Smoked salmon open-faced sandwich

Hello HFIers! There's something you should know about me if we're going to be friends... Breakfast is my favourite time of day. I'm 100% a morning person.




There are various things I like about early mornings. I like the freshness of the air; whatever the season, the air always feels so pure in the morning. I like seeing the dedication on people's faces, their belief that a new day might lead to great things. By the time the day is over, we are all filled with the day's events, impatient to get home and unwind and happy it's over. And so it goes.


Mornings are so full of hope. One of those hopes is the promise of a great breakfast. This open-faced breakfast sandwich is incredibly satisfying: it is light, low-fructose, of course, flavourful and fresh. It's a very appropriate pick for a spring breakfast or lunch, if you haven't got that sort of time in the morning.

Are you a morning person? Or are you a rusher? Taking time for myself in the morning allows me to set me up for the day. Whether it's watching the world wake up from my bedroom window for a couple of minutes or an intense yoga session, it all counts!




I must admit, I'm all about instaworthy food. (Follow me on Instagram!) The combination of colours and textures on this plate is wonderful, don't you think? Added to that, the sliced rye bread is (almost) homemade. What's so refreshing about this recipe is that there is no code to stick to: you can mix and match what you desire most. If you do, however, choose to top your bread with smoked salmon, watch out for any added sugar. Smoked goods haven't always been smoked, the food industry has developed an extensive number of smoke flavourings (including components such as beech, oak, hickory and maple), and added sugar is sometimes part of this process. (Click this link for more information on smoke flavourings in Europe)

Tesco's smoked salmon and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference smoked salmon both contain sugar, and various other unnecessary ingredients. After looking for a while, I bought the one which had the least ingredients. In my experience, the fancier the style of the product you're getting, the more likely it is to contain sugar.




This recipes comes together in about 10 minutes, it is also easy to pack or prepare in advance if you want to take it along with you. And, it's under 300 calories. Such a winner.

 Happy eating, HFIers!

Ingredients:

2 small slices of rye bread
2 thin slices of smoked salmon (or 1 thick, divided)
1 tablespoon of low fat, plain soft cheese (Laughing Cow or Philadelphia, for example) 
Small handful of spinach
Squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions:

Pop your sliced bread in the oven or toaster until warm and crisp. Top with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and spinach. I arrange the spinach on the side for practical reasons, it is easier to eat it as a salad than piled high on top of the toast. Squeeze a wedge of lemon on the salmon and spinach, a cracking of black pepper and an optional few drops of Tabasco. (I am so addicted to chillies I have them for breakfast, too. I am aware of my insanity!)