Schools reopen next week, and with that will come the hustle and bustle of morning routines – waking up earlier to get dressed and organised, packing snacks and lunches, running to catch the bus, or dropping off others and trying to beat the traffic to get to work/school on time. Among the many things parents, and guardians have been doing is stocking up on food, preparing for the start of the upcoming academic year. And with the high cost of food, it can be more than a head-scratcher trying to think of what to make and how to stretch things. It ain’t easy.
Today, I will share with you 10 spreads with which you can make sandwiches, or use with crackers (biscuits) for breakfast, lunch or as a snack.
The main ingredient to bind some of these things together is mayonnaise. Please try and get a good quality mayonnaise. Whenever a recipe/dish calls for a few ingredients, it is always best to get high-quality ingredients. It really makes no sense to eat, and the food does not have taste.
The other ingredients to add flavour to these spreads are mustard, pepper sauce, freshly ground black pepper, onions, green onions (scallions) and parsley. For the spreads with fish, adding fresh citrus zest or a squeeze of lime/lemon juice would brighten things up. All of these spreads would not necessarily need the addition of salt because the main ingredients will already be seasoned with salt, and mayo, mustard and pepper sauce are all condiments that contain salt.
Just as with the mayonnaise, you want to ensure that the main ingredients that make up the spreads are of good quality. Having said that, I would recommend that you purchase the brands you prefer and like.
The main tool for making these spreads would be a food processor. A food processor will mix together the ingredients quickly and smoothly, and you will also be able to control the texture if you like by simply using the pulse function on the machine. However, the aim will always be to make a spread that you can smear, and to your personal preference.
One other thing before I list the spreads, there is no exact recipe for these spreads in terms of quantities. Work with what you have and adjust the condiments and seasonings to suit your taste/preference.
1. Meat
Make these spreads with meats leftover from roasts – chicken, pork, lamb, beef, turkey. To make the spread, remove the meat, chop it into chunks if there are large pieces (no fancy knife work needed because they are going into a food processor).
Add the meat to the food processor and pulse or let the processor run until it reaches your desired consistency. Add mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper sauce to taste. Pulse to mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Add parsley if using and pulse to mix. Remove from bowl of the food processor and, if using, mix in thinly sliced scallions, preferably the green parts only.
Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and cover first with plastic wrap, placing the plastic directly onto the spread, touching it. Cover with lid and refrigerate. Always access with a clean utensil. Alternatively, you can do what I do: I have small individual containers in which I put the spreads so that each one contains a serving, enough for 2 sandwiches.
2. Canned luncheon meat
There are lots available – ham, turkey, chicken. Take your pick.
To make the spread, simply remove from the can, chop into chunks, add to the bowl of a food processor, pulse to your consistency then add mayo, mustard, pepper sauce and black pepper. I find that some finely minced celery and parsley make a nice addition to the canned meat spreads. Add and pulse well to mix.
There should be no need for added salt to this spread.
3. Egg
This is more like a smooth egg salad. Add boiled eggs to a food processor and pulse to your preference, then add mayo, mustard, and freshly ground black pepper along with salt to taste and pulse well to mix. Stir in finely minced parsley and celery if you like. A squeeze of fresh lime/lemon juice would be a nice bright addition to this spread.
4. Cheese
This is such an all-time favourite of many people. We traditionally make cheese spread with sharp cheddar, but I would suggest making it with a combination of cheese(s) if you have. Grate on the large side of a box grater and add to a food processor (or use your processor to grate the cheese). Add mayo, mustard, pepper sauce and grated onion (along with its juices) and pulse to blend/mix. Taste and if necessary, add salt to taste. Mix in finely minced parsley.
5. Egg-Cheese
This is one of my favourite sandwich spreads. I often think of it as stuffed/devilled eggs in a sandwich.
Add chopped eggs and grated cheese to the processor along with mayo, mustard and pepper sauce and pulse well to mix. Stir in scallions/green onions and parsley. Taste and add salt if necessary.
6. Tuna
Regardless of the type of tuna you use – chunk or flaked, in oil or water – drain well after removing from the can(s). Add to the food processor along with mayo, pepper sauce and freshly ground black pepper and pulse to mix, making a paste. Add a squeeze of fresh lime/lemon juice and pulse to mix. Stir in finely minced parsley. Taste for salt and add, if necessary.
Roasted bell peppers can be added to the paste for more body. Boiled eggs could also be added to this tuna spread. Add both ingredients at the same time with the tuna before mixing.
7. Sardine
Again, regardless of the type of sardines you use – fillets, whole, steaks, in water or oil – drain well after removing from the can(s). Add to the food processor along with mayo, pepper sauce and freshly ground black pepper and pulse to mix, making a paste. Add a squeeze of fresh lime/lemon juice and pulse to mix. Stir in thinly sliced scallions. Taste for salt and add, if necessary.
8. Cream Cheese and Spinach
This is so easy and delicious; however, it does require a little prepping and light cooking.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before adding it to the food processor. In the meantime, chop and sauté the spinach with thinly sliced garlic and onions, just until the aromatics soften and the spinach wilts. Let the spinach cool to room temperature then add it to the cream cheese and pulse well to mix. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper; taste and pulse to mix. If the mixture is too thick, add a little milk to get it to your desired consistency.
Using this same method, you can add cooked pumpkin to cream cheese to make a spread. Think of the amazing taste, especially if the pumpkin is cooked with geera (cumin) or a sprinkling of curry powder.
Bring this paste to room temperature if refrigerated to make it easy to spread.
9. Corned Beef
Add the corned beef with mayo, hot pepper sauce and freshly ground black pepper to a food processor and pulse to a paste. Stir in finely minced parsley and the green parts only on green onions/scallions. For this paste, using a low-sodium corned beef is fine; it will still have an adequate amount of salt.
Bring this paste to room temperature if refrigerated to make it easy to spread.
10. Liver Pâté
Chicken liver spread is one that you can serve when entertaining, and not just be packed as a sandwich.
After cleaning, washing and pat drying the livers, sauté onions and hot peppers to taste, in butter and oil until softened and then add the livers and cook until just cooked through. Transfer everything while hot to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and pulse to mix.
Before I go:
· Use plastic/cling wrap to cover all the spreads by placing it directly onto the spread before covering it with a lid. This will prevent the spread from drying out and forming a skin. Be sure to use airtight containers for all the spreads and always access with clean utensils.
· If you’re making more than one spread, label the containers indicating the type of spread and date it was made; use removable tape or masking tape.
· When using canned items, use the plain version rather than those that have been flavoured. Remember you are creating something, so you want to start with a neutral base.
Cynthia cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
www.tasteslikehome.org