His & hers vegetarian Reuben sandwiches
As anyone who has ever ordered a ham-and-cheese-no-ham sandwich knows, a vegetarian diet is defined by what we’re not eating. No meat, no fish. For some, it also means no dairy or eggs – there’s a whole spectrum of no-nos. Which, ironically, leads to a fondness for the seemingly inedible, like nondairy chocolate. And quinoa. Seriously, folks, I don’t really love quinoa. I just smother it in fresh fruit and nuts because people get all judgy when I feed my kids French fries for breakfast.
I sometimes wonder whether vegetarian cuisine would be more interesting and more palatable to nonvegetarians if we flipped our way of thinking. Instead of talking about what we choose to omit, what if we focused on foods we can add?
A hold-the-corned-beef Reuben sandwich is my standard order at the deli counter. Russian or Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, rye bread and butter blend together strangely and magnificently, creating a masterpiece of satisfying meatless flavors. Testing my theory meant including a new food to make an already delicious vegetarian Reuben even better.
Sauerkraut has such a strong flavor that whatever I added needed to complement it. I imagine real chefs know intuitively what flavors work with each other. I am not a real chef, and the only intuition I possess is how to choose the slowest-moving checkout line. So bite by bite, I mixed a potential sandwich topping with forkfuls of sauerkraut and tasted them. Here is the list of foods that absolutely do not belong on a Reuben: grilled pineapple, kale, grapes, watermelon and a fried egg. I was most disappointed in the fried egg. I had hoped it would add a velvety texture that responded to the bite of the sauerkraut. It did not. Also on the don’t-try-this-at-home list was any bread other than rye. I tried to substitute the normally delicious Whole Foods Seeduction bread, but the taste clashed with all of the other Reuben ingredients. While the corned beef may be optional, a Reuben on anything but rye is just a really bad sandwich.
However, I’m thrilled that fig jam paired perfectly with the sauerkraut. It added the sweetness of a traditional Russian or Thousand Island dressing without the heaviness of an oily condiment. I spread the fig jam over a piece of buttered, toasted rye, added sauerkraut, and topped it with a generous amount of shredded raw-milk Emmentaler, which has more flavor than plain deli-counter Swiss. It was tasty, but truthfully, all of the butter, cheese and sauerkraut juices made my sandwich feel like a pile of melted – albeit yummy – goo. A roasted red bell pepper added a bit of structure to the mess, and I thought the pepper’s mild taste and meaty texture would appeal to my husband, Carnivore Bob. But when I presented my new and improved Reuben to him, the conversation went like this:
Bob: This isn’t a Reuben. There’s no Thousand Island dressing.
Me: Sure it is. It’s a pseudo-Reuben. You know, Rubenesque.
Bob: Um, that’s not what that
word means.
While rye bread and sauerkraut were the defining Reuben ingredients for me, apparently Thousand Island dressing is the deal-breaker for my hubby. And since he’s a good guy who cheerfully eats fried eggs and rye toast (no kraut) for dinner when I’m too busy developing recipes to actually cook, I created a vegetarian Reuben just for him. His Reuben was the standard rye, Thousand Island and sauerkraut, with the addition of a broiled apple and Gruyere cheese. The soft apple appealed to Carnivore Bob’s sweet tooth and harmonized with the sauerkraut and nutty Gruyere.
This project started because I wanted to change how I thought about vegetarian cuisine. Along the way, I learned that, like fine art, what appeals to one person will leave another politely spitting into his napkin. You may prefer the approachable apple and Gruyere version, or appreciate the quirky fig jam and roasted red bell pepper combination. Either way, what’s important is that you’re saying “yes” to something rather than “no” to meat.
His Vegetarian Reuben
2 servings
1 large red apple, Fuji or other sweet variety, cored, sliced ¼-inch thick
4 slices rye bread
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. Russian or Thousand Island dressing
½ cup sauerkraut, drained
2 oz. freshly grated Gruyere cheese
• Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the apple slices on the baking sheet and broil them 6 inches from the heat until the apple is soft and browning on the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the apples from the heat and set aside.
• Replace the aluminum foil with a fresh sheet and arrange the bread slices on it. Brush the tops lightly with melted butter. Broil 6 inches from the heat until toasted, 1 minute. (Watch the bread carefully; it burns quickly.) Remove the bread from the heat.
• Place 2 pieces of bread toasted-side down on a plate. Spread 1 teaspoon dressing on the untoasted sides. Flip the remaining 2 slices of bread on the baking sheet. Arrange equal amounts of sauerkraut and apple on each, and top with cheese. Broil the open-faced sandwiches until the cheese is melted, 1 minute. Top each with a previously toasted bread slice. Serve hot.
Her Vegetarian Reuben
2 servings
Half a large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
4 slices rye bread
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. fig jam
½ cup sauerkraut, drained
2 oz. freshly shredded Emmentaler cheese
• Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the bell pepper skin-side up on the baking sheet. Broil 6 inches from the heat until the pepper is mostly charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, immediately place the pepper in a zip-lock bag and seal. Allow the hot pepper to steam 15 minutes. Using your fingers, peel and discard the charred skin. Cut the pepper into four long, thin slices and set aside.
• Replace the aluminum foil with a fresh sheet and arrange the bread slices on it. Brush the tops lightly with melted butter. Broil 6 inches from the heat until toasted, 1 minute. (Watch the bread carefully; it burns quickly.) Remove the bread from the heat.
• Place 2 pieces of bread toasted-side down on a plate. Spread 1 teaspoon fig jam on the untoasted sides. Flip the remaining 2 slices of bread on the baking sheet. Arrange equal amounts of sauerkraut and 2 pieces roasted bell pepper on each, and top with cheese. Broil the open-faced sandwiches until the cheese is melted, 1 minute. Top each with a previously toasted bread slice. Serve hot.
Tags : Recipes
