Vegan Sweet Potato and Basil Pesto Paninis:

Unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way of this blog. The past month has been a whirlwind for me, and as a result, there are many reasons for my recent but short hiatus from blogging. Not only did I start a new job a little over a month ago, I've been writing papers, doing presentations, working on Bar Prep, taking exams, and traveling. I traveled home to celebrate my 25th birthday and my best friend's wedding, and then I had one last final to finish up last night after I got back. (More on that in my next post). I also had problems at the DMV (this always seems to happen to me), and some of my best friends decided to throw me a surprise party when I got back on Sunday night, which was very sweet of them. Consequently, I have been one busy lady!

This recipe was kind of a crazy, throw-together-type-of-thing, but it turned out delicious. I knew that I wanted to make some sort of panini, but since I've used tomatoes in my, I don't know, last 5 posts or so, I felt the need to use something different. I picked up some fresh basil last night, and I've had a can of yams in my pantry for awhile now, so I figured I'd go for it. It's delicious yet whimsical, and it's pretty in its own way.

Ingredients:

1 can yams, drained - 29oz.

1 medium white onion, sliced

1/4 cup water

Salt

Dash of cayenne

2 tsp. olive oil

For the pesto:

1 1/2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

You'll also need:

4 flat breads, naan, or 8 slices of your choice of bread

4 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions:

1. First, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
 2. Next, in a large skillet, and the onions, salt, olive oil, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking until the onions are soft and tender, and the water has evaporated.
3. Stir in the yams, and mash down a little. Add a little more salt and of dash a cayenne. Cook on medium to medium-high heat for another 7 minutes. 
4. Heat one side of your grill to high, and the other side to medium or medium-low.
 5. Next, spoon 1/4 of the pesto mixture onto one-half of each flat bread, and then drizzle each half with 1 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette. Cover each half with approximately 1/4 of the yam mixture, and then fold the top half of the flat breads over each sandwich.
6. Once the grill is heated, place each panini on the side heated with high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down on the paninis with a spatula a little, and then transfer the paninis to the side that's heated to medium, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Notes: You can also use a panini press, Foreman Grill, or skillet to cook the paninis. Walnuts or pecans would also add a nice touch to the pesto.

Fresh Vegan Veggie and Basil Pesto Sandwich:

Looking for a fresh and healthy meal option? Look no further than this basil pesto and vegetable sandwich. I had it when I was visiting Disney with my family, and it was so good that I figured I'd recreate it here. Pesto is so good for you, and it lends a nice and summery flavor to the dish, as do the fresh vegetables. Just look at how colorful this sandwich is! Whip these up for lunch or dinner any day. They're also perfect for a beach day or hiking trip.

Anyways, I hope that you are all having a wonderful Monday. I had a pretty busy and crazy weekend, so I'm struggling a bit, but I guess that's the price you pay for having too much fun. I had to take the MPRE (an ethics test for attorneys), so I decided to take it in South Florida and visit some good friends at the same time.

After the exam, we got all prettied-up and went to my friends' law prom. It was a lot of fun. Their prom also had a lot of good veggie options. The starter was a fancy and decadent pear, walnut, and spring mix salad. My entree consisted of carrots and asparagus in some sort of glaze (I had a few too many dirty martinis at that point, so I can't remember the exact flavors all that well, but I do know that the chef did a great  job and actually made an effort to put flavor in my dish). The vegetables also came with a delicious polenta, which took me all of ten seconds to scarf down.

Along with my yummy entree, I had a hefty serving of bread dipped in oil and vinegar. I'm pretty sure that I ate at least seven pieces. (Fatty). They brought cheesecake out for dessert, and though it looked delicious, I obviously declined. But when I got the munchies at the end of the night, they had huge bowls of hummus, chips, and salsa out for everyone. Unfortunately, some of that ended up on my white dress, and I just paid a ridiculous sum of money to have it dry cleaned last week. It was worth it though. I guess I'll be heading back to the dry cleaners again this week, and I'm sure they'll shake their heads.

Getting back to the food, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

4 slices of focaccia bread

1 tomato, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 white onion, sliced

1/2  medium cucumber, sliced

1 roasted red pepper, cut in half

A few pieces of lettuce

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. roasted pine nuts

1/3 cup hummus 

1/4 tsp. salt

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Add the basil, pine nuts, salt, and olive oil to your food processor. Process the mixture until it's smooth and creamy.
2. Next, spread 1/6 cup of the hummus on two slices of focaccia. Top each with a few slices of tomato, cucumbers, onions, roasted red pepper, and lettuce.
3. Spread the basil pesto mixture on the remaining two pieces of focaccia, and place on top of the sandwich. Cut each sandwich in half, and enjoy!

At the ball with Monsignor, who, by the way, is one of the most interesting people in the world. He is also the amazing person who puts our Spain study abroad trip together.

Vegan Toasted Caprese Sandwiches:

Right now, in Florida, huge, ripe tomatoes just about everywhere. I'm obsessed. Fortunately, I've had a few of these ripe tomatoes hanging around in my house, so I finally had the opportunity to make these sandwiches.

A thickly-cut, ripe tomato between two pieces of freshly toasted bread gets me every time. Such a sandwich takes me on journeys back to picnics in the woods on warm sunny days, to sandy beaches and cold pina coladas, and to Rome, where you can find a Caprese sandwich at every food vendor. These sandwiches remind me most of Caprese sandwiches, but because they are toasted, they are also reminscent of club sandwiches and BLT's. Add a little vegan "bacon" if you're feeling like having a vegan BLT.

If you don't have (or just don't have time to make) cashew cheese, you can always replace it with Daiya mozzarella or Dijon mustard.

Ingredients:

1 large, ripe tomato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2/3 cup cashew cheese (or to taste)
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tbsp. olive oil
Dash of salt
6 slices of fresh bread

Instructions:

1. First, prepare your pesto. Add the basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt to your food processor and process until smooth.

2. Next, toast your slices of bread. You can cut the veggies while the bread is toasting if you want.

3. Once the bread is toasted, put 2 slices of tomato on each sandwich, followed by 1 tablespoon of cashew cheese, about 2 teaspoons of pesto, and about 1/2 tablespoon of the red onion. Top each sandwich with a piece of bread, cut each sandwich in half, and serve.

Vegan Red Pepper and Lentil Sloppy Joes:

I know. I know. Lentil Sloppy Joes have been done a million times over, but these are the real deal. Sweet and spicy, with a little kick and a nice hint of garlic. They're perfect for any day, and they're super healthy for you.

Add whatever spices to taste. The cumin and paprika add different layers of flavor to this recipe, keeping it interesting and delicious. If you want a spicier sauce, add more hot sauce and cayenne. For a sweeter sauce, add more brown sugar. Also, I estimated on the salt, so feel free to add more if need-be.

Though this recipe has a lot of ingredients, you should have most of them on-hand. You can sub the Dijon mustard for regular mustard if necessary, and you can probably omit the cumin (though I highly recommend using it).

Other than that, I hope that everyone is having a great Monday. I'm pretty behind and probably should've waited to post this, but I'm procrastinating a little. Looks like school work is next for me. I have to finish a Professional Responsibility and a Torts outline for one of my classes, and I really should get started on my paper. I also need to clean my room. It's a cluttered mess at the moment (which is also hindering my productivity). Oh, and my resume. I really need to polish my resume a bit, but I just don't know what I want to do with it.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked lentils, soaked and rinsed (about 2 1/2 cups soaked/cooked lentils)

1 cup water

1 white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

2/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar (or more, to taste)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. non-dairy buttery spread

3 cloves garlic  

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. white or apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

Dash of hot sauce (to taste)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Makes about 6 Sloppy Joes. 

Total Cook Time: about an hour, plus time for soaking the lentils.

You'll Also Need:

6 burger buns 

Instructions:

1. Soak the lentils in water for at least an hour.  Drain and rinse.

2. In a large saucepan, bring about 6 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the lentils to a boil. Continue cooking the lentils until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

3. While the lentils are cooking, add the onions, red pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until tender. Stir in the tomato paste, water, lemon juice,  vinegar, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and hot sauce. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes or so.

4. Stir in the ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, buttery spread, and the parsley. Cook on medium-high heat until most of the water has reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

5. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the lentil mixture onto each burger bun, and serve with a nice, big salad or fries. 

Melty Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches:

There's just something about banana and peanut butter sandwiches. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the subtle banana flavor combined with the salty, savory, and creaminess of peanut butter or the way the combination melts in your mouth so easily. Either way, it's delicious.

I often eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches for a filling breakfast before school. It keeps me full and gives me a pretty good protein fix to start the day. Today, I was feeling like getting a little more fancy with it, so I decided to grill the sandwiches in a skillet in order to achieve that melty, gooey effect. It worked. This is perfect for a filling, healthy start to your day or as a hangover tamer. Obviously a recipe isn't really necessary for this, but here it is just in case:

Ingredients:

2 bananas, sliced

1/2 cup peanut butter, divided

4 slices of whole wheat bread

1 tsp. non-dairy butter spread, divided

Makes 2 sandwiches. 

Total Cook Time: less than 10 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Spread 1/4 cup of peanut butter out on 2 slices of bread. Cover each slice with one banana's worth of banana slices. Next, assemble the sandwiches: top each peanut butter and banana-covered slice of bread with a plain slice of bread. (You can add more peanut butter if you want)

2. Heat 1 tsp. of buttery spread on medium-high heat in a  medium skillet. Add the sandwiches, and flip them so that both sides have butter on them. Cook each sandwich until both sides are browned, about 3 minutes on each side.

3. Slice in half, and revel in the melty glory.

Sautéed Vegetable Sandwich on Foccaccia:

Who could resist this? These veggies are simply sautéed in a little bit of olive oil with salt, pepper, and a teeny dash of cayenne. The red onion and cabbage lend a nice tang to the simple dish, creating a versatile and comforting flavor that plant lovers and carnivores alike will go crazy over. Serve in between two slices of hearty foccaccia, and you'll be in Heaven.

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise and then sliced in half (so that it'll fit on a sandwich)
2 to 3 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded or sliced
2 tsp. olive oil (or more, if neccessary)
1/4 tsp. salt (or more, to taste)
Dash of black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
6 slices of bakery fresh foccaccia or ciabatta
Dijon mustard (optional)

Makes 3 sandwiches.
Total Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the zucchini, red onion, cabbage, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook until tender and a little charred, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Once those vegetables are cooked, take them out of the skillet and place them on a plate. Add the tomatoes  and a dash of salt to the skillet, and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or so. They should be cooked through, but not mushy.

3. While the tomatoes are cooking, toast the foccaccia. Once everything is ready, layer the veggies on each sandwich, top with Dijon mustard, and serve.

Vegan Baby Bella and "Parmesan" Sandwiches:

 

Yum! This is perfect for those days when you need something quick but delicious at the same time. In ten minutes, you can have this on the table.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups baby portabello mushrooms, sliced

 1 tbsp. olive oil 

Garlic salt (to taste)

Black Pepper (to taste)

Lawry's seasoned salt (to taste)

2 fresh rolls

Galaxy Foods Rice Parmesan (here)

Serves 2. (Easily doubled).

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes.

Instructions:

Add the mushrooms, oil, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt to a medium saucepan. Saute on medium-high to high heat until cooked through and a little charred (but not mushy), about 7 minutes. Add half of the cooked mushrooms onto each of the rolls, and sprinkle with as much rice Parmesan as you want.  I served these with fries and broccolini.