SMOKED VEGGIE REUBEN SANDWICH

When I was 19 I left England and spent the summer working as as a waitress in New York. The pastrami Reuben sandwich was one of the most popular dishes on the lunch menu. Traditionally it is made with rye bread, pastrami, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. I used to get the chef to make me a vegetarian version without the meat on my lunch break but it was lacking something. Many years later and I think I've cracked it!

I have substituted the meat with marinated Portobello mushrooms with smoked paprika to give the smokey flavour.

This is going to take a little more prep time than you average cheese and pickle but this is no average sandwich!

  
INGREDIENTS
1 and 1/2 Portebello mushrooms

4 tablespoons of light soy sauce

half a clove of garlic

half a teaspoon of smoked paprika

One small steamed beetroot

A dash of Tabasco

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Half tablespoon ketchup

Half a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard

 2 slices of Rye bread

3 thin slices of Swiss cheese

3 tablespoons of sauerkrau

A knob of butter

METHOD

• In a bowl mix the soy sauce, Tabasco, smoked paprika. Finely grate the beetroot and add a little of the juice.

• Slice the Portebello mushrooms lengthwise as thinly as possible and add them to the marinade. Cover and put in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. 

• In the meantime prepare the dressing. Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup and wholegrain mustard

• After the mushrooms are marinated fry in a preheated pan for 15 minutes or until the majority of the liquid has gone.

• Preheat a frying pan on a medium heat. Butter one side of both slices of bread and place butter side down in the frying pan until they are golden brown.  

• Remove both slices of bread from the pan and butter the other side. Put one of the slices back in the pan butter side down and then spread the dressing on top. Then add layer of sauerkraut and place the three slices of Swiss cheese on top. Finally top with the mushroom mixture.

•  Place the remaining slice of bread on top of the sandwich butter side up. Cook the sandwich for 5 minutes until the bread is golden underneath. Then using a spatula carefully turn the sandwich over. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the bread underneath is golden and the cheese is melted

• Remove the sandwich from the pan and cut in half. Serve with a pickle and crisps

GIANT COUS COUS TABOULEH

Spring is in the air and the daffodils are out in force. Barbeque season is fast approaching and this salad is a perfect accompaniment and looks so pretty! Giant couscous has more of a bite than regular cous cous which I sometimes find a bit bland. The lemon in the dressing gives this dish a bit of a kick that tastes like summer.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lemon

• 40ml extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic   

• 200g vine ripened tomatoes

• 6 spring onions

• 1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley

• salt and pepper to season 

METHOD

•  Put the giant couscous into a pan of boiling water. Add a pinch of salt and simmer for 6 minutes. Then remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Run cold water over the couscous to cool down and set aside

• Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a bowl and add the olive oil and mince garlic. Mix together and set aside

•  Finely dice the tomatoes and slice the spring onions. Roughly chop the parsley.  

•  In a serving bowl mix the tomatoes, onions and parsley with the giant couscous. Pour over the dressing and stir though.

•  Season with salt and pepper and serve with a wedge of lemon