Hot Weather Sandwiches and a Tabbouleh Salad Inspired by Le Pain Quotidien

Chicken Salad with Date Chutney

Hummus and Tuna Salad Sandwich

Tabbouleh Salad

Egg Salad

The girls and I were in New York City on Monday and found ourselves wandering down Madison Avenue.  We dropped into Le Pain Quotidien for lunch and honestly I didn't want to leave.  We used to live in the city and I would quite often take the girls here for breakfast or lunch. The staff were always SO nice, never seeming the least bit annoyed by the amount of noise, mess or general chaos that ensued. 

We had a wonderful lunch and I was reminded just how fabulous a really good sandwich can taste with a bit of creativity.  It occurred to me on the way home that this was perfect food for this insanely hot weather.  There is no need for the oven to be switched on to produce a mouthwatering feast. 

Here is my homage to Le Pain Quotidien's excellent sandwiches.

Chicken Salad with Date Chutney.

2-3 cooked chicken breasts.  (These can be roasted, poached, grilled or if it's just too hot to contemplate any of that - store bought)

3 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of creme frache

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon of capers

salt and pepper

1/2 tomato (diced) for decoration

A handful of fresh parsley

Pinch of cumin

For the chutney (adapted from La Pain Quotidien Cookery Book)

4 oz of stoned dates

2 oz boiling water

3/4 teaspoon of harissa spice

salt and pepper

To make the Chicken Salad, dice the cooked chicken and place in a bowl.  Add all the other ingredients and stir gently to combine.  Chill in the fridge.

To make the chutney, boil the water and pour over the dates, let rest for 10-15 minutes.  Place all the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.  Chill in the fridge.

To serve, spread some chutney onto a piece of hearty multigrain bread, top it with a serving of chicken salad and garnish with diced tomato and fresh herbs. 

Hummus and Tuna Salad Sandwich

I love this unexpected combination. I actually used a good quality store bought hummus to which I added a little lemon zest, juice, a sprinkle of harrisa spice and a tablespoon of Greek plain yogurt.

For the Tuna Salad

2 cans of best quality tuna fish in water, drained

a couple of capers

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

salt and pepper

2-3 sticks of celery

A squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon of lemon zest

Diced tomatoes and chopped herbs to garnish

To make the tuna salad, drain the canned tuna and place in a bowl, add all the other ingredients and chill in the fridge until ready to use.

To serve, spread a good helping of hummus onto a lovely piece of sourdough bread, top with tuna salad, diced tomato and fresh herbs.

I particularly like this egg salad, it's made with olive oil instead of mayonnaise, it's lovely and rich - in a good way!

Egg Salad (adapted from Le Pain Quotidien Cookery Book)

4-6 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped

2 sticks of celery

4-6 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Fresh herbs (chopped)

1/2 tomato (diced)

Mix together the olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper.  In another bowl combine the egg and the celery.  Add the olive oil mixture and stir carefully to combine.  Season to taste.  Chill in the fridge.

To serve spread the egg salad onto some wholegrain bread and garnish with herbs and diced tomato.

Tabbouleh Salad

1 1/2 cups of bulgur wheat

Juice and zest of a lemon

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

4-6 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup (at least) of fresh chopped herbs (mint, parsley, basil, oregano are all wonderful)

A handful of cherry tomatoes

1/2 English cucumber, seeded and finely chopped

Cook the bulgur wheat as instructed on the packet.

Drain and place into a bowl.

Make the dressing by mixing together the mustard, lemon juice and zest,  vinegar, salt and pepper and olive oil.

Pour over the bulgur wheat.  Add the cucumber, tomatoes and herbs. Stir to combine.  Check seasoning and add another squeeze of lemon just before serving.