4 ingredient open faced sammich

Back before I found out that I couldn't eat wheat anymore, and it was hot out, I used to get overheated. When I was overheated, I didn't want to cook, because, HEY! I'm already hot. So I used to make sandwiches, usually peanut butter, or tomato.

I don't do chicken salad, and I wasn't in the mood for peanut butter, but today it was quite hot, and what I wanted was a nice refreshing sandwich. I know, people generally don't refer to sandwiches as refreshing, but when there's lots of crisp, cold veggies, it sure does feel refreshing! So I threw together this:

Bruschetta and Hummus Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 plain rice cake
1 large Tbsp hummus (I used carmelized onion hummus, it's awesome!)
1 leaf lettuce (I used boston lettuce, not because it's the best or anything, but because it was on sale and I hate iceberg lettuce)
A few tablespoons of prepared bruschetta

Directions:
There's only really one direction. Spread the hummus on the rice cake, top with lettuce, top that with bruschetta, eat and enjoy!

This is also super delicious on toast, toasted bagels, and english muffins. :)

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

I have a sandwich thing. My thing is that I love sandwiches.

Not that big of a thing, I know. But when you find out you can no longer eat wheat, regular sandwiches are pretty much the first thing to go. And if you don't want to bake your own bread, for whatever reason, and have to buy store bought gluten free bread, non-grilled sandwiches are then out of the question, because the bread texture can be... iffy to say the least. Usually it's a weird crumbly mess, and it's just downright sad.

So, if you're like me, you move into the realm of paninis, because you can make grilled sammiches, or wraps, or even grill your own veggies quite easily, and they taste pretty good, even with iffy bread.

This weekend I got paid from my babysitting job (Worked 3 consecutive jobs over 2 days, was very tired afterwards!) and I said to my self, "Natalia, you know what you deserve? I good ol grilled sammich stuffed to the rafters with stuff. Not just any stuff. Your favorite stuff."

So I did. Here is that sandwich:

Grilled Veggie and Daiya Sammich

Ingredients (For 2 sandwiches):
4 slices gluten free bread
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced into slices
a few Mushrooms, sliced
fresh basil leaves
A few slices of tomato
Tofu cut into slices. (Marinated or not, it tends to still taste pretty good. I used some BBQ marinated)
A handful of Daiya Cheddar
Veganaise, salt, and pepper- to taste.

Directions:
Heat up your panini press. If you don't have a panini press, you can make this like a grilled sandwich in a pan, but it's easier with a press. (I think everyone, money able, should get an electric grill press, OR, like my sister got me at a thrift store, a stovetop grill press) I have also heard of people using waffle irons to make grilled sandwiches, but have never tried it myself. So many options!
So spread however much vegannaise you want on one side of each of the bread slices. If you're using an electric press, I've found you don't need to put any margarine or oil on the outside of the bread, but if you're going stovetop you might have to!
Then, layer up your stuff. The order of the layer doesn't matter so much, but I've found that the Daiya is best melted when it's right next to the bread.
Grill until the daiya is melted, and the bread is crispy.
Eat. EAT AND LOVE LIFE! 

A delicious Panini

I recently stumbled upon This. That looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Alas, not vegan, OR gluten free. I felt like this needed to be rectified. However, there's a problem.

I can't make grilled cheese sandwiches. I wish I was kidding about this, but I have never been able to cook grilled cheese. I always either burn them, or the cheese wasn't melted. I was terrible. TERRIBLE.

Until Matthew got me a panini press that is.

Guacamole and 'Cheese' Panini with Garlicy Potato Wedges

Ingredients

1/2 an avocado

1/2 a small tomato

a bit of garlic (to taste)

Lime juice (to taste)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Cheddar or Mozza Daiya (I like to pile it on myself)

2 Slices of gf bread

Some vegan margarine

1-2 potatoes

olive oil

salt & pepper

garlic powder

Dried Parsley

Directions

Set your oven to 425. 

Nuke the potatoes until almost cooked. Allow them to cool for a few minutes, and then cut them into wedges. Toss with the oil, and place onto a lined cookie sheet. 

Shake the spices onto the potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once, until the outsides are crispy. 

Meanwhile, spread the margarine onto the outside of your bread. Cover one slice with guacamole, and cover that with as much  Daiya as you like. Top with the second slice of bread. 

Either grill (if you are competent, which I am not) Or panini it until the cheese is all nice and melty. 

Cut in half, and serve with the potatoes, and some ketchup, if that's your preference. 

A yummy Panini

I don't bake bread often.

When you bake gluten free bread, it's more of an event. It's expensive, it can easily fail, and it can be very very frustrating. So I need a really good reason for why I want to make it.

Then I saw This.

Holyyyyy crap! That looked like the most amazing sandwich on the planet of the earth.

So I had to make it.

I made a few changes however, and will list them below!

Tempeh Ruben Style Sandwich

Altered from Olives for Dinner

Alterations made:

I did not use liquid smoke on the tempeh. This was purely accidental, but it tasted good!

Instead of brown sugar, I used maple syrup. I like maple-ey tastes!

I (obv) did not use rye bread (Gluten) and instead used Brown Rice/Sorghum bread, which tasted really good regardless. 

I used Daiya Pepperjack Shreds (a little extra spice!)

And finally, I didn't grill it in a pan, I made it on the panini press. Sandwiches always, for some mysterious reason, taste better after being grilled on a panini press!