5/23 Happy Meatless Monday-Fried Green Tomato, Cajun Tempeh Sandwiches
A few years ago while visiting Sandy’s parents in the South we went to a tiny restaurant called The Fickle Pickle. Their shining star is the fried green tomato sandwich. At the time, tomatoes topped my list of food foes. But here I was, given the opportunity to taste a historically amazing sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. I’ll try most anything once.
That began my love affair with fried green tomato sandwiches.
Photo By: S. Duquet
Sandy has created a sandwich so divine featuring cajun tempeh steaks and fried green tomatoes. The flavor of this sandwich will transport you to a breezy porch on a hot sultry afternoon, with a big Mason jar full of sweet tea. The components to creating this sandwich are a tiny bit labor intensive but the nice thing is that it makes enough cajun tempeh for an additional sandwich or for snacking.
Ingredients
1 8 oz pkg of tempeh
4 Tbsp of cajun seasoning or spicy mix. (I used a Southwest Chipotle mixture this time that McCormick makes.)
2 Tbsp of paprika
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 green tomato
3-4 Tbsp of bread crumbs
spray oil
1/2 C arugula
BBQ sauce (optional)
2 hearty buns
Make It Happen
Cut the tempeh into half and then in half again, making 4 even pieces. Boil the tempeh pieces for 10 minutes in water. Remove from water and set aside for a few minutes until they cool enough to handle. In small bowl blend cajun spice, paprika and garlic. Roll the tempeh pieces in the mixture, coating each piece completely. Spray saute pan lightly with oil and simmer tempeh for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until it browns a bit with a few char marks and is heated through.
Meanwhile, slice green tomato into 1/3 inch thick slices. Lightly spray each side with oil and dredge in bread crumbs until coated. Add tomato slices to saucepan with tempeh or lightly spray and heat a second pan. Simmer on each side on medium heat until the bread crumbs brown and the slice is heated through, about 3 minutes each side.
Remove tempeh from pan, slice into thin pieces and place on bun. Coat with BBQ sauce if desired. Add 2 tomato slices and arugula. Top with the other half of the bun and enjoy.
The tomato is sweet with hints of lime and peppers. The tempeh brings a smoky and savory bite to the sandwich so it is like having a pulled pork sammy at a BBQ competition, the best you could get. We topped it with peppery arugula for added sass.
Photo By: S. Duquet
We served ours with some hand slices sweet potato shoe strings. As we take baby steps into tomato season you may want to add this revamped iconic sandwich into you repertoire. Enjoy.
Kale Trail Update
Over the weekend we had our long run of 3.5 miles. I thought I was ready. As we were doing our ten minute warm up, walking farther and farther away from the house I began to panic and heard myself blurt out, “What if I can’t do this? I’m not sure I can do this.” I think I was as surprised as Sandy but there it was, it was out there. I was having a difficult time breathing, my knees hurt, my feet hurt and my water carrying fanny pack felt identical in weight to a dead body. I was trying with all of my sabbateur skills to find a valid reason to stop but luckily, neither rational Sherry nor Sandy were listening and we kept on running. Three and a half miles later we were cooling down, high fiving and enjoying some coconut water. Right on. Even if something scares us, we can do it anyway. It is possible to walk, run or kick and scream through the fear and come out the other side a little bit stronger.
Have a delicious day.
Tags: compassionate eating, dairy free, Fried green tomato sandwiches, going veg, Meatless Monday, Meatless Monday recipe, plant based diet, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan experience, vegan fried green tomato sandwiches, vegan recipe, vegan Summer food, vegan wannabe, vegetarian fried green tomato sandwiches, vegetarian recipe
