Hummus Sandwich

LHSS Score: 8.6 / 10 with Coleslaw with Vinaigrette

LHSS Score: 8.2 / 10 with Salade de Carrottes

Per sandwich

60g hummus

100g Coleslaw with Vinaigrette or Salade de Carrottes

1/8 to 1/4 tsp horseradish sauce

2 slices Commons Yogurt Bread (160g)

1. Toast the bread.
2. Spread the hummus on the bottom piece of bread.
3. Evenly spread the salad on top of the hummus.
4. Spread the horseradish sauce on the other slice of bread (it will be quite thin).
5. Put the two sides together and enjoy!

Tartine briarde gratinée - Baked Pear and Brie Sandwiches

I often feel at a loss when it comes to making vegetarian meals for my niece when she comes for dinner. Tofu is bland (and please, don't even mention tofurkey!) and pasta, while delicious, gets repetitive. This Saturday I met a friend for lunch and then thought I wanted to shop, but soon discovered my heart wasn't into it. And yet, I also didn't want to go home right away. So I wandered, and ended up at Chapters bookstore on Robson street. I like to pick out a bunch of books and just settle down and flip through them. Maybe one of these days I'll actually buy one. Anyway, in one of the books was a bunch of recipes for 'tartine'; essentially, these are open-faced sandwiches. This one is spinach and pear topped with brie. The salt at the end is important to bring out all the flavours.

1 bunch spinach

2 very ripe pears

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

250g ripe brie

4 slices of my home-made Commons Bread or similar peasant-type bread 

A pinch of salt per sandwich

Fresh-ground pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°F.
2. Peel pears and cut into matchsticks. Heat butter in sauté pan and cook pears until browned.
3. Prepare ice bath for spinach - wash the leaves and blanch in salted water - quickly draining and dumping them into the ice bath. Dry leaves on paper towels.
4. Arrange bread slices on a cookie sheet. Combine pear and spinach, and divide equally among bread slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Pop in the hot oven for a few minutes (2 to 4), or until the cheese has obtained the desired amount of runniness, and serve immediately.

Muffuletta Sandwich with Vegetarian Option

This is a delicious sandwich. I tried two versions using the vegetarian recipe, below - one true to this recipe, the other incorporating meats often used in muffuletta sandwiches (Italian mortadella and hot capicollo). The veggie sandwich turned out beautifully and, although the meat sandwich was good, it wasn't as good - I used less pesto and less tapenade in the meat sandwich and omitted the balsamic, which I think was my error. Anyway, I will try it again. I've included the meat as an option in the recipe, below. Essentially, there are loads of variations for this recipe, but the basic ingredient, as far as I can tell, that makes it a muffuletta is the olives - either tapenade or an olive salad etc.

1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1⁄4" slices

2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1⁄4" slices

1 large loaf ciabatta bread (recipe)

1⁄3 cup prepared pesto

1⁄3 cup prepared tapenade

2 jarred roasted red peppers, roughly diced (or more, don't be shy)

1⁄8 lb hot capicollo (optional)

1⁄8 lb Italian mortadella (optional)

1⁄4 lb mild provolone slices

2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar

1. Heat grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Brush eggplant and zucchini with olive oil, and grill 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until charred and softened, dribbling more olive oil as needed. Transfer to plate.
2. Hollow the inside of the bread to make room for the filling. Spread pesto on one side of bread. Spread tapenade on other side of bread.
3. Layer eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, meat (if using) and provolone on one side of bread. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (warning, this will make the bread soggy). Season with salt and pepper.

The Trouble with Naming - Beef Dip

I have this guilty pleasure - I love Beef Dip sandwiches, otherwise known as French Dip. I was a vegetarian for almost a decade. I decided to stop not because of a lack of will power, but because my body seemed to crave the ready and abundant protein of meat. I remember, at family gatherings when I was visiting my parents, I'd bring something down to the second refrigerator in the basement and there would be the left overs of the big family dinner from the night before. One little taste, I'd say, that's all, and then I'd loose self-control and eat by the fistful! Although I now eat meat, and try to eat organic, in the back of my mind I feel this twinge.

There, now that's off my chest, I want to talk about beef. Here's a recipe for pot roast for making Beef Dip. I prefer to call them Beef Dip since they are not French at all - the recipe comes from Los Angeles and the only thing French about it is the baguette!

3½ to 4 lbs. boneless chuck roast

½ cup soy sauce

1 beef broth

1 bay leaf

3 to 4 peppercorns

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 to 2 cloves garlic, whole and slightly crushed

Baguette bread

1. Place roast in a pot only slightly larger than itself. Pre-heat oven to 325F.
2. Combine soy sauce and next 6 ingredients.
3. Pour over roast.
4. Add broth until roast is almost covered. Bring to a boil.
5. Put pot in oven, covered, for 3-4 hours or until very tender (internal temp should be 170F+).
6. Remove roast, reserving broth.
7. Shred the roast with a fork and serve in baguette sandwiches with the broth on the side for dipping.

PLACE HOLDERS S-Z

SALADS, SANDWICHES, SAUCES, SIDE DISHES, SLOW FOOD, SOUPS, STARTERS, STEWS, TABLE D'HÔTE, TARTS, TIPS, VEGETARIAN,