Book of Yum

For some time now I have suspected that I was in a vegetarian sandwich rut. When I get busy, I make one of two things- either a GF vegetarian burger with GF bread or a bagel, ketchup, mayo and mustard with fresh basil and tomato slices, or a I make a hummus/avocado/basil/cheese sandwich. They are good, don’t get me wrong, but considering all the variety I usually enjoy in my gluten free feasts, it has occurred to me that my sandwiches/burgers are a little boring. This is why I recently picked up a copy of the cookbook Vegetarian Sandwiches: Fresh Fillings for Slices, Pockets, Wraps, and Rolls and started experimenting with some more interesting sandwiches. This week I made both a black bean veggie quesadilla and a grilled portobello and sun dried tomato feta sandwich inspired by my new book. Of the two, the Portobello sandwich was the real star, and scored big points with the DH, who had freshly returned from an extended camping trip with his dad. The ingredients are simple, but result in an uber flavorful vegetarian burger- and I’ve modified the recipe to be extra calorie conscious. Enjoy!

Grilled Portobello Sandwich with Sundried Tomato Feta Spread Main Course  Vegetables  Mediterranean

Ingredients Spread: 2 tbsp minced sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil 2 tbsp fresh goat cheese or feta (or well seasoned Mediterranean style tofu) 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp olive oil 2 cloves roasted garlic, OR 1 finely chopped fresh clove 1 tsp diced capers 1 tsp mustard 1 tsp water or veg. broth sugar to taste 2 large portobello mushroom caps 1/2 of a red onion, thickly sliced (or whole onion, I like leftovers) Pasta seasoning blend (Trader Joes or Spice Hunter) One tablespoon olive oil balsamic vinegar, to taste salt freshly ground black pepper 4 slices GOOD GF bread, toasted (I used Sesame Bean Bread a la Bette Hagman) OR 2 GF bagels, microwaved and/or toasted, cut in half OR 2 GF crumpets/hamburger buns, etc. [You get the idea] Fresh basil leaves or your favorite lettuce/arugula leaves etc. Sliced fresh tomatoes, optional totally optional: 2 slices vegan cheese OR regular cheese (or not) Directions Take your spread ingredients and process them in a food processor. Use the strong blade in the main bowl of your food processor. The more power the better. If you used a raw garlic clove, consider microwaving the resulting spread right before using for 30 seconds to a minute to take the edge off. (optional) Heat your grill. Clean your mushroom caps and prepare a vinaigrette by sprinkling a bit of pasta seasoning in a dish, then adding your olive oil and whisking in as much balsamic vinegar as you want. In an effort to reduce calories, I have been using more vinegar than oil lately, but it’s up to you. Drench or brush your mushroom caps and sliced red onion rounds with the vinaigrette and then grill them until the mushroom is tender and onion has caramelized slightly and both are well done. Don’t forget to turn them over. Take your toasted GF bread and spread one side or both with your mixture. Layer your grilled portobello mushroom, grilled red onions, fresh tomato slice, OPTIONAL cheese, and fresh basil leaves to taste. Enjoy your monster burger! If you want to go totally crazy you could add some basil pesto as an additional condiment.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Modified from Vegetarian Sandwiches Recipe ID:  1127 Added:  August 25, 2007 Last Modified:  August 25, 2007

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