Simple Measure

I think I can safely say that all the craziness is over. Today we wheeled the last few boxes to our new apartment in what’s been a scattered two week moving process.

But moving is pretty mundane compared to how September closed out — with Amanda and Jason’s wedding in the Catskills. Talk about three days of jaw-dropping gorgeous scenery, dancing like crazy and laughing so hard it hurts.

Jared and I felt pretty lucky. We were able to fly in to Manhattan early and catch a ride to mountain country with the bride and groom. Two hours to catch up, laugh, and get the lowdown on the exciting weekend ahead.

Near the end of the trip we pulled off at an eclectic little restaurant to grab dinner. Jason and Amanda had a hunch we’d like The Eggs Nest, which devotes an entire section of the menu to tempeh dishes.

When I saw the reuben listed, I had no choice but to order it– I get one whenever I spy it on a menu. After the first awesome sauerkraut-y bite, I put my fork down and announced to the table:

“Oh yeah, I’ve GOT to make this when I get home.”

For someone who loves veggie reubens as much as I do, it’s hard to believe I’ve never made them before. So here’s my tribute to that king daddy of all diner sandwiches: the reuben.

It’s one hell of a (veggie) sandwich.

Tempeh Reuben Sandwiches

I baked my sandwiches, but you might try broiling them. As long as the sandwiches come out melty and toasty, it’s all good. Oh, and I should mention, I’ve never actually had an honest to goodness real corned beef reuben. So this may be a little different if you’re used to the traditional version. But trust me, it’s soo good.

2 eight oz. packages soy tempeh

12 slices rye or pumpernickel bread

1/2 pound swiss cheese, sliced

1 small onion, sliced thinly

Sauerkraut (I’m a fan of Bubbies)

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Thousand Island dressing

For marinade

2 Tbs shoyu or soy sauce

1 Tbs vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

1/4 Tsp. paprika

1/4 Tsp. cumin

1 clove garlic, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Halve each cake of tempeh lengthwise, then halve again so you have 8 slices of tempeh. Cover with marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 10 minutes. Add tempeh and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Turn heat up to medium high and cook tempeh for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Build sandwich by placing tempeh on a slice of bread, followed by onions from the pan, cheese, and sauerkraut. Top with remaining slice of bread and wrap in tinfoil.

4. Bake in oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is beginning to toast.

Serve with Thousand Island dressing on the side with tortilla chips and a pickle.

Makes 6 sandwiches

Life has been keeping me busy lately. Between my schedule changing at work and all the craziness of moving into a new apartment, I haven’t been cooking much at all. I haven’t even been thinking about food as much as I normally do.

But now I’m settled into my new place, and I’ve fallen in love with my kitchen. It gets beautiful light in the morning, and lately I’ve been spending time sitting at the table, just drinking coffee and reading. It’s the perfect place to flip through cookbooks and dream of everything I want to make this fall.

I thought I would return to blogging with an old simple favorite of mine. It’s a sandwich that I want to eat all the time, and I’m sure you’ve tried a variation of it before. It’s just good bread, good cheese, and granny smith apple all toasted up in the oven.

You can make this sandwich with any cheese that melts easily, like sharp cheddar or swiss. I like to make mine with Tomme de Savoie, which is an earthy-tasting French raw milk cheese. I always keep my version plain, but feel free to add some veggies or bacon if you want a heartier sandwich.

Tomme de Savoie and Granny Smith Sandwich

Serves two

1 demi baguette, halved twice to make 4 slices

Hunk of Tomme de Savoie

1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thinly

Butter

Oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread a generous amount of butter on each slice of bread.

3. Place about three or four slices of apple on top.

4. Put enough cheese on the bread to cover the surface.

5. Sprinkle oregano over everything.

6. Place on a baking sheet and bake until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.

Jared and I were in Wicker Park the other day, just pawing through a pile of old books in a resale shop… when suddenly he found what I think is my new favorite cookbook of all time: Moosewood Restaurant Daily Specials.

I’m a soups and salad enthusiast (read: fanatic), and this collection has got ‘em all. It’s a round up of the best-loved daily soup and salad specials that has kept the Moosewood Restaurant packed with a devoted lunch crowd for decades.

One of my favorite things about salad recipes is how easily they can be transformed into sandwiches for a full dinner.

Our latest discovery from this treasure of a cookbook? Tofu + curry and mayonnaise in a spinach wrap = awesome. Trust me.

Don’t be tempted to leave out the pumpkin seeds, like I almost did. They add just the right amount of crunch to balance out the soft tofu salad filling.

Tomorrow Jared and I head off to California for a very special wedding. Look forward to end o’ summer recipes when we get back. In the meantime, thanks for reading!

Curried Tofu Wraps
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 block firm tofu, cubed (no need to press the water out of it prior to cubing)

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and minced

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and minced

1 celery stalk, minced

1 Tbs minced red onion

10 large lettuce leaves, torn

¼ cup unsalted, raw pumpkin seeds (or sunflower)

½ cup mayonnaise (or soy mayo)

1 – 2 tsp curry powder, to taste

Juice of ½ a fresh lemon (about 2 Tbs)

5 spinach wraps

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Boil the water in a large saucepan. Add the salt and tofu cubes, and allow to blanch for 3 minutes. Transfer tofu to a colander and allow to fully drain. Pop the tofu in the fridge as you prepare the rest.

Mix the mayo, curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Throw it in the fridge and let it chill while you mince the vegetables, and tear the lettuce leaves.

Makes 5 wraps