Grilled Sauerkraut & 'Mater on Rye Sandwich

"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak."

 -  Alan Dunde

Greetings my friend!  I hope this blog posting finds you well and good.

What do you get when two slices of Polonia Polish Restaurant rye bread, some vegan cheese, some pesto sauce, some olive tapenade, some sauerkraut, and some sliced red ripe hydroponically grown tomatoes try to cross the cast iron skillet but make it only half way across?  An absolutely delicious Grilled Sauerkraut and Tomato on Rye Sandwich, of course!

"Yes, Virginia.  Vegetarian food does taste good."

No ladies and gentlemen, it's certainly not as delicious as it looks.  It's even better!  An incredible blend of complimentary tastes upon the palate.  A deliciously sloppy cornucopia of flavor greets you upon first bite.

SERVINGS:  2 (Tiffany and I find that splitting this sandwich works best as ours was a mouth-watering monster creation.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2  bread slices, sturdy bakery bread (I used rye).
• 2 or 3 tomato slices, thickly sliced
• 2 Tbsp pesto sauce, vegan preferred
• 2 Tbsp olive tapenade
• 2 cheese slices, vegan preferred
• 1/4 cup sauerkraut, drained

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat cast iron skillet to medium heat.
2. Prepare slices by spreading pesto on one slice and tapenade on the other.
3. Lay one cheese slice uniformly on one slice.
4. Layer evenly with tomato slices and then top with drained sauerkraut.
5. Top with other cheese slice uniformly and then with second bread slice.
6. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Grill until golden brown.  Approximately three to four minutes.
8. Flip but re-spray cast iron skillet before grilling other side.
9. I remove from skillet, place onto microwaveable plate and microwave for another 90-seconds just to make certain that I've got that perfectly sloppy sandwich filling.

NOTES:

• The ideal of the two cheese slices being to "glue" the sandwich together.  It might be advantageous to include a third slice between the tomato slices and drained sauerkraut but please be cognizant of the calories, okay?

Another one of those examples where delicious does not have to be complex or cumbersome.  This is one of those things you can make while "thinking outside that culinary box".  Hmm... I betcha avocado would do well on this concoction.  I can also envision slices of tempeh or grilled tofu inside a similarly constructed sandwich.  Whatever your mind conjures up, bon appétit my friend.  Create healthy, cook safely, always be vegetarian, and eat deliciously.

Hi-dee hi-dee who-does-not-love-the-simple-deliciousness-of-a-sandwich-ho my friend.

Recipe