Ciabatta | I Can Cook That

Open-Faced Salmon and Avocado BLTs

Salmon, avocado, and bacon… what’s not to love? This recipe is perfect for nights that you just need to whip something up quickly with little effort. Although I will warn you, it’s not exactly an easy meal to eat. It can get quite messy because it is open-faced!

Ingredients:

4 (1-ounce) slices diagonally cut ciabatta or rustic Italian bread
4 center-cut bacon slices
4 (4-ounce) sustainable salmon fillets, skinned (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 Bibb (Boston, butterhead) lettuce leaves
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices tomato, halved
1/2 peeled ripe avocado, cut into 8 slices
4 lemon wedges

Continue reading Open-Faced Salmon and Avocado BLTs

Egg BLT with Avocado

When I came across this recipe, my first thought was “why don’t people make Egg BLTs more often”? Why is this not a common brunch menu choice? Egg sounds like a logical upgrade to a traditional BLT. The addition of avocado to this just takes it over the top. I found this recipe on myrecipes.com and switched it around a bit, but the general idea is the same.

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, divided
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 pieces of ciabatta bread (or 2 ciabatta rolls)
1 cup firmly packed arugula
4 thick bacon slices, cooked

I bought one of those “bake at home” ciabatta breads that you pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. I thought some “freshly baked” bread would be nice with this dish. You can use whatever bread you happen to find if ciabatta is not available.

Cook the bacon according to package directions. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess fat.

Combine the tomatoes, avocado, basil, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Cook eggs over easy (or whatever style you prefer). To cook them over easy, heat a saute pan over low heat and spray with cooking spray. Crack one egg into the pan. Season with salt and pepper if desired (I honestly don’t think you need it ) and cook until the whites become opaque. To make sure the yolk cooks slightly, I add a top to the saute pan. Repeat with the second egg.

Now it’s all assembly. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on a slice of bread.

Add 1/2 cup arugula.

2 bacon slices (I tore them in half to fit nicely)

and the egg.

Top with the tomato avocado mixture.

This is the fanciest BLT I’ve ever seen.

It was fantastic too. I kept saying over and over again how yummy each bite was!

This recipe is so great because you can substitute whatever you want. Mess up the egg? Stick a scrambled egg on there instead. Hate arugula? Substitute baby spinach leaves. I suggest adding some extra sliced basil on top of the whole dish to add some extra freshness!

Smoked Salmon Panini

I really don’t like a cold lunch, especially sandwiches. There is something about a plain sandwich that makes me so unexcited to eat it. But a panini makes me happy: toasted bread, melty cheese… yum! So I was glad to try out this Smoked Salmon Panini.

Note: I have a panini press, but if you don’t, just use a saute pan and spatula to flip half way through the cooking.

The original recipe is linked above. I made a few substitutions, which are listed below.

Ingredients: (this makes one sandwich, multiply as needed)
2 slices ciabatta
Dijon mustard, for spreading
thin slices of Gruyère cheese
2 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
Finely grated zest of 1/4 of a lemon
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the panini press or saute pan.

Spread 1 slice of ciabatta bread with some Dijon mustard, as little or as much as you’d like. Top with some Gruyere cheese.

Top with smoked salmon and lemon zest.

Season lightly with salt and pepper and cover with more Gruyere cheese. Top with other piece of bread.

Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until toasted and the cheese is melted.

I was a little wary about the Dijon mustard; I thought it would overwhelm the sandwich. But it added a nice punch of flavor. The lemon zest really enhanced the dish and brightened up the smoked salmon. This could easily be made ahead and popped in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it back up. I’m so glad to have a new alternative to the boring and cold meat and cheese sandwiches usually eaten at lunch!