salad on a sandwich

This post is not so much a recipe as it is a lesson in creativity and not letting things go to waste. But it's a good lesson and a delicious one, so stick around.

You know how you always use that excuse about not wanting to buy fresh vegetables because they'll just go bad in your fridge? Even I've caught myself thinking that before. Well, the key to using up fresh vegetables is creativity. If you keep eating them the same way (salad), you'll get sick of them and pass them up every time you open the fridge.

This week I had a serious craving for salad. I walked my little behind to the store and picked up a BUNCH of salad stuff, brought them home, washed, cut and packed everything up so it would be easy to just throw together a salad on a whim. Well, I had one salad then lost my taste for them. I haven't wanted a salad since. Big surprise, right? I now had about $9 worth of salad goods that needed to be eaten... the list included:

• 1 bunch of lettuce, $1.59
• 3 roma tomatoes, $1.25
• 1 bag shredded carrots, $1.89
• 1 can chick peas, $1.09
• 1 medium cucumber, $0.69
• 1 bunch green onions, $0.75
• 1 medium bell pepper, $1.49

TOTAL: $8.75

Not bad considering this was a normal grocery store and not the produce market. Of course, I bought only what was in season and selling at a good price (although that bell pepper was more than expected...)

When the salad craving went MIA, it apparently got replaced by a sandwich craving. So, I put my salad on a sandwich. Yeah, I know, you're thinking, "thats just a veggie sandwich..." But, it's better. It's like having one of those little deli salads stuffed inside a huge piece of french bread. Just follow along...



In addition to some of the veggies, I used a loaf of french bread I had bought ($1.49), and eggs, cheese and salad dressing that were already in my refrigerator. Here is the cost break down for the super duper salad sandwich:

INGREDIENTS		COST
1/6th large loaf	french bread	$0.25
1/4 cup	salad dressing (any type)	$0.25
1 medium	hard boiled egg	$0.10
1/2 sliced	roma tomato	$0.21
1 oz.	cheddar cheese	$0.23
1/8th med	cucumber	$0.08
1/6th med	bell pepper	$0.05
1/6th head	leaf or romaine lettuce	$0.27
TOTAL		$1.54

YEAH, ONLY $1.54.
How much does a huge beautiful sandwich like this cost at the corner deli? $3.75? $4? More? With the vegetables I bought and the stuff I already had, I can make 6 of these sandwiches or 6 salads or...(insert recipe that I'll be posting tomorrow) ... or any mix of them. Fresh veggies all week without getting sick of them, without them sitting in the bottom of the refrigerator getting all soft and juicy. That's the way you do it.

Here is how to build the sandwich:

STEP 1: Cut your segment of french bread off of the loaf and then slice it in half. Drizzle salad dressing over the open face on each piece and let it soak in (it will do this as you build the sandwich).

STEP 2: Peel the hard boiled egg and slice it up. Place the slices on the sandwich followed by the tomato, cheese, cucumber, bell pepper and lettuce (in any order you like). Close up the sandwich and marvel at it's beauty.

STEP 3: If you'll be taking the sandwich with you for lunch, wrap it very tightly in plastic wrap. Having the sandwich wrapped up tight like it's in swaddling helps everything stick together and lets it all marinate in the dressing and vegetable juices. Then it's even better than right after you make it.

Step By Step Photos

Start by cutting off your segment of bread. I used about 1/6th of the loaf. Then, cut it in half horizontally.


Drizzle the insides of the bread with salad dressing. I used an Italian-like vinaigrette.


Slice a hard boiled egg and place it on the sandwich. FYI: bread knives don't make for a cleanly sliced egg :P


I like the tomato next to the egg because tomato and egg were just made for each other.


And then the cheese because tomato and cheese were made for each oth... wait... menage a trois!


Cucumber next, no reason.


Green pepper next because I was hoping the lettuce on top would hold the awkward bell pepper pieces in.


And lettuce last because I have this weird thing about lettuce being on top... wow, disregard.

Are you particular about the order of your sandwich ingredients? If so why? Can the cheese touch the mayo or does it have to be next to the bread? Peanut butter on both slices to seal out the jelly? Or is it all just OCD?

Stay tuned tomorrow for another (more creative) use for the salad vegetables!