Seven simple single senior sandwiches

I love to eat. But I was never destined to be a chef.

My wife and I enjoy different foods and are on different diet restrictions, which is why we love to dine out.

Lunches, however, have always been our personal responsibilities.

At a time when we are eating our lunches at home, we have tried to be a bit more innovative with our limited resources while seeking variety.

We have come up with seven simple single senior sandwiches – one for every day of the week, all easy to prepare, and perfect for these difficult times.

1. Toasted Cheese and Pepperoni: Butter two slices of white bread. Add two slices of cheese and four slices of pepperoni. Add Grey Poupon mustard. Cook in frying pan or griddle until bread is toasted golden brown. Note: You can also add onions, tomato, bologna, pickles, or relish.

2. Egg Salad: Boil two large eggs. Allow to cool. Mash with fork and add a few sunflower seeds, chopped celery, chopped green pepper, and a pinch of salt, pepper and dill. For variety and color, you can add chopped carrot. Mix with mayonnaise. (I prefer Hellman’s.) Lettuce and tomato optional.

3. Tuna Salad: One can of tuna (preferably in water, not oil). Break up with fork. Add chopped onion and sweet pickle relish. For variety, add chopped red, yellow or green pepper. Mix with mayonnaise. Again, lettuce and tomato optional.

4. Minute Steak: Put a little olive oil in a skillet. Cut up about a half green pepper and onion. Slice a few mushrooms. When they start to brown, add the shaved (minute) steak. You may wish to add a slice of cheese. You can substitute hamburger for the steak.

5. Chicken salad: Cube white or dark meat cooked chicken (maybe leftover from dinner). Add a pinch of curry powder or paste, mayonnaise, and if you like, mix in a dab of brown mustard. Add diced onion and pepper. Garnish with lettuce and tomato. (Works with turkey, and even pork, the “other white meat.”)

6. Hot Dog: There is only one way to cook a hot dog. Split it down the middle and fry it. Toast the roll, and add chopped onion, relish, and our choice of mustard and/or ketchup (or both). Once you eat a split hot dog, you won’t want it any other way.

7. Peanut Butter & Banana: The perfect combination. And it’s a lot healthier than peanut butter and fluff. Jelly is fine, also our other favorite sandwich is the standard BLT, which we usually save for an evening meal. If you don’t want to open a pound package of uncooked bacon, you can buy pre-cooked bacon. Less than a minute in the microwave will give you a nice crispy piece.

All of these meals are easy to prepare, healthy, and inexpensive.