Between the Bread

Weekend Improv: Almond Butter and Banana

nancyeinhart — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:10:12 PDT

I set off on a mission to make my first Vegemite sandwich and ended up with an Elvis-inspired after-school snack instead.

I had every intention of creating what I'd dubbed the Aussie after-school snack: a Vegemite and banana sandwich, recommended by a Vegemite-loving acquaintance. But after tasting some of the very intense condiment on toast, I decided I needed to ease in to the Vegemite. Maybe something less exotic, like 'mite and cheddar.

Almond butter and banana on wheat is fast becoming my new comfort food. For more photos, including my Vegemite experiment,

This is as far as I got with the Vegemite. I ate the toast, but couldn't fathom it with banana.

So what began as an Aussie after-school snack became a healthy twist on the Elvis sandwich: almond butter and banana, served with carrot and celery sticks.

Weekend Improv: Beet and Avocado Sandwich Redux

nancyeinhart — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:41:35 PDT

This avocado, beet, and goat cheese sandwich is one of my all-time favorite original creations. It's delicious, if I do say so myself; just ask Serious Eats or my mom.

With beets back at the farmers market, I improvised a similar sammie for dinner the other night. This time, I roasted beets and placed the slices on a rustic baguette with avocado, arugula, and feta cheese.

So simple and delicious, and I kind of love how the beets turn the whole thing pink. I served it with sauteed beet greens on the side. One more yummy photo after the break.

Weekend Improv: Bagel and Cream Cheese, With Bacon

nancyeinhart — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:42:38 PDT

Some people believe everything is better with bacon, or salt, or both. Bacon isn't my indulgence of choice, but my betrothed is quite fond of bacon and salt bagels. On a recent morning after, he boldly combined the two.
Take one toasted salt bagel with cream cheese and tomato, add a few strips of oven-cooked bacon, and you have a delicious salty breakfast to cure your ills. Would you eat it?

Weekend Improv: Turkey and Pickled Okra on Olive Bread

nancita — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:39:47 PST

I suspected I would like pickled okra, but I had no idea I'd go crazy for it. I recently bought a jar to make Cajun Bloody Marys, and I'm hooked. If you like pickles and spicy stuff, I highly recommend pickled okra, which has a velvety texture and none of the usual sliminess.

But isn't this a blog about sandwiches? Why, yes! Keep reading for details on this weekend improv.

Weekend Improv: Open-Face Ham, Swiss, and Zuke

nancyeinhart — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:57:04 PST

It's bread end week on Between the Bread! First, Lizzy shared her triple-decker solution, and now Andrew, who normally shuns the bread ends, presents this open-face invention.

Using what we had in the fridge, he laid out some multigrain bread ends, ham, and leftover roasted zucchini, then melted Swiss cheese over the top and dusted the delight with salt and pepper. Doesn't it look delicious?

Weekend Improv: Cutie-Pie Banana Muffin 'Wich

nancyeinhart — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:19:10 PST

Last weekend, I decided to bake, a very rare occurrence for me: banana walnut muffins designed to fight PMS! Though they definitely tasted healthy, they were yummy enough to put me in a good mood, moist and flavorful.

Of course I couldn't resist making at least one of them into a whoopie pie-inspired muffin sandwich, slicing it across the middle and icing it with fromage blanc from Cowgirl Creamery. How cute is that?

Weekend Improv: Italian Turkey Meatloaf and Goat Cheese

nancyeinhart — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:17:40 PST

I love exploring the preprepared food universe at Trader Joe's, and I've been hankering for a good meatloaf sandwich. I never liked meatloaf as a kid. Actually, I don't think many people did, which is ironic considering its reputation as a family favorite.

But now, I'm strangely drawn to it, especially on sandwiches. This Italian turkey meatloaf was slathered in red sauce and full of seasonings. Delicious on its own, but even better in a sandwich with soft goat cheese and greens on some thickly sliced Acme bread.

See more photos of my weekend improv.

Weekend Improv: Turkey With a Muffuletta Twist

nancyeinhart — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:22:21 PDT

The last time my friend Jonas jetted back from New Orleans, he brought the best possible gift: a jar of olive salad from muffuletta mecca the Central Grocery. Andrew polished it off in this weekend improv sandwich. An otherwise unassuming turkey and provolone gets a quick and Big Easy update with a healthy serving of olive salad. Add some butter lettuce and fresh sprouts on a Trader Joe's wheat bun, and you've got a sammie that would make a muffuletta proud.

Weekend Improv: Rotisserie Chicken on Wheat Rolls

nancyeinhart — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:42:34 PDT

When we get the gang together, it's often over a sandwich smorgasbord: a simple, easy, but yummy dinner for a lazy Sunday night. This time, Adam and Libby picked up a supermarket rotisserie chicken, and we brought the Trader Joe's honey wheat hamburger buns that Shannon showed off in her Jucy Lucy. Add a flight of mustards - a must for any serious sandwich household - some cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and you've got a build-your-own sandwich bar. Feast your eyes.

Weekend Improv: Blue Cheese Veggie Burger Patty Melt

nancyeinhart — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:16:25 PDT

Anyone who thinks veggie burgers are for wussies hasn't tried one of my favorite weekend improvs: the veggie burger patty melt. We cook Gardenburgers or Dr. Praeger's California burgers in the broiler, at the end adding whatever decadent cheese we happen to have in the fridge and melting it over the patty to serve on toasted bread.

This time, Andrew constructed a decadent melt with expensive, very blue cheese, plus heirloom tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and dijon mustard. I had a bite, resulting in serious sandwich envy.