Cold cuts for the hot summer

During the dog-days of summer the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove for hours on end. Chef Kathleen Daelemans prepares some quick and easy sandwiches for you and your family that taste great without tuckering you out in the trying heat. Check out the recipes below.

MOZZARELLA IN CORRAZZA Kathleen Daelemans Two servings INGREDIENTS • 2 eggs • 1/4 cup low fat milk • ½ teaspoon coarse grained salt • Fresh ground pepper to taste • 2 oz. skim milk mozzarella • 4 slices square Italian or sourdough sandwich bread, crusts removed • Extra virgin olive oil spray Recipe continues below ↓ advertisement DIRECTIONS In a large shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until completely combined. Using a cheese cutter or knife, cut the mozzarella into six slices. Set on a plate near stove. Quickly, so that one slice of bread doesn’t soak up more than its fair share of egg batter, dredge the slices of bread through the egg mixture, coating both sides evenly. Set aside. Spray a 12” non-stick skillet set over medium high heat, with olive oil. When hot but not smoking, add four slices of bread to the pan. Cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Turn two of the bread slices over and place one fourth of the cheese in a single layer over each of the two cooked side-up slices. Place remaining two slices of bread on top of the cheese, done side down, on top of the cheese. Continue cooking until golden. Flip sandwiches over and cook the fourth side until golden, 2-3 minutes. MANAGE YOUR RECIPES

RAW BEET SALAD Kathleen Daelemans 4-6 servings INGREDIENTS • 1 shallot, minced • 2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar • 1 pound beets (the larger the better) • » teaspoon coarse ground salt • 1/8th teaspoon cracked black pepper • 1 ½ Tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1 ½ Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, chervil or rosemary) DIRECTIONS Place shallot in the bowl you’ll prepare the dressing in. Pour sherry vinegar over shallots and let stand 30 minutes or several hours. Using a carrot peeler, peel the beets and trim their ends. Julienne or grate beets and place in salad bowl. Add salt, Dijon mustard and olive oil to bowl with shallots. Whisk until combined. Add fresh herbs and mix once more. Pour over beets. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Shortcut chef: Buy a one pound beet. I know it sounds outrageous and beet elitists might insist that the larger the beet, the woodier it tastes, but I’ve tested this recipe time and again with one giant beet and have never been disappointed. Bottom line, it’s easier to trim, peel and shred one beet than it is 5 or more and I’m lazy. What can I say? MANAGE YOUR RECIPES

A heavenly dessert served in other countries for breakfast or an afternoon snack. A treat I like to enjoy on occasion too. A nifty and satisfying dessert you can serve on those nights when unexpected company arrives. This can be made with any good bread you have on hand. I happen to like the tangy, yeasty flavor of Italian sourdough against the semisweet nature of the slightly bitter chocolate unless I’m pretending to be on holiday in Paris, in which case I love to make this using a fresh baguette.

This is a great thing to do on an evening when you’ve got a few minutes to spare. Make tomorrow’s dinner today and you’re “off” the following night. Create enough “leftovers” throughout the week to build this sandwich on the weekend. Don’t follow this recipe if you’ve got ideas of your own. Try sliced cucumbers, grilled vegetables, cooked chicken or salami instead of tuna and egg.

Flank steak is a rich, beefy cut of meat that because of its porous nature loves a good marinade, and good certainly doesn’t mean complicated. After testing dozens of rubs, spice mixes and marinades, I found my favorite way to dress this quick-cook steak is to sprinkle it with coarse-grained salt, a grind of cracked black pepper, a few squeezes of fresh lime juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

SALSA VERDE Kathleen Daelemans Makes 2 cups INGREDIENTS • 2 cups coarsely chopped, loosely packed fresh herbs • 1 Tablespoon rinsed, chopped capers • Zest of one lemon, minced • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or more to taste • ½ Cup extra virgin olive oil • Coarse grained salt to taste MANAGE YOUR RECIPES

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