Vegan Egg Salad Sandwiches

• ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 7.5 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into ¼-inch cubes
• Pinches of celery salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 6 slices of whole-grain sandwich bread
• Watercress or spring greens, optional
• Pickled red onion, optional
• Radish slices, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, mustard, capers, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Mix in the tofu, then lightly crumble it with your hands, keeping some of the cubes intact. We’re going for the texture of egg salad, not scrambled eggs.Stir in the celery salt, dill, and chives. Chill until ready to serve.

Assemble the sandwiches with watercress or spring greens, a scoop of the egg salad, and pickled onions and radish slices, if desired.

Serves 3.

VERDICT: I made this to use up some leftover tofu and radishes, and it is wonderful--reminiscent of the the delightful tuna-salad-like Smashed Chickpea Sandwiches. Tangy from the mustard and capers, with a truly almost-eggy texture.  I used dried dill--I'm sure it would be better with fresh, but I also think you could probably leave it out altogether.  Keep!  From Love and Lemons.

Snappy Joes

• 1 cup uncooked green lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 green pepper, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns

Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more. Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can’t wait.

Serves 4-6.

VERDICT:  Very good!  We've made these twice already.  The recipe doesn't make a crazy amount, so we haven't gotten sick of leftovers, and I like that there are no difficult ingredients.  We've served them on whole wheat hamburger buns.  Keep.  From Veganomicon.

Smoked Almond & Chickpea Sandwiches

Quick Smoked Almonds

• 2 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup raw almonds

Sandwiches

• cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 avocado
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground pepper to taste
• 8 to 12 slices bread, toasted
• Dijon mustard, lettuce, and tomato

Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
To make the almonds: Mix together all the liquid ingredients in a small bowl and combine the nutritional yeast, paprika, and garlic powder in a separate bowl. Grab the almonds, add them to the liquid bowl, and stir that together to make sure all the almonds are covered. Scoop out the almonds, add them to the bowl with all the dry seasonings, and stir until they are covered. When they look all seasoned, scoop them out and lay them on the baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 10 minutes, stir them around, and then put them back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Take them out and let cool.

While all that is happening, add the chickpeas, avocado, and lemon juice to a big bowl and mash them. Some chunks are fine, whatever you like. Fold in the onion, dill, celery, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, then mix it all together.

Once the almonds have cooled, chop them up and add them to the bowl.

Serve up this badass filling on some toasted bread with Dijon mustard, lettuce, and tomato. This is best enjoyed the day it’s made; it keeps fine in the fridge but you might lose some of that crunch.

Yield: 4-6 sandwiches.

VERDICT:  Delicious, in an almost-tuna-salad way I haven't had before.  I ate it for a few days and was fine with the texture.  From Thug Kitchen (without most of the swearing and the ridiculous word sammies).  Keep!

New Mexican Green Chile "Cheeseburgers"

Relish:

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 Cubanelle pepper
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 medium tomatillo, papery skin removed
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Burgers:

• 6 (1/2-inch-thick) slices small red onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1 large egg
• 2 ounces aged white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
• 6 romaine lettuce leaves
• 6 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted 

Preheat broiler to high.

To prepare relish, place first 4 ingredients on a foil-lined baking sheet. Coat vegetables with cooking spray. Broil 14 minutes, turning vegetables once. Wrap Cubanelle and serrano in foil; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and cut into 1-inch strips; discard peels and seeds. Combine tomatillo, Cubanelle, serrano, garlic, cilantro, and next 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a mini food processor; pulse until combined.

To prepare burgers, brush onion slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Arrange onion in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 6 minutes or until lightly charred, turning once.

Combine mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, and black beans in a food processor; pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped. Add panko and next 5 ingredients (through egg); pulse until combined. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions; shape each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 12 minutes, turning once. Add cheese to patties during last 2 minutes of cooking; cover pan to melt cheese. Place 1 lettuce leaf on bottom half of each bun. Top each lettuce leaf with 1 patty, 1 charred onion slice, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons relish. Top with top halves of buns.

Serves 6; 286 calories.

VERDICT:  This was a little fussy, but not hard, and turned out pretty well.  Maybe skip making the relish and use salsa verde?  If so, keep.

Zucchini Quinoa Burgers

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup onion, chopped finely
• 1 1/2 cup zucchini, julienned on a mandolin or grated on the largest setting of a box grater
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, raw or toasted
• 3/4 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (1/2 heaping cup dry)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup dry)
• 2/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika  

To prepare chickpeas, soak beans overnight. In the morning, rinse them and discard soak water. Place beans in a pot with enough water to submerge them by several inches. Heat to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 min to an hour, or until beans are tender. Drain and store in the fridge for up to three days.

To prepare quinoa, rinse quinoa in a sieve. Add to a small pot and add 2/3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, with a lid slightly ajar on the pot, until the water is absorbed and you can see the thin “ribs” of the quinoa becoming detached from the grain. Fluff, cover, and let sit for a few moments. Store in the fridge for up to three or four days.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, and continue to saute until zucchini is cooked through and onion is translucent. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Grind pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor till they’re broken into a fine meal.

Add quinoa, chickpeas, the dijon mustard, lemon, dill, paprika, and oregano to the mixture. Pulse to combine a few times. Then, run the motor to continue mixing the mixture. You may need to stop it a few times so that you can scrape the sides of the processor and start the motor again. You want the beans to be broken down and for the mixture to hold together well, but you don’t want to process so extensively that the mix has no more texture. If you need to add a little water to the mixture, that’s totally OK.

Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Mix with hands (as if you were making meatloaf). When everything is incorporated, season once more with salt and pepper, to taste.

Shape mixture into six patties with hands. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a sautee pan on medium heat. Cook burgers for five minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Alternately, you can bake them at an oven set to 375 degrees for twenty-five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Serve.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  I used canned chickpeas, so these weren't that time-intensive.  They held together and browned up nicely but were a little bland.  We put avocado on top, but tomato would have helped, I think. Either amp up the seasonings, or toss.

Smoked Cheddar and Lentil Burgers

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 8 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
• 8 (2-ounce) whole wheat sandwich buns, toasted
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
• 2 cups trimmed arugula

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender; drain. Discard bay leaves. Place lentils in a large bowl; partially mash with a potato masher. Cool slightly.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly.

Add onion mixture, cheese, and next 8 ingredients (cheese through egg whites) to lentils; stir well to combine. Cover and chill 45 minutes. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add half of patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining patties. Spread 1 teaspoon mustard on top half of each bun. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun, and top each serving with 1 tomato slice, 1/4 cup arugula, and top half of bun.

Serves 8; 354 calories. 

VERDICT:  I made these because I had smoked cheddar and most of the other ingredients.  I was not terribly impressed--the flavor of the burger after cooking was strangely muted.  I think I'd rather eat the cheese on crackers.  Toss.
 

Brie Toasts with Eggplant Marmalade

• 6 cups finely chopped eggplant (about 12 ounces)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices diagonally cut multigrain bread
• 4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 8 slices
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 
Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 30 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in garlic. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat broiler.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Top each slice with 1/4 cup eggplant mixture and 1 slice Brie. Broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4 (2 toasts); 346 calories.

VERDICT:  Good and easy--I love that you throw everything in one pot and let it cook down and that you essentially only have to chop the eggplant.  Keep.

CLT with Spicy Blackberry Mayo

• ½ c fresh blackberries
• 2-3 t chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• ½ c mayonnaise
• 1 t whole grain mustard
• 1 lb halloumi cheese, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
• 8 slices sourdough bread, toasted
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, such as Beefsteak, Cherokee Purple, or Early Girl, sliced

In a food processor or blender, puree blackberries, chipotle pepper, mayo, and mustard until well combined.

Heat a large, heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Brown each side of the halloumi for about 20 seconds. Set aside. 

Smear one side of each piece of bread with blackberry mayo. Assemble sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and tomato, doubling up the tomato layer if desired. (Do it!)

Variations: Sub blueberries in for blackberries and spinach for lettuce. OR Use bacon in place of the halloumi. (It’s a little too salty with both.) Be sure to crisp it up nice and drain it on a paper towel first. OR Omit bread and stack together tomato, cheese, and lettuce. Thin out mayo with 1 tbsp buttermilk and drizzle over stack for a salad.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  John gave this a ten!  The halloumi is salty and browned and delicious.  It's also expensive--given that you're buying blackberries, too, not an everyday sandwich.  Still, definitely a keeper.

Mini Brie and Arugula Sandwiches with Apple Mustard

• 1 organic Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup (about 1 oz) packed baby arugula 
• 12 thin slices rye hearth bread, crusts removed, cut into 48 2-inch squares and lightly toasted 
• 1 (350g) wheel Isigny Ste. Mère French Brie, cut into 24 wedges 

Put apple, lemon juice and sugar into a small pot, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft and liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Purée in a food processor along with mustard and salt; set aside to let cool. Spread mustard on half of the rye squares and arrange a few leaves of arugula on top. Top each with a wedge of Brie, a dollop of apple mustard and the remaining rye squares and serve. The apple mustard can be made a few days ahead and stored in the fridge.

Serves 24; 90 calories.

VERDICT:  We made these not-mini on caraway rye from the farmer's market, crusts intact, and they were fantastic.   Toasting the bread softened the cheese a little bit, in a good way.  Keep!

Creamy Vegetable Sandwiches

• 1 medium cucumber 
• 1 medium-size red bell pepper
• 3 carrots 
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 thin rye bread slices

Peel and seed cucumber; dice cucumber and bell pepper. Grate carrots, and mince garlic.

Combine cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, garlic, green onions, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Spread mixture on half of rye bread slices, and top with remaining slices. Cut vegetable sandwiches in half diagonally.

Serves 8.

VERDICT:  The recipe header said you could store the filling in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but mine got watery almost immediately.  In addition, it's kind of a pale imitation of garden vegetable cream cheese on a pumpernickel bagel.  Toss.
 

Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, split
• 1 cup arugula

Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until well blended (mixture will be wet).

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chickpea mixture per patty into pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Line each pita half with 1/4 cup arugula, add 1 patty to each pita half, and spoon 2 tablespoons Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing into each pita half.

Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing: 

• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
• 1/4 cup minced red onion 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Serves 4 (will be extra Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing); 280 calories.

VERDICT:  I love the assembly of the patties--you just throw everything right into the food processor, pulse it together, and then fry them up.  Next time, I would juice up the spices a little and maybe add some garlic, but on the whole, I liked these.  The recipe header indicates that you could take them for lunch.  I'm skeptical, but will give it a try.  Keep.

Tempeh Sloppy Joes with Coleslaw

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium) 
• 1 pound organic tempeh, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons water
• 3 cups thinly shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium)
• 6 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes or until soft. Add tempeh; sauté 6 minutes or until beginning to brown.

Combine tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Add tomato mixture to tempeh; stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups water. Simmer until mixture is thick and liquid is almost evaporated (about 20 minutes), stirring often. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Combine mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add shredded cabbage and carrot, tossing well to combine.

Top each of 6 bottom halves of hamburger buns with about 3/4 cup tempeh filling. Top each serving with about 1/3 cup cabbage mixture, and cover with top half of each bun. Serve sloppy joes immediately.

Serves 6; 319 calories.

VERDICT:  Good!  The sauce is subtle, but I liked it.  The coleslaw was weak, but there are an abundance of coleslaw recipes out there to substitute.  Keep.