.

I kept the soft part of the bottom-half of the bread so that it could absorb any flavorful dripping from the stuffing, cutting down on any mess and adding even more flavor when it was pressed.  I then spread some pesto on that bottom half.

From there on, it was just a matter of layering the ingredients in the following order: olives, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, prosciutto and cheese.

Then I recapped the base with the dome. Next, I wrapped the sandwich with some parchment paper and placed the sandwich in the 2 inch deep baking dish. I stacked another identical baking dish on top, with the base pressing flatly and evenly onto the sandwich. Then I placed a 3 pound object, such as a brick or a heavy book inside the top baking dish. Then I placed it in the refrigerator and waited for the magic to begin.

I left the sandwich in the refrigerator overnight.  (You must do it for at least 3 hours.) During this time, the sandwich underwent a transformation. The combined flavors of the stuffing generated an umami that made this sandwich unforgettable.

To prepare a lunchbox, I cut the sandwich into a serving portion. To enhance the flavor even more, you may wish to toast the crust slightly again. I toasted mine with my toaster oven for 3 minutes to get that slight crunch, and it was great. To add an extra touch, you may wrap each portion with parchment paper and pair it up with some sweets or fruit; or maybe even add a valentine note to make the lunchbox special for the occasion. To enhance the aroma, tug a tiny rosemary sprig (for remembrance) into the lunchbox. I am pretty sure your loved one will feel very special.

If you have creative ways to make this sandwich your way, please don’t hesitate to share it with us by leaving a comment.

Happy Valentine!

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Chinese Beef Stew Cooked in Plastic Bag

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By PK, We Live Concepts

To continue my oven bag experiment, I attempted to use the oven bag to cook a Classic Chinese Beef Stew.  When I was a child, I used to enjoy this dish in the winter. So it has a true home made memory in its flavors.  Also, the leftovers usually taste better and better so that you can have it for lunch for a few more days.There are two requirements to this stew. The meat has to be chewy yet soft, and the broth has to be rich and beefy. To avoid spending a lot of money, I turned to an oven bag, in an attempt to simplify the cooking process while bringing out all the original flavors.The traditional Chinese Beef Stew is usually cooked in a clay pot for hours. Dried ingredients have to be re-hydrated ahead of time. To assemble the pot, ingredients are added layer by layer. Then the stewing takes 2 ½ to 3 hours. During the stewing process, the liquid level needs to be checked periodically to prevent drying. Therefore, to make a good dish, the timing has to be carefully controlled.

With an oven bag I put everything, including the dried ingredients, into the bag all at one time. Thus, I did not have to spend any time re-hydrating the dried ingredients. To the bag, I pierced some holes as steam vents, set it in the a baking dish and baked it for 2 ½ hours. I simply set the timer and walked away. To re-create the traditional look, at the end of the cooking, I transferred the contents into a clay pot, added fresh green onion, and served.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 with left over for lunch

  • 2 lb beef cross rib roast, cut in 1 to 1 ½ inch cubes
  • 1 oz ginger
  • 4 oz green onion, separate white part from the green part, cut the white part in 1 inch sections, save green part for later
  • 1 ¾ lb daikon, peeled and cut in large pieces
  • 10 oz dried soy skin, cracked in 2 inch sections
  • ½ C shaohsing cooking wine
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 C beef stock
  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp aniseed powder

Assembling is easy. Open up one oven bag, set it in a baking dish, roll back the opening, then literally put everything into the bag. Tie up the mouth of the bag and squeeze the bag around to mix the ingredients. The bag is ready to bake.

At the end of 2 ½ hours, cut a small hole at the bottom corner of the bag to drain the liquid into a Chinese clay pot. Then cut open the top of the bag and transfer the entire contents. At this point, season the stew properly with salt and pepper. To re-create a true Chinese clay pot stew, bring the stew to a rolling boil.  Cover the pot and let the stew simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow the bottom to scorch a little. Slice the green part of the green onion and sprinkle it onto the top and serve.  Make sure that the stew is still boiling at the table when it is served. Pair up the dish with some jasmine rice. Shh…no one needs to know that it comes out of a bag.

To serve as a lunch with some added variety in the next day or so, cook some rice noodles or egg noodles and use the stew liquid as the broth. Poach some fresh bok choy to give an additional flavor.

To pack for lunch, just bring rice and stew to work in separate containers, and you will have a very comforting lunch at work.

~ Have you eaten yet?

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Beer Beef Brisket Roast in Plastic Bag

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Let’s face it. As much as you’d like to cook fresh food for you and your family, there are days that there is just not enough time to do so–you know: house chores, running errands, and so on. With that in mind, I studied the techniques of cooking with a plastic bag. Yes – cooking a whole meal in a plastic bag. However, you have to use an oven bag, which is actually made of nylon, that is especially designed for oven cooking. I tested the  oven bags with a few dishes before writing this article. Two recipes turned out as unforgettable. I am planning to write about them in this and the next article. They truly are set-and-forget recipes that free up your day.

This recipe was inspired by the dish, Beef Brisket Pot Roast that was featured in the blog, Simply Recipe. The original version recommended using a dutch oven. However, it sounded like it could be done in an oven bag, so I tried it. I added a can of beer to the beef to create a malty, hearty, wholesome flavor.

The amounts I am listing here were used when I was testing out the recipe. If you want to cook enough to have leftovers for lunch, you may double or even triple the amounts.

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Ingredients:
Group 1
2 lb beef brisket

Group 2
1 med onions, peeled and quartered
2 C baby carrots
1 head garlic, do not peel or separate, simply wash and cut across, exposing the garlic inside
6 red-skin potatoes
2 rutabagas, peeled and cut in large pieces

Group 3, tied in a bunch
1 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 2 to 4 inch
2 sprigs thyme, about 4 inch each

Group 4
1 envelops Lipton’s Recipe Secrets-Onion Soup Mix
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cans your favorite beer (I used a pale ale from Trader Joes)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce, skip if you are using a dark beer

Set the oven at 350-F. Begin with the fat-side down, sear the brisket with medium high heat in a frying pan for 5 minutes. Make sure you give it a slow sizzling sear, and don’t burn the fat. Turn the brisket over and sear for another 3 minutes. Set aside. Next, wash and cut the vegetables. For a real time-saver, Trader Joe’s has pre-washed roasting vegetables packs that contain all of the vegetables and herbs mentioned above, except the rutabaga. Therefore, all you need to do is to open one bag and combine the vegetables with the rutabagas.

Putting together the bag is super easy. Open one oven bag, place it in a large mixing bowl. Spoon in the vegetables. Add groups 3, and 4. Place the beef on top of the vegetables, fat-side up as the fat protects the meat from drying out during the baking. Gently squeeze the bag around to mix the content.

Tie the bag, set it in a baking dish, and tug the tied end underneath the bag to make sure that as the bag expands, no parts touches any heating elements in the oven. Open 6 slits on the top of the bag to allow the steam to escape. Set the oven for a timed bake of 3 hours or use a separate timer. Walk away. I used the time to write this article, but you can use it to take care of your chores or to simply relax.

When done, the juice from the beef, beer, and baked vegetables all contribute to form a spectacular gravy. First, cut a small hole at the bottom corner of the bag and drain it into a container. Don’t forget to use your oven gloves to make handling safer. Next, cut around the tied area and remove the top to create a large opening. Fish out the herbs. Transfer the beef and vegetables onto a large serving platter. I poached some extra broccoli just to add some extra fresh green color on the platter.

To serve, cut the beef against the grain, combine the vegetables and drizzle the gravy with the subtle aromatics of herb and beer on top. Pair it up with some red wine.

To serve as lunch the next day, you can simply cut out some beef to make a nice pita sandwich, and reheat the baked vegetables as a side. To add extra freshness, cut up some asparagus, poach them in salted water and mix them into the baked vegetables.

To pack for lunch, try packing the gravy, beef, baked vegetables and broccoli in separate containers. At lunch time, pour the sauce over the food and enjoy.

The vegetables turned out to be outstandingly flavorful and tender. The beef was as tender as marshmallows, yet it maintained its texture.

One thing to avoid: When cooking with an oven bag, I would avoid using solid types of seasonings such as chicken or beef cubes. I tried them, and they did not dissolve at all. If you were to use them, you would want to dissolve them ahead of time in some of the liquid you plan to use.

These oven bags are my new found tools. Amazingly, for less than 60 cents per bag, it is possible to make a hearty dinner by combining the ingredients and simply leaving the kitchen. Try it with different types of beer or wine to suit your tastes – you may like it too.

~Have you eaten yet?

You may also be interested in reading this article:
Beef Brisket Pot Roast by Simply Recipes

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