MERRY CHRISTMAS * HAPPY HANUKKAH

SANDWICH SPREE

TUNA MAYONNAISE SANDWICH........Mmmmm icy cold from the chiller, solid bread, beige fishy blandness & God! What is that? - Bits of sweetcorn - ewwww! Or 'slices' of flabby cucumber - could anything be more depressing? Well...maybe turkey, stuffing & cranberry sauce...These sandwiches are some of Britains favourites & we are big sandwich eaters, we certainly deserve better....Banging on about sandwiches isnt something associated with winter....but HOT SANDWICHES are - heres some sandwiches you'll love - COMFORT SANDWICHES...different from Subway & miles away from tuna mayo! No strict recipe, easy to prepare, shareable & lighter than most comfort foods...try some!
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AU JUS or FRENCH DIP SANDWICH
Originally a U.S regional favourite, invented in Los Angeles, it is now popular across the country...basically hot sliced roast beef in a sub roll served with a bowl of meat juices or gravy to dip...
WARMED KETCHUP DIP
Warm normal or chilli ketchup, or even tomato pasta sauce - great for dipping omelette sandwiches, fried fish or fish finger sarnies or crispy chip butties.
PULLED PORK
Fashionable but for good reason...a plate full of mouthwatering meat, fantastic orientally influenced BBQ sauce, homemade coleslaw & fresh bread....HEAVEN!
Rub pork shoulder with garlic, paprika, mustard & salt....brown in a frying pan or hot oven, add some stock, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce & a bit of wine vinegar, transfer to your slow cooker & cook until meltingly tender..(7+ hours ish.) Pull into strips ( think shredding duck for Peking duck!) & serve with the sauce thickened a little & add more soy or chilli to taste. Usually in the Southern United States this is served in burger buns....NO! This needs lovely fresh bloomer or Tiger bloomer bread.
TEXAS TOAST
Thick toasting bread or cut doorsteps from a white unsliced loaf...spread lightly, over the whole surface with garlic butter (softened butter, garlic, seasoning) then toast until golden, turn over & repeat.
TEXAS TOAST SANDWICHES
STEAK & STILTON - Grill or fry the steak, crumble the Stilton, grill to melt & slip between the toast slices.
WILD MUSHROOM - Cook mixed mushrooms (look in the veg section) 6 -15 mins in a little oil, add some fresh thyme leaves & a couple of teaspoons of grain mustard...add to the toast.
TAMARI BROCCOLI - Toss lightly cooked tenderstem broccoli in a little sesame oil, fresh grated ginger, & tamari (or other soy sauce) Arrange the stems on one slice of the toast, spritz with lime juice, add the top slice
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Heres hoping this has inspired you....there are lots more SANDWICH ADVENTURES below this post...love to hear of your personal, unusual sandwich favourites. (chefden@tiscali.co.uk)

SANDWICH SPREE - TRASH ON TOAST!

Not literally! Junk food does feature in this post though...the sandwiches here, you wont find in Pret a Manger & if you've got a heart condition...oh dear! Lets not go....Anyways heres a mix of some trashy, not quite worthless bread based curiosities & some of my (& others) personal guilty pleasure sarnies (c'mon, who doesnt luv a chip butty?)
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Trashy sandwiches are great for winter, they're usually hot, big & a knife & fork are usually required...
Before we get to them though lets try a few cold, hand held treats:
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VEGGIE B.L.T
Fresh white bread for this, spread with mayo, crush & stuff with smokey bacon crisps or ideally - Frazzles!
Add some iceberg lettuce, sliced juicy tomato...yum...no seasoning required.
VEGGIE STEAK SANDWICH
In the same vein as the above but use a white soft batch roll, spread with chilli or garlic mayo, keep the lettuce, then crush & stuff with 'T bone steak' flavour Roysters!
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PEANUT BUTTER BUTTIES
Its weird, but peanut butter features heavily in lots of trashy sarnies...it will be forever associated with Elvis Presley...who will be fornever associated with healthy eating!

Originally made for Elvis by his mom Gladys, he'd eat them throughout his life for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner & midnight snacks....Its pretty tasty too.....Another Elvis favourite is typically over the top:

This is a whole loaf....spread all over with butter then re-baked until crisp, sliced lengthwise, the bread taken out & replaced with layers of fried bacon, peanut butter & grape jelly (jam). I got this recipe (& the banana sandwich one) from 'The Life & Cuisine of Elvis Presley' by David Adler, he says Fools Gold Loaf serves 8-10 & adds Elvis usually ate a whole one!

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Although it contains no peanut butter- this next butty has an Elvis/trashy feel...

MY BANANA MAPLE BACON SANDWICH

Mash a ripe banana, put some streaky bacon under the grill, toast & butter 2 slices of wholemeal bread,

spread the banana on one slice, as the bacon finishes browning, drizzle generously with maple syrup, top the banana with the bacon,add the top slice & luxuriate in this sweetly savoury sandwich!

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SOME WHITE TRASH SANDWICHES

From 'White Trash Cooking' collected by Ernest Matthew Mickler

Not trashy enough? How about a Krispy kreme burger AKA Luther burger AKA O.M.G burger.......

Doughnuts + meat + trash sensibilities = Krispy Kreme burger...or the Luther burger (the favourite food of (& some say the invention of ) the late soul singer Luther Vandross....Its a 1/4 pound burger with all the trimmings in a split, glazed doughnut...a big hit at U.S.state fairs...they are entering the fast food mainstream at chains like America's Dog (http://www.americasdog.com/ ) their menu lists the OMG Burger - 1/4lb burger, fried egg, bacon, cheese & honey mayo... on a glazed doughnut. Is it coming soon to a McDonalds 

near you? I McDoubt it!

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Too trashy now! Lets try a MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH & calm down a bit!

Basically a Monte Cristo sandwich is a ham & cheese sandwich dipped in egg & fried...sometimes deep fried. Add pineapple to make a Hawaiian Monte Cristo....I like a mix of grated cheese & mayo as the cheese filling.

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I've said it once & i'll say it again 'you can't beat a bowl of warming soup with your sandwich'.

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The Monte Cristo is very American (influenced a bit by France) heres a Brit favourite:

SCOTCH EGG SANDWICH

Wholemeal, granary or white bread are equally good....make some egg mayonnaise...spread thickly on the bottom slice....remove the skin from your favourite sausage, form into a patty (squarish) cover both surfaces with browned breadcrumbs & fry until golden & done....add to the sandwich...mmmm!

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Here come the Germans.....DITSCH PRETZEL SANDWICHES

If you've got a branch of Ditsch (http://www.ditsch.de/ ) in your town...their giant soft pretzels are great for an indulgent sandwich....Italian salami is good, but so are frites (M&S are fab) with cheese sauce (you'll need a knife & fork).Get some of them pretzels....sure you'll be inspired to make your own butty...

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I've said it twice & I'll say it again...'soup & sandwiches..made for each other!'