No Meat March: Veggie Sandwich Assembly Line

Today is the second post in the mini series, No Meat March - we are making personalized veggie sandwiches. When Zach and I did this last weekend, it was fun because we could make two completely different sandwiches in the same amount of time, using what we had around the house. I love this type of eating. Whenever we go out to eat, I always try to get him to share. Why wouldn't you want to share - you get to try more things that way? 

There isn't really a recipe to follow today, rather three steps in the sandwich assembly line. 


Step #1: Pick your bread

Some ideas: pita bread, tortilla, rolls, sliced bread

If you decide to use a tortilla, you can fold it like a taco or wrap - you decide.

Step #2: Pick your veggies 

Some ideas: eggplant, bell pepper, portabella mushroom, red onion, spinach, lettuce, arugula, sprouts, tomato, avocado, corn, edamame, cucumber, squash, zucchini

 

Depending on the veggies you decide to use, you may want/need to cook them. To cook, you can use many methods depending on the veggie - outside grill, inside grill pan, oven, saute pan.  If you choose to do the outside grill for veggies like the eggplant, pepper, mushroom, keep the veggie whole or only cut in half. If you cut into small strips, they will likely fall through the grill.  For added flavor, add oil, salt and pepper and then cook until soft enough for your liking.


Step #3: Pick your topping

Some ideas: goat cheese, feta cheese, avocado cream, cilantro lime cream, balsamic vinegar, your favorite dressing - ranch or honey mustard, hummus

To make the two cream toppings (avocado cream and cilantro lime cream), I used sour cream. With the avocado cream, I wanted the avocado to be the star, so used just a tiny bit of sour cream. With the cilantro lime cream, there is more sour cream with some fresh lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro. Just experiment with these and add what you think sounds good. Maybe try lemon juice and parsley instead.  

Better Bonus Tips:

When working with portabella mushrooms, I like to remove the gills. To do this, use a spoon to scrap them out. 

With any mushrooms, it is important to wash them, however do not run under water, as this will cause the mushroom to become tough and chewy - rubbery like. Instead, use a damp paper towel.

 
With bell peppers, there are many ways to cut them. I thought I would share the technique I use. Stand the pepper upright and cut all four sides off. I then lay down all of the pieces, with the flesh side up. Remove the white rib flesh, as it tastes bitter, and then slice into strips. I find it is easier (and safer) to cut with the skin side down, because they stay more stable.

With the eggplant, while you can eat the skin, I like to remove it. You can use a veggie peeler for this. The entire eggplant is edible, so you have options for cutting. First, remove the top and bottom and then choose what size you want. You can cut into circles or thin julienne strips. I choose to do the julienne strips to keep the same size as the rest of the veggies. 

 

So at the end of our assembly line, Zach and I ended up with a two pretty different sandwiches, both delicious.

A Mexican inspired 'sandwich', which consisted of a tortilla filled with corn, edamame, tomato, red onion, spinach, red pepper, avocado cream and a drizzle of the cilantro lime cream.

A Greek inspired sandwich, which consisted of a pita filled with eggplant, mushroom, pepper, red onion, sprouts, balsamic vinegar and  feta cheese.  As I am typing this I am thinking some plain Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice might be good in this sandwich - maybe next time.

What combination sounds good to you?

Better Bonus Tip: This would be great to do for a large group. Just lay out tons of options and let people add what they want. Also, fun for kids because they can be a part of making their food. 

~Ashley

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