Sunday, September 30, 2012

(Canned) Sardine Sandwich

Sardine is the all too familiar to you, so are sandwich. But have you ever thought of the word "Sardine" and followed by "Sandwich"?

In most part of my life, I know only canned sardine in tomato sauce. Thinking that the fish isn't good enough to be eaten fresh hence, canned. But having lived in Greece, I learned that sardine is delicious when fresh and  amazingly delicious when charcoal. So, for many years, it never crossed my mind that Greeks canned their sardine as well. After living here for years, informed by my other half that I could easily find canned sardine (but why canned sardine?), I wanted to make sardine sandwich.

Believe me when I say that Greek canned sardine is far more superior in quality than any other canned sardine I have tried. Moreover, canned sardine is cheaper than canned tuna. In this economical climate, why pay more for something imported while you can make do with something else that is local and cheaper and better?

By far the best Sardine Sandwich I have made. Buy Greek!

You will need:

1 canned Sardine in tomato sauce (100g)
4 slices of sandwich bread
Margarine
1/2 red onion (medium)
1/2 red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
Lemon / lime juice


  1. Thinly sliced the onion and mix it throughly with 1/2 lemon or lime juice. Leave for at least 10 minutes in the lemon juice or until you noticed the onion appear red in color;
  2. Meanwhile, lightly spread the margarine over your sandwich bread. The margarine will prevent the bread from soaking up too much moisture thus, prevent the sandwich from getting too soggy;
  3. Coarsely meshed the canned sardine and mix with the marinated sliced onion and sliced chili;
  4. Season with salt and more lemon juice to taste. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes;
  5. Split the sardine filling into 2 portions. Spread evenly on the sandwich bread;
  6. Cut the sandwich into half or diagonally to serve.
You could prepare a day ahead and only spread it out on your sandwich when you need it the next day. Great for snack.

Cold Chicken & Noodle Salad

There are versions of noodle salad here and there in cook shows and recipe books or blog. The basic ingredients are quite similar. Noodle, protein, various fresh herbs and salad; for seasoning, of course its the soy sauce and sesame oil.

Perfect for a warm day or as a quick light meal or serve as side. You could prepare a day ahead, just make sure that you keep the cooked and fresh ingredients in separate containers and bring everything together just before serving. Here is my version and it changes depending on what I can gather from my fridge.


Ingredients:

Noodle:
1 - 1 1/2 portion thin rice noodle, alternately instant noodle or glass noodle could work.

Protein:
1/2 Chicken breasts, cooked;
4-8 cooked shrimp;

Fresh Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 Red Chilli (spicy or sweet)
1 stalk Spring Onion
Cook Shiitek mushroom or black ear fungus
6 - 8 Mint leaves
1 handful of Basil leaves
1 handful of coriander
few leaves of Iceberg salad
1/2 Onion
1/2 stalk Lemon grass

Seasoning:
2 - 3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice
Soy Sauce
Chilli Oil (optional)

Preparation:
  • Cook Thin Rice Noodle as per the packaging instruction;
  • Shred, sliced or cut the cooked chicken breast into long strips. You could use left over boiled or roast chicken;
  • Sliced the cooked shrimp into half or quarter;
  • Thinly sliced the red Chili, mushroom/black wood fungus, onion, spring onion, lemon grass and iceberg salad;
  • Cut mint and basil leaves into long strips;
  • Coarsely chopped the coriander leaves;
  • Place the noodle, protein, fresh ingredient in a large salad bowl and toss to mix. Season with soy sauce, lemon juice, chilli oil, sesame oil to taste.
It is more likely to find shiitek mushroom here in Athens than black ear fungus. I have manage to buy both dry and fresh shiitek mushroom from the Supermarket across Kiffisias ISAP station. If you are using fresh shiitek mushroom, I would suggest to cook it in boiling water with a few slice of ginger to rid off the moldy taste.