I’ve been completely in love with micro greens ever since returning from Disney World (it was the beet salad I enjoyed at Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge that did it). For these tea sandwiches, I chose to use micro arugula — the very mild, peppery flavor is a fantastic complement to the pepper-crusted roast beef. Plus, what’s better than a beautiful, edible, non-parsley garnish? (Without the colorful topper, they don’t look nearly as appealing.)
I found the arugula-only greens at Whole Foods in the sprouts and lettuce section — they sell a wide array of different micro green varieties (broccoli, pea, mixes) — and Trader Joe’s carries a gorgeous, colorful mix for about half the price. Or you can always grow-your-own.
Roast Beef Tea Sandwiches with Whole Grain Dijonnaise and Micro Arugula
Preparation Time: 30 minutes (not including bread)
Makes: 6 dozen+
Ingredients
Whole Grain Dijonnaise:
- 123 grams (9 tablespoons or 4.5 ounces) mayonnaise (preferably not light/reduced fat)
- 43 grams (3 tablespoons or 1.5 ounces) whole grain Dijon mustard
- 43 grams (3 tablespoons or 1.5 ounces) smooth Dijon mustard
Everything Else:
- 2 loaves gluten-free No-Knead Bread (can make a day or so in advance) or about 18 slices Udi’s gluten-free sandwich bread
- 1 – 1 1/4 pounds Roast Beef¹, thinly sliced
- 2 ounce package Micro Arugula or other Micro Greens
- Black Pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
Make Dijonnaise:
Stir together mayonnaise and both Dijon mustards. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton #18 tip (or similar size — I chose this one because my others were already in use); cover tip with plastic wrap to prevent the mixture from leaking out (or use one of these Wilton tip covers — disclosure: I haven’t tried these covers myself).
DO AHEAD: Can be made a few days in advance. Do not store in pastry bag, instead transfer to a jar or bowl (cover tightly) and store in the fridge until ready to use. Transfer to pastry bag just before using.
Make Bread Cutouts:
If using no-knead bread, slice both loaves of bread into about 1/4″ slices (thick enough to not fall apart/hold up to the topping, thin enough not to be the focus). Using a 1 1/2″ round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible from each slice (save scraps to make breadcrumbs). Place very close to one another on serving platter(s).
DO AHEAD: Can be arranged on the platter several hours in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Assemble Sandwiches:
Pipe a dollop (about 1/4 teaspoon) of Dijonnaise onto each bread round. Spread to the edges (I like a small, offset spatula for this). Top with about 1/4 ounce roast beef (fold over to fit round), press down lightly to help it adhere. Pipe another dollop (about 1/4 teaspoon) of Dijonnaise on top. Top with a few sprigs of micro arugula. Finish with a small amount of freshly ground black pepper (optional). Serve.
Notes
¹ I used the pepper-crusted roast beef from the Whole Foods deli; use any gluten-free one you like.
11 Comments
Jen @ Juanita's Cocina
February 8, 2012 at 3:51 pmBeautiful, with a side of yum.
Michelle
February 8, 2012 at 4:57 pmI wish I could ‘like’ the above comment!
heather sage
February 8, 2012 at 5:53 pmthanks, jen and michelle! (so very often i wish the “like” feature was available for comments, tweets, etc. :D)
Kiri W.
February 8, 2012 at 6:22 pmThese look extremely elegant 🙂 I, too, love mciro greens, and in Germany almost every child at some point grows Kresse (cress? I’m not sure). Dijonnaise must be one of my favorite condiments on earth.
heather sage
February 8, 2012 at 6:37 pmThanks, Kiri! You guys surely have (going out on a limb here with an unsubstantiated guess) most American kids beat. I wish more of them, at the very least, knew their veggies and, as a bonus, learned to grow some of the simpler ones (thank you Alice Waters and others for trying!).
Oh, see, I LOVE regular mayo straight up. But…I do enjoy that a slick of Dijonnaise gives all the moisture with about half the guilt (I don’t really feel guilty, it’s all about moderation for me) PLUS twice the flavor!
bananamondaes
February 8, 2012 at 10:49 pmThese look so delicate and delicious.
Sandy @ tinytinyfork
February 12, 2012 at 11:32 pmAbsolutely amazing! What a great idea for a tea-time party 🙂
heather sage
February 14, 2012 at 12:05 pmThank you! It’s really nice having a quick-to-prepare (once the homemade bread is ready)-yet-elegant party-ready recipe on hand.
Healthy Microgreens Recipes
March 21, 2017 at 10:37 am[…] These little tea sandwiches are perfect for serving up at brunch time or at your next bridal or baby shower celebration. When you want something plated pretty and delicious – microgreens are the perfect garnish. (via) […]
Candy Austin
September 28, 2017 at 8:51 pmHELLO,
I am a certified organic migrogreen farmer in Washington State. I would like to use your image for Roast Beef Tea Sandwiches as an idea for what you can do with microgreens. Of course we would add your link and mention Plains Joy to find the recipe. We would not be adding the recipe to our website so as to direct them to you for that. Would that be something you would be willing to do?
Heather
September 30, 2017 at 3:27 amI’d be honored, Candy! Feel free to use this image on your website.