Making Subway-like salads at home w/ zero work

Question

I often buy salads at Subway because I'm lazy. However, I'm also cheap, and Subway's markup on salads is quite high.

I want to buy items at a supermarket and simply mix them together to make a salad without having to do anything else. Which of these can I get:

• Pre-chopped cold cuts (has to go beyond sliced, since full slices in a salad don't work well), including pepperoni and salami.

• Pre-chopped onions and pre-sliced tomatoes (and other similar chopped veggies).

I know I can get bags of lettuce, pickled jalapenos, shredded cheese, black olives, and dressing, so if I can get the above, I'm good to go.

Asked by barrycarter

Answer

Fast home made salads are possible with a few different but just as tasty ingredients. Some things to try that you can buy pre-prepared

• You can buy catering bags of ham and salami pre-chopped for pizza making purposes. Freeze in small portion bags suitable for a few days, and take one out of the freezer and put in fridge every few days as required
• Roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds (substitute for cold cuts)
• Anchovies or sardines
• Sprouts
• Sun dried tomatoes, some suppliers have pre-chopped (they keep fine in fridge)
• You can buy pre-sliced onions, but usually only in 5Kg+ catering sized bags, They do freeze OK
• Many other veges are available pre-chopped and frozen for cooking purposes, many of these will be great in a salad

If you make the salad in the morning to take to work the frozen parts would keep it fresh for a while, so no need to defrost them. Sort of like an internal, edible ice pack :-)

Answered by TFD

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Should I buy a mechanical chopper?

Question

A popular example of this device is the heavily-advertised Slap Chop tool.

Is there any advantage to buying one of these? Do they tend to be as effective as advertised, and if so, what features should I look for, and how long can I expect it to last?

Answer

I have tried a number of similar tools and find that the Pampered Chef "Specialty Cutting Tools: Food Chopper" to be the best-in-breed for choppers. It is

• sturdy, it is well built and will last.
• reliable, after cleaning it assembles easily and works consistently
• easy to clean, opens up easily and is dishwasher safe.

I find this model works well for small chopping tasks, such as those advertised with the "slap chop". If you have more than "a handful" of material to chop you will do well to divide it into smaller bundles. Much more and it is time to move to a larger device.

Mine if 5-6 years old, with no signs of slowing down.

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1. I am not a Pampered Chef rep
2. I do not broadly endorse their products. Many of their items are "not so good"

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Cutting boards: What are some general tips on purchasing and using a cutting board?

Question

I have heard various debates on the merits of wood versus synthetic cutting boards, and their affect on food safety, knife edges, and ease of cleaning and storage.

What are the pros and cons of the following and why?

• Wood versus plastic or other materials
• Affect on food safety and cleanliness
• Cost to purchase
• Affect on knife edge and ease of use

Answer

I use two types of cutting boards: wood and [soft] plastic. The plastic is for meat, or anything that could ruin a wood cutting board. Wood is for everything else. If you can afford it, try to get an end-grain wood cutting board.

Bamboo is a popular choice right now (it's affordable and sustainable), but I don't have any personal experience with it.

Most other materials, especially glass, will ruin your knives.

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