Recently I shared a week’s worth of dinner recipes…now today I will share seven lunches that I love and go easily in a brown bag to take to the office. We’re changing it up from the tuna on white and the PB&J. And please…skip the “roach coach” folks!

I truly love a well-made sandwich as I’ve expressed many times before. With a bag of kettle-cooked sea salt & vinegar potato chips you just can’t go wrong…

Chicken Cutlet & Broccoli Rabe – This is a spectacular balance of sweet and savory that you will crave again soon after you are done with the last bite. On a Portuguese roll I like chicken cutlets (breaded and pan-fried in olive oil), broccoli rabe (first quickly blanched in organic chicken stock and then sautéed in a little garlic and oil), roasted red peppers all topped off with Balsamic glaze. You gotta use the thick, syrupy glaze not regular Balsamic vinegar. You can make your own by reducing Balsamic vinegar down in a pot or you can pick up a bottle at a fine Italian store (like Corrado’s in Clifton or Wayne).

Hot Soppressata & Extra Sharp Cheddar – I rarely use mayonnaise with salumi and reserve it for turkey breast but when I was looking for a way to balance out spicy soppressata, it turned out that mayo worked like a charm. I love this on a “soft brick” roll which you can really sink your teeth into. So take your roll and generously dollop it on both sides with good old Hellman’s. Layer hot soppressata (or hot capicola if you prefer) and extra sharp cheddar cheese. That’s it. The marvelous mix of all three create such a satisfying taste that you don’t need anything else. Trust me.

Mortadella, Muenster, Mushrooms – Get two slices of toasted multi-grain bread, add brown mustard to one half and cover with a piece of arugula and diced marinated mushrooms. Then alternate slices of Muenster cheese and mortadella, followed by another piece of arugula, a slice of tomato and close with the other half. This aint baloney, I’ll tell you that.

Black Forest Ham Belly Buster – I call this a belly buster because it’s huge and loaded to the gills, brought together with an olive tapenade which you can make in advance and refrigerate so it’s ready to go. Take half a cup of pitted black olives and a garlic clove. Dice the olives and garlic into very small bits and then stir in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, juice from a lemon and fresh cracked pepper. Do not use a food processor as you don’t want an olive puree, you want that coarse, hand-chopped texture. Slice open a long loaf of Semolina, scoop out some of the dough and fill it with the spread and some marinated artichoke hearts. The coldcut combo I like here is ham, pepperoni and American cheese. Throw in some fresh basil leaves, which add perfect harmony.

Stuffed Pepper Sandwich – You can find prosciutto & sharp provolone stuffed cherry peppers in fine delis, or they are also sold in a jar packed in olive oil. A bit expensive but so worth it, and on a sandwich they are simply outstanding. So get yourself that crusty roll and fill it with three stuffed peppers. Sun-dried tomatoes are the other only accompaniment that I include here. Fantastico!

R.G.F (Roast Beef-Goat Cheese-Figs) – Ready for one that’s so basic a child could assemble but can be served at a fancy luncheon? Slather creamy goat cheese on two pieces of sliced panella bread, pile high with roast beef and—ready for the kicker—top with figs. Close slices and mangia! Oh man, this will turn Wednesday “hump day” into gourmet day.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad – This is a rustic, protein-packed heart-healthy chicken salad inspired from the Mediterranean Diet of utilizing fruit and nuts. In a bowl, combine three cups of shredded, skinless chicken (I prefer using chicken from what’s left over from a roasted chicken cooked during the week. You can also buy one of those rotisseries at the supermarket but I do not recommend any canned chicken), one cup of brown raisins, one peeled Rome apple (finely diced), a half cup of chopped walnuts which have been lightly tossed in cinnamon-sugar and a touch of honey, three tablespoons of mayo, salt and pepper. Simply spread the chicken salad down on a round Kaiser and enjoy!


I covered breakfast here:
http://www.i-italy.org/bloggers/15420/what-came-first-taylor-ham-or-egg.

For more lunches, check out my “Sensational Salumi” blog from last July, complete with a list of 13 outstanding New Jersey & New York salumerias and delis:
http://www.i-italy.org/bloggers/15150/sensational-salumi.

Coming next week, seven cocktail recipes!