Quick Lunch - Salmon, wasabi and creme fraiche open sandwiches on rye bread

When you are trying to eat healthily and look after yourself, it is lunchtime which I think is the most challenging meal of the day. breakfast you can have at home, and since we nearly all at least have a fridge at work, having muesli or cereal at work is possible. At lunchtime at work it is so very tempting to head out to the nearest fast food establishment to tuck into some warm and comforting fried food. Who can resist chips on a cold and grey day? Alternatively, there is the local sandwich parlour. Recent revelations about the levels of fat and salt in shop bought sandwiches prove they are not always a healthy option.

Most of us do not have cooking facilities at work. If we are lucky there is a kettle and a microwave oven. But many people don't have that option. So you want something sustaining, energy giving and SIMPLE. Preferably a dish which involves assembly only.

With that in mind, I'd like to share my idea for wholegrain rye open sandwiches. These are healthy, tasty and exceptionally simple to make.

All you need is the following;

1. A tube of Wasabi paste - this light green Japanese radish paste is now available in UK supermarkets. If you can't find it, most Oriental grocers stock it. A word of warning: Wasabi has a very strong flavour. It is extremely hot. It can cause watering of the eyes, burning of the mouth and a tingling sensation in the sinuses. That may make it sound like it tastes unpleasant, but as long as you don't overdo it, it has an intensive and strangely addictive quality. 

2. Sliced rye bread either with or without seeds. I used rye bread with sunflower seeds. This is because I particularly like the texture of the rye with the nutty flavour of the sunflower seeds. 

3. Sliced smoked salmon. Please keep this cold if you are transporting it from home to work, and keep it cold until you eat it. Fish and meat products can, if allowed to get above 5°C (41°F), cause food poisoning (for more advice please see my previous post: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/dont-panic-food-poisoning-is-nasty-but.html)

4. Small tub of creme fraiche. OK, you can try to tick me off here that this is an unhealthy ingredient, but I am not using any butter or margarine here. And you need something creamy to provide moisture and a change of texture to the sandwich. 

Rye grain is high in fibre, because it is difficult to refine, unlike wheat which can be refined into white flour, used to make white bread. Rye can help weight loss because the polysaccharides in it help trap water, making you feel full. Rye has been proven in several studies to reduce cholesterol. Also, like all wholegrains, they take time for the body to break down, meaning a gradual release of energy. This is unlike white bread which can lead to a rush of energy followed by a slump. And it has more flavour and a more substantial texture than ordinary bread.

Salmon contains Omega 3 oils, and vitamins A, B and D. As I have set out in my previous post (http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/brain-food.html), these nutrients are good for memory and brain maintenance and development. Salmon also speeds the metabolism, which since I have reached a certain age, is very good news indeed.

Wasabi is thought to be anti-microbial (eliminates bacteria), anti-inflammatory and has anti-cancerous effects in that it helps the body to deal with substances which can potentially be toxic and cancer causing. These reasons are thought to be behind why it is served with raw fish in sushi.

Whilst creme fraiche may have some fat in it (the tub I bought was 30% fat), it has some benefits. Firstly, its rich and slightly tart, tangy flavour. This means it provides taste, but without salt, since creme fraiche is very low in sodium. Also it is low in sugar and high in calcium. Children and women must ensure calcium levels are maintained for bone development and maintenance. 

Makes 2 open sandwiches, enough for 1 person for lunch.

Ingredients:

2 slices rye bread

3 tbsp creme fraiche

1/4 to 2/3 wasabi paste (it may be better if you try the smaller amount, taste, and add if necessary than to put it all in at once - this is powerful stuff!)

2-3 large slices of smoked salmon

(optional) Dill to garnish

Method:

Put the creme fraiche in a small bowl and measure out the wasabi. Mix up the creme fraiche and wasabi, tasting as you go.

When you are happy with the strength of the flavour, ensure the wasabi is mixed thoroughly.

Put 2 slices of rye bread onto your serving plate.

Spread the wasabi and creme fraiche mixture on the slices of rye bread.

Top with smoked salmon. Add a sprig of dill, if using.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash spread by Karin Struyk

I have received another recipe suggestion from a friend (the first was from my friend Raymond for Chicken Noodle Soup -  http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-first-recipe-suggestion-from-friend.html

Karin is an enthusiastic cook who enjoys experimenting with international flavours. I'm really pleased she has shared this recipe with me, and allowed me to post it here.

This spread is recommended for putting on bread/toast/biscuits as a snack or light lunch.

Rather than introduce the unadulterated heat of raw chilis or go to the trouble of roasting them especially, Karin uses the more mellowed earthy chili flavour of Indonesian sambal pastes. She has asked me to warn you that they are rather strong! If you are a vegetarian or vegan, please check the jar before buying, some contain fermented shrimp. You could add any hot chili sauce in its place if you are vegetarian/vegan.

For more information on sambal pastes, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambal

If you roasted your squash with herbs (Karin recommends  thyme, rosemary or marjoram and black pepper), then you don't need to add any more. If you didn't add any herbs, then you can add half a teaspoon of chopped thyme and a teaspoon of chopped flat leaf parsley or coriander. Just make sure that you add a herb that does not require cooking, such as sage.

You will need:

Leftover  roasted butternut squash, cut into cubes (about ? -¼ – the size of a small tupperware container)

1a tablespoon of peanut butter

around 1 tablespoon of tahini (use double if you don't like peanut butter)

1 clove garlic, crushed

A teaspoon of Indonesian sambal (chili) paste (halve if you can’t take too much heat)

Black pepper

a drizzle of olive oil (amount will depend on how much the spread needs loosening)

Method: 

1. Start by whizzing the squash, and all the ingredients except for the oil in a food processor. Once mushy, check the texture.

2. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in, pulsing as you go, until you get a spreadable texture with a light sheen of olive oil.

2 ways with Char Siu Pork: #1 - Char Siu Pork Wraps

I'm not that into sandwiches. So lunchtimes can be a time where I can struggle to find something good to eat. I gave up on the sandwich shops near my work a long time ago. The good ones cost a small fortune and the bad ones..... Well, I am sure we have all encountered those sandwiches which sit in nasty plastic boxes on a refridgerated lorry for hours before sitting in a chiller cabinet for a few more hours, waiting to be bought. By the time you do, they are soggy and cardboardy. Not much of a treat after a morning's worth of hard work!

Some shops do wraps, but again, if they have been knocking around too long, they too taste past their best. The only way, therefore, is DIY; make your wrap of choice by yourself. You get something as fresh as you like, for a fraction of the price of a sandwich shop and because you have to buy a pack of 6-8 wraps, you have plenty left for the rest of the week! Even Charlie Sheen would agree that you're winning!

This idea for a tasty lunch came from my trip to See Woos in Greenwich. See Woo is a Chinese supermarket which sells everything you need to make your own Chinese, Thai and Japanese food. They keep fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs for any kind of Pan-Asian cooking. Their freezer section has all those wonderful things you get from the take-away; spring rolls, edemame beans, sesame toasts. If you are more adventurous: sliced hot pot meats, mussels, prawns and whole fish. They also sell a full range of rice, noodles, sauces and tea. Some of my favourite things there are the cooked meats (crispy belly of pork and char siu pork) and their baked goods (particularly the buns).

On my last visit I bought a large piece of Char siu pork. If you have never tried this before, it is wonderfully tasty, glossy, barbequed pork. Usually made of shoulder, it has been marinated and glazed with honey, red tofu, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine (shaosing) and five spice before being cooked. Sound delicious? Because it is!

So I am going to post my Char siu wrap recipe and a Thai style salad for you (to follow), since these were the dishes I made with my bumper size piece of pork. You can make your own roasted pork for these recipes, but I wanted to make my life a little easier for myself.

Here is Nigel Slater's recipe for making the pork from scratch:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/05/nigel-slater-classic-char-siu-pork-recipe

This recipe comes from Chinese food author Deh-Ta Hsiung:

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/pork/r/charsiu.htm

Ingredients:

100g char siu pork

1 wheat flour tortilla

2 spring onions, cut in half vertically

1 handful rocket leaves

1 large / 2 small ripe tomatoes, sliced

good dollop hoi sin sauce

Method:

Slice up the pork finely.

 

Put the tortilla on a plate and spread hoi sin sauce in a strip across the middle.

Lay the pork on the sauce.

Add the tomatoes and spring onions.

Add the rocket.

Roll up and cut in half. If your wrap threatens to unravel, use cocktail sticks to pin it together.