Food Network Monthly Cookalong August Wrap Up

This month has flown by just like every other one this year. It has been a scrumptious month of sandwich-y goodness in this house. Here are some others that enjoyed some sandwiches and joined in for the Sandwich King themed cookalong this month!

I'll start off with Liz from Cooking the Vegan Books this month. She made two delicious sandwiches this month for the cookalong.

The first one was a Sandwich King recipe called Sloppy Jose with Chorizo, Charred Poblanos and Avocado Crema. Quite a mouthful Mr. Mauro! She used a new chorizo (that she decided was just okay) but suggested next time she would use the chorizo from Viva Vegan. Topped with a zesty avocado crema and her mix of green pepper and jalapeno in place of hard to find poblanos this sandwich certainly sounds tasty to me! http://cookingtheveganbooks.com/2012/08/18/food-network-monthly-cookalong-sloppy-jose-with-chorizo-charred-poblanos-and-avocado-crema/

Next, Liz tried a new product that I love, The Vegg, to make a Seitan Bacon French Toast Sandwich to cure her fried food slight hangover craving. She wasn't sold on the Vegg but the sandwich did hit the spot. http://cookingtheveganbooks.com/2012/08/24/food-network-monthly-cookalong-seitan-bacon-french-toast-sandwich/

Sandra is definitely a sandwich person as she has a whopping seven recipes in this month's cookalong wrap up! I love it that Sandra is just as excited as me about these cookalongs!

I'm working backwards here through the month from her blog...

Let's start with Sandra's take on Rachael Ray's Sesame Lime Shrimp Salad with Lettuce Wraps where she easily subbed tofu for the shrimp and used bread in place of lettuce cups since she was making it for supper. She missed the sesame seeds but added some fresh tomatoes. Looks so fresh and tasty! I definitely have to try these! http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/sesame-lime-tofu-sandwiches.html

Next up, is her take on Jeff Mauro's All-American Down-Home Patriotic Meatloaf Sandwich which is a mouthful in itself but the sandwich looks like one too! Sandra made a big ol' tofu loaf and sliced and piled it onto toasted bread with pickles and french fried onions. What a sandwich!! http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/meatless-monday-tofu-loaf-sandwich.html

Another Jeff Mauro veganized by Sandra was the Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with Grilled Pineapple Relish which I saw on the show recently and thought looked like an excellent one to veganize as well! She uses tofu in this one as well as a stand in for pulled pork and made the relish a little more kid friendly by reducing the amount of jalapeño. Another winner! http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/food-network-hawaiian-bbq-sandwich.html

This next one was already actually vegan from the show Fat Chef. The Spicy Grilled Tofu with Thai Slaw and Avocado on Multgrain Bread was already vegan by Sandra wanted to tweak it a bit. I love that Sandra saw this recipe and wanted to fix it saying that the ratio of tofu to slaw was way off and then balanced out the flavours of the marinade as well. Nicely done! http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/vegan-grilling-no-9-spicy-grilled-tofu.html

This next one is a mish mash of two Food Network recipes, one from David Lieberman and one from Rachael Ray. It's loaded up with grilled veggies and has some homemade herbed tofu ricotta spread on the bread. Sounds like a great summer meal to me. http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/summer-salad-series-v10-sandwich-edition.html

Ina Garten served as the inspiration for Sandra's next entry of Vegan Grilled Steak Sandwiches. She went for the faux beef from La Dolce Vegan (written by Canada's own Sarah Kramer) then added in fried onions, kale for the greens and some veganized mustard mayo sauce. She served it up with all kinds of fresh grilled veggies too! http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/vegan-grilling-no-8-gilled-steak.html

This last one is what Sandra says happens when you have no plans for lunch and find a head of cabbage and a pack of tofu in the fridge. I'd say it's a pretty great find and then she uses a very inventive technique of roasting the cabbage with onions and tofu in staggered layers. Then she adds pesto on the toasted bread to top it off! http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/2012/08/meatless-monday-roasted-cabbage-and.html

Megan (my fellow Newfoundlander!) created a sandwich of epic proportions! The Monster Mouth Sandwich comes with step by step pictures to help you build the perfect sandwich which I love! It is stuffed full of some of Megan's favourite things like Smoky Soy Curls (me too), tofu bacon (need to try), Gobbler slices from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! (here's a link to the recipe), Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Havarti (my favourite of the new wedges too) and veggies. You would think that was enough but she also whipped up a Sundried Tomato Basil Mayo that sounds incredible. Now that's a monster sandwich! http://cookbookaficionado.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/monthly-food-network-cookalong-monster-mouth-sandwich/

Lea over at Vibrantlea Vegan took on Buttery Lobster Rolls for My Baby by Jeff Mauro. She definitely used an alternative to lobster when she brought out the cauliflower! Impressive! I don't think I would have thought of that. Served up in a lightly toasted hot dog roll with a sprinkling of scallions on top this roll definitely looks the part. http://vibrantleavegan.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-montly-cookalong-maine.html

How about a Vegan Ribwich? Sounds tasty, right? Katie from Not Just Granola thought so too so she whipped one up and served it on multigrain baguette. Using a baked seitan rib recipe from another website she put together something delicious! http://www.notjustgranola.ca/2012/08/31/vegan-ribwich

My cookalong posts for quick navigation

Emeril's Kicked-up BLT: http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-emerils.html

Croque Monsieur Macaroni Grilled Cheese: http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-croque.html

Deconstructed Eggplant Parm Sandwich: http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong.html

Stroganoff Sandwiches: http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong_26.html

A few quick sandwich ideas: http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-few.html



Please note: I am posting photos with each link so you can see the beautiful creations these talented people have put together. The photos are the property of each blogger and shouldn't be copied and used unless you have their consent. I'm sure they won't mind you sharing with friends just be nice and give credit were credit is due.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: A few quick sandwich ideas

So sometimes sandwiches are a more thought out process but sometimes they are so quick and simple and thrown together that I don't really write down a recipe. Here are a couple of quick examples of that.

Earlier this week I made a quick spaghetti sauce of onions, peppers, Field Roast Italian sausage, lots of garlic and kale. It was super tasty on our whole wheat pasta and luckily we had enough left over for lunches the next day. When I went to heat it up, I decided to try something a little different. I toasted a sub bun, schmeared it with garlic butter and stuffed it full of the heated up leftover spaghetti...noodles and all! It was soooo good! I will admit that when I was a teenager I used to bake fresh buns and then poke a hole in the side and stuff it with spaghetti kinda like a pizza pocket so the idea isn't totally new to me but it was sooo good I decided to share my guilty pleasure of carb on carb action. Plus the sauce was extra flavourful the next day like sauces tend to do.

The next one I can't take credit for at all. Ryan came up with this concept all on his own. We had some leftover Caesar salad dressing, croutons and tempeh bacon (using the recipe from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!) from the night before. Then at lunchtime the next day, I was mixing the salad up again and Ryan was making a chick'n burger (using the No Cluck Cutlets from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!) and then there was a little sparkle in his eye when he decided to combine the two and make a Chick'n Caesar Salad Burger! I have to say I was impressed with this combo, it was super tasty and he was nice enough to share some with me. 

Another great quick recipe I made with the No Cluck Cutlets was just the other night. I couldn't decide what to make for supper and it was getting late. Thanks to an episode of Eat Street I had watched late the night before, I was craving something with Greek flavours. I took two freshly made No Cluck Cutlets, sliced them and tossed them in lemon juice, lots of freshly minced garlic (like 1/2 a head), oregano, paprika and salt and pepper. Then I put it on the center griddle on my stove with some olive oil and got it nicely browned on the outside. While it was browning, I mixed up a quick tzatziki type sauce by mixing equal parts Vegenaise with plain So Delicious coconut yogurt, lots of garlic (the other 1/2 a head minced), a two inch piece of cucumber finely grated and salt and pepper. Then to finish it all off I grabbed a whole wheat wrap and piled it high with the No Cluck (and now garlicky) Cutlets, some of my tzatziki sauce, thinly sliced red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and a big scoop of Kalamata olives and wrapped it all up. It was so delicious and quick! We had a side greek salad with similar veggies with a Greek vinaigrette from the store but it was disappointing. Ryan got lucky that I discovered how it wasn't a great salad dressing before he put it on his so he went with some of the tzatziki sauce instead.

All wrapped up but you can't really see all the goodness

There ya go! MMM!

Just a few more days left to enter to win a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day (two to be exact) as I will be drawing for a winner on September 2nd. Don't forget to visit this post (http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html) and leave a comment (it's that easy!) for your chance. Also, if you participated in this month's cookalong don't forget to send me a link so I can include you in this month's wrap up as well as get a bonus entry for each blog post in the draw to win a copy of the book!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Stroganoff Sandwiches

So when Jeff Mauro first explained his POV on The Next Food Network Star, I was all excited! I love sandwiches (as I'm sure you know by now) and loved the concept of making any meal a sandwich and any sandwich a meal. I loved how he took what he loved and put it between two slices of bread being the carb lover I am. I decided for this sandwich I would do the same, I would take a meal I loved and turn it into a sandwich. So I took something I love (Stroganoff) and put it between two slices of bread (a sub bun in this case) and the result is the Stroganoff Sandwich! It is like a mix between a Philly Steak Sandwich and a French Dip and I will definitely be making it again.

I have made vegan Strongaff before and decided in place of the beef to just use more mushrooms but this time I did it a little different. I used some of my soy curl stash, rehydrated in beefy broth and then tossed with some tamari and ketchup and browned in the pan as the beefy bottom layer then topped it off with a bunch of sauteed onions and mushrooms in a creamy Stroganoff sauce. All this piled into a toasted sub bun is just pure heaven!

Stroganoff Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

3-4 medium onions, sliced thin

2 pkgs mushrooms, sliced thin (I used one white button and one cremini)

3 cups dry soy curls

3 cups beefy broth, divided (I use McCormicks All-Vegetable Beef Bouillon cubes)

3 tbsp low sodium tamari

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

capful of Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

fresh pepper to taste (I use lots)

Olive Oil for browning the onions, mushrooms and soy curls

3/4 cup silken tofu (I use the fresh kind in the refrigerated section not the box)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp ume plum vinegar

1 tsp yellow miso

1 tbsp cornstarch

capful of Kitchen Bouquet (again optional, I've found it just adds to the color not really so much flavour)

1. Place your dry soy curls in a bowl that will be okay with boiling water in it. Prepare 3 cups of beefy broth but make it a little stronger than the directions indicate. I used three cubes in three cups of water which is double what they suggest. While it is still hot but not necessarily boiling, pour just enough beefy broth over the soy curls to cover them and let sit until they are plumped up and rehyrated. Drain some of the (still hot trust me) broth back into the leftover broth you had. Then you want to squeeze out the excess broth from the curls. To speed up the process, I like to pour cool water over the curls first and drain and then squeeze them out by hand. You want to get as much of the broth/water out as possible. As you squeeze them out, place them into a new clean bowl. In a separate small bowl combine tamari, ketchup, garlic powder, thyme, Kitchen Bouquet if using and pepper then pour over the soy curls and toss with a spoon (or your hands like I really do) to make sure they are all coated evenly.

2. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over med-high heat and once it is warmed, add the soy curls and cook until they are evenly browned but not dried. You can add a bit more pepper and salt while they cook, taste and see if you think they need it. Set aside in a bowl and cover to keep warm.

3. Using the same pan, add a scant tablespoon of oil and fry the mushrooms until golden brown and caramelized. You might want to do it in batches and they will seriously shrink, so you know. Once they are golden brown remove from the pan and set aside for now. Again using the same pan, add a scant tablespoon of olive oil and then add the onions. Cook them down until they are softened, starting to caramelize. Instead of adding more oil while they are cooking, I added small amounts of the reserved beefy broth and it really helped add flavour. Once they are nicely caramelized, add the mushrooms back to the pan and mix them so they are combined. Add enough of the beefy broth to cover the onions and mushrooms and reduce down by half.

4. While it is reducing, combine the silken tofu, Dijon, umeboshi vinegar, yellow miso, cornstarch and Kitchen Bouquet (if using) in the blender on high speed. Once the beefy broth has reduced down by half, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the silken tofu mixture from the blender while stirring since you are adding cornstarch. You want it to just come to a boil to get the cornstarch to thicken up the sauce so you turn the heat up a bit if it is taking a long time to thicken. You want it to be almost like gravy as thickness goes. (Once it has, you could add in the beefy soy curls and toss to coat them as well. Here in my house, my mom won't eat a soy curl so we kept it separate.)

5. To assemble the sandwich, toast up a sub bun and then pile up some soy curls and cover/smother in the Stroganoff sauce. Enjoy with extra fresh ground pepper on top!

Reviewing Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes

I'm guessing you know that I love Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! by Tamasin Noyes and Celine Steen by now. I'm hoping you have a copy ordered already but if you don't you can always take a moment to go leave a comment and enter to win a copy here (http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html).

First off, I can't say enough about how amazing and wonderful this book is. These two incredibly talented women came together and made some serious sandwich magic. The book itself if beautiful and full of Celine's mouthwatering photography. It makes you want to reach into the book and grab one. The book has a sandwich for everyone with all kinds of different flavour combinations and global inspiration. Some are ones you have heard of, some are completely new creations that you wouldn't have ever thought of but are so glad that Celine and Tami did.

I was lucky enough to test for this cookbook which means awhile back all I ate was sandwiches for a few months. I was a dedicated tester for you...okay for me but you guys totally reap the benefits in the long run. I won't lie...most of the time my comments consisted solely of  "OH MY GOODNESS! I LOVE IT!!! BEST SANDWICH EVER!" but I feel it helped Tami and Celine get the best recipes possible to you in this book. I'm not lying when I say previous to this book, I loathed seitan...I thought it was tasteless and bready but then along came No Cluck Cutlets and Moo-Free Seitan and I was converted. These have become staples in my house being made by the double batch and handily frozen for future use. The tempeh bacon also changed my mind on something I thought I didn't like, tempeh. I became a tempeh lover after trying out their tempeh bacon and the Country Sausage Breakfast Sandwich. I realized I didn't like flavourless tempeh but loved it when it was marinated and baked/pan fried. I now crave tempeh and twitter about it endlessly. These are just the staples...Tami and Celine expertly combine these staples (and others of course) with spreads, breads and veggies to make the most delicious sandwiches ever. I realize some people might think, "What's so hard about making a vegan sandwich?" but really sandwiches were one food that I always loved prevegan but had a hard time figuring out what to do with once I ditched the meat and cheese.

Some of my favourites from the book are:

- the Unfishwich which totally surprised me because I haven't eaten fish since I was four and figured out that fishstick=fish and I didn't want to eat fish. They are crispy on the outside, tasty and well seasoned on the inside thanks to a seasoned marinade and are accompanied by one of the most delicious dressings and crisp cucumber slices. We just had them again recently with the whole family and everyone said they were super good!

- Maple Nut Pie Wafflewich which is basically like eating pecan pie on a waffle for breakfast. You can serve it with another waffle on top but I love it open faced with lots of topping!! It is buttery, sweet and nutty and great for a special breakfast or any day ending in the letter Y.

- Hollandaze'd Asparagus Rounds were a big surprise to me too. I have never tried Hollandaise sauce and always thought it was...well yucky. Turns out it is really tasty especially when combined with roasted asparagus.

 - Greek Burgers shown here topped with roasted potato wedges but since testing I have made them many times and topped them with all kinds of stuff. The best combo is tomato, lettuce, red onion and a few kalamata olives. I've even cut them up and made them into a wrap on a thick Greek style pita. They are the best flavoured seitan I've had. They are bold and the seasonings you put in them actually shine through.

- The Chickpea Shawarma is another one I have made again and again since testing! Marinated, roasted chickpeas make an excellent filling in this wrap which are combined with a most scrumptious tahini based dressing and fresh veggies for a healthy light lunch.

- Party Monster!!! I was just telling Tami the other day that every time I talk about this sandwich I feel the need to yell the name out (for the record it has to sound like Ozzy in the beginning of Crazy Train). This sandwich is of epic proportions and full of delicious vegan deli slices and veggies. It is great for parties because you can serve it up room temp or hot and it makes a lot in one go.

- Pan Bagnat was a sandwich I hadn't head of previous to testing but I'm so glad we were introduced. This mammoth sandwich is stuffed with all sorts of veggies (like asparagus and portobellos) and is drizzled with the perfect vinaigrette. It's another one that you can make for a party since it is best made ahead and holds nicely and again...it's huge!!

- The Banh Mi was one that I really didn't think I would love so much but I did and now I crave it all the time. The mix of the quickly pickled veggies, seasoned Moo-Free Seitan and creamy mayo on a crusty bread is just magic. Now I know what I'm making for supper tonight...

So if you haven't already entered my giveaway, I'm sure you are ready to now! If you aren't the lucky winner, you should definitely pick up a copy and treat yourself to any of the amazing sandwiches in it since it was hard to narrow it down to just these for this post even! This book has so many that I would consider favourites and the great thing is you can mix and match from recipes to create your own signature sandwich creations.

Edited to add: There were some bonus smaller recipes that didn't make the book. Celine has added a page for these and here is the link http://havecakewilltravel.com/noroomrecipe/

Also Tami has a post that corrects any small errors in the book and here is that link http://www.veganappetite.com/2012/08/vegan-sandwiches-errata.html

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Deconstructed Eggplant Parm Sandwich

I'll admit that I thought I didn't like eggplant. I would see it on the menu places and quickly dismiss it for something else. I would walk by it in the grocery store and wonder what people did with it. During testing for Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day I decided to try it. That's the great thing I've discovered since becoming vegan is that trying new things is exciting to me now. I have found lots of foods I love and never would have given a shot to before (I'm talking to you lentils, tempeh, tofu, fennel...and many more!). There was actually two eggplant sandwiches in the book that I fell in love with during testing, the Marinated Eggplant Sandwiches and the Asian Eggplant Sandwich. They both blew my preconceived notion of what eggplant was all about right out the water. The Marinated Eggplant Sandwich has a homemade Cajun seasoning blend sprinkled on slices of baked eggplant and some perfectly chewy baked tofu to go with it. Put it on a bun with some mayo and lettuce and I'm telling you it will make an eggplant lover out of anyone. The Asian Eggplant Sandwich is bold and full of flavour from ginger, garlic, pb and sesame oil all topped off with a napa cabbage slaw. Both are super simple to put together but taste super complex.

Marinated Eggplant Sandwich

Asian Eggplant Sandwich

Thanks to Celine and Tami, I am now no longer afraid of the big purple eggplants in the grocery store and happily pick some up when the craving hits. Just last weekend we were out at the Carp Garlic Festival when I spotted a vendor with lots of small purple and white eggplants and I had to have some. I decided this time round I would attempt (actually reattempt because I have made this sandwich before) the Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Sandiwich by none other than the Sandwich King himself. I had attempted this one before and made the tomato part exactly as he wrote it and wasn't a fan and never blogged about it. This time around I went with a much simpler and straightforward sauce for the sandwich since I also had the most incredible local tomatoes and basil from the farmer's market. These tomatoes didn't need any help from balsamic vinegar and sugar, they were amazing all on their own. I simply roasted them with some onions and garlic and then gave it a quick blend in the blender and it was perfection! To bread the eggplant I used The Vegg since I love it for this purpose. It really does work to help hold on the breading. I added some nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning to the panko bread crumbs for extra flavour in place of the parmesan. Stacked it all on a toasted bun spread with some garlic miso butter and some fresh basil chiffonaded on top and it was so delicious! This sandwich doesn't need cheese, the bright flavour of the tomatoes and the crunch from the eggplant were the highlight here. If you wanted to you totally could add some Daiya mozzarella shreds to the bun and put it under the broiler but I really think it was super without it.

(Don't forget to visit this post http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html and enter a comment to enter my giveaway for a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! and if you participate in this month's cookalong, send me a link by email at the end of the month to get a bonus entry!)

My Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

Look at all that tomato goodness dripping out of there!

 Deconstructed Eggplant Parm Sandwich Vegan Style

Sauce

8 medium to large tomatoes, quartered

1 large onion, chopped into small one inch pieces

2 heads of garlic

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

Breaded Eggplant

8 small eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper

1 tbsp Vegg powder

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup plain soymilk (I use PC Organic Original)

Oil for frying (I used Grapeseed)

Sandwich Build

4 buns (we went with sesame seed topped burger buns), toasted

1/4 cup vegan margarine 

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 tbsp yellow miso

1 tsp garlic powder

Handful fresh basil, chiffonaded

To make the sauce: Preheat the oven to 400F. Get a large rimmed sheet pan and toss all the tomatoes and onions onto it. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and toss it around with your hands to coat all the pieces. Cut the tops off the two heads of garlic and place them on a sheet of foil wrap, drizzle these with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper as well. Wrap the garlic in the foil in a small pouch and place on the sheet pan in the corner. Once the oven has preheated, place the sheet in and roast for 60 minutes, checking it after 30 minutes. You want the tomatoes and onions to start to brown and get some caramelized flavour. If this happens for you before 60 minutes, take it out by all means. Once you have taken them out, transfer all the tomato and onion to your blender and the garlic from one head of the garlic and blend but just pulse it and leave it coarse and a bit chunky. Set aside and keep warm but not boiling or hot.

To make the eggplant: After you have sliced the eggplant you can sprinkle with salt and let sit. I don't find it necessary with the smaller eggplants but you will have to if you are using larger ones to reduce the bitterness. If you do salt them make sure you blot them with paper towel after so they are dry when you proceed. Combine the panko, nooch, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt & pepper in a shallow dish. Prepare the Vegg by combining it and the water in the blender and blending it on high speed until it is well mixed and looks almost creamy and thick. Pour it into another shallow dish (I use pyrex pie plates for the record) and then mix in the soymilk with a fork until combined. Place the flour in yet another shallow dish and you are ready to start breading. Place the eggplant in the flour and toss to coat, gently shaking to remove the excess. Next place it in the Vegg mixture and flip it to coat it as well. Last, place it in the panko crumbs and gently press the crumbs onto the eggplant. Place the breaded pieces on a clean sheet pan and repeat with all the pieces you have cut. Once you have finished breading them all, take a cast iron frying pan and pour the oil of your choice in for frying. I used about 1/4" of oil in the bottom of the pan, you basically want it to reach half way up the side so the edges brown as well as the bottoms. Heat the oil over med-high heat and test with a few panko crumbs when you think it's hot enough, if they sizzle, it's ready. Place the eggplant in making sure not to crowd it and cook until brown on both sides which should only take a few minutes. Place on paper towel to drain off some of the cooking oil while you cook the rest. While you cook the last few pieces place the buns in the toaster and make the garlic miso butter by combining the margarine, roasted garlic, yellow miso and garlic powder in a small bowl. Once the buns are toasted, butter them with the garlic butter then top with two or three slices of the eggplant and top with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Top that with some of the chiffonaded basil and enjoy!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Croque Monsieur Macaroni Grilled Cheese

This one is a bit of two recipes turned on their head and mixed together. It started out with some leftover macaroni and cheese and turned into one of my favourite sandwiches ever! It started with an episode of Eat Street where I saw the Grilled Cheese Truck and how they put mac and cheese in a sandwich then while searching for ideas on Food Network US website, I found Food Network Magazine's recipe for Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese and Ina Garten's recipe for a more traditional Croque Monsieur. I decided to mash all these ideas together, take out what I didn't need and made the super duper Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese Sandwich!

So basically I took the cold leftover mac and cheese (our household go-to mac and cheese recipe is the one from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book The Vegan Table) and sliced it into squares that were the size of the sandwich bread I was using. I've had it twice now, once with an added cheese slice (Tofutti brand American) and once without and really didn't notice the difference. The mac and cheese warms and gets creamy so I don't think you really need it here. I completely left out the typical ham from this and didn't miss it at all. I buttered the outside of the bread like a traditional grilled cheese but then I sprinkled panko bread crumbs on the buttered bread and slightly pressed them in. Then I sprayed it (cautiously) with some spray oil and laid it on the griddle/frying pan. I start on medium high heat to get the bread and crumbs nice and browned but you will need to turn it down and let it warm the mac and cheese through if it's cold from the fridge. You can alternatively, take it off the frying pan and warm it for 30 seconds in the microwave. I have and didn't sacrifice any of the crunchiness of the exterior while warming up the inside. Dip in Dijon mustard and it make it all taste a million times better and gives it that Croque Monsieur flavour.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Emeril's Kicked-Up BLT

I started off this sandwich-y month with a BAM! Emeril's Kicked-Up BLT definitely had a little kick to it but it was so easy to veganize that I whipped it up for lunch on a whim one day. I, of course, went to my go to Smoky Curls from Vegan Diner which I have made so many times now I just wing it. I used Vegenaise for mayo and used white sandwich bread for the brioche. I know I could make my own, thanks to Celine, but I was going for quick and it stood in nicely. The Chipotle Mayo was definitely kicked up and what I would expect from Emeril. It worked nicely with the soy curl bacon and the avocado slices helped cool it down a bit. Mine was a little greener than Emeril's since I used slice green zebra tomatoes I picked up at the Kanata Farmer's Market on the weekend. I had never had them and thought they might be sour/bitter like the green tomatoes I had tried in the past but they are so tasty and sweet! Fresh local tomatoes always taste the best too! I really enjoyed this sandwich and even commented to Ryan that it was in my top 10 favourite sandwiches so it will definitely be made again and again. He, unfortunately for him, was at work while I was chowing down on it but I was nice enough to save him enough of everything to make one the next day and he  enjoyed it just as much as me. Kicked up sandwich heaven!

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! Just leave a comment on that post (click the link below) to be entered and if you would like to earn bonus entries, veganize a sandwich from Food Network and let me know at the end of the month. I will include you in our monthly round up and it will up the odds of you winning a copy of a spectacular cookbook! http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html

Food Network Monthly Cookalong Theme - August

The theme this month is The Sandwich King! I love to watch Next Food Network Star and thought from the beginning how much I loved the concept of this show. I'll be honest, Jeff Mauro is a bit much for me and sometimes I wonder if anyone at Food Network is editing him but I do love a good sandwich so I keep watching!

So this month, I am challenging you to make sandwiches, any kind of sandwich! You can take your pick from Jeff's creations and veganize it, you can pick from any other chef's from the Food Network as well. You could even pick any recipe from the Food Network site and turn it into a sandwich! Like Jeff Mauro always says "You can make any meal into a sandwich, and any sandwich into a meal". Just like always the rules are super loose, let your imagination run wild and share it with us!

I will be talking sandwiches all month to celebrate the (early) release of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day by Tamasin Noyes and Celine Steen as well (shipping now, just saying)! I had the joy of being a tester for this wonderful book and can vouch for the fact that is jam-packed with delicious sandwiches as well as all the staples you need to build your own masterpieces (ie. seitans, breads and spreads). And great news, simply leave a comment on this post about how much you love sandwiches and be entered to win a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day. You can also earn an extra entry for each blog post you send me at the end of the month participating in this month's cookalong. Contest is open to Canada and the US and will be drawn on Sept. 2, 2012. So grab a loaf of bread and get stacking! Let's see what kind of sandwiches you love!

Links for Sandwich Inspiration

http://www.foodnetwork.com/jeff-mauro/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/jeff-mauro/recipes/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=sandwiches&fnSearchType=site