What I am sharing today is not a recipe per se. I am sure you don't really need a recipe for a tomato sandwich, and we all probably have our own ideas of what is the best tomato sandwich recipe.
I think my mother was the Queen of Tomato Sandwiches. I believe she had a tomato sandwich for her lunch almost every day of her life. She loved them and it is a love I very much share, however I probably would not have one every day for lunch.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
To my way of thinking you need only very simple things to make a great classic tomato sandwich! Basically only 4, and if you make sure those are the best, then you are in for a real treat.
Good soft white bread. That is the first thing. You don't need anything fancy. No sour dough, or brioches, etc. Just good old plain soft white bread.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
Some people swear by mayonnaise and that is surely an excellent choice. Myself, I love miracle whip on my tomato sandwiches. Its a personal preference really. I think miracle whip is slightly sweeter and it goes really well with tomatoes. In my opinion it brings out the best in a tomato.
I also like a nice fresh crisp lettuce on my sandwich, although certainly I have enjoyed tomato sandwiches without lettuce as well. For me it has to be simple, crisp, plain, old fashioned iceberg lettuce.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
And finally you need a nice big fat ripe fresh tomato. I think beefsteak tomatoes make the best tomato sandwiches, but, having said that, I have been known to enjoy a tomato sandwich made with just about any fresh tomato.
Mom always kept her tomatoes on the counter top (before she cut into them). There was always one or two fresh tomatoes ripening on the counter top. Tomatoes are one fruit (and yes they are a fruit, not a vegetable) that continues to ripen at room temperature.
If you keep your tomatoes on the counter top when you bring them home from the shops, you will find that their flavor improves immensely after a day or so.
I think that they pick tomatoes just short of their prime so that they have a longer shelf life, and then they keep them really cold so that they stay that way. Leaving them on the counter for a day or so, improves their taste and texture greatly.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
There is really only one way to make this sandwich. You can butter your bread or not, as you wish. I choose to butter because my tomatoes are usually really ripe and that helps to prevent the sandwich from being soggy.
You don't need a lot of butter, just a light covering.
Onto that I place a hefty schmear of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise. Only on the tomato side, but you can do both if you want to. I like to taste my spread and so I do spread it on rather thickly. I probably use about 2 tablespoons. (Don't judge me.)
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
Onto the plain buttered side, I layer the lettuce. I like to leave the lettuce in nice crinkly leaves. And I am not stingy with it either. I use a fair amount of lettuce.
On the miracle whip/mayo side I layer the tomatoes. I like to cut the slices of tomato fairly thin and use a lot of them, layering them on top of each other haphazardly. I like to cover all of the spread with a nice layer of ripe tomatoes.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
Finally I season the tomatoes with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of freshly ground sea salt. I love the pure flavor of sea salt. Call me a salt snob. I like sea salt.
And I have my favorites there as well. Maldon is my clear cut favorite. And I like it flaked.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
Once you have both slices of your bread loaded you can slam them together. Here is when you will be glad that you buttered the lettuce side because your lettuce will hold in place and not slip and slide all over the place.
Press the bread down a tiny bit to make everything stick together. Don't smash it. Just press it down gently.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
Its up to you whether you choose to cut it in half or not. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. It all depends on how juicy the tomatoes are and how generous I have been with the miracle whip/mayonnaise.
If your tomatoes are really juicy you probably want to keep it all in one piece so that it isn't too overly messy. I like to enjoy my sandwich, not wear it. And, unfortunately, tomatoes can stain.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
When I first moved over to the UK, I worked in a Care Home. I did some hours cleaning and I was also a kitchen assistant. This was while I was taking my college training as a Chef. There I learned to love cheese and tomato sandwiches.
I had never heard of a cheese and tomato sandwich before. It was, to me at any rate, an unusual combination.
But it was another, no bells and whistles needed, delicious simple sandwich. Buttered bread. Thinly sliced seasoned tomato, and freshly grated medium cheddar cheese. Delicious! Which reminds me I haven't had one of those in a while either.
The British love their sandwiches and they do sandwiches really well. So well that they have shops that are dedicated to just producing and selling them, and spots in the chiller cabinets of all their other shops dedicated to just sandwiches.
.JPG "The Classic Tomato Sandwich")
Maybe tomorrow. Today I am enjoying my classic, simple, delicious tomato sandwich. Every single mouthful. Oh how I love the summer months when we can enjoy an abundance of freshly grown local tomatoes.
They do have a huge edge flavorwise against their nursery farmed counterparts.
One final word. The best tomatoes I have ever eaten in my life were from the Isle of Wight in the UK. I used to get a box of them delivered to me every couple of weeks from a place called The Tomato Stall. They were absolutely lovely. Was I ever spoiled!
When it comes to home delivery of food the UK really does it well. I could get just about everything (Quality meats, cheeses, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc.) delivered right to my door, and quite affordably too. I miss that.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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I have to say, although I am living on my own, that has not stopped me from baking and enjoying homemade bread. I am really getting a lot of use from my bread machine these days and I have been baking probably two loaves a week using it.
This past week I baked a loaf of Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread using a recipe for the bread machine that I adapted from a recipe I found by Beth Hensperger in her book, The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Every recipe that I have tried in it thus far has turned out beautifully, appearances aside. Admittedly when I saw this loaf, once baked, I thought to myself oh my . . . not exactly a pretty loaf.
Its all bumpy and lumpy . . .
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
Even from the top. I had my misgivings and I will admit at first I thought it would be a failure when I cut it open. I mean, its not exactly ready to win any beauty contests. I am sure you will agree.
I thought that perhaps it had a big air bubble on top. It kind of looked like it did. It was all I could do to wait for it to cool to room temperature so that I could slice into it and see what it looked like on the inside.
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
All my fears were for naught however, as is plain to see. There was no huge air bubble and the consistency is perfect, as is the crust. This is a really lovely loaf of bread!!
I immediately enjoyed a slice spread with cold butter. Oh my but it was really, REALLY good! It surpassed my every expectation.
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
Generally speaking whole wheat loaves will not rise as tall as their white bread counterparts, and I guess the nature of the flour used means that they might actually have a tendency to be a bit lumpy and bumpy.
But this loaf pleasantly surprised me. With a mixture of both whole wheat and white bread flours, and sweetened with maple syrup, and then not forgetting the addition of the buttermilk, it made for a really delicious wholesome loaf of bread!
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BUTTERMILK WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
There are a few specialty ingredients, but most are simple every day ingredients, and things we will all probably have in our own kitchens.
- 1 1/8 cups (250ml) buttermilk
- 2 TBS canola oil
- 2 TBS maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) bread flour
- 1 TBS plus 1 tsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
The buttermilk used here is dairy buttermilk. If you don't have any, you can easily make a substitution in one of two ways.
One, add a TBS of either lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill up to the measure required with whole milk. Leave for five to ten minutes to clabber.
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
Don't, and I mean this with all of my heart, do not substitute pancake syrup for the maple syrup. You do want to use the maple syrup. The two ingredients are not the same, nor do they have the same viscosity.
Vital Wheat Gluten is something I only recently started using and I have to say it really makes a difference in the loaves produced. It is not 100% required, but it does make for a much nicer loaf.
Note - Vital Wheat Gluten is not the same as Vital Wheat Gluten Flour. Vital Wheat Gluten is much more concentrated and not to be confused with the flour.
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
How you put this together will largely depend on your own model of Bread Machine. Some machines require that you put the liquid ingredients in first, followed by the dry. Others, like mine, the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker Model# SD-RD250, require that you put the dry ingredients in first followed by the wet.
In all cases, do not let the salt come in contact with your yeast as it will hinder the ability of the yeast to do its job.
Follow the instructions as per your own bread machine model.
It is possible to use the dough cycle on your machine and then transfer the dough to a bread pan, let rise, and then bake in the more conventional way if that is your preference. You will still have a lovely loaf of bread. See the recipe notes for instructions on how to do that!
.JPG "Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread")
I can say with all honesty that this is the favorite loaf I have baked with my machine thus far. It has a beautiful crumb and texture and is not overly sweet. I was very happy with it.
Some other bread machine recipes you may enjoy are:
BASIC RUSTIC LOAF - Not 100% whole wheat but a beautiful combination of wheats, whole grain and other wise. It slices like a dream and has a beautiful texture, equal to or better than any store bought loaf out there. In fact I would say that is is far better than a store bought loaf!
BREAD MACHINE PARKER HOUSE ROLLS - Lovely rolls made using the dough cycle and then shaped and baked in the conventional way.
MILK AND HONEY BREAD - This recipe produces a lovely tall loaf with a beautiful crumb. Soft, tender and slightly sweet. Perfect for sandwiches or along side a nice bowl of soup, stew or chili!
Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread (Bread Machine)
Yield: 1 1/2 pound loaf
This is a recipe for the bread machine that makes an absolutely beautiful loaf of bread. Of all the loaves I have made thus far, it is my favorite. Moist from buttermilk and sweetened with maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cups (250ml) buttermilk
- 2 TBS canola oil
- 2 TBS maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) bread flour
- 1 TBS plus 1 tsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to the directions for your bread machine. (In my machine (Panasonic) you put the yeast in first, then the flour, then salt, gluten, then the wet ingredients.)
- Set crust on medium and program your machine for the basic or whole wheat cycle. Press start.
- As soon as it has finished baking, remove the bread from the pan, placing the bread onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely to room temperature.
Notes
- It is possible to bake this bread in the traditional way. Simply use the dough cycle on your bread machine. Once finished, take it out, punch down, shape and place into a 1 1/2 pound loaf tin, cover lightly and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Uncover the bread, place it in the oven, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. A digital thermometer inserted into the loaf's center should register at least 190°F/88*C.
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I think Roast Chicken has to be one of the favorite things we eat in my house. I know there is just me now, but I often roast a chicken when I am having company over for dinner. Not only is it delicious, but it is also highly practical and I find it to be quite economical as well.
You get your roast dinner on the first day, and then you get at least two or three more meals from it, depending on the size of your chicken. Usually at the very least a casserole, some sandwiches, and always a delicious soup.
You don't even have to have the leftovers from a home roasted chicken, maybe you have a rotisserie chicken that you have picked up from the store on the way home from work or whatever. There is no end to the delicious things you can do with the meat from a rotisserie chicken!
And it doesn't just have to be the same old same old either. I am sharing 10 tasty ideas here today to use some of that cooked chicken that are exciting and delicious and most are a tiny bit different than the usual.
I guarantee you will find something here to please any palate and at the end, a delicious soup to make with the bones! Enjoy!
Spaghetti with Roasted Chicken and Shredded Brussels - Leftover roast chicken tossed together with buttery soft shredded Brussels sprouts, whole wheat spaghetti, garlic and cheese.
Amazingly delicious! A great way to use up what's left of any leftover chicken you might have languishing in the refrigerator. (or a rotisserie chicken)
Easy BBQ Chicken Tostadas - Crisp charred Tortillas topped with a delicious mix of shredded leftover cooked chicken, spicy chipotle paste, BBQ sauce and cheese.
Baked until the cheese melts and drizzled with more BBQ sauce and some chopped spring onions. All you need is a salad on the side!
Crusty Chicken Pot Pie Buns - Leftover cooked chicken and vegetables in a tasty, creamy sauce. Stuffed into a hollowed out crusty roll and topped with stuffing. These are then baked until the filling is hot and bubbling and heated through.
No faffing about with rolling out pastry. These are quite simply a delicious way to use up what's in the refrigerator. If you have leftover gravy, so much the better!
Mexican Chicken Club Flatbread - You can use any single sized flat breads for this that you like. Even Naan. Refried Black beans are topped with cheese and then with a mix of sautéed onions, peppers and spicy chicken.
This gets baked in the oven until the cheese melts and then they are served drizzled with a spicy Chipotle Ranch dressing and crisp slices of bacon. You can serve with a side of guacamole and some sour cream for a supper that will please everyone!
Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Rice - This is almost like an oven baked rice pilaf. Its all very simple to make. Just mix the chicken, rice, some chicken stock, grated cheddar and your seasonings together in a casserole dish.
Cover and bake. Simple to make and oh so delicious with a cooked vegetable on the side.
Chicken Dinner Poutine - Crisp chips, melting cheese, chicken, gravy, stuffing and peas. This is such a simple thing and yet the flavors are amazing.
If you are a fan of the Canadian dish called Poutine, then you best prepare yourself to fall in love because this is one of the tastiest versions I have ever eaten! Its like a deconstructed chicken pot pie without the crust and there's fries. Yummy delicious fries.
Chicken Parm Pasta Skillet - Pasta, sauce and protein cooking all in the same pan on top of the stove. I love cooking pasta this way. It doesn't get over cooked, staying al dente, and the pasta absorbs even more of the flavour from the sauce . . . it gets right in there.
Gooey, cheesy with plenty of spiced chicken. Can you say yummilicious? No fuss, no muss and very little to clean up.
Served atop a tasty salad with a nice mix of vegetables, dried cranberries and cheese. It is drizzled with a delicious honey mustard dressing. This main dish salad always goes down a real treat.
Grandma's Chinese Chicken Casserole - If you are looking for an extra creamy, delicious and rich chicken casserole to feed yourself and your partner, with some added crunchy toppings then you have just struck gold. This is the one for you!
Celery, cashew nuts, crunchy chow mein noodles, a delicious sauce, plenty of chicken. There is not much about this tasty casserole not to fall in love with! Its a delicious old fashioned favorite!
Amish Chicken & Stuffing Casserole - I saved the best for last! This is one of my absolute all time favourite chicken casseroles. Not only is is a great way to use up stale bread, but you can also use up leftover cooked chicken or even turkey, or you can cook chicken specifically just to use in it.
Stale bread, butter softened celery and onion, a variety of herbs, seasoning and tender poached chicken mixed with a tiny bit of stock and baked to give you one very delicious and simple entree.
So there you have it! Ten delicious recipes to use up your leftover cooked chicken in, or the meat from a purchased Rotisserie Chicken, but that's not all. You can also make a delicious soup from the leftover bones and any meat left clinging to them.
This is a delicious Chicken with Stars Soup. You can find that recipe on this page. Just scroll down about halfway. Its fabulous!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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