(Faux) Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

This isn’t a very elaborate recipe, but it was good nonetheless! I got the idea for this when we were in Montreal last week. We walked past a fast food place (maybe Burger King?), and there was a promotion going on for chicken parmesan sandwiches. I thought, “man, that looks good!” So I decided to try it. It was really good! And super easy! My only complaint is that I bought the smallest jar of pasta sauce that I could find for this and I still had a bunch left over that will probably go bad. Anyway. I served these sandwiches with some fries and a green salad.

rating: 8

fake chicken (I used Quorn patties)
pasta sauce (I used a marinara sauce)
cheese (I used fresh mozzarella)
bread (I used hamburger buns)

Prepare chicken according to package. Meanwhile, heat pasta sauce. Turn oven to broil. Once chicken is done, put hamburger bun in pan (open face). On one side, place chicken, a couple of spoonfuls of pasta sauce, and a slice or two of cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Don’t burn your bread!

Tuna-free Sandwiches

I got this recipe from my friend Katie, who got it from an email from VegNews, I believe. I left out the celery (ewww!), and instead of Nori, I used Kelp Granules that I had on hand. I used these same granules for the tofu fish sticks I made a while ago. I figured that since that’s what made the “fish sticks” fishy-tasting, why not use it. I also used real mayo instead of vegan mayo. I tried mashing up the chickpeas with my potato masher, but I swear, I really hate that thing! Nothing but problems with it! Instead, I put the chickpeas in my little cuisinart thing that came with my immersion blender. That took no time at all, and really got them mashed up quickly. I made this and put it in the fridge while the fries baked, and kept going back and taking little spoonfuls! This stuff is good! Toby said that it was good but not fishy enough. I think the reason is that I only used 1 tbsp of the kelp instead of 2. Next time I will use more. Try this, it’s easy!

rating: 8.5

Tuna-Free Sandwiches

Serves 6
What You Need:

30 ounces (2 cans) garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup dill pickle, finely chopped
2 tablespoons nori seaweed flakes
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
12 slices bread, lightly toasted
6 large, crisp lettuce leaves
12 fresh tomato slices

What You Do:

1. In a large bowl, mash the garbanzo beans with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Fold the onion, celery, garlic, pickle, nori, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper into the garbanzo beans. Combine thoroughly.
2. Lightly toast the bread. Spread the salad on one slice and stack with a lettuce leaf, two tomato slices, and another slice of bread. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

Fresh Mozzarella BLT with Pesto

I needed kind of a quick meal tonight, since Toby has a soccer game at 7:30. This one takes no time to make, and is GREAT! Toby would have eaten a whole other sandwich if he didn’t have to be active so soon! I used Morningstar Farms fake bacon in place of the real thing, and then some greenleaf lettuce instead of the romaine (just what I happened to have in the fridge). I think the “bacon” and the pesto-mayo make it. Oh, and get a really good bread. The bread I got was a little too big for a sandwich, but it was good and messy! With these sandwiches I just served some good potato chips (you know, the expensive kind!).

rating: 9

Fresh Mozzarella BLT with Pesto
(from the Aug./Sept. 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine)

1 4″ [piece baguette
2 slices low-sodium applewood-smoked bacon (I used Morningstar Farms fake bacon)
1.5 tsp store-bought pesto
1.5 tsp low-fat mayonnaise
1 spear romaine lettuce (I used green leaf)
2 thick slices heirloom tomato
1 thick slice fresh mozzarella
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice the baguette open, leaving one side attached to form a hinge. Cook the bacon in  a skillet until crispy; drain on paper towels.
2. Combine the pesto with the mayonnaise and smear on the bottom part of the bread. Layer the romaine on the bread, then the tomato, bacon and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper; close the sandwich.

Makes 1 sandwich

Open-Face Pesto-Chicken Burgers

I saw this recipe and thought that this would be a nice change on the typical “Chicken” sandwich that I usually make. I normally use the Quorn patties (which are breaded), and just have mayo and tomato slices on a white bun. For this recipe, I used a new product to us, the Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik-n. I mixed up the pesto mix as the recipe says, and then just kind of spread a dollop on each side of the “chicken” patty as I fried it in a pan. It turned out kind of neat this way- the pesto actually stayed on the patty and got a little crusty! I halved the ciabatta and sprayed a little olive oil cooking spray on them, then put them in the oven with my tater tots. They got warm and a little brown. Then when the patties were done, I put them on the bread and put the mozzarella on top until it melted. These were really good! I made mine into a regular sandwich instead of open-face, so it be a little too big for some. I did find, though, that the Grillers were a little too salty for me. Toby really liked his. But, I swear, fresh mozzarella and some pesto would be good on just about anything. I served these sandwiches with some tater tots.

rating: 8

Open-Face Pesto-Chicken Burgers
(from the latest issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine)

1 lb. uncooked ground chicken or ground turkey (I used Morningstar Farms
Grillers Chik-n)
4 tbsp basil pesto
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt or salt
2 3″ slices ciabatta or four 3/4″ rustic Italian bread
2 tbsp olive oil
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh basil leaves, arugula, or spring garden mix (I omitted)
8 small tomato slices
ground black pepper

1. In bowl combine chicken, half the pesto, the Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt. Shape in four 1/2″-thick oval patties (to fit bread).
2. Horizontally halve ciabatta. Brush cut sides of ciabatta or both sides of Italian bread with olive oil; set aside.
3. For charcoal grill, place patties on greased rack directly over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, 10-13 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (165 degrees F), turning once halfway through grilling. Top each patty with mozzarella cheese. cover grill; grill 1-2 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Add bread to grill rack; grill 1-2 minutes each side or until toasted. (For gas grill, preheat grill, Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.)
4. Arrange basil or green on toasted bread. Top with chicken patties, tomato slices, and remaining pesto. Sprinkle coarsely ground black pepper.

Grilled Vegetable, Herb & Goat cheese sandwiches

I was nosing around on the Food Network website and came across this recipe. Even though it calls for eggplant (which Toby hates), I thought I would be able to tweak it enough so he would like it. I was right! I left out the eggplant and substituted portobello mushroom caps. I followed some of the advice in the comment section and mixed the olive oil mixture in a food processor instead of a bowl. The zucchini were SO good this way. I used a grill pan for the zucchini and the mushrooms, and they turned out really good. Toby ate two (!) sandwiches and added some hot sauce (no surprise, right) to the second sandwich. He said these were good, but that was alot of bread. I agree. Next time I will use a different bread. Other substitutions: I used dried tarragon and thyme instead of fresh, and my goat cheese was red pepper flavored (didn’t notice this when I bought it). We had these sandwiches with some chips and a salad.

rating: 8

http://tinyurl.com/mrjzfy

Almost-Famous Garden Salad

There’s actually one new recipe in this post and TWO product reviews! I know, I went a little crazy. First, the salad. This is a copy of the Olive Garden’s famous salad! I actually only copied the dressing part and didn’t attempt the salad part. Who knew that there was Miracle Whip in their dressing? I sure didn’t! It was super-easy to make and yep, it tastes just like the Olive Garden! Now for the product reviews. We tried another fake meat product from It’s All Good. This one was “Veggie Pulled Chick’n. I served it on a bun with some cole slaw, kind of like a BBQ sandwich. I didn’t like it. Toby said that it was scary how meat-like it was, and he ate his sandwich plus most of mine. I don’t know what it is about most of It’s All Good’s products…they use some kind of seasoning that I don’t like. Anyway. The second product review is for Bush’s Grillin’ Beans. They have four new kinds of baked beans (sorry, Grillin’ Beans!), and three of them are vegetarian. This first one we have tried is the Steakhouse Recipe. I thought they were really good. Toby didn’t love them. He doesn’t like his baked beans sweet (and I do!). Oh well. Two more kinds left to try.

rating: Olive Garden salad dressing: 8

It’s All Good Veggie Pulled Chick’n: 5

Bush’s Grillin’ Beans- Steakhouse Recipe: 8.5

Almost-Famous Garden Salad
(from the June/July 2009 issue of Food Network magazine)

dressing
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp Miracle Whip
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

salad
1 10-ounce bag American salad blend
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
4 small pickled peppers, such as pepperoncini
1 small vine-ripened tomato, quartered
2 tbsp sliced black olives
1/2 cup large croutons
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine all the dressing ingredients and 1-2 tbsp water in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth.
2. Place the salad blend in a large bowl and top with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing.

Barbeque Tempeh Sandwiches

I really miss BBQ sandwiches, so I decided to try this one from a blog that I frequent often: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/. I have made BBQ tofu before (2 versions), and I was interested to see how it would work with tempeh. I did leave out the chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I figured this would be too spicy for me), and I used honey in place of the agave necter. I also used soy sauce in place of the tamari. These were pretty easy to make (just slicing the tempeh up, mixing the sauce and then pouring it over the tempeh, and then turning it all over once it has cooked for 30 minutes).  The verdict? These were good. Not great, but good. I do prefer my BBQ tofu over this. I think it’s because of the sauce. I prefer a sweeter BBQ sauce. Toby liked it, although he said it was more Asian-tasting than BBQ-tasting. He ate 3 sandwiches! I made a different slaw to go with these, and served it on the sandwich. We also had some season fries. Like I said, it was good, but not great.

rating: 7.5

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2009/03/meatless_monday_bbq_tempeh.html

Sloppy Joes

This isn’t a new recipe for me…I’ve made it for YEARS. I think it’s the only recipe that I make out of this cookbook, The New Farm Vegetarian. This cookbook is one of the first cookbooks I got after I became vegetarian. It’s from the 70’s, I believe, and it’s filled with pics of very Manson-family-looking people eating basic veggie food. It’s got recipes for making your own tofu and soymilk! I’ve made this recipe so many times that the book automatically opens to the page that it is on, and it splattered from past meals. I usually omit the onion and peppers, and just add the remaining ingredients to the pot and let simmer for as long as possible. This stuff is really better the longer it sits. And it’s REALLY good the next day! I used to get my tvp from a big bin at Whole Foods, but since we have moved, I had to get it online. TVP is like tofu- it has no taste. It takes on the taste of what else is in the pot! I served these on some soft hamburger rolls (I like to microwave mine for like 20 seconds to get it hot!), some coleslaw, and some potato chips.

rating: 9

Sloppy Joes
(from the cookbook “The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook”

1 large onion, diced
2 medium green peppers, diced (I omitted)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1-2 tbsp chili powder
good pinch pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups dry TVP

1. Saute the onion and green peppers in the olive oil.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer together for 20 minutes.

Faux Meatball Subs

I can’t remember where I got this idea, but when I heard it, I was like, YES! Why haven’t I ever made these before? They are SO easy and SO good! I used Nate’s Meatless Meatballs (in the frozen section of my grocery store), a jar of pasta sauce (happened to have Marinara sauce in the cupboard), good sub rolls (bought in the bakery dept. of my grocery store), and then sliced provolone cheese. With these subs we had some Baked Lays chips and Toby had a little salad. Mmmmm.

rating: 9

Faux Meatball Subs

1 pkg frozen meatless meatballs (such as Nate’s)
1 jar pasta sauce (I used a Marinara sauce)
sub rolls
sliced provolone cheese

1. Combine the frozen meatless meatballs and the whole jar of pasta sauce in one pot. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until meatballs are warmed up.
2. Preheat oven to broil.
3. Slice sub roll almost in half, but not quite.
4. Spoon sauce and several meatballs onto open sub roll. Top with 1-2 sliced of provolone.
5. Broil until cheese is melted.

Black Bean Burgers

I am not a big “burger” fan, but these were great! I was going to halve the recipe and just make 4 burgers, but then I decided to go ahead and make all 8 and save some for lunches during the week. I am so glad I did! The recipe says to mash the black beans with a fork, but I just put them in the food processor for a few seconds. That saved me some work. I also omitted the cilantro, jalapeno, and salsa. I also used more oil than this calls for (I guess they are not so point-friendly when you do that!). I bought some nice fresh rolls from the grocery store bakery, and I added mustard and lettuce. Yum! These were so good! With these I also threw together some baked “french fries”. I took 2 baking potatoes and cut them into small strips. I spread those out in a baking sheet, then sprayed them with some olive oil spray, then sprinkled on some garlic salt and pepper. Mmmmm.

rating: 8.5

Black Bean Burgers
(from the cookbook “Down to Earth” by Weight Watchers)

3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups diced onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted)
2 tbsp seeded minced jalapeno pepper (I omitted)
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (not self-rising or cornmeal mix)
1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
8 curly leaf lettuce leaves
8 (1.6 ounce) sandwich rolls with sesame seeds, split
1/2 cup salsa (I omitted)

1. Place beans in a large bowl; coarsely mash with a fork. Add onion and next 5 ingredients; stir well. Shape mixture into 8 patties. Combine flour and cornmeal in a pie plate or shallow dish; stir well, and dredge patties in mixture.
2. Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove patties from skillet; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and patties.
3. Place lettuce leaves and patties on bottom halves of rolls; spoon 1 tbsp salsa over each patty, and replace tops of rolls.

yield: 8 patties   points: 8 per patty