TEA SANDWICHES

Cheese and Orange Marmalade Sandwiches
Ingredients:

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup orange mamalade
Spread half the slices of buttered bread with the cheese, softened with the cream. Spread the other slices with orange mamalade. Press the slices together.

Cheese and Banana Sandwiches
Ingredients:

1 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup cream

2 bananas

1/4 cup mayonnaise
Mash the bananas and mix with the cream cheese. Add the cream and mayonnaise and spread on slices of white bread.

Salmon Sandwiches
Ingredients:

1 cup canned salmon, drained and bones removed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh dill sprigs and lettuce

Bread of your choice
Mix the salmon and mayonnaise until it is creamed. Spread on the bread slices and top with a small sprig of fresh dill and a fresh lettuce piece. Note: This basic recipe can be used for tuna or the small canned shrimp that have been chopped finely. You can also substitute watercress, argula or add very thin slices of cucumber or radish.

Radish Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:

1 cup minced radishes

1 tsp. poppy seeds

1 cup cream cheese, softened

6 slices homemade or homestyle bread

3/4 tsp. salt

24 leaves of young argula, spinach or raddichio
Combine the minced radishes, poppy seeds, cheese and salt. Blend well. Cover 3 slices of the bread with the radish mixture-about 1/4 " thick. Top with the lettuce leaves and another slice of bread. Cut each sandwich into small squares or triangles with a sharp serrated knife. You can vary this by adding VERY thin slices of cucumber on top of the cheese, and Bibb lettuce. For a crunchy treat use Romaine. You may have left over radish mixture depending on the size of your bread.

Pear and Walnut Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:

8 ozs. cream cheese, softened

4 ozs. blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

2 (16-oz.) cans pear slices, drained

8 ozs. thinly sliced ham

Your choice of bread: mini bagels, mini croissants or slices of homemade sweet bread, such as Sally Lunn or Oatmeal.
In small bowl, combine cream cheese, blue cheese and walnuts; mix well. Spread cheese filling on bottom half of the bread you chose, followed by a layer each of ham slices and pear slices. Top sandwiches with remaining halves. If you are using regular size bread, use a sharp knife to cut into quarters. Note: You can slice canned pears yourself OR use fresh pears as well

Cucumber Shrimp Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:

1/3 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup soft cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tsp. fresh minced dill

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 thinly sliced slices of homestyle white bread

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked and peeled

1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

6 lettuce leaves
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Cut rolls in half horizontally. Spread the cream cheese mixture on three slices of bread. On the other three slices add the shrimp, then arrange the cucumber and radishes evenly on top. Next add one lettuce leaf to each slice, then top with the slices that were covered with the cheese mixture. Press down lightly and cut into triangles with a serrated knife. If necessary you can place a decorative toothpick in each triangle. Notes: Use your favorite type of lettuce. You can also buy small salad shrimp and diced them up into the cheese mixture instead of using the bigger ones.

Cucumber and Nasturtium Sandwiches
Ingredients:

2 medium sized cucumbers

8 thin sliced brown bread

4 nasturtium leaves

mayonnaise

onion juice or powder
Peel, half, seed and finely chop the cucumbers. Place in a bowl and add a dash or two of the onion juice or powder and enough mayonnaise to make it spreadable. Butter the slices of bread, and for each sandwich spread on enough cucumber mixture to cover lightly. Lay a leaf on top of each piece of bread and top with another one. Trim the crust. Makes 4 sandwiches. Note-you could substitute any nice lettuce or watercress for the nasturtium. Also when you place these on a platter or each plate be sure to garnish with a nasturtium bloom!