classic philly roast sandwich

By now we are all familiar with the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, the popular sandwich made with cow parts, cheese-whiz and, sometimes, onion and pepper. I made that sandwich cruelty-free back in 2012 and it is one heck of a great eat. That one comes complete with SteaK Seitan and cheese sauce; I encourage you to go make it as soon as possible.

But, less know is its cousin, Philly's Roast Pork Sandwich. Quite curiously, it turns out that locally this is the more popular of the two, and it is this week's Great Sandwich Remake.

Taking a closer look, traditionally, it is roast pig, topped with provolone cheese and garlicky broccoli rabe (rapini) and roasted or pickled long hots or peppers. Rapini is in the brasssica family and is delightfully bitter. Not to mention, difficult to locate at time. Fear not, I offer you a sub in the recipe.

My kinder version of this sandwich, Philly Roast Sandwich with Provolone and Rapini, is made using seasoned portobello mushrooms. The mushrooms are roasted tightly covered, to retain moisture and flavor, which gives it a tender, yet toothsome-ness texture that this savory sandwich requires.

To get started, we need a good seasoning mixture and a few classic recipes I found use Montreal Steak Seasoning. Since I already have the ingredients to make the seasoning, I see no need to run out and buy some especially labeled that. It only requires paprika, peppercorns, garlic, onion, red chili flakes, salt and coriander. If you want to get fancy and toast the coriander and peppercorns, go for it; I just added everything to my Magic Bullet and buzzed it.

Use a spoon to scrape the gills from the mushrooms, coat with the mustard mixture (we need to add flavor wherever possible) and sprinkle with the seasoning mix. Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs (required are Rosemary and thyme), cover very, very well, and roast for 45 minutes.

Because the moisture is trapped in the pan, the mushrooms braise and roast, leaving a very flavorful and moist sandwich filling. Traditionally the roast sandwich is garnished with au jus because the meat is dry, but the way we cooked the mushrooms that is not an issue, so no au jus is needed.

Slice the mushrooms very thin (about 1/4-inch) and make your cheese sauce (or buy Follow Your Heart Provolone Slices.) Since the classic sandwich has aged, sharp provolone, I decided to make it instead.

My new cookbook, Aquafaba, has 2 cheese recipes in it, so I have become very familiar with cheese flavors and I decided to go for it and make it myslef. For the base I used                   
Somer McCowan's Moxarella recipe and added a few "sharp" ingredients. Somer is also the author of The Abundance Diet, which is a pretty terrific book.

The cheese recipe is really very easy and quick to make, so head over there to get the directions (the recipe is toward the bottom of the post) and then use these adjusted ingredients:

Sharp Provolone-style Moxarella Cheese:

1 cup soymilk or almond milk (unsweetened and plain)
1/4 cup drained (for 24 hours) homemade yogurt or store-bought unsweetened, plain yogurt
2 teaspoons white or chickpea miso
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup raw cashews
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vegan lactic acid (if you have it)

Directions: are HERE on Somer's blog. Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth.


As for the garlicky greens, they are a must! If you can't find rapini, use 1/2 spinach and 1/2 arugula or kale. Don't skimp on the garlic! The mushroom has limited garlic flavor, so the added garlic in the greens adds more flavor. Toast your bun, add the mushroom and cheese and broil until golden. Then top with the greens and peppers and you have this gorgeous delicious sandwich::

Classic Philly Roast Sandwich with Provolone and Rapini
Makes 4 sandwiches

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
6 medium portobello mushrooms (or 4 portobellos and 8 ounces creminis)
2 tablespoons Montreal Seasoning Mix (homemade or store-bought)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large red bell pepper or 2 to 3 long hots
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large bunch rapini or 1 bunch spinach and 1 bunch arugula
Salt and black pepper
4 kaiser or hoagie rolls
4 Vegan Provolone slices or Moxarella, provolone-style (see above)

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Combine 2 tablespoons of oil, the mustard and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Remove the stems and scrape the gills from the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet, gill-side down, and spread all over with the mustard mixture. If using creminis, spread the mixture on the caps. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the spice mixture. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme and add to the mushrooms. Cover the pan with parchment paper and then tightly cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.   
2. Chop the peppers into 1/2-inch thick slices. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the peppers. Cook, stirring only after the peppers have begun charring. Season with salt and pepper and cook until crisp-tender. Set aside. 
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat in the skillet and add the garlic. Cook until golden, stirring often. Add the greens and stir well using tongs. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, but still bright green. If cooking rapini, add 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth, cover the pan and cook until tender. Remove and set aside.
4. When the mushrooms are ready, remove them from the pan and cut into thin slices. Split and toast the rolls. Divide the mushrooms among the rolls, add cheese and broil until the cheese is melted and browning. Top with the rapini and peppers and serve. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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pantry+ zucchini satay with spicy lime sauce and quinoa

It's been a hectic week! My son and his partner just moved up to Berkeley, where he is finishing up his bachelor's in film; he is graduating this coming May! Look out for his work - he is the next hit film director.

My girls just returned from Europe (they paid for it all, btw - we have college budget, not traveling budget!) after a month long stay and they have college starting this month, too.

I just sent in the final draft to my new cookbook Aquafaba: Sweet and Savory Vegan Recipes Made Egg-Free With the Magic of Bean Water (Amazon, B&N). It is coming out in October. I don't know how much of a mess I'll be getting myself into, but I've also committed to creating a YouTube channel for aquafaba. :}

As you can see, we are as busy as the next family! In that vein, here is an easy and fast recipe that you can throw together using only 4 pantry items and 5 fresh/non-pantry items!

Zucchini Satay with Spicy Lime Sauce and Quinoa.

Equipment:
Very fine mesh strainer
Blender (optional)
Bowl
Medium Pot
Skillet or grill pan

Pantry ingredients are:
Reduced-sodium tamari
Vegetable broth
Sriracha
Sugar (optional)

Fresh ingredients are:
Lime
Zucchini
Cilantro
Quinoa
Nut/Seed Butter

There is a story behind that empty Sriracha bottle that I will be sharing with you soon. Hint: Sriracha comes in a plastic bottle (at least the ones I can find here do).

This dish is simple and quick enough, but you have to get the quinoa cooking right away because it takes about 30 minutes to make. After rinsing it, add it to the already warming broth and cook for 15 minutes, covered. Remove from the heat and set aside to steam for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, add the marinade ingredients [butter (peanut or sunflower seed), lime juice, tamari, broth, sriracha and sugar (if needed)] to a blender and process until smooth. You can even do that using just a whisk and a bowl, but your butter has to be soft enough to whip easily.

Cut the zucchini into 1-inch thick pieces and thread onto skewers (or not; it can be a hassle, but it makes a great presentation).

Cover with the sauce and set aside while you heat up your skillet or grill pan (preferably cast iron).

Then just grill or cook in the pan until tender and golden. Serve it with the fluffed quinoa, the rest of the sauce and garnish with the remaining cilantro. The zucchini takes about 10 to 13 minutes to cook based on the size you cut it. I cut it to 1-inch thickness so I would have less zucchini to thread onto skewers. If you cut them thinner, just cook it for less time.

Before I give you the recipe, Susan Smoaks, please contact me about you winning the Jazzy Vegetarian DVD set. If you don't contact me by Tuesday I will have to pick another winner. Thanks!

Zucchini Satay with Spicy Lime Sauce and Quinoa 
Makes 4 servings
Pantry list is HERE.

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (retain zest for garnish)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari
3 tablespoons peanut or sunflower seed butter
2 to 4 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
4 small to medium zucchinis
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Quinoa: add the broth to a medium pot and bring to a boil. In the meantime, rinse the quinoa very well and add it, and the salt, to the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, still covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add a few tablespoons of chopped cilantro to the quinoa. 
2. Satay: Combine the lime juice, tamari, butter, sriracha, broth, and sugar (if using - taste and add to the sauce if needed) in a small blender. Blend until smooth. 
3. Cut the zucchini into 1-inch pieces and thread onto skewers that will fit comfortably in your skillet. Place the skewers of zucchini on a platter and cover with the sauce. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat until hot. Add the skewers and cook 5 minutes on each side until tender; baste the zucchini every few minutes or so. Season with salt and black pepper. 
4. Serve the quinoa with the satay, the remaining sauce and garnish with the remaining cilantro.


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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