Muffuletta Panini

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The first time VB said he wanted to make muffuletta sandwiches, I said, mofo-what-the-H-E-double-hockey-sticks-are-you-talking-about? Muffuletta sandwiches are Italian sandwiches generally consist of various deli meats and cheeses smothered in olive salad. We made it once on a prior occasion and... it wasn't very good. The main problem was that the olive salad, which is a pureed paste of brined or marinated vegetables, has a lot of moisture that made the bread soggy. Also, we added feta cheese, which unfortunately has a vomit-like taste when mixed with olives. Anyways, I'm going to spare everyone of more cringe-inducing descriptions and leave it at that.

This second attempt, I simplified the olive salad mix and added more fresh vegetables. For the olive salad, I processed 1/2 cup of black olives, 1/2 cup of green olives, 4 marinated artichoke hearts, and 1 cup of Gardiniera (a mixture Italian marinated vegetables), plus juice from half a lemon into a thick paste. To assemble the sandwich, I split ciabatta bread in half, layered in provolone cheese, roasted red bell peppers, broiled eggplant slices, lightly roasted tomato slices, olive salad and a handful of arugula on top. I wrap the assembled sandwich in aluminum foil and turn the oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone and a cast iron skillet inside. I put the sandwich on top of pizza stone and weigh it down with the cast iron skillet for 10 to 15 minutes. The result is a delicious sandwich with crispy, not soggy, bread.

I really like how these flavors work together -- the salty olive salad, the sweet roasted bell peppers, the bitter arugula and the creamy provolone make this a harmonious and well-balanced sandwich.

Soy Buttermilk Pancakes

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Usually, we go out for dinner on weekends. This particular Saturday, VB had a vicious IHOP craving, until he realized that it is no longer serving all-you-can-eat pancakes. It was one of those days that three pancakes in a standard order just won't do. So we decided to make our own pancakes at home.

This was a simple pancake recipe that made us very happy. All you need is 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of soy milk, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of baking soda. First, combine vinegar and soy milk to make soy buttermilk, then whisk everything together and you've got the pancake batter.

We also had home fries and Morning Star veggie sausages (both patties and links). I liked the veggie sausage patties, but the links were weird and mushy. With some ketchup and maple syrup, the IHOP craving was officially cured. It's a miracle!

Hummus Plate

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Last night, I made this quick and delicious Middle Eastern-inspired hummus plate with a distinctive California twist. It was so effortlessly simple that I had the entire thing done easily after work. This was the real deal 30-minute meal (I threw in the fancy rhyme just for kicks). The result was a fantastically fresh and balanced meal.

We had a simple salad, consisted of chopped romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes and Persian cucumbers dressed simply with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Also, we had garlic artichoke couscous with chopped rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and parsley picked straight from my herb garden (the best 8 dollars I ever spent).

Finally, the star of this show was the avocado hummus, which was made by processing together one 15-ounce can of chickpeas, 1 clove of garlic, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons of tahini paste, 2 avocados, juice from 2 lemons, 1/4 cup of water (give or take depending on how smooth you like your hummus), and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I also toasted some pita bread for dipping.

Seriously, this meal is so easy, a (vegetarian) caveman can do it.