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Eggplant Sandwiches
If i had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be eggplant.
1 small eggplant
salt
olive oil
4 slices ciabatta bread
roasted peppers
spinach, rinsed and dried, stems trimmed
2 thin slices vegan cheese
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
1. To make the vinaigrette, combine olive oil, basil, thyme, garlic, pine nuts, and vinegar in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To prepare the eggplant, partially peel the eggplant lengthwise, leaving 1/2-inch stripes of skin. Slice the eggplant 1/2 inch thick, sprinkle the slices generously with salt, and let stand in a colander for about 1 hour (optional). Rinse thoroughly, gently squeeze each slice dry, and pat with paper towels. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the eggplant slices generously with olive oil. Place in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
3. To make the sandwiches, lightly toast the bread slices. Brush the eggplant, roasted peppers and the slices of bread with the vinaigrette. Assemble each sandwich with spinach leaves, eggplant, roasted peppers, and cheese. Slice each sandwich and serve.
One word: delicious.
Hummus Pitadilla
Last night’s dinner was just too delicious to leave out, so I took a picture of the leftovers I had for lunch. This recipe was inspired by Melissa’s Hummus Tortilla Pizza which I could not stop thinking about after reading her post ! I created something more like a Quesadilla, without the cheese of course !
4 large whole wheat pitas
3 summer squash, cut into small cubes
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper (to taste)
Hummus:
1 (14oz) can chickpeas
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
juice of 1 large lemon
6 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper (to taste)
1. To make the veggies, place olive oil, lemon juice and dill in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Place summer squash and pepper in an oven-safe dish. Pour dill sauce over veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes at 450 degrees.
2. To make the hummus, drain chickpeas and reserve the liquid. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend, adding chickpea water as needed, until smooth or desired consistency. Set aside.
3. When veggies are done, warm pitas in the oven for a minute. Carve the pitas open and add a layer of hummus to each side. Add some of the veggies in the middle and cover. Slice into 4 pieces and serve.
This was OH SO GOOD ! Thanks for the idea Melissa ! I was in heaven.
Club Sandwich
Jose and I went out for dinner a few weeks ago. His car had broken down for the gazillionth time in the past year. I wasn’t having the greatest week either and needed a break from the kitchen. We went to Sublime. Jose wanted to try something new. I recommended the club sandwich. He said a wimpy sandwich wouldn’t put a dent on his monstrous hunger and ordered the usual. I ordered the wimpy sandwich. Fast-forward 20 minutes as Jose chews down on half my sandwich. He actually liked my not-so-wimpy-after-all sandwich better than his meal so I decided to try my own recipe at home. We’ve been having these a lot lately.
olive oil
3 strips of Fakin’ Bacon, cut in half
Bragg Liquid Aminos
sweet chili sauce
1 ripe avocado, mashed
1 tsp lime juice
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 slices whole wheat or spelt bread, toasted
2 tbsp Vegenaise
6 Tofurky Deli Slices
1. Spray (or brush) a skillet with olive oil. Place on stove over medium-high heat.
2. Spray/brush each Fakin’ Bacon strip with a bit of Bragg Liquid Aminos and sweet chili sauce.
3. Carefully place Fakin’ Bacon strips in skillet. Cook until crispy. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine mashed avocado, lime juice, salt and pepper.
5. Smear some of the avocado mixture on a slice of bread. Add 3 pieces of Fakin’ Bacon and 3 Tofurky Deli Slices. Top with Vegenaise and another slice of bread.
This recipe makes two medium sandwiches. Jose usually has two. You can add tomato if you’re into that.
Edamame Sandwich
This is a modification of a recipe I found on vegweb.
1 cup cooked edamame, chilled
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz vegan cream cheese
1 tbsp flaxseeds
1 tbsp dill weed (*)
cumin, salt and pepper (to taste)
1 whole wheat pita
1. Mix all ingredients (except pita !) in large bowl.
2. Cut pita in half. Open each pita pocket and fill with mixture. Eat !
(*) If you don’t like dill, substitute any other herb you like !
BLP Wraps and Pasta Salad
For lunch, I decided to be a little adventurous. Jose likes bacon (barf). So I made a variation of the classic BLT. I used red peppers instead of tomatoes, vegan mayonnaise and wheat wraps. Jose likes pasta salad too, so I made that as a side dish.
Pasta Salad:
8 ounces macaroni pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 yellow pepper, finely chopped
1/4 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup canned peas
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper
cumin
BLP Wraps:
2 tbsp olive oil
8 vegan bacon strips
2 leaves romaine lettuce
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 wheat tortillas
toasted sesame seeds
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of rapidly boiling salted water until it is tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Drain well and turn into a large bowl. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside. Allow to cool completely before mixing with the other ingredients.
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pan. Cook the vegan bacon until golden brown.
4. Place one lettuce leaf on a wheat tortilla. Add 4 strips cooked vegan bacon strips and half of the red pepper strips. Top with 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise and sesame seeds. Fold wrap and set aside.
5. Add yellow pepper, red pepper, red onion, cucumber and celery to the pasta. Mix in the vegan mayonnaise.
6. Add peas to the mixture. Mix carefully since peas are tender.
7. Add salt and season with ground pepper and cumin (remember: a little bit of cumin goes a long way !). Serve with BLP wraps and enjoy !
I also added an Italian dried herb mix to the pasta salad this time. Try it if you want extra flavor.
Gyros
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
4 vegan sausages, cut into 1/4 inch diagonal slices
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce, “NOT half a bottle”
crushed red pepper (to taste)
4 whole wheat pitas
1. Heat olive oil in large pan or wok. stir fry onion, red pepper and green pepper over low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Add vegan sausage and stir fry for another 5 minutes. Mix in soy sauce and hot sauce and let cook for another minute. If you want an extra “kick” in your dish, add some crushed red pepper.
3. Serve in whole wheat pita bread.
Seitan Fajitas
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1/2 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp tabasco sauce
4 ounces seitan, cut into strips
2 wheat tortillas
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat. Add shredded carrots, yellow pepper strips, red pepper strips and onion and stir fry for 5 minutes.
2. Add soy suce and tabasco sauce. Stir fry for another minute.
3. Reduce heat and add seitan strips. Stir occasionally for 2 minutes.
4. Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds.
5. Spoon the filling onto each tortilla and roll up.
