The Vegan Rueben
It was the summer of 1988. A young man stood at the doorstep of adulthood. Fast and clean was his Honda Accord. Plentiful were his mixed tapes. Semi-loud was his factory installed car stereo system. High and tight was his flat-top haircut, a throw-back to the fifties. Tightly pegged were his pants accented by the neon colors of his Polo shirts. Yes, he had made it. Sitting on top of his world, he could see his senior year on the horizon, and all he needed was the perfect big-haired girl to share it all with.
Unfortunately, courting women, wearing the latest fashions, and cruising in his Accord cost him money. He needed a job. He needed flexible hours. He needed above average pay. He needed something that started after 10:00am. He needed inside work as Southern summers are hot and humid. And most importantly, he needed something to stop the endless “When are you going to get a job?” So, the young man hit the pavement and began what seemed like an exhaustive search.
His efforts were finally rewarded when he stepped into a newly opened sandwich shop called “Schlotzsky’s.” Here, the flexible hours allowed him to start at 11:00am and finish by 9:00pm. Here, he could earn $.50 above the minimum wage, a virtual windfall. Here, he was making sandwiches in air-conditioned comfort. Here, he could rock out to his favorite 80’s radio station. Here, the endless calls were finally silenced. And here, he was first introduced to the Rueben sandwich.
In honor of that young man and the countless sandwiches made in the summer of 1988, I present my vegan version of the RUEBEN SANDWICH. In my opinion, the Rueben Sandwich is the perfect mix of salty, sweet, and sour toasted to perfection with cheese and spicy mustard. It is a relatively simple sandwich to make, and if you have left-over seitan from my previous pot roast blog, you are about 15 minutes away from a delicious lunch time treat.
Ingredients
- 4 Slices of Bread (Wheat or Rye)
- 2 Slices Vegan Swiss Cheese (Daiya)
- 8 oz. Seitan (sliced thin)
- 1 Cup Sauerkraut
- ¼ Cup Vegan Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbs. Sweet Pickle Relish
- 1 Tbs. Ketchup
- 1 Tsp. Siracha Hot Sauce
- 1 Tbs. Spicy Mustard
Instructions
Warm up your seitan slices in the microwave, under a broiler, or sautéed in a skillet. While the seitan heats, toast your bread slices. As these items cook, add the mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Whisk to combine these ingredients.
When toasted, take two slices of the bread and top each with a slice of cheese. Run this bread under the broiler until the cheese is melted. Now you can begin to assemble your sandwich. Take your remaining bread slices and coat with about ½ tablespoon of mustard. Evenly divide your seitan onto each bread slice. Top the seitan with the sauerkraut. Drizzle a generous spoonful or two of the mayonnaise mixture over the sauerkraut. Then finish the sandwich with the remaining melted cheese toast.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/rueben-sandwich/Although the Accord broke down, the pants went out of style, and the girl put down her hairspray, the sandwich lives on and the summer of 1988 will never be forgotten. Lunch is ready: a simple sandwich with complex tastes. The young man hopes you enjoy it. He worked relatively hard that summer learning how to make it. Longer Letter Later.
A Delicious Lunchtime Treat
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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