Sandwich 101

I've promised my sister to start a survival series for her, before she leaves for Aus..and so far..i realize, i have only made one entry..and i was shocked when i realize the post was in 2007..its labeled "recipes" for my sista..so that it can cover a broader scope? If there is one thing i really want to change in my blog..its my labeling system..it drives me crazy...but blogger doesn't allow much flexibility like wordpress does...oh well...i will deal with it, at some point...my ideal blog...has a more organized labeling system...

So sis...here is recipe 02 of your survival kit series...today we are going back to basics... =) Sandwich making! As a student, on a budget, bread, cucumber, tomatos, lettuce, ham, bacon, and the likes of it instantly becomes your good friend =) So if you can...avoid these food for now!Cause you might be eating quite abit of these later! These meals are quick..and rather healthy =) 

I am definitely not undermining your ability of putting together a sandwich...rather here's what i have in mind...you sitting in your room, thinking...what should i have for dinner....open browser -> type in hlpe.blogspot.com -> click on label "recipes" for my sista -> you: "ahhh....what bout a sandwich?"

Remember the super sandwich we used to make? or rather Esther used to make? Well...look forward to many super sandwich days...and remember be creative! 

So here we go...sandwich 101

Bread Type:

You will realize that in Aus..you have an extensive range to choose from, so don't stick to just plain white loaf, or wholemeal...try a different a loaf a week, even though at times, when you look at the price of some fancy bread, you might need it is expensive..remember that by eating sandwich for some meals of the day...you are already saving quite a bit..so spend the $$ and try some fancy loafs!

The bread can also be hamburger buns, or french loafs.. =)

Croissants are also an option, goes well with tuna & corn, and some form of vege!

What can i do with my Bread?

For the first few days, while its still tender and all, you might just wana stuff your meat and vege in and bite away...often on the 3rd to 4th day..it gets a bit dry...haha so to enhance its tastiness...toast it! (haha i know..it seems contradicting...dry already..then toast it somemore, but this magic works for me) ...Just envision butter melting on toast...and you will get what i mean.

What to put on my bread?

Its really up to you! Ketchup, mayonese, chili sauce, butter, jam, peanut butter, nutella, vegemite....after awhile, you will get a hang of what goes with what..like if you are having a ham sandwich, i like my with a thin layer of mayonese and alot of pepper =D

What to put between my bread?

Pork flosss! ahaha i lurveeeee pork floss in my bread..minus the mayo (i don't like the ones they sell in breadtalk or bread story...ewwww so much mayo!)...i assume mum will pack you some chicken flosss or pork floss..or you can pick some up from China Town =) 

Other form of Meats: ham, salami, bacon (remember to fry it first/or shove it in the oven for a bit), chicken (this one takes too much time, if you plan to cook some chicken breast meat, and for example add teriyaki sauce....but if you have leftover chicken from  a chinese meal, from the night before..then you can put it in your bread for lunch the next day) ...you can always try lamb and beef as well..my motto for student meals is it has to be prepared under 30 mins!...once again, there is a extensive range to choose from...so be adventurous when you are at the deli!

Vege: you want to make sure you get enough fiber..and also, having a variety of colours is very important in your maintaining a balance diet...for greens, there is lettuce, green corals, ....for reds, tomato, carrots, ...for purple/blue..the purple blue-ish lettuce...(can't remember what its called)...just bear in mind, that even though its a sandwich, it should be a wholesome one!

Others:

Eggs (u know how much i love egg sandwich!) Boil 2-3 eggs, depending on how much you want to eat, and how many days do you think you can keep eating egg sandwich for...i think i can go on for 3-4 days without getting bored of it. Boiling time approximately 10 mins, or rather wait till the eggs are floating in the water....cool down, peel the eggs, put them in a tupperware with a lid (so that you can store the extra in the fridge for tmr, and don't need to wash sooo many plates)...use a fork and mash it to your desired size...put butter, pepper, and soya sauce (the amount is really up to you...just remember to add gradually and taste it every now and then)...cut some cucumbers...and just spread the eggs on your bread....

*note: you can either keep the egg mixture in the tupperware, and spread it on your bread when you want to eat it, or just spread all of it...like how we do it for the kindy! I normally only spread as much as i want to it, cause i might get bored of it, and treat the egg mixture as a sidedish for chinese meal =)

Corn Chips...yeap! I am not kidding, its really nice to sometimes slip a few corn chips, Nachos or the likes of it..into your sandwich..it gives that additional crunch!

Notes:

1) Always...ALWAYS check the expiry date of the bread....and estimate how many slices you can eat...if you have housemates, consider sharing half a loaf..especially if you are not a fan of bread, if not you will get sick of it in no time!

2) For a sandwich to remain healthy...go slow on the dressings..especially mayonese or thousand island, you know i am not a fan of either..so i rarely put any, only a thin layer for my ham sandwiches!

3) Sandwich are also supposed to be mobile, get those sandwich ziplock bags, or a tupperware..and you can put them in your backpack for uni! =D Because you want it mobile, and edible on the run...try not to be too greedy when stacking it up...your mouth is not thattt big! If you are packing them into a tupperware..you can slice them into nice square or triangles (remember how we cut triangles and squares to make a sandwich in the shape of a house?) - again...i always try to be practical - preparation time should be short! you need the extra time to study, have fun, etc. otherwise..if your sandwich is going to take you more than 30 mins to prepare..u are better off purchasing a meal..or you can cook a rice with dishes meal...or whipped up some pasta!

4) All other ingredients...like vege, can be picked up at your local market, supermarkets are a tad bit more expensive, but still alright, if you are not buying much =) remember vege don't stay fresh for very long, so only buy as much as you can eat...and wrapping them in newspaper helps! Also, always put them in the vege compartment in your fridge. 

wow...i didn't know i can say sooo much about sandwich..but i think i will stop here for now.