 Welcome to Sara Moulton.com/Weeknight Meals, the companion web site to my new public television series, Sara's Weeknight Meals. The new show is based on my last cookbook, Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals, and it's all about getting quick tasty meals on the table during the work week. This week's show is about sandwiches. Everyone likes sandwiches, so why should they just be for lunch? A well-made sandwich is a thing of beauty, but many of us don’t think of it as dinner. I’d like to change that forever. The hearty sandwiches I’m making offer a lot of complexity – big flavors, tasty toppings and add-ons, a whole meal on a bun or between slices of bread.
First Recipe:
Pressed Smoked Salmon or Turkey Reubens, Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 93 (recipe follows).
Recommended side dish: Sautéed Shredded Beets with Balsamic Vinegar, Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 305.
Recommended Wine Pairing: Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
Second Recipe:
Fried Clam Sandwiches, Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 94 (recipe follows).
Recommended side dish: Cucumber Salad: thinly sliced cucumber tossed with rice vinegar, thinly sliced onions, hot pepper flakes and a pinch of sugar and salt.
Recommended Beverage Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc or a boutique beer.
Third Recipe:
Middle Eastern Meatball Sandwiches with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 97 (recipe follows).
Recommended side dish: Southwestern Sweet Potato Sauté, Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 294 or Grated Carrot Salad, Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 293.
Recommended Wine: Merlot or Sangiovese.
Pressed Smoked Salmon Turkey Reubens
Makes 4 sandwiches
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 27 minutes
Built of corned beef, melted Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing, the Reuben sandwich is a masterpiece of heart-stopping excess, huge not only in flavor but in size. Indeed, as my father-in-law might say, the typical Reuben sandwich is “big enough to choke a horse.” I suppose that trying to invent a less than Rubenesque Reuben was slightly sacrilegious – rather like dreaming of a low-cal version of foie gras – but I thought it might be worth a shot. I substituted both smoked salmon and smoked turkey for the corned beef and – wonder of wonders – found them to be equally delicious. So it’s up to you – choose whichever one suits your mood.
By the way, you can make this sandwich on a panini grill, if you happen to have one. If not, my homemade press works just as well.
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
8 slices rye bread
4 to 6 ounces thinly sliced Gruyère, Italian Fontina, or Swiss cheese
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon or smoked turkey
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can sauerkraut, drained, rinsed and gently squeezed dry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, pickle, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread one side of each slice of bread with some of the dressing.
Arrange half of the cheese on four of the slices. Divide the salmon, sauerkraut, and remaining cheese among the cheese-topped slices of bread and top each with one of the remaining bread slices, dressing-side down.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; add the sandwiches and something heavy (such as a cast iron skillet, flat saucepan lid, or heatproof plate and a weight such as a food can) to firmly press the sandwiches down. Cook for 6 minutes a side or until golden and the cheese has melted. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
 Fried Clam Sandwich
Makes 6 servings
Hands-on time: 35 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes
I just love fried clams. Let me back up here—I actually love anything fried, but you can’t always justify it from the mess and caloric point of view. Clams were made to be fried. Anybody who has been to Cape Cod or Ipswich, MA or to one of the many little food shacks along the New England coast knows how special they are. The trouble is when I asked my fishmonger about the availability of soft shell clams (the usual suspect for this dish) he said they were not so easy to find and really quite expensive if you got them already shucked. I decided to go with littlenecks instead and yes, littlenecks are a little chewy but the flavor is right there.
Beer Batter (recipe follows)
Quick Herb Sauce (recipe follows) or Rouille (Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals, page 314)
6 hot dog rolls, preferably top split
2 tablespoons melted butter
Vegetable oil for deep frying
2 pints shucked (preferably by your fishmonger) littleneck clams
2 cups packed shredded iceberg or Romaine lettuce
6 lemon wedges
Make the Beer Batter, strain it, and let it rest while you prepare the Quick Herb Sauce. Combine the seasoned flour as directed in the beer batter recipe. Preheat the oven to 225° F.
Heat a griddle or cast iron frying pan over high heat until hot; reduce the heat to medium-high. Brush the outsides of the rolls with melted butter and toast on the griddle, turning until all sides are golden, 4 to 6 minutes total. Keep the rolls warm in the oven while you fry the clams.
Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan to 375° F. Drain the clams and pat dry. Working with about one-fourth of the clams at a time, dip them in the flour mixture, shake off the excess, then dip them in the batter to coat them and let the excess drip off. Add the clams to the oil and deep fry until they are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining clams.
Spoon a little Quick Herb Sauce on the toasted rolls. Divide the clams among the rolls. Top each with some lettuce and serve with a lemon wedge.
Beer Batter: Whisk together 1 cup beer, 1 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until almost smooth. Strain through a strainer and let rest, covered, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Check the consistency, it should be as thick as a slightly thick pancake batter; if it is not, add more beer. Combine 1/2 cup flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a soup plate or plastic bag. Dip the item to be fried in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess before coating it in the batter. Most items should be fried at a temperature of 365? to 375?F and sprinkled with salt right after they are removed from the hot oil. Makes about 1 3/4 cups, enough to coat 4 servings meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables
Quick Herb Sauce: Combine 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed, and spun dry, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, rinsed and dried, 2 scallions (white and light green parts), coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup), 1 large garlic clove, minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons), 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, and kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 1 1/8 cups
Middle Eastern Meatball Sandwiches with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Makes 4 Servings
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 35 minutes
This is nothing more than a fancy hamburger on a skewer with a garlicky yogurt sauce, but boy, is it good. It was a hit with my family the very first time I made it. You’re welcome to top it off with some sautéed peppers and onions, but it’s pretty substantial all by itself.
4-inch piece English cucumber, grated in a food processor or by hand (about 3/4 cup)
1 3/4 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt or drained regular plain whole-milk yogurt
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 pounds ground beef, lamb, or turkey
1 1/2 small onions, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon rinsed, dried, and finely chopped fresh oregano or mint or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 pita breads with pockets, warmed
Shredded romaine lettuce for garnish
Preheat a grill or broiler. Combine the cucumber with the yogurt, 1 teaspoon garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Combine the beef, onions, eggs, oregano, remaining garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the mixture holds together well. Form into 8 ovals about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide and thread them onto metal skewers.
Brush the meatballs with the olive oil and place the skewers on an oiled rack or a broiler pan. Grill or broil 4 inches from the heat source, turning to brown on all sides, until cooked through, about 8 minutes a side. Remove the skewers from the grill or broiler and slip the meatballs off the skewers.
Cut the pita breads in half and tuck a meatball into each half. Serve at once topped with some of the cucumber yogurt sauce and shredded lettuce.
If you don’t want to invest in a Panini Machine, you can improvise your own machine by cooking your sandwiches in a heavy skillet (cast iron and/or a ridged grill pan would be a good choice) and pressing them down with another skillet topped by a brick (if you happen to have a brick kicking around) or a full kettle.
There are several things you can do to get more juice out of citrus. You can roll it on the counter while pressing down which sort of bruises it. Or you can pop it in a 300º F oven for about 10 minutes. Or you can put it in a microwave oven for 20 seconds. All of these tricks help to make the juice come out more easily. This is especially helpful with limes that don’t give up their juice easily (and if you are a fan of those fun Latin alcoholic drinks with lots of fresh lime juice this will streamline the drink-making process). Meanwhile, my colleague and buddy, Ming Tsai says that he thinks nuking citrus makes the juice taste cooked. I disagree but you can decide for yourself.
When I am flouring an ingredient, especially something small like clams, scallops, zucchini sticks, etc – I follow this procedure:
Line a pie plate with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, fill the parchment with seasoned flour (flour seasoned with salt and pepper to taste – I just add salt and pepper and then take a little taste to make sure it is properly seasoned) and then, working in batches, add the clams or scallops to the flour and coat them with flour by lifting up the sides of the parchment and tossing them around. Then I shake the clams in a sieve and cook them right away. If you flour an ingredient ahead of time and let it sit, it will sweat and become gummy.
You don’t need a deep fryer to fry at home (they take up too much space
anyway). If you have a large DEEP saucepan you can use that. Fill it up with no more than 2 inches of oil (an oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil or they now make a high smoke point canola). Heat the oil to the appropriate temperature according to the recipe, which is usually around 365º F, using a deep fat thermometer to read the temperature. When the fat is hot, add a batch of the battered clams. Do not add too many or the temperature will drop significantly and the fat might bubble up too high. Do not drop the clams from a distance or the oil might spatter and hurt you. Transfer with a slotted spoon or spider (large strainer/spoon which is used a lot in Asian cooking) to paper towels to drain and salt while they are still hot. You can keep batches in a warm oven while you fry the remaining clams.
If you want to lighten up the meatball sandwich recipe by using ground turkey or pork that is fine but keep in mind that ground turkey and pork tend to be dry and tough because they are so lean. You can make the end result more moist and tender by adding some shredded napa cabbage and perhaps some diced red or green pepper to the meatball mix.
If you are substituting dry herbs for fresh herbs the general ratio is 1 to 3, so for every tablespoon (which is 3 teaspoons) of fresh herbs you will need 1 teaspoon dried. But whenever possible please try to use fresh herbs; they have a much fresher flavor.
The colorful Citrus Juicers that I use on the show are available from Broadway Panhandler. They come in three sizes – a large orange one for oranges, smaller yellow for lemons, and yep you guessed it, an even smaller one for limes. I find that the yellow one works fine for lemons and limes. Recently when we covered “gadgets for $20 or under” on GMA, I discovered a new Mexican-style citrus juicer which has two reamers (a yellow and a green) built into one.
The Double Skewers I use on the show, which are my favorites, were invented by my friend Elizabeth Karmel, who has a wonderful website called www.Girlsatthegrill.com She used to work for a company that manufactures grills and is my go to person about everything related to grilling. These double kabob skewers can be found at www.laprimashops.com. Go to the category “bbq/grilling essentials and click on “Grill Friends”
Discover your Food Processor Grating Disk. Almost every food processor comes with this attachment. I use it to grate all sorts of vegetables. Use it for carrots, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, basically any root vegetable and you will find that they take no time at all to sauté in a skillet with a little vegetable or olive oil. Heat the oil, add the grated vegetables and cook stirring, for about 3 minutes. A touch of lemon or lime juice, balsamic vinegar, toasted nuts, and/or fresh herbs, dresses them up a bit.
I am a fan of Low Fat Mayonnaise (not no fat, no fat = no flavor), because I prefer the lighter texture. My favorite brand happens to be Hellmann’s but whatever brand is your favorite check out their low fat version. Why not save a few calories? Sometimes I add a little fresh lemon juice to balance the sugar that you find in most commercial mayonnaise.
There are 2 main types of clams found in the Northeast, quahogs (pronounced ko-hogs) and soft shells. Quahogs are classified by size. Littlenecks are 1 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches across and you get about 7 to 10 per pound. They are tender and have a sweet taste. Cherrystones are 2 1/4 to 3 inches across and come 5 to 7 a pound. They are chewier than the littlenecks. The largest clams, are simply called quahogs or chowder clams and are chopped up and used for just that. Soft shells, also known as steamers, fryers, or long necks (after the black siphon that protrudes out of their shells) are usually steamed or shucked and turned into fried clams. They really should be called “thin shells,” because their shells are thinner, not really softer, than other clams.
I chose to use littlenecks for this recipe because they are easier to find than soft shells (or steamers.)
Greek Yogurt is much thicker in texture than your usual supermarket brand.
Many supermarkets (I know Whole Foods does) carry a Greek yogurt called FAGE and even the no fat version is delicious (alright I am contradicting myself, in this case no fat does have flavor). If you can’t find Greek yogurt you can simulate your own: purchase about 1/3 more regular yogurt than the amount of Greek yogurt called for in the recipe and allow it to drain in a coffee-filter-lined strainer in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or until it has reduced to the necessary amount. For example, drain 1 cup of regular yogurt to get 2/3 cup or 3 cups of regular yogurt to get 2 cups.
When you buy Ground Beef, I recommend getting ground meat from a specific muscle such as ground chuck, sirloin or round. I am not a fan of something called ground beef or just ”hamburger” I like to know what muscle my meat came from. Of course the best solution is to grind your own. Many kitchen ware stores sell meat grinders. And the Kitchen Aid mixer has a meat grinding attachment which is very easy to use (who knows you might start making your own sausages?).
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