Grilled "Sausage" and Veggie Sandwich

I was using up leftovers and vegetable on their "last legs" in my fridge for lunch today and it turned out quite good.

We had green pancakes, VeganEgg, and vegan sausages for dinner last night. There were several sausage links left that Patrick crumbled in a wrap and I used one for this sandwich. I also roasted a few veggies late morning to use them before they went bad.

Roasted Veggie and Hummus Sandwich

Ingredients
- 2 slices good whole wheat bread or sandwich bread of choice
- 2 tablespoon of roasted red pepper hummus
- 1 teaspoon Earth Balance soy free spread
- Roasted Brussels sprouts, celery, broccoli, carrots, and red onion (see specifics below)
  - salt and pepper
  - olive oil or vegetable broth
  - brown sugar
  - garlic powder
- 1 slice vegan cheese
- two slices of tomato
- 1 vegan sausage link

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop veggies and arrange on baking sheet sprinkling with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar for Brussels Sprouts.

Roasted Carrots, Celery, Red Onion and Broccoli

• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 cup broccoli florettes
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion 
• 1 tsp olive oil or veggie broth (or to taste)
• pinch of salt
• garlic powder
• black pepper, to taste

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1½ cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• pinch salt
• black pepper, to taste

3. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes (or to liking) stirring once halfway through.
4. Cook vegan sausage link according to instructions or reheat if leftover.
5. When vegetables are nearing completion, spread Earth Balance on one side of each slice of bread.
6. With the buttered side down, place one slice of vegan cheese on one slice of bread and spread hummus on the other slice. (Note the Earth Balance is used on the toasting side.)
6. Place desired amount of roasted veggies on the sandwich on top of the cheese.
7. Slice sausage link the long way for a flat surface and add both pieces to the sandwich.
8. Add sliced tomato and press two slices together to form sandwich.
9. On a lightly oiled, preheated skillet, cook the sandwich for 2 minutes or so on medium. Watch the bottom so as not to burn. Flip when adequately toasted. Toast on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Vegan "Meatball" Subs

First of all.. I just want to say that as soon as my brother sees this post (providing he ever reads my blog, wink wink) he will send me a text that says, "those are not meatballs. They cannot be called meatballs." Semantics. Anywho, these came about because I had an abundance of leftover marinara that I had pulled from the freezer. I didn't think it would be wise to freeze it... again. I asked P what he could think of to use it for. This is a bit funny because usually he looks at me and says something like, "can't you find something on Pinterest?"Ahaha. This time he said (without hesitation) "Meatball Subs". Well, ok then.  Excellent idea, except that I don't think I have ever had a meatball sub... in any form. Hmmmm. Despite this fact as well as the extra toasty buns, I thought these were quite good.

Meatball Sandwich

For the tomato sauce

•  1 medium onions, peeled and minced 
•  vegetable broth for sauteing
• 1 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 
•  2 cups canned crushed or diced tomatoes, along with their juice
• 3/4 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoons dried oregano 
•  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• one bay leaf 
• 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar 

For the Lentil "Meatballs"

        This made enough for 5 sandwiches and then freezing an entire second meals worth

• 2 cups cooked lentils (I used one package of Melissa's brand precooked because I had them in the fridge
• Salt and Pepper
• Vegetable Broth for sauteing
• 1/3 Red Onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Minced Garlic (or one clove)
• 1/2 Zucchini, finely chopped
• 12 Baby carrots finely chopped
• 1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1 T Ground Flax Seed
• 2 T Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp each Paprika, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning
• 1 T Garbanzo flour (or regular if not gluten free) plus 1 T water

Additional Ingredients

Daiya Cheese

Gluten Free Vegan Hoagie Buns

For the tomato sauce

- Sauté the onions in vegetable broth in large saucepan. Season them with salt and black pepper, stir frequently, until the onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook until the onions are completely soft

- Add the canned tomatoes, the tomato paste, salt, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, the bay leaf and the sugar, and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

- Heat the sauce with the meatballs in it until everything is warmed through. If the sauce is very thick, it can be thinned with a bit of warm water.

For the Lentil “Meatballs”

- Place the lentils to a large mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork, potato masher or your hands until they are completely mashed.

- Heat a large skillet and add the vegetable broth. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes until translucent.

- Add the rest of the vegetables and the garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté about 6 minutes until the veggies are soft.

- Add the veggies to the mixing bowl with the lentils.

- Add the parsley, bread crumbs, flaxseed, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.

- In a small bowl, put garbanzo flour. Add 1 Tbs. of water and mix into a loose paste. This will help to hold the mixture together. Add to the bowl.

- Mix everything well. I used clean hands, which seemed to be the best option. If the texture seems too wet, add more bread crumbs. If it feels too dry add water.

- Wet your hands, scoop up about 2 Tbs. worth of the mixture (more or less depending what size you like your meatballs) and shape into a ball.

- Place them in a casserole dish or on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

- Cook for 20 minutes at 375 degrees watching closely and turning halfway through.

- Turn on broiler after 20 minutes and broil for a minute or two to get a bit more browned. WATCH CLOSELY.

- Pull from the oven and cut one open to check for doneness. Meatballs should be well heated all the way through.

To make sandwiches, take hoagie buns, cut open almost all the way through. Slice some of the meatballs in half and put them between the bread, pressing down with a fork a bit. Top with a small amount of  shredded Daiya and heat in 400º oven or under the broiler, until the cheese melts. WATCH CLOSELY (I only know this from experience. See photo.)

Bacon Flavored Coconut - Vegan alternative

 I don't miss meat. I don't even miss cheese, which was a surprise. I do, however, miss BLTs. Especially in the summer with a big piece of juicy watermelon and an ear of locally grown corn. Yum. I have been trying out some bacon alternatives to see if there is something that will make for a great sandwich. Last year I tried a marinaded tempeh which I thought was pretty good. My husband choked it down with a fake smile, gritted teeth,  and no complaints, but it was clearly not a favorite of his. Last week I thought maybe roasted mushrooms in a marinade would work well. However, between the dog and two small boys I got distracted and they burned. Laughably, this probably made them taste quite similar to the turkey bacon we used to eat because I inevitable burned that each time as well. So... last night I tried coconut flakes. There are some recipes out there using coconut flakes to mimic bacon in recipes. I liked the combination of seasonings I had used for the mushrooms so I based mine on that. They turned out great. Obviously, the goal is not a bacon replica. It is to find a substitute that has some similar characteristics (touch of hickory, salty, and a little crunch). They worked well on the sandwich, with the exception of not staying put as well as a longer piece of bacon and I ate them on a salad the next day for lunch and they were even better. I am seeing them turning up in soups and salads in the future. Yum. 

 

Coconut "Bacon"

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 4 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 4 cups large flaked coconut

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3.  Pour in flaked coconut.
4. Stir or toss to coat the coconut in the liquid mixture. 
5. Once the coconut is evenly coated, pour it onto a parchment lined baking sheet 
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes so it cooks evenly. It WILL burn if you’re not careful, so make sure to stir!
7. For storage, place in glass storage container with lid and refrigerate.