Sandwiches

Snowy Joes

Snowy Joes! When it’s cold and snowing outside here’s a great dish to warm up to. Serve over your favorite grain, or if you have the time, bake up some of our REAL Yeasted, Gluten-Free Burger Buns.

1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 package organic tempeh (8 oz)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water plus 1 cup
1 tablespoon maple syrup or molasses
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon savory
dash of pepper
1 can of organic kidney beans, no salt added, with the water (NOTE: if using any other beans, drain and rinse first and then add to the pot)
1 can of organic tomato paste

1. Dice the onion, mince the garlic and chop the tempeh.
2. In a large saucepan combine onion, garlic, tempeh, red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, maple syrup (or molasses) and spices. Mix well and let set for 10 minutes to soften the dried spices and slightly marinade the tempeh.
3. Over med-high heat bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until onions are soft and translucent.
4. Add the beans, tomato paste and 1 cup water (add 1/4 cup more water if you’ve rinsed the beans prior to adding them to the pan). Mix well and return to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes with the lid on (stirring occasionally).
5. Adjust the seasonings and simmer without the lid for an additional five minutes.

Serve open faced on buns, over your favorite grain or by itself. (Snowy day is optional)

Mini CriMini Mushroom Burgers

Some folks call the small sized burger a slider, some call them White Castle style, here at REAL we call them Mini Crimini Burgers. Regardless of what you call them, this recipe is simple with optimum results. We recommend 3 minis each as an entree or 2 each as a party appetizer for 12 friends. WARNING: After you taste these juicy mushroom burgers with sautéed onions you may want to make extra because they go fast. Garnish with your favorite burger sides.

1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon REAL Tuscan Herbs (or Herbes de Provence)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or 2 cloves of minced garlic
24 large crimini mushrooms (1.5″-2″ in diameter)
2 yellow onions chopped (about 2 cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil (for sautéeing the onions)
24 REAL Gluten-Free Mini Burger Buns (split)

Dry clean the mushrooms by brushing them with a very soft brush (remove the stems, chop them into small pieces, reserving for use later in this recipe).

In a small bowl prepare the marinade, mixing together the Balsamic vinegar, herbs and garlic.

Place the mushrooms in a shallow dish, bowl or glass baking pan and pour half the marinade over them.

Preheat a cast iron grill-pan or frying pan over medium heat.

Place the mushrooms on the grill and cook until tender, brushing with the remaining marinade.

When they are done, place them back in the pan and keep warm in a low temp oven.

In the same pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and the mushrooms deglazing the pan with the remaining marinade.

Assemble the Mini Crimini Burgers on the mini buns as you would any burger and garnish each with a teaspoon of the onion mushroom saute.

Smoked Tempeh Ruben on Grilled Caraway Seed Rye-Style Bread with Red Sauerkraut & Vegan Mozzarella

The Tempeh Reuben has become a popular sandwich in vegan circles. Our REAL version features smoke-flavored tempeh with our REAL Caraway Seed Rye-Style Gluten-Free Bread and Vegan Mozzarella from Miyoko Schinner’s Artisan Vegan Cheese Cookbook.

1 slab of tempeh, 8oz, (cut into four sandwich sized pieces)
2 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 a medium head of cabbage)
1 cup chopped onions (about one onion)
2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced)
2 cups Strong Smoked Russian Caravan Black Tea (it has a smokey flavor, a combination of Chinese Keemun and Lapsang Souchong teas) or water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup wheat-free tamari
1/4 maple syrup or 2 tablespoons maple sugar (agave may be substituted for syrup; sugar for maple sugar)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
8 slices REAL Caraway Seed Rye-Style Gluten-Free Bread
4 slices vegan mozzarella or vegan cheese of your choice, we make ours from the Miyoko Schinner’s Artisan Vegan Cheese Cookbook
1 tablespoon vegan butter

Preheat the oven to 375^oF.

Cut the slab of tempeh in half and then filet each half so you are left with four pieces of tempeh about a 3/8 inch thick by 3.5 inches long by 2 3/4 inches wide. Rub the tempeh with the olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and caraway seeds. Place the tempeh in a glass Pyrex baking dish.
Sprinkle the tempeh with the tamari, syrup and/or sugar. Sprinkle the tempeh with the chopped onions and the shredded cabbage.

In a separate bowl combine the tea, vinegar and liquid smoke; mix well and pour over the tempeh/cabbage/onion.

Cover the baking dish with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil to make a tight seal. Place in the oven and bake for one hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.

Remove the tempeh then mix the cabbage and onion mixture with the remaining pan juices, making the sauerkraut.

To assemble the sandwiches:

Take the 8 slices of bread and spread one side of each slice with vegan butter. Place on a sheet pan buttered side down. Lay a slab of tempeh on four of the slices; lay the cheese on the other four slices; take a quarter cup of the sauerkraut and place on tempeh. Place the sheet pan in the hot oven and bake the sandwiches for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

Remove from the oven. With a spatula carefully place each cheese half on the tempeh sauerkraut half. Plate with mustard, the remaining sauerkraut and a salad. Serves four hungry adults or cut each sandwich in half and serve 8 appetizer size portions.

V-BLAT: Vegan Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato

Autumn is here. We are trying to get in a few more days of outdoor eating and V-BLT’s or V-BLAT’s (Vegan Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato) hit the spot. On a busy day, we keep it simple with our favorite store-bought tempeh bacon and vegan mayonnaise, although you can certainly make your own. Try it on our gluten-free Sesame Seed Burger Bun or your favorite bread

One package Tempeh Bacon – we use LightLife Fakin’ Bacon
Vegan Mayonnaise – we use organic Follow Your Heart Vegenaise
Two small avocados or one large, peeled, pitted and sliced thinly
Two small tomatoes or one large, sliced in thin rounds
1 cup shredded lettuce

Spread the insides of the bread with vegan mayonaise. Top one side with letuce and tomato the other side with avocado and tempeh slices, cut in half. Put the sides together and enjoy! Serves 4.

Two all-bean patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun: Gluten-Free

Another variation of the bean burger, these black bean burger are delicious served on a sesame seed bun with melted almond cheese. Serve with a mango flavored green iced tea and baked potato fries.

2 cups cooked black beans, drained
1/4 cup tapioca flour (finely ground)
1/4 cup potato flour (not potato starch)
1/4 cup garbanzo (chic pea) flour
2 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (ground red pepper chili flakes.)
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Wheat-free tamari (OPTIONAL – I don’t add salt to most of my recipes, a personal preference)

Put beans in blender, alternate pulsing and stirring until it becomes a smooth paste. It’s okay if there are a few pieces that aren’t blended. In a medium size bowl mix together flours and spices. Spoon in beans. Knead with hands into a smooth dough. Form 4 patties.

OPTION 1: Cook on a lightly oiled grill pan, heavy skillet or on the barbecue for about 7 minutes per side until lightly browned.

OPTION 2: Burgers can be baked and frozen to use another time. Bake burgers on a cookie sheet for 7 minutes, flip and bake on the other side for 7 minutes. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator or freeze. These burger can be cooked later on the barbecue or grill, basted with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Two all-bean patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a gluten-free bun

These burgers can be whipped up in no time, ready to grill. These burgers hold their shape well, they are not your typically crumbly veggie burger. They can be made spicier by adding hot pepper, cumin and/or curry powder to the mix. Use your imagination. Serve with a raspberry lime iced tea and a mixed green salad.

1 can white beans (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/4 cup potato flour (not potato starch)
1/4 garbanzo (chic pea) flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Drain beans, put in blender, pulse and stir until smooth. In a medium size bowl mix together flours and spices. Spoon in beans. Knead with hands into a smooth dough. Form 4 patties. Cook on a lightly oiled grill pan, heavy skillet or on the barbecue for about 7 minutes per side until lightly browned. Serve with lettuce, ketchup, mustard, pickles, cashew cheese, red onion on a gluten-free English Muffin.

The Tofu Club

This is a such a satisfying sandwich!

2- 12 oz package of firm tofu, drained
vegetable oil — for grilling the tofu and the bacon
8 slices of bread
vegan mayonnaise
4 slices tempeh bacon
4 large lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes sliced
16 sandwich picks or 8 teriyaki skewers cut in half
16 pimento stuffed olives — for garnishing the sandwich picks
16 cherry tomatoes

Slice each tofu block lengthwise into eight thin rectangles. Oil the frying pan or griddle well, set on medium heat. Place the tofu slices on the griddle or pan and brown each side. Let cook at least 7 minutes per side. Flip tofu and cook another 7 minutes. Add eight slices of tempeh bacon to the griddle to heat. Toast bread. Prepare the sandwich picks, placing a cherry tomatoe and olive on each one.
I’m using bamboo skewers that I cut in half with my kitchen shears. I’m decorating them with olives and cherry tomatoes. You may want to use pickles or other colorful vegetables. I find this is nicer than frill picks that use cellophane.

Now I prepare my toasted bread. As with other “BLT” style sandwiches, the club sandwich is usually served on toasted bread, but plain or grilled bread may also be used. I start by spreading my toast with the vegan mayonnaise on both sides. Top one slice with lettuce, tomato — the other half is for the Tofu and Tempeh. To assemble the sandwich spread the vegan mayonaise on the toast. Place two tofu slices on one slice of toast and then add two slices of tempeh bacon (each cut in half) Top with lettuce and tomato slices. Close the sandwich with the other slice. Place the toothpicks as show on the show prior to slicing the sandwich into the traditional four triangles. Or, you can slice the sandwich first and then secure each triangle with a toothpick.

Watch Part III of the Sandwich Episode to see how the Tofu Club is made.

The Veggie Burger

I like to take the time and make a big batch of these burgers and then freeze them. This way, these wonderful veggie burgers are ready to go whenever I have that burger craving.

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add to the water:
1/2 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme

Stir. Then add to the seasoned water:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup gluten flour

Stir and cook for five minutes (covered)

In a sauté pan:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (heat)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup dice celery
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded beets
Sauté for a few minutes then cook for five minutes on low heat (covered)

In a large bowl:
1 8oz. Package of Tempeh

Grate the Tempeh in to the bowl with a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating wheel.

Add to the tempeh and mix well:
2 tablespoons organic ketchup
2 tablespoons raw organic chopped nuts and seeds (I used pecans and pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons organic miso paste
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons organic soy milk (plain and unflavored)

Add the tempeh mixture to the sautéed vegetables. Then add the oatmeal/gluten mixture to the sautéed vegetables and tempeh. Cook all the ingredients for five minutes. Do not overcook. Put in a bowl and refrigerate for several hours.

Shape and bake the burgers for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. On the show I put the burgers in baking dishes using approximately 3 ounces of burger batter in each dish. I wanted uniformed look, as if the burgers came from a fast food restaurant. You may hand shape the burgers and cook them on a greased cookie sheet.

After the burgers have baked for 30 minutes, chill them for at least four hours before grilling or pan frying. You may also freeze them at this point until you are ready to grill them.

Grill the burgers for 7 minutes on each side. They may also be pan fried. Make sure you use a little oil in the pan before grilling or frying so they will not stick.

Watch Part I of the Sandwich Episode to see how the Veggie Burger is made.

The Portobello Mushroom Steak Sandwich

There are so many things I love about this sandwich – the freshly grilled onions sweet peppers and portobello all perfectly seasoned, the pesto spread and a wonderful bread.

Serves 4

4 large Portobello mushrooms
2 red peppers, cut lengthwise in half and seeded
2 yellow peppers, cut lengthwise in half and seeded
1 onion, sliced in rings
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 mini whole grain baguettes or 1 or 2 large whole grain baguettes, cut to sandwich size.
Roasted garlic pesto

Mix vinegar and oil in a small bowl. Brush the vegetables with balsamic/olive oil mixture, and place them on the grill. Grill the mushrooms, onions and peppers about 15 minutes on each side or until tender but not soft — al dente.

Preheat oven to 400oF. Slice baguettes in half and spread both halves with the pesto.

Layer mushroom, onions and pepper on one half of the baguette and top with the other.
Put the sandwich in the oven for approximately five to seven minutes or until the bread is warm and slightly toasted.

Watch Part II of the Sandwich Episode to see how the Portobello Mushroom Steak Sandwich is made.

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