HOT, OPEN-FACED SANDWICHES

Friday and Saturday night fare our house often consists of soup and sandwiches. Cold sandwiches are just not what we want in the January chill. I like to serve hot, opened-faced sandwiches this time of year. The great thing about open-faced sandwiches is that I can use only one slice of bread, a boon for diabetics or anyone who is watching carb intake. You can use any whole grain bread, but I like to use my homemade whole wheat bread and slice it thickly:

Whole Wheat Bread

There is no great mystery to making bread. It is really very easy especially if you have a dough hook on your mixer. However, it is hard to give exact recipes for bread because the amount of flour needed varies according to the temperature and humidity. Add enough flour to make a firm, but smooth and elastic dough. This recipe is good for getting people who prefer white bread accustomed to eating whole wheat. Any bread fresh from the oven is wonderful, and the aroma is so inviting.

2 packages dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk, dissolved in a scant one cup of warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons or less salt (optional)
3 - 4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups unbleached flour
cooking spray
1 tablespoon egg substitute mixed with 1 tablespoon water

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Stir in the brown sugar and cover with a clean towel. Leave about 10 minutes. The yeast should have caused the mixture to bubble up. Otherwise, the yeast is dead and you will have to begin again. (I have never had this happen, but better safe than sorry.)

Add the milk, oil and the salt, if using. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup unbleached flour to the mixture. Beat well. Switch to a dough hook (or your hands) and add another cup of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of unbleached flour. Knead with the dough hook (or with your hands on a lightly floured board) until it becomes smooth and elastic, adding the remaining flour if needed. (The idea here is to keep the ratio of whole wheat to unbleached flour 2 - 1.)

Turn into a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the top of the bread with cooking spray and cover with a clean towel. Let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Shape into 2 loaves and put into loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the tops and cover again. Let rise in the pans 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the loaves for 35 minutes. Brush with the water mixed with egg substitute and bake another 5 minutes. Repeat for a total of 45 minutes baking time. Let cool in the pans for five minutes and then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Wrap tightly. I freeze one loaf for later use.

The bread is quite firm and slices beautifully for sandwiches.

Open-faced Portobello Sandwich

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sodium-free garlic and herb seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ounces grated Swiss cheese
4 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, garlic herb seasoning, pepper and garlic powder. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cheese on top of the vegetables, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the mixture into 4 portions. Scoop a portion (being careful to leave the cheese on top) onto each piece of toast and serve immediately.

Open-faced Tuna Melt

3 3-ounce cans low-sodium tuna, drained
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried basil*
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
Cooking spray
2 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated
4 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted

Combine the tuna, celery, onion and basil. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise, breaking up any large chunks of tuna, if necessary.

Generously spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium high. Divide the tuna into 4 portions. Mound the portions in the skillet and sear on one side. Carefully flip each portion over. Top each portion with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Let stand 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Scoop each portion onto a slice of toast.

*1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil is better if you have it, but in the winter I use dried.

Open-faced Curried Turkey Sandwiches

We have roasted turkey breast a lot. It is a low-cholesterol alternative to chicken or fish. Of course, for two people, one turkey breast is enough for several meals. This recipe is a good use for some of the leftovers.

Butter-flavored cooking spray
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
14-ounce can (no-salt-added) mushrooms, undrained
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat sour cream
2 cups left-over turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
Thickly-sliced, toasted whole wheat bread

Generously spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray. Heat to medium-low and add the bell pepper and onion. Saute 10 minutes or so until the peppers are cooked and onions and translucent and a bit browned. Add the curry powder and saute a few seconds to develop the flavor. Stir in the mushrooms and their liquid.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1/2 cup milk. Stir into the skillet. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the sour cream and the turkey. Heat through. Serve over the toasted whole wheat bread.