THE TALE OF THE GREAT VEGGIE BURGER SANDWICH

Spending time in the kitchen can be a fun experience.  I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.  I like food, good food, healthy food and most foods can be healthy when prepared correctly and eaten in the right amount.  You just shouldn’t super size everything, over indulge just because it taste good and you need to include a lot of vegetable, fruits and whole grains; even when it comes to sandwiches. 

I love coming up with new ideas and concoctions, if you will, and most of them come out pretty well, some of them even great.  The kitchen is a great place to get my creative juices flowing, especially when it comes to good eating.

As young folks still living at home, we all quite often on a Saturday or Sunday evening fixed our own when it came time for something to eat.  Even moms deserve a break now and then.  My brother, sister and I used to come up with some pretty crazy sandwiches and a few of them have become family classics.  We still enjoy them. 

I still create a lot of sandwich concoctions especially come summer time when I just don’t want to cook, at least not inside.  Just about anything I have on hand may end up between two slices of bread and if I don’t have one thing I substitute another.  I don’t like the same old thing all the time.  I like making eating an interesting and fun as well as a tasty and healthy adventure.

Just a short time ago I made a super good sandwich from a couple of vegetarian like chicken patties I had in the freezer I wanted to get used up.  I grilled the patties in my ever handy George Forman* personal grill and toasted a couple of sandwich buns.  I spread a little mayonnaise on each half of the bun, topped them with lettuce leaves and some sliced onion.  I added some pickled beet slices, some baby spinach leaves and a few pieces of arugula and then put my cooked vegetarian chicken patties on top.  It turned out to be a really great veggie burger. 

I also love sharing recipes and meal ideas with my friends and others who may be interested and I have to confess when my friend Molly shared a whole list of her favorite sandwich toppings with me I went a little crazy in the kitchen mixing them up and trying them all out, having to adjust a few for lack of ingredients she called for. I didn’t make a sandwich from each one yet but the combinations are great and I have a few of them in the refrigerator to use for the next few days meals.  I had a lot of fun making and sampling. These toppings are wonderful and not just for burgers.  Here is a link to her page of great sandwich toppings.  http://notecook.com/side-dishes/spreads/grill-an-out-of-the-ordinary-hamburger/

When it comes summer I love sandwiches and a salad for a meal with a tall and cool drink.  It is just too hot and humid to do a lot of cooking and what I do cook is often outside on the grill.  Well last night I came up with my own concoction using a couple of Molly’s great toppings.  I ended up with a great veggie burger and just sealed the extra topping mix in containers and refrigerated them for another day.  I made a few minor adjustments on this one because I was missing a couple of ingredients she had suggested so I sort of combined a couple of her toppings to make one of my own but it turned out just great.

THE GREAT VEGGIE BURGER (The kind that substitutes ground beef)

Make topping (dressing) and put in refrigerator to chill

Topping (sandwich spread)

In a small bowl combine and beat until well blended and spreadable

1 – 3 oz pkg. cream cheese softened

2 Tbsp. Old English Cheese Spread* with pimento and olive

2 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 Tbsp. finely chopped celery

1 Tbsp. finely chopped green bell pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

Dash of salt

Dash of ground black pepper

Build your Great Veggie Burger

Grill your veggie burgers until done but not dry (I use Morning Star* brand)

Lightly toast your sandwich buns (I use whole grain)

Mix 4 Tbsp. butter or margarine with 2 Tbsp. finely chopped pine nuts or walnuts

Lightly spread this butter mixture on both top and bottom bun

Spread some of your prepared topping on bottom half of bun and top with lettuce leaves and a thin slice of onion. Place your cooked veggie burger on top of onion.  Top with a slice of tomato, 3-4 cucumber slices, slice of cheese of choice (I used Monterey Jack) add a few more lettuce leaves; spread a little of your topping mixture on top half of bun and place on top of your sandwich.  This was so really good; so good I ate two.  Then I took a walk because I was stuffed. 

I just said at the beginning of this article to not over indulge but I confess sometimes I do.  One is really enough.  I really like veggie burgers even though I am not a strict vegetarian.

When it comes to the backyard barbecue or cook out it doesn’t have to just be hamburgers, hot dogs or grilled chicken.  The vegetarian burgers are wonderful and make a great sandwich.  Almost any topping compliments them and you can get really creative and have a tasty and healthy meal.  Summertime just lends itself to sandwiches and creative cooking.  Have fun and don’t be afraid to get a little creative when it comes to the sandwich.  Just remember, there is a rule; if you make it, you eat it.  My mom said so