The 23rd of April is St George’s Day. He’s the patron saint of England, so for this weeks blog post I was going to write about a few of the typical English dishes that you can adapt to eat when you’re following a whole food, plant-based diet lifestyle, but…
When I looked at the many English dishes such as pies, sausages, roasts, puddings and sandwiches, I decided to concentrate on just the one – sandwiches. Why? Because they’re great for taking to work as a packed lunch, or if you fancy having a picnic now that the weather is warming up. They’re incredibly adaptable with something for everyone.
So this weeks post is all about whole food, plant-based sandwich fillings. Did you know that the ‘sandwich’ is allegedly named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich who is said to have invented it in the 1700s? We’re not going to be placing a slice of meat on thickly buttered bread though, we’re going to bite into a sandwich which is full of wholesome goodness, flavor and texture.
Just a quick word of warning – beware of making your sandwich the night before as some of the ingredients will make your bread soggy and not very appetizing.
So if you’re wondering what delicious, fresh filling to place between two slices of whole meal bread or pumpernickel for your packed lunch, wonder no more.
Try one of these yummy sandwich fillings and I’m sure you’ll be coming back for more!
- Spread one slice of whole meal bread with spicy bean pate then layer some homemade guacamole on top, then some thinly sliced jalapenos and baby plum tomatoes. Place the other slice of bread on top and squish together.
- Houmous/hummus is a very adaptable filling as there are so many variations that you can make, including roasted red pepper, chili, smoked paprika and Moroccan. The list is as endless as your imagination!
Spread your choice of houmus/hummus onto one slice of your whole meal or pumpernickel bread, then add some torn watercress, spinach and rocket leaves, sliced baby tomatoes and thinly sliced cucumber. Grind some fresh black pepper over the filling and place another slice of wholemeal bread on top. Squeeze together then cut into half or quarter – with or without crusts. Delicious!
- Lentil spread is great to make at the weekend and keep in the fridge to use during the week. You can make it with red or green lentils, both are delicious and both can carry whatever flavour you want to add. I love my lentil spread with fresh salad leaves roughly torn up with finely grated carrot, thin slices of red onion and topped with freshly cut cress.
- Mash a couple of falafel onto one side of your whole meal bread, add some of your homemade houmous/hummus, sliced tomatoes and top with some sprouted seeds such as radish. Close the sandwich and gently squeeze together. Cut in half, or quarter it. Yum!
- Your choice of salad leaves, placed on one slice of wholemeal bread, then a layer of avocado sliced topped with crushed toasted walnuts and a little freshly ground black pepper. This is a great filling to make if you’re going to eat your sandwich pretty quickly, but if you’re taking it to work, wait until you’re about to eat it before cutting and slicing the avocado otherwise it will turn black.
- Roasted veg are great on a sandwich – roast some thinly sliced red peppers, courgette/zucchini, red onions and baby tomatoes the night before and let them cool.
To roast them just place them in a roasting tin with a couple of centimeters of water, some fresh ground black pepper, and if you want, some cayenne pepper, fresh rosemary or pine nuts. Put into the oven at 180 degrees c and roast for about 15 to 20 minutes checking after 10 minutes or so that they’re not burning. You may have to keep them in a bit longer depending on the power of your oven.
The following morning, place them in layers on one side of your whole meal bread and spread a layer of houmous/hummus on the other slice. Press each slice of bread together and then cut to your liking.
- Bake a whole sweet potato then let it cool and scoop out the soft filling. Put it into a bowl with a teaspoon each of chili, cumin and garlic powder (feel free to decrease or increase the amount of the seasonings for your palate). Mash together then spread onto one side of your bread. Drain and rinse a tin of mixed beans and place a spoonful of beans on top of the sweet potato mix and top with your choice of salad leaves. Place the other slice of bread on top and squeeze together.
To finish up…
Remember to stay away from nuts, seeds, olives, coconuts and avocados if you’re trying to lose weight, cut your cravings for fat or want to reverse heart disease.
Also make sure that no oil has been used in the cooking or preparation of shop bought sandwich fillings. Houmous/hummus is often made with olive oil, so check the ingredients list before you buy.
So there you have my 7 Inspiring Plant-Based Sandwich Fillings For Your Lunch.
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Do you make your own plant-based sandwich fillings? Let me know what you make below in the comments section.
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