I'm Vegan, Now What Do I Put On a Sandwich?

November 3rd was National Sandwich Day so I thought I'd post some vegan options.  Of course, the possibilities are endless, but here are two we enjoy.

Introducing No-Egg Salad and Curried Chickenless Salad Sandwiches from Vegan Planet.  I made both these sandwich fillings for our Halloweegan Party.  It was my first time making No-Egg Salad, but it was a huge hit with the kids.  I make Curried Chickenless Salad pretty regularly, but usually with chickpeas instead of tempeh (recipe calls for tempeh).  Both work, but I prefer the tempeh.  I could eat this stuff with a spoon (okay, I might have eaten a little with a spoon).  I used chipotle relish because that is what I had, so the Curried Chickenless Salad a little more zing.  The No-Egg Salad is tofu based and tasty, but more mellow so I thought the kids at the party might prefer it.  I cut some up with ghost cookie cutters to go with the theme, but felt it was too wasteful (my kids ate the "scraps", but still).  The picture is the last little bit of the spreads for lunch the next day.  I added some za'atar and raw pumpkin seeds to the No-Egg Salad and they are both on Flax Nut Bread from Strawberry Fields.  They are both even better with spinach leaves and shredded carrots and great in a wrap as well as on bread.

Here is a post about Vegan Planet's Curried Chickenless Salad from All That Vegan Jazz.  One of our Halloween party attendees asked about tempeh and what it is exactly.  Many people think of tempeh as a whole food, more so than tofu.  Obviously, I'm not apposed to either.  Here is the wikipedia link about tempeh and the nutritional breakdown.  I have made tofu at home, but not tempeh.  Here is a link on how to make homemade tempeh.  Many people prefer the flavor of tempeh if it is poached first.

You may have noticed, I add raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas to everything from soups to pasta to sandwiches.  This is intentional.  I usually only add a few since they are high in fat, but they are also little tasty nutrient power houses.

I served the sandwiches with black mission figs.  I'll take a second to talk about figs.  I didn't really eat figs before going vegan, but I grew to love them. We buy them in bulk since having kids.  I have figs and a variety of nuts available anytime for their snacking pleasure.  Why?  Well, the taste good, but that is rarely enough for this mom. Figs are naturally sweet, so satisfying to those with a sweet tooth, but also high in nutrients, calcium and iron to name a few.  I started adding a few to my hot cup of tea when Parker was very little.  Figs were hard for him to chew with his small and sporadic baby teeth, but rehydrating them in tea made them easier to chew and added a little sweetness to my cup.  Figs are also high in fiber so I guess you wouldn't want to overdo, but we've never had a problem.  Now that Parker is older, the figs in the tea also turn into a science lesson.  He talks about how it must be a reversible physical change since the fig can be dehydrated then hydrated again.