Dinner in hand: our sandwiches are hearty enough for dinner but quick enough for lunch - includes recipes - Low-Fat and Fast - Cover Story

Vegetarian Times, May, 1997 by Terry Christofferson

Now that the barbecue grill has been rolled out of the garage and onto the patio, Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches have become a once-a-week event at our house. Despite the frequency, the sandwiches are never boring: We try different vegetable combinations and even different breads to add a little variety to a favorite recipe. For example, try grilling eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and onions and placing in submarine rolls with a little tomato sauce, then sprinkling with grated Parmesan, Romano or provolone cheese. Delicious. Thick slices of grilled tomato and quartered artichoke hearts with red onion taste great when placed in a pita round heated on the grill. Sprinkle on a little Italian salad dressing for an extra kick. Remember to grill extra vegetables for a quick lunch sandwich the next day.

Just about everybody loves a Reuben, a sandwich made traditionally of corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese piled high on sourdough rye. With the addition of spicy mustard, dill pickles and cole slaw on the side, our vegetarian Reuben made with marinated tempeh is remarkably dose in flavor and texture to the original deli version. For best results, the tempeh should be marinated for several hours or overnight; you can also purchase a flavored tempeh, such as lemon-broiled tempeh, from the refrigerated case of your natural food store,

Marinated, flavored seitan available from your natural food store's refrigerated case makes an excellent sandwich filling. Our Seitan Salad Sandwich is quick and easy enough to prepare for lunch or dinner. If you want a vegan version of the sandwich, opt for vegan mayonnaise.

Don't stop there. Tofu, especially marinated, baked tofu, makes a hearty and delicious sandwich stuffer. Tofu and tempeh can be grilled, broiled or sauteed and stuffed into any kind of bread with your favorite fillings. Textured vegetable protein (TVP) can be formed into patties or meatballs" and then broiled or sauteed to make burgers or submarine sandwiches.

Around our house, just about anything can be made into a sandwich and the same can be true around your house with just a little perservance and experimentation.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

This is one of our favorite combinations but feel free to create your own family favorite combo.

2 Tbs. olive oil 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar (see glossary, p. 110) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small eggplant, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices 1 large portobello mushroom, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (see glossary, p. 110) 8 slices round sourdough or Italian bread 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and quartered 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered Salt and pepper to taste 8 large spinach leaves or green leaf lettuce 8 large basil leaves 1 large tomato, thinly sliced 4 1/4-inch slices red onion 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Preheat Grill. Combine oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. lightly brush both sides of eggplant and mushroom slices and one side of each bread slice with oil mixture. Arrange vegetables on grill rack over coals, placing bell peppers in center o grill. Grill until tender, turning once, 5 to 6 minutes each side. Place bread on grill during last five minutes of grilling to toast each side.

Season grilled vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange spinach or lettuce and basil on oiled side of 4 slices bread; top with tomato slices. Separate onion slices into rings; arrange over tomatoes. Top with remaining grilled vegetables; sprinkle with cheese if desired. Place remaining 4 slices bread, oiled-side down, over vegetables. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Note: The charred skins of the peppers can easily be slipped off after cooling the peppers 10 minutes in a paper or plastic bag.

Helpful hint: Because sliced vegetables have a tendency to slip through the grill rack, use a special fish or vegetable rack or foil placed on the grill rack to keep vegetables from falling into the coals. Fish or vegetable grill racks are available at hardware and department stores. PER SANDWICH: 271 CAL.; 7 G PROT.; 9G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 42G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 400MG SOD.; 5G FIBER. LACTO/VEGAN

Tempeh Reuben

8-oz. package tempeh (see note, [see glossary, p. 110]) 2 Tbs. tamari (see glossary, P. 110) or soy sauce 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/3 cup water 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. caraway seed (optional) 1/2 tsp. dill weed 1 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. paprika Mustard or nonfat Thousand Island dressing 8 slices rye bread 1 cup sauerkraut, heated 4 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese or soy cheese (see glossary, p. 110)

Slice tempeh in half crosswise, slice those pieces in half as if splitting a cake into layers. (You should have four equal pieces.) In a shallow baking dish, combine tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, pepper, caraway if using, dill, onion powder and paprika. Add tempeh slices; marinate at least 20 minutes or overnight, turning tempeh occasionally.

Microwave tempeh, covered, in marinade until hot, about 5 minutes. Spread mustard or salad dressing on 4 slices rye bread, add tempeh, sauerkraut and cheese and top with remaining slices of bread. Or serve as an open-faced sandwich by eliminating the top slices of bread and heating sandwich in microwave until cheese begins to melt. Serves 4.