Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches

When I bit into these, I knew I did something good!

I was looking through an old September 2008 issue of VT when I found this recipe for "Spanish Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches". I veganized it and simplified it a little and I have come to the conclusion that I need to make this sandwich for everyone! The original version called for goat cheese and fresh basil, but since fresh basil is a little expensive for my budget and goat cheese is out of the question, I swapped them for some roasted garlic hummus (which turned out to be a really good idea!). I really think you'll enjoy these!

They really don't take too much prep work or time to make either. The whole meal will be done in about 30 minutes. You can also throw in some zucchini, sliced lengthwise. I was going to, but I came home from the store only to find that I had accidently bought rotten zucchini...

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches:
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1 medium red onion, sliced
8-10 large button mushrooms, sliced
1 large red pepper, sliced
3 Tb. sliced almonds
1/2 Tb. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic

Roasted garlic hummus
Green leaf lettuce
4 multigrain rolls, split horizontally, toasted if you like (I used mini ciabiatta rolls, also a good idea!)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spread squash, eggplant, onion, and mushroom in single layer on a baking skeet and spray with cooking spray. Roast 15-20 minutes or until tender.
2. Once the veggies are out of the oven, place the roasted red pepper slices in a food processor with the almonds, vinegar, and minced garlic. Puree until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Spread bottom halves of rolls with about 1/2-1 Tb. of hummus (depends on the size of the rolls). Top with lettuces. Divide the roasted veggies over the lettuce. Spread roasted red pepper mixture on top halves of rolls, and press together to adhere. Enjoy!

About 400 calories per sandwich.

My mom was really impressed with these. We had some mother-daughter bonding over sandwiches that day. :)

Raw?

So I've been intrigued with raw foods for awhile, though I haven't actually attempted to make a raw dish. However, to kick start my cooking of raw foods I've signed up for a cooking class that teaches all the basics. It's all about nuts, and soaking, and seeds, and blending, and all that good stuff. It's not until October, but I'm already looking forward to it! Hopefully, I'll get some good recipes I can share with you all!

Black Bean Chili with Dark Ale

Thanks VT, for the awesome picture.

This is a recipe from Vegetarian Times' March 2009 issue. It's delicious! I make up a pot and then I use leftovers for such things as burritos and baked potatoes. The original recipe called for canned chipotle chiles, but I can never use those things fast enough (I'm told you can freeze them... I just hate freezer food though) so I substituted Chipotle Tabasco sauce. The key to keeping this recipe vegan is to make sure you use a vegan beer. VT suggests New Belgium 1554, but I often use local vegan microbrews for cooking. Vegan beer lists are available online if you'd like to check on your preferred brands.

Black Bean Chili with Dark Ale:
2 Tb. olive oil
2 Tb. cumin
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 Tb. minced garlic
1 Tb. Chipotle Tabasco sauce
2 (14-oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
24 oz. dark beer
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
3/4 c. fresh or frozen corn

1. Heat oil in 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions, bell pepper, and garlic about 5-7 minutes or until soft. Add cumin and cook for 1 minute more or until fragrant.

2. Stir in Tabasco sauce, beans, beer, tomatoes, and corn. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes, or until thick.

Let it simmer the whole time. This really helps get it thick enough and helps to balance the flavors. Enjoy!

To take a look at the original recipe, please click here.

Pasta Primavera

I've been neglectful of my blog for quite some time. I did some research this summer for school, and it kept me busy all summer long! I can't even tell you how many bowls of cereal and celery sticks with peanut butter and nectarines I went through! Now that my busy season is pretty much over with, I finally feel like doing some cooking!

This is a quick and easy version of pasta primavera. I've never been fond of heavy cream-based sauces (even before I went vegan), so this lighter version suits me well. I hope you enjoy it.

Pasta Primavera:
1 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. vegan margarine
3 c. mixed, sliced veggies such as red and green bell peppers, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, and asparagus
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. plain soymilk
1 - 2 tsp. arrowroot
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 (12 oz.) bag farfelle (bow tie) pasta
Vegan parmesan, optional

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute all vegetables except the tomatoes in the olive oil/margarine for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook another 3 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Add the vegetable broth, soymilk, salt, basil, and Italian seasoning.

3. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the arrowroot until you reach your desired sauce thickness (it doesn't take much).

4. Drain and rinse the pasta and stir it in with the vegetables. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan to serve.