The Sandwich Goes Upscale

Tired of the same old turkey sandwich? Try these upscale sandwich recipes for a change of pace.

There's something here for everyone, from peppered steak and roasted pork tenderloin for meat lovers to vegetarian options like Egg & Cucumber and Tuscany Meatless sandwiches.

Peppered Steak Sandwiches With Caramelized Onions and Light Horseradish Sauce

Journal as: 2 slices bread + 1/2 cup vegetables + 1 serving lean meat with 1 teaspoon fat

3 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks (beef tenderloin steaks), about 1 1/4 pound total*
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided use
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 large sweet onion (or 2 small ones), cut in half and thinly sliced
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (or use sliced regular mushrooms, or chopped portabellas)
1/2 cup water or low-sodium beef broth
2 1/2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white (or creamed) horseradish
4 French, sourdough, or submarine rolls (part whole-wheat, if available)

*Note: If the filet mignon is 1 1/2 inch thick, have your butcher cut in half lengthwise to make 3/4-inch steaks (these will cook a little more quickly).

• Add a teaspoon of canola oil to a medium nonstick frying pan or skillet, and let it get nice and hot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, salt and pepper both sides of each steak (heavier on the pepper than the salt). Add steaks to the pan, and cook to desired doneness (about 5-6 minutes per side for medium-well). Use a fork to remove steaks to a plate (keep the steak juices in the pan for use later).
• Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to a large, nonstick skillet and sauté the onion slices over medium-high heat until golden (about 5 minutes). Add the mushroom slices, 1/2 cup broth or water, and all the juices from the steak pan. Continue to cook the onions and mushrooms, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Put light mayonnaise and horseradish in a custard cup and stir to blend well.
• Place the bottoms of your sandwich rolls on a serving plate. Spread horseradish sauce on top of each. Top each with steak slices and the onion/mushroom mixture, then place tops on the sandwiches.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Per sandwich: 393 calories, 30 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat (4 g saturated fat, 5.2 g monounsaturated fat, 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 70 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 430 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36%.

Roasted Pork Loin & Chutney Sandwich

Journal as: 2 slices of bread + 1 serving of lean meat with 1 teaspoon fat + 2 teaspoons jam

Most supermarkets carry several types of chutney; choose whichever flavor sounds good to you. I found tomato-pear, mango, and cranberry chutney at my neighborhood grocery store.