Easy dinner recipes: Three hearty sandwiches in 30 minutes or less

Comfort food doesn’t get much easier than a sandwich. Stuff your favorite filling between two slices of bread and you’re set. And because they’re portable, you can grab and go on a busy weeknight. We could go on and on about virtues of the sandwich but we know you know.
Whether you call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, if you’re a fan, they don’t get much better than this refreshingly bright salad, one of our Top 10 Recipes from 2011. Marinate chickpeas in a blend of lemon juice, olive oil and salt, then toss them with some Spanish chorizo, tomatoes and a little garlic, green onion, parsley and bell pepper. Marinate the beans first thing in the morning, then assemble the salad in the last few minutes before you sit down to eat. It makes a colorful side, or a perfect light meal. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/05/dinner-tonight-chickpea-salad-with-chorizo.html#sthash.J3QhXScu.dpuf
Egg salad sandwich with dill: Egg salad is classic, and it’s so easy to make. Chop up hard-boiled eggs and throw in some chopped onion or celery for crunch, maybe toss in some capers to brighten it with a little tang. Bacon bits work wonders here. Add some mustard and mayonnaise for over-the-top creaminess. The salad makes a perfect side dish, or spread the salad between two slices of bread and you’re ready to go.

Roasted chicken curry sandwich: A perfect use for leftover chicken (or grab a rotisserie chicken on your way home tonight). Shred the meat and toss it in a bowl along with celery, yogurt, sour cream, tangy lemon juice and curry spice for a quick salad. Stuff the chicken into a halved pita and your meal is ready in minutes.

QUICK & EASY: Terrific recipes in under an hour

Dungeness crab salad sandwich with Meyer lemon: Dungeness crab and Meyer lemon are a match made in heaven in this dish. Lightly toss tender crabmeat with a little homemade mayonnaise (you can’t beat the flavor of homemade, but store-bought can be substituted in a pinch), then pile the crabmeat onto a roll topped with watercress and fresh lemon juice.

You can find the recipes below.

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1/4 cup minced celery

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

2 tablespoons chopped dill

8 slices olive bread

Cracked black pepper

1. Chop the eggs. Stir in the onion, celery, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise and salt. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Toss together the shredded lettuce and dill.

3. Divide the egg salad among 4 slices of the bread, spreading it to the corners. Grind black pepper over the egg salad, then place equal amounts of the lettuce-dill mixture on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut in half and serve.

Each serving: 376 calories; 17 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 24 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 432 mg cholesterol; 733 mg sodium.

ROASTED CHICKEN CURRY SANDWICH

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 1 or 2

You can also serve this as a salad over a bed of greens; add diced fruit or toasted nuts to the chicken mixture for different texture and flavor.

1 3/4 cups shredded roasted chicken

2 tablespoons minced celery

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon curry powder

1/8 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt, pepper

1 pita bread

4 leaves red leaf lettuce

Place the chicken and celery in a mixing bowl.

Mix together the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, curry powder and cumin in a small bowl, then add to the chicken and celery. Stir well, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the pita in half to form two pockets. Line each pocket with 2 lettuce leaves. Spoon the chicken mixture into the pita halves, dividing evenly.

1 to 2 servings. Each of 2 servings: 420 calories; 418 mg sodium; 110 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 41 grams protein; 1.51 grams fiber.

DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD SANDWICH WITH MEYER LEMON

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

1 Meyer lemon

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups Dungeness crabmeat (meat from 1 whole crab)

4 small hard rolls, cut in half crosswise

1 bunch watercress, cleaned and stemmed

1. Grate the peel from the lemon (you should have about 1 1/4 teaspoons) and set it aside. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice into a blender jar. Set aside the remaining half lemon.

2. Add the egg, salt, cayenne pepper and Dijon mustard to the blender jar. Blend to combine.

3. With the blender running, slowly add the oils in a thin stream until all the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick. Turn off the blender. Stir the reserved grated lemon peel into the mayonnaise.

4. In a small bowl, spoon 1/4 cup mayonnaise onto the crabmeat. Toss until the crab is coated with dressing.

5. Lightly spread each roll with mayonnaise. (You will have about half the mayonnaise, 1/2 cup, remaining. Save it for another use.) Spoon the crab salad onto the bottom halves of the rolls and squeeze a little juice from the remaining half lemon over each. Top the crab salad with watercress leaves and the upper halves of the rolls to make sandwiches.

Each serving: 401 calories; 15 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 31 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 86 mg cholesterol; 485 mg sodium.

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