chopped broccoli mushroom cheese
to kick off sandwich talk!
I got into it a little in a previous newsletter but it bears repeating: few things make me happier than a well-made sandwich. When they’re good, they can be downright restorative, capable of healing old wounds you didn’t even know were there, and making you feel like, maybe, things are going to be all right.
Eating a sandwich often feels like a luxury to me because, though they are famously easy to make, the time and care I put into making one always feels very intentional. The toasting of the bread, making the condiments (usually an aioli or pesto), washing and drying the greens, making quick pickles, the gingerly layering of ingredients. Sure, you can make one in a rush, but, as is the case with a lot of dishes, they always taste better when you take your time.
I think what you want to eat when you’re alone says a lot about you, and for me, nine times out of ten, it’s a sandwich. But as a former meat-eater, I know a vegetable-forward sandwich may not sound as exciting as its deli meat-laden counterparts. I mean, even I still dream about prosciutto sometimes. But I reject the notion that meat is mandatory to making a satisfying sandwich.
And I suppose that’s the whole idea behind this series (which I’m calling Sandwich Talk because Project: Veggie Sandwich doesn’t quite have the same ring to it), to show you that vegetables can be equally formidable sandwich ingredients, even the ones you’d never think to use, like broccoli, carrots, squash, or even the humble string bean, in the hopes that, maybe, next time you’re craving a sandwich and you’ve got some vegetables in your fridge that need using up, you might consider giving one of these recipes a try.
I also just really love talking about sandwiches, and this gives me the perfect excuse to keep doing so.
To kick off Sandwich Talk, this month’s recipe is:
chopped (broccoli and mushroom) cheese
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I’ve always wanted to experiment with using broccoli in a sandwich. Broccoli’s definitely one of my favorite vegetables. I love the texture and flavor. I love it roasted, sautéed, blanched or fried. I love it alone, in a soup, a stir-fry, or in a casserole with cheese. And as it turns out, I also love it in a sandwich. It’s such a versatile vegetable, and this recipe is a testament to that. Combining it with mushrooms gives it a nice earthiness, and the heft a good sandwich requires.
I used frozen florets but you can use fresh, of course. With the frozen florets, I dropped a bunch in a pan over medium heat to defrost and cook them in the process. When all the water/ice had melted and evaporated and the florets were fork-tender, I seasoned them with a little salt and pepper and transferred them to a bowl where they sat until I was ready to give them a good chop and combine them with the mushrooms.
I know a recipe’s a keeper when I can’t stop commenting how delicious it is as I’m eating it. What can I say? I like to gas myself up when I know I’ve done a good job. That’s exactly what happened with this sandwich. When I’d finished it, I couldn’t wait until I could make it again. It also got me excited about developing recipes for this series and thinking about all the other unlikely ingredients I could experiment with.
Let me know in the comments if you have any veggie sandwich ideas you’d like me to try. Shout out to
for already giving me a few ideas.
the recipe
(makes two sandwiches)
Ingredients:
12 broccoli florets, cooked til fork-tender and salted, chopped
1 package enoki mushrooms, with an inch from the bottom chopped off, chopped
1 large white onion, half diced for sautéing with mushrooms, half sliced into half-moons for pickling
4 garlic cloves
4 slices of artisanal crusty wheat bread
sliced cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp smoked paprika
apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Make the pickled onions: place the half-moon onion slices in a small bowl and sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp salt then toss to combine. Add about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or until they’re semi-submerged, and set aside or keep in the fridge until ready to assemble the sandwich.
In a small bowl, add a quarter cup of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a pinch of salt and mix to combine. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and stir in. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or smoked paprika to your liking.
Add some olive oil to a pan over medium heat, add the chopped onions and sauté until brown and lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the chopped enoki mushrooms. Sauté until browned and parts are caramelized and sticking to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped broccoli to the mushrooms in the pan. Sauté until broccoli takes on a bit of color and flavors are well-combined. Taste for seasoning.
You can skip this part and go straight to assembling and grilling but I like having the insides toasted as well. Toast one side of the four slices of bread.
Assemble: Place toasted slices face up on a cutting board, slather with smoked paprika mayo, then cover the entire slice with cheese, then spoon the broccoli and mushroom mixture on top, then layer the pickled onions, and cover with another slice of bread (toasted and mayo-slathered side down).
Grill in pan: Add butter or olive oil to a clean and pre-heated pan, place sandwich in the pan (over medium heat) so that the side where the cheese is closest is on the pan. Press the sandwich down with a spatula and cook until the bottom is well-toasted. Before flipping, add more oil to the pan (or spread mayo onto the top slice for nice browning), then flip. Cook until bottom is well-toasted.
Transfer to a plate, cut into triangles (if you like), and enjoy!
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Would love to hear your thoughts.
As always, thanks for being here! 💘
This newsletter is free but if you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee here. And if you liked this post, please consider sharing it with a friend.
Wow I cannot wait to make this 🥦
i'm really very excited for this!!!!