Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

I can't get enough of veggie sandwiches and am always trying to find ways to tweak it. So here's my latest reincarnation:

All you need is:
Toasted multi-grain bread
Roasted red peppers, sliced
Mixed greens
1-2 large fresh basil leaves
Cherry tomatoes, sliced
2-3 tbsp garlic hummus

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

Remember my post about homemade hummus?

Well, I thought I'd be a little creative and take a stab at altering it based on that grid. And it came out well, if I do say so myself.

Blend the following in a food processor and you're done!:
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1 large clove of garlic, diced
1/4 cup packed sun-dried tomatoes (I used the ones not in oil)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried italian seasoning (oregano, basil, etc)
1 tbsp lemon juice

I used this hummus as a spread for my lentil wrap (torilla, hummus, cooked lentils, sliced cherry tomatoes, arugula) and it complimented it perfectly.

Mexicali Burgers

A friend of mine told me about this recipe years ago, but I never got around to making it until recently. Big mistake. Instead of making sliders, I made big burgers, because I had big burger buns and it just made more sense. And I skipped the Spicy Mango Sauce, because I hate both mangoes and spicy food. And in the salsa I used my new favorite salsa, Trader Joe's Organic Tomatillo & Roasted Yellow Chili Salsa.

Chef Chloe's Mexicali Sliders

Black bean & Sweet potato burgers

It's time to say goodbye to winter produce. I truly do enjoy a good butternut squash or turnip, but it's time to endulge in spring veggies now! So I had one last hurrah...

I had this recipe photocopied from a book a friend lent me. The only problem is, I don't remember which friend and which book it was! So I can't give credit where credit is due for this tasty patty.

Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 clove garlic, diced
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup cornmeal
Dash of salt & pepper
Olive oil spray
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potato pieces in a pan sprayed with oil. Back for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. In a food processor, mix the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Add potatoes.
3. In a large pan, heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. Form mix into patties (I made 4 large patties), and brown each side.

I served on fresh pretzel bread from the farmers' market and topped with a little bit my tomato relish. It was heavenly.

And speaking of farmers' markets, for you southern Californians, here a great reference list of monthly in-season produce! From Southland Farmers' Market Association.

Miso Tempeh and Kale wrap/salad

Oh yum. That's all I have to say. And it's great for a quick dinner or healthy lunch. Double the recipe and have plenty leftover to take to work the next day. I found it at http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/07/kale-avocado-wraps-w-spicy-miso-dipped.html

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp white miso paste
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp agave or maple syrup
black pepper
2-4 Tbsp oil (I used olive)
1 package tempeh, sliced into 8 logs
1 bunch kale
1/2 cup red onion, sliced thinly
1-2 tomatoes, sliced, diced or cut into weges
1 small avocado, sliced or diced

Directions:
1. Mix miso, vinegar, agave (or syrup), a sprinkle of black pepper and 1-2 Tbsp of oil together to make dressing.

2. Heat another Tbsp or so of oil in a saute pan on medium heat.

3. Dip tempeh logs into dressing, then lay them into the hot pan. Allow them to cook for a minute on each side until all sides are carmelized, being careful not to overly blacken. Remove from pan and cool.

4. Remove kale leaves from stem and chop into small pieces.

5. Wash kale well. Run it under (or dunk in) hot water, then dunk it into very cold water. Then dry the kale in a salad spinner and/or with a towel.

6. Transfer kale into a dry bowl, toss with dressing and onions.

7. To serve, either make a salad of kale, tomatoes, avocado and 2 tempeh logs or put all of the components on a wrap (I used whole wheat tortillas) and enjoy.

Veggie Burger Roundup

Over the last few months, several people have approached me looking for new ideas for meals and were interested in different from-scratch veggie burgers. I always refer them to this blog, but I figured rather than making you all search for the perfect patty recipe, I list my favorites out right here:

Lentil 'BK Broiler'

BBQ Bean Burger

Bean Sliders

FYI: I would normally cook these patties on the stove top b/c it's quicker, but the patties end up kinda smooshy. So lately, I've taken to baking them at 350 degrees - bake for 30 minutes, flip, bake for another 10-15 - and they shouldn't fall apart on you.

Black bean panini

I love me my sammiches. So when I was looking for something for dinner one night, I raided the fridge and cupboard to see what I could see. And came up with this tasty panini!

Ingredients 

Whole grain bread 

1 cup canned black beans, mashed 

Pepper spread (I used Red Pepper and Eggplant Spread from Trader Joe's) 

Cheddar cheese

BBQ Tofu Sandwiches

Because everything tastes good when slathered in BBQ sauce.

Ingredients:

1 block Extra Firm tofu

2 Tbsp peanut oil (canola would be fine, too)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

BBQ sauce (I like Trader Joe's Kansas City Style, but whatever tickles your fancy)

Ciabatta rolls, sliced

Mayo

Cole slaw

Pickles, sliced

Directions:

Press tofu for at least 1 hour (flip after 30 minutes, if you can), then slice thinly. Mix peanut oil and soy sauce together and dredge each slice of tofu through it. Bake tofu at 350 for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then pour on the BBQ sauce, making sure to coat both sides. Bake for another 15 minutes and then turn the broiler on for another 5, for good measure. Once the tofu is ready, slather the top bun with mayo, put a few tofu slices on each roll, top with pickles and cole slaw. Devour.

I served it with a quinoa salad (recipe to come) and sauteed kale.

BBQ bean panini

I had intended to make my Grilled cheese and apple sandwich, and as I started pulling out the ingredients - d'oh! I didn't have any apple left. Hmmm.... So I had to make up something with what ingredients I had. And to my surprise, it turned out really good!

On the bottom slice of bread, I layered:
• Half a slice of Swiss cheese
• 3-4 tbsp of mashed pinto beans
• 1 slice cooked bacon
• 1 large leaf of fresh basil
• 1-2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• The other half of cheese and bread.

Veggie Pesto Panini

I saw a recipe in Vegetarian Times, but I wasn't a fan of many of the ingredients - mayo, olive tapenade, and others. But I liked the basic idea. So I rummaged through the fridge to see what I could find, and I came up with a splendidly yummy sandwich!



Ingredients
Fresh asiago bread
1 can chickpeas, mashed
1 large golden beet, thinly sliced
1 large granny smith apple, thinly sliced
Swiss cheese
Basil pesto
Arugula

1. Spread the chickpeas on slices of bread. Top with slices of beet, apple, and cheese.
2. Spread a small amount of pesto on the cheese and top with arugula.
3. Make the sandwich and heat on a small grill or panini press, or in a pan with a small amount of oil.

Mmmmmm....

Angus Burger with Avocado & Goat Cheese

For this delicious burger, rub the patties with black pepper and garlic powder, then grill or broil to desired doneness. Top the burgers with goat cheese and avocado slices and garnish with some balsamic glaze, if desired.

These were absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend giving it a try!

Winter Grilled Cheese

I experimented once again with my favorite type of sandwich. This time I used to wintery vegetables - thin slices of butternut squash, sliced leeks, carrot shavings, and slices of asiago cheese.

Caprese Sandwich

Looking for a quick lunch? Or a side sandwich to a hearty soup? Look no further.
About 5 minutes to assemble, what could be easier?



Ingredients
Tomato slices
Basil pesto spread
Fresh mozzarella
Roll of choice
Fresh basil leaves

Layer all onto the bread in whatever order you like and enjoy!

Decadent Egg Salad

I made this egg salad with cream cheese and mayo instead of just mayo, like in most recipes. That made it much lighter and fluffier and it tasted great!

Ingredients:

8 hard-boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup cream cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. yellow prepared mustard (condiment not the spice)

pinch each of:

garlic powder
turmeric

dill weed

cilantro

Directions:

Chop eggs and mix with mayo and cream cheese.

Mix well, then add the spices and stir until thoroughly blended.

Enjoy on a sandwich or on top of a delicious pile of greens!

A.L.T - The alternative to the BLT

I can't lie, this sandwich happened after I saw a very similar one in Vegan Family Meals, but it's so simple that it's not considered stealing.

Avocado
Lettuce
Tomato
Toast

Assemble (I ate mine open-faced, but you can do whatever sounds most appealing to you). Eat. Thank me later.

It would probably taste super rocking with some crispy fakin' bacon on it as well, but then it wouldn't be an alternative so much as an improvement.

Hearty Bean and grain patties

I was flipping through my old copy of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I never realized how many vegetarian recipes were in there! So I found this one and altered it a bit to my liking.


Makes 5 patties
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/3 cups brown rice (or a healthy rice mix with barley, quinoa, etc.)
1 tbsp dried basil
Olive oil

1. In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed with 6 tbsp water. Let sit until coagulated. Add basil.
2. Mix lentils and beans together in a food processor, or mash thoroughly with a fork.
3. Add flaxseed mix, oats, and rice to the bean mix and combine.
4. Heat oil in a large pan. Form mix into patties and cook on each side until browned. Serve on toasted bread and enjoy!

See my recipe for the tomato relish in the pic next week!

Sloppy Joe's

Found this recipe awhile ago in my copy of the Veganomicon but I finally decided it was time to try it out. Made a few edits to the recipe, and it turned out mighty tasty!



Ingredients
1 cup cooked lentils
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
Olive/veggie/grapeseed/etc oil

1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a medium pot. Heat pepper and onion for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Add lentils and sauce and mix. Let heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add maple syrup and stir.
4. Serve on top of your favorite hoagie roll. I added shredded lettuce for a bit of a crunch.

Chickpea-Quinoa Burgers

I based this on Mark Bittman's Simplest Bean Burgers from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, but changed it to include quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups well cooked chickpeas (garbonzo beans) or 1 14 oz. can (drained)
• 1 medium onion (quartered)
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 Tbsp chili powder or spice mix of your choice
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional - I used a Colby mix)
• Vegetable broth or water (if needed)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

• Combine ingredients (except broth and olive oil) in food processor and pulse until chunky but not pureed. Add broth if needed to keep from sticking.
• Let mixture rest a minute, then shape into patties with wet hands.
• Let patties rest while you heat the oil in a skillet.
• Cook each patty until nicely brown on each side.
• Serve with your favorite burger fixins!

These were a bit crumbly but so delicious!

Breakfast Sandwich on Sourdough Rolls

I made a couple tasty breakfast sandwiches out of sourdough rolls, New York sharp cheddar cheese, and a couple fried eggs. All I had to do was cut the rolls (purchased fresh from a local bakery) in half, cover the bottom half with cheese, put a bit of butter on the top of the rolls, and pop them in the oven at 350 degrees while I fried the eggs. When the eggs were ready, I pulled out the melty cheese rolls and assembled the sandwiches. Delicious!

BBQ Bean Burger

I've tried and made quite a few types of veggie burgers, but they all have that sit-in-your-stomach-like-a-rock feeling for a short while afterwards. So I came up with an idea for a lighter burger.



Ingredients
1 can white kidney beans, mashed
2-3 large carrots, sliced into small strips
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
Fresh sandwich bread
Olive oil

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl. Add a few tbsp of olive oil if too dry.
2. Form mix into patties
3. Heat a few tbsp pol in a pan. Cook patties until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.
4. Place on bread. Spread 1-2 tbsp BBQ sauce on top of patty. Serve with tomato, lettuce, and onions.