I found this recipe in the new Martha Stewart Living magazine that all the sudden I started getting in my mail. I was a subscriber to Every Day Food and someone on my facebook page informed me that Every Day Food was no longer going to published. BUMMER! This new magazine is pretty good though. It gives you ideas for your home a long with a section of recipes to try. So, I think I’ll keep it.

I’ve been trying to eat a lot healthier lately and I’ve already lost 2 pounds since joining the gym. Yay! This sandwich is a really healthy lunch to eat and you get your protein from the egg. Toast some whole wheat/whole grain bread. Poach and egg and mash up some avocado. Season to your liking.  Avocado is so good on almost everything, I even like it on top of some sardines and tuna.

Avocado and Tomato make the perfect summer sandwich. I used 100% Whole Wheat bread  and instead of heating up the oven, I used the toaster.  Right when the toast comes out of the toaster, brush it with some garlic and top it with the tomato and avocado mixture.  Yummm!! Avocados are kind of expensive right now. Where I live, they’re $1.50 for one. This week they have them on sale 4/$5.00. I better go and get some, because I could eat this everyday for lunch this week, a long with some watermelon.

Nutrition Info: Calories 257 | 12.27g | Carbohydrate 34.36g | Fiber 9 |  Protein 7.27g

Points Plus + 7

Ingredients from Just a Taste

Yield: 12-15 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 6 min

Ingredients:

Directions:

Nutrition Info: Serves 4
Calories 461 | Total Fat 16.32g | Total Carbohydrate 50.96g  | Protein 26.39g  | Dietary Fiber 2.7g

Ingredients:

4 oz.  Swiss Cheese, cut into 12 thin slices
2 large eggs
1 cup low fat milk
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
4 slices thin sliced ham
8 slices white bread

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk salt and pepper. Set aside.

Assemble six sandwiches, each with one slice of ham and two slices of cheese between two slices of bread. Cut each sandwich into quarters.

Heat half of the melted butter in a large nonstick pan on medium heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan.

Dip half of the sandwich quarters into the egg and milk mixture, turning to coat. Immediately place in preheated pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melting. Repeat with remaining butter and  sandwiches. Serve hot.

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I’ve decided that I like Monte Cristo sandwiches better than Croque Monsieurs. Croque Monsieurs are still good, but these are less time consuming to make. You make the ham and cheese sandwich and then dip them in an egg and milk mixture and then pan fry the sandwich. How easy is that?

There’s a bread company close by me called Great Harvest. They have really good bread there, and I like to stop in there every now and then. A loaf of white bread costs almost 5.00, but at least you’re not paying for added fillers. The main ingredients in their bread is flour, honey, yeast, and salt. 110 calories per slice. Not bad, not bad at all.  The only bad part about bread like that, is that it gets old faster so you have to use it up as soon as you can, so we’re going to have french toast for dinner tonight.

Ingredients from Aarti Sequeira

1 boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), about 3 pounds, excess fat removed

Rub:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt

BBQ Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (seeds discarded if you don’t like it spicy)
Kosher salt
2 cups mango puree
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Brioche rolls, split
Bread and butter pickles

Directions

Rub: Combine the rub ingredients, in a small bowl and massage it into the pork shoulder until well coated. Set aside while you make BBQ sauce. You could do this a day ahead and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm the oil, over low heat, until hot and shimmering. Add the cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact – be careful! Once the spluttering subsides, add the onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until they soften but don’t let them get any color. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and season.

Add the pork shoulder to the saucepan, coating it with the sauce. Cover, and gently simmer until the pork falls apart easily, stirring and turning often, about 3 hours.

Remove the pork from the saucepan and shred it using 2 forks. Return it to the sauce and stir to coat with the sauce. Put a generous spoonful of the pork inside a brioche bun, top with a few slices of pickle and serve. Cook’s Note: prepare to have your loved one swoon over you!

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I think this may be my new favorite pulled pork recipe. I didn’t have any mango puree, so I used Mango Nectar. Found it in the Ethnic aisle where I shop at. I am a fan of Aarti’s on facebook and that is what she said you could use if you couldn’t find mango puree. You can however make your own mango puree and buy some frozen mango chunks in the freezer section at the grocery store and then blend them in your food processor. I’m going to try that next time I make this recipe. It’s very sweet for a BBQ sauce and I like that. Usually we just have beer and bbq sauce, which isn’t bad either.

There is another recipe of Aarti’s that I want to try for Shrimp Po boys or however you spell that. I think she is my favorite out of all the next Food Network stars that have won so far. Guy Fieri is just annoying and he uses way too many ingredients to make his dishes. He makes a better host, than a chef. Melissa D Arabian was ok too, and I will watch her on Sunday mornings. I’ve tried quite a few of her recipes and they turned out great.

I’ve been looking for new sandwiches or ideas to eat for lunch that are easy and good to eat. Usually, I just eat leftovers or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That gets really boring fast. Ben has his veggie burger everyday for lunch. I tried those and I just didn’t like it. This is an everything bagel, with smoked salmon, and chive and onion cream cheese. It’s so delicious. The smell of smoked salmon makes my mouth water and when you eat it with this bagel it just melts in your mouth.

The plate in this picture is from my friend Ashley. She gave it to me for Christmas a long with another cute serving platter. I love collecting cute plates now. A good thing we have a pantry to store all those dishes in it. I also got a fleece blanket from Heidi to keep me warm and Ben said “Good, we can keep the thermostat at an even lower temperature now.” Ha ha he’s so funny. We like to fight over what the temperature in our house is right now.

Ingredients

Thomas Everything Bagels

Philadelphia Chive and Onion cream cheese

smoked salmon

Directions:

Toast bagel. Spread cream cheese on bagel and top with smoked salmon.