Six Breakfast Sandwiches to kickstart your day!

Quick and Easy with minimum preparation!

Make a meal of these sandwiches, for brunch, lunch, dinner or simply as a quick snack to satiate you.  If you wish to cut down on the carbs, have them as “open sandwiches”, using only one slice of bread. Enjoy these crisp, crunchy sandwiches with various fillings with fresh ingredients that can be adapted to suit your taste. Instead of tomatoes, use cucumbers, jalapenos or gerkins. I am partial to fresh basil and like to use it in everything if I have it on hand. You can substitute basil with parsley or fresh coriander. Feel free to use your preferred sauces like, tomato, mayo, mustard, etc. to suit your taste.

1. Tapenade and Feta Cheese Sandwich with Zaatar (Wild Thyne or Oregano)

Ingredients – Per Sandwich

2 Slices bread

2 tomato slices

2 tbsp. crumbled Feta cheese

2 to 3 tbsp. Black Olive Tapenade

1 tsp. Zaatar

2 tsp. olive oil

Lettuce, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes for serving

Method

Apply Tapenade to the bread slices.  Put one tbsp. olive oil on a hot pan and place the bread slice tapenade side up.  Spread the crumble feta cheese, sprinkle the zaatar, drizzle some olive oil and top with the tomato slices.  Place the second slice of bread on top of the tomato slices tapenade side down.  Apply olive oil to the top of the bread.  By now the underside of the sandwich should be brown.  Turn over and toast both sides.  Serve crisp olive tapenade and feta cheese sandwich with soft succulent centre, with some iceberg lettuce and fresh basil.

2. Grilled Pepperoni Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients – Per sandwich

2 Slices Bread, of your choice

2 slices cheese

8 slices pepperoni

Butter to coat the bread

Dijon Mustard

Method

Butter one side of the bread and place on a skillet or pan, buttered side down.  Place 1 slice of cheese and 8 slices of pepperoni on the top of the bread.  (You may broil the pepperoni for ½ to 1 minute in the microwave if you wish).  Top the pepperoni with a slice of cheese.  Cover the open-faced sandwich with a lid.  Spread some Dijon mustard on the second slice of bread.  When the underside of the open-faced sandwich is brown, top the sandwich with the other slice of bread, mustard side down.  Butter the upper side of the bread and turn to brown the other side.  The cheese should be melted by now.  Remove and serve immediately when brown and crisp on both sides.

3. Grilled Halloumi Tapenade Sandwich

Ingredients – per sandwich

2 slices Bread

3 slices Halloumi Cheese

2 to 3 slices tomato

Iceberg lettuce (or any lettuce you have at hand)

Some fresh basil

2 tbsp. tapenade

Olive oil to brush the bread

Method

Grill the halloumi slices on a hot pan till brown on both sides. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and spread tapenade on the other side of the bread.  Place the olive oil side on a hot pan with the tapenade facing up.  Top it with the tomato slices, lettuce, basil and halloumi and cover with the second slice of bread, olive oil side facing up.  When brown on the underside, flip the sandwich over and toast till brown.  Serve immediately, crisp and warm on the outside and crunchy, salty and tangy on the inside!

P.S.:  I am partial to fresh basil and use it in everything if I have it at home.  Feel free to use any fresh herbs of your choice.

4. Tuna Melts

Ingredients – for one sandwich

1 small tin Canned Tuna (in sunflower oil)

1 small Onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. Mayonnaise, or as required

1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)

1 tsp. Sweet relish (optional)

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard (optional)

2 slices of tomato

Fresh Basil

1 slice cheese

Method

Put the tuna alongwith the oil in a bowl, add the chopped onion and green chilli and mash to a paste.  Mix with mayonnaise and the sweet relish and mustard, if using.  The tuna would taste as good though, without the relish and mustard.  But if you love their complex flavors, you would enjoy these additional flavors.   Butter one side of the bread and place on a heated griddle, buttered side down.  Top with the tuna mayo paste, tomato slices and cheese slice.  Add the fresh basil and cover with the second slice of bread, buttered side up.  Flip the sandwich over when the underside is brown and toasted.  Brown both sides and serve hot and crunchy with the soft juicy delicious tuna filling.  Serve with some crisps or potato chips.

For variation: Add gherkins or jalapenos instead of tomatoes

5. Grilled Egg & Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients – for one sandwich

2 slices bread

2 eggs

Salt and pepper for the eggs

2 tomato slices

Butter to spread on the bread

Method

N.B: You need to use a large skillet for this recipe so you get enough of the egg omlete to fold over the sandwich.

Grease the skillet with a little butter and add the beaten eggs seasoned with salt and pepper and spread evenly over the pan.  Place one slice of bread buttered side up in the centre of the egg omlete.  When the egg browns lightly and sets completely, flip over so that the buttered side of the bread is now touching the pan . Fold the egg over the four sides of the bread. Top with tomato slices and fresh basil (or lettuce or baby spinach) and a slice of cheese. Place the second slice buttered side up on top of the cheese slice and turn the sandwich over the brown both sides.  Serve hot and crisp with some green salad or sprouts salad if you wish to serve it as an express lunch or dinner!

6. Halloumi Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients – for one wrap

1 tortilla wrap

Mayonnaise or mayo Sriracha, etc as desired to spread over the wrap

3 to 4 Tomato slices, grilled

3 to 4 Grilled Halloumi

Lettuce, fresh basil, (or coriander leaves or mint)

Method

Place the tortilla on a warm pan on low heat.  Drizzle mayonnaise as required and place on one end of the tortilla, grilled halloumi slices, tomato slices, lettuce and basil. Fold into half and serve immediately.