Saturday, October 14, 2006

Filling the Gap

Some time back, one of my cost-cutting-trials was to buy from a supermarket several different packs of sandwiches, which I then needed to eat, you understand, for research purposes. After making copious notes the plan was to have a go at making them myself. In every case I saved AT LEAST £1 per pack even giving myself a bonus of more filling between the slices of bread. It is always worth taking a wider look at how a small amount saved each week can mount up. Of course the savings needn't be on sarnies - any planned saving works the same way.
Trust me on this - over a working life of 40 years, and allowing for holidays and illness, £1 saved each working day and banked will add up to more than £10,000. When retirement arrives, a round the world cruise paid for just by making your own lunch. Worth thinking about.

Here are some suggested fillings, some based on bought packs of sarnies..
Baked Bean and Bacon:
Mash drained beans with chopped spring (or pickled) onion, add some crumbled fried bacon, dash of Worcestershire Sauce and spread over lettuce. White bread.
Cheese, Pear and Ham
Well drained canned pears, mashed with low fat cream cheese and chopped ham, season with freshly ground black pepper. Suggest granary bread.
Egg, salad cream, and Tomato
Mash hard-boiled eggs with salad cream, season to taste. Chop up a little tomato (the firm tops are best for this), and fold in. Alternatively, add chopped chives or cress. White bread.
Tuna and Cucumber
Flake a drained can of tuna, mash with a little salad cream or mayo, and spread half over buttered bread, cover with thin slices of cucumber and top with rest of tuna and bread. Use canned sweetcorn as an alternative to cucumber.
Ploughmans
Thin slices of mature cheddar cheese, pickle of your choice, thin slices of tomato and red onion, lettuce and mayonnaise. Granary bread.
a Taste of Italy
Slices of beef tomatoes, thin slices of mozzarella cheese, on bread spread thinly with pesto.
Tips: If a filling contains mayo, spread this on bread instead of butter. Use pitta bread or tortillas as a wrapping instead of sliced bread. Experiment, and send me some of your favourite sandwich fillings.