This tastes like tuna salad. Really! Use this recipe as a guideline, but feel free to add or take out any ingredients you feel should be in your “tuna” melt.
8 ounces (227 g) plain soy tempeh,* crumbled into tiny pieces
1/4 cup (60 g) sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup (112 g) vegan mayonnaise, store-bought or homemade (page 191)
1/2 cup (80 g) diced red onion
1/4 teaspoon dill
Salt and pepper
Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. You can use this on a sandwich or on a bed of greens for a no-tuna salad.
If making a melt, preheat a cast-iron skillet or pan over high heat.
To get the best browning without added fat and calories, spray the pan with nonstick spray, then cook until browned, applying pressure from the top with a spatula, then spray the top with cooking spray, flip, and apply pressure until browned.
YIELD: ENOUGH FOR 4 TO 6 SANDWICHES
I used to love the egg salad sandwiches my mom made for us. They were pretty plain. No onions, no pickles, no capers. Just eggs, mayo, and a smidge of mustard. Well, I’m all grown up now, with grown-up taste buds. This is my take on my childhood favorite. If you are worried about the fat, you can reduce the amount of oil in the pan, or eliminate it altogether and use an olive oil cooking spray instead. For the mayo, Trader Joe’s sell a way less fattening vegan mayo, or you could use plain soy yogurt instead, but it will be tangier. I didn’t make this as a low-fat recipe, because, made as written, it tastes soooo good! As always, try to use organic ingredients when possible. If you want an even more flavorful version, sauté some mushrooms along with the onions and garlic.
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 cup (160 g) diced white or yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces (340 g) extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed
1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon dill
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup (112 g) vegan mayonnaise, store-bought or homemade (page 191)
1 tablespoon (15 g) yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon black salt (optional)
Pepper
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the tofu and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden.
Lower the heat and add the nutritional yeast, turmeric, ground mustard, dill, and paprika.
Fold until well coated, then remove from the heat and let cool.
Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Mix well. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
YIELD: ENOUGH FOR 8 WRAPS OR SANDWICHES
Although there is a lot of tofu in this salad, the real star is the crunch from all the fresh, raw veggies.
12 ounces (340 g) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (54 g) shredded carrot
1 red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup (60 g) walnut pieces
1 cup (150 g) grapes (green or red, or even raisins), halved
1 cup (224 g) vegan mayonnaise, store-bought or homemade (page 191)
Salt and pepper
Chop up the tofu into tiny, tiny, tiny pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Sauté for a minute.
Add the tofu and sauté until golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Add carrot, onion, celery, walnuts, grapes, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
Chill before serving.
YIELD: ENOUGH FOR 4 TO 6 SANDWICHES
These sammies are great to serve in the summertime, or when you have people over for a casual gathering.
1 /2 cups (216 g) vital wheat gluten flour
1/2 cup (60 g) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) steak sauce
2 tablespoons (33 g) tomato paste
1 tablespoon (15 g) Dijon mustard
2 cups (470 ml) vegetable broth
1/2 cup (110 g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons (14 g) paprika
2 tablespoons (16 g) onion powder
2 tablespoons (16 g) garlic powder
1 tablespoon (7 g) black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon ground cumin
To make the seitan: In a mixing bowl, combine the flours and nutritional yeast.
In a separate bowl, combine the onion, water, steak sauce, tomato paste, and mustard.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and knead until well combined. Let sit for 20 minutes.
To make the broth: Combine all the broth ingredients in a stockpot and bring to a boil.
Divide the seitan dough into 4 pieces and carefully drop into the boiling broth.
Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until most of the moisture is absorbed, stirring often so the seitan does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat.
Using a fork, pull apart the “pork” seitan and pile onto sandwiches.
YIELD: ENOUGH FOR 4 to 6 SANDWICHES
Serve this classic sandwich on game night to satisfy those manly cravings.
2 cups (470 ml) soy creamer
1/2 cup (60 g) nutritional yeast
1/2 cup (65 g) raw cashews
1 tablespoon (16 g) tahini
2 tablespoons (36 g) white miso
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
1 tablespoon (8 g) onion powder
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
1 tablespoon (8 g) ground mustard
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 large white onions, sliced or diced
2 red, green, or yellow bell peppers, sliced into thin strips or diced
1/2 recipe Green Castle Sliders (page 87), prepared but not sliced
Salt and pepper
4 French rolls
To make the cheezy sauce: Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Place in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until it thickens, constantly stirring so it doesn’t get clumpy or scorch.
To make the sandwiches: Slice the slider dough into strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long.
In a large frying pan, preheat about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of oil, adding more later as you continue cooking. Sauté some of the onions, some of the peppers, and some of the slider strips, in amounts you like for your sammies. Season with salt and pepper. Pile high onto the French rolls and drizzle with the cheezy sauce.
YIELD: 2 1/2 CUPS (588 ML) CHEEZY SAUCE AND ENOUGH FILLING TO MAKE 4 SANDWICHES
