ISO Sandwiches for Ladies Who Lunch

[AllenOK]

I used to do a function up in Michigan once a year, where a bunch of the Ladies from the country club got together for some shin-dig. It was all Tea sandwiches, fruit, and cheese platters.

I did a shrimp salad sandwich. That was actually rather popular there, as I would get orders in every now and then for a shrimp salad plate with fruit. Just steam the shrimp, cool, chop, and mix with a little mayo, chopped onion, salt, pepper, and dill.

If you have a Foreman Grill or Panini machine, you could do Cuban Sandwiches, and just toothpick the thing every couple of inches, and cut in between the toothpicks. You can make that with sub rolls, or a baugette cut into small lenghts. If you have a BIG Foreman grill, definitely go with the baugette, and just prep like a third of the thing at a time.

 

[Calya]

I would get some nice foccacia or ciabatta bread and put chicken on it along with some garlic mayonnaise,guacamole or plain avocado as a base, add roasted red peppers and mixed baby greens. Then cut the sandwiches in half or into nice strips and put a pretty toothpick (with an olive through it) in them to hold them together.

 

[Constance]

Blend together braunsweiger and cream cheese, stir in sliced green olives, and spread on rye or wheat bread.
Did anyone say ham salad? I grind together ham or balogna, cheddar cheese, and hard-boiled eggs, which I mix with Miracle Whip, a little mustard, and sweet pickle relish go taste.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I would get some nice foccacia or ciabatta bread and put chicken on it along with some garlic mayonnaise,guacamole or plain avocado as a base, add roasted red peppers and mixed baby greens. Then cut the sandwiches in half or into nice strips and put a pretty toothpick (with an olive through it) in them to hold them together.

Ooooh, this sounds delicious and would be beautiful, too!

 

[*amy*]

Can the fillings be something other than chicken or tuna, & perhaps, different bread?

The tea sandwiches I like are very lite w simple fillings i.e. thinly sliced cukes & buttered bread or cream cheese & watercress, roast beef & horseradish or smoked slamon/cream cheese/onions. Here's a bunch of tea sandwich ideas:

Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwich, Finger Sandwich Recipes

You can change out the bread to party pumpernickle (small slices), use raisin walnut bread (w cream cheese), or mini Hawaiian sweet rolls.

For a different tuna sandwich idea...

Tuna Spinach Braid

Assorted mini quiches, stuffed mushrooms, asparagus bundles wrapped in prosciutto (I posted recipe ideas here) & baked in puff pastry, would be a nice accompaniments.... and little sweets for dessert - i.e. mini tartletts, mini cannollis, or truffles, etc. A cold soup might pair well with the little sandwiches - i.e. cucumber, peach, strawberry soup.

 

[AllenOK]

Cayla, have been to the country club I'm currently working at? That sandwich you described is almost exactly like one that is on our menu right now. Toasted ciabatta, an almond/lime/cilantro pesto, grilled chicken, and a fire-roasted red bell peppers.

 

[Bilby]

A triple decker cut into fingers filled with chicken, bacon, avocado, cream cheese, pinenuts and lettuce is one of my favourites. (Or was - I'm intolerant to avocado now!)

crabmeat in seafood dressing with sliced beetroot in rye

smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers in white bread.

curried egg in pinwheel sandwich style.

leg ham and cranberry

cheese, pineapple and microgreens

tongue and mustard pickles (like piccalilli)

 

[archiduc]

Hi,
How about doing asparagus rolls? These could be made on the morning of serving.

For these you need:
1. pre-sliced brown or wholewheat bread;
2. Canned asparagus - drained - (2-3 cans) via a nylon/pastic sieve;
3. Full or reduced fat cheese like a Philadelphia cheese - 225g-350g/8-12 oz (approx) - also you could use Ricotta or Mascarponne - the critical point is that the cheese should be spreadable - like butter. However, for this recipe it is absolutely critical that you do NOT use butter!;
4. A sharp bread knife;
5. A rolling pin;
6. A spreading knife;
7. Cling film;
8. A baking tray lined with cling film.

1. Open and drain the cans of asparagus. Count out the number of aspargus spears you have.

2. Count out a corresponding number of slices of brown or wholewheat bread.

3. Remove the crusts from the bread using the breadknife. (set these aside to dry out in an low oven to make breadcrumbs)

4. Place a slice of bread on a board and gently roll out, using the rolling pin, to flatten and become pliable using a the rolling pin. The bread should compact and will change colour and texture.

5. Spread the slice of bread with a thin layer of cheese.

6. Place a spear of asparagus on top and at one edge. Carefully roll the slice of bread around the asparagus spear and ensuring that you exclude all air and end with the cut slice of bread on the base of the board.

7. Place this on a baking tray lined with cling film and repeat the process with the remaining slices of bread and spears of asparagus.

8. When all the asparagus spears have been used up and wrapped in the cheese spread bread, cover the tray with cling film and refrigerate.

9. 45-30 minutes before serving, remove the tray of asparagus rolls from the fridge.

10. Just before serving, use a bread knife to trim each end of an asparagus roll. Remove as little as possible from each end - the objective at this point is simply to neaten each edge. Cut each roll into 3 and serve on a mixed platter of canapes.

IDEAS

**If you don`t like asparagus - try with puréed avocado but be aware that the mixture will be more difficult to roll - chill it first.

**Combine puréed avocado with crabmeat or prawns and use as a filling for the rolls. If you use prwns, you could serve each roll end on with a prawn tucked into the top!

**Fill with a mixture of VERY finely diced smoked salmon and cream cheese seasoned with lemon juice and pepper. You could use a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 plain nozzle to pipe the mixture in a line at the edge of the bread and then fold to enclose. Each slice of bread would need to be spread with a layer of cream cheese to ensure that the bread sticks!

**Combine very finely diced , skinned, roasted peppers with cheese and use as above.

**Top and tail a cucumber. Peel, quarter and remove the seeds. Grate and layer with a couple of teaspoons of salt. Leave for 30 minutes. Wash in cold water, drain and dry by squeezing out in kitchen paper. Combine with cream cheese/Ricotta or Mascarpone and finely chopped dill, with or without finely chopped smoked salmon and use as a filling in place of asparagus.

Hope these ideas help,
Archiduc

 

[kitchenelf]

archiduc - you know,it's really hard for me to wrap my head around you using the words asparagus and canned in the same sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[archiduc]

archiduc - you know,it's really hard for me to wrap my head around you using the words asparagus and canned in the same sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi kitchenelf,

My head spins when I think of it as well. I am true believer that one should always seek to use ingredients in season and at their best. Consequently, I believe, I BELIVE (!), in serving the fresh season`s asparagus in a white napkin with melted butter, a Sauce Hollandaise or a Sauce Maltaise in separate little pots - preferably all three! so that one can dip the delights of early summer in the dips and sauces of excellence!
However, what is one to do with the cans/jars of asparagus. They sit so lonely and forelorn on the shelves of those demonic masters of culinary neutrality, otherwise known as shops. Surely, even you ,Kitchenelf, will acknowledge that we need to liberate the cans and bottles of this most glorious vegetable!

It behoves one to find a way of allowing them (the asparagus) to escape and be free. Soup, my asparagus rolls or puréed to create a dip are the only ways by which we might liberate these sentinels of the sandy patch!

Respectfully yours,
Archiduc - queen of the canned and bottled asparagus

 

[shortchef]

Archiduc, you really have a way with words. I'm going to go liberate some asparagus, inspired by your beautiful monologue. And thank you for your lovely tea sandwich ideas!

 

[archiduc]

Archiduc, you really have a way with words. I'm going to go liberate some asparagus, inspired by your beautiful monologue. And thank you for your lovely tea sandwich ideas!

Hi Shortchef,

Thank you for your kind words.

Please try to find a way to liberate the poor little sisters of the fresh asparagus. The robust big sister, otherwise known as the fresh asparagus has a short life and dominates her little canned, bottled and frozen sisters. However, it behoves us not to condemn or ignore the runts of the litter.

The canned, bottles and frozen asparagus may be used in ways which will delight the palate. Another idea - dip the asparagus rolls, made with bread and cream cheese (as per my previous post), in egg and breadcrumbs and fry in deep fat for another taste sensation. If you work in a commercial kitchen, you could try serving these as appetisers or amusée bouche. Another few ideas would be to use:
1. very finely chopped, dried, spinach and ricotta, seasoned with nutmeg and piped as a filling with the bread;
2. finely diced smoked salmon/trout and cream cheese;
3. finely diced grilled, skinned and chopped red peppers and cream cheese;
4. finely diced prawns, rocked and cream cheese.

Fill a piping bag with a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch nozzle and pipe the filling along the length of the bread. Roll up carefully and serve at room temperature (see my previous posting) or hot after cutting into 3 and dipping in egg and breadcrumbs and deep fat frying.

All the best,
Archiduc

 

[SpiritWolf]

Vegimite and cheese and lettuce, but I dont know if you can get Vegimite there, its wonderful though

 

[Bilby]

you know, I have never tried that with lettuce SpiritWolf!! Love the cheese and Vegemite sanger tho!!

 

[JGDean]

Yum and pretty

Can the fillings be something other than chicken or tuna, & perhaps, different bread?

Tuna Spinach Braid

I will have to try this!