The Sandwich Series, Part II: Beans on Toast...with Tuna & Baby Spinach

One thing I eat a lot more of here in London is sandwiches, mainly because in Germany we didn't have a toaster and I hate untoasted toast...I'm having a lazy Saturday today and couldn't be bothered to cook, so this is what I made for lunch. It may not be the world's fanciest sandwich but it sure was nice.

Sandwich with Tuna, Kidney Beans & Baby Spinach

(serves 1)

• 2 slices of soft wholemeal bread
• 1 small handfull baby spinach leaves, rougly chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons kidney beans
• 1-2 tablespoons canned tuna
• 1 tablespoon salad cream (I have a feeling humus would work great, too...but maybe that's just me and my obsession with humus)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, combine tuna, baby spinach, beans, salad cream, salt and pepper.
2. Toast your bread, then place the tuna-spinach-bean-mix between the two halves and have a big bite. EASY.

The pretty awesome sandwich that I can't take a picture of right now

I am moving to London in a week and most of my stuff is already packed away in boxes / at my parents' house. This seems to include my camera, so for the time being this post will have to do without an image.

Sandwich with Smoked Salmon, Honey-Mustard-Sauce & Rocket
(serves 1)

• your choice of bread, I think something chewy like a bagel is great
• cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• a couple of leaves of rocket
• 1 tomato, sliced
• smoked salmon

1. In a small cup, combine honey, mustard and dill until you have a creamy sauce.
2. Spread cream cheese on both halves of your bread.
3. Top one half with smoked salmon und the honey-mustard-sauce, then add the rocket, tomatoes and finally the other half of the bread. De-li-cious and healthy.

Pan-fried Fish with Lemongrass & Garlic

This dish was inspired by a recipe I found in Luke Nguyen's book "The Songs of Sapa" - he originally used tofu but I thought it would be great with fish, too and the results where more than satisfactory.

Pan-fried Fish with Lemongrass & Garlic

(serves 2)

- 2 fish fillets (I used Pangasius - you want something that is mild in flavour)

- 6 stalks lemongrass (white parts only), very finely chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

- juice of 1/2 lime

- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

- pinch of salt

- pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl, then rub onto the fish. Place fillets in a hot, well oiled pan and fry until both sides are golden brown. Serve with rice and a side of chinese broccoli.

Fish Soup

I am so happy with how this soup turned out. It doesn't take longer than 20 minutes so give it a try!

Fish Soup

(serves 2)

• 1 stalk leek
• 1 garlic clove
• 100ml white wine
• 400ml fish stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 150g salmon and pangasius filet each, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 100g shelled crayfish
• 1/2 cup crème frâiche
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop leek into thin slices using only the white part and mince garlic, then fry them up with some olive oil in a large pot.
2. When leek is soft and garlic is fragrant, deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce heat to medium.
3. Let everything simmer for about 1 minute, then add the fish stock and bay leaves.
4. Allow the mixture the reduce a little for about 5 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes.
5. Let everything simmer for another 5 minutes, take out the bay leaves, add salt and pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
6. Add fish and crayfish and allow to cook in the hot soup for about 3 minutes.
7. Laddle into deep plates and top with a dollop of crème frâiche. Ta-da!

Cream Cheese Salmon Crêpes with Honey, Mustard & Dill Sauce

Cream Cheese Salmon Crêpes with Honey, Mustard & Dill Sauce

(makes about 6-8 crêpes depending on the size of your pan)

for the crêpes:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tablespoon salt
• a dash of pepper

for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill

for the filling:

• cream cheese
• smoked salmon
  

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour and eggs, then gradually add the milk, salt and pepper.
2. Grease a non-stick pan with a minimum amount of oil. Over medium heat, scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly either by using the bottom of the laddle or by tilting the pan in circular motions.
3. Cook until the bottom is lightly browned, then flip and cook the other side.You can either start filling your crêpe right away if you would like it to be hot, but you can also set each cooked crêpe aside and start filling them once you are done. That way, i find that the crêpes get a little firmer in texture, making them easier to eat with your hands.
4. In a small pot, simply combine mustard, honey and dill until you have a smooth sauce.
5. Spread cream cheese over crêpe, drizzle with honey, mustard and dill sauce and top with salmon, then roll up and enjoy!