I couldn’t continue this Amazingy Cooks column without sharing any of my sandwich recipes. Last year, Alana (our lovely Amazingy Mag health columnist & my hot choccie bestie) and I established “Sanga Mondays” – a day for everyone to bring whatever they wanted from home to make sandwiches together at the office. We would share everything we brought and ended up creating some epic sandwiches. Our tradition has sadly been put on hold ever since Alana left for maternity leave – but after feeling so inspired by the photoshoot for this recipe, I’ll definitely bring them back!

I’ve always been a sandwich girl myself – there’s just something that makes a sandwich so satisfying. When I was little, Sundays used to be my sandwich day; it was the only night of the week where my mum wouldn’t cook, and everyone had to make their own sandwiches with whatever was in the fridge – we would eat them in the living room instead of having our usual meal at the table.

No matter what you decide to put in it, for me, a good sandwich comes down to the bread you use. You need bread that can beautifully hold all the ingredients in between each bite. I usually like a thick slice with a delectable, airy interior and crustier, crunchier exterior. In Berlin, one of my favourite spots for bread is The Bread Station in Kreuzberg.

In this article, I want to present my Top 3 simple & savoury sandwiches – ones that you can pack for work or school to upgrade your lunch al desko game. Two of them can be made ahead – and for the third one, you would need to have access to some kind of grill, stove or sandwich press (which is not unusual for many offices or schools). And be prepared: these sandwiches are gonna make your lunch break that much better 😉

#1

Melissa Martorell-Luque

Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

I love making this sandwich; it’s super easy to prepare and it’s also great as a salad on its own, or even as a side dish. The flavour reminds me of tuna salad, which used to be a favourite of mine. It’s vegan but packed in protein, so it’s a win-win situation!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 4 slices bread
• 1 can chickpeas rinsed
• 1 small red onion sliced
• 2 small celery stalks chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Add rinsed chickpeas to a small mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash them roughly.
   
   
2. Add the onion, celery, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard & mix.
3. Add parsley, dill, salt & pepper. Mix well.
4. Taste & adjust seasonings.
5. Top a slice of bread with a generous amount of chickpea salad, close up, press gently but firmly & enjoy!

#2

Melissa Martorell-Luque

Ploughman’s Chutney Sandwich

This sandwich is inspired by a British classic: a Ploughman’s & Cheddar sandwich, a fairly easy one that doesn’t require any cooking – you just pair some sliced cheddar with chutney, and add some lettuce & tomato. When I was still living in Paris, I was working next to a Marks & Spencer’s store (a dream come true) and I would go pretty much every day to get my Ploughman’s sandwich and a bag of salt & vinegar crisps. Maybe not the healthiest, but the happiness I would get eating it just couldn’t be topped. M&S is a crucial stop for me whenever I go to Paris; I bring an extra mini-suitcase so that I can pack all my favourite British flavours with me (Ploughman’s chutney, dark chocolate digestives, crumpets, biscuits, earl grey tea, jams, english mustard… all the good stuff!)

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: British

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 4 slices bread
• Ploughman's chutney
• lettuce
• 1 tomato
• 6 slices cheddar

Method

 

1. Add Ploughman’s chutney onto each slice of bread.
2. Top each slice with lettuce, tomato & cheddar slices.
3. Close up your sandwich & enjoy!

#3

Melissa Martorell-Luque

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Honey & Pear

This is a grilled cheese sandwich variation. I love a good grilled cheese, especially in the autumn & winter months – along with a piping hot soup, it’s the perfect combo. For this one, I chose to pair gouda with honey & pear, as I love this flavor combination – plus I think a sweet & savoury mix for a grilled cheese is always a good idea.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 4 slices bread
• butter or margarine
• 80 g Gouda shredded
• 1 small pear
• honey to taste
• arugula or spinach
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

 

1. For each sandwich: take two slices of bread and spread some butter and / or margarine on one side of each slice.

   
   
   
2. Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
3. Place the buttered sides face down and on the other side, add some cheese, and top with arugula or spinach, then the sliced pears. Add a drizzle of honey, salt & pepper & then add some more cheese on top. Cover with the second slice of bread (buttered slices facing out).
4. Add your sandwich onto the skillet and press down. Cook for about 3 minutes until bottom slice gets golden and crispy. (Watch it so it doesn’t burn!) Flip and cook the other side for another couple minutes.
5. Serve immediately & enjoy!

I hope these sandwich recipes will inspire you to start your own weekly “Sandwich Day” – I swear you won’t regret it! I chose to keep the recipes fairly simple, with products you can buy on your way to work and store in the fridge, so you can have a ready meal in no time. Viva el Sandwich!

If you enjoyed reading this article about my Top 3 Simple & Savoury Sandwiches, you can get an update of what’s on the magazine dropped right into your e-mailbox. Sign up here for our newsletter! And also check out our Amazingy Cooks column for other delectable recipes 🙂