CHAPTER 9

Sandwich & Taco Fillings

Did you know that sandwich, burrito, and taco fillings can all be made in advance in the slow cooker? From the typical sloppy joe–style sandwich to the more unusual pesto winter squash, these recipes let you really add some variety to a midweek dinner or weekend lunch.

Don’t forget you can use fillings in some of your vegetables, too. By using your slow cooker instead of an oven, you’ll have a dish ready to serve as soon as you get home. You can use any leftover grains, beans, or chopped stale bread (think Thanksgiving stuffing) to make fillings for winter squash, summer squash, bell peppers, or cabbage leaves. Think of these recipes as a jumping-off point, and see what filling experiments you want to try next.

DEBRIS PO’BOY

Po’boys are a staple in New Orleans cuisine, but if you want a vegan one it’s time to make your own. The term debris comes from the pieces that are in the bottom of the roasting pan. This recipe recreates that messy po’boy experience. Serve it on a soft French baguette. Add vegan mayo, lettuce, and tomato to make it dressed.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   SOY-FREE   NO OIL ADDED

3 cups seitan (or 20 ounces [366 g] from recipe shown here) or *reconstituted soy curls

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water (or broth from homemade seitan)

2 tablespoons vegan chicken-flavored bouillon (or 4 tablespoons DIY Golden Bouillon)

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

2 to 4 tablespoons flour (or 1 to 11/2 tablespoon cornstarch), as needed

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

SERVING INGREDIENTS

French bread, for serving

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Slice 1/2 the seitan thinly. Take the rest and grate or pulse in a food processor until you have small ragged bits.

IN THE MORNING: Add everything except flour to the slow cooker. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

20 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING: Add extra cup of water if the mixture has become dry. Add 2 tablespoons flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the slow cooker and mix well. Cook for 20 more minutes. This should thicken the gravy. If it is not thick enough add the other 2 tablespoons of the flour.

YIELD: 4 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

PHILADELPHIA-STYLE CHEESY PORTOBELLO SANDWICH

This is a quick and easy sandwich filling that’s ready when you get home. Add a salad or some pasta salad, and you have a casual dinner for friends with almost no work.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   SOY-FREE   NO OIL ADDED

1 medium-size onion, cut into strips

2 large bell peppers, cut into strips

4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons (12 g) vegan beef- or chicken-flavored bouillon or 4 tablespoons (24 g) or DIY Golden Bouillon

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

Salt and pepper, to taste

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch

6 whole-wheat hoagie rolls, toasted, for serving (* use gluten-free bread)

Shredded vegan cheese, for serving (store-bought or recipe shown here)

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Store the sliced onion, peppers, and mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge.

IN THE MORNING: Oil the crock of your slow cooker. Mix the bouillon with the water and pour into the slow cooker. Add the onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING: Stir the cornstarch into the gravy and mix well. Cook for 20 more minutes. This should thicken the gravy. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Spoon some of the hot sandwich mixture onto each toasted bun and top with the cheddar.

YIELD: 6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

TEMPEH TORNADO

Okay, so this is really just a sloppy joe, Manwich, or whatever they call a meaty sauce inside a sandwich in your part of the world. My friend John thought of this name, and it fits as well as any of the usual ones. This is easy to throw together in the morning before work and can cook all day with no issues.

GLUTEN-FREE   NO OIL ADDED

2 packages (8 ounces, or 227 g) tempeh (*make sure to buy plain soy tempeh to make this dish gluten-free), cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bell pepper, minced

2 cans (14.5 ounce, or 411 g) diced tomatoes (or 3 cups fresh)

1/2 (125 ml) cup water

1 tablespoon vegan chicken-flavored bouillon (or 2 tablespoons of my recipe shown here)

1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste

1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (white is okay too)

1 teaspoon molasses

1 teaspoon Vegan Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon pasilla chili or regular chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, to taste

SERVING INGREDIENTS

Buns

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Cut tempeh into cubes, and steam in a large pot over water for 10 to 15 minutes then drain. This takes out the slight bitter taste from the tempeh. While the tempeh is cooking mince garlic and bell pepper. Mix all the other ingredients together to make the sauce. Store drained tempeh, veggies, and sauce in one container in the fridge overnight.

IN THE MORNING: Add all the ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on low 7 - 9 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve inside a bun or as an open-faced sandwich.

YIELD: 8 servings served over buns, about 12 if served inside the bun

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

TOFU TACO FILLING

Tex-Mex food is simple, nutritious, and filling. These tacos are easy to throw together, and you can use the filling for burritos, nachos, or any of your favorites. Depending on how much liquid is left, you may want to serve with a slotted spoon so you don’t disintegrate your taco.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   NO OIL ADDED

1 package (15 ounces, or 425 g) firm tofu, cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons salsa

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Hot pepper to taste

Salt to taste

SERVING INGREDIENTS

Hard corn tortilla taco shells (*use gluten-free)

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Cut tofu into cubes, mince garlic, and zest then juice the lime. Store everything in one container in the fridge overnight.

IN THE MORNING: Add all the ingredients into an oiled slow cooker. Cook on low 7 - 9 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve in warmed corn tortilla shells.

Serve this with Mashed Potato Edamame Burritos (recipe shown here) and Spanish Quinoa (recipe shown here).

YIELD: 6 servings

*This recipe requires a small 1- to 1.5-quart slow cooker often know as a Little Dipper. You can double or triple the recipe and use a larger slow cooker.*

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

NO-HONEY TOFU LETTUCE WRAPS

Summer is the perfect time to use your slow cooker. It’s a great way to make dinner in the morning, it’s mostly hands off until you’re ready to eat, and it doesn’t heat up your kitchen. Cheryl asked me to make a vegan version of honey chicken for her, and this Vegan Slow Cooker No-Honey Tofu was born. If you’re allergic to soy, you could make this with hemp tofu, cooked chickpeas, or even cauliflower florets in place of the tofu.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   NO OIL ADDED

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce (*use a gluten-free version or coconut aminos)

3 tablespoons (18 g) nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons (45 g) agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tablespoon (8 g) minced ginger

1/2 tablespoon (8 ml) rice vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

SLOW COOKER INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup (32 g) sliced onions

1 cup (130 g) carrot coins

1 package (15 ounces, or 420 g) firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

1 heaping teaspoon organic corn starch, optional (makes the sauce thicken)

SERVING INGREDIENTS

12 lettuce leaves

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Prepare the veggies and store everything in the fridge overnight.

IN THE MORNING: Layer the onion and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker, then top with the tofu. Pour the sauce evenly over the tofu. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

15 MINITES BEFORE SERVING: If you want to make the sauce thick like the one at your favorite restaurant, mix the cornstarch with about 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to dissolve, then add to the slow cooker and mix well. Turn to high and cook 15 more minutes. The sauce will thicken.

YIELD: 4 servings

EQUIPMENT: 1.5 or 2- quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

Serving Suggestion

You can garnish with shredded carrots and zucchini to pretty it up, or use chopped green onions.

◁ SAGE WALNUT PESTO SQUASH
Panini Filling

This was inspired by a butternut squash panini that was made for the Bull City Vegan Challenge. Toast is the restaurant that made the original sandwich, make sure to visit them if you are ever in Durham, NC, they always have a vegan soup.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   SOY-FREE   NO OIL ADDED OPTION**

1 medium butternut squash

3 to 4 fresh sage leaves

4 rosemary leaves

Leaves from 1 sprig of thyme

1/2 cup (56 g) walnuts

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil (** use water instead to make it oil-free)

1/4 cup (24 g) nutritional yeast

SERVING INGREDIENTS

Bread, for serving (*use gluten-free bread)

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Get a whole butternut squash that will fit into your slow cooker. Poke holes and put it in the slow cooker on low overnight 7 to 9 hours. (No water or oil is needed.)

IN THE MORNING: Put whole squash in the fridge after letting it cool for about 30 minutes.

BEFORE PANINI MAKING: Take the squash out of the fridge and cut it in half. Scrape out the seeds. Take 11/2 to 2 cups of the flesh to use for this recipe, store or freeze the rest for another dish or to remake this one at a later date.

Purée the squash.

Make the pesto by combining the herbs, walnuts, and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until it’s grainy but not puréed. Mix the pesto and the nutritional yeast into the squash purée. Use this spread in between 2 slices of bread and cook on the stove top. Use a panini pan if you have one. As an alternative, you can use a pan and a heavy skillet that will fit inside it to press the sandwich or you could use a grill and heavy object of your choice.

YIELD: 6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4- to 6-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

◁ ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS

In this case iceberg lettuce can be your friend. I love the crunch you get from biting into it, and its mild flavor really lets the Asian filling stand out. This is the perfect food to cook for a summer light dinner because the slow cooker doesn’t heat up your house. It’s just one more bonus that you can have it ready and waiting for an after-work cocktail party on the deck.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   SOY-FREE OPTION**   NO OIL ADDED

1 package (8 ounces, or 227 g) tempeh, cubed (*make sure to buy plain soy tempeh to make this dish gluten-free, **use minced seitan or shelled edamame beans for soy-free)

1 large stalk celery, minced

2 medium carrots, minced

1 can (8 ounces, or 230 g) water chestnuts, minced

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic. minced

1 tablespoon (8 g) grated ginger

11/2 cup (375 ml) water

1/4 cup (125 ml) soy sauce (*use soy marked gluten-free)

1/4 cup (125 ml) seasoned rice vinegar (if you use plain add 1 teaspoon sugar)

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or Sriracha

SERVING INGREDIENTS

Whole iceberg or butter lettuce leaves, for serving

Shredded fresh carrots, for garnish

Scallions, for garnish

THE NIGHT BEFORE: If using tempeh cut into cubes, and steam in a large pot over water for 10 to 15 minutes then drain. (This removes the bitter taste from the tempeh.) While the tempeh is cooking mince water chestnuts, celery and carrot. Mince garlic, grate ginger, and mix all the sauce ingredients together. Store drained tempeh, veggies, and sauce in one container in the fridge overnight.

IN THE MORNING: Add all the ingredients into you slow cooker and smash tempeh with a spoon until it crumbles. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add an additional 1 teaspoon grated ginger if you want to add in a little more. Serve with whole lettuce leaves to wrap filling in.

YIELD: 6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

Recipe Ideas & Variations

Use the same filling and make a Banh Mi sandwich. Serve on a toasted sub roll with fresh bean sprouts, shredded carrots, cilantro, and some jalapeños.

◁ VERDE
almost ANYTHING!

I love the tangy flavor of tomatillos and the vibrant green color they give stews. This is a cooking sauce that we use with tofu in this recipe. You can substitute cauliflower florets, seitan, chickpeas, or kidney beans.

GLUTEN-FREE   SOY-FREE OPTION*   NO OIL ADDED

COOKING SALSA INGREDIENTS

1 pound (454 g) tomatillos (about 6–8 large), husks and stems removed and quartered

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1/2 cup (8 g) cilantro (leaves and stems)

1 slice fresh jalapeño or to taste (optional)

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 package (16 ounces, or 454 g) extra-firm tofu (*substitute cauliflower florets, seitan, chickpeas, or kidney beans)

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup (6 g to 24 g) nutritional yeast

Salt, to taste

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Place the tomatillos, water, cilantro, jalapeño and garlic to your blender, and blend until mostly smooth. Cut the tofu into cubes and slice the onion. Store everything in the fridge overnight.

IN THE MORNING: Layer the onion and tofu in your slow cooker, then pour the sauce over them. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

RIGHT BEFORE SERVING: Squeeze in the lime juice, and mix in the nutritional yeast. Then add salt to taste.

YIELD: 4 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

Recipe Ideas & Variations

Can’t find tomatillos near you? Sub store-bought salsa verde for the homemade in the recipe plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water.

◁ MEXICAN SHREDDED JACKFRUIT
for TACOS and BOWLS

This spicy jackfruit can be customized to fit your family’s tastes. As is, it has a little bite from the chili powder, tang from the green chiles, and a brightness from the lime juice. Try serving it over your favorite grain with some extra sautéed veggies.

GLUTEN-FREE   SOY-FREE   NO OIL ADDED

1 can (1 pound 4 ounces, or 567 g) jackfruit in brine (Do not get the kind that’s in syrup!!), drained

1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) black beans, rinsed and drained (or 11/2 cups homemade)

1 can (10 ounces, or 283 g) diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup (132 g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped raw onion (use sautéed for a milder flavor)

1/2 cup (120 ml) water or broth

11/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (use chipotle powder to make it spicier)

1/2 teaspoon jalapeño powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Salt, to taste

IN THE MORNING: Add the jackfruit, black beans, tomatoes, corn, water, oregano, cumin, chili powder, jalapeño powder (if using), and smoked paprika to your slow cooker crock.

Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

BEFORE SERVING: Use a spatula to press on the jackfruit chunks and they will begin to shred. Continue until all of it is shredded and mix well.

Add lime and salt, plus any additional seasoning that you feel was cooked out such as a little extra oregano or smoked paprika.

YIELD: 6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

◁ KING MUSHROOM BBQ

King mushrooms might just be the new jackfruit. When you cut them in half you can shred them with a fork and it looks just like jackfruit. You can use your favorite bbq sauce or try my Citrus Rum BBQ Sauce shown here. In the South, we eat our bbq topped with coleslaw on lightly toasted buns.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*   SOY-FREE   NO OIL ADDED

8 cups (560 g) shredded king mushrooms

1 cup (235 ml) of your favorite vegan bbq sauce (or recipe shown here)

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

SERVING INGREDIENTS

Buns (*use gluten-free)

Cole slaw (optional)

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Shred the mushrooms using 2 forks. You can either mash the top or cut them off. Store in the fridge.

IN THE MORNING: Mix the shredded mushrooms, bbq sauce, and water in your slow cooker. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

YIELD: 12 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low