CROISSANT, RASPBERRY and NUTELLA TEA SANDWICH BITES

Behold the croissant. One of humankind's greatest inventions. Flaky, buttery, irresistible. Kind of like me. Oops, I said it, and I am not taking it back. The picture above shows an almond croissant. Purchased from Whole Foods. It holds a surprise inside.  It has an almond paste filling.

A while ago I hosted an "after church" tea. I made some really nice tea sandwiches: chicken, cucumber, AND my special minis with ham, cheese and turkey on whole wheat. I had a fruit salad and some phyllo and feta wraps too. I had cheese and bagels, and a store bought dessert. Why am I telling you all this? I'm just thinking back, reminiscing. That day I wanted to offer croissant, raspberry and Nutella bites, for dessert but I ran out of time. I ran out of time, plus after making all the other sandwiches I was too exhausted to speed up and make anything else. I think everyone who came to the tea had a good time. There were no leftovers to speak of. Just a few pieces of cheese. The Nutella I had bought for the croissants sat on a shelf in the pantry until I remembered it last week and used some of it to make these really tasty and moist Reeses, Nutella and banana bars.

Then I remembered all about the croissant sandwiches I hadn't made. So I bought a single croissant and some raspberries and I invited myself to tea. A nice cuppa and a bite of a croissant, raspberry and Nutella sandwich. The raspberries I bought were grown in Mexico: they were shipped from Mexico all the way here to the cold Northeast, and they were magical! They brought sunshine into the house. Best raspberries ever!

Here is how to make Croissant, Raspberry and Nutella Tea Sandwich Bites:

Get yourself some croissants. Butter or almond or chocolate. Say no to the broccoli ones. Get some raspberries or strawberries. Cut the croissants in half lengthwise.

Arrange raspberries on one half of the croissant.  

Spread some Nutella on the other half of the croissant.

Here is my kitchen rooster posing with the croissandwich. Bring the two croissant halves together by folding the Nutella half over the raspberry half. It feels like rocket science, doesn't it? Keep at it, if I managed it so can you!

Cut each croissant into quarters. If you're serving these to company, stick a sandwich pick or some such implement into each piece to keep it from falling apart and to make it look prettier than it already is. Place the bites on a nice serving platter, and dust the tops of the croissants with a little powdered sugar.  

If the bites are just for you and yours, just enjoy them. They are sweet and flaky. As am I. Seriously though, these darlings make fantastic little treats for a tea, and they are so very easy to make!

EGG and AVOCADO SALAD SANDWICH

Do you like green eggs and ham? If you do, I have the perfect green egg salad for you. It turns green when avocado is mixed in the recipe. The other day I mixed half an avocado with an egg and a little mayonnaise. It tasted pretty good, so I got the idea of combining the ingredients to make a salad. Below you'll find the recipe I came up with. Now you might say that the salad looks like guacamole, but it doesn't taste like it. It has its own unique taste. Mild. There is no garlic, there are no spices. Also, because of the eggs, the salad is high in protein. my green egg and avocado salad is tasty, mild, and can be had as a sandwich or it can be scooped on a bed of lettuce leaves and enjoyed that way. There's enough to make 4 sandwiches.

Green Nutrition: Avocados are very high in potassium, vitamin E and fibre. Studies show they can lower blood cholesterol in both LDL and triglyceride levels. Currently, avocados are under research for potential anti-cancer activity. 

Ingredients: 
3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs 
about 2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise 
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 
2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 stalk celery, chopped 
2 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts only
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and chopped 
1 ripe avocado, chopped 
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste 
Romaine lettuce and tomato slices 
Whole wheat bread slices, which are my favourite, or use your own favourite, toasted if you like 

Directions:

• In a large bowl mash the eggs and fold in the avocado, celery, scallion, dill and parsley. 
• Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Toast the bread slices and then top half of them with egg/avocado salad. 
• Add the lettuce and tomato and top with the rest of the bread.  
• Enjoy it!!!

MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRED SANDWICH WRAP WITH HUMMUS & AVOCADO & OLIVES & FETA & . . .

What's in the packets?  I got some parchment paper and wrapped my lunch in them.  Looking, cute, my delicious wrap sandwich, all wrapped up! Here's a picture of what's inside:

 I made these for lunch twice.  The first time without feta cheese, and the second time with feta cheese. With is the way to go!

Get your favourite sandwich wrap and lay it flat on a cutting board. Spread the surface with hummus, then sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Meanwhile toast some sunflower seeds, a few pumpkin seeds and some pine nuts. When they become fragrant take them out of the oven and scatter them on the surface of your wrap.

Top with olives that have been pitted and cut in half.  I used Kalamata, olive cured, and green olives from Mount Athos. 

  

Peel and slice half an avocado.  Spread that on one side of the wrap.

Top the avocado with half of a sliced tomato. Season the whole surface with oregano, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Get some feta cheese, crumble it, and spread it on top of the tomatoes. Try not to buy pre-crumbled feta. It is made up from whatever pieces have been leftover or sank to the bottom of the cheese barrel and it's usually dry and very, very salty. Instead, buy feta that is sold in blocks (do you know that you can desalinate feta by soaking it in water for about fifteen minutes to half an hour? If you find that feta is too salty for you, soak it in some water and then rinse it well. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, so that it stays fresh and doesn't dry out). 

Top the feta with salad greens.

Now comes the time to wrap.  Start with the end that has all the vegetables on it, and wrap the sandwich firmly.  Remember: you're the boss!

Trim off the edges and cut in half.

Get some parchment paper and some kitchen twine and make two nice parcels out of the sandwiches.

Take them with you for lunch. Eat one for lunch and give the other to a friend. Or, save the second piece for the end of the workday, to eat before your drive home. That way you won't be too ravenous when dinner time comes. And ...

BON APPETIT!

HAM AND BRIE SANDWICH

There is something delectable about a ham and brie sandwich: just those two simple ingredients placed between a sliced baguette. Why mess with such delightful simplicity? But there’s also something nice to be said about a fresh, crispy baguette flavoured with honey infused Dijon mustard, stuffed with peppery arugula, and then topped with a creamy brie and some country ham!

Either way, go out and get the best ingredients and share with your valentine. Accompany with some nice fruit and have a quiet, cozy lunch, just the two of you!

Are you ready for strorytime?

I have to talk about the mini adventure I had while trying to purchase the berries which accompany this brie and cheese sandwich: 11 February, was mighty cold here in the Philadelphia suburbs, with a light snow falling on and off all day. Dauntless (lol!), I drove to the supermarket so I could pick up a few things. In anticipation of Valentine's Day, the market had all the "berry type" fruits displayed in large bins outside their front entrance. No way you could miss them, and no way could you resist them. How’s that for merchandising? I walked inside, chose some produce, then decided to go back outdoors to get some berries. It had gotten dark and very windy. The snow was falling heavier now, and the wind spun it and tossed it around so that it seemed the area was in the middle of a blizzard. "What a time and what a place to be buying strawberries," I thought. One of the market employees came outside to make sure the fruit bins were secure. However, as he opened the doors to exit the market, he inadvertently provided a way for the wind to tunnel inside the store and lay havoc. A beautiful display of orchid plants collapsed to the floor. Customers, me included, ran to prop them up. Eventually, the staff set up the orchids in another location, one farther away from the front entrance, and I’m certain those orchids will be sold by Valentine's Day, but after all that cold exposure they won't have a long life. Meanwhile, I wanted to get to somewhere warm and gave up my plan of buying more berries. I looked down at my container of strawberries. It was covered with something which looked like powdered sugar. I knew better: it was a soft, light dusting of snow. Ah, strawberries, the luscious summer fruit ... 

• Here's how I made the brie and ham sandwich:

Ingredients:

1 baguette, nice and fresh

8 ounces good quality deli ham, sliced

4 ounces brie cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Dijon mustard mixed with honey to taste

baby arugula

a few drops of olive oil (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

some nice fruit such as apples, strawberries, grapes, blackberries, blueberries, etc.

Directions:

• Slice the baguette horizontally.  
• Take one piece of the bread and spread it lightly with the Dijon/honey mustard.
• Take the other piece of the baguette and arrange some baby arugula on it.  On top of the arugula sprinkle a little olive oil. Grab your pepper grinder and give it a go, seasoning with all that delicious freshly ground black pepper.
• Layer the ham on top of the mustard
• Layer the brie on top of the arugula.  
• Press the two sides of the baguette together.  
• Slice the baguette into pieces and serve accompanied with the fruit.

A very enjoyable fruit and sandwich lunch!!!

TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

The very first time I had a tuna sandwich I was hooked. It became my favourite lunch, favourite sandwich, favourite snack! I loved it! I was in my teens, and I quickly learned how to make it: Mix a can of tuna fish with mayonnaise, chopped celery, and chopped onions, throw it between two slices of white bread and you're in business. 

Being Greek, I soon started adding lemon juice, an ingredient Greeks try their best to use in each and every recipe from appetizers to desserts. I experimented with different types of bread, I added garlic powder (don't try it), I added herbs, and finally, I settled on the version posted here! For me, it's the best ever tuna salad! 

To make this or any tuna salad, I always buy tuna packed in water. I drain the water and add a bit of good olive oil to help all the salad ingredients fuse together. If you make this tuna salad, have it on a sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes, or even eat it on a bed of lettuce without the bread. However, if you do choose to turn it into a sandwich, use a hearty, solid kind of bread. And please, enjoy it. It is really good!  

Ingredients:

2 cans (7 ounces each), of tuna fish, packed in water

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 shallot, chopped finely
3 celery stalks, chopped finely
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed well and chopped
Juice of one lemon
zest of half a lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
lettuce and sliced tomatoes, optional
sliced bread, your favourite, lightly toasted

Directions:

Drain the tuna fish and mix all of the ingredients. Serve on toast, with lettuce and or tomatoes. 

If you would rather forgo some or all of the bread, you can have it as an open-faced sandwich, or in lettuce cups.