vegetarian sandwich addition rec's getting away fr fake meat

[PrickleyPete]

Hello, lately I have been eating this sandwich every day for breakfast because it is filling, easy to throw together and easy to eat out of a zip lock bag in the car:
whole wheat roll
lots of hummus
cheese
soy/veggie bologna, ham or other fake meat slices
good sized handful of baby spinach leaves

Looking at my groceries, the fake meat slices are pretty much the only thing I buy that is chemical/fake/processed that I don't feel great about. I buy hummus and soy milk which I know are processed, but fake meat is "fake," kwim?
I would like to get away from fake meat, just don't know what other protein or addition to add to this delicious sandwich that would go well.
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[Morgan]

Tofu on sandwiches in great. Marinate, slice, and fry. It's good cold or hot.

Boiled egg slices.

You can make different types of hummus to mix it up. Different types of beans, or throw some olives or sun dried tomato in.

If you make a lentil-nut meatloaf type of thing you can use slices of that. I don't have a good recipe to recommend, but there are tons out there. You can vary the ingredients so much with different types of beans and grains (rice, quinoa, bulgar) (if your recipe calls for grains. I like with and without), and different add-ins.

Not protein, but good on sandwiches: I made roasted bell peppers in the oven last week, and they were delish. You just put the whole pepper in the oven for about an hour, turning them every 20 minutes, until all wrinkly. Let them cool, then take off the stem and the skin and seeds. Then put them in a container with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. They are rather sweet, and work perfectly on sandwiches. I know because I ate one about 20 minutes ago!
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[tinyrock]

Steam tempeh, mash it up with a fork, add "salad" ingredients as desired. I used mayo and sriacha and it's kind of like a tuna roll? You could go for a more standard chicken or tuna salad profile, too (mayo, celery, dill...).

Which reminds me: egg salad. Nom nom nom.

Straight up fried egg, if you're okay with frying and refrigerating?

Seitan? Veganomicon has lots of great gluten recipes.

[petunia_843]

What about sliced avocado instead of the fake meat?

[shortskirt]

My absolute favourite sandwiches are avocado, spicy eggplant (it comes in a jar like pickles, but tastes nothing like pickles), spinach and feta on rye bread. It might be an acquired taste, but I love it!

[WorkAndPlay]

Hummus, cheese and spinach is an inspiring base! Here's what I could come up with. Not all of it involves more protein, because hummus and cheese are already pretty protein rich, in my opinion:

- make the cheese a sheep's and goat's milk feta and blitz it up with some beets for a beet-spread, then add alfalfa/radish/scallion sprouts and cucumber slices to the sandwich (I'd add some harissa for spice, toasted almond slices would add crunch and toastiness);
- make the hummus a white bean spread and the cheese gorgonzola and add sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts;
- yes on the marinated tofu. Try marinating slices of tofu in ras-el-hanout and pan frying or broiling them (you could do a block's worth and keep it for up to five days in the fridge/longer in the freezer);
- substitute the hummus with home-made eggless egg salad made with tempeh, mayo or yoghurt, lemon zest, tahini, and spring onions. Add tomato slices to the sammie;
- instead of regular cheese, grilled/broiled halloumi (for a meaty type of grilled flavor)

As for the most simple suggestion I thought of: grow your own sprouts and experiment with different types of sprout/cheese combos!
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[PurpleDoor]

I love to marinate and roast vegetables and then toss them onto sandwiches or salads. Eggplant, onion, red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes are all good candidates. Usually for a marinade I just do something like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt+pepper, maybe some thyme or oregano or other herbs.

[PrickleyPete]

OMG all sounds delicious! Will check here before I make my grocery list.
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[Milo]

-- Chickpea (mock tuna) Salad
-- Baked tofu slices
-- Tofu "egg" salad

I agree with WorkAndPlay's suggestion to change up your hummus. You can make a tasty spread from any kind of bean. Cannelini and kidney beans are especially great.

VegWeb also has a lot of suggestions for simple sandwiches.

[PrickleyPete]

Since I have hummus and cheese left to use up I decided to get some portabella caps.
I'm marinating them overnight and this afternoon I'll grill them on the Foreman grill.
They're in balsamic vniegar, EVOO, sea salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Hopefully they will be good or I'll have crappy sandwiches all week.
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[DancingStar]

ETA: I read the topic and suggestions and not the actual question. Opps. Well here are some Veggie sandwiches to try.

I have these bookmarked:

Herbed Goat Cheese and Roasted-Vegetable Sandwiches
Bon Appétit | August 2002

yield: Makes 4 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 medium zucchini, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices
1 large red bell pepper, quartered
1 large eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2/3 cup soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature (about 5 ounces)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
8 slices whole grain bread or whole grain rolls
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves


preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Arrange zucchini, bell pepper, and eggplant on prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes. Turn vegetables over. Roast until tender and brown in spots, about 10 minutes longer for zucchini and 25 minutes longer for bell pepper and eggplant.
Whisk 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, vinegar, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large bowl to blend. Add roasted vegetables and toss to coat.
Mix cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, and lemon peel in medium bowl. Place all bread slices on work surface. Spread each with cheese mixture. Top 4 bread slices with roasted vegetables, then spinach leaves. Cover with remaining bread slices, cheese side down. Cut each sandwich in half.

Greek Salad Sandwich
Bon Appétit | May 1995

yield: Serves 4

ingredients

12 ounces small tomatoes, cored, halved, thinly sliced
6 cups small spinach leaves, stems trimmed
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced English hothouse cucumber
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted black brine-cured olives (such as Kalamata)
16 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced

4 5- to 6-inch-diameter pita bread rounds, toasted

preparation

Place tomato slices in strainer; drain 15 minutes. Combine tomatoes, spinach, cucumber, feta cheese, olives and basil in large bowl.

Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, 5 teaspoons lemon juice and minced garlic in small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

Cut pita bread rounds in half crosswise. Divide salad mixture among 8 pita halves and serve.