Need ideas for lunch special sandwiches & entrees

[simonbaker]

One of the hospitals I worked for had a sandwich shop at the doctor's building next door. My favorite sandwich there was a "Veggie". It was a bagel (I would order plain sometimes, whole wheat at other times), split and toasted, with low fat cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, red onion, sprouts and lettuce. I would sometimes go wild and order it with a couple of strips of bacon. It was the most delicious sandwich. I now make my own version using the thin bagels you can get at the store.

Sounds like a good variation to a similiar menu item we feature called a "Garden Wrap". I grill a flour tortilaa with roasted red pepper garlic spice, then spread with sunndried tomato fresh vegetable cream cheese & add chopped granny smith apples, romaine hearts. tomato, cucmber & chopped fresh broccoli. We have recently started using the bagel flats & they have been starting to take off too. Thanks for your input!!!

 

[Janet H]

I saw some vegetarian suggestions made and have to say as a vegetarian, I never order wraps. The tortillas often have lard in them and frankly I don't need the fat that a tortilla usually has..

How about using that bread you make to leverage a loaded bruschetta heavy appetizer plate? A dice of fresh tomatoes, herbs, etc on toasted garlicky bread is awesome. You could include other items or substitute instead.. smoke mussels or smoked salmon and a chunk of goat cheese, etc. A nice olive tapinade, etc.

How about a ploughmans lunch?

Greek wedding soup and a chunk of spanikopita?

 

[NoraC]

No wonder you sell a lot of cookies and pies! With that background, you might really do well with homemade bagels and homemade pitas.

 

[simonbaker]

All great ideas. Brushetta I use for appetizers for catering. Nice idea to add the salmon or mussels.Unfortunately for cafe specials mussels & salmon are not cost effective. Everything is made to order with a 2-3 minute turn around ticket time.

 

[NoraC]

With Lent coming up, you might think about a "fish on Friday" offering. Even Chick FilA sells fish sandwiches on Fridays in Lent in many parts of the country: shrimp or oyster po'boy; a sandwich version of the Niçoise salad; or a salmon salad sandwich.

 

[simonbaker]

With Lent coming up, you might think about a "fish on Friday" offering. Even Chick FilA sells fish sandwiches on Fridays in Lent in many parts of the country: shrimp or oyster po'boy; a sandwich version of the Niçoise salad; or a salmon salad sandwich.

I really like the salmon salad sandwich idea. We always offer as variety of seafood options during lent. Seafood smothered nacho's I've tried somr different baked fishes but there is so much loss when you don't use it.

 

[NoraC]

I'm beginning to get a sense of your style. What about cheese panini with a dipping sauce: mozzarella panini, with a marinara dipping sauce, swiss with a ham chutney dipping sauce, monterey jack with a pico de gallo dipping sauce; brie with a pecan butter?

 

[AnnieDrews]

I'm not vegetarian, but "Meatless Mondays" seems to be pretty popular right now.

Simonbaker-I don't know where your shop is, but I want to come visit! It sounds awesome!!

 

[simonbaker]

I'm beginning to get a sense of your style. What about cheese panini with a dipping sauce: mozzarella panini, with a marinara dipping sauce, swiss with a ham chutney dipping sauce, monterey jack with a pico de gallo dipping sauce; brie with a pecan butter?

I do not have a panni grill but I really like your style. Please elaborate on your ham chutney dipping sauce.

 

[simonbaker]

I'm not vegetarian, but "Meatless Mondays" seems to be pretty popular right now.

Simonbaker-I don't know where your shop is, but I want to come visit! It sounds awesome!!

We are in Sioux Falls S.D
The meatless monday is a catchy idea. Thanks!

 

[Claire]

One shortcut is to make a mufalletta type dressing, and you can use it to flavor a bunch of different things; topping for sandwiches, tossed with pasta, spread on a pre-made crust for a type of pizza, use in salad dressings.

 

[simonbaker]

One shortcut is to make a mufalletta type dressing, and you can use it to flavor a bunch of different things; topping for sandwiches, tossed with pasta, spread on a pre-made crust for a type of pizza, use in salad dressings.

this may be a dumb question but what is a mufaletta type dressing?

 

[taxlady]

One shortcut is to make a mufalletta type dressing, and you can use it to flavor a bunch of different things; topping for sandwiches, tossed with pasta, spread on a pre-made crust for a type of pizza, use in salad dressings.

Muffuletta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[simonbaker]

Muffuletta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thank you for educating me on muffuletta. We make our honey wheat bread from scratch in our cafe. I have used some flatbreads, pita's, croissants & wraps. Thanks for the input.

 

[NoraC]

I do not have a panni grill but I really like your style. Please elaborate on your ham chutney dipping sauce.

I was just riffing on cheeses and traditional companions. Ham and Swiss seemed to go together. To make ham into a dipping sauce, you need to make it into a relish. All chutney is is a condiment composed of balanced strong tastes; ham is the salty component. My first thought was a peach or mango base with diced hot pepper and ham bits (sweet/hot/salty). You could also do pineapple, ginger, and ham. Plum, black mustard seeds and ham would work, I think.

 

[Claire]

A mufalleta is a popular New Orleans sandwich made on a large round loaf of bread, cut horizontally, then filled with multiple layers of various deli meats and cheese slices. The top is sometimes hollowed out a bit to fit in extra amounts of the topping.

It is dressed with a "relish" (for lack of a better word) made from chopped olives (at least a couple of kinds), olive oil (I sometimes use an Italian type salad dressing), peppers (roasted red and pepperocini are good), onions, garlic. I don't use a recipe, but I'm sure you can find many in cookbooks and on line. I make mine in the food processor, but you don't want it too finely chopped. One version I can buy in a local guy has artichoke hearts in it as well. But as I said, it goes really well on any number of dishes, and you can make up a large batch and use for a myriad of dishes.

 

[kadesma]

One of our favorite sandwiches is sourdough bread spread with butter on both sides with a little dijon and mayo mixed together put a nice piece of pepper jack on inside top with panko dusted chicken breast grilled and very thin top with more pepper jack then a mix with roasted finley chopped roma tomatoes,some red or yellow onion, cilantro now grill til cheese is melted. Great dunked in a chowder, say creamy tomato or even ministrone. chicken, potato
kades

 

[simonbaker]

I was just riffing on cheeses and traditional companions. Ham and Swiss seemed to go together. To make ham into a dipping sauce, you need to make it into a relish. All chutney is is a condiment composed of balanced strong tastes; ham is the salty component. My first thought was a peach or mango base with diced hot pepper and ham bits (sweet/hot/salty). You could also do pineapple, ginger, and ham. Plum, black mustard seeds and ham would work, I think.

Those are some really great ideas that I might be able to use. Thanks.

 

[NoraC]

Those are some really great ideas that I might be able to use. Thanks.

Enjoy! Playing with food is a great and safe pleasure.

 

[spork]

I don't have a recipe, but I like eggplant sandwiches, both hot and cold, cooked with marinara and topped with mozzarella. Could be good for "Meatless Monday."