Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tuna, Arugula and Apple Sandwiches


Tuna and apple might seem like an odd combination but it works wonderfully in sandwiches. The tuna is creamy, the apples are tangy and sweet and the arugula adds that peppery and lemony taste that makes all the flavors meld beautifully.

As the weather is slowly moving towards summery temperatures, I like to plan out great picnic food. There's just something about packing up delicious goods and enjoying them with friends or family outdoors. These sandwiches work perfectly for those kind of days. I like to make them mini sandwiches - they are less messy and allow you to make different sandwich combos to try. If it's really warm and you can't keep the sandwiches cool, I would suggest skipping the mayo and using a little more mustard instead. Serve it with a fresh salad (I like roasted red and yellow peppers with goat cheese crumbles) and a glass of homemade ice tea and you're set!

Tuna, Arugula and Apple Sandwiches
(makes 4 mini sandwiches)
2 small cans of tuna packed in olive oil
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
1 handful of arugula
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
4 mini ciabatta rolls
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Slice the ciabatta rolls lengthwise. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and toast for 3-4 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crusty. Take off the heat and reserve. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise and grainy mustard and reserve.

In a bowl, add the tuna (drained from most of the oil). Using a fork, press down on the tuna to separate the chunks. Fold in 3/4 of the mayonnaise mixture and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Divide the tuna mixture and add it to each ciabatta half. Layer with a few slices of apple and top with arugula. Spread the mayonnaise on the other side of each piece of ciabatta. Close the sandwiches and enjoy!

26 comments:

stephchows said...

Not a combo I would have thought to put together, but MAN do you make it look beautiful!

Ian said...

mmmm, that looks wonderful. I would imagine that those three would work very well together on both flavour as well as texture levels, brilliantly done! (P.s... the photo is pretty stellar too).

http://cocobeanandme.blogspot.com/

Kristen said...

That looks divine! I bet the apple would be a great addition, brighten things up. yum.

Marta said...

you're right, perfect for a summertime picnic! and mini is so cute too :)
Tuna and apples sounds like a brilliant combo, the arugula lending its peppery bitemust round everything out nicely :)

Anonymous said...

I love picnic fare as well as tuna w/o mayo, apples, and arugula. All together, what could be better? Stunning.
- Zahavah

Anonymous said...

tuna and apples together are a MUST! YUM

Justin said...

this makes my usual tuna salad sandwich seem so pathetic

ch said...

I like tuna, apples and arugula, why not together? I'll be trying this:)

Looks good too!

www.chalkaboutit.blogspot.com

La Table De Nana said...

I just happen to have everything "en main"!Looks great!

The Scootabaker said...

I looked through all your dessert posts and I am in instant admiration of you, your mad food photography skills, and your unique recipe choices! I'm hooked!

Anonymous said...

The combo of tuna and apple sounds excellent! I've made a chicken salad sandwich with apples so the tuna will definitely work great too!

EMC said...

I've put diced apple in my tuna salad before, but I love the idea of thinly slicing it to rest on top--very aesthetic and probably makes it better to taste the different flavors/textures.

Absolutely beautiful photo by the way!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Your photos are absolutely gorgeous. Even if you weren't crazy about the dish you've got to love your photo.

Very interesting flavor combo. All three elements I love so why not togther. Thanks for sharing!
~ingrid

unconfidentialcook said...

I like the idea of sticking an apple there...and bet it would be good on chicken sandwiches too.

Simones Kitchen said...

Not sure how it would taste but it sure looks absolutely beautiful. Love the colors in the photo!

Cynthia said...

What an elegant sandwich.

Ivy said...

This sandwich looks simply delicious!

pigpigscorner said...

It looks so appetising with the apples!Wonderful presentation.

CookiePie said...

What an interesting and original combo!!

♥peachkins♥ said...

This look yummy..Hmmmnn,a must-try.I'm gonna try this out tomorrow

Maria said...

The sandwiches look great! I want to pack them up and go on a picnic!

Deborah said...

This is a combo I've never seen before! But I do have some tuna in my pantry - I just may try this out for lunch next week!

Erika said...

Love your idea of the green apple and tuna! An Italian friend just told me that her mother makes jam with these green apples - have you tried this?

Food lover said...

Your pictures look amazing - well done! Where can I find arugula? I'm not quite sure what it looks like.

Thanks

nick said...

This:

"Serve it with a fresh salad (I like roasted red and yellow peppers with goat cheese crumbles) and a glass of homemade ice tea and you're set!"

sounds like a picnic I want to go on. Those mini-sandwiches are beauts!

Molly Jean said...

This sounds delicious. I will definitely have to try the tuna/apple combo.

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