Italian Heroes

These sandwiches are tangy and yummy.  Nice to mix things up.  I did not scoop out most of the soft bread inside the rolls - that's one of my favorite parts!  Also, I didn't refrigerate them - we just at them at room temperature.  I actually toasted some of the bread and we liked it both ways.  I didn't add the onion and I forgot the olives, although I wouldn't be opposed to trying the olives next time.

Italian Heroes

Rated: Submitted By: JCAFELD Photo By: JCAFELD Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 10 Minutes Servings: 4

"These flavorful sandwiches can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for later. They are full of flavor and you can vary the ingredients to your taste."

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 (6 inch) French sandwich rolls 3/4 cup sliced roasted red peppers 2 cups arugula leaves or spring mix

8 ounces thinly sliced hard salami 8 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese 4 pepperoncini peppers, drained and chopped (optional) 1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional) 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions:

1.	In a food processor or blender, combine the artichoke hearts, garlic and olive oil. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2.	Slice the sandwich rolls in half lengthwise, and pull out most of the soft bread from the top and bottom. Spread the artichoke paste onto each side of each roll. Place layers of red peppers, arugula, salami, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, olives and onion into the rolls. Press sandwiches together, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
3.	Place sandwiches in the refrigerator, and place something heavy on top. It helps to place a plate on top, then place cans or any weighted containers on top. I used cottage cheese. Chill for up to 3 hours. Unwrap, cut in half and enjoy.

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Printed from Allrecipes.com 8/25/2015

Bang Bang Chicken

I could have sworn that I posted this, but I couldn't find it here.  Sorry if it turns out to be a repeat.  It's worth it anyway...

Bang Bang Chicken

Amazingly crisp chicken bites drizzled with sweet chili mayo - so good, you'll want to double or triple the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or more, as needed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (do not use regular breadcrumbs)

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons Frank's Hot Sauce

Instructions

• To make the sauce, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and Frank's Hot Sauce in a small bowl; set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste.
• Working one at a time, dip chicken into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko, pressing to coat.
• Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve immediately, drizzled with sweet chili sauce.

DIY Mascara

Okay, so this is not a food recipe, but I figured I'd share anyway.  I tried making this last week when my mascara ran out and I was really happy with how it turned out.  It doesn't fake or melt off and it lasts all day.  As with most DIY make-up, the initial cost is more, but the ingredients last forever and it's quite cheap overall.
I ended up adding aloe vera gel to get a smooth enough consistency (by the way, this is different from the blue aloe vera you get in the sunscreen section).

DIY Natural Mascara Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp activated charcoal (this was one capsule for me)
• 1/4 tsp bentonite clay, scant
• 1/8 tsp (about 4 drops) vegetable glycerine
• 1/4 tsp (plus more if needed) aloe vera gel
• 5 drops lavender essential oil

What to Do:

1. Mix all ingredients in a very small bowl until completely smooth.
2. Add more aloe vera gel if needed to get a smooth consistency.
3. Carefully scoop into the medicine dropper with a spatula and slowly squirt into the mascara container (or jar)
4. Alternately, you can add the ingredients directly to the mascara tube and mix with the mascara brush, though it takes a while of mixing to get the ingredients smooth inside the tube.
5. Use as you would regular mascara.