See, the day of my ill-fated aloo-gobi, I created a delicious sandwich for lunch. Shane loved it, I loved it...Hallie made something a little bit like it, which she loved...and Justice and Kaia looked at us like we were all crazy. Justice has a fear of mushrooms. She cannot touch them with a 10-foot pole. So, I knew this wasn't going to be her cup of tea. And Kaia? Well, the list of foods Kaia eats is short, and does not include mushrooms or sandwiches. I think they had pasta. But, oh ~ the glorious sandwiches Shane and I had!
I don't remember what inspired me to go looking for a vegetarian take on Philly Cheesesteak, but I found myself zipping around the internet in search of one. I read through a number of soy and/or seitan based recipes, but none of them appealed to me. When I stumbled upon one that featured portobello mushrooms, I thought, "Aha! That's the ticket!"
Let me preface the rest of this by saying: I KNOW mushrooms are not the same as steak. I know no one would be fooled into thinking this sandwich contained meat. That was never a goal for me. You see, I don't like meat. I don't miss it, and I don't spend a lot of time trying to recreate it. What I try very hard to cook is good food that I like ~ and this sandwich (which I have made twice) is at the top of my list. The mushrooms, if allowed to brown a little before adding the liquid, do have a nice, slightly chewy texture, and the bouillon lends a nice "beefy" flavour. But they are still mushrooms. Delicious, perfect, wonderful mushrooms.
Shane and I LOVE portobello mushrooms. I think we would eat them every day if we could. The kids? Not so much. I think that's why I decided to make these sandwiches for lunch, instead of dinner. Lunch tends to be more of a catch-as-catch-can around here, as opposed to a communal meal, so I figured I could make something the kids might not necessarily eat.
I read through the recipe once, and promptly lost it. However, I figured I had the general gist of the thing, so I headed off to the store. I looked for the perfect rolls, but settled on a 3-pack of bolillo rolls from fresh & easy, because it cost under a dollar. I also purchased 2 portobello mushrooms, one green pepper, one red pepper, one yellow onion and a package of sliced provolone. The, I headed home and got to work.
This really is the best sandwich I have ever had. It builds upon my previous sandwich experiences, and elevates the sandwich to an art form, if I do say so, myself. Want to make one? (You know you do.)
Here's what you'll need:
1/2 TBS olive oil
2 large, good-looking portobello mushrooms
1/4-1/2 of a green pepper
1/4-1/2 of a red pepper
1 small (or 1/2 large) yellow onion
steak seasoning blend*, to taste
1 TBS flour (optional)
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp beef-flavoured vegetarian bouillon**
2-4 sandwich rolls (depends on their size, and how much you like to stuff them (we pile ours high)
sliced provolone cheese
Optional toppings, as desired: lettuce, sliced tomatoes, peperoncini, mayonaise, black olives
Here's what you do:
In a large, heavy skillet (I use cast iron), heat olive oil over low-med. heat.
Slice onions very thin. Add to hot oil, sprinkle lightly with steak seasoning, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften. If you like them a bit brown (I do), stir less often.
While onions are cooking, slice peppers into thin strips. Add peppers to the skillet and stir to coat.
Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Slice caps into thin strips. You can remove the gills, if you wish, but they are edible. The first time I made these, I did not remove the gills. The second time, the gills fell off while I was slicing the mushrooms. I noticed no difference int he final product.
Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft and have browned a bit.
Heat oven to 425℉. Once the mushrooms have started to brown, sprinkle with flour (if using), and toss lightly. Add water and stir in veggie bouillon. Turn heat to med-high, and continue cooking, stirring often, until most of the liquid has cooked off. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Remove mixture from heat.
Split rolls lengthwise and place on a cookie sheet***. Divide mushroom/pepper/onion mixture between the rolls, piling loosely on both sides of each roll. Top with provolone cheese (I topped mine with a little Melty Nutritonal Yeast Cheese, from the New Farm Vegetarian cookbook). Pop the cookie sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
Remove pan and let stand 2 minutes before attempting to handle your sandwich. Add optional toppings as desired (I added lettuce, tomato, peperoncini, olives and mayo, Shane stuck with just lettuce and peperoncini), make sure you let your sandwich cool for a moment before you dig in.
Still not sure if you want one? You do. Make it and see. Here's a picture of Shane's, to inspire you:
(I piled a few mushroom and pepper slices on top of the cheese, to make it pretty)
* If you don't have steak seasoning, season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. If you like, add a touch of crushed red pepper.
** You can use any vegetarian bouillon (or use vegetable stock in place of the water + bouillon). I like Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base (which I guess isn't bouillon, but it works, and I like it): http://www.nutricity.com/better-than-bouillon-vegan-no-beef-base-8-oz-pack-of-6?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=froogle&gclid=CIS_3v2hsLECFUcHRQod7SMASQ
***The first time I made these, I toasted the rolls in the oven before adding the mushroom/pepper/onion filling. They looked beautiful (see above. Note the toasty roll), but were so crisp that, once all of the fillings were in, they were kind of hard to smash down enough to take a bite. You decide. We liked them un-toasted, too, and found them easier to eat.
Hallie didn't want the mushrooms, so she spread a little "Awesome Sauce" (use your favourite spaghetti or pizza sauce) on each half of her roll, topped with peppers and onions from the mix (yay! More mushrooms for me!), black olives and sliced provolone to make a vegetable pizza sandwich. She said it was yummy, and it sure did look it.
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