Wednesday, August 8, 2018

rye bread and the great Reuben sandwich

Rye bread is bread made with rye grain flour. Rye comes in both light and dark color(s). Rye bread is often denser than bread made with wheat flour and also is stronger in flavor. Rye bread was considered a staple through the middle ages. 



Health benefits of Rye Bread include:

  • Many individuals who begin dieting will immediately rid their diets of carb rich foods like bread. Perhaps, this is not the best choice as not all breads are the same. Rye bread may surprise you with the number of health benefits that it offers. Many doctors and nutritionists have started to take a second look at rye bread and you may as well.
  • Rye bread does not behave like other starchy foods in that it does not break down directly to glucose. Rye bread has  low glycemic index and while it contains starch it does not have the same ill effects.
  • The fiber in rye bread can help aid in digestion health. Rye bread fiber bonds well with water molecules and encourages a feeling of being full as it expands to fill your stomach. The fiber also acts as a probiotic and promotes the growth of beneficial intestinal flora that works as "roughage" that offers a comprehensive form of digestive health
  • Have a fear of Gallstones?? If you have ever suffered pain from gallstones then you know that they are very unpleasant and not something anyone wants. Rye bread is recommended by nutritionists for those at risk of developing gallstones. The rye bread fiber helps reduce production of bile acids that cause gallstones to form.



One sandwich that calls for rye bread is the reuben. How this sandwich came about has a few probable sources (1) Reuben Kulakofsky was hosting a poker night at the Blackstone Hotel where the sandwich earned a spot on the menu  (2) Reuben's deli o New York City invented the sandwich but was it the owner Arnold Reuben or the chef Alfred Sheming that invented the sandwich??

2 slices Rye Bread
8 oz Corned Beef (flat cut is best) thinly cut slices
~1/2 cup Sauerkraut (drained)
1 slice Swiss Cheese
1 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing
1 tablespoon Butter (adjust to cover bread)
Sea Salt

Prepare corned beef in advance: Boil corned beef according to packaging ensuring it is tender enough to separate with a fork but not falling apart. Refrigerate to cool (overnight). This will allow you to slice it easier. Once cool trim off excess fat and cut out 8oz for sandwich.

Slice enough Swiss cheese to cover the bread and place the slices on one side of the bread.
Butter cast iron skillet on medium heat and place bread slices topped with cheese in the buttered pan when it is hot to touch. Toast exterior of the bread in butter until golden brown.

In another pan spread corned beef on the bottom of the pan and cook on both sides till heated through. Push beef off to the side and place sauerkraut in a lump in the pan and quickly heat through, flipping the lump once.
While sauerkraut is heating pile the meat on the non-cheese bread slice. After flipping the sauerkraut add it on top of the meat, cover with the cheesed bread, and add a generous helping of Thousand Island dressing to the sandwich. Lightly sprinkle the bread with sea salt.
Slice sandwich in half and serve.

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