Colorful winter vegetarian sandwich

I won a gift pack of spreads from HerbNZest and Nextdoorganics. I was inspired to create this sandwich, which is healthy, filling and a delicious alternative to a basic cheese sandwich. OK, my kids thought squash on a sandwich is weird, but they are also repulsed by our pickles and peanut butter sandwiches, so go figure.

Amazing squash sandwich

Acorn squash

olive oil

4 oz brie 

8 leaves radicchio, torn

2 T HerbNZest caramelized apple champagne mustard 

8 slices sturdy multigrain bread (I baked my own sourdough bread, but anything from Bread Alone would work)

Makes 4 sandwiches

Preheat oven to 400

Cut squash in half from top to bottom. Put a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with sides) and put the squash halves, flesh side down, on the oil.

Roast for 35-40 min, until squash is tender - pierces easily with a fork - but not mushy.

Scoop out seeds and discard. Scoop squash flesh out, discard skin.

Spread mustard on 4 slides of bread. Load up roasted squash on top. If you have leftovers, save for squash pancakes, muffins, risotto, etc. 

Slice brie thinly and top the squash. Tear up the radicchio and add, top with remaining slices of bread and serve.

Vegetarian Reuben Love: a lifetime in the making

In the 1970s, when I shopped in Manhattan with my mother, we always had lunch at Lord & Taylor or B Altman’s.

I remember once ordering a Reuben sandwich. It sounded really cool to me.  Trouble was, I hated pumpernickel bread, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese.

Then there was the thousand island dressing.  This is essentially mayonnaise and ketchup, both of which I’ve always despised.

So I customized. I asked for a Reuben on rye, with no dressing, sauerkraut or cheese. The waitress said, 

‘So you want a corned beef sandwich.’

‘No,' I insisted. 'A Reuben.’

Flash forward a few years.  Ok, decades.

As a vegetarian, I will never order corned beef. But I love sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and pumpernickel bread.

So I just had to get the veggie Reuben at Thistle Hill Tavern. This sandwich is made with beets, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and excellent Orwashers rye bread.

I still hate mayo and ketchup, and I’m not sure what condiments were on the sandwich, but it was a glorious, messy delight. And if that waitress from long ago want to claim it’s not really a Reuben, so be it.