When I was a kid, when the days started heating up and you could feel summer was just around the corner, my mother (who, let it be known, never loved cooking for her three children) would announce: “It’s too hot, and there’s too much going on, so we’re just having sandwiches for dinner.”
I remember being disappointed, knowing that we would just be slapping together two slices of bread (usually white, squishy bread) with deli meats or cheese, mayo and mustard. It felt like a cheat.
But what if dinner sandwiches were exciting? Something more than bread with assorted refrigerator leftovers. What if that sandwich was filled with sauteed filet of fish, a quick caper-pickle-lemon mayonnaise, bitter lettuce leaves and a creamy slaw?
Or, what if that sandwich was an ode to your teenage years, a vegetarian wonderland, a combination of pureed peas and olive oil, buttery avocado slices, cucumbers, cheese, sprouts and radishes?
What if that sandwich was a combination of the best Italian meats layered with chopped olive and pickles, roasted red peppers, shaved fennel, chili paste and olive oil and balsamic vinegar, all on crusty Italian bread?
What should we have for dinner? That age old question might suddenly seem a whole lot simpler and more fun. Summer is coming and we all want to keep it easy. Sandwiches — interesting but still easy, creative versions — might just be the answer for lunch, picnics, beach dinners, park dinners or dinner at home. And I don’t think anyone will be disappointed by these combinations.
Fish sandwich with caper-pickle-lemon mayo
Find fresh white fish filets, mix a few ingredients with mayonnaise (store bought is fine) and you’ll have a satisfying sandwich for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There are many possible add-ons to this sandwich: first off, some creamy coleslaw. You could also add shredded carrots, melted cheese on one slice of the bread, thin pickle or cucumber slices or shaved fennel.
Makes 3 sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
The caper-pickle-lemon mayonnaise:
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons pickles, drained and finely chopped (dill, half sour, or cornichons)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced chives, or finely chopped scallions
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The fish and sandwich filling:
- About ½ cup flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ pound white fish like sole, haddock, cod, etc.
- About 1 tablespoon olive oil
- About 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 not-too-thin slices bread (Japanese milk bread, sourdough, rye, or your favorite)
- About ½ cup lettuce greens or arugula
- About ½ cup coleslaw, homemade or store bought, optional
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Optional toppings: cheese melted on one slice of bread (before you add the fish), thin slices cucumber or pickle, roasted red pepper strips, grated fennel or carrots
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, capers, pickles, lemon zest, lemon juice, chives, salt, and pepper. The mayonnaise can be made a day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cook the fish: Place the flour on a plate. Mix in salt and pepper. Coat both sides of the fish filet in the seasoned flour.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Cook the fish about 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the type of fish you choose and the thickness. The fish should be golden brown along the edges and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on each slice of bread. Carefully divide the fish between 3 pieces of the bread. Place the lettuce and the coleslaw (if using) on top of the other 3 slices of bread. Use 1 wedge of lemon and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top of the fish. Place the bread with the lettuce/slaw on top of the bread with the fish and very gently press together. Cut in half.
Hippie vegetable sandwich
When I was in high school, I went to a Cape Cod beach town with three of my best friends. We were on a tight budget, and I remember every day we would go to this local sandwich shop and order the Hippie Sandwich. It was a blend of vegetables and cheese with lots of bean sprouts, and it made us feel virtuous and super cool to eat this particular vegetable-heavy sandwich. It was also one of the cheapest things on the menu.
Segue to this past winter when I was in Los Angeles and ate at one of my favorite bakeries, Friends & Family, in East Hollywood. There, on the menu, was a Hippie Sandwich. Memories came rushing back. Friends & Family’s version is made with mashed peas, avocado, cucumbers, and feta. It’s a superb sandwich and was the inspiration for my Hippie Sandwich.
I blended peas (fresh or frozen) with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread it on thick slices of bread. Then I layered on buttery avocado slices, cucumbers, muenster or sharp cheddar cheese, sprouts, and radishes. For a vegan version of this sandwich, you can simply omit the cheese or substitute a vegan cheese. The sandwich is an ideal combination of crunch, pepper, creamy cheese and the brightness of the blended peas.
Makes one big sandwich (serves one to two).
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup fresh English peas or frozen peas (if frozen, no need to thaw)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 thick slices of your favorite bread, wheat, white, sourdough, etc.
- ⅓ cup thin cucumber slices
- 4 thin slices sharp cheddar, muenster, or your favorite cheese, optional, or use a vegan cheese if preferred
- ½ avocado, thinly sliced
- 3 French breakfast radishes or red radishes, very thinly sliced
- About ¼ cup microgreens or bean sprouts
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes over medium-high heat at a low boil. Drain the peas under cold running water and drain again. Place in a food processor and blend with the oil, salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly toast the bread.
- Divide the pea mash and spread onto each slice of bread. Layer on the cucumbers, cheese, avocado, radishes, and sprouts, then lightly season with salt and pepper. Carefully place the other piece of bread on top and gently press down to adhere the sandwich. Cut in half and serve.
Italian meat and mozzarella sandwich with roasted red peppers, fennel shavings and giardiniera
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a thick, meaty Italian sandwich, stuffed with good-quality meat, cheese and vegetables. And that’s exactly what this sandwich aims to be.
Crusty baguette or Italian bread is coated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then layered with mortadella, prosciutto, and mozzarella cheese. Very thin slices of fresh fennel are layered on, with roasted red peppers, chili paste, and giardiniera (an Italian relish made with olives, vegetables, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and vinegar).
Half a sandwich will fill most ordinary eaters, but go for it and serve one big sandwich to each guest and watch the smiles form.
Makes one big sandwich.
INGREDIENTS
- 6-inch piece baguette or crusty Italian bread, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 ounces mortadella (or good quality bologna), about 6 thin slices
- 2 ounces prosciutto or ham, about 6 thin slices
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Giardiniera (or 1 tablespoon each chopped pitted olives and pickles)
About 1 teaspoon Calabrian hot crushed peppers or splash hot pepper sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the two pieces of bread on a clean work surface. Brush 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon vinegar on each piece of bread.
- Layer the mortadella slices, prosciutto and cheese on one piece of bread.
- On the other piece of bread, spread the giardiniera and the chili peppers or hot sauce, and then the peppers and the fennel, pressing down slightly. Carefully place the fennel and pepper piece of bread on top of the piece of bread with the meat and cheese and press down gently. Cut in half or serve whole.
Other sandwich recipes
Tired of the same old sandwiches? Try these updates on 3 classics
- Robin’s grown-up tuna sandwich with tomatoes and lemon-orange mayonnaise
- Jeremy’s grown-up grilled ham and cheese (Italian-style)
- Chicken salad sandwich with watercress mayonnaise
Dine like a Dane enjoying late spring: 3 smørrebrød recipes from Denmark
- Soft boiled eggs
- Savory herb and buttermilk waffles
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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