Roasted Portobello Sandwiches

I've found that like seasons, I go through food phases. Right now I'm in a sandwich phase. A big one. A breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I'd-marry-a-sandwich if I could phase. I think I like them because you can make them as complicated or as simple as you like and they still taste good. There's enough variables to keep things interesting, and they go really good with soup(my other current winter food obsession).

Anything with the word portobello involved is probably something I want to eat, and when I saw portobellos at the grocery store as big as my face I knew what I had to do. Huge portobello mushrooms remind me of last summer when we'd have BBQs at midnight on Mondays just because we could. We'd go to Loblaws and find the biggest shrooms there, then coat them in olive oil and steak seasoning and BBQ them into deliciousness. Then I'd usually douse them in hot sauce which sounds strange but is weirdly delicious. Anything that reminds me of summer right now is okay with me!

I threw some roasted zucchini on there as well, cause the more roasted veg the happier I am. Avocado is super tasty in this as well, and maybe onions if you like those sort of things.

Roasted Portobello Sandwiches

1 ciabatta bun
1 Portobello(the biggest you can find)
Half a zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 tsp and 2 tsps olive oil
salt and pepper
dried parsley
hummus
1/4 avocado sliced
handful of greens

Preheat oven to 400, destem the portobello and lay it gill side up in a pan. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Roast for 15 mins, or until soft(depending on the size of your mushroom).

Place zucchini in a pan, drizzle with 2 tsps olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to coat and roast for 15, or until soft. Top with greens, mushroom, zucchini, and avocado and serve!

Slice bun in half and place under broiler for a minute, then cover one slice with hummus.

Hummus!

I think hummus is a food group for vegans. For this one it is at least! I put it on everything, and I love the way it lends itself to multiple flavours! It's also a great way to sneak in some beans if you didn't love them right away(like me). Chickpeas have quite a neutral flavour in comparison to most beans(you can even use them as a base for brownies!!). Canned is easy, but purchasing them in bulk and cooking them yourself is super simple and cost conservation! Plus you don't have to worry about any pesky BPA being in your can lining.

Hummus is ridiculously easy to make, and the only thing really limiting you with it is your imagination. You can even swap chickpeas for edamame, mash in steamed sweet potato, or mix in different types of beans or avocado for creaminess. The basic recipe consists of chickpeas, tahini(sesame seed butter), garlic, lemon, salt, and olive oil. I like it with lots of garlic and rosemary, or super spicy! It's great for dipping, topping salads in place of dressing, or in wraps.

Rosemary Garlic Hummus


2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder(fresh is good too)
salt to taste
1/4 cup water(or more, depending on desired consistency)

Place everything in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. It thickens up when placed in the fridge, so you may find you need to add more water the next day. It also tastes better after a couple hours when the flavours have had a chance to mix.

Other add in's that could taste good:
Hot Sauce
Caramalized Onions
Roasted Garlic
Curry Powder
Sweet Potato
Ginger
Chopped Herbs