I’m sure you’ve heard me rant about my disdain for tomatoes. I don’t know what it is but I’ve always disliked them. That doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally eat them if they’re in a salsa or something but if I have a choice, I’d rather not. Small doses of tomatoes won’t kill me but do not put them on my sandwich or even in fried form – no thanks. The texture of tomatoes is just something I’ve never been able to reconcile. Not to mention, tomatoes makes the bread for your sandwiches mushy. Gross.
The idea of a classic BLT sounds delightful in theory but if I’m going to just pluck off the tomato, it seems pretty wasteful, right? I started to think (as I like to do sometimes): how can I make a BLT but not have any T?
Much like avocado toast, I like the idea but not the actual ingredient. I found a decent substitute that I love and I KNEW I’d figure out the same with this BLT business. And so off went my hungry brain: apples, sundried tomatoes (very different than raw tomatoes), eggplant – my mind went all over the place. Then, like a light bulb, an idea popped into my head. A very simple, ‘why didn’t I think of this sooner’, type of idea: RED BELL PEPPERS. Duh.
I love bell peppers and the texture isn’t slimy like a tomato. Perfect.
Salmon BLT BLP Sandwich
As if roasting bell peppers weren’t easy enough, a few weeks after I made these sandwiches, I thought of an even easier way to incorporate a red bell pepper. You can just buy jarred roasted bell peppers. I know, I know. It’s not as satisfying as roasting them yourself but I have a jar of this brand of roasted bell peppers and they’re delicious – especially if you’re looking for a shortcut.
Speaking of roasting, I don’t know if you usually roast your bacon in the oven but if you don’t, I’d highly suggest that you start. Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes get lazy and make bacon in the microwave but roasting it in the oven really gives it the perfect crunch and cook. If you’re going to roast the bell peppers anyway, you might as well roast the bacon too.
Lastly, I should also note that the L in BLT is obviously lettuce but for this sandwich, I used arugula because it’s better. But a BAP sandwich doesn’t quite sound that great, does it?
Salmon BLP Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4-6 slices of bacon
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- Paprika
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- Olive oil
- 2-4 salmon fillets
- Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere)
- 4-8 slices of bread
- Arugula (a few handfuls)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- While the oven is heating, make the sriracha aioli by combining the mayo, sriracha and paprika then stir; set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon on the baking sheet - roast until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Remove the parchment paper and on the same baking sheet place the slices of pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Roast for 5-7 minutes or until the bell pepper has softened.
- Meanwhile, let's cook the salmon. Heat olive oil in a skillet and season the salmon with the Creole seasoning. When the oil is heated, add the salmon, skin side down. Cook skin side down about 4 minutes or until the skin is no longer stuck to the pan. Flip and cook another couple of minutes. Don't cook too long and try the salmon out - keep an eye on it. Remove the salmon and put on a plate.
- In the same skillet, toast the bread until golden brown.
- While the bread is toasting, place the arugula in a bowl and toss with a little olive oil.
Assemble the sandwiches
- Spread some aioli on the bread, top with arugula, bacon, salmon and bell peppers. Top with other piece of bread and enjoy.
