Bennigan's Turkey O'Toole

Pretzel Rolls

2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 1/4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup butter - softened
3 tablespoons baking soda
2 quarts water
1 large egg yolk

In a small bowl, whisk the yeast and 1/4 cup of the water until smooth. In the bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the remaining 1 cup water, the bread flower, yeast mixture, salt, and butter.

Mix at slow speed for three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the hook as necessary the mixture blends evenly. When the ingredients are well combined, increase the mixture speed to high and continue mixing and occasionally scraping until the dough is firm and elastic (about 8 minutes). If the mixture is too firm for the mixer to handle, finish kneading it by hand. Turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly flowered work surface and let rest for five minutes, loosely covered with a kitchen towel.

Line a baking sheet that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper and set aside.Cut the dough into eight equal pieces, approximately 4 ounces in size. Roll each into a five inch long cylinder about one inch in diameter. With the palms of your hands, roll each cylinder into a rope about 12 inches long, of even thickness throughout the entire length. Tie the rope into a loose knot in the center, then tuck the ends under the middle and mold gently into an attractive shape. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

When the pretzel dough is shaped, let it sit in a very warm, moist place to rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 50 minutes. Freeze the shaped, risen pretzel dough uncovered on the baking sheet for at least 2 hrs. and up to 24 hrs; the dough should be frozen solid.Before removing the pretzels from the freezer, combine the baking soda and water in a large sauce pan and bring it to a simmer. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the pan from the freezer and, using a large flat skimmer, dip each frozen roll in the simmering water for about 3 seconds, letting the excess water drain before returning it to the baking sheet. Brush the pretzels with the egg and water mixture, then sprinkle coarse salt over them. Immediately place the baking sheet in the hot oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 8-12 minutes more.

Spread
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice +1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard. Blend thoroughly using a wire whisk.Slowly pour in the honey and lemon juice. Continue mixing ingredients until dressing is smooth and well combined.

Assembling the Turkey O'Toole:
Pretzel Roll sliced in half
2-3 ounces Sliced Turkey (good quality deli sliced turkey, Boar's Head is a good brand)
1 Slice Swiss Cheese (Boar's Head Swiss)
Honey Dijon Spread
Spread approximately 1 Tablespoon Honey Dijon spread on top and bottom pretzel roll. Add turkey to bottom portion of pretzel roll and top with 1 slice of swiss cheese.Put sandwich under preheated broiler to just melt cheese.Remove from broiler and place the top portion of the pretzel roll on top of sandwich.

Turkey Pesto Sliders

Ingredients:
6 slider buns
6 slices of turkey deli meat
6 slices of provolone cheese
3 tbsp. pesto
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat. Split the slider buns and lay a folded slice of turkey on the bottom half of each bun. Layer each with a slice of provolone. In a small bowl, combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until blended. Spread a thin layer of the pesto mayonnaise on the inner side of the top half of each bun. Replace the top bun over the cheese to assemble the sandwiches. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with melted butter. Bake 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are warmed through.

Bagel Sandwich

First spread your bagel with Dijon Mustard.
Then choose a thin slice or two of either:
smoked turkey or chicken
lean ham
crisp bacon
a cheese of your choice. I used a spicy jalapeno havarti.
Top with a few slices of veggie . . or just thin tomato. Keep the tomato thin so it broils up nicely.
If you want a veggie sandwich just use some peppers and cheese.

Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich

Ingredients:
One 3-pound chuck roast, rinsed and dried
2 medium onions, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (preferably plum tomatoes)
1 18-ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 sandwich or hamburger buns

Directions:
1 In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roughly chopping them in the pot. Add the barbecue sauce, increase heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chuck roast. Bring to a low simmer, cover and slow cook until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours.

Harissa Steak Sandwich

Jeffrey Saad's runner-up recipe on "The Next Food Network Star"
Ingredients:
1 10-12 oz. New York strip steak or steak of your choice
3 Tb Harissa (Can buy it in the tube at many grocery stores or on line at http://www.kalustyans.com/ or http://www.surfas.com/ )
Salt and pepper
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C fresh chopped mint
1/4 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Pinch of salt
Sandwich rolls or bread of your choice
1 yellow tomato or tomato of your choice
2 C arugula leaves (watercress is good as well, spinach if you want less spice)

Directions:
Heat up your grill, grill pan or sauté pan to medium high.Season the steak with salt and pepper. Rub 1 Tb of the harissa on each side of the steak.Wipe down grill with a little oil. Place steak on grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip. Cook 3 more minutes (this will yield MR depending on the thickness of the steak. Adjust for your taste and for the size of the steak).While the steak is cooking place the mayo in a medium size bowl.In a small sauté pan over med heat add the olive oil. Once hot add the mint and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds just until you smell the perfume of the garlic and mint. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat off and stir. Stir mixture into the mayo. The warm mixture will immediately permeate the mayo with flavor and give it a beautiful color. Stir the remaining 1 Tb of Harissa into the mayo.

Grill the bread if you like. Spread mayo on both sides of the bread.Slice the steak and lay across the bread.Top with sliced tomato and arugula.

Makes 2-4 tasty sandwiches depending on how much meat you like.

*New York, Rib eye or Filet mignon will be a treat and will be very tender. The thicker the steak the better because you can get a nice crust on the steak and still have a MR, juicy center. A thin steak will often over cook by the time you get a crust. You can use a less expensive cut that will also be flavorful but I would recommend cutting it thin before grilling so it is more tender. The key is to not overcook the meat or you will lose the juiciness and tenderness. Also, make sure to let the steak sit for ten minutes before slicing to allow the juices to re-absorb. They will then absorb into your bread instead of being left on the cutting board.
*Don’t let the mint and garlic turn brown unless you like the more toasted flavor. I like to preserve the delicate perfume of the mint and garlic which then permeates the mayo and creates a fresh, bright balance to the deep, spicy richness of the harissa.
*Make sure your grill, grill pan or sauté pan is hot and oiled before you place the meat down or the moisture of the harissa will make the steak stick.

Turkey Meatball Sub

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 jar marinara sauce
sub rolls
provolone or mozzarella cheese-2 slices per sub

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until just combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Form the turkey mixture into balls and place in the skillet. Turn the meatballs every couple minutes to brown on all sides. Add marinara sauce to the pan, cover and let simmer over low heat about 15 minutes to ensure the meatballs are completely cooked. Place 4 meatballs on each sub roll that has been sliced lengthwise and spoon the marinara sauce over the meatballs. Top with cheese (I used shredded mozzarella this time, but provolone is delicious as well) and place under the broiler for a couple minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Mini Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 English muffins, preferrably whole grain, split and toasted
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or ranch dressing, regular or low-fat
8 paper thin red onion slices
2 cups fully cooked chicken
8 tablespoons smoky barbecue sauce
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spread toasted muffins with mayonnaise and place on prepared baking sheet. Top muffins with onion slices and chicken. Drizzle each half with a tablespoon of barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Veggie & Cheese Bagel Sammy

Ingredients:
Everything Bagels (or any kind of bagel)
1/2 block cream cheese
2-3 green onions
cucumbers
tomatoes
avocado
alfalfa sprouts
lettuce
Muenster cheese
cheddar cheese
red onion

Directions:
Please cream cheese on a plate and mash it a bit with a fork. Next, chop up 2-3 green onions and mix them with the cream cheese until thoroughly combined.

Slice bagel in half and toast, then cool. Spread cream cheese generously on both side. Start layering of the veggies, avocado slices first to keep them in place. Intersperse with slices of cheese.

Zesty Ginger Beer BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 cups ginger beer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded

Sweet Potato Bacon Biscuits:
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
About 4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
3/4 cup cold sweet potato puree
1/3 buttermilk

For the chicken:
In a medium saucepan place the ginger beer, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, hoisin sauce, spice powder, orange juice, garlic, lime juice, onion powder, brown sugar, salt, honey, and pepper. Bring to a simmer on low heat for 15 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken and keep warm.

For sweet potato bacon biscuits:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small skillet, caramelize onion with olive oil and sugar. In the bowl of a food processor combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Remove contents of food processor to a medium bowl. Fold in bacon and onion. Combine sweet potato puree and buttermilk. Pour into dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Place dough on a floured surface and pat into 1-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter and arrange in a buttered skillet and place into the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow biscuits to cool slightly before making sandwich.

To assemble:
Split biscuit in half. Place a generous 1/2 cup of barbeque chicken on the bottom half of the biscuit and top with other biscuit half.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:
18 spears (1 pound) grilled asparagus
1/2 cup prepared balsamic-garlic-olive oil vinaigrette
12 slices crusty sourdough bread
12 slices (6 ounces) fontina cheese
12 slices (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese (from 4-ounce ovals)
1 cup (1 ounce) fresh basil leaves
1 cup (6 ounces) roasted red-pepper pieces 12 slices (6 ounces) provolone cheese
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Directions:
Toss grilled asparagus with vinaigrette and let stand covered and refrigerated, at least 2 hours before using. Reserve. Lay 6 slices of bread on clean, flat surface. Top each slice with (in order) 2 slices fontina, 3 marinated drained asparagus spears, 2 slices fresh mozzarella, 6 fresh basil leaves, 21/2 tablespoons red pepper, and 2 slices provolone. Top with second slice of bread and brush both sides of sandwich with olive oil. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and grill sandwiches on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in 350-degree oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Havarti also makes a fabulous cheese for grilled/panini sandwhiches

* To distribute the butter more evenly, butter the bread, not the pan. This will help ensure a properly crisp sandwich.

* When using dense breads, slice them thinly so that the heat can penetrate and melt the cheese.

* Grate or shred rather than slice the cheese so it will melt faster.

* Press the sandwich with a spatula after it's been flipped to help even the spread of the cheese.

* Use a nonstick instead of a cast-iron pan; the sandwich is less likely to stick to the pan, which makes cleanup much easier.