3 new healthy sandwiches

Source: Best Health Magazine, March/April 2009

I come from a family of sandwich lovers. My son, Quinn, would live on grilled cheese if he could. He gets this from my wife’s side of the family: When her siblings visit, they always converge on our fridge to create what we call ‘sandwhimsical’ combinations, such as peanut butter and banana paninis, or ham, cheese and green-olive sandwiches.

At least part of the appeal of sandwiches is that they can be dressed up, or can be hearty and hand-held for casual get-togethers. The trick is to make sandwiches satisfying and healthy. Here are some recipes I’ve developed that make great casual fare but can also be part of a nice weekend lunch.

For the Philly cheese-steak sandwich, a salad would complement it perfectly. Making your own curry powder for the curried chicken and apple wraps is easy and, I think, more flavourful than store-bought; simply combine equal parts ground cumin, ground coriander and turmeric, and add salt and pepper to taste. And for the latke smoked-salmon sandwiches, I like to make a big batch and freeze them for later use.

I hope you enjoy these creations; please write to let me know what you think.

Curried Chicken and Apple Lettuce Wraps

This is a play on the regular and sometimes boring chicken salad sandwich that’s often heavy on mayo. The addition of apple adds sweetness and a nice crunch. Be sure the lettuce you choose as your wrap is sturdy enough to hold in the chicken.

Philly Cheese-Steak Baguette

Okay, this may be a bit of an indulgence, but thanks to the onion, mushrooms and tomatoes, you don’t need a lot of beef. I’ve chosen tenderloin because it’s so lean and it will remain tender even if cooked to medium-well. And the cheese is optional.

Potato Latke "Sandwiches" with Smoked Salmon

These may not be particularly low in fat, but potatoes are a great source of vitamin C and salmon is packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re doing large batches of latkes, don’t fry more than three or four at a time, because they will take longer to cook and won’t crisp up nicely.

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