Vegetarian Club

October is Vegetarian awareness month.  There's no question that a plant based diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat but what does that look like?  I'll be the first to admit that when someone suggests that I go vegetarian, I picture myself sitting at the dinner table in classic Fred Flintstone style nibbling on a giant kale leaf instead of a ginormous rack of dinosaur ribs.  Am I just too narrow minded to come up with new and delicious ways to enjoy the plants that I should be consuming?  After all, some of my favorite meals are vegetarian.  Black bean burgers, sweet potato bowls and homemade ramen are arguably some of the most delicious things that I make.  

So why is there such a stigmatism around the label "vegetarian"?  I'm always more anxious about the menu that I serve when I invite a vegetarian over for dinner.  What kind of protein will I serve?  Will I have enough vegetables to fill them up?  What kind of vegetarian are they?  Do they eat eggs, dairy, fish?  It's all very confusing for the non-vegetarian.  

So I'm here to simplify things for you.  Whether you are or you've got a friend who is a lacto-vegetarian, a lacto-oco-vegetarian, an ovo-vegetarian or a vegan, I've got a sandwich just for you.  The fact is that we could all use a little more vegetables in our lives and this is a delicious way to consume a lot of them.  (It sure beats nibbling on a giant kale leaf.)  Serve this yummy sub along with some baked corn chips and salsa and you'll never miss the meat.  

Vegetarian Club
1 eggplant, cut into 1/4" rounds
1/2 t. salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 Tablespoon horseradish
1/3 cup kalamata olives + 1 teaspoon brine
8 slices whole grain bread
1/2 cup hummus
1 cup roasted red pepper, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 Roma tomato, sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1 cup spinach

Season eggplant with salt and pepper.  Coat with cooking spray. 

Cook eggplant in cast iron skillet in batches.  Transfer to a plate to cool.

Stir together mayonnaise, mustard and horseradish.  

Process olives and brine in food processor until smooth.  Grill bread until lightly toasted.  ​

Spread 2 T. hummus on bread slices. 

Top with eggplant.  

Spread olive puree on top of eggplant. 

Top with red pepper slices. 

Top with avocado.

Top with tomato. 

Top with cucumber.

Top with spinach.

Spread mayo on top half of bread. 

Top with remaining bread.

I admit that I was a little apprehensive about serving this meatless club sandwich to my carnivorous husband but I was shocked at how well it was received.  He liked this veggie filled sandwich so much that he bragged about to friends the following day.  He never complains what about the vegetarian meals that I serve him but hearing him talk positively about it meant that he didn't just tolerate it - he actually liked it! 

Ciao!

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