Looking for a healthy way to celebrate National Hamburger Month? We were sent this recipe by Michael Scipione, fitness/lifestyle consultant and owner/personal trainer of Absolute Definition in Philadelphia. Most recently Scipione decided to combine his passion for cooking and provide a private/personal catering/cooking service for his clients named Sano, meaning healthy in Italian.

The Sano Burger, made with 100% ground turkey breast, served on a whole-wheat roll is a Greek/French fusion, with Sano’s own eggplant/sun-dried tomato yogurt spread in lieu of mayonnaise. This low fat, low glycemic, high protein burger creation is accompanied by oven roasted yam fries. Scipione proves that “eating healthy does not have to be boring with his flavorful burger.” Hit the jump for the recipe.

The Turkey Burger
- 1 LB of ground turkey breast
- ¼ LB of French Feta Cheese
- ¼ cup of 2% milk
- 1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. of catsup
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ tsp. course ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup of the prepared sautéed eggplant mixture (see recipe below)

Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and hand mix
2. Form the turkey into 4 patties about 1½ inch thick
3, Add a couple of drops of olive oil onto each patty before placing on the grill pan
4. Cook on high for approx. 4 – 4 ½ min per side, flipping once, until medium well or until juices run clear

Sautéed Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lg. eggplant (purple) cut into ¼ inch rounds approx. 1/8 inch thick
- 1 medium red onion (cut into thinly sliced halves)
- 1 cup of fresh spinach
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. of dried oregano
- 1 handful sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
- zest and juice of ½ of a lemon
- ¼ cup of pitted kalamata olives (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar
- 8 oz fat and sodium free chicken stock
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ tsp. course ground black pepper

Directions
1. In a large heated pan add 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, along with the red onion, bay leaf, salt, black and red pepper flakes, sauté for approx. 2 min
2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, lemon zest, sauté another 2-3min add the eggplant and sauté’ an additional 3-4 minutes
3. Clear off a hot spot in your pan, add the Dijon mustard into the center of it, then a minute later add the red wine vinegar, lower the flame to medium-high heat, stir to coat the rest of the ingredients
4, When the vinegar smell dissipates, add the chicken stock and reduce until almost all of the liquid is gone
remove from flame and wilt in the spinach

Greek Mayo
- 8 oz fat free Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 ladle of the sautéed eggplant mixture

Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredient into a food processor for approximately 45 sec to a minute, mixture should be thick in consistency

Oven Roasted Orange Coriander/Sage Yam Fries
- 2 lbs yams
- ½ lb shallots (sliced thin)
- 1 tsp. ground sage
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- zest of 1 large orange
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ taps course ground black pepper

Directions
1. Peel the yams and cut into ½ inch strips lengthwise
2. Place into large bowl and add the shallots and the rest of the remaining ingredients, mix with hands
4. Be sure to coat all of the fries with the herbs and spices and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (mix with your hands for the best results
5. Place on middle oven rack in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes

Plating Your Burger
1. First, remove most of the dough from the roll and spread the topping on both sides of a whole-wheat roll. 2. Place fresh spinach on the bottom of the roll, add the burger and the sautéed vegetables for the topping
3. Place the yam fries and the Greek yogurt eggplant spread in lieu of catsup for a dipping sauce

Let’s face it, with the holiday season in full swing, our wallets are feeling a little tight. A great way to stretch those dollars even further is to create meals with leftovers in mind. This flank steak two ways from goodLife {eats} will not only help you woo that Friday night date, but makes for a great lunch on Saturday and Sunday as well.

What meals do you cook with the day after sandwich in mind?

Flank Steak & Marinade – Two Ways [goodLife {eats}]

The month of October has swept in on a cold gust of wind, and what better way to keep warm than a hearty sandwich? Over at Yum Sugar, Iron Chef Cat Cora shares her barbecue brisket sandwich recipe, representing her Mississippi cooking background.

The sandwich which is on the menu at Cora’s CCQ restaurant in California, is also accompanied by a recipe for her signature Mississippi Mud sauce. Check out the full post for beautiful photos of the sandwich being constructed, and impress your friends with your newly acquired Iron Chef skills tonight!

Cat Cora’s Ultimate Barbecue Brisket Sandwich [Yum Sugar]

Sure, canned salmon lacks a certain gourmet flair; but for just a few bucks, you can get wild-caught Alaska salmon, full of protein and healthy oils, and turn it into something flavorful and satisfying.  Add some fresh dill, lemon and Dijon mustard, and you can make fast, easy salmon burgers that hit the spot without doing too much damage to your checking account. Full recipe after the jump.

Ingredients
•  2 cans (7-1/2 oz. each) Alaska salmon
•  2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
•  1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
•  3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
•  1/2 cup chopped dill
•  3 egg whites
•  salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Drain salmon. Combine lemon juice and mustard. Blend salmon with bread crumbs, dill and lemon juice mixture. Mix in egg whites. Form mixture into 4 patties and pan fry or broil until golden brown and heated through. Squeeze fresh lemon to taste on top of the burgers as soon as they come off the heat. Serve each burger on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce.

For extra flavor, render some diced bacon or pancetta; add to mixture.

According to Gourmet Magazine, meat and cheese between bread, is like second nature to humans. We couldn’t agree more. The sandwich journey spans from Momofuku chef/owner David Chang’s pork belly buns to a tuna nicoise sandwich and the Monte Cubano, an amalgam of two classics working together for a greater good. If you find the photographs as drool inducing as we do, you’ll be glad to hear that each sandwich is accompanied by a recipe.

Sandwiches Of The World [Gourmet]

Summer is sprinting to the finish line as nights get cooler in the week leading up to Labor Day.  And as the back-to-school sales kick into high gear and we wonder how summer flew by so quickly, it’s time to give one final nod to the season in the form of tasty, adorable mini ice cream sandwiches.  Two Entenmann’s original chocolate chip cookies are the buttery setting for a tablespoon of creamy vanilla bean ice cream.  Perfect for that Labor Day barbecue or to ease the farewell to the beach, tell summer to hang on a moment longer – you’ve got ice cream sandwiches to enjoy.

Note: Freeze sandwiches for about 30 minutes before serving.

John Taus, chef at Snackbar in Philadelphia, sent us a recipe for his fig mostarda.  The sweet and tangy mostarda is typically paired with Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese at the restaurant, but Chef Taus told us the mostarda would also work perfectly as a condiment on any type of prosciutto sandwich.

Snackbar tweets its specials each day, so follow them on Twitter and see what Chef Taus has cooking up.

Ingredients

one pint dry figs, stems removed
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole grain mustard, preferably Maille brand
Salt to taste

Directions

Put dry figs in small pot with sherry and sugar.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
Reduce cooking liquid to a syrup consistency.
Place fig mixture in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
Use water to thin out the consistency of the purree in order to make it spreadable.
Remove mixture from blender and whisk in mustard. Season with salt to taste. Adjust mustard and sherry to your personal liking.

Snackbar
253 S. 20th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)

Coconut & Lime is firing up the panini press for a series of recipes this week, and taking some beautiful pictures along the way.  Rachel Rappaport’s mouthwatering recipes are making us hungry for crispy pressed sandwiches like Sesame-Ginger Pork and Prosciutto di Parma with Capicola.  We will be checking back throughout the week to see the tasty combinations that Coconut & Lime is sure to put between grilled bread.

We caught up with Coconut & Lime’s creator Rachel Rappaport:

Unbreaded: Can you give us a little background about C&L?
Rachel Rappaport: I started Coconut & Lime back in 2004 as a place to share my recipes with friends. It slowly grew until the point where I now do it full time. I really enjoy creating my own recipes for food and sharing them with my readers. It is a lot of work but worth it when I see how well my recipes are received by people who make them in their own kitchens!

UB: You’ve made a lot of sandwiches.  Can you give us some lessons learned?
RR: While I enjoy buying fancy meats and cheeses to make my own gourmet sandwiches, I really love making sandwiches out of leftovers from other meals. It makes the idea of eating leftovers much more palatable; it is almost as if you weren’t eating leftovers at all.

UB: If you could eat any sandwich in the world right now, what would it be, and from where?
RR: Luckily my favorite sandwich is easily obtained at our local Italian deli. It is called the Old World Italian and has great Italian meats and cheese and an olive spread that is truly divine.

UB: What’s your favorite sandwich to throw together in the middle of the night?
RR: Grilled cheese! Made with sharp Cabot cheddar and occasionally some Canadian bacon or tomato.

Via [Coconut & Lime]

With the last weeks of summer approaching, we’re trying every way possible to hold back these sun filled, lazy days of relaxation. What better way to live it up, then by treating yourself to some delicious, and rich lobster rolls? The cool combination of succulent Maine lobster, celery, and lemon juice is a great way to reminisce about the road trips, beach vacations, and other fun summer activities, before it’s time to return to school and work. This recipe from the great recipe blog Smitten Kitchen is simple, and flavorful, substituting the traditional hot dog style bun for a brioche roll.

Lobster Rolls
Light Brioche Burger Buns [Smitten Kitchen]

Eggplant caponata is an easy and delicious way to cook up lots of vegetables from the garden or farm.   Summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, and, of course, eggplant, are cooked down to a pulp and mixed with tangy olives, capers and vinegar to create a classic Sicilian sweet and sour vegetarian antipasto or side dish.  Served as a pressed sandwich on Tuscan bread with fontina cheese, a caponata Panini is the perfect light summer meal.

Ingredients

Olive oil
2 nice large purple eggplants, cut into large chunks
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and stems finely chopped
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed, soaked,and drained
a handful of green olives, pits removed
2—3 tablespoons best-quality herb vinegar
5 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
optional: 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Serves 4

Directions

1.    Get yourself a large pan, pour in a couple of glugs of olive oil, and place on the heat. Add your eggplant chunks and oregano, season with a little salt, and toss around so the eggplant is evenly coated by the oil. Cook on a high heat for around 4 or 5 minutes, giving the pan a shake every now and then. (Depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook the eggplant in batches.)
2.    When the eggplants are nice and golden on each side, add the onion, garlic, and parsley stems and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Feel free to add a little more oil to the pan if you feel it’s getting too dry.
3.    Throw in the drained capers and the olives and drizzle over the herb vinegar. When all the vinegar has evaporated, add the tomatoes and simmer for around 15 minutes or until tender.
4.    Taste before serving and season if you need to with salt, pepper, and a little more vinegar. Drizzle with some good olive oil and serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley leaves and the almonds if you like.

Excerpted from JAMIE’S ITALY by Jamie Oliver. Copyright 2006 Jamie Oliver. All rights reserved. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold.