A MODERN VEGAN BLT SANDWICH: HEAVEN!

First, I have to share this photo of our two young cats, Ringo and Tina, taken by my husband, Brian Grogan. (BTW: their "cat window" was open at the time, but they insisted they wanted to come in through the door!)





One of my "5 things that everyone should eat at least once before they die" from this entry was "a sandwich made with homemade white bread, (vegan) mayonnaise, a ripe tomato still warm from the garden (it HAS to be freshly-picked from a garden and NOT the hothouse variety), and a little salt".

We are currently inundated with both red and yellow tomatoes, one of the few items that we (non-gardeners that we are!) cultivate every year. We savor as many sweet, juicy tomato sandwiches as we can before that sad day when our tomatoes are all used up, because we only eat tomato sandwiches with our own tomatoes, purists that we are! No storebought tomato is ever as good as ours, and a tomato sandwich is basically about the tomatoes, so we just don't bother the rest of the year! Makes us savor them even more.

Tomato sandwiches are very individual. I have mine as described above, sometimes on toasted bread and sometimes not; sometimes with lettuce and veggie bacon or soy bacon bits (stuck to the mayonnaise) (making it a BLT), sometimes not.



My husband adds pepper-- I don't. And he NEVER uses lettuce. I like more mayonnaise than he does, too-- LOTS of it. Since I don't want to ingest too much fat on my sandwich, I make my own low-fat vegan mayonnaise, recipe below (with miso and chili/garlic flax oil variations). To me, it tastes very like real mayonnaise.

This morning I had a toasted vegan BLT for breakfast (why not?), with, I swear, the sweetest tomato I have ever eaten! I used Italian bread and Yves Veggie Bacon (you could use LightLife Smart Bacon instead, or use soy bacon bits such as Frontier, Bac'Uns). I didn't have any lettuce, so I used a modern touch-- organic baby greens mix. It was very satisfying.

What's your favorite way of making a tomato sandwich?



NOW, THE MAYONNAISE....



In the recipe below, right after you blend it, the mixture will be pourable, but....


after the mayonnaise has set in the refrigerator for several hours, it should look like this.

BRYANNA’S DELICIOUS LOW-FAT VEGGIENNAISE (I re-wrote this recipe Sat morning, Sept. 16, 06, making it easier and faster to make, and easier to understand) (can be soy-free)
See Miso Mayo and Chili/Garlic Flax Oil Variations below
Makes about 2 generous cups

This is a revised version of the recipe that appears in several of my cookbooks.

For those who are allergic to soy, do not like tofu mayonnaise, or the commercial "light" mayos (most are not vegan, anyway), here is a delicious (and inexpensive) solution! It contains a small amount of oil, just enough for good flavor, and has only about 10 calories per T. (compared to 100 calories for regular mayo!). It’s smooth and creamy, and a little tangy, but not too much.

**BRIGHT IDEA-- This mayonnaise, with the addition of herbs, garlic, etc., can be used as a savory vegetable and toast topping.

Mix A:
1 c. any non-dairy milk (can be low-fat)
2 T. apple cider, plain rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil or flax oil
Mix B:
1/2 c. plus 2 T. cold water
1/2 tsp. agar powder OR 1 T. agar flakes
3 and 1/2 T. cornstarch (or wheat starch-- do not use tapioca, or arrowroot-- I tried these and it was terrible!)
MISO MAYO AND CHILI-/GARLIC FLAX OIL VARIATIONS:
Omit the salt and use 3 T. miso (not a dark variety)
(My favorite miso from Denman Island)
and/or omit the mustard powder and use chili/garlic flax oil

Place the Mix A ingredients into your blender jar and have ready.

In a small saucepan or microwave-proof bowl, mix together the water and agar from Mix B, and let sit for a few of minutes. Add the cornstarch and whisk well. If making in the pot on the stovetop, stir constantly over high heat until thick and translucent-- not white. OR: Microwave option: Use the microwave-proof bowl for the mixture, and microwave on HI 30 seconds. Whisk. Repeat this about three times, or until thick and translucent. (The microwave works well with cornstarch mixtures.) If you don't cook this thoroughly (and "translucent" is the key word), the mayo won't thicken properly. NOTE: Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot or bowl with the whisk, so that no cornstarch gets left at the bottom.



Scrape the cooked Mix B in the blender (using a spatula so that you get as much of it as you can out of the bowl or pot) with Mix A. Blend until the mixture is very white and frothy and emulsified (you can't see any oil globules). (NOTE: This mayo doesn’t get thick as you blend it, like regular mayonnaise or soy mayonnaise made with lots of oil, so don’t blend it and blend it, thinking it will thicken as it blends— it won’t!! It will thicken in a few hours in the refrigerator.) Pour into a clean pint jar, cover and refrigerate for several hours before using. It should be firm enough to stand a knife up in:



Keeps several weeks refrigerated. It seems firmer than "real" mayonnaise in the jar, but spreads nicely.

OTHER MAYONNAISE VARIATIONS: (Added Sep. 21, 2006)

Aioli:

To make a delicious garlic dip for cold, steamed vegetables and artichokes, omit the dry mustard and add 4-6 peeled raw cloves of garlic while blending. This also makes a good spread for making garlic toast.

Tartar Sauce:

Use dill pickle brine instead of plain vinegar. To the blended, but not set, mayonnaise, add 3/4 c. minced raw onion and 3/4 c. minced dill pickle. If you have no pickles, use chopped cucumber with dillweed and white wine vinegar to taste.

Russian Dressing:

This dressing is a traditional addition to many deli sandwiches. To the blended but not set mayonnaise, add 2 T. prepared horseradish, 2 tsp. vegetarian worcestershire sauce, 1/2 c. ketchup-style chile sauce, and 2 tsp. grated onion.

You can also make tasty sandwich spreads by blending half vegan mayonnaise (blended but not set), and half grainy gourmet or creamy Dijon mustard (for a "dijonnaise"), OR light soy or chickpea miso.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING from PETA

Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients:

1 cup eggless mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 Tbsp. minced stuffed green olives

Preparation:

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl.

FLAVORED MAYONNAISE

Flavored mayonnaise can turn a quick sandwich or salad meals into a gourmet treat. Try these suggestions, and then invent your own.

When making Veggiennaise (don't add AFTER the mayo is set, or it will get "soupy"):

1.) Use cranberry or other berry vinegar, or white balsamic, champagne, or sherry vinegar, or lime juice, instead of ordinary vinegar (or lemon juice).

2.) Use your favorite herbal vinegar plus 3 to 4 T. of the appropriate fresh herb.

3.) 3 T. minced pickled jalapeños OR

4.) 3 minced chile chipotles OR

5.) several tablespoons vegan Pesto OR pureéd roasted red pepper OR pureéd sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed--I rinse the oil off-- or soaked,dried ones)

6.) 1 T. minced or grated fresh ginger OR

7.) 2 T. prepared horseradish OR

8.) 1 T. curry powder OR

9.) 1/4 c. or more minced fresh herbs, such as basil, mint, oregano, cilantro, tarragon, etc.. OR

10.) 1/3 c. chopped chives, 1 T. grated lemon zest (preferably organic) and Louisiana hot sauce to taste (this makes "Creole Mayonnaise")OR

11.) 1 T. Chinese hoisin sauce (or 1/2 T. EACH dark or red miso and maple syrup) OR

12.) 1/4-1/2 c. salsa OR

13.) 1-2 tsp. wasabi (Japanese green horseradish) powder OR

14.) 2 T. citrus zest (preferably organic) OR

15.) 1/4-1/3 c. minced Japanese-style pink pickled ginger OR

16.) 3-6 T. of your favorite chutney OR

17.) 12-18 cloves (1 head) roasted garlic

AFTER THE VEGGIENNAISE IS SET, RIGHT BEFORE USING:

18.) FOR VEGAN “DIJONNAISE”, mix together half Veggiennaise, and half creamy Dijon mustard. (You could use grainy mustard for a different, less creamy spread.)

19.) FOR MISO FANS, mix half veggiennaise and half light soy or chickpea miso

20.) “SECRET BURGER SAUCE”: Mix to taste, Veggiennaise, ketchup, and pickle relish; or you could use Veggiennaise, ketchup and mustard, or Veggienaise and a ketchup-style chili sauce.

Note: If you leave out the agar in the basic recipe, this makes a good base for cold savory sauces.

Enjoy!