One Roggenbrot sandwich with smoked salmon, Brie cheese and fresh basil and another one with turkey breast, avocado and red bell pepper. Grab your healthy snack in NO TIME FLAT!

Almost every time I get to smell the amazing dark rye bread called in German Roggenbrot, I swear I try really really hard to resist it … however, the reality is that I can’t!

Did you know that Germany produces more varieties of breads than any other country – over 200 varieties of dark and white bread and over 1.000 varieties of rolls and mini-breads?! WOW, right?! And if I go and toast it lightly and make myself a delicious Roggenbrot sandwich with smoked salmon or turkey breast… You get the point. How could I resist it when it’s literally part of the culture?! :)

Before I go on with those sandwiches, I’d like to briefly mention the differences between grain varieties in Germany. So there are basically 4 grain varieties grown here – wheat, rye, barley and oats (if you want the German terms – Weizen, Roggen, Gerste and Hafer, in this order). Among them, only rye and wheat are used for bread. As I understood, rye has the longest history in Germany, being the most common food staple for the masses. After I went and read a little bit more about it, I understood why. Rye was used instead of white wheat flour because it is supposed to give a longer shelf life to the bread.

However, I personally prefer the dark rye bread (called Roggenbrot) as it has stronger taste in contrast to regular white bread.

Another thing I’ve discovered over time is that the best way to make the flavour of this dark rye bread pop is to toast it. Try it and let me know if you also prefer it this way.

As a note, if you have a gluten allergy, make sure you don’t eat a whole loaf of dark rye bread in one go. You might end up with headaches, nausea, etc. I do believe that all things in moderation and variety is the golden rule to follow.

So here I go with those mouth watering, quick and healthy sandwiches … ready in NO TIME! I know, I know these are just sandwiches, but sometimes, especially on really busy days, they can be extremely convenient. So when that happens, try and go for the healthy items from your pantry (of course, you first make sure that you have plenty of them) and be creative.

I chose combing turkey breast and red bell pepper with avocado for the extra flavor and the good fats, especially when it’s cold outside. And to make it way better, I sprinkled some chia seeds on top et Voilà – you won’t get better than that.

For the sake of variety, I decided the second time to top my Roggenbrot sandwich with Brie cheese and smoked salmon. So now free your mind of any misconceptions (in case you have any about dark rye bread or “low-carb” diets) and imagine the Brie cheese almost melting over the toasted bread. Can you see it? :) Très bien! Don’t try it yet because there is one more step to go – top it with smoked salmon, sprinkle it with raw unsalted sunflower seeds and serve it with fresh basil … Yeah, I’ll now let you head straight to your kitchen. :)

When I am pretty busy with my work, I love to come up with quick recipes that don’t require any effort from me. Are you the same? If yes, you are in the right place at the right time – I promise you NO cooking in this recipe.