Food Blog Dot Com

FoodBlogDotCom

Food Blog Dot Com is written
by Lin Ennis, a writer passionate
about good food, healthful
food and food as medicine.

( Food Lovers Only )

Sandwiches

SANDWICHES TO FREEZE

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The month or so of rotator cuff surgery preparation I’ve done is a blog in itself, but this post is strictly about preparing food to take to work for lunch, food that is easy to eat (I’ve been advised by previous shoulder surgery survivors that sandwiches are great!) and can be prepared ahead of time so at least my first week or two of recovery is lighter on duties. My inspiration for these sandwiches was Vegan in the Freezer. The idea of mixing pintos with garbanzos seemed interesting. While Ginny likes her sandwich filling a little crunchy so doesn’t mash the beans so much, I like my crunch to come from raw veggies, not from what I consider undercooked beans. The pintos were very soft…inspiring, I think, the chickpeas to lighten up!  I didn’t have the Knorr seasoning she mentioned, but after checking the ingredients, I figured I could make do by mincing veggies I had on hand and using herbs and spices. BASE RAW CONDIMENTS 1) 2-3 Tbsps of mayo–I use Kraft made with olive oil (sadly, the olive oil is not a major ingredient!) 2) salt 3) freshly ground pepper Rinse the beans! You don’t want that canned soup/bean water flavor in your dish! Use a mixer, handheld masher or a combination of both to chop and smooth the beans to your desired level. Whip in the mayo and raw veggies. Add some salt and pepper. VARIETY This was the genius of a large recipe! I divided the mixture into three lots and seasoned each separately. 1) Curry 2) Chili 3) Herb (parsley, dill, etc.) WRAP & FREEZE I used high-quality plastic wrap and included a scribbled slip of paper to identify my varieties. I put seven sandwiches (what this recipe made with thick, abundant filling in each) back into the bag the sandwich thins came in to add another layer of protection from the freezer. TAKE-AWAY The next time you mix a large batch of something—or contemplate whether to mix a large or smaller batch—consider dividing the basics and getting crazy with some of your favorite flavors!

VEGGIE WRAPS

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haven’t been a big fan of making wraps at home; though, wraps are often one of the most healthful choices when eating out. The main reason I didn’t stick with buying the huge flour tortillas and wrapping food in them is their calorie load often compared to that of bread while their ingredient content (white flour base) was inferior to good bread. La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wraps have been all the buzz in our local Weight Watchers group. I chose the Multi-Grain variety. At 3.5 fat grams, this flavor barely squeaks in at the 1 WW point the wraps are famous for – and that’s if you have a very steady hand when using the points value slide rule. The wrap is 100 calories with 12 grams of fiber! The multigrain has contributions from wheat, oats, flax, millet, rice, soy, corn and sunflower seeds. (Other varieties have less fat.) Men love it! It made the top 125 Best Foods for Men in the 2009 Men’s Health Nutrition Awards, selected by Men’s Health Magazine. The wrap pictured contains a combination of lightly steamed vegetables (yellow squash, mushrooms, spinach) and diced raw veggies (cucumber, red bell pepper, scallions). I wanted to add tomato, but obviously, my eyes were bigger than my wrap! Radish and broccoli sprouts added a little spice and crunch. It rolled up like a giant taquito. I was unable to fold the ends in…possibly because it cooled too much while I added the ingredients. I drizzled a little balsamic vinaigrette in it, and held on for dear life to keep the innards from becoming outtards as I ate it. My recommendation to improve this would be to marinate the veggies, then drain well before wrapping. And use less filling. Or use all cooked veggies which would keep the wrap warm and stretchier (I think). Again, I recommend eating a wide range of colors and varieties. Don’t stick to what you know and love all of the time. If you eat spinach, for example, try Swiss chard, too (which itself comes in three colors). Besides, color makes a pretty lunch. All trademarks used belong to their owners. This website is not affiliated with any brands or programs in any financially remunerated way. The opinions expressed are mine…but you knew that, right?