Classic Pickle and Cheese Sandwich

Here is a sandwich that we like to have when we have all the ingredients handy.  Even though there are only a few ingredients, sometimes I just don't have pickles and cheese at the same time.  I grew up eating this and love its simplicity.  GR and JK are learning to appreciate it, too.

Classic Pickle and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

Several slices of your favorite bread: we used sourdough
Vegenaise or Nayonnaise
Sliced dill pickles or bread and butter style pickles: we used Bubbies bread and butter chips this time around
Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, sliced into strips

Directions:

Spread a layer of vegenaise or nayonnaise on your bread, a little thicker than usual.  Cover with pickle and cheese slices.  Top with the other slathered bread, and bite.  Mm-mmm.  Serve with chips or homemade fries for a real take-you-back-to-childhood lunch or dinner.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Royal Platter (with soy)

When my girls were much littler, I loved to make snacks for them on divided plates that were full of a variety of goodies. (And, I still do!)  What I quickly found out was that G appreciated these snacks as much as they did.  So, one night I was struck by a unique idea for dinner: to have a large platter of a variety of foods requiring no utensils, save for a couple of toothpicks for spearing.  Dipping sauces and plenty of napkins were always nearby.  Because at that time we only had daughters, I named these dinners Princess Platters.  And, they were a huge hit with all of us.  The combination of foods were endless.  Just like when we have nachos family-style, I put the platter on a tray or ottoman, and we would watch a movie in the living room.  What was also nice was that the girls would eat things that they normally would turn their noses up at because it was in the fun presentation of the Princess Platter.  So, I could sneak in healthy foods that way, too.  When JK came along, I changed the name to the Royal Platter.  This version is called "with soy" because sometimes I use baked tofu for the main protein.  I love making the platters as much as they love eating from them, and no two are ever the same.  Here is just our latest version.

Royal Platter (with soy)

Ingredients:

Possibilities are limited only to what you can think of.  This is what we had one night:

Gimme Lean, sausage style, cut into rounds and sauteed
8 - 10 red potatoes, quartered and roasted, seasoned with salt and pepper
Celery, sliced into strips
Carrots, cut into sticks
Marinated artichoke hearts
Pickles
Olives with peppers and garlic
Walnuts
Chocolate Chunks
Ketchup, BBQ sauce, and vegan Worcestershire sauce for dipping

Directions:

Once all the food has been prepared, put it into a large divided dish.  Pair up similar foods with each other, or ones that will go well with a partner or two.  Skewer a few items with toothpicks.  Keep dipping sauces and napkins handy. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Fried Tofu Sandwiches

When I was a kid, one of the few egg dishes I liked was my father's fried egg sandwiches - just a fried egg between two slices of bread, slathered with mayo.  Several years ago, I wanted to recreate that memory vegan-style, so I made a fried tofu sandwich.  At first it was just as simple as the egg version, but over the years it's become more grandiose with classic condiments and veggies added to it.  Now, I don't even think of my old childhood fave, for my new love is far superior in presentation and taste.  The sandwich pictured is with my Basic White Bread and my mom's homemade pickles - shout out to Mom!

Fried Tofu Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. canola oil
2 pkgs. of extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4" to 1/2" slices width wise
10 Slices of bread
Vegenaise
Mustard
Lettuce, torn into sandwich size pieces
2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste, optional
Pickles, sliced into rounds

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  When hot add the tofu slices and cook until brown on both sides, about ten to fifteen minutes.  Repeat with rest of tofu, if all of it couldn't fit in pan the first time.  Drain on paper towels.  Spread Vegenaise and mustard on bread, add two or three pieces of tofu, along with the lettuce, tomato and pickles.  I  like to sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the tomato slices.  Serve with a side of roasted veggies, if desired.  Hits the spot.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Kids Love It! Potato Salad

Here is my world famous (okay, my home famous) potato salad that is the absolute bestest, most favoritest, most gobbledededed up salad in our home by our children. Now, I have some other salads that come a close second, like my Tropical Seitan Pasta Salad, but this one takes the cake, er, kid-fork. I think why it goes over so well is its simplicity. The higher the number of ingredients in a dish, the higher the likelihood that my children will turn up their noses at it. Plus, I have one outright potato addict - thank you, S.R. Anyhow, I made this for the Fourth of July, and I will list our menu below. Also, just a tip from my mom - yes, I still get cooking tips from my mom: In the past when I drained the potatoes in a colander, they inevitably got mushy. And then they got even mushier when I added the ingredients and stirred together. Mushy potato salad really doesn't cut it, even when you're a kid who likes it. So, my mom suggested I put a lid on the pot, leaving a slight crack, like I do when I drain green beans or such. Then, just drain the water into the sink, leaving the potatoes in the pot. Once drained, let them completely cool on a cookie sheet. I tried this a couple of potato salads ago, and it worked perfectly, so I highly suggest that method. Also, the quantity of this recipe is enormous, but with my kids, it is gone in a couple of days, if it even survives the "taste testing." How come they never seem to know on the first or second or tenth taste, if the salad is right? Hmm. Anyways, onward with the menu and the show!

Fourth of July menu with my parents:

Chips and Salsa
Burgers with all the fixin's
Kids Love It! Potato Salad
Three Bean Salad from my mom
Pasta Salad from my mom
Relish tray from my mom

Dessert:

Soft Ginger Cookies (recipe on next post)
Homemade Strawberry Soy Ice Cream from my mom!

Kids Love It! Potato Salad with a pickle friend.

Boiled potatoes cooling on a cookie sheet.

Kids Love It! Potato Salad
Ingredients:

8 lb. bag of russet potatoes (or approx. 15)
Water to cover
1 and 1/2 cup chopped baby dill pickles (quartered lengthwise and then chopped)
1 cup of McCormick's Bac'n Pieces, Chips style - UPDATE: I now use SmartBacon fried and chopped, instead, to avoid the artificial colors
2 and 1/2 cups of Vegenaise
1 and 1/4 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Peel the potatoes, and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Put in a large pot with water enough to cover the potatoes at least an inch. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling for eight to ten minutes, or until the chunks are fork tender. Drain water out of pot into sink, carefully holding a lid about 90 percent in place. Be very careful not to get a steam or hot water burn. Spread the potatoes on a cookie sheet, and let cool completely. When the potatoes are cool, add them and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Sometimes I will put everything in the boiling pot instead of a bowl to do my mixing, so I can be sure that nothing will fall out of the bowl. This also ensures that your serving bowl won't be super messy. Once all the ingredients are in the bowl/pot, gently stir them together. If you've got kids around, count your fingers if they were near the salad while the kids were taste-testing! Feeds five hungry vegans, plus a couple of grandparents.