On Monday evening, a college friend of Corrin’s joined us for a rousing evening of Ratatouille (which he gamely helped to prepare) and Pandemic (our new favorite board game). While stirring the eggplant-onion-pepper-squash-garlic-and-tomato mixture, Toby let on that he “didn’t cook much”, which started a long conversation about peanut butter toast and sandwiches. His eyes grew big and awed as Corrin described the lunch sandwiches she makes for us each day, so I promised to write-up a step-by-step guide. Bon appétit, Toby!
Yum.
This week’s sandwiches consist of hummous, spinach, roasted red peppers, cornichon, and lemon-pepper chicken on whole wheat sourdough. That sounds really impressive until you realize that every part of the sandwich is pre-made by someone else, at which point it becomes just smart shopping at a decent grocery store.
- On your shopping trip, pick out a hefty loaf of sandwich bread, a bunch of spinach or salad greens, and a flavorful deli meat or two (ask the person behind the counter to point out the least processed options). Then head over to the olive bar and prepared foods section; pick up a container of hummous (roasted garlic-infused hummous is fabulous, but we sadly avoid it to spare colleagues and clients from pungent afternoons), and an assortment of dressing items. Roasted red peppers, marinated mushrooms, Greek olives, and cornichons or other spicy pickles are among our favorite choices.
- Place your sandwich fixings on the counter, and get to work building a concoction. With quality ingredients, you can’t really go wrong; if you want to play it safe, keep sweets with other sweets and savories with other savories.When Corrin prepares our lunches, she usually spreads hummous on both pieces of bread, then on one side places the peppers, pickles, spinach, and meats, then tops it with the other slice of bread. We’ve found that this keeps our sandwiches from falling apart in lunch boxes (particularly if they’re tightly wrapped), but experiment and find what works for you.
Some other tips:
- Toasting your bread makes it stand up to moist ingredients over time.
- Hummous is light and mild compared to mayonnaise or mustard; apply it generously to your bread to hold small pieces in place. It also adds heartiness and extra protein. (Becky, consider that an advance tip for ten years from now, when you have three adolescent boys in your kitchen!)
- Think about using this type of set-up with sweet ingredients, too: peanut butter, honey, strawberries, and banana are all yummy together, and some spicy arugula or mesclun mixed greens would add a bit of lunchtime crunch.
I officially miss bread after that post. Although, I do OK by throwing all those same ingredients, plus a cucumber (preferably the kind that has edible skin– Persians from Trader Joe’s, or the gigantic plastic-wrapped English kind, or from the farmer’s market when the season’s right) into pyrex, and grabbing a fork. Yum!
Your substitution does sound yummy! I’ve given up most milk and cheese items; I would be horrified to lose bread, too.
MMm.. I love sandwiches! Lovely post as always, a pleasure to read. I’m just letting you know also that I featured you as a Versatile Blogger on my blog. You more than deserve that award!
Thank you so much!
More sandwich ideas from a sandwich-loving fiend:
Channel your favorite non-sandwich meals into a sandwich. Here’s one of my favorites:
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sandwich
Oven Roasted, Peppered, or Hickory Smoked Tofurky slices
Roasted Brussels sprouts from the prepared foods case (sliced or halved)
Cranberry relish or chutney
Deli mustard
Two slices of toasted bread
Spread a small amount of deli mustard lightly over one piece of bread, just enough to cover it in a thin layer of mustard; slather a whole bunch of cranberry relish on the other. Add Tofurky and Brussels sprouts. Enjoy.
This can also be done as an open-faced sandwich. Put thin layer of mustard and a whole bunch of cranberry relish on both slices of bread. Top with Tofurky slices, Brussels sprouts, leftover stuffing and a generous dousing of delicious gravy.
In a similar vein, remember good sandwiches you’ve eaten at restaurants and take-away spots. Another of my favorites (based on a sandwich I love from Paradis on 4th Ave at 12th St. in Manhattan):
Pesto
Chevre
1/2 avocado, sliced
Arugula
Bakery style multi-grain bread, lightly toasted (the kind with the seeds on the outside is best)
Spread pesto on one slice of bread. Spread chevre on same slice of bread such that it’s about 1/8-1/4 in. thick. Layer avocado slices on top of chevre. There should be about equal amounts of avocado and chevre. Place a thin layer of arugula on top of the avocado. Cover with the other slice of bread. Enjoy.
Some thoughts on wraps:
Just because something’s a great sandwich doesn’t mean it will also be a great wrap. The key to a great wrap is getting the textures just right. Don’t use your most delicate greens in a wrap. They’ll just get lost in the mix. Keep to bite-size or shredded vegetables; hardier crunchy lettuces (like romaine); toothsome meats, cheeses, beans and grains; and great spreads like hummus, pestos, and tapenades to tie it all together. Be cautious with your use of wet ingredients like tomatoes and salad dressing if you’re not eating your wrap right away; too much and your wrap will be rather soggy by lunchtime.
Some thoughts on lightly processed vegetarian and vegan sandwich fillings:
You can find pre-baked, marinated or smoked tofu in many supermarkets. Not only is it less processed than the Yves and Lightlife deli slices made from soy protein isolate, but it’s also often a lot cheaper (based on the number of sandwiches you get out of one package) as well. All you have to do is open the package and cut the tofu into sandwich-friendly slices.
Two words: Field. Roast. You can buy packages of this amazingly delicious flavored seitan at Whole Foods and other natural foods stores. The deli-style slices come in three flavors: Lentil Sage, Wild Mushroom, and Smoked Tomato.
(Also, FYI: The folks who make Tofurky don’t use the super-highly-processed soy protein isolate in any of their products. Unlike all of the other major label vegetarian and vegan deli slices, Tofurky uses a combination of tofu and seitan instead. This isn’t to say that Tofurky slices aren’t a highly processed food, but if you’re craving deli slices, they’re certainly a less processed option.)