A good chicken salad sandwich filling is a great asset to have in ones recipe files and this is mine. My recipe makes a hearty filling that is surrounded by a flavorful dressing. Continue reading On The Sandwich Board: Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
I am a huge fan of cooking a big turkey, roast of beef, or ham for the leftovers they generate. It’s great to be able to get multiple meals from one cooking exercise. Today, on the sandwich board, I am featuring a tasty Ham Salad Sandwich made with ham that was leftover from a recent boiled ham dinner (leftovers from a baked ham work equally well in this sandwich). Continue reading Ham Salad Sandwich Recipe
When I want a quick and easy light meal, I will often make these Classic Tuna Melts. They are super easy to make and are wonderfully tasty. It’s amazing what can be done with a simple can of tuna and a few staple ingredients! Continue reading Classic Tuna Melts Recipe
On my sandwich board today, I have a lovely gourmet Turkey, Pear, Brie, and Cranberry Sandwich and this one comes fully dressed! Note this sandwich can also be made with chicken as a substitute for turkey. Continue reading On The Sandwich Board: Turkey, Pear, Brie, and Cranberry Sandwich
There is nothing better than lobster fresh from the sea and, living on Prince Edward Island, we are so fortunate to have ready access to this treat! The lobster fishery is one of PEI’s main fisheries. Continue reading On The Sandwich Board: Lobster Club Sandwich with a Twist
One of my all-time favorite sandwiches is egg salad. It’s also one variety of sandwich that, when I take a plate of sandwiches somewhere, is sure to go first. Continue reading On The Sandwich Board: Egg Salad Sandwich
Today, I am sharing the recipe for one of my all-time favorite sandwiches – Tuna Salad Sandwich. Continue reading On The Sandwich Board: Tuna Salad Sandwich
I’ve had a great summer of picnics this year! Haven’t gone on this many picnics in many years. I had forgotten how much fun and relaxed al fresco dining can be. This posting will feature my Labour Day Weekend Picnic but, first, a little trip down memory lane.
One of my favorite summertime memories involves a picnic. I was visiting a neighbour playmate and we were probably about 8 or 9 years old. We took a notion one hot summer day that we would have a picnic by the little stream across the road from my friend’s place. The two of us stood by the friend’s mother at the kitchen counter as she whipped up some gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, placed them in an old tin school lunchbox, filled a thermos with Kool-aid (anybody remember Kool-aid?), and sent us off on our big adventure to the picnic by the stream. Off we went across the little country road, down through the cow pasture to a little stream which, at its deepest point was probably all of 4″ or 5″ deep. We situated ourselves, had our picnic, and probably returned to the house all in the span of about 15 minutes, no doubt ready for another activity! Yet, we had been on a picnic adventure and made a memory. That was back in the days when kids played outside all day and found numerous ways to amuse themselves and none of them involved cell phones or computers.
I will admit my picnic adventures have progressed and become a bit more sophisticated. There are so many options for picnic foods, particularly when it comes to sandwiches – there are traditional sandwiches with any number of different kinds of breads as options, wraps, baguettes, different kinds of rolls, bagels, etc. For my picnic by the sea today, I have chosen croissants. They are tasty and have a nice, soft texture. Because I live near the water and close to a small fishing village that has a fresh seafood market open daily in the summer, lobster was a logical choice for a croissant filling. The late summer fishing season has opened in Victoria-by-the-Sea on the south shore of PEI so buying lobster at the seafood market means the lobster is really, really fresh. Take a look at this 1 1/2+ pound lobster that I took home with me to make the filling for the croissants!
I don’t really have a defined recipe for lobster filling for sandwiches or croissants. I chop the lobster meat into fairly large chunks as I like to see good-sized pieces of lobster in a lobster roll or croissant — no mashed-up or shredded pieces of lobster meat will do for me!
I add a bit of celery, some pepper, some fresh chopped chives, a splash of fresh lemon juice, and some homemade mayonnaise – just enough to hold the meat together and give it flavour. That’s it, nothing more as I don’t like anything that detracts from that rich lobster flavour.
I buttered the croissants, added a bed of fresh lettuce from our garden and then heaped on the lobster filling. Yes, it was very yummy!
A little closer look….
And, this is what I mean about wanting to see nice big pieces of lobster in the sandwich. Isn’t it mouthwatering and colorful!
Add some potato chips and picnic fare doesn’t get much better than this, particularly when the picnic location is beside the water. With something as special as lobster, the menu does not have to be extensive. Let the lobster star all on its own!
Croissants are so easy to handle and eat…particularly when filled with lobster 🙂
My August Cookie of the Month was the chocolate drop cookie. They were dessert.
I added some fresh fruit – this time, some green grapes – and the picnic basket was ready to go.
I always like to take along some props to dress up the picnic spread, regardless whether it is at a picnic table or on the ground as is the case here by the beach. It doesn’t matter whether I am in my dining room setting a formal table or outside, I like to think of setting the stage for a feast for the eye as well as for the stomach. A few props really can make an ordinary picnic a bit more special.
For my seaside picnic, all it took was a blue-checked cloth, a stylish matching wicker picnic basket, a lantern with a blue candle, and some seashells and starfish, to dress up the dining experience.
I love the patterns in the pink-red sandbars on PEI. Our Island beaches are extraordinary – on the south side, they tend to be more the pink-red color you see in the photo below while, on the north side, the sand is more of a soft pink color. This is definitely a dining room with a water view!
However, the sky began to look somewhat ominous so we thought we had better hurry up and eat in case a rain shower came along and spoiled the picnic.
I hope you have enjoyed some of the scenes from our seaside picnic that featured PEI lobster. Enjoy your Labour Day weekend.
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
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There are so many ways to serve a sandwich other than just throwing two pieces of bread and some filling together. One of my favorite ways to serve sandwiches is to make them into panini. I bought a Bella panini grill a couple of years ago and I have certainly gotten use out of it.
Panini is nothing more than bread or rolls, some kind of spread, and a filling which usually involves some variety of deli meat and cheese. Often, a vegetable such as tomato is added as well. The sandwich is then heated in a sandwich press or panini grill where it is pressed flat and toasted.
If you are lucky enough to be near a bakery or a supermarket that makes a variety of breads and rolls, you are likely to find ones suitable for use in panini grills. Rolls identified simply as panini rolls or Ciabiata, Focaccia, or baguettes are all suitable for use in these types of sandwiches. Here in Charlottetown, the Atlantic Superstore has a good variety of rolls that they sell individually. You can, of course, use any plain bread you wish but the sandwich will be more interesting if made with some type of artisan bread or rolls.
Today, I am going to share with you how I make a Ham, Cheese, & Tomato Panini.
First, I have chosen puffy oval-shaped rolls that were simply labelled “Panini Rolls” at the Superstore and I split them in half, horizontally.
I sliced tomato rather thinly and sprinkled it with about 1/2 tsp. Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar from the Liquid Gold store here in Charlottetown. If you have been following my blog, you will recall the feature story I did last summer on this store and their fabulous balsamic vinegars and olive oils. I then sprinkled the tomatoes with some fresh ground pepper and sea salt and set them aside while I prepared the rest of the sandwich.
To make the mayonnaise spread, I combined 1 tbsp maple syrup with 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, and a pinch each of basil and chives. I then added 1 green onion, thinly sliced.
Using a good quality extra virgin olive oil (I used Liquid Gold’s Arbosana), I brushed olive oil over all the outside edges of the rolls. This is one of the occasions where you want to use the very best quality olive oil you can find because the taste really does come through.
I flipped the rolls over and spread the mayonnaise on each of the interior sides of the rolls. On one side of the roll, I started building the sandwich, starting first with a good quality Black Forest deli ham that was sliced very thin.
I then added the marinated tomatoes
and another slice of ham
and, finally, added the grated cheese.
You can use any of your favorite cheeses in this sandwich – I happened to have some Italiano mixture (mozzarella, asiago, smoked provolone, and parmesan) in the fridge so that’s what I used.
I then put the top part of the roll on the sandwich and transferred it to the heated panini grill.
I pressed and held down the top of the panini grill for about 20 seconds or so.
I grilled the sandwich on the medium setting for probably about 4-5 minutes, essentially just long enough for the sandwich to be heated, the cheese melted, and the roll to have a nice crisp crust. Since each brand of grill will differ slightly, you will want to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for grilling panini and do some testing with your particular grill.
I sliced the panini diagonally and served it with carrot and celery sticks.
Ham, Cheese, & Tomato Panini
1 medium-sized tomato
1/2 tsp. Liquid Gold Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch dried basil
pinch dried chives
1 small green onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 oz. deli-style Black Forest ham, thinly sliced
1 oz. grated Italian blend cheese
2 panini rolls of choice
1 – 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Slice tomato thinly. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp. Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar, freshly ground pepper, and sea salt. Set aside to marinate as you prepare remainder of ingredients.
In small bowl, combine the maple syrup, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, herbs, and green onion. Mix well.
Split panini roll in half, horizontally. Brush virgin olive oil on all outside edges of roll. Flip rolls over and spread mayonnaise mixture on both interior sides of roll. Lay slice of ham on one side of roll. Add the marinated tomatoes. Add second layer of ham. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place top of roll over layers of sandwich. Transfer to heated panini maker and grill according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes 2 panini.
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
Join My Island Bistro Kitchen on Facebook
Follow the Bistro’s tweets on twitter @PEIBistro
Find the Bistro on Pinterest at “Island Bistro Kitchen”
Follow along on Instagram at “peibistro”