The Sandwich Fix

opyright © 2014 The Globe and Mail. All Rights Reserved

Design and illustrations by Dasha Zolota

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 Introduction

As we head into cooler weather and lunch time becomes less about patios and  more about taking a YouTube cruise at your desk, you can easily make a brown-bag meal worthy of anticipation. A sandwich is simply a vehicle to contain any delicious morsel you can think of - roasted tomatoes,  indulgent French butter, aromatic Italian cold cuts or crunchy red onion, if it catches your eye at the grocery store you can work it into your lunch. And since a sandwich is pretty much a one-handed affair, you can multitask and play Candy Crush or update your Instagram feed while you eat (don’t keep that sandwich to yourself!).

I usually get hooked on one kind of sandwich and then crave it for a few days, so don’t feel like you have to buy dozens of different ingredients per week. Or keep the basic recipe and change up the bread or use a different mustard (I am a bit condiment-obsessed myself). Many of the sandwiches included can also be simplified and packaged into pitas or crustless versions of themselves if you need to assembly line for family packing. 

And if a couple of these ideas become your “regulars”  that’s not a rut - it’s creating a personal classic. 

-Sue Reidl 

RECIPES 

The End-of-Summer Denial Sandwich

Oven-roasted cherry tomatoes provide juicy sweetness against the creamy intensity of aged cheddar.

Night-before prep:

Toss one pint cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Lay on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (to speed cleanup) and put into a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until tomatoes are slightly shrivelled. Let cool.

Assembly:

Spread one side of a baguette generously with salted cultured butter (such as French Beurre D'isigny). Add thick slices of aged cheddar (Balderson three-year-old is perfect) and layer with fresh basil. Keep the tomatoes separate until lunchtime to prevent sogginess.

The Tip: Tomatoes are great at room temperature but a quick zap in the office microwave brings out the flavour even more.

The Muffuletta

Can you find happiness in a sandwich? My answer is yes, especially when it's filled with a savoury olive salad, thinly sliced mortadella, capicola, salami, provolone and Swiss cheese.

If you've ever had a Muffuletta then you already know the chewy, dense flavour explosion of which I speak. Traditionally, the bread used for a Muffuletta (a lunch sandwich created by Italian immigrants in New Orleans) is a Sicilian loaf, which has a soft exterior and a dense interior. Rosemary focaccia is a tasty alternative, and by making your sandwich ahead of time you allow the delicious juices of the olive salad to soak agreeably into the bread by the time you eat it. 

As for the olive salad, you can ofen buy it premade at your grocer or, better yet, the Italian deli. One bite and you will be seriously contento.

I like to drizzle some oil from the olive salad on both sides of the focaccia and then layer everything randomly, keeping the provolone and swiss cheese separated by layers of meat. Pile the olive salad on the very top and cover with the second piece of focaccia. Seal tightly in wax paper followed by plastic wrap – no leaks!

It's a wrap

Yes, it’s time to eat healthy after a summer of indulgence. 

But eating lighter can still be flavourful.

Veggie wraps are quick to make and can be customized to your tastes. Take your favourite salad and turn it into finger food by wrapping it in rice paper. I combined the sweet anise flavour of shaved fennel with red cabbage and chopped fresh basil, then tossed them with a fresh, tangy lemon dressing. If you have some mandarin oranges, cut up a few segments and throw them in. And make at least four – you might be surprised that you start to crave them.

Simply toss the veggies, basil and orange in the dressing, moisten the rice paper in warm water and use to wrap a small bundle of salad.

Lemon Dressing: Whisk together the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tsp honey and 1/3 cup grapeseed oil (or another neutral oil), and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Adjust the sweetness to your own taste. You may have some leftover, so just pop it in the fridge for future use.

Toasted rye and avacado

One of the “in a pinch” recipes I always return to is toasted rye rubbed with garlic and topped with mashed avocado. Add a generous sprinkle of crunchy salt and life slows down for a blissful minute. Salt balances and enhances the combined flavours.

Transform delicious into decadent by substituting truffle salt – a combination of sea salt and aromatic black or white truffles from Italy. A small jar doesn’t come cheap, but from my experience you can use this every day and barely make a dent; it’s wonderfully potent. This earthy upgrade creates perfect hors d’oeuvre or a tasty match for scrambled eggs.

For roughly a dozen one-bite appetizers, slice up three to four pieces of toasted rye bread (or your favourite dark, grainy bread), peel a clove of garlic to rub on top and mash one ripe avocado with a generous squeeze of lemon. Top with halved cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with truffle salt.

Fit for the King

Elvis fans may argue with you, but the bacon, banana and peanut butter sandwich has been tied as closely to the King as his Blue Suede Shoes

This sandwich is all about texture: soft white bread with a satisfyingly crisp crust, creamy peanut butter and yielding banana, all enlivened by the crunch of salty, crumbled bacon. Add red currant jelly for some sweet tang.

The one-handed comfort-wich

Need a sandwich to hold in one hand while getting shopping in at lunch hour? 

Nothing beats a wrap for containment and portability.

Fill it with comfort food: refried beans, savoury chicken sausage and tangy, rich cheddar to soothe frayed nerves. This is best assembled at home. You’ll only need to precook and slice up your sausage. Then, using canned refried beans, add both into a corn tortilla with grated aged cheddar, mango salsa, shredded lettuce and a bit of fresh cilantro. Nuke for 30 seconds while you put on your coat, then hit the shops.

Your mouth will water all morning

Nothing wrong with looking forward to lunch – even if you haven’t left the house yet. 

Tender roast beef with sharp horseradish cheddar is a heartier twist on a classic pairing. 

Add some “sweet and tangy” with caramelized onion and pickled Daikon for crunch.

How To: When making the sandwich, spread the Dijon on both sides of a fresh Italian bun. Divide your medium-rare roast beef slices between both sides before adding the final ingredients. That way you prevent the bun from getting soggy from the other condiments.

Eat your veggies

Keep your eye on the food pyarmid with this texture mash-up of crunchy veggie slaw, silky cheese and tender focaccia. 

Here is a delicious way to increase your veggie intake: For veggie slaw, combine 1/4 cup each julienned carrots and zucchini, 1/2 a roasted red pepper sliced into strips and a few thin slices of red onion. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, 1/4 tsp honey mustard and 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss with vegetables. Layer focaccia with Ontario buffalo mozzarella slices. Bring slaw in a separate container and add to sandwich just before digging in. 

Save the calories for the weekend

You can satisfy your lunch craving and stay on the good side of the calorie  counter with a light but tasty combo of milky queso fresco (or another fresh cheese such as fromage blanc, bocconcini or chèvre), thin strips of crunchy red onion, finely chopped rings of mellow green onion, tomato slices and shaved slices of lightly salted cucumber. Spread your “everything” bagel (or multigrain for the very virtuous with a thin smear of lite mayo for added zip before adding your toppings.

The Bipartisan

The midterms are on again. So eat accordingly.

Bread:

Multigrain.

Democrat Side: 

Iowa's La Quercia Prosciutto, artisanal Vermont butter and organic lettuce – grown on a school rooftop, if possible. Please share with folks who don’t have a sandwich. 

Republican Side: 

Rile it up with some sweet, sour and spicy: tomato jam, pickled hot peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes. Throw on whatever you want – don't let me tell you what to do. (But don’t come running if you get a stomach ache.)

Relish the radish on casual Friday

Or don’t bother waiting until the end of the week to mellow your work vibe.

Simplify and conquer – starting with lunch. Chewy white bread, crisp slices of radish, rich Normandy butter and crunchy Fleur de Sel.

Only thing left on the to-do list? Gloat in lunchroom.

Eat alone at your desk

It’s Fall. It’s dreary. You can’t get up in the morning. Why bother being social at lunch only to get caught up in a “Cold out, huh?” conversation. Hunker down at your desk instead with a rich fishy ‘wich.

Instructions:

Peel and grate one small beet. Toss with fresh lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh, chopped cilantro. Bring to the office in an airtight container.

Assemble:

Butter two pieces of thin, European rye. Top with the beet salad and as many sardines (packed in oil) as you think you can handle. Buy mints.

Thankful for leftovers

Look forward to the last scraps of turkey dinner this fall with this leftovers-in-disguise-wich. You’d never roast a bird just to make this delicious version of chicken salad, so perk up and embrace the Tupperware. 

Roughly chop 1 cup turkey meat (dark or white) into a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp diced red onion, 1/2 a tangy apple (diced) and 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro. Mix everything with 1-2 tbsp mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp curry powder. Season with salt, spread on a whole-wheat baguette and top with juicy mango slices.

Pretend it’s a picnic

You may not have a wicker lunch bag, but you should probably wrap this guy up in wax paper to catch the juicy drips from the coleslaw and smoky BBQ sauce. (And perhaps carry a checkered napkin to wipe your fingers.)

To assemble this at home, lay thinly sliced pork tenderloin on either side of a kaiser bun, put a couple of large spoonfuls of coleslaw on top, and then a drizzle of your favourite BBQ sauce. The meat will act as a moisture barrier

for the soft bun. You can also bring the slaw separately and add it last.

Tip: If you're running short on time, it's totally legit to buy coleslaw at the deli.

The Omega-3 Sandwich

You could do word puzzles to exercise your mind – or you could take of bite of this sandwich and let the Omega-3s hook up with your brain cells over lunch. 

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a 4-oz (85-g salmon fillet in an oven-safe dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Bake 15 minutes or until the flesh is flaky and just opaque. Let cool.

Mix chopped fresh dill into a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Generously spread it on the bottom bread and sprinkle with some pine nuts. Add fillet. Top with the tangy sorrel.