Leslie Sarna

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Is a tea party a tea party without tea sandwiches?  I think not!  My favorite tea sandwich is a cucumber sandwich.  I alter the way I make these a lot, but here is one of my favorite ways.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Makes 2 or 3 small sandwiches

What you'll need:

2 slices of bread (white or wheat)

6 thin slices of English cucumbers (English cucumbers are also called hot house or seedless cucumbers)

veganaise or mayonnaise

whipped cream cheese 

2 mint leaves, chopped

What you'll do:

Lay your bread slices on a work space.  Spread one side with veganaise or mayonnaise and the other with the cream cheese.  Sprinkle some chopped mint on the cream cheese side and then layer on the cucumber slices.  Place the mayo slice on top of the other and cut off the crusts.  Now you can either cut the sandwich into triangles or 3 long rectangles.  

Enjoy!

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PS another great way to make these is to sub watercress for the mint.

Mediterranean Vegetable Wraps

These pretty little wraps are perfect for a party or get together!  They are easy to make, easy to assemble and delicious!  

Mediterranean Vegetable Wraps

Makes 24 mini wraps

What you'll need:

6 large tortillas {I used the spinach flavored green ones}

herbed cream cheese {chive and onion, spinach and artichoke, whatever you like}

1 eggplant, sliced in rounds and grilled

4 zucchini, sliced and grilled

2 red bell peppers, roasted {or you can cheat here and buy a jar of roasted peppers}

6 oz. of fresh spinach

12 basil leaves

What you'll do:

Lay out one tortilla on a flat work surface.  spread with cream cheese all the way to the edges.  It will work as the glue to keep it together.  Place about 4 slices of the grilled eggplant down the center of the tortilla.  Next layer about 5 zucchini on the diagonal over the eggplant.  Then comes the roasted pepper placed on top.  You should be looking like this:

Place a few basil leaves on top of the peppers.  Next put a few handfuls of spinach on the bottom third of the tortilla.  Starting at the spinach heavy end, tightly roll the tortilla and all the veggies up.  slice off the edges so they look neat and slice into quarters.  Secure with a toothpick.

Serve cold to room temperature.  Enjoy!

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The Perfect Mushroom Melt

Ooooh!  You know how sometimes you crave a warm, gooey, crispy sandwich?  Maybe it's just me, but I doubt it.  One of my favorite sandwiches on those days is a mushroom melt!  Mmm Mmm Mmm!  

Make sure to scroll to the bottom to learn my tip on how to get that perfect crispy crust with gooey inside.

The Perfect Mushroom Melt

What you'll need:

2 slices of wheat bread (well, any will do, but I like wheat)

2 slices of swiss cheese

a handful of crimini (baby portobello) mushrooms, sliced

a few slices of onion (I used purple, but any will do)

2 pads of butter (of course homemade butter is the best)

salt to taste

What you'll do:

In a small pan, melt 1 pad of butter and add the onions and mushrooms.  Toss and cook on medium low.

When those get soft take off heat.

Place the other pad of butter (yes, use butter, it makes the crust so perfectly crisp) in a medium frying pan on medium heat.  Lay one slice of bread in the middle of the pan and lay one slice of cheese on top.  Carefully slide the mushrooms and onions on top of the cheese and add the other slice of cheese then the bread.  

Reduce heat to medium low and cover.  After a minute or so, check the sandwich and when it's toasted flip it over and place the lid on again.  Let it toast for another couple minutes until the bottom is also toasted.  

Serve warm : )

PS one of my favorite things to dip a melt in is marinara sauce.  Don't knock it till you try it!

*** Ok, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. . . The key to the perfect warm sandwich is: use a lid!  What that means: When you've got the sandwich in the frying pan, you want the heat to be on medium low to low and place a lid on the pan.  This makes your sandwich perfectly toasted on the outside and evenly melted on the inside.

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Arugula Ques-wich

Is is a sandwich?  Is it a quesadilla?  It's both and it's delicious! : )  I decided to experiment with the first ingredients I saw in my fridge and this was an awesome result! 

 
Arugula Ques-wich

What you'll need:

1 tortilla

a few spoonfuls of ricotta cheese (store bought or homemade)

a handful of (good) parmesan cheese

a big handful of arugula

What you'll do:

Heat a frying pan up on medium low and put the tortilla in it.  Add the a thick layer of ricotta and a handful of parmesan cheese. Fold it over in half and let cook on each side for about two minutes or until golden.  When it's done, place on a plate and open up.  Add a big handful of arugula, close back up and cut in half.  That's it!

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