Tofu Big Mac

Who says vegans can't have big macs, or at least burgers that are healthy and tasty? This tasty package consists of a buttered, toasted brioche bun, seared seasoned tofu, lettuce, fire-roasted red pepper, basil pesto, avocado, and mesclun mix.

BYO Ciabattas

Sometimes I really love what I call, "dinner, some assembly required." I am referring to things such as sandwiches, burgers, and other things you get to add your own toppings to. Here we have warm ciabatta buns with tomato, sauteed mushrooms, pickled red onion among other toppings such as lettuce, pickled mustard seeds, pork belly, cheese, and more.

Egg Pesto Cheese Sandwich

Here is a warm, vegetarian sandwich - nothing particularly special but something a little different and definitely tasty. Here I have two toasted slices of homemade onion walnut wheat bread. I then topped it with some of my homemade parsley cashew pesto. Next I seasoned with salt and pepper and sliced some cheese on top, as well as adding a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Then I quickly 'scrambled' an egg in the microwave. I arranged all of these ingredients artistically on top of my bread, and popped the entire thing back in the toaster oven until warm and the cheese was melted. This can easily be served as an open-face sandwich, but it can also be stacked as a sandwich, wrapped in tin foil, and kept warm for a little while until ready to eat or deliver. This way, you can enjoy a hot sandwich on the go! 

Toasted Steak and Cheese Sandwich

It's at times like this when I wonder why I don't really care for steak. Or toast for that matter. So definitely not toasted steak sandwiches. I mean it looks pretty good, warm juicy steak, crisp toasted bread, and hot melted cheese. But it just is not my cup of tea. This is a sandwich my brother made. He wasn't really trying to be fancy or anything, we just had some leftover steak in the fridge and he decided to eat it on a sandwich. I thought it looked quite good though, better even then some sandwiches restaurants sell, so of course I photographed it. Upon asking if I could take a picture of it, my brother replied with something like, "Oh boy, my food must be getting good, she's taking a picture!" Well, there you go. 

This sandwich consists of a reheated medium-well done steak sliced into thick slabs, placed on toasted white bread, and finished with some slices of mozzarella cheese. 

Baguette Sandwiches

Here is one way I served my baguette from yesterday's post. It is delicious enough on its own fresh from the oven, but it doesn't hurt to jazz it up and make it into more of a meal, especially if it is the next day. Making a sandwich isn't exactly rocket science, and recipes aren't really necessary, but I thought I'd share the flavors I used, which seemed to have worked well. Round out the meal with an egg dish, a salad, or a soup, and save room for an extra special dessert!

Baguette Sandwiches
1 piece baguette, cut along the diagonal (as big as you want)
hummus (any variety) 
salad greens (any variety)
1 piece Monterey Jack cheese

Spread hummus on both sides of the baguette. Top artistically with a few leafs of salad. Top with a slice of cheese. Place other piece of baguette on top. Place under the broiler and broil for a few minutes until cheese is melted and baguette is toasted and crisp. Serve immediately. 

Grilled Cheese

Apparently today is National Grilled Cheese day in the United States. Why not International Grilled Cheese Day or World Grilled Cheese Day like they have World Nutella Day? Well, I suppose grilled cheese sandwiches likely originated in the states. Oh well, I am going to celebrate anyway. Or I would have if I had known before I finished all of my meals today. Well, I will still celebrate by dedicating today's blog post to grilled cheese sandwiches. Grilled cheese sandwiches are probably right up there with peanut butter and jelly for being an easy classic often loved right from childhood into adulthood. It is also one of those sandwiches that can be passed off as fancy, many restaurants sell more upscale versions of grilled cheese sandwiches. Grilled cheese makes a quick and easy meal that goes with a variety of foods, including salad, tomato soup, and fries. Grilled cheese originated with two slices of sandwich bread, a little butter, and a slice of cheese grilled in a pan on the stove, but it has evolved into much more. 
Any type of bread can be used: focaccia, cibatta, baugette, sourdough, rye, multigrain, flatbread, pita, challah, etc.
Any type of cheese or combination of cheese can be used: cheddar, mozzarella  cream cheese, Havarti, Gouda, Swiss, Gruyere, Parmesan, etc.
Vegetables may be added: tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, apple, peppers, olives, spinach, mushrooms, etc.
Meat may be added: ham, bologna, bacon, roast beef, chicken, turkey, etc.
Any number of condiments may be used: ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, salsa, tomato sauce, horseradish, etc.
Cooking methods also vary. "Grilled cheese" is sometimes made in a panini press, on the barbecue, or in the oven.
Bottom line is, grilled cheese is a classic sandwich loved by many, and can be tailored to suit any taste or occasion. My favorite types of grilled cheese are grilled cheese with mozzarella and tomato or apple slices on whole wheat bread. However, I must admit I am not a grilled cheese master. Some people seem to really have a knack for making a delicious grilled cheese, and though I can make it, it is not outstanding. I'll stick to my desserts!

PHOTO CREDIT:"images" http://www.totuckshop.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1222. To Tuck Shop, n.d. Friday, April 12, 2013.

Roasted Veggie Club (Restaurant Food)

Since it is summer vacation time, I have been eating more meals than usual at restaurants due to travelling. I will do some restaurant food posts where I describe what I ate and how it was. Here is my first restaurant food post.
This is a Roasted Vegetable Club Sandwich and garden salad I enjoyed a few weeks ago at a restaurant on a recent family vacation. The sandwich, like at most restaurants,  came with your choice of side, including garden salad, fries, baked potato, soup, or rice. The garden salad, which I chose, was basically your typical garden salad, although it did contain a wider variety of vegetables than most. It began with a base of fresh lettuce, mostly bib, with a bit of iceberg, and also some arugula. It included some chopped tomato, red and yellow bell peppers, cabbage, red onion, chopped cucumber, and a topping of shredded carrot. This salad was quite a nice size, fresh and crisp, and quite enjoyable. Now, for the sandwich, the real star of the meal. The roasted vegetable club was a triple decker sandwich, on your choice of toasted white or whole wheat bread. It was chock full of vegetables, mainly the ones used in the garden salad. It also contained a generous amount of tasty black olives, melted marble cheese, and a special garlic mayonnaise that I can only really describe as tasty, which tied the entire sandwich all together. The amounts of each ingredient were perfect - enough olives for a really nice flavor, the perfect amount of vegetables, not too much cheese, and enough mayonnaise for taste and moistness, but not too much to make the sandwich soggy. The entire sandwich was cut into four triangles, each held together with a long toothpick, and layed on the side, because otherwise, they were so chock full they would have fallen over. Overall, this was a very good meal, and would definitely be a popular choice among vegetarians.