Store in an airtight container.

 

I just love sandwiches . . . and I'm not alone in that either. The British all love sandwiches! They're a big business over here.  They're sold in all the shops, convenience stores, grocery shops, coffee shops etc.  Of course if you hadn't guessed already . . . Sarnie is another name for sandwich!

 

Makes it sound like something  quite exotic doesn't it?

 

One of my favourite places to buy a ready made sarnie is in M&S.  Their sandwiches are the best.  The bread is always fresh and the filling generous, and spread to the edge . . . not like some of the cheaper places where you get a dollop of filling in the  middle of two slices of dry bread . . . with more bread than filling!  Ugh!  Nasty.



I was quite suprised when I moved over here to the UK at the different varieties of sandwiches that were on offer as well.  Cheese and onion . . . delicious!  Cheese and tomato . . .  likewise!  There's salad sandwiches, sandwiches made with crab, or prawns or tuna.  Tuna and Cucumber seems to be quite popular.  As is Tuna and Sweetcorn.

 

Then there are Egg & Cress, Coronation Chicken, Corned Beef (made with tinned corned Beef, which is actually quite nice),  and a host of others . . . too many to list here I think, but you get the idea, I'm sure!



Anyways, the point of all of this is that I made Todd and myself a couple of very tasty sandwiches for our lunch one day at the weekend.  In  my quest to cut back a bit, I made them open faced sandwiches, so only half the bread.

 

I added some sliced ham, sliced turkey, half fat swiss cheese, lettuce, a delicious homemade dressing . . . kind of tangy and yet at the same time a bit sweet . . . some sliced egg, tomato and  . . . naughty but nice crisply cooked streaky bacon.  (Really nice . . .  dry cured and unsmoked is my choice!)



A gal can't be 100% good all of the time can she??  I thought not!!



 *Dressed Club Salad Sarnie*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

An open faced, knife and forker!  Delicious!  (Easily upped or downed to serve more or less people.)

2 slices sour dough bread
2 slices of baked deli ham
2 slices of Leerdammer cheese (Swiss type of cheese, I use the low fat one)
2 slices of deli turkey
1 cup of shredded cos lettuce (Romaine)
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 slices of streaky bacon, rind removed and cooked crisp

For the dressing:
1 heaped dessert spoon of low fat mayonnaise
1  tsp of tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp of chopped sweet pickle
1/2 tsp of finely grated onion
pinch of salt and black pepper

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Lay one slice of bread onto each of two plates.  Top each with 1 slice of ham.  Top the ham with the cheese.  Top the cheese with the turkey.  Divide the lettuce between the two and drizzle each with half of the dressing.  Top each with half of  the sliced egg, sliced tomato and two slices of bacon criss crossed.  Serve immediately.  Pass the knives and forks!

There is one flavour combination that isn't totally embraced over here in the UK, that of Peanut Butter and Jam.  The Toddster says it is about as appealing as eating fish and custard together . . .  but then I remind him that parsley sauce is a bit like custard . . . just not sweet.  He begs to differ.



He will eat a jam sandwich.  He will eat a peanut butter sandwich.  He will not eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich.  I, on the other hand . . . think that peanut butter and jam or jelly are a taste marriage made in heaven.



How can you resist that combination of salty peanuts . . . pulverized to a thick unctuous cream  . . .  and sweet, sticky and fruity jam????   The two together are absolutely perfect!  Like pancakes and maple syrup . . . bacon and brown sugar . . .  peas and carrots . . .  mango and chillies . . . they just belong together!



This beautiful cake showcases that marriage beautifully.  You have amoist,  delicious and buttery cake base, which is slathered with softened jam . . . prior to baking . . .  I used Raspberry and Scottish Whiskey  jam . . .


The jam layer  is covered with tasty sweet clumps of peanut butter/flour/sugar and chopped peanuts all rubbed together.   Again, prior to baking . . . the magic happens in the oven . . .



A delicious magic that you can smell as the warm smells of buttery cake, salty peanut butter and sweet jam waft through the house as the cake is baking.   You just know this is going to be fabulous.  And then . . .



A final layer of a sweet peanut butter drizzle icing seals the deal on the cooling cake . . . drizzled here and drizzled there . . . making it even more impossible to resist. Why even try?   Go on . . . dig in.  You know you really want to.   Tradition be damned.  Throw caution to the wind you Brits!  Embrace Peanut Butter and Jam.   Isn't it time?  (As I write this you-know-who is out in the garden sitting in the sunshine snuffling down a nice big slice.  Me thinks he doth protest too much!)



*Glazed Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Cake*

Enjoy a long weekend Easter lunch with Newman's Own, The English Provender Co. and Very Lazy!

Cook up a feast for friends and family this Easter with a range of recipe ideas from Newman's Own, The English Provender Co. and Very Lazy.  Pick our your favourite dish or try the whole menu for a seasonal Easter Feast to kick off Spring in style.



The fresh French-inspired fig and goat's cheese salad using Newman's Own Light French Dressing is perfect to start!



Divide all of the salad ingredients between two plates, layering the different components and finishing with the almonds.  Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.  



The fillet of Lamb served with a Very Lazy Chilli salsa is a great twist on the traditional dinner.



To serve, divide the couscous between six plates, and top with a few slices of lamb on each, along with the yoghurt sauce and salsa drizzled over top.    



Finish off your meal with this beautiful piece de resistance from The English Provender Co, a delicious sweet St Clement's Cake using their Luxury Lemon Curd.  

  

Peel the paper from the sponges.  Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the top of each sponge, right up to the edges.   Drop two TBS of the lemon curd over top of each and using a skewer or teaspoon, pull it through the cream cheese mixture to swirl.   Sandwich the cakes together and lift onto a serving plate.

 

There are a lot of recipes floating around the internet called ham and cheese sliders, each one looking more delicious than the last.  You probably know the ones that I am talking about.   White buns stuffed with ham and cheese, drenched in a butter sauce, with poppy seeds on top . . . very delicious looking indeed.   I confess I have never tried them, but they do look quite tasty.  

  

The other day I started thinking about how tasty a recipe long the same lines done up as per a reuben sandwich would be and my wheels started turning . . . 

  

I love reuben sandwiches . . . all that smoked meat and sauerkraut . . . cheese . . . thousand island dressing.  So good.  I think it was in Winnipeg that I had my first one.   I love rye bread also, but that is not something that we can get readily here, at least not of the right kind.  

  

I created my own thousand island dressing/sauce, and layered it with pastrami, and swiss cheese . . . and sauerkraut . . . between soft white buns . . . 

  

Then I took the same idea as the ham sliders and created a butter sauce, using similar ingredients, except swapping out the poppy seeds for caraway seeds . . . which I felt went really well with the other ingredients.  I also had some of that Paul Newman Hot Dog Sauce which went into the butter sauce too . . . which lent a bit of smokiness and some of that sharp heat you get from a nice hot mustard.  


    

All in all I would say these were a HUGE success.  We both enjoyed them very much and I would make them again.  I only made a half recipe because, there are only two of us and we can only eat so much, but in all truth I was thinking later on, I should have made the whole shebang!  Oh, I do so hope you will try these and that when you do you will love them as much as we did!!  I will be making these again!!




 *Reuben Sliders*

I'd like to talk to you a bit about Quorn, which is a meat substitute used by Vegetarians all over the UK and comes in many varieties, from sandwich type of filler slices to  chicken type filets and mince.  What's great about it is that it's very low in fat and quite healthy for you, which is appealing not only to vegetarians, but also to people who are trying to shed some of those access pounds!

Quorn products are made from Mycoprotein. Mycoprotein is a nutritionally healthy protein source that is meat free and naturally low in saturated fat and high in fibre. Quorn products have the taste, appearance and texture of meat, perfect for if you want meat free meals or are thinking of creating healthier versions of your favourite everyday meals.

This is perfectly highlighted in the following recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara!  Now you can indulge in one of your favourite meals and be relatively guilt free!




*Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

If you’re not sure how to make Carbonara, try our low in saturated fat Spaghetti Carbonara recipe. The ultimate guilt-free Italian, coming in at only 359 calories and only 2.5g of saturated fat.  Winner/winner!


150g pack Quorn Meat Free bacon slices, chopped (about 5 ounces)
175g Quorn mince ( 7 ounces)
350g dried spaghetti (a scant pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil (Quorn just needs to be added to the sauce,
so the recipe requires about 50% less oil than you would usually use)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 free range eggs, whisked
1 TBS grated Parmesan or vegetarian Italian style hard cheese
handful chopped fresh parsley
seasoning to taste

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the spaghetti, cook as per back of pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over a moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic and the Quorn mince, saute gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the ham or bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste.

Whisk the eggs in a large serving bowl with the grated Italian style hard cheese. Drain the spaghetti reserving 2 large spoonfuls of cooking water.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the whisked eggs in the serving bowl with the ham and mince mixture and the reserved cooking liquid. Keep stirring until all the ingredients are well combined.

Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve garnished with fresh parsley and some freshly ground black pepper. Really delicious!

Quorn Products are found in the chiller and freezer sections of most Grocery Stores here in the UK.

I just love, love, LOVE the traditional recipes of the UK. All those years I spent ensconced in Enid Blyton books, drooling and dreaming over what sounded like exotic foods . . . well, those dreams and imaginations have come true for me since I arrived in the UK.



I am enjoying so much exploring the traditional, and sometimes not so traditional foods . . . and sometimes I do confess . . . I add my own twist to them, so they are somewhat traditional, but also somewhat new. I love that!



Some people might define a Gypsy Cream as a chocolate or orange version of a custard cream biscuit (cookie). Traditionally though the recipe includes neither one of those additional flavourings. Squidgy cocoa is what is called for . . . although in my house I pimp for plain coz I have a chocolate hating husband and . . . trust me . . . these biscuits are SOOO SO SO GOOD, it would be dangerous to have them in the house if only me was eating them. Oh so bad . . .



These are crisp and moreishly buttery. Oh so scrummy. Perfect with a hot cuppa of whatever your poison is . . . in my case it's Twinings' Black Currant and Mint herbal tea . . .

Oh . . . this was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I dare say Sunday will be much the same . . . ahem . . .




*Gypsy Creams*
Makes 24 double cookies
Printable Recipe

Crisp, buttery and moreishly addictive biscuits (cookies) with a yummy cream cheese filling.

For the biscuits:
6 ounces butter softened (3/4 cup)
2 ounces white shortening (1/4 cup)
6 ounces caster sugar (1 cup minus 2 TBS)
2 tsp golden syrup (In north america use dark corn syrup)
8 ounces plain whole meal flour (approximately 1 1/3 cup, you may need a bit more)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the filling:
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 cup)
4 ounces icing sugar, sifted (2/3 cup)
2 ounces cocoa powder, sifted (1/3 cup)
(You can choose to use all icing sugar in which case use 6 ounces or 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2. Butter several baking trays. Set aside.

Cream the butter, shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the golden syrup. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir this into the creamed mixture, mixing together thoroughly. Roll out on a lightly floured board, with a floured rolling pin, 1/4 inch thick. Cut out with a 2 inch round cutter. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between for spreading.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm and golden. Let cool on the sheets for a few minutes, before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

For the filling, beat all the ingredients together until light and fluffy. Use this to sandwich two biscuits together. Store in a tightly covered container.

I love sandwiches.  I think next to potatoes, chocolate and lemons, sandwiches are one of my absolute favourite things to eat!!  Yep, low carb does not work for me.  Not at all.  Sandwiches can be as simple as you like or as complicated as you like.  It all depends on how you are feeling.   Some days I am in ecstacy over a simple jam sandwich and others I am wanting an Italian Grinder.  It's a mood thing I guess.

 

I was recently sent some Spam ® in these new pop top plastic containers!  Way cool beans!  So easy to open and to use!  I love them!



The old tin was always a bit fiddly to work with and I was always afraid I would cut myself on it.  This is a really nice improvement.  Did you know that SPAM have a competition running at the moment to win five weekend theatre breaks plus £100 spending money plus 100 runner up prizes.  In order to enter you can simply upload a photo, video, drawing or even just a short sentence at www.spam-uk.com.   The contest closes on the 28th February, so you still have enough time to enter if you wish!

 

Next week is Spam Appreciation week and in honor of that I have created a tasty sandwich for you all. It's a hot sandwich so is perfect for a simple supper.   Did you know that Spam is the number one favourite luncheon meat in Hawaii?   Hawaiian's just love the stuff.  I'm not surprised actually.   We are big fans of it in this house too.



I decided to take on a Hawaiian theme with this sandwich because they are such fans and I thought it would be fun.    Hot dog buns stuffed with a delicious spam filling created by using chopped spam, cheese, onion, pineapple crush, hot peppers, mayonnaise and spicy barbeque sauce!   You just mix it all together and stuff the buns, which are then wrapped tightly in foil and baked until the filling is bubbling and oozingly tasty good!



A man and kid pleaser, this is luau food, without the trouble of pit roasting a whole pig!  All joking aside, these are incredibly tasty! The Toddster tucked into two of them all by himself.  I love it when that happens!  I served these with some oven chips, but potato chips would be great with them, as would some potato salad.  I think you'll agree that these are quite simply delicious!

 

Make sure your pineapple is really well drained.  You don't want it to be too wet or the filling will be too wet.  If you have to, put it in a clean tea towel, wrap it up tightly and squeeze it really well.  Mash together the spam, cheese, pineapple, onion, mayonnaise, barbeque sauce and pepper to taste.  Split the hot dog buns.  Divide the mixture evenly between the buns filling them well.  Wrap each tightly in foil. Place them onto a baking tray and then bang them into the heated oven.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, at which time the buns should be a bit crisp on the outsides and the filling will be oozingly tasty good.  Let stand for several minutes before serving.   The filling will be very hot so take care.  Serve garnished with more chopped onion and a sprinkling of cress.   



Now that's tasty! 

Many thanks to Rachel and the people at SPAM® for sending me these tasty little tubs!