a vegetarian option

one of the rather difficult things for vegetarians is finding food at get-togethers where everyone else would rather eat meat. it's one of the reasons why vegetarians are always encouraged to learn to cook their own food - tasty, healthy alternatives that you can bring to get-togethers or just to the office or school.

last night, i met up with friends from the company where i used to work. it was a rockstar burger party: beef burgers, meaty pasta, soda, the works. what i did was whip up my own vegetarian sandwich which was essentially identical to the burger, except for the patty.

here's a recipe that's loosely based on a much better recipe my friend originally made. i was kind of counting on her to be here when i made the sandwich, but she wasn't. so i sort of made it DIY. much thanks to my mama and to brian for helping me assemble the sandwiches.

Ingredients:
whole wheat loaf bread
bell pepper, sliced thinly
onion rings
cucumber, sliced
lettuce
tomatoes, sliced the way they're sliced for burgers
vegetarian tapa
honey
oil, for frying the tapa

Procedure:
Cut the tapa into slices the size of your wheat bread. There's an option to first dip it in batter to make it crunchier and to add flavor. Assemble the sandwich.

Assembly:
place one or two slices of the tapa over a slice of wheat bread. pour a bit of honey over it. Put on another slice of bread. layer the vegetables. top with a third slice of bread. voila!

i'm not really a cook, so you'll notice this recipe is kind of loose. you just place as much of the ingredients as suits your taste. some people like more onions, some don't. make the sandwich meatier by adding tapa in the layer with the vegetables. you could also use other meat substitutes instead of tapa: veggie burger for example, or vegetable patties. banana flowers would make a good alternative, i think. or monggo.

you can also dress up the entire thing with ketchup or mustard or both. i like it plain.

so there you have it - a vegetarian delight so easy to prepare even i could do it. :)

-o-