Subscribe to Chucky - The Fat Vegetarian by Email Subscribe in a reader Chucky - The Fat Vegetarian: Thank You Firehouse Subs for an Excellent Idea

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Thank You Firehouse Subs for an Excellent Idea

Most wonderful wishes to one and all today!


Tiffany and I had a most delicious submarine sandwich at Firehouse Subs on Sunday.  We had to take our chariot into the shop for some scheduled maintenance and visited Firehouse Subs afterwards.  Not the most healthy sandwich on the planet but most certainly worth the calorie sacrifice!

Firehouse Medium Veggie Sub on Whole Wheat

We ordered our "all of the way", light on the mayo.  Or, as Firehouse Subs puts it, "Fully loaded.  Light on the mayo."  Absolutely the best veggie sandwich to be had from a franchise!  Both deliciously grilled veggies in addition to fresh raw ingredients.  Excluding the mayonnaise and cheeses, a safe choice on the healthy scale.  We went the guilty route without regret.  It was truly that delicious!  Add some hot sauce high on the Scoville scale and you've got yourself "winner maximus".



As I sat there savoring the delicious sandwich, my mind raced to a more calorie-conscious homemade version.  "How simple!", I thought to myself.  Take some whole wheat bread, slather on a monitored amount of Reduced Fat Vegenaise, layout some pickles, sliced tomato, sliced onion, shredded lettuce or clover sprouts, and top with some grilled veggies (onion, bell pepper, mushroom and jalapeno)...  I've got myself a winner?

So, since Tiffany & I planned another day outside enjoying the Spring weather and uncorking some wine, why not fire up the grill and let it do all of the work?  We stopped by Eat More Produce on the way home and bought some red onion and bell pepper.  No, our wine rack is over-stocked with maximum occupancy right now.  We did not need to purchase more wine today.  <hehe>

When I arrived home, I took an aluminum roasting pan, poured in some olive oil, and sliced the veggies.  I added one large red onion, six green bell peppers, two cans of sliced mushrooms, and two sliced jalapenos into the roasting pan.  I turned up all three burners to maximum until the grill reached approximately 400-degrees.  Then I turned off two of the three burners and rest the pan on the grill (off side).  Over the next couple of hours the veggies slowly grilled and roasted to perfection!

Tiffany and I separated and sorted the finished product into multiple Zip-Lock baggies to store in the freezer.  Each bag contains enough grilled veggies to decorate two veggie sandwiches.  With the utmost convenience, we can simply pull out a baggie from the freezer and easily prepare a quick dinner or preparation for lunches.

I'll let you know how they turn out.  When I've made the first sandwich with the grilled veggies, I shall return to this post and add a new picture.  But ~ How can I go wrong?  Fresh and grilled veggies on any type of bread (pita, sub, sandwich, etc.) with almost any type of healthy condiment (tzatziki sauce, reduced fat Vegenaise, fresh hummus, sliced avocado, etc.).  "Really?"  "How can this go wrong?"  Mmm... I am salivating as I write this blog.  "Bugger!  Today's lunch is glass of Tiffany's Green Smoothie."  "Hmm... That's not bad either!"

Tiffany's Green Smoothie today and Grilled Veggie Sandwich for another day!  I am a lucky lunch dude, indeed!  Becoming a vegetarian has been true bliss each and every single day since October 1, 2010.

Hi-dee hi-dee study-what-you-eat-for-health-improvement-ho my friends!

5 comments:

  1. Most "wheat buns" at sub places are mainly white wheat with some coloring and a bit of whole wheat thrown in - a scam. Are Firehouse subs whole wheat or pretend-whole-wheat?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Anonymous. Thanks for the blog comment. Although I don't specifically discount a place to eat due to their bread alone, I do prefer a healthier option when available. White wheat versus whole wheat isn't a primary concern of ours.

    However, because Firehouse Subs shows twice the fiber for the "White" versus the "Wheat" under their nutritional listings (http://www.firehousesubs.com/App_Themes/FirehouseSubs/Files/FHS_Nutritionals.pdf) I believe theirs to be the genuine article. In case you're interested, it's 2- versus 4-grams of fiber for a medium and 3- versus 7-grams for the large sub roll.

    Again ~ Thanks for leaving the comment! May you great health visit you daily.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As an FYI the "Sauteed" veggies at Firehouse are sitting and stewing in a beef based Au Jus sauce making them anything but vegetarian.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Anonymous,

    I do not know where you gathered this ideal but I checked and here's the official scoop:

    "Hi Chucky,

    The Veggie Sub, ordered WITHOUT mushrooms is completely vegetarian. The onions and peppers are NOT steeped in beef-based broth, rather a vegetable-based broth. The mushrooms come in a sauce that contains Worcestershire sauce, which contains traces of anchovy, thus making the mushrooms non-vegetarian.

    I hope this has helped clarify any concerns you may have had.

    Kind Regards,

    (Name removed by Chucky prior to posting)
    Guest Services
    Firehouse Subs"

    I'd like to take a moment to thank Firehouse Subs for a really quick and in-depth reply to my inquiry. I believe that it says much about their corporate culture and where you and I, the consumer, hold value. It re-affirms my desire to return to a local Firehouse Subs soon!

    Thanks Anonymous! Thanks Firehouse Subs! May everyone everywhere have nothing short of a truly wonderful day.

    Chucky

    ReplyDelete