Saturday, April 11, 2009

How to Make Sandwiches | Recipes and Fillings

What I have done on this page is simply list quick sandwich recipes that you can make with everyday items available in your kitchen. I haven’t provided full details on how to make the sandwiches, just simply listed the contents that go into making the various sandwich filling which you can use with any types of bread. I have also listed below items which you can add to any sandwich in order to give it a different taste.

Please do experiment and share with us what works and what doesn’t!!
Ok, the items you can use to add to any sandwich fillings are:

  • Raisins
  • Olives
  • Sweetcorn
  • Peppers
  • Onions
  • Nuts
  • Coleslaw
  • Pickles
  • All types of bottled condiments/sauces
  • Any types of veggies
And now, here is the list of various quick sandwich fillings you can make in super fats time and store away in your fridge. Note that any mayonnaise and meat based fillings should be used asap as there nothing worse than and sandwich that has gone off and become bacteria friendly!


Cheese and Onion Sandwich Recipe

  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Onion

Dice onion and add to cheese as per your taste. The addition of some mayonnaise gives this filling a rich taste

Cheese and Pickle Sandwich Recipe

  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Pickle

Cut cheese into slices and dice pickles. Add pickles on top of each chesses slice. Bottled pickles such as Branston work the best.

Cheese Salad Sandwich Recipe

  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Cucumber
  • Tomato
  • Beetroot
  • Lettuce
  • Mayonnaise

Mix the ingredients as desired and add/remove any veggies you don’t like. Adding two types of chesses is nice when making this filling

Chicken Curry Sandwich Recipe

  • Chicken meat
  • Mayonnaise
  • Mango chutney
  • Curry powder
  • Celery
  • Currants

Mash the chicken meat and add mayonnaise. Chop the celery and add some raisins. Mix all of these together and add a teaspoon of chutney and curry powder to taste.

Chicken, Chilli and Mayonnaise Sandwich Recipe

  • Any type of cooked chicken
  • Mayonnaise
  • Hot Sauce
  • Peppers

Cut the chicken into small piecesor mash it if you like. Dice the pepper and add the hot sauce and mayo to taste.

Tuna Mexicana Sandwich Recipe

  • Tuna
  • Onion
  • Peppers
  • Mayonnaise
  • Hot sauce

Mix the tuna (drain first!) and mayo together well. Dice the onion and red pepper and add to the mix. Add a touch of hot sauce to the mix and you're ready to go!.

Tofu Sandwich Recipe

  • Tofu
  • Celery
  • Pepper
  • Onion
  • Worcester Sauce

Dice all the veggies. Mash the tofu and add the veggies to it. Add the Worcester sauce to taste.

Veggie Sandwich Recipe

  • Cream cheese
  • Celery
  • Green pepper
  • Onion
  • Carrot
  • Lemon juice
  • Mayonnaise

Grate all the veggies and add lemon juice andmayo. Mix well and finally add the cream cheese and serve.

Fruit Sandwiches

These are great for kids.

  • Honey
  • Dried fruits
  • Nuts
  • Cream cheese
  • Peanut Butter
  • Raisins

Add as many or as little of these ingredients as you like to the mix. The base ingredient will either be peanut butter or cheese. Add the other ingredients as you like.

Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich Recipe

A great recipe for kids, although I love these sandwiches too!

  • Strawberry Jam
  • Peanut Butter

Spread the peanut butter on the bread and add a layer of jam over it. Repeat as necessary. The addition of a few raisins or nuts to this is also great.

Ok I’m done for now. I think these sandwich recipes give you plenty of different options to play within your kitchen. These will make great sandwiches for any occasion.

Once you prepare any of these sandwich fillings, make sure you store them in an airtight fridge safe container and use them within three days. Also, once you prepare sandwiches chill them in the fridge for 30 mins before serving

Hopefully these ideas will add some ‘umph’ to your sandwich making efforts!

Side Note: These sandwich fillings make great nacho dips too, so now you can make sandwiches and save leftovers for parties!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Making sandwich fillings in advance

As I’ve said before on this blog, making great sandwiches consist of four main elements, the bread, the filling, the salad and the condiments. In today’s busy world, anything that you can do to make life easier is always welcomed. I was thinking that if sandwiches are going to take over the world and beat all of those fast food baddies, the process in actually making sandwiches needs to be revamped and made simpler!!

Now, it goes without saying that the part of sandwich making which takes the most time is making the sandwich filling. I suppose this is why people buy(!!!) readymade sandwich fillings/spreads from supermarkets, in order to save time and make life that bit easier, so I got thinking on writing a post on making sandwich fillings in advance and saving them for when needed.

Now obviously, the contents of the fillings that you are making will determine the length of time it can be stored for, but if you have a couple of kids in the house, the fillings that you make will save you time and will be used up fairly rapidly. Sandwich fillings made in advanced will also save you loads of time when preparing food for trips and picnics, and you can get kids involved without having to worry about mayonnaise flying all around the kitchen! Although not 100% fresh, this method of pre-preparing sandwich fillings is a lot better than those tinned fillings available on the supermarket shelf and will certainly taste better.

Diversion from sandwiches……

Another interesting use for readymade sandwich fillings is to use them as dips for nachos, crackers, etc. which means any leftover sandwich filling will not go to waste. So as well as saving money on buying sandwich fillings, you can also save money on those expensive dips.
Talking about nachos, again you can save money rather than buying unhealthy crap from supermarkets. Simply take any round pita style bread, cut into nacho shaped pieces, put them on a baking tray, add a little bit of olive oil to them and throw them into the oven for 10 minutes! This is a great use for any bread leftovers you have.

Ok lets gets back to sandwiches…..

Now I bet your thinking “OK, so pre-made sandwich fillings are my savior, but I don’t have many filling ideas”. Well, this is where I’m going to try and help you out and provide some recipes for sandwich fillings which will keep for around three days in the fridge. I will continually add to this list as and when I get time, so please re-visit this page when you can to see what has been added. Please use your imagination and add/delete items as you see fit. Small changes to these recipes can allow you to create many different sandwich fillings use the same base ingredients + a little ingenuity. Items you can play with to change the sandwich fillings are the veggies/salads, condiments, types of cheeses/meats/breads used, etc.

The best way to store sandwich fillings are in plastic air tight containers, or if you don’t have these, an empty yoghurt pot covered with clingfilm. Once you have taken a sandwich filling out of the fridge and exposed it to room temperature, try to finish with it asap so it can be resealed and put in the fridge in order to maintain its freshness for as long as possible.

As I said, what Im going to present here in terms of sandwich filling recipes is by no means exhaustive. These are meant to spark some ideas in your heads.

Please do share any sandwich filling recipes that you have and show us how clever you can be in your sandwich making!

Please click here to find my list of Sandwich Recipes and Fillings

Monday, March 30, 2009

Healthy sandwiches. How to make them!

With all these fad diets around and millions of yoyo dieters, I thought it would be a good tribute to the humble sandwich to put up some details on how to make a wholesome, healthy sandwich. A healthy, well balanced sandwich can go a long way in helping you fight the bulge as it provides tasty food in a quick and convenient way, which if made correctly, will keep you full for longer with an acceptable calorie intake.

I won’t go into the science of making a perfectly balanced sandwich as this is not my area, but following on from my article on making a good sandwich, I thought it would be good to list down what you need to take into consideration when creating a healthy sandwich.

There is still a lot of controversy over the whole ‘carbohydrates make you fat’ issue, in our case this translates mainly to bread! Your body need carbs, protein and fat to run like a well oiled machine, but the type of bread used in sandwich can make a big difference to you feeling satiated for longer.

The bread...

When making a healthy sandwich you should ideally look for bread which brown/ wholemeal, or something along these lines….anything apart from white bread! Why? Well this type of bread has a lower glycaemic count (GI…..sounds like an army term!). What does this mean? Simply put, food with a lower GI value take longer for the body to absorb and do not cause a spike in blood sugar. The result? A tasty sandwich that keep you fuller for longer and aids digestion!

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger.

Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance. So all in all, that brown bread that your mum used to make you school sandwiches was actually good for you! Yaay for mum’s! The best type is any wholewheat bread you can get you hands on as they are high in fibre (another good point) and lower in calories than other types of breads.

You can click here to find more info on GI foods.

I typically go for brown bread which has some type of seeds or grains on it as it tastes great and gives an interesting dimension to a sandwich as well as providing fibre .

Another tip for bread is to scoop out a lot of it from the inside of buns, baguettes, etc. so you can get more filling in the sandwich.

Ok, onto the next thing, the filling...

Ideally for a healthy sandwich you should be using lean meats such as chicken, turkey, tuna or something along these lines. These can be bland on their own so you could add some low fat mayonnaise or any other type of low fat dressing to give them a taste boost. Full fat cheeses should be avoided at all costs and you should opt for the low fat variety if you want to add cheese….unless you want a full fat mozzarella sandwich…in which case why are you reading this!! :o)

And now, for the salad and veggies…

Salads add to the nutritional value of healthy sandwiches and also provide more substance for you to bite into as well as providing additional taste. Here you can add whatever you like depending on your taste buds, lettuce and tomatoes being the standard. I find that onions and peppers really make a difference, especially the ones that have been grilled. Sweetcorn is another favourite of mine and goes well with most sandwich fillings. You can add any vegetables that take your fancy to a sandwich to provide it with more bulk and taste. I find that gherkins and olives add a wonderful flavour to most sandwiches.

(Don’t) forget the condiments!!!

Condiments such as sauces, ketchup, mustard etc. can add great flavour, but be aware that most are full of sugars, salts and fats! Use them sparingly and opt for low sugar/fat/salt varieties. Olive oil can be a great addition if used moderately and provides you with good fats your body needs.

I think that’s about it on healthy sandwich making. If you can think of any other things that go into making a sandwich with is healthy and good for you, please share your ideas so we can all lose those extra lbs!!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Making a good sandwich | the basic elements

Sandwiches are eaten the world over in various forms and types proving pleasure to many. While sandwich recipes are all very good and dandy, what is it that actually makes a good sandwich? By sandwiches I also include all forms that fall under this, including subs, torpedos and anything else of the naval sandwich variety!! :o)

The way a sandwich is prepared can mean the difference between you salivating when biting into it enjoying every scrumptious morsel of the sandwich, or being totally disappointed and feeling hungrier than you were before. There’s nothing worse than a bad sandwich when you haven’t eaten all day!

I think a good sandwich consist of a combination of various factors, an area I like to call ‘Sandwichology’.

Firstly, the type of bread and its freshness is key to a good sandwich. Soggy, old bread and you may as well be eating cardboard. The selection of bread also depends on the type of sandwich filling that’s going to be used.

Using toast when a ciabatta is called for is not the end of the world, but certainly reflects on the presentation of the final sandwich and its taste.

The bread should also be as fresh as possible. Where I live I'm lucky to have bakeries produce fresh bread every day and sell it directly. The taste (and smell!) of freshly baked bread is an experience on its own and adds volume when making sandwiches.

The next item on the list for great sandwiches is obviously the filling. Again, this should be fresh and should reflect what type of sandwich you are making. There's nothing worse than catching a bug from filler ingredients that are past their usage date or of poor quality (especially off chesses and meats..yuck!). Invest a little in the filling and this will go a long way!

Another two elements that will add to your gastronomic sandwich pleasure is the salad (if applicable) and the condiments. Again, freshness is key as is the quantity used. Usage of these depends on what sandwich you are making, but as a general rule, doesn’t use too much or too little of these elements. Too much Worcester sauce and your sandwich will taste like an armpit, and too much salad will make it taste like goat food!!

The type of sandwich being made will dictate whether it is of the warm or cold variety. If you are going for a hot sandwich, make sure the filling is warm and that the bread has seen the inside of an oven for a wee while. Whatever you do, don’t stick them in a microwave!! A cardinal sin for which you will never be forgiven!!!

Cold sandwiches and best made and left at room temperature if they are going to be served within 30 minutes. Any longer and they should be put in the fridge until being served to preserve the texture and quality, and to ensure no nasty bugs start taking a liking to the sandwich. Nothing worse than a 'buggy' sandwich!

To cut or not to cut the sandwich, that is the final question! When I’m eating a sandwich I want to feel as though I’m eating something substantial, so cutting a toast sandwich into four triangles doesn’t work for me! I prefer to cut all sandwiches into two parts, purely for the purposes of ‘eating management’. I don’t think there is a need to cut any smaller……unless your sandwich is a meter long sub!

I think I have covered pretty much all the element that make a good sandwich. If you have any ideas or additions, please share them!!

Sandwiches - Privacy Policy

This website/blog uses third-party advertising companies to serve ads when visiting this site. These third parties may collect and use information (but not your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, you can visit Google's Advertising and Privacy page.

If you wish to opt out of Advertising companies tracking and tailoring advertisements to your surfing patterns you may do so at Network Advertising Initiative.Google uses the Doubleclick DART cookie to serve ads across it's Adsense network and you can get further information regarding the DART cookie at Doubleclick as well as opt out options at Google's Privacy Center

I respect your privacy and I am committed to totally safeguarding your privacy while you are online at this site.

If I ever collect any personal details about you (such as email addresses), your personal information will kept confidential and will never be sold or given to a third party.

Cookies

A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s computer tied to information about the user. This blog doesn't use cookies. However, some of websites this site links to may use them (e.g. advertisers). I can't access or control these cookies once the advertisers have set them.

Links

This Blog contains links to other sites. Please be aware that I am not responsible for the privacy practices of these other sites. I suggest my users to be aware of this when they leave this blog and to read the privacy statements of each and every site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Blog.

Advertisers

I use outside ad companies to display ads on this blog. These ads may contain cookies and are collected by the advertising companies and I do not have access to this information. I work with the following advertising companies: Google Adsense.

Please check the advertisers websites for respective privacy policies.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me: DP at dapauper@gmail.com

This privacy policy updated April 2009.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

A world of great, tasty, easy sandwich recipes...and more!

Welcome to How to Make Tasty and Easy Sandwiches!

This site provides recipes and tips on how to make great sandwiches, wraps and side dishes which are both cheap and easy to prepare.

I hope this site provides you with time saving and practical recipes you can use daily to feed yourself and your loved ones.

If you have any questions, suggestions or sandwich recipes you would like to share, please email me at dapauper@gmail.com

Here's to good health and great food!